Bombchu

A Bombchu as seen in Ocarina of Time.
Bombchu
Type	Explosive
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Bombchu is a mobile explosive device that has appeared in several games of the The Legend of Zelda series, usually as a type of bonus item.

Information

The Bombchu has a small and sleek design which resembles a type of rodent. Once a Bombchu is activated and placed on the ground, it will go forward in that direction while preparing to detonate. It will explode once its time limit expires or when it hits some type of object or enemy. The Bombchu moves quite quickly and can even zip up walls and ceilings. This makes it useful for reaching areas that are out of the range of the normal bomb. Although they are very useful, Bombchu are an uncommon item and only available in limited amounts, sometimes even requiring their own bag. In other cases, Bombchu share a bag with normal Bombs, and Link can carry the same amount of Bombchu as Bombs.

Appearances

In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Bombchu could be obtained through various methods such as treasure chests, certain shops and winning special minigames after obtaining a Boomb bag. They were featured in the Bombchu Bolwing Alley minigame in the first game and one of Honey and Darling's minigames in the latter. Within Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, the Bombchu was only available through use of a password after starting a new game. In Oracle of Ages, Link had to get a high score in the Train Carts minigame after telling Troy the password to receive the Bombchu. In Oracle of Seasons, after giving the password to a Subrosian near the volcano, Link had to earn the Bombchu by completing a challenge in which he had to clear all of the grass in the room using just three boomerang throws. After Bombchu were unlocked in either game, Syrup also began selling them at high prices.

Bombchu were also obtained in Phantom Hourglass with a Bombchu Bag that was found at the Goron Temple. The initial bag held ten Bombchu, and Link could buy an upgraded bag carrying 20 Bombchu from the Goron Island store afterwards. The largest Bombchu Bag, which held 30 Bombchu, could be won at Dee Es Island by completing the minigame within 35 seconds.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• The Bombchu appears as an item in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It is picked up and thrown, exploding on contact if it hits someone. Otherwise, when it hits the ground, it will continue moving forward until it hits an opponent (it will pass through the character who used it or any of their allies without harm) or detonates automatically following a set period of time. Its appearance is accompanied by a trophy.
• Giant versions of Bombchus appear in Hyrule Warriors as a weapon that could be deployed by either side in battle. When deployed, Bombchus would head towards a fortress of the opposing side to detonate and deal heavy damage, or they could be deployed to destroy certain obstacles. Bombchus have to be protected until they reach their destination, as enemies will target it and attempt to destroy it. When dealing with an enemy deploying a Bombchu, the player can attempt to destroy the Bombchu itself or the enemy acting as the Bombchu Operator. If the latter occurs, the Bombchu could then be directed right back to the enemy.
• In Cadence of Hyrule, Bombchus appeared as items that could be obtained. This game also included a Bombchu Bowling Alley at the Gerudo Village.

Trivia

• Its name is a combination of "bomb" with "chu", which is used as Japanese onomatopeia for a mouse noise.
• Within Phantom Hourglass, the Bombchu's path can be set by drawing on the touchscreen.
• Majora's Mask featured an enemy called the Real Bombchu, implying that the Bombchu item is an imitation of this creature from an in-universe perspective. However, it has only been found in Termina. The term "Bombchu" was also used in The Wind Waker as a name for the normal rats that carried bombs.
• A similar item called the bombling appears in Twilight Princess.