Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Zonai Device Engineering Guide
Introduction
Zonai Devices are the engineering heart of Tears of the Kingdom. These ancient components — Fans, Rockets, Steering Sticks, Cannons, and 20+ other devices — snap together with Ultrahand to create vehicles, weapons platforms, traversal tools, and autonomous combat drones. Mastering Zonai engineering transforms Hyrule from a world you travel through into a world you build for.
This guide covers every device's function and power cost, the three optimal vehicle designs (Hover Bike, Transporter, and Battle Tank), Autobuild blueprint management, and the fastest Crystallized Charge farming routes for battery expansion.
Complete Zonai Device Reference
Mobility Devices
| Device | Energy Cost | Function | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan | Low | Produces directional thrust. Can be oriented in any direction. | Primary propulsion for all flying machines. |
| Wing | None (glides) | Flies forward when given initial momentum. Despawns after 60 seconds of flight. | One-way gliders; launch platform for early-game Sky Island traversal. |
| Balloon | Low | Lifts slowly when heated by a flame source (torch, Flame Emitter, fire). | Early-game vertical lift before you have enough battery for Fan-based flight. |
| Rocket | None (one-time, 3-second burn) | Massive thrust in the direction it's pointed. Destroys itself after use. | Launch-assist for flying machines; vertical escape; bomb delivery system. |
| Spring | None (reusable) | Compresses and launches Link in the direction it's facing. Re-arms after use. | Combat bounce for bullet-time; traversal over walls. |
| Steering Stick | None | Allows Link to control a vehicle. Forward, backward, left, right inputs translate to the vehicle. | Mandatory for all controllable vehicles. |
Terrain Devices
| Device | Energy Cost | Function | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cart | None | Four wheels on a flatbed. Moves when pushed or pulled. | Skateboard shield; base for ground vehicles. |
| Sled | None | Flat-bottomed sled. Low friction on sand, snow, and grass. | Sand/snow travel; shield-surfing; mobile platform base. |
| Big Wheel | Low | Large powered wheel. Moves forward when activated. High torque — can climb hills. | Off-road vehicle wheels; all-terrain ground vehicles. |
| Small Wheel | Low | Smaller powered wheel. Faster than Big Wheel but lower torque. | Speed vehicles; flat-terrain ground vehicles. |
| Stabilizer | Low | Keeps the attached object upright. Prevents tipping and rotation. | Flying machine stability; prevents Hover Bike from flipping. |
| Stake | None | Plants into any surface and stays fixed. Ultrahand objects can be attached to it. | Anchoring devices; creating pulley systems; bridge anchors. |
Combat Devices
| Device | Energy Cost | Function | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | Medium | Fires explosive cannonballs on a timer (one round every 2 seconds). 25 damage, 3m blast radius. | Vehicle-mounted weapon; anti-Talus; enemy camp clearance. |
| Flame Emitter | Low | Produces continuous stream of fire. 5 damage per tick, ignites enemies. | Anti-Ice enemy; vehicle flamethrower; updraft creation. |
| Shock Emitter | Low | Produces electric field. 3-second stun on hit. | Anti-Construct; vehicle-mounted electric defense. |
| Beam Emitter | Medium | Fires a continuous laser beam. 10 damage per tick, hitscan accuracy. | Long-range vehicle weapon; anti-Frox; pinpoint damage. |
| Frost Emitter | Low | Produces freezing stream. Freezes enemies for 4 seconds on full application. | Group control; shatter-damage setups on vehicles. |
| Construct Head | Low | Tracks and aims at the nearest enemy. Attached weapons fire at the tracked target. | Autonomous turret brain; makes any weapon home in on enemies. |
| Homing Cart | Low | Moves toward the nearest enemy and detonates. Small explosion (~15 damage). | Guided bomb; distraction device. |
Utility Devices
| Device | Energy Cost | Function | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Low | Illuminates a 10-meter radius in the Depths. | Depths vehicle headlight; permanent Depths illumination without Brightbloom seeds. |
| Portable Pot | None (one-time) | Deploys a cooking pot. Disappears after one use. | Cooking in the Depths or during boss fights where food buffs are critical. |
| Hydrant | Low | Produces a jet of water. Clears sludge, extinguishes fire. | Water Temple; sludge clearing; Zora weapon activation; fire immunity. |
| Hover Stone | Low | Floats in place in mid-air indefinitely. Does not move. | Sky platforms; combat arenas; reaching high Shrine locations. |
| Time Bomb | None (one-time) | Explodes after a short delay. 15 damage, 2m radius. | Detonation triggers; timed obstacle clearing; trap setups. |
| Mirror | None | Reflects light in a directional beam. Activates light-sensitive switches. | Light puzzles; blinding enemies (brief stun on direct eye hit in sunlight). |
Battery and Energy Management
Energy Cell Basics
Link starts with one Energy Cell (three bars on the battery display). Each bar represents one "unit" of energy. A single Fan consumes approximately one bar every 3 seconds of continuous use. Energy recharges when not in use — the more Energy Cells you have, the longer your uptime before recharge.
Energy Cell Expansion
Visit a Crystal Refinery (the one on the Great Sky Island, just north of the Nachoyah Shrine, is the most accessible early-game refinery). Exchange 100 Crystallized Charges for one additional battery bar (1/3 of an Energy Cell). You need 4,500 Crystallized Charges total for a fully maxed battery (16 batteries × 300 Charges per battery = 4,800, minus your starting 300-equivalent).
Crystallized Charge Farming
Method 1: Depths Boss Rematches (Fastest)
Every Depths boss arena (found beneath the corresponding Surface temple or major location) contains a rematchable boss that drops a Huge Crystallized Charge (100 Crystallized Charges) on first defeat, and a Large Crystallized Charge (20 Crystallized Charges) on subsequent defeats during the Blood Moon cycle.
Boss locations:
- Colgera — Depths beneath Hebra Peak (northwest corner)
- Marbled Gohma — Depths beneath Death Mountain (northeast)
- Mucktorok — Depths beneath Zora's Domain (east)
- Queen Gibdo — Depths beneath Gerudo Desert (southwest)
- Seized Construct — Depths beneath Faron (south)
- Flux Construct III — Various Depths arenas (check: under the Great Sky Island, under the Great Plateau, under the Gerudo Desert)
A full Depths boss loop (6 bosses) yields 120 Crystallized Charges per Blood Moon. This is the single most efficient farm.
Method 2: Yiga Clan Hideouts
Each of the 34 Yiga Clan hideouts in the Depths contains a chest with a Crystallized Charge (20 Charges) or Large Crystallized Charge (10 Charges). The hideouts are marked by Yiga Frog statues and wooden structures. Clearing all 34 yields approximately 500-600 Crystallized Charges.
Method 3: Abandoned Mines
The Great Abandoned Central Mine and smaller mines scattered in the Depths contain Forge Constructs that trade Zonaite for Crystallized Charges:
- 3 Zonaite → 1 Crystallized Charge
- 3 Large Zonaite → 1 Large Crystallized Charge (20 Charges)
- 1 Large Zonaite → 1 Crystallized Charge (better rate for Large Zonaite)
This method is Zonaite-expensive and should supplement boss farming, not replace it.
Method 4: Zonaite Farming in Depths
Zonaite ore deposits are clustered near Lightroots and Abandoned Mines. Equip a Stone Breaker weapon (fuse a Cobble Crusher with a Soldier Construct Horn for massive ore-damage) and mine every ore vein you see. Each deposit yields 3-6 Zonaite. Large Zonaite is rarer (approximately one per 10 normal Zonaite deposits). A single sweep of the Central Hyrule Depths yields approximately 200-300 Zonaite.
Vehicle Engineering: The Three Optimal Designs
Design 1: Hover Bike (2 Fans + Steering Stick)
The most efficient personal transport vehicle in the game. Two Fans and a Steering Stick arranged in a T-configuration create a perfectly balanced flying bike.
Construction:
- Place one Fan flat on the ground, blowing downward.
- Attach a Steering Stick to the top-center of this Fan, tilted back approximately 45 degrees.
- Attach a second Fan to the back of the Steering Stick, blowing backward at a 45-degree downward angle.
- The resulting vehicle: when you grab the Steering Stick, the front Fan lifts, the back Fan pushes forward, and the angle keeps the vehicle in a stable hover.
Performance:
- Energy cost: 2 Fans = low-medium drain. ~20 seconds of flight on 3 bars, ~60 seconds on 6 bars, ~2+ minutes on full battery.
- Speed: Faster than sprinting, slower than gliding with Tulin's Gust.
- Maneuverability: Excellent — tight turns, vertical ascent/descent by tilting forward/back.
- Can reach all Sky Islands from any Surface Tower.
- Landing: tilt forward slightly, the Hover Bike descends gently.
Why it's the best: The Hover Bike solves 80% of all traversal needs. It costs 9 Zonaite to Autobuild (3 per Fan, 3 per Stick), fits anywhere, and can be deployed instantly from the Autobuild Favorites menu. Once you've built one, every other vehicle is situational.
Optimizations:
- Add a Brightbloom Seed to the front Fan for Depths headlight.
- Attach a Stabilizer to the bottom of the front Fan if the bike tends to drift (reduces energy efficiency slightly but improves stability).
- Attach a Dragon Scale to the back Fan to increase despawn distance (vehicles despawn when Link moves 90 meters away; a Dragon Scale extends this to 300 meters).
Design 2: 4-Fan Transport Cargo (4 Fans + Steering Stick + Platform)
A cargo-capable flying platform for transporting Koroks, shrine crystals, and other Ultrahand objects.
Construction:
- Place a Wooden Board or Sled as the base platform.
- Attach one Fan at each corner, all facing downward.
- Attach a Steering Stick in the center, tilted forward slightly.
- Optional: attach a Stake to the center front for crystal anchoring.
Performance:
- Energy cost: 4 Fans = high drain. ~10 seconds on 3 bars. Not viable until you have at least 6 battery bars.
- Lift capacity: can carry Link + one Korok + one shrine crystal simultaneously.
- The platform is wide enough to hold objects placed with Ultrahand.
Autobuild cost: 15 Zonaite (12 for 4 Fans, 3 for Steering Stick, plus the platform which is a found object).
Design 3: Battle Tank (Homing Cart + Construct Head + Beam Emitters)
An autonomous combat drone that seeks and destroys enemies.
Construction:
- Base: Homing Cart (moves toward nearest enemy).
- Attach a Construct Head to the top of the Homing Cart (the Head tracks independently of cart movement).
- Attach 2-4 Beam Emitters to the Construct Head's "eyes" (where it aims).
- Optional: attach a Cannon to the back for explosive support.
- Optional: attach a Frost Emitter to freeze enemies while Beams deal damage.
Performance:
- The Construct Head tracks the nearest enemy while the Homing Cart moves toward it. Beam Emitters fire continuously.
- Damage per second: 4 Beam Emitters × 10 damage/tick = 40 DPS, sustained. A Silver Bokoblin (720 HP) dies in ~18 seconds without Link firing a single arrow.
- Energy cost: very high (Homing Cart + Construct Head + 4 Beams). A full battery of 8 cells lasts approximately 45 seconds of continuous combat. Not viable as primary combat until late game.
- The tank keeps fighting even when Link is not present — deploy it and go harvest materials while it clears the camp.
Autobuild cost: 27-45 Zonaite depending on emitter count.
Autobuild and Blueprint Management
Unlocking Autobuild
Autobuild is obtained in the Depths from the Great Abandoned Central Mine, directly beneath the Great Plateau. Follow Josha's "Mystery in the Depths" quest, which activates after completing one Regional Phenomena. The mine is in the center of the Central Hyrule Depths — look for the massive Zonai facility with glowing blue architecture. Defeat the single Kohga encounter (first meeting), then interact with the Steward Construct to receive Autobuild.
Autobuild Mechanics
Autobuild stores your last 30 built creations. Open Autobuild (L-menu, select the purple hand), and the History tab shows recent builds. The Favorites tab lets you save up to 8 builds permanently. Favorites are never overwritten by new creations.
Blueprint cost: If you have all the components in your inventory, building from a blueprint costs zero Zonaite. If you're missing components, Autobuild creates them from Zonaite at approximately 3 Zonaite per component. A missing Fan costs 3 Zonaite. A missing Steering Stick costs 3 Zonaite.
Pro tip: Always keep a stock of 21 Zonaite (the cost of a 7-component vehicle) for emergency Hover Bike deployment.
Recommended Favorites
| Slot | Blueprint | Zonaite Cost | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hover Bike (2 Fans + Stick) | 9 | Universal transport |
| 2 | 4-Fan Cargo Platform | 15+ | Crystal/Korok transport |
| 3 | Battle Tank (Cart + Head + 3 Beams) | 21 | Autonomous combat |
| 4 | Rocket Platform (1 Rocket + Sled) | 6 | Emergency vertical launch |
| 5 | Spring Bouncer (2 Springs + Platform) | 9 | Combat bullet-time setup |
| 6 | Hover Stone Platform (Stone + Fans) | 12 | Sky platform access |
| 7 | Depths Scout (Hover Bike + Light) | 12 | Depths exploration |
| 8 | Emergency Boat (3 Fans + Sled) | 15 | Water traversal |
Advanced Engineering Techniques
Fuse Entanglement (Weapon + Device Without Snapping)
Normally, Fusing a Zonai device to a weapon creates a snap-to-fit attachment. By dropping both the weapon and the device on the ground and using Ultrahand to position them at a desired offset before Fusing, you can create weapons with devices at custom angles (a Flame Emitter at a 90-degree angle on a spear for a flame-thrower that hits enemies to Link's side during a spin attack).
Rocket-Powered Arrow (Rocket + Arrow via Shield Transfer)
Fuse a Rocket to a shield. Activate the shield (ZL + A) to launch. While in the air, immediately draw your bow (ZR) for bullet-time. This is faster than the standard jump → draw bow → bullet-time loop and gives you more height for longer slowdown.
Infinite Wing Glitch
Attach a Wing to a Hover Stone. The Hover Stone keeps the Wing suspended while you stand on it. Because the Wing is not moving (it's held by the Stone), its despawn timer never starts. Climb onto the Wing, detach from the Hover Stone, and the Wing behaves as if freshly deployed — 60 seconds of flight from a construction that you can reuse infinitely.
Fan-Stacking Thrust
Fans stacked on top of each other (blowing in the same direction) have additive thrust but multiplicative energy drain. Two stacked Fans produce approximately 1.8x the thrust of one Fan but cost 2x the energy. This is only efficient for launch-assist where burst thrust matters more than sustained flight time.
Cold-Start Hover Bike (No Battery Required)
If you have zero battery, you cannot activate a Hover Bike's Fans. However, attaching a Rocket to the back of a Hover Bike provides initial thrust without battery consumption. The Rocket launches the bike forward and upward, and the Fans' momentum keeps the bike in the air even though the Fans are not spinning. This glides you approximately 100 meters — enough for most Sky Island hops. Not sustainable, but useful pre-battery-upgrades.
Device Farming Locations
| Device | Best Dispenser | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Fan | Nachoyah Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island, southeast |
| Steering Stick | In-Isa Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island, center-north |
| Rocket | Ukouh Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island, east |
| Cannon | Sky Mine dispenser | Eldin Sky Archipelago |
| Beam Emitter | Sky Mine dispenser | Akkala Sky Archipelago |
| Construct Head | Jirutagumac Shrine | Lanayru Sky Archipelago |
| Homing Cart | Mogawak Shrine dispenser | Lanayru Sky |
| Big Wheel | Gikaku Shrine dispenser | Akkala Sky |
| Small Wheel | Gikaku Shrine dispenser | Akkala Sky |
| Shock Emitter | Mogawak Shrine dispenser | Lanayru Sky |
| Spring | Nachoyah Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island |
| Hover Stone | Kumamayn Shrine dispenser | Necluda Sky |
| Balloon | Ukouh Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island |
| Frost Emitter | Jirutagumac Shrine dispenser | Lanayru Sky |
| Hydrant | Zora's Domain dispenser | Lanayru Sky |
| Portable Pot | Various dispensers | Common in all Sky Island dispensers |
| Stabilizer | In-Isa Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island |
| Stake | In-Isa Shrine dispenser | Great Sky Island |
| Mirror | Mogawak Shrine dispenser | Lanayru Sky |
Each dispenser requires Zonai Charges or Construct Horns to activate — drop 5 Zonai Charges or 1 Large Zonai Charge into the dispenser basket, and it dispenses 5-12 random devices from its pool. Large Zonai Charges yield better devices and higher quantities.
