Ancient Blade Advanced Guide — Tears of the Kingdom

The Ancient Blade is a rare Fuse material dropped by Soldier Constructs (particularly high-tier variants in the Depths) that grants an instant kill on any non-boss, non-giant enemy when fused to any throwable weapon. It is one of the most powerful items in the game — and one of the most misunderstood.

What the Ancient Blade Does

When you fuse an Ancient Blade to any weapon and throw it (use the throwing attack, not a normal swing), the thrown weapon fires a homing projectile that deals an instant kill to the target, regardless of the enemy's remaining health. The projectile tracks movement and pierces standard defenses.

Critical caveat: The Ancient Blade only works on throws. Fusing it to a melee weapon and using normal swings does NOT trigger the instant kill — it just deals regular damage with the blade attached.

What It Kills Instantly

The Ancient Blade kills any standard non-boss enemy with a single throw:

• All Bokoblin tiers (Red → Blue → Black → Silver)
• All Moblin tiers
• All Lizalfos tiers
• Horriblins, Aerocudas, Keese, ChuChus
• Constructs (including elite variants)
• Gloom Hands (each individual hand segment)
• Blue Hinox and Black Hinox

What It Does NOT Kill Instantly

• Lynels (any tier) — resistant to the instant kill effect; deals high but not infinite damage
• Named Bosses — Colgera, Marbled Gohma, Sludge Like, Queen Gibdo, Seized Construct, Mucktorok (boss health pools are immune)
• Gloom Hands group as a boss trigger — you can kill individual hands but the subsequent Phantom Ganon spawn is unaffected
• Stone Talus and Hinox (main body) — the boulder/skin acts as a damage sponge; the blade deals damage but not instant kill
• King Gleeok, Flame Gleeok, Ice Gleeok, Thunder Gleeok — boss-tier immunity

Where to Farm Ancient Blades

Depths Soldier Construct Camps

The most reliable Ancient Blade source is Abandoned Constructs and elite Soldier Construct IV enemies found in the Depths. Clearing Depths camps near Lightroots often yields 1–2 Ancient Blades per run.

Highest density locations:

• Abandoned Depths Colosseum (south of Construct Factory in Depths coordinates)
• Near Iayusus Lightroot (central Depths)
• Akkala Depths camps (northeast quadrant — Soldier Construct clusters)

Defeat Construct Hordes on Sky Islands

Some mid-tier Sky Island platforms in the Hyrule Sky Archipelago and Thunderhead Isles spawn groups of Soldier Constructs that occasionally drop Ancient Blades. Less reliable than Depths farming but useful early-game.

Treasure Chests in Shrines

A small number of Shrines contain Ancient Blades in hidden chests — primarily combat-themed shrines. Check shrine walkthroughs for specific chest contents before prioritizing these.

Best Weapons to Fuse Ancient Blades To

Since the instant kill triggers on throws only, fuse Ancient Blades to weapons with the highest throw velocity for maximum accuracy:

| Weapon Type | Throw Speed | Notes | |-------------|-------------|-------| | Spears | Very Fast | Best homing arc, longest range | | Arrows (bow throw) | N/A — use arrow fusing instead | Not recommended for Ancient Blade | | Soldier's Claymore | Fast | Wide hitbox on throw | | Royal Guard's Claymore | Fast | High base damage if miss | | Boomerang | Homing | Returns if miss — good for uncertain shots |

Avoid fusing to low-durability weapons — the blade is consumed on the hit but the weapon itself is thrown and can be retrieved. Higher durability lets you re-throw if needed.

Advanced Tactics

Silver Lynel Pre-Fight Clear

Before engaging a Silver Lynel, clear all surrounding normal enemies (Bokoblins, Moblins) using Ancient Blade throws to eliminate distractions. The Lynel itself isn't one-shot-able, but fighting it in a clean arena without additional enemies is significantly safer.

Gloom Hands Burst

Gloom Hands normally require sustained damage across all five hand segments. Two Ancient Blade throws (aimed at different hands) kill multiple hands simultaneously, collapsing the encounter before Phantom Ganon can emerge.

Method:

1. Stand at range
2. Throw Ancient Blade fused weapon at one Gloom Hand
3. Quickly switch to second Ancient Blade weapon
4. Throw at a second hand
5. Repeat until all 5 are down

Emergency Escape Tool

If surrounded by a Silver enemy mob with full health, a single Ancient Blade throw clears the most dangerous unit instantly, creating a window to reposition. Keep one Ancient Blade fused weapon in reserve for exactly this scenario.

Boss Pre-Phase Clear

Before major boss fights (Wind Temple — Colgera approach), clear any Construct guards using Ancient Blades to conserve your primary weapons' durability for the boss itself.

Conservation Strategy

Ancient Blades are rare. Prioritize them for:

1. Silver enemies that would require 5+ strong weapon hits otherwise
2. Gloom Hands encounters when low on health
3. Emergency escapes from multi-enemy overwhelm situations

Do not waste them on:

• Standard Red/Blue Bokoblins (arrow headshots or basic combat is sufficient)
• Any enemy you can one-shot with a Lynel weapon
• Constructs in areas without Lightroot pressure

Keep a minimum reserve of 5 Ancient Blades at all times by farming Depths camps on Blood Moon respawn cycles.