Rod of Seasons

The Rod of Seasons.
Rod of Seasons
Origin	Temple of Seasons
Type	Rod
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

The Rod of Seasons is a special item that was featured in Oracle of Seasons and had control over the seasons of Holodrum.

Information

The Rod of Seasons is a special rod that was kept within the Temple of Seasons in Holodrum. The rod contains the spirits of the four seasons and can channel them to instantly change the season. It is connected with Din, the Oracle of Seasons, but she does not seem to need it due to her natural control over the seasons. During Oracle of Seasons, Onox caused the temple to sink into Subrosia after he captured Din, to prevent anyone from interfering with his plan. Link was still able to reach Subrosia and found the rod within the temple. However, the rod was powerless when Link discovered it. He had to individually find the four season spirits in their individual towers to gain their powers. Initially, he could only reach the tower with the winter spirit, but he slowly gathered the other three spirits throughout the game.

Link can only use the Rod when standing atop stumps. Each season had its own special effects. Winter froze everything over and made it possible to walk on frozen lakes. Snow also piled up and could be walked on to reach out-of-reach areas, and trees lost leaves which made it possible to walk past them. Summer dried up creeks, which could reveal hidden areas, and it also made vines grow, which Link could climb. Spring caused flowers to bud; those flowers were hard as rocks at other times of the year, so only at that point could they be cut. Other flowers also appeared which could launch Link to the air, and water levels rose which covered some obstacles. Autumn, the last season to be gained, caused leaves to cover pits, and it was during this climate that mushrooms which blocked paths could be plucked.

Even without power, the Rod could still be swung at enemies in the manner of a sword item, although it was only rarely effective. It was particularly helpful during the battle with Onox, when he tried using Din's crystal as a shield, as hitting the crystal with the rod could move it out of Link's way without causing damage.

Trivia

• Unlike the Harp of Ages, it is never established whether or not this actually belongs to Din.
• The method of using the Rod's ability is echoed in The Minish Cap, where Link can only shrink down to Minish size while standing on tree stumps.
• The rod was originally going to be featured in Mystical Seed of Courage, the Oracle game that was cancelled, and it would have been associated with Hyrule instead.