Skull Hammer

Skull Hammer
Artwork from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
First appearance	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)
Latest appearance	Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (2018)
Location(s)	Forsaken Fortress (second visit)
Effect	Pounding switches Defeats enemies

Not to be confused with Hammer.

The Skull Hammer is a large hammer and an item in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and its remake The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. It is larger than Link. Per its name, the Skull Hammer is shaped like a skull. It also has a metal handle and face.

History

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Link taking out the Skull Hammer to pound a switch in the Earth Temple in The Wind Waker HD

The Skull Hammer first appears in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The Skull Hammer is obtained in the second visit to the Forsaken Fortress. After defeating Phantom Ganon, a treasure chest appears which contains the Skull Hammer.

The Skull Hammer is swung forward by using it while holding the left stick in the direction Link is facing when standing still or by not holding any direction, and can be swung in a circle when using it while standing still and holding the left stick in any direction Link is not facing. It can pound certain large ground switches, usually resulting in a path being opened or an event triggering. Link can also use the Skull Hammer to attack enemies, by squishing them, and its shock waves also stun nearby enemies.

The player can assign the Skull Hammer to either , , or . Link is able to move around while carrying the Skull Hammer, although this slows his movement. Link holds the Skull Hammer with both hands, similar to the Megaton Hammer from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; it is not instantaneous like other weapons. It takes around one second for Link to pound it on the ground. Link can still perform a Spin Attack or Jump Attack while holding the Skull Hammer.

The Skull Hammer is an item that is frequently required since Link acquires it. The Skull Hammer is required in the fight against the Helmaroc King, where it must be used to break the Helmaroc King's mask. It is also required in the Earth Temple and the Wind Temple.

Hyrule Warriors Legends

In Hyrule Warriors Legends, the Skull Hammer, now known as the Hammer, appears as an Item Card on the Great Sea Map and the Master Wind Waker Map. It is initially obtained on a space representing the Forsaken Fortress, and is used to press switches that appear on a small amount of other spaces to reveal enemies, in order to keep the Forsaken Fortress visited before the Earth Temple.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ハンマー Hanmā	Hammer

Trivia

• Early in development of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the hammer looked more like a standard hammer.