Hyrule Warriors II (ACL)

Hyrule Warriors II (Japanese: ゼルダ無双﻿２ ) is the sequel to the 2016 Nintendo 3DS title Hyrule Warriors Legends released for the Nintendo Switch. Hyrule Warriors II features elements that make the title more akin to the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors titles on which Hyrule Warriors II is based than other Zelda titles, similar to its Wii U predecessor and its expansions and ports. Hyrule Warriors II is considered non-canon to the Zelda chronology, and draws aspects from a large number Zelda titles. It is the third Hyrule Warriors title, following the original Wii U title and 2020's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
While a collaboration between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, Hyrule Warriors II does not feature any crossover content between Zelda and any of the latter company's franchises. Elements from other Nintendo franchises, however, do make appearances. The most notable crossover elements come from the Super Mario series, SimCity, and , which draw from the crossover content present in Link's Awakening.
 and , both of whom voiced Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, appear as the narrator for the game in English and Japanese versions of the game. They replace Esra Guler and , who narrated the events of the original Hyrule Warriors and its subsequent ports for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
== Story ==
After the events of Hyrule Warriors Legends, Hyrule entered a state of peace. The monsters summoned by Cia had disappeared, Ganon had once again been sealed away, and the eras that had once been connected to the present had separated once more. Hyrule began rebuilding after the monsters damaged the land, and the Hyruleans returned to their normal routines and Cia and Lana returned to the Valley of Seers to oversee the flow of time.
Though the state of peace was nice, it was also brief. Due to the temporal distortions caused by the Gates of Souls that tore open pathways into the past, Hyrule was quickly thrown back into chaos as time began folding into itself, creating a new world where the past and present were not separated once more. Cia and Lana were helpless to stop this chaos, and the Triforce disappeared as the world once again became twisted.
=== Prologue ===
Tetra gathers Toon Link and her crewmate Niko on a small island for a training exercise, and accompanying them are King Daphnes and Link's trainer Orca. Wanting Niko and Link in shape as members of her crew, Tetra has the King of Red Lions create duplicates of Link for them to train against, and reveals that they had gathered a large number of Miniblins on this island specifically for this purpose. Releasing the Miniblins across their training grounds, Tetra orders Link and Niko work together to take out the Link clones that are commanding them.
This task is completed quick enough, so Tetra has them next face-off against Orca to complete their training for the day. After fighting against Orca enough, the battle is interrupted by an earthquake followed by the sudden appearance of a giant pig-like cyclops: a Hinox. Surprised by their intruder, King Daphnes and Tetra join Link and Niko in taking it down while Orca recuperates from his injuries. Once the Hinox is defeated, it disappears as quickly as it appeared - vanishing into a pink mist that flies up into the sky. Though before the group can question this, they notice the pink mist spiral into a portal, which quickly devours the island the group had been on. As the group are pulled into this portal, they suddenly find themselves in the middle of a green field with a large castle looming over them. Tetra and the King find themselves face-to-face with a familiar woman: Lana, who stands confused as she takes in the new faces that have arrived at the Valley of Seers. She looks up to see the portal that brought them to her, remarking that "another one has opened."
With these new people in their world, Lana decides that they should all pay a visit to Hyrule Castle and tell Link and Zelda about this strange phenomenon. Summoning her own Gate of Time, Lana transports herself, Toon Link, Tetra, Niko, Orca, and King Daphnes to Hyrule Field, unaware that another large-scale battle is in the works there as well.
Indeed, Lana teleports the group to the keep of Hyrule Castle, where they come face-to-face with Impa and the Hylian knights getting ready to charge into battle against a swarm of enemies running rampant through the field. Though Impa is glad to see Lana once more, she says that it'd be most important to defeat these enemies first. She asks Lana to escort the otherworldly warriors to safety, but Orca insists on joining the battle himself as well. Impa thanks him in a hurry, and she rushes into battle with the Outset Island warrior against an invading group of Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos. These two warriors rescue a group of new recruits that had been training in the field, and help escort them back to the castle. It is here where they are surprised by the sudden appearance of a Lynel. With Lana's help, Impa and Orca fight the Lynel and barely manage to take it down and keep the rest of the castle safe from its harm.
== Gameplay ==
The main gameplay of Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends is retained for their sequel, including its hack-and-slash gameplay and the appearance of elemental attributes that are assigned to different weapons.
Defeated enemies may also drop materials, which can be used to upgrade fighters, or other weapons for warriors to use. Unlike in Hyrule Warriors, Hyrule Warriors Legends, and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, the materials and weapons do not physically drop from defeated enemies, instead only being noted on the game's UI that the player has obtained them.
=== Controls ===
The game can be played with any controller compatible with the Nintendo Switch. Two players can connect two separate Nintendo Switch consoles to play together locally in story/Free Mode missions. Playing with a single Joy-Con is possible but not recommended, as, due to the lack of buttons, players are unable to perform certain actions that other controllers would allow the player to- such as moving the camera or switching lock-on targets. Through the pause menu, players can command the other Warriors within their party.
Action 	Button 	Button 	Button 	Button
Action 	Single Joy-Con	Handheld Mode	Joy-Con Grip	Pro Controller
Move 	 	 	 	
Pause 	(press) 	 	 	
Pause 	(press) 	 	 	
Camera 	- 	 	 	
Reset Camera 	- 	 	 	
Regular Attack 	 	 	 	
Strong Attack 	 	 	 	
Special Attack 	 	 	 	
Focus Spirit Attack 	 	 	 	
Evade 	 	 	 	
Guard 	 	 	 	
Focus Spirit 	+ 	 	 	
Use Item 	 	 	 	
Target Lock-on 	 	 	 	
Target Lock-on 	 	 	 	
Cycle Items 	Tilt Joy-Con 	 	 	
Use Item 	 	 	 	
Toggle Mini-Map Zoom 	- 	 	 	
Toggle Full-sized Map (Warp Map)	(hold) 	Touchscreen 	 	
Toggle Full-sized Map (Warp Map)	(hold) 	 	 	
=== Attacking ===
Hyrule Warriors II is an action beat 'em up spin-off of Koei Tecmo's long-running Warriors titles. Unlike many other games, but like the Warriors franchise, players must take on large hoards of enemies at a single time, as opposed to one-on-one or small groups. In order to combat enemies, players must use various combo attacks, primarily done through combinations of buttons. Every character has a unique weapon (or weapons, in some cases), each with its own set of combo attacks.
There are two major types of attacks. There are standard attacks, activated by pressing , and more powerful "strong attacks" that can be be activated by pressing instead. Standard attacks do little damage, but can be chained together for combos, while the strong attacks end combos with more powerful attacks.
Defeating enemies (or collecting certain power-ups) fills up the yellow Special Attack gauge. Once filled completely, pressing allows the player to unleash an incredibly strong attack known as a Special Attack. Special Attacks deal more damage than strong attacks, and usually cover an extended range. However, there exists a fourth attack that can be activated through the Magic Meter. Upon filling the Magic Meter completely, pressing the left bumper button allows the player to activate Focus Spirit. In Focus Spirit, the character's attacks and movements are quickened for a short duration of time, with every attack dealing 2x its normal damage output. After the Magic Meter fully drains, the character will activate an attack known as a Furious Force, though pressing any time during the duration of Focus Spirit can also activate a slightly weakened variant of this attack. The Magic Meter is filled by doing combos, with the amount filled being determined by the longevity of the combo.
Another big part of the attacking process is the ability to lock on to enemies. Larger enemies with more health, or other Warriors, can be locked-on to. While locked-on to an enemy, the camera will rotate around so the player is always capable of seeing that enemy.
=== Defending ===
While attacking enemies is a large part of the gameplay, being defensive is also important as to conserve health so one is not defeated. Holding the right bumper button puts the player character into a defensive stance, which lowers the amount of damage taken as long as the guard is not broken by stronger attacks.
Pressing at any point allows the player to dodge in any direction, which, if timed correctly, can be used to fully avoid taking damage from attacks. Holding simultaneously with a direction on the control stick also forces the character into a sprint. While sprinting through large hoards of weaker enemies, the chances of being attacked by weaker enemies are decreased, as their attack animations are usually slow enough to miss the player.
==== Armos ====
A new game mechanic is the ability to summon Armos to protect keeps. Only three Armos can be used in a single scenario, though they can be placed in different keeps or a single keep. Armos have high health and deal damage, but they will not respawn once defeated. Armos can be defeated by being attacked, with more damage dealt to them by attacking the jewel on its back, or by capturing the keep they are to protect. Armos can also be defeated using the Hammer item. When Armos are defeated, they will thrash about before exploding, with both attacks being able to harm members of all armies.
Enemy commanders may spawn Armos in keeps that they capture or begin a scenario with; though this is seen near-exclusively in the Adventure Mode, with few Legend Mode scenarios featuring enemy Armos.
=== Objectives ===
The main objective of most scenarios is to capture specific keeps while defeating enemies. Keeps are small, square rooms scattered around the battlefield that continually spawn enemies for the army that controls it. Defeating enough enemies within a keep (displayed through a bar placed underneath the small map) will release the boss of the keep, which, upon defeat, will render the keep to the army that defeated them.
Some scenarios will challenge the player to complete other tasks, such as defending keeps from giant Bombchu, protecting a Baby Cucco as it travels towards its mother, or various other tasks.
=== Adventure Mode ===
=== War Quarrel Mode ===
War Quarrel is a new multiplayer game mode where players can compete against each other in a basic type of battle. In War Quarrel, the objective is to take out the other player's commander, though it is structured in a way not dissimilar to many Adventure Mode missions: a player can not rush into their opponent's base, as they must defeat the other army's four enemy captains and locate their enemy's Big Key hidden in one of the keeps.
War Quarrel lets up to two players to join each army through split-screen or LAN connectivity. Player one acts as the army's commander, and can also choose a second character to play as until the enemy clears the objectives required to open the gates of their base, while the second player controls a single warrior; if only one player is present as part of an army, they have the power to switch between these three warriors instead. Unlike the single player modes, all players have the ability to respawn should they be defeated, losing their Special Attack and Magic Gauge when they do so and also needing to wait a few moments before they can return to the action.
== Bazaar ==
== Items ==
A major mechanic within the Zelda franchise is the strategy of needing to use a variety of items and weapons to solve puzzles. While Hyrule Warriors II does not feature puzzles in any major format, players are capable of obtaining several items to assist them in combat. The primary use of items is to expose the weak points of Giant Bosses or enemy captains, though some also do allow players to manipulate the map's layout in certain ways. There are nine types of items: all items return from Hyrule Warriors, in addition to a new item that allows the player to make use of a new gameplay mechanic. Players can also add potions to their inventory through the Badge Market upgrade system, or collect Bottled Fairies capable of destroying elemental barriers by rescuing them from Fairy Hunters or keeps.
Item 	Item 	Description
 	 	The Armos Totem places down an Armos at the place where it is used, and as such up to three totems can be in the player's inventory at once. The Armos will patrol a small area, or an entire keep, and can only be recalled by using the Armos Totem again upon approaching them. Upon the Armos being defeated the totem will disappear from the player's inventory, signifying such loss. The player can only acquire one Armos Totem through normal play, and the other two are obtained by upgrading a warrior through the Badge Market.
Armos Totem 	Armos Totem 	The Armos Totem places down an Armos at the place where it is used, and as such up to three totems can be in the player's inventory at once. The Armos will patrol a small area, or an entire keep, and can only be recalled by using the Armos Totem again upon approaching them. Upon the Armos being defeated the totem will disappear from the player's inventory, signifying such loss. The player can only acquire one Armos Totem through normal play, and the other two are obtained by upgrading a warrior through the Badge Market.
 	 	When used, the Warrior will throw a flurry of bombs that explode upon contact with the ground. This allows the player to destroy certain walls, large boulders, or simply defeat enemies. When the player collects a Bomb power-up, the Bombs will become a Giant Bomb, which increases its range a significant amount and damage output.
Bombs 	Bombs 	When used, the Warrior will throw a flurry of bombs that explode upon contact with the ground. This allows the player to destroy certain walls, large boulders, or simply defeat enemies. When the player collects a Bomb power-up, the Bombs will become a Giant Bomb, which increases its range a significant amount and damage output.
 	 	The Bow is a projectile weapon that, when used, simply sees the Warrior using it fire an arrow forwards. While these arrows do not deal a significant amount of damage, they do paralyze enemies for moment. Once a Bow power-up is collected, it will temporarily upgrade into a Bow of Light, which fires three arrows at once to deal more damage across a larger area while also paralyzing foes for longer.
Bow 	Bow 	The Bow is a projectile weapon that, when used, simply sees the Warrior using it fire an arrow forwards. While these arrows do not deal a significant amount of damage, they do paralyze enemies for moment. Once a Bow power-up is collected, it will temporarily upgrade into a Bow of Light, which fires three arrows at once to deal more damage across a larger area while also paralyzing foes for longer.
 	 	Fairies will sometimes appear suspended within enemy keeps within orbs of energy. Upon being collected, a fairy will appear within the player's inventory within a bottle. Bottled Fairies will dispel an elemental barrier on a keep once used, though the element of the fairy and the barrier must match. Fairies without elements also appear exclusively within some Adventure Mode scenarios, which allow the player to dispel any elemental barrier once used. There are five types of elemental fairies, matching the same five elements that a player's weapon could be: Light, Fire, Water, Lightning, and Darkness.
Bottled Fairy	Bottled Fairy	Fairies will sometimes appear suspended within enemy keeps within orbs of energy. Upon being collected, a fairy will appear within the player's inventory within a bottle. Bottled Fairies will dispel an elemental barrier on a keep once used, though the element of the fairy and the barrier must match. Fairies without elements also appear exclusively within some Adventure Mode scenarios, which allow the player to dispel any elemental barrier once used. There are five types of elemental fairies, matching the same five elements that a player's weapon could be: Light, Fire, Water, Lightning, and Darkness.
 	 	The Boomerang travels in a circular motion upon being thrown, returning to the user a moment later. Though it does not deal damage to enemies, it does confuse all types of enemies besides enemy Warriors and Giant Bosses; the duration of their confusion decreases depending on their strength, with infantry units being confused for a moderate amount of time and senior captains only a quick moment. When a Boomerang power-up is collected, the item temporarily becomes the Gale Boomerang, which travels faster across a larger area, confuses enemies for longer, and draws collectibles and other items towards the user.
Boomerang 	Boomerang 	The Boomerang travels in a circular motion upon being thrown, returning to the user a moment later. Though it does not deal damage to enemies, it does confuse all types of enemies besides enemy Warriors and Giant Bosses; the duration of their confusion decreases depending on their strength, with infantry units being confused for a moderate amount of time and senior captains only a quick moment. When a Boomerang power-up is collected, the item temporarily becomes the Gale Boomerang, which travels faster across a larger area, confuses enemies for longer, and draws collectibles and other items towards the user.
 	 	The Hammer is a fairly large mallet that sees the user slam it into the ground upon use. The Hammer has very little range but deals the most damage of any (not powered-up) item, and can also press down switches. When enhanced via the collection of a Hammer power-up, the Hammer transforms into the Megaton Hammer, which deals damage more damage to enemies, paralyzes infantry units. Warriors also swing the Megaton Hammer down faster than the normal Hammer as well.
Hammer 	Hammer 	The Hammer is a fairly large mallet that sees the user slam it into the ground upon use. The Hammer has very little range but deals the most damage of any (not powered-up) item, and can also press down switches. When enhanced via the collection of a Hammer power-up, the Hammer transforms into the Megaton Hammer, which deals damage more damage to enemies, paralyzes infantry units. Warriors also swing the Megaton Hammer down faster than the normal Hammer as well.
 	 	The Hookshot allows the user to hook onto targets to travel up to higher areas that may otherwise be inaccessible. The Hookshot can also be used to latch onto an enemy, with the user pulling themselves to the enemy's location. Once a Hookshot power-up is collected, it upgrades into a Clawshot. The Clawshot extends faster than the Hookshot does, and the user will use it to pull the Moon from Majora's Mask down onto enemies upon pulling themselves to their location; the Moon explodes as it crashes into the ground, dealing damage to all enemies in its vicinity.
Hookshot 	Hookshot 	The Hookshot allows the user to hook onto targets to travel up to higher areas that may otherwise be inaccessible. The Hookshot can also be used to latch onto an enemy, with the user pulling themselves to the enemy's location. Once a Hookshot power-up is collected, it upgrades into a Clawshot. The Clawshot extends faster than the Hookshot does, and the user will use it to pull the Moon from Majora's Mask down onto enemies upon pulling themselves to their location; the Moon explodes as it crashes into the ground, dealing damage to all enemies in its vicinity.
 	 	The Ocarina can be used to teleport the user to teleport themselves to activated Owl Statues located around the map. This is identical to the use of the Song of Soaring from Majora's Mask, and the user even plays such a song on the Ocarina before teleporting there.
Ocarina 	Ocarina 	The Ocarina can be used to teleport the user to teleport themselves to activated Owl Statues located around the map. This is identical to the use of the Song of Soaring from Majora's Mask, and the user even plays such a song on the Ocarina before teleporting there.
 	 	Potions can be added to the player's inventory through the Badge Market. Up to three potions can be held in a player's inventory at once, and the colour of the potion denotes the amount of health and Special Attack gauge is recovered. While the amount of potions can be increased via the Badge Market, the quality of the potion is actually determined by the amount of Illustration Pieces that have been collected. There are five types of potions: Red Potions (restores 5 hearts), Purple Potions (restores 5 hearts and half of a Special Attack gauge), Blue Potions (10 hearts and half of a Special Attack gauge), Green Potions (10 hearts and one Special Attack gauge), and Yellow Potions (15 hearts and one and a half Special Attack gauges).
Potion 	Potion 	Potions can be added to the player's inventory through the Badge Market. Up to three potions can be held in a player's inventory at once, and the colour of the potion denotes the amount of health and Special Attack gauge is recovered. While the amount of potions can be increased via the Badge Market, the quality of the potion is actually determined by the amount of Illustration Pieces that have been collected. There are five types of potions: Red Potions (restores 5 hearts), Purple Potions (restores 5 hearts and half of a Special Attack gauge), Blue Potions (10 hearts and half of a Special Attack gauge), Green Potions (10 hearts and one Special Attack gauge), and Yellow Potions (15 hearts and one and a half Special Attack gauges).
=== Story Items ===
Item 	Description
 	The Boss Key can be found hidden inside of a Big Chess within an enemy Keep. Once collected the Boss Key appears on the player's HUD, and will automatically be used when they approach a locked keep to unlock the gates and allow entry.
Boss Key 	The Boss Key can be found hidden inside of a Big Chess within an enemy Keep. Once collected the Boss Key appears on the player's HUD, and will automatically be used when they approach a locked keep to unlock the gates and allow entry.
 	The Lens of Truth is a Sheikah artifact capable of seeing through illusions or objects not normally visible to the naked eye. The Lens of Truth is primarily used in story-related cutscenes, though it also appears in a select number of Adventure Mode scenarios as well.
Lens of Truth	The Lens of Truth is a Sheikah artifact capable of seeing through illusions or objects not normally visible to the naked eye. The Lens of Truth is primarily used in story-related cutscenes, though it also appears in a select number of Adventure Mode scenarios as well.
 	A Sheikah Slate is a piece of technology hailing from over 10,000 years prior to the Age of Calamity. The Sheikah Slate acts as the in-universe explanation for the game's HUD and map. The Slate is also used in order to progress through the story by opening up story-specific barricades.
Sheikah Slate	A Sheikah Slate is a piece of technology hailing from over 10,000 years prior to the Age of Calamity. The Sheikah Slate acts as the in-universe explanation for the game's HUD and map. The Slate is also used in order to progress through the story by opening up story-specific barricades.
=== Collectibles ===
Item 	Item 	Description
 	 	Costumes can be collected in Adventure Mode by clearing optional objectives within a scenario. Costumes allow the player to alter the physical appearance of the playable Warriors, often through just recolouring their existing outfit, and can be selected through via the character select screen.
Costume 	Costume 	Costumes can be collected in Adventure Mode by clearing optional objectives within a scenario. Costumes allow the player to alter the physical appearance of the playable Warriors, often through just recolouring their existing outfit, and can be selected through via the character select screen.
 	 	In a similar vein to how costumes can be collected for the playable Warriors, so too can new clothing options for the fairies that can be levelled up through the My Fairy system. Unlike costumes for Warriors, fairy clothing can often be found within chests revealed upon capturing an enemy keep.
Fairy Clothes 	Fairy Clothes 	In a similar vein to how costumes can be collected for the playable Warriors, so too can new clothing options for the fairies that can be levelled up through the My Fairy system. Unlike costumes for Warriors, fairy clothing can often be found within chests revealed upon capturing an enemy keep.
 	 	Fairies that can be levelled up through the My Fairy feature can be fed food to level them up and increase their stats. The food they eat is sometimes dropped by enemy captains upon their defeat, dropping in small bags of three colours: bronze, silver, or gold. The colour of the bag denotes the rarity of the food it contains, with bronze being the most common and gold the rarest.
Fairy Food 	Fairy Food 	Fairies that can be levelled up through the My Fairy feature can be fed food to level them up and increase their stats. The food they eat is sometimes dropped by enemy captains upon their defeat, dropping in small bags of three colours: bronze, silver, or gold. The colour of the bag denotes the rarity of the food it contains, with bronze being the most common and gold the rarest.
 	 	Gold Skulltulas will appear on a map upon completing certain optional objectives. When a Gold Skulltula is attacked, the player will obtain an Illustration Piece, of which 20 are needed in order to complete a single Illustration. Defeating Gold Skulltulas and earning Illustration Pieces are also used to upgrade the Bazaar, allowing the player to mix new potions in the Apothecary and upgrade the quality of the potions players can add to a Warrior's inventory.
Gold Skulltula 	Gold Skulltula 	Gold Skulltulas will appear on a map upon completing certain optional objectives. When a Gold Skulltula is attacked, the player will obtain an Illustration Piece, of which 20 are needed in order to complete a single Illustration. Defeating Gold Skulltulas and earning Illustration Pieces are also used to upgrade the Bazaar, allowing the player to mix new potions in the Apothecary and upgrade the quality of the potions players can add to a Warrior's inventory.
 	 	Heart Containers and Pieces of Heart can be obtained through the completion of certain optional objectives or are hidden within big chests kept within enemy keeps. Both of these collectibles increase the amount of health a certain Warrior has - only one specific character is capable of opening the chests containing these. A Warrior must collect four Pieces of Heart to increase their health count, while only one Heart Container must be collected to do the same.
Heart Container	Heart Container	Heart Containers and Pieces of Heart can be obtained through the completion of certain optional objectives or are hidden within big chests kept within enemy keeps. Both of these collectibles increase the amount of health a certain Warrior has - only one specific character is capable of opening the chests containing these. A Warrior must collect four Pieces of Heart to increase their health count, while only one Heart Container must be collected to do the same.
 	 	Materials are used to craft badges within the Badge Market in the Bazaar. Materials are sometimes dropped upon the defeat of enemy captains, and the colour of the bag denotes the rarity of the material within it: gold materials are rare, silver materials are uncommon, and bronze materials are common.
Material 	Material 	Materials are used to craft badges within the Badge Market in the Bazaar. Materials are sometimes dropped upon the defeat of enemy captains, and the colour of the bag denotes the rarity of the material within it: gold materials are rare, silver materials are uncommon, and bronze materials are common.
 	 	Rupees, the currency used within the land of Hyrule, appear upon the defeat of any enemy (including basic infantry units) and within destructible pots located within keeps. Rupees are required to craft badges, fuse weapons, brew potions, appraise skills, or level Warriors up. The colour of Rupees denotes their value - green Rupees are the most common and add only 1 to the player's wallet, blue Rupees add 5, and red Rupees 20. Additionally, silver and god Rupees, worth 100 and 300 respectively, appear under specific circumstances, such as when rupee-related potions and fairy powers are used. Unlike within other Zelda titles, the player must not run through a Rupee to actually collect it - they are automatically collected upon their appearance.
Rupee 	Rupee 	Rupees, the currency used within the land of Hyrule, appear upon the defeat of any enemy (including basic infantry units) and within destructible pots located within keeps. Rupees are required to craft badges, fuse weapons, brew potions, appraise skills, or level Warriors up. The colour of Rupees denotes their value - green Rupees are the most common and add only 1 to the player's wallet, blue Rupees add 5, and red Rupees 20. Additionally, silver and god Rupees, worth 100 and 300 respectively, appear under specific circumstances, such as when rupee-related potions and fairy powers are used. Unlike within other Zelda titles, the player must not run through a Rupee to actually collect it - they are automatically collected upon their appearance.
 	 	New weapons, with different amounts of slots or skills, sometimes appear when enemy captains are defeated. Unlike other collectibles that appear under the same circumstances, namely fairy food and materials, all weapons, regardless of their strength, take on the same appearance - a small tan bag with the marking of a sword. The different levels of a weapon, as well as new weapons for characters with multiple of such, can only be obtained by collecting a Sealed Weapon within a big chest, found upon the completion of optional objectives.
Weapon 	Weapon 	New weapons, with different amounts of slots or skills, sometimes appear when enemy captains are defeated. Unlike other collectibles that appear under the same circumstances, namely fairy food and materials, all weapons, regardless of their strength, take on the same appearance - a small tan bag with the marking of a sword. The different levels of a weapon, as well as new weapons for characters with multiple of such, can only be obtained by collecting a Sealed Weapon within a big chest, found upon the completion of optional objectives.
=== Adventure Mode Items ===
While the default Adventure Mode map in the original Hyrule Warriors was based upon the overworld of The Legend of Zelda, the default map in Hyrule Warriors II instead uses sprites and elements from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In order to allow for the use of items, the map has been redesigned to include new objects and items.
Item 	Description
 	The Boots must be used in order to participate in scenarios set on water tiles.
Boots 	The Boots must be used in order to participate in scenarios set on water tiles.
 	The Candle can be used to light up dark areas or burn down trees.
Candle	The Candle can be used to light up dark areas or burn down trees.
 	The Cross can be used to reveal hidden enemies.
Cross 	The Cross can be used to reveal hidden enemies.
 	The Flute can be used to reveal hidden rewards.
Flute 	The Flute can be used to reveal hidden rewards.
 	The Glove can be used to push statues or other items around.
Glove 	The Glove can be used to push statues or other items around.
 	The Hammer can be used to destroy boulders and press down switches.
Hammer	The Hammer can be used to destroy boulders and press down switches.
 	The Raft can be used to cross rivers, allowing the player to unlock new spaces upon completion of the scenario.
Raft 	The Raft can be used to cross rivers, allowing the player to unlock new spaces upon completion of the scenario.
 	The Trophy can be given to towns or placed on certain pedestals to unlock new rewards.
Trophy	The Trophy can be given to towns or placed on certain pedestals to unlock new rewards.
=== My Fairy ===
== Warriors ==
All playable characters from Hyrule Warriors (including Hyrule Warriors Legends) and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity return in Hyrule Warriors II, with many retaining their movesets unchanged. Due to the differences in gameplay mechanics between Age of Calamity and Hyrule Warriors II however, many of the playable characters from the former title have had adjustments made in order to either do away with each character's unique skill or incorporate it into their moveset another way.
While many titles in The Legend of Zelda series feature different incarnations of certain characters (Link, Zelda, Impa, etc.) between instalments, the characters present in Hyrule Warriors II are the same incarnations that appeared in the original Hyrule Warriors and its ports. However returning characters who were not featured within the stories of the previous titles (namely Young Link, Tingle, Medli, Marin, Toon Link, Toon Zelda, Ravio, and Yuga) do not reference the events of the previous stories and as such are treated as being "new" characters.
Unlike previous Hyrule Warriors titles, Hyrule Warriors II limits all playable warriors to a maximum of three different movesets, and thus three different types of weapons; Link and Zelda serve as exceptions to this rule due to possessing the Master Sword and Bow of Light in addition to three other weapons. All playable characters return from Hyrule Warriors Legends, as do all weapons. A variety of characters have been added in order to bring back every weapon from the previous games; for the most part, the attacks are identical or very similar to their original versions, though some may have been adjusted for their new users.
There are five tiers of weapons. The tiers of weapons determine their general strength, as well as the general appearance of the weapon itself. In order of strength, the tiers go in order of: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level ★, Level 3★, and Level ★★. Level 3 and Level ★ are equal in strength, as are Level 3★ and Level ★★; the latter two are identical in appearance to the two former tiers, though essentially serve as a warrior's "ultimate" weapon. Finally, Level ★ and Level ★★ weapons are unique in that they are of a completely different elemental attribute than the other tiers of the weapon, and as such are the final versions of a weapon that can be unlocked.
There are five different elemental attributes, and each of them can see greater benefits by applying the appropriate "Element+" skill onto a weapon. The elemental attributes and their different abilities are:
: weapons deal more damage to large groups of enemies hit by consecutive attacks. Light+ weapons increase the time that the effect will stay active in-between consecutive blows, allowing the warrior to easily continue their Light-based attack chains when groups of enemies are defeated.
: weapons cause enemies that have been knocked back to create small explosions when they hit the ground, which deals damage to enemies nearby. Fire+ weapons increase the blast radius of these explosions.
: weapons cause bubbles to form around the heads of enemies, which deals slight damage over time. Water+ weapons increase the duration that the bubble will remain active, thus also increasing the amount of damage it will deal.
: weapons cause enemies to take damage from lightning bolts while being juggled by a warrior's consecutive attacks; with more lightning bolts striking the enemy until they touch the ground. Lightning+ makes it easier to keep enemies juggled by knocking them upwards more than normal weapons would.
: weapons deal more damage to a single enemy hit by consecutive attacks. Darkness+ weapons increase the time that the effect will stay active in-between consecutive blows, allowing the warrior to easily continue their Darkness-based attack chains when their target has been defeated.
The game includes a total of 85 playable Warriors hailing from fourteen different Zelda titles, and a total of 122 different weapons usable by the player. In addition to original characters, or incarnations of certain characters, introduced in Hyrule Warriors, characters from the following games are also playable. The numbers in parenthesis denote the number of playable characters that represent that title.
* Hyrule Warriors (10)
* Skyward Sword (5)
* The Minish Cap (1)
* Age of Calamity (5)
* Breath of the Wild (15)	
* Oracle of Ages (2)
* Oracle of Seasons (2)
* Link's Awakening (4)
* A Link Between Worlds (4)
* Tri Force Heroes (2)	
* Ocarina of Time (6)
* Majora's Mask (10)
* Twilight Princess (10)
* The Wind Waker (7)
* Spirit Tracks (2)
=== Returning Warriors ===
Link · Zelda · Sheik · Impa · Ganondorf · Lana · Cia · Volga · Wizzro · Linkle · Agitha · Calamity Ganon · Daruk · Darunia · Fi · Ghirahim · Great Fairies · Hestu · King Daphnes · King Rhoam · Marin · Master Kohga · Medli · Midna · Mipha · Monk Maz Koshia · Ravio · Revali · Riju · Ruto · Skull Kid · Sidon · Teba · Terrako · Tetra · Tingle · Toon Link · Toon Zelda · Twili Midna · Urbosa · Young Link · Yuga · Yunobo · Zant(Return to top · New Warriors · 8-Bit Weapons)
Every playable character returns from both Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. All warriors that appeared in the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch ports of Hyrule Warriors now have at least two movesets - their original moveset, with some characters having changes made to this, and a new one. Though every playable character from previous titles return, not all are present within the story and thus must be unlocked in Adventure Mode.
=== New Warriors ===
The Apprentice · Ashei · Astor · Batreaux · Beedle · Byrne · Cremia & Romani · Dampé · Deku Princess · Din · Groose · Guru-Guru · Happy Mask Salesman · Harbinger Ganon · Hero's Shade · Hilda · Igos du Ikana · Irene · Kass · King Bulblin · Mamu · Mikau · Mr. Write · Nabooru · Nayru · Niko · Onox · Orca · Postman · Purah · Rauru · Richard · Saria · Scervo · Sooga · Styla · Talo · Vaati · Veran · Yeto · Zubora & Gabora(Return to top · Returning Warriors · 8-Bit Weapons)
All new warriors are only capable of using a single weapon.
=== 8-Bit Weapons ===
(Return to top · Returning Warriors · New Warriors · 8-Bit Weapons)
In addition to a Warrior's normal weapons, all playable characters have access to one of several 8-Bit Weapons. These 8-Bit Weapons are based upon sprites from the original The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and share a moveset with another Warrior's weapon. 8-Bit Weapons are unlocked exclusively through Adventure Mode. They are treated as Level 3★ or Level ★★ weapons, making them among the strongest in the game, and only have one variation that can be obtained. The weapon's element, however, depends on the Warrior using it.
== Soldiers ==
=== Infantry ===
Infantry make up a large majority of the units that appear on a map. These units essentially serve as cannon fodder, as they deal little damage to warriors and primarily exist simply to populate the battles.
Bokoblin SS.png|Bokoblin
Bulblin TP.png|Bulblin
TFH BuzzBlob Model.png|Buzz Blob
ST Geozard.png|Geozard
MM GerudoPatroling.png|Gerudo Guard
TFH Ghini.png|Ghini
Goomba Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png|Goomba
OoT Goron Artwork.png|Goron
BotW Guardian Scout I Model.png|Guardian Scout
HW Soldier 1.png|Hylian Soldier
ShyGuy.PNG|Mask-Mimic
HWL Miniblin Artwork.png|Miniblin
TP Poe.png|Poe
Stalchild.png|Stalchild
BotW Stalkoblin Model.png|Stalkoblin
TP Staltroop.png|Staltroop
BokoblinBotWSplotchless.png|Wild Bokoblin
BotW Yiga Footsoldier.png|Yiga Footsoldier
ALBW Zora Underling.png|Zora
=== Captains ===
There are two types of captains that can serve in an army. The first type, "Infantry Captains", of captain are specialized infantry units, whose attacks are weak and generally serve as Outpost Captains or as the heads of squads of enemies that roam the map. These captains act almost identically to the normal infantry units, though they have unique designs, allowing them to be distinguished from the units they command. The second type, "Senior Captains", are unique enemies that are generally some of the more-dangerous foes one would face on the battlefield. Most of these unique enemy types have a weakness to one of the items the player can collect, which can disrupt one of their strongest attacks and cause them to flail about and damage their allies should any be nearby. Much like enemy warriors and Giant Bosses, some attacks will cause enemy Senior Captains to expose their Weak Point Gauge for a short time.
==== Infantry Captains ====
All types of infantry units have captain equivalents, which have more health than the units they lead but are otherwise identical in terms of attacks. Infantry Captains serve as the leaders of outposts and keeps, which serve as their most prominent roles, and also lead their troops in raiding their opponents' keeps.
Hylian Soldiers and Yiga Footsoldiers are the only types of infantry units that do not have separate designated "infantry" captains. Instead, infantry captains of these types of enemies use the exact same design of their normal counterparts. This is because these two types of units have unique types of captains with their own sets of attacks.
HW Bokoblin Captain Artwork.png|Bokoblin Captain
TP Bokoblin Render.png|Bulblin Captain
SluggulaALBW.png|Buzz Blob Captain
ST Geozard Chief Model.png|Geozard Captain
MM GerudoOrangeIntro.png|Gerudo Captain
Giant Ghini OOA.png|Ghini Captain
Galoomba - Mario Party 10.png|Goomba Captain
HW Goron Captain Artwork.png|Goron Captain
Guardian-scout-ii.jpeg|Guardian Captain
BanditYNI.png|Mask-Mimic Captain
HWDE Miniblin Captain Portrait.png|Miniblin Captain
TP Poe (Arbiter's Ground).png|Poe Captain
HW Stalchild Captain Artwork.png|Stalchild Captain
BotW Stalmoblin Model.png|Stalkoblin Captain
TP Stalfos.png|Staltroop Captain
BotW Black Bokoblin Model.png|Wild Bokoblin Captain
Zoraoot.png|Zora Captain
==== Senior Captains ====
As with the enemies in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, all Senior Captains (bar the Wizzrobes) now have four additional elemental forms: fire, ice, electric, and Malice. Fire, ice, and electric-elemental enemies all act identically to their original counterparts and merely release electrical charges upon performing some attacks. Malice enemies are more defensive and don't flinch from weaker attacks, though they too are functionally identical. Fiery Aeralfos, ReDead Knight, and Icy Big Poe - all enemies that appeared in the original Hyrule Warriors - as well as the new Torch Phantom enemy serve as the fire and ice-based forms for Aeralfos, Gibdo, Big Poe, and Phantom. Unlike other elemental variants however, these three are further differentiated from their original counterparts with unique attacks and strategies.
=== Other Units ===
== Giant Bosses ==
Giant Bosses return from the original Hyrule Warriors. With the exceptions of Ganon, The Imprisoned, Phantom Ganon, DethI, and Majora's Wrath, all Giant Bosses have a weakness to a specific item that can disrupt some of their more powerful attacks and cause the Weak Point Gauge to appear; Ganon and Majora's Wrath are weak to a number of different weapons that will affect them only with certain attacks, while the others lack specific weaknesses to items. Like the enemies from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, all Giant Bosses will now have their Weak Point Gauges appear after performing certain attacks regardless of whether the player hit them with the required item.
=== Returning Bosses ===
Argorok · Ganon · Ghoma · Helmaroc King · The Imprisoned · King Dodongo · Manhandla · Phantom Ganon(Return to top · New Bosses)
All bosses from the original Hyrule Warriors return for Hyrule Warriors II. Many returning bosses have been given new attacks that cause their Weak Point Gauge to occur even should their item weakness not be exploited. Most returning Giant Bosses do not appear in the game's story and instead are only fought in Adventure Mode challenges.
=== New Bosses ===
Arrghus · Blaaz · Death Sword · DethI · Eox · Genie · Hinox · Majora's Wrath · Malladus · Stagnox · #Stalchampion(Return to top · Returning Bosses)
Hyrule Warriors II introduces 11 new Giant Bosses that appear during the game's story. While the Hinox previously appeared as an enemy in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, that game lacked the specific "Giant Boss" concept and instead treated it like a normal enemy; thus it is treated as a new Giant Boss for Hyrule Warriors II.
== Scenario Maps ==
=== Returning Maps ===
Akkala Citadel · Breach of Demise · Calamity Field · Crenel Peak · Damel Forest · Death Mountain · Eldin Canyon · Eldin Caves · Faron Woods · Forsaken Fortress · Fort Hateno · Ganon's Tower · Gerudo Desert · Gerudo Town · Great Plateau · Hyrule Field · Korok Forest · Lake Hylia · Palace of Twilight · Sealed Grounds · Skyloft · Tabantha Frontier · Temple of the Sacred Sword · Temple of Souls · Twilight Field · Valley of Seers · Wind and Earth Temples · Yiga Hideout · Zora's Domain(Return to top · New Maps)
All maps return from the original Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends, while most return from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Some stages from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity have been renamed as to not overlap with stages from the original Hyrule Warriors (i.e. "Hyrule Field" has been renamed to "Calamity Field"). Not all stages listed appear in the game's story mode, though all do act as settings of Adventure Mode battles. Maps from Age of Calamity have also been changed in some ways, with every map prominently gaining Owl Statues to which the player can teleport via the Ocarina item.
=== New Maps ===
Koholint Island · Lanayru Mining Facility · Lorule Castle · Pirate Test · Shadow Temple · Snowpeak Ruins · Tower of Spirits · Valley of Death(Return to top · Returning Maps)
== Trivia ==
* The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is the only title with a playable representative to only have a single playable Warrior.
* The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Phantom Hourglass are the only canonical Zelda titles that are not represented with playable characters. Some of these titles are technically represented through other means, however.
** Link, Zelda, Ganon, Dodongo, Manhandla, and Gohma (and Impa, though she is only mentioned in the manual) all debuted in The Legend of Zelda, thus they can be counted as being representatives of this title. Link and Zelda also have their designs from this game as alternate costumes. King Rhoam's "old man" disguise, though it is from Breath of the Wild, is also a clear reference to the sprites of the Old Men of The Legend of Zelda as well.
** Some 8-Bit Weapons and Adventure Mode maps use sprites from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game is also represented through a stage, Valley of Death. Though they debuted in Ocarina of Time and are thus treated as representatives, the playable members of the Seven Sages from that game are all named after towns from Zelda II as well (though in-universe this situation would be reversed and the towns named after the Sages instead); thus Rauru, Ruto, Saria, Darunia, and Nabooru can all be considered references to Zelda II as well.
** Phantom Hourglass is represented through the appearances of two Giant Bosses from that title: Blaaz and Eox.
** Though considered a representative of The Minish Cap due to his appearance and abilities being derived from that game, Vaati initially debuted in Four Swords. His demonic form from that game also appears in some of his attacks.
** Four Swords Adventures is technically represented through the Pirate Test map, which is based on the Navi Trackers game mode included in the Japanese and Korean versions of the game.
Category:Action Games
Category:The Legend of Zelda (series)
Category:Spin-offs
Category:Warriors Games
Category:Sequels