Link’s Awakening is an atypical Zelda game in many respects. One of these is that the Bow — a staple of Link’s arsenal — is not found in a dungeon. In fact, the bow is available at almost any time during your quest, but there are only two ways to get it.

Buying the Bow in Link’s Awakening

There’s an Item Shop in the northeast corner of Mabe Village. Here, you can buy heart pieces, supplies, and other useful items. The Bow won’t appear in the shop immediately, though. You first have to purchase the shovel, then return to the shop to find the Bow has taken its place.

If you want to buy the Bow, you’re going to have to shell out 980 Rupees. Damn! That’s the problem with monopolies — the guy can just set whatever price he wants. Thankfully, you don’t actually need to have the Bow until the last dungeon of the game. By then, you should have collected enough Rupees just from normal play to pay the Shopkeeper’s ludicrous price.

If you’re a diehard archer and you want the Bow as soon as possible, you can try and grind for them early on, but it’ll be slow going. Of course, there is another way…

How to Be a THIEF in Link’s Awakening

Again, Link’s Awakening is an odd Zelda game. It’s the only game in the series that I know of where you can actually steal from the shop, letting you get whatever items you want without having to pay. In the case of the Bow, that means you don’t have to bother gathering up its staggering asking price.

Much like in real life, shoplifting is something of an art in Link’s Awakening. It involves grabbing the item you want and drawing the shopkeep’s eye, then darting through the door when he isn’t looking. It make take you a few tries, but you should get it eventually.

Be warned, though, that crime has consequences. The next time you return to the shop, the Shopkeeper will blast you with instantly-fatal lightning, adding a death to your total. After that you can shop again no problem, though.

The more serious consequence is that stealing anything from the shop will have you branded “THIEF” for the rest of the game. Every time a character would use your inputted name, they’ll call you THIEF instead. Kind of spoils the quiet moments with Marin, huh? And there’s no way to get rid of THIEF status except reloading an earlier save.

So there are your options — buy the Bow or steal it, the choice is yours. Just remember, you don’t actually need the Bow in Link’s Awakening until the last dungeon, so there’s no rush to get it. Once you do have it, though, try equipping it and the Bombs then hitting both buttons for a special Bomb Arrow attack. Now that’s a spicy meat-a-ball.

Buying the Bow in Link’s Awakening

More Link’s Awakening:

How to Be a THIEF in Link’s Awakening

How to Get the Bow in Link's Awakening

About the Author

Related Posts