How to throw items in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces plenty of new elements to the long-running, beloved Nintendo franchise. But one returning mechanic is the ability to throw items, weapons, and other tools in your inventory. Though throwing is an essential aspect in TOTK, it’s easy to miss the tutorial explaining how the throwing mechanic works.

Throwing items in TOTK can serve a variety of purposes. Given that weapons often break after extended use, I tend to lob my near-broken weapons at enemies instead of simply letting it be destroyed. Other items, like Fire Fruit and Brightbloom Seeds, have their effects activated when they’re thrown.

If you’re trying to throw any one of your items in TOTK, here’s what you need to do.

TOTK throwing guide: Button mapping, tricks, and more

Here’s how to throw an item in Tears of the Kingdom, step-by-step:

1. Hold the “R” button to enter Link’s throwing stance.
2. From here, press up on your D-pad. You will then be met with a menu showing all the items in your inventory that you can throw.
3. Scroll through the menu with your right analog stick until you land on the item that you want to toss.
4. Finally, once the item is in Link’s hands, you can release the “R” button to throw, as shown in the video below.

If your item has an effect, like the Brightbloom Seed that illuminates the area around it, the effect will take place after it is thrown. One of my favorite items to throw is the Fire Fruit, which can cause significant fire damage over a wide area. It’s great for scorching enemies that get a little too close for comfort.

If these controls feel uncomfortable, you can change your controls in the Switch’s settings menu. Simply hit the Home button on your right joycon, head over to the gear icon at the bottom of your menu, and then scroll down to the “Controllers and Sensors” option. Click “Change Button Mapping,” and then you can select whichever buttons feel most natural for you. You’ll be able to see your finalized choice in TOTK‘s settings menu as well.

Related: How many shrines are in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

There is a further tutorial for this mechanic in the Yamiyo Shrine, through this is a fairly easy shrine to miss. Even if you have not completed the Yamiyo Shrine yet, you will still able to hurl any of your items at any time.