It’s been three years since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom landed, and Hyrule’s tinkerers are still cooking up contraptions that would make Purah proud. The game’s fusion system, especially paired with Zonai devices, turned every shield, sword, and Korok into a physics experiment. Even in 2026, the community keeps pushing the boundaries—so let’s dive into five Zonai device tricks that remain absolute showstoppers.

Shield Shenanigans 🛡️

Picture this: you’re shield surfing down Death Mountain, but instead of a simple sled, you’ve got a rocket strapped to your back. One tap and Link launches skyward—no Revali’s Gale required. Players quickly learned that shields are the ultimate canvas for Zonai creativity. The classic cart-shield or sled-shield turned rough terrain into a skate park, letting Link glide effortlessly over rocks and grass.

But why stop there? Fuse a fan to a shield and pull it out mid-combat—enemies are blown backwards like leaves in a storm. Attach an emitter, and you’ve got a portable flamethrower, ice spray, or even a disorienting light beam. The hydrant shield is a personal favorite: whip it out to douse fires, clean up sludge, or just give monsters an unexpected shower. Then there’s the rocket shield, a one-time ticket to instant altitude. The possibilities are nearly endless, and even in 2026, players are still uploading clips of new shield combos that blow our minds.

Vertical Ascents Without Wings ⬆️

Missing the instant vertical boost from Breath of the Wild’s Revali’s Gale? Zonai devices have you covered, often with extra style points. The simplest method is a balloon fused to a flame emitter—watch it inflate and rise, carrying Link to whatever height he needs before jumping off. But if you’re low on balloons, a spring does the job just as dramatically.

Place a spring on the ground and bounce, or attach it to a shield for a portable pogo-stick effect. Some clever engineers even use a stabilizer and a plank to create a crude catapult—tilt the board, release, and up you go. In 2026, you’ll find speedrunners stacking multiple springs for a chain reaction that sends Link into the stratosphere faster than a Skyview Tower. These low-tech elevators prove you don’t need wings to touch the clouds.

Explosive Surprises 💣

At first glance, the Time Bomb seems underwhelming compared to the Sheikah Slate’s remote bombs. No instant detonation? That’s a dealbreaker—until you realize the chaos you can orchestrate. Patient engineers turned the timed explosion into an art form.

Drop a cluster of time bombs from a floating platform and watch the enemy camp below gather around the strange objects. Curiosity, meet kaboom. Another trick is fusing a bomb to an arrow and firing it into a group of Bokoblins—they’ll huddle around the blinking package just as it goes off. Speedrunners adore the bomb-shield tech: fuse a bomb to a shield, jump as if to shield surf, and the explosion harmlessly propels Link forward like a cannonball. By 2026, whole challenge runs are built around creative bomb placement, using delayed explosions to solve puzzles in ways developers never intended.

Rolling Through Hyrule 🚗

Everyone remembers the trailer moment when Link bolted together a makeshift car. That simple cart with a steering stick opened the floodgates for Hyrule’s automotive revolution. In 2026, your average player can construct monster trucks, drift bikes, and even walker mechs that would give Master Kohga a run for his rupees. But not all transport is about speed.

The real galaxy-brain move involved those poor Koroks who need reunion with their friends. Instead of carrying that backpack across a mountain, clever players fuse the Korok to a Hover Stone. The stone floats in place, unaffected by your Link tumbling down the slope. Move it forward bit by bit, and you’ve got a stress-free delivery service. Cart-shields also revolutionized shield surfing—fuse a cart to your shield for a smooth, skateboard-like experience that turns Hyrule’s hills into an endless halfpipe. If everything else fails, a well-placed rocket can get almost anything moving.

Wild Weapons That Shouldn’t Exist ⚔️

Fusion is, without a doubt, the crown jewel of Tears of the Kingdom. The first thing most players did when they got the power was slap a mushroom on a stick and giggle. But by 2026, the community’s weapon smithing has reached levels of absurdity that would make the Hero of the Wild blush.

Take a regular broadsword and fuse a flame emitter to it—you now have a fiery blade that burns through enemy camps with a single swing. Ice and shock emitters turn the same sword into a crowd-control nightmare. Cannons are heavy and unpredictable, but fuse one to a spear and every thrust becomes a long-range artillery shot. Some builders have even created stationary turrets by fusing multiple emitters to a construct head, letting them auto-target foes while Link kicks back. The beauty of Zonai weaponry is that it encourages experimentation; every unfortunate death is just another chance to build something more outrageous.

Even three years later, Hyrule remains the best kind of sandbox—one where the only limit is your imagination (and maybe your battery life). So grab a few Zonai devices, hit the nearest Sky Island, and start fusing. The princess can wait a little longer.