How to use the Energy Cell in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Energy Cell is a key item in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that you receive immediately after you solve the In-isa Shrine. It’s a very useful item, but you can’t immediately use it. You have to make your way through to the far side of the Pondside Cave, where you’ll meet a Maker Construct.

The Maker Construct is by a broad expanse of water, and the parts you need to make a Zonai Raft are scattered along the bank nearby. These parts include fans, which are probably the first Zonai Devices you’ve found so far, and you need them to get across the water safely.

How to use a Zonai Device in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

How you use a Zonai Device in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will depend on what kind of Zonai Device it is and what you want to achieve with it. The general principle is always the same, though. First, you need to attach the Zonai Device to something. So, at least one of those Zonai Device fans I mentioned earlier needs to be attached to the back of a raft, so that the air will be blowing behind the raft. Next, you just need to strike the device once with any weapon to activate it. Then, strike it again to deactivate it when you want it to stop. Don’t think that you have to keep hitting it to make it work like I did at first.

How to power Zonai Devices in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Zonai Device are all powered by the Energy Cell, which is hanging from your belt and is listed in the Key Items section of your inventory. You don’t need to actively “use” the Energy Cell. It automatically provides power to any active Zonai Device that’s near you. So, when you hit the fan Zonai Device on the back of your raft, your Energy Cell will automatically power it. That is until your Energy Cell runs out of charge. It will slowly recharge itself over time, but if you want to recharge it faster, that’s where Zonai Charges come in.

Related: How to fly on a Zonai Wing in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

How to use Zonai Charges in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

By the time you find your first Zonai Device, you’ll already have found quite a few Zonai Charges. This is because hostile Constructs usually drop a Zonai Charge when you defeat them. To use a Zonai Charge, open your inventory and go to the Materials tab. Select Zonai Charge, then select Use. You should see Link raise his hand, then the Energy Cell on his belt will glow briefly, and the battery indicator icon next to him should fill by about a third.

As for the origin of all this Zonai technology, well, that’s another story.