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The Shovel,(ALttP | LA | OoS | OoA | FSA | PH)[1] also known as the Deluxe Shovel,(LA)[2] is a recurring Item in The Legend of Zelda series. It is used to dig up treasures and, occasionally, even enemies from beneath the soil. The Shovel may also be used to unearth secret holes that lead to otherwise unreachable passages.

Appearances[]

A Link to the Past[]

A Link to the Past Manual Description
A Link to the Past logo
Shovel
Use this to dig holes in the ground. You cannot dig in some surfaces. You need this shovel to find the Flute.

In A Link to the Past, the Shovel is given to Link by the Flute Boy in the Haunted Grove.[3] Its primary use is to find his hidden Flute.[4] After finding the Flute, it will replace the Shovel. In the Dark World's Digging Game located southwest of the Village of Outcasts, the game keeper will lend Link a Shovel usable only for the duration of the Mini-Game.[5]

In the Game Boy Advance version, the Shovel has its own item slot and is thus usable throughout the game.

In either case, using the Shovel on a tile of plain land will dig a hole. Most of the time, the hole contains nothing, but occasionally, Link may find rupees and hearts. The Digging Game even contains a Piece of Heart which can be dug up from random locations within the game area. Using the Shovel on a tile impossible to dig, or a hole already dug, will make a "hard object" sound, indicating that there is nothing to dig.

Link's Awakening[]

Link's Awakening Manual Description
Link's Awakening logo
Shovel
The Shovel is useful for digging holes in the ground. Who knows what kind of buried treasure you might find? Keep in mind that some parts of the ground are too hard to dig.

The Shovel can be purchased from the Town Tool Shop in Mabe Village for 200 Rupees in Link's Awakening. It is used to find the Slime Key at the end of the Pothole Field. It can also be used to find some of the Secret Seashells which are scattered across Koholint Island. It, among other items, can also be traded at the end of the Trading Quest to obtain the Boomerang.

Oracle of Seasons[]

Oracle of Seasons Manual Description
Oracle of Seasons logo
Shovel
Use the Shovel to dig holes in the ground or to clear away snow. You might be able to find buried treasure, so dig holes in many different places.


The Shovel is required to find the Star-Shaped Ore needed to enter the Summer Tower of the Temple of Seasons in Oracle of Seasons. Link can also dig up enemies such as Podoboos.

Oracle of Ages[]

Oracle of Ages Manual Description
Oracle of Ages logo
Shovel
Use the Shovel to dig holes in the ground or to clear away snow. You might be able to find buried treasure, so dig holes in many different places.

In Oracle of Ages, Link obtains the Shovel from a worker inside the Black Tower. He can use it to remove dirt piles. In Oracle of Seasons, Link obtains the Shovel from Holly after entering her home from the chimney. He can use it to remove the snow around her house.

Four Swords Adventures[]

Four Swords Adventures Manual Description
Four Swords Adventures logo
Shovel
Dig in soft ground to find items.
Lev. 2
If you listen carefully, you will hear a sound around areas with Force Gems or areas where there is a covered hole.

In Four Swords Adventures, the Shovel can be upgraded to the Level 2 Shovel by throwing it to a Great Fairy. The upgraded Shovel differs from the original in that it chimes whenever Link stands over treasure, a hidden passage, or other hidden secrets.

Phantom Hourglass[]

In Phantom Hourglass, Link can find the Old Wayfarer's Shovel in the man's hideaway on Molida Island.[6][7][8] It is mostly used to uncover hidden passages. It can also be used to unearth special, but not always marked, digging spots containing valuable treasures such as big Rupees or treasure maps.[9] It can also unearth Updrafts that, when unblocked, can elevate Link to higher elevations.[10] The Shovel is also used in the Digging Game on Harrow Island, where Link can dig up ten treasures for the price of 50 Rupees.

Other Appearances[]

Ancient Stone Tablets[]



Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland[]

FPTRR Shovel Sprite

In Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle can buy the Shovel from Duke in the Lon Lon Meadow. When equipped, the weight of the Shovel will cause Tingle to walk slower. To dig, Tingle must be tapped on the touch screen. Only soft ground can be dug. It can be used to dig up multiple items, such as Ingredients, Treasure Chests, and Rupee Goods.

Cadence of Hyrule[]

Shovels are equipment that allow Cadence, Link, Yves, and Zelda to dig through walls and mounds of dirt within Cadence of Hyrule, revealing Treasure Chests and opening up new pathways in order to navigate their way through dungeons.[11] However, they have a limited lifespan as using them to dig costs durability, and using up a Shovel's durability completely will cause it to wear out and disappear from the hero's inventory. The durability of a Shovel can be preserved indefinitely with the Glass Ring of Preservation when it is equipped.

There are different types of Shovels with their own special abilities, including the Auto-shovel, Battle Shovel, Glass Shovel, Shovel of Courage, and Shovel of Stamina.

The basic Shovel can either be bought from a Shopkeeper for 10 Rupees or found as loot from red Treasure Chests and slain enemies, though a free Shovel will always appear in the cave next to Link's House, having originally been left behind by Cadence after waking Link up from his enchanted slumber.

Trivia[]

  • In Link's Awakening, equipping both the Sword and the Shovel and pressing both buttons makes Link attack while digging.

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageNameMeaning
JapanJapaneseシャベル (Shaberu) (ALttP)[12]
スコップ (Sukoppu) (ALttP)[13]
Same as English.
Same as English.
CanadaFrenchCAPelle (PH)[14]
FranceFrenchEUPelle (OoS | PH)[15][16]Shovel
GermanyGermanSchaufel (PH)[17]
ItalyItalianPala (PH)[18]
SpainSpanishEUPala (PH)[19]
Latin AmericaSpanishLAPala (PH)[20]
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

References

  1. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 138(ALttP | LA | OoS | OoA | FSA | PH)
  2. "Deluxe Shovel
    200 Rupees!
    " — Town Tool Shopkeeper (Link's Awakening DX)
  3. "Then I will lend you my shovel. Good luck!" — Flute Boy (A Link to the Past)
  4. "Before I came here I buried my flute there, along with some flower seeds. Will you try to find it for me?" — Flute Boy (A Link to the Past)
  5. "Welcome to the treasure field. The object is to dig as many holes as you can in 30 seconds. Any treasures you dig up will be yours to keep." — Digging Game Keeper (A Link to the Past)
  6. "You got the shovel! Tap a spot to dig there. Dig in suspicious places." — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  7. "This must be the place that Romanos's dad called his hideaway. But I haven't seen any clues about how to get through the foggy passage!" — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
  8. "Isn't that my husband's shovel? That's OK, young man. You found it, so you should keep it. What? A second hideaway? Well, come to think of it, he often went off with that shovel. He would mutter something about four spots...and an intersection of some sort?" — Maronie (Phantom Hourglass)
  9. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass — Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games, pg. 12
  10. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass — Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games, pg. 15
  11. "Allows you to dig through walls. It's fragile and not that special." — Inventory (Cadence of Hyrule)
  12. A Link to the Past manual, pg. 45 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1 (Shogakukan 1) pg. 27 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (Shogakukan) pg. 15
  13. Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1 (Shogakukan 1) pg. 27
  14. "Vous obtenez la pelle! Touchez un endroit pour y creuser!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  15. "Pelle" — Inventory (Oracle of Seasons)
  16. "Vous obtenez la pelle! Touchez un endroit pour y creuser!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  17. "Du hast die Schaufel erhalten!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  18. "Hai ottenuto la Pala! Per scavare in un punto, toccalo. Cerca in posti sospetti!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  19. "¡Has conseguido una pala! Toca donde quieras cavar y ¡estate atento al terreno!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  20. "¡Conseguiste una pala! Toca donde quieras cavar. ¡Mantente atento al terreno!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
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