How to Get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom? Zelda’s Best Horse

Tears of the Kingdom might be the most expansive Zelda ever, with crazy new powers that open up the world in a way never seen before. You can use the Tears of the Kingdom mechanics to build some crazy contractions, like rocket cars. However, what if you want to keep things classic Zelda though? You’ll need to know how to get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom.

There are plenty of mounts spread around the map in this title. You can find groups of wild horses in loads of spots, and you’ll be able to tame them easier. Epona, Link’s iconic horse, is a little trickier to pick up though. She isn’t the result of going through a specific quest like a lot of Link’s other iconic gear in the new game. Instead, getting Epona in Tears of the Kingdom is tied more closely to older Zelda games. It’s locked behind some items you might only have if you’re a long-time player.

This is how you can get the classic horse Epona in Tears of the Kingdom. There are a few different methods, but a lot of players might be locked out forever.

How to Get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom

There are two different ways that you can get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom. Although, both are tied to Zelda Amiibos. The toys-to-life figurines that Nintendo released haven’t been a huge part of their titles in recent years. They have been phased out a little bit. However, loads of gamers still have amiibos around. Just like in Breath of the Wild though, they do have a function in Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda series amiibos all have a unique function. Link’s horse featured in games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess is tied to some of these amiibos. You’ll need to use one of two figurines that feature Epona in them or are associated with a version of Link that used the horse a lot. The first is the Link amiibo from Twilight Princess. This figure was included as part of the Twilight Princess HD re-release on WiiU, which also came with Wolf Link that worked in Breath of the Wild as a companion.

The second amiibo that you can use to get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom is the Smash Bros Link amiibo. Both of these can give Epona as a reward. The other Link and Zelda amiibos will not spawn Epona, but you will get chests and other rewards.

The amiibo rewards in Tears of Kingdom do have an element of randomness to them. Each Amiibo has a list of things it can reward. The Epona spawn is pretty frequent though. If you use one of the two amiibo’s you’ll likely see Epona spawn right in front of you within one or two uses.

You can even use the Amiibo to summon Epona more than once! For some reason, you can duplicate the horse if you want to.

How to Get Epona if You played Breath of the Wild

If you played Breath of the Wild, then some elements of your save data will carry over. This includes horses. You can get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom if you already had her in Breath of the Wild this way! This one isn’t a specific task you need to do, outside of just collecting the horse.

The first time you visit a stable, you’ll find your old horses still boarded there! All you need to do is take them out of the stable and jump back in. You can just fetch her like a normal horse and start exploring the new Hyrule.

Can You Get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom Without Amiibo?

Those are all of the methods to get this horse in Tears of the Kingdom. There isn’t another method! This means that you can’t get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom without an amiibo. Sadly, it’s some of the content that Nintendo has chosen to keep limited to the fans who bought the previous items in the series.

Epona in Tears of the Kingdom isn’t too different from a traditional horse though. She has a unique design that matches her appearance in past games, and also maxed out stats. You can get through the game using other horses perfectly fine! You might even be able to find one that that similar coloring if you look hard enough. Getting one with Epona in Tears of the Kingdom’s perfect stats are difficult though.

Who is Epona?

Epona is Link’s iconic horse that debuted in Ocarina of Time. For a lot of gamers, she was the first time we ever got to use a mount in a game. Epona was optional in Ocarina of Time though! While a lot of players headed straight over to Lon Lon Ranch in every play, you could completely miss her if you wanted to. This was even the source of one of the game’s most recognisable songs. You would have to complete some tasks in the childhood and adult portions of the game to unlock her.

Epona returned in the game’s direct sequel, Majora’s Mask. Now she’s able to be ridden as a child. She made a bit of a cameo in Wind Waker when the story of Ocarina is told. Then, she made a big appearance in Twilight Princess! That title maybe had the largest role for Epona in the series.

Since then, Epona has been a major part of what people think of as iconic Zelda. Even if she’s not been in all Zelda games. Although, she’s only been in the games in this fan service form more recently. You can get Epona in Tears of the Kingdom though, which is great if you want to bring a bit more classic Zelda charm to your play through.