Silver Arrow

Silver Arrows (銀の矢, Gin no Ya^?) are recurring items in the Legend of Zelda series. These glittering arrows, made entirely from silver, are a devastating weapon that can destroy Ganon, unlike most methods, which merely seal him away. It is commonly thought that they are replaced by the Light Arrows in later Zelda games, but in truth, the arrows behave oppositely from each other in that the Light Arrows are used to stun Ganon, while the Silver Arrows are used to damage, and ultimately kill (or in the case of Ancient Stone Tablets, seal away), Ganon after he has been stunned.

Appearances[]

The Legend of Zelda[]

Silver Arrows are one of the treasures of Level 9 (Spectacle Rock), the other being the Red Ring. Link must have the Silver Arrows in order to defeat the final boss, Gannon, and save Princess Zelda. Link must strike Ganon with his sword several times (the exact number depends on the strength of the sword); on the final, Ganon will turn red and stop moving briefly. At this point, Link must then shoot him with a Silver Arrow to destroy him and save Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past[]

The Silver Arrows are not separate items; rather, they are upgrades of Link's regular Arrows. After Link has defeated dungeons five and six in the Dark World and rescued the Swordsmith, he can purchase a Super Bomb from the Bomb Shop (located exactly where Link's House was located in the Light World.) This can be used to break a cracked wall in the Pyramid, revealing a mysterious fountain inside. If Link throws his Bow & Arrow into the fountain, a Great Fairy appears, asking him about whether or not he dropped it. If Link answers truthfully, he is given the Silver Arrows.

After defeating the remaining dungeons, the Seven Maidens will make it possible for Link to confront Ganon. During the confrontation, Ganon is stunned for a short while, allowing Link to damage him with a Silver Arrow and ultimately defeat him, and restore peace and prosperity to Hyrule.

Possible Inspiration[]

Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.

Silver arrows may have been inspired by Silver Bullets, which are often the only weapon capable of defeating werewolves, witches, or other fictional monsters in folklore.

Theory warning: Theories end here.

Other Appearances[]

Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets[]

Near the end of the game, Zelda summons the Silver Arrows for the Hero of Light to use from a tablet with the following enchantment:

"Heaven and Earth of Hyrule, please lend me your great power. Winds and waters of Hyrule, bestow upon me the arrow of shining light."

Like in A Link to the Past, it was used to defeat Ganon for good. However, Zelda when bequeathing the Silver Bow of Arrows stated they can "seal the Embodiment of Evil", implying that they don't actually kill Ganon.

Hyrule Warriors[]

The 8-Bit Silver Arrow appears as Fi's 8-bit weapon for her Goddess Blade moveset, which humorously treated as a type of Sword in Hyrule Warriors.

Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.

Non-canonical appearances[]

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

The Shadow Prince[]

In an archery contest Link has the choice of several arrows, including "his usual blue arrow". This presumably refers to the Silver Arrow, the sprite for which was mostly blue in the original game.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past manga[]

In the manga version of A Link to the Past, the arrowheads of the Silver Arrows are worn by Ganty, a Hylian Knight descendant, as earrings. They were given to her as an heirloom by her guardian. When Zelda told Ganty of her true heritage and the purpose of the earrings she wore, Ganty used the Silver Arrow to deal Ganon a death blow.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.