Tears of the Kingdom Zonai Devices Guide

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Born to a pair of proud nerds, Alex has been an avid fan of everything from video games to books to anime since early childhood. You'd be hard-pressed to find her without a book or a controller in hand, and if so, she's probably at the computer typing out what she hopes will be the next best-seller. Having started with a baby's first PS2, complete with a custom pink controller, she's evolved into a fully-fledged nerd with a collection of gaming titles, including The Legend of Zelda, Persona, and Fire Emblem, and a boasts a manga library of well over 200 volumes.

What are Zonai Devices?

The Zonai devices are game items that, when activated, perform a range of functions from offensive to mobile. They take center stage in the majority of the shrines, requiring you to use them in creative ways to solve puzzles.

You will find Zonai devices all across Hyrule, primarily in Zonai ruins. However, Zonai devices can also be collected from Zonai device dispensers, structures located around the world. Devices obtained this way can be carried in your inventory until you need them.

These dispensers spit out random Zonai devices when you insert scrap Zonai technology and construct materials, such as soldier horns. Different items will output different quantities of devices. For example, a construct horn will always give you 1 device per input, but a large Zonai charge will output 10.

Regular Zonai charges appear to output an exponential number of devices, equivalent to the number you input: 1 charge produces 1 device, but 5 charges produce 12.

Each dispenser only holds a specific set of Zonai devices, which will be listed on the map once you’ve received that device from the machine. These lists are about 3-6 items long, and a dispenser will never produce a device that isn’t on it.

You can also get Zonai devices from chests and by defeating Flux Constructs. I’ve even found a few scattered on the ground in dungeons.

If the game wants you to use a Zonai device, it will provide one. Additional devices are optional but prove to be highly useful.

Read More: Zonai Guide: Unlocking the Mystery

How Do You Use Zonai Devices?

A Zonai device that requires activation will do so when struck by a weapon, arrows included.

Devices you switch on will require the power of Link’s energy cell. Like a second stamina bar, the devices will use up the energy cell and switch off when depleted. This means if you’re flying with a device and it runs out of power, you’ll fall from the sky.

The energy cell can be replenished from your inventory by using Zonai charges before this happens like you use food to replenish health or stamina. Not all devices require activation, and not all of them drain energy. You can use the devices independently, but they are best utilized in larger constructions or when fused to weapons and shields.

Zonai devices attached to the same construction will function together but draw power independently. So, two fans need double the power one fan does.

A device fused to a weapon or shield will use up the durability of whatever gear it’s attached to, being destroyed when the gear breaks. Different devices use different amounts of durability; for example, a light shield will break faster than a fan shield. Zonai shields last longer when fused to devices than other equipment.

You can increase the charge in your energy cell to use devices for longer. For further information on this, check out our guide on the topic.

What are All of the Zonai Devices?

There are a lot of Zonai devices in the game and many places to find them all. I’ll give you a rundown of what each of them does, their power consumption, ways to use them, and a few places you can find them.

But if you have an engineer’s instinct, the sky is the limit with some of these things. I saw someone on Twitter construct a dog petting machine using a wheel. So I encourage you to take this basic information and experiment further.

Balloon

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: West Necluda Sky Archipelago, Kakariko Village, Tarrey Town

The balloon functions like a hot air balloon. When exposed to heat, this device will lift into the air, bringing anything attached to it. This makes it a handy device for exploring the sky islands, although it’s more useful when used alongside floating platforms.

The easiest way to fill a balloon with hot air is to use a flame emitter, like in the image above, although any heat source will do, like a torch or a campfire.

Battery

tears of the kingdom zonai devices — Batteries attached to a wing

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Gerudo Canyon Pass, Bravery Island, South Eldin Sky Archipelago

Batteries are self-explanatory. When you attach one to another device, that device will drain power from the battery instead of your energy cell. Once the battery has been depleted, the device will break off and disappear.

You can use multiple batteries simultaneously, and the construction will drain power from them one by one.

These are extremely useful, so they’re trickier to come by. Dispensers that carry batteries are mostly in dungeon areas like the Water and Fire Temples, but not exclusively. The dispenser along the path to the Gerudo Desert also spits them out.

There’s a variant of the battery called the big battery, which holds a lot more charge. Of course, this is even more useful and, unfortunately, very difficult to get your hands on.

Most reliably, I have collected big batteries from defeating Flux Construct III enemies, but you can also find them in chests.

Cannon

Power Consumption: High
Dispensers: North, West, and East Necluda Sky Archipelagos, Sokkala Sky Archipelago

The cannon, when activated, launches destructive energy shots in whatever direction it is facing. You can fuse it to weapons to launch firey attacks on unsuspecting bokoblins or put it on top of a construct head to act like a particularly deadly turret.

These things are flashy, explosive, and a lot of fun to use. The main downside is how much energy they consume. Gotta have some balance in there somewhere.

Cart

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: West Necluda Sky Archipelago, East Hebra Sky Archipelago, Lanayru Sky Archipelago

Another device that doesn’t use any energy. Carts are small platforms with wheels attached. They roll on a slope but require external forces to move. You could attach a fan and a steering stick to make a small vehicle to travel Hyrule on or use them to transport other items like logs.

They are particularly handy when attached to the underside of Wing devices, as they reduce friction when trying to get the Wing to take off.

Construct Head

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: Construct Factory, Bravery Island, Sokkala Sky Archipelago

Construct heads track and lock onto enemy creatures. When it sees one, it will activate whatever it’s attached to. As such, you can create turrets by connecting emitters to them. It functions like a homing cart, just without the maneuverability.

This device sounds helpful in concept, but you need to be resourceful to make good use of it.

Emitters

Power Consumption: Medium
Dispensers:

Flame: Great Sky Island, West Hebra Sky Archipelago, Bravery Island
Frost: Tabantha Sky Archipelago, South Lanayru Sky Archipelago, North Gerudo Sky Archipelago
Shock: North Gerudo Sky Archipelago, North Hyrule Sky Archipelago
Beam: East Gerudo Sky Archipelago, Valor Island

I’ve lumped these four devices together because they all perform similar functions.

The emitters generate one of four offensive elements to unleash upon enemies. The flame and frost emitters burn and freeze respectively, the shock emitter can stun enemies, and the beam emitter creates a laser beam.

All four are good in combat when fused to gear or placed on top of construct heads and homing carts. If you’re looking to devices for weapons, one of these four is likely your best option.

On a fun note, using a frost emitter on a body of water will create slabs of ice you can use as very slippery building blocks.

Fan

tears of the kingdom fan — Holding up a fan

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: Great Sky Island, Kakariko Village, Tarrey Town

The most prominent device on this list. Fans, like the real things, push air out in one direction. What makes them so good is how this force can propel things.

If you attach a fan to a cart or sled, it will start to move. Or if you connect it to a Wing (or a regular plank of wood), you can fly in a chosen direction. Fans can also team up to create greater force, but they’ll drain more energy from the energy cell.

You can even create a pocket updraft if you put one face up on the ground.

The simple propulsion of a fan (with low energy consumption, at least individually) makes it a wildly versatile device appropriate for all sorts of situations. They last longer than rockets, can be directionally controlled, and are found commonly all over Hyrule.

The sky is literally the limit when you’re using one of these bad boys.

Homing Cart

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: North Hyrule Sky Archipelago, Sokkala Sky Archipelago

This device is pure excellence in motion. A homing cart is a device that follows enemy entities while it functions, just like the construct head. What makes the homing cart different is that it can move.

If you attach a weapon to the top or front of a homing cart, it will pursue your enemies and rain destruction upon them. With minimal energy consumption, you can have these guys follow your enemies to the ends of the earth.

These things are a personal favorite of mine, mainly because they’re amusing. They remind me of those pictures where people strap knives to Roombas.

Needless to say, homing carts come with a high recommendation from me.

Hover Stone

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: Water Temple, North Tabantha Sky Archipelago, Sky Mine

When activated, a hover stone will suspend in midair for as long as you have power.

It’s also affected by fans and rockets, so it can be used as transportation, but they’re less versatile than wings or even carts.

Instead, I find hover stones best used as platforms to climb upwards. If you have two, you can use them to climb infinitely higher, or at least until you run out of energy.

Hydrant

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: South Eldin Sky Archipelago, West Necluda Sky Archipelago, Valor Island

The hydrant spurts out water in a continuous stream. The hydrant is a water source, whether you’re putting out fires or dispelling the sludge burdening Zora’s Domain.

They’re very situational but have a unique feature: spraying a hydrant over a lava pool will create stone slabs. These are very important while completing the Fire Temple or exploring the caves beneath Death Mountain.

They don’t use up much power, but if you connect them to a shield, a hydrant will burn through durability quickly.

Light

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: East Hebra Sky Archipelago, Bravery Island, Necluda Sky Archipelago

The light is a flashlight or a headlamp. When activated, it will generate a beam of light and shine it in a cone. This will illuminate dark spaces and provide a light source for mirrors to reflect.

This device has a very specific function with little flexibility in how you use it. Their most common use is as headlamps on vehicles.

Mirror

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: East Hebra Sky Archipelago, Lightcast Island, South Lanayru Sky Archipelago

The purpose of a mirror is to reflect and direct beams of light at switches.

We’ve seen items like this in previous iterations of The Legend of Zelda, such as Majora’s Mask and The Wind Waker.

Again, this isn’t an item you’ll get much use out of when you aren’t in shrines or the Lightning Temple, but they’re fun to mess around with anyway. Not to mention, you can use the mirror’s reflective beam to disarm gibdos so you can damage them with physical attacks.

Portable Pot

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Great Sky Island, Gerudo Canyon Pass,

A portable pot is one of the more practical and straightforward Zonai devices. They are single-use cooking pots that you can set up just about anywhere in an emergency.

Once you’ve used it, the pot will disappear, and you’ll need to set up another if you want to cook another dish.

I discovered it’s most useful in the depths if you need gloom-specific healing items. The single-use nature of portable pots makes casual use less viable; it’s easier to teleport to a town or stable and use the one there as much as you want. But they’re helpful in a pinch.

Rocket

Power Consumption: High
Dispensers: Tarrey Town, South Hyrule Sky Archipelago, West Hebra Sky Archipelago

Rockets sit right behind fans in terms of usefulness, although they are more limited. Rockets can propel just like fans but do so with much more force and quickly burn themselves out.

You can attach them to platforms to make them soar in a particular direction quickly, a necessity when exploring the sky islands. Or you could fuse one to a shield to act like a single-use jet pack.

Like fans, they can also work in tandem to propel you further. Rockets can even be used as high-force projectiles and are commonly shot at you by constructs.

The drawback to rockets is how quickly they break and how much power they consume. You will need to carry many of them if you want to use them regularly.

Rockets also deplete the durability of gear they’re attached to quickly and can render shields close to breaking point very fast. Despite this, you’ll likely use rockets more than most other devices.

Sled

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: East Hebra Sky Archipelago, East Gerudo Sky Archipelago, Starview Island

The sled is the cart if you take the wheels off. It’s a sled; it does exactly what you think it would. It slides down slopes, and goes faster over snow and sand than grass and rock. If you fuse it to your shield, you can shield surf faster than normal.

Spring

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Gerudo Canyon Pass, Valor Island, Lightcast Island

The spring is a small cube with a wound coil inside. When you strike it, the top platform shoots up and propels whatever is on top (whether it’s you or another object) away from it. Strike the spring again, and it will contract, ready for another use.

The spring doesn’t use any power, simply switching between two states.

Springs are situational devices. They can be helpful to ascend a little bit or to move an item up a short ledge, but are unwieldy and hard to aim with. In some shrine puzzles, you have to aim them; but in most cases, the game will do that for you.

However, in one specific circumstance, the spring is excellent, and that’s in areas of low gravity.

Specific high-up locations, like the Water Temple and the Tabantha Sky Archipelago, have low-gravity bubbles around them. Link and other objects will move further in the air and fall slower here. Using the springs will propel Link further, and so are good mobility tools, especially as they don’t require power.

Stabilizer

Power Consumption: Low
Dispensers: Kakariko Village, Water Temple, West Necluda Sky Archipelago

When activated, a stabilizer will stand up straight like a weighted egg. They ignore the weight of whatever they’re attached to when they stabilize, allowing you to suspend things in otherwise impossible directions. They will always stabilize upwards, however.

One of the best uses of stabilizers is to create platforms that you can use Ascend on. They also make great catapults. The Makasura shrine in Kakariko Village showcases this best if you need a demonstration.

Stake

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Gerudo Canyon Pass, Sokkala Sky Archipelago, East Gerudo Sky Archipelago

Stakes will suspend within other objects when pushed into them. You can attach other items to stakes to hold them up. You can see an example in the image above.

Stakes are simple items but have a lot of potential uses, from crafting platforms in sheer cliffs to creating angled spring launchers. They also don’t require power.

Steering Stick

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Tarrey Town, Valor Island, North Hyrule Sky Archipelago

The steering stick is a must-have device for building vehicles. You can attach wheels, fans, and rockets to whatever you like, but without a steering stick, you won’t be able to control them.

To steer your new vehicle, be it land or sky, attach a steering stick to a point Link can stand on, and you’ll be able to drive around contentedly.

Steering sticks don’t use any power themselves but will activate any devices they’re attached to. So if you have a car

with four small wheels attached, you can make the car move by using the steering stick instead of striking the wheels.

Time Bomb

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: North Necluda Sky Archipelago, South Hyrule Sky Archipelago, Courage Island

Time bombs are explosives that wait a few seconds after being struck to explode so you can run away.

Time bombs can be tactical combat items, but even better, they can activate other devices or switches. They work a lot like the bombs in Breath of the Wild, but cannot be detonated remotely.

Wheels

Power Consumption: Low

Dispensers:

Small Wheels: Tarrey Town, South Hyrule Sky Archipelago, Necluda Sky Archipelago
Big Wheels: Gerudo Canyon Pass, Kakariko Village, Tarrey Town

The wheel does what it says on the tin: you attach it to something, strike it, and it spins. Put more than one on a plank of wood or stone, slap on a steering stick, and you have a car.

The wheels are used in several ways throughout the game, like opening

doors, creating primitive motors, or even a conveyor belt. But aside from this, they are primarily designed to aid in transportation.

The wheels use little power individually since you’re expected to use as many as four at once. Despite that, the power consumption stays low, and even with an un-upgraded energy cell, you can travel far.

They spin in a specific direction, however, indicated by arrows, so make sure you don’t misalign your wheels when building.

The difference between big and small wheels is terrain; think of a golf cart versus a monster truck.

Small wheels are for vehicles you plan to take along roads and flat land as you travel. They don’t handle hills very well but are much faster.

Big wheels can handle snow, rocks, shallow water, and even lava, but work at about half the speed of small wheels.

Both will carry you across gloom with no problems and consume the same amount of power per second, but big wheels require more power for the same distance.

Wing

Power Consumption: N/A
Dispensers: Great Sky Island, North Necluda Sky Archipelago, East Hebra Sky Archipelago

When pushed from a ledge, a wing will soar through the sky, floating on the wind and gently gliding to the ground. You can control the direction of that fall depending on where you position Link on it, with the center providing the optimum distance.

The best part about wings is that attaching a steering stick and some fans turns a simple glider into a full-blown airplane. With this setup, you can zip from platform to platform while exploring the skies. The wings do not require power, but any devices you add to them will. Their most significant limitation is their durability, as wings will start to flash and break after a minute or so of function.

Unfortunately, you can’t use them to soar the skies from Eldin to the Gerudo Desert. But used strategically, wings will be your best friend as you explore Hyrule.

Mineru’s Construct

Be warned! This section contains major spoilers for the late game.

After you meet Mineru and build her new body, you can attach devices to this construct and use it like a personal mech.

The arms and the back can be equipped with Zonai devices for mobility and offensive purposes. Attaching a fan or a rocket to the back will help you move faster, and adding a device like a cannon to the arms will aid your attack power.

Using Mineru’s construct can be clunky and hard to get used to, but you can experiment even further once you do. The construct is also unaffected by gloom and lava, so it affords you greater mobility while exploring, especially in the depths.

The Zonai device stations you find throughout the depths are placed with this construct in mind, so go wild with them.

FAQs

Question: How Do I Activate a Zonai Device?

Answer: The main way to activate a Zonai Device is to hit it with a weapon. This could be a sword or an arrow. Time bombs and steering sticks are also capable of activating other devices.

Question: How Do I Use a Zonai Device Dispenser?

Answer: Put Zonai technology parts into a dispenser, and it will produce Zonai devices. Items you can insert into a dispenser include construct horns and Zonai charges. If you put other things inside, like monster parts or food, the dispenser will spit it back at you. You also cannot use raw zonaite in the dispenser. It must be processed first.

Question: How many Zonai Devices are there?

Answer: There are 27 Zonai devices you can hold in your inventory. You can take out up to 10 at a time and carry as many as you want. They are obtained from Zonai device dispensers.