Rusty Broadsword
A fragile one-handed sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, commonly encountered early and useful as a temporary weapon or Fuse base.
Key Takeaways
A one-handed early-game sword, the Rusty Broadsword is mainly a temporary weapon rather than a durable long-term choice.
Its key upgrade path is Fuse: the weapon has a listed fuse attack power of 5, allowing materials to improve its combat usefulness.
Its low base durability of 6 is the main limitation, so repeated use can exhaust it quickly.
It can also appear as a potential reward from scanning specific Amiibo, in addition to its normal availability.
Overview
The Rusty Broadsword is a decayed one-handed sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, useful as an early weapon but hindered by poor durability.
The Rusty Broadsword is a standard one-handed melee weapon rather than a unique, Champion, or legendary blade. Its defining identity is its worn condition: it represents the weakened equipment available during the early journey, before stronger intact or specially named weapons become regular parts of a player’s inventory. Its practical role is straightforward sword combat, with the familiar flexibility of a one-handed weapon and no documented signature effect that sets it apart from the broader class.
This sword is most valuable as transitional equipment. It can handle ordinary encounters when alternatives are limited, but its frailty makes it a poor long-term investment compared with more durable weapons or stronger decayed and pristine finds. That distinction matters because the Rusty Broadsword is not simply a cosmetic version of a better blade: its condition is part of the weapon’s gameplay identity and explains why it is generally replaced as exploration progresses.
Fuse gives the weapon a way to remain useful beyond its weak starting state. Attaching a material can improve its combat contribution or add a useful effect, allowing the sword to serve as a temporary platform for experimentation rather than only as disposable equipment. Even so, a Fuse attachment does not erase the underlying drawback of the rusty weapon, so players should treat it as an economical early option rather than a foundation for a permanent loadout.
The Rusty Broadsword belongs to the base Tears of the Kingdom weapon ecosystem and is not a DLC-exclusive variant. Players may encounter it among the early swords available during the journey, and it can also appear as a potential reward from scanning certain Amiibo. Its presence is therefore tied more to early access and replacement progression than to a major quest, character, or special weapon system.
Statistics
Attack and durability are the game’s own published values, not a 0–100 scale. Taken from the project’s verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- Attack5
- Durability6
- ClassOne-Handed
- ConditionUntouched
- Compendium#355
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar melee weapons
| Weapon | Attack | Durability | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Broadsword | 5 | 6 | One-Handed |
| Traveler's Sword | 5 | 16 | One-Handed |
| Thick Stick | 5 | 14 | Two-Handed |
| Sturdy Wooden Stick | 5 | 24 | One-Handed |
| Zora Sword | 6 | 20 | One-Handed |
Attack and durability are the game’s own published values. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- No story, DLC, NG+, or quest prerequisite is required for the ordinary Surface-world route.
- A compatible Amiibo and the in-game Amiibo feature are required for the optional Amiibo route.
- 01Search treasure chests and ordinary weapon pickups in the Surface regions of Hyrule, particularly Hyrule Field and West Necluda. The Rusty Broadsword is a world-find rather than a quest, boss, or vendor reward, and individual chest contents can vary by location.
- 02Scan compatible Amiibo that include the Rusty Broadsword in their possible weapon rewards. The Amiibo result is randomized, so scanning does not guarantee this weapon. The intended world-find route remains available if the scan does not produce it.
Mechanics and Handling
The Rusty Broadsword uses the standard one-handed sword handling of Tears of the Kingdom. Its attacks are comparatively quick and allow Link to keep a shield equipped, while its short reach rewards fighting close to an enemy rather than trying to control space. It has no weapon-specific skill, elemental effect, or conditional trait that changes its basic attacks.
One-handed attack pattern
Its normal attack string is the regular one-handed sword sequence, with quick slashes that can be interrupted by movement, guarding, or other combat actions. A charged attack produces the class's spinning attack, which can catch nearby targets but commits Link to the charge and spin. Jump attacks and shield use follow the normal one-handed sword rules; the Rusty Broadsword does not add a special follow-up or altered timing.
Fusion and durability
The weapon's base durability is low: the supplied stat line records 6 durability. Because it is a decayed early-game sword, repeated unfused attacks can break it quickly. Fusing a material is therefore more useful for extending its practical service life and adding the material's combat effect than for preserving the sword as a long-term weapon. The Rusty Broadsword has no known built-in trait that modifies Fusion, and its fuse attack power is a separate contribution from the weapon's own attack value.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- One-handed handling leaves the other hand available for a shield, supporting standard defensive play.
- Its early-game availability makes it a practical weapon before stronger one-handed options become available.
- Fuse provides a way to extend its usefulness and add material effects despite its modest base performance.
Weaknesses
- Its base durability is only 6, so it breaks quickly compared with more durable alternatives.
- The Rusty Broadsword is a low-investment weapon and does not remain competitive as a primary sword once stronger options are available.
Best uses
- Use it as an early-game one-handed sword while building a larger inventory of weapons.
- Use it for short-term fused weapons when preserving stronger swords matters more than maximizing longevity.
- Keep it as an emergency backup rather than relying on it for extended encounters.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and condition | Practical role | Why choose it over the Rusty Broadsword |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Broadsword | Early-game fallback and Fuse base | Useful when available, but its low durability limits repeated use | — |
| Traveler's Sword | General-purpose sidegrade | A more practical everyday sword when durability matters | — |
| Soldier's Broadsword | Stronger routine melee option | Prefer it for regular combat after finding one | — |
| Knight's Broadsword | Higher-tier general-purpose sword | A more capable replacement when progression or availability permits | — |
Lore and Design
The Rusty Broadsword’s item description presents it as a once-fearsome blade worn down by use and neglect. Its lore gives the weapon a modest narrative identity: it is a remnant of a more capable sword rather than a celebrated relic or character-linked armament. The description does not establish a documented relationship with a named character, faction, or broader historical event.