- "Shoot a fire arrow into a bomb barrel to make it explode. Tossing a burning weapon at one works too."
- — "Bomb Barrels" Loading Screen Tip
Bomb Barrels are an item from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They are a type of explosive Barrel which explode when hit, thrown, or exposed to fire. They are generally found in the environment usually in and around enemy camps though they may also spawn when certain amiibo are used with the amiibo Rune. Certain Hinox varients can also dig them up from the ground to use as makeshift bombs.
Overview
Bomb Barrels are red barrels featuring a skull and crossbones on them similar to Terminan Powder Kegs though without a fuse. They can be picked up and thrown like other barrels, though they explode when they hit the ground. However they will not explode if they hit deep water or when its raining. Link must be careful as they will explode if hit by an attack, explosion from a Remote Bomb, Bomb Arrow, or other Bomb Barrels, or a large object such as a Boulder, Metal Crate, or Metal Box. Bomb Barrels can also be ignited with a burning Arrow, Fire Arrow, or fireball from a Fire Rod or Meteor Rod causing them to explode. Burning dry grass wildfires can also set them off.
Unarmed Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos may pick up Bomb Barrels and throw them at Link, though if he is quick and accurate enough Link can fire a fire arrow at them causing them to explode in the enemy's handed. Link can sometimes use them to set up traps or take out large numbers of enemies. Link can sometimes drop hanging lanterns hanging from the eyes of skull shaped enemy bases, which can ignite nearby Bomb Barrels causing explosions that can kill or damage enemies inside these camps. During the Footrace, on part of the course a ChuChu will drop out of a tree hitting a nearby Bomb Barrel causing it to detonate killing the ChuChu and knocking down a nearby tree onto the course as a obstacle. However the falling ChuChu will only trigger a detonation if it is not raining.
Black Hinox and Stalnox have the mysterious ability to dig into the ground and pull out Bomb Barrels which they will throw as makeshift Bombs in classic Hinox fashion. As Hinox (Oldest Kin) is a Black Hinox varient it also possesses this ability.
Link can launch Bomb Barrels by freezing them with the Stasis Rune and hitting them with a weapon to store kinetic energy as they will not explode while locked in Stasis. After kinetic energy is stored, Bomb Barrels will be launched when the Stasis times out and will explode when it hits the ground or a solid object. The more kinetic energy stored the farther it will fly. Link can also drop Octo Balloons onto a Bomb Barrel to make it float into the air, allowing Link to use them as aerial bombs, though he must be careful as Octo Balloons pop after a certain amount of time dropping their payload, which can damage Link as well as enemies. Link can control where they fall by shooting the balloons holding them up with an Arrow causing them to drop. The amiibo rune may randomly spawn Bomb Barrels depending upon the amiibo in question.