- "An arrow imbued with the power of electricity. It breaks apart on impact, channeling electricity into nearby objects. It's incredibly effective against anything metal or anything wet."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Shock Arrows are items from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They are a sort of arrows filled by lightning power. Link can use them to paralyze one or several nearby enemies granting them electricity damage. They will also cause enemies to drop any equipment they are wielding such as weapons, bows, or shields, though only effects Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos, as Lynels and Wizzrobes can resist its disarming effect. Its area of effect and power will increase in watery areas, when it is raining, when used on frozen enemies (as ice is just frozen water), or contact with metallic objects. Additionally electric enemies such as Electric Lizalfos are naturally resistant to its effects.
Link can take a picture of one with the Camera Rune to add its entry to the Hyrule Compendium were it appears as entry number 347 in the Compendium's Equipment section. Under the additional effects section of its entry it reads "Electrocutes and disarms enemies.".
Limitations[]
Shock Arrows are the only arrows in Breath of the Wild that cannot be normally wielded by a single race, the aquatic Zora. Due to being an aquatic race, Zora are extremely vulnerable to electricity making wielding Shock Arrows dangerous even potentially fatal to most Zora. Only a single Zora is known to be capable of wielding them the legendary Zora Knight Demon Sergeant Seggin whom possessed a resistance to electricity uncharacteristic of the Zora. Unfortunately Seggin's resistance is implied to have its limits. As a result, the elderly Seggin was unable to fire enough to shutdown the water being produced by Vah Ruta when it threatened to flood Zora's Domain with torrential rain. Thus Zora Prince Sidon was forced to seek out other races capable of wielding Shock Arrows first a Goron before settling on finding a Hylian. Ultimately Sidon manages to recruit Link whom is revealed to have befriended several Zora in his childhood including Princess Mipha and Seggin's son Bazz as well as a trusted friend of the Zora Royal Family. However Seggin refused to accept any Hylian's aid especially Link whom Seggin blamed for Mipha's death. Seggin attempted to improve his resistance by touching the tip of a Shock Arrow only causing himself pain and made his son Bazz worry he might hurt himself. Link however can stop Seggin by picking up the arrow forcing Seggin to stop touching it. According to Bazz save for his father, Zora are banned from even touching Shock Arrows or wielding electric elemental weapons such as Thunderblades, Great Thunderblades, Thunderspears, Lightning Rods, or Thunderstorm Rods as electricity is simply to dangerous for Zora to handle.
Koroks and Gerudo are implied to be capable of wielding or at least carrying Shock Arrows as they are sold at by Gerudo and Korok merchants. It is implied Rito can at least touch Shock Arrows as the Rito Fyson sells them at the Slippery Falcon in Tarrey Town.
Related Quest[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Link is required to collect Shock Arrows during the main story as they are needed to take on Vah Ruta. Muzu was tasked by King Dorephan to help acquire them but he refuses to help until Sidon with Link's aid reveals Mipha was in love with Link which leads Link to recover his memory of Mipha and convinces Muzu to help. Muzu tells Link to go to Ploymus Mountain but warns him of a dangerous beast living there. Once Link has enough Shock Arrows, he and Sidon take on Vah Ruta with Link using Shock Arrows on its water pumps to defeat Vah Ruta allowing him to journey inside to free it from Waterblight Ganon.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Enemies[]
Enemies occasionally wield Shock Arrows and use them to shock Link and cause him to drop his weapon, bow or shield. However Link can consume dishes granting "Electro" effect or Electro Elixirs to increase his Shock Resistance, or wear armor granting Shock Resistance such as the Topaz Earrings, Rubber Helm, Armor, or Tights. Link can be immunized by wearing the the whole "Rubber" armor set with the Unshockable upgraded to level 2 or higher. As the Master Sword is un-droppable it cannot be dropped if Link is hit by a Shock Arrow.
Hunting[]
Link can use Shock Arrows to hunt animals and obtain dropped ingredients like normal arrows does and contrary to Fire and Ice arrows roasting and freezing them. They are useful in killing fish, flocks of ducks swimming in water, or hunting in rainy weather. As they do not effect the meat of animals, they can be used to hunt birds such as Hotfeather Pigeons and Eldin Ostriches in areas of Eldin with volcanic heat which turns normal arrows into makeshift fire arrows that roast meat, preventing Link from obtaining Raw versions unless he uses Shock Arrows. However though Shock Arrows do not effect the meat Link must collect it before the volcanic air roasts it. Thus Shock Arrows can be useful for hunting Eldin Ostriches for rare Raw Whole Bird in areas of volcanic heat.
Location[]
According to the Hyrule Compendium, Shock Arrows can be commonly found in Hyrule Field and Lanayru Great Spring regions, though they can be obtained in other areas. Link can find shock arrows in trees on Ploymus Mountain though he must be careful as Lynel patrols the area, though it to will drop shock arrows when defeated. Some enemies will drop Shock Arrows though only in certain areas such as the aforementioned Lynel on Ploymus Mountain and Lizalfos archers in the Serpent's Jaw area of Dracozu Lake. One Shock Arrow can be found in Zora's Domain being used by Seggin to train his Shock Resistance which Link can take to stop Seggin from causing himself pain in a futile attempt to increase his resistance while at the same time acquiring a Shock Arrow to use against Vah Ruta. Shock Arrows can be purchased from the Arrow Specialty Shop in Gerudo Town, General Shoppe in Korok Forest, the Fish Market in Lurelin Village, and the Arrow Shop in Kara Kara Bazaar though the Arrow Shop on sells a single Shock Arrow while all other shops sell them in bundles. Like most elemental arrows, they can be found in Pots and Barrels in Hyrule Castle. Occasionally Link can find them in Treasure Chests.