It’s still early days here with Nintendo’s Tears of the Kingdom, but already we’re seeing some pretty impressive feats. Players are fusing some funky weapons, building self-powered cars, getting creative when… “interacting” with Koroks, the list goes on. Tears of the Kingdom is so far proving to be an addicting and exciting new adventure through Hyrule and beyond. But despite all the cool ways you can get around the vast open world, none is more reliable than your trusty steed… and who could be more reliable than the horse of legend, Epona herself?
If you’re relatively new to the Zelda franchise, then Epona may likewise be new to you as well. Epona is Link’s reliable, spirited, legendary horse who made her first appearance in 1998 in Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since then, she has featured as Link’s mount in Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and various additional Zelda titles. She’s pretty awesome, so if you’re one for “the classic” Zelda experience, then you’re probably looking to pick her up.
So, where do you find this majestic mare in Tears of the Kingdom? You have a couple of options as it turns out, though both of them require having a Link amiibo on hand. Thankfully, both options can be accomplished very early in the game, right after you find and access your first stable in Hyrule. This guide covers how to add this majestic mare to your stable!
Unlocking Epona Option 1
If you’re brand new to Tears of the Kingdom and/or haven’t played Breath of the Wild with Epona already registered to you in that game, this option is for you. After you’ve landed down in Hyrule from the Sky Islands and are free to roam, you’ll want to head to New Serenne Stable, which is northwest of Lookout Landing, your first major quest location in the game.
From there, access your ability wheel by holding down the L bumper, and select the amiibo option (Note: Make sure you’ve checked the amiibo option in your Switch settings first). When this ability is triggered, you’ll notice Link is highlighting a small area with a circular light. From there, simply tap your amiibo over your right joystick, and voila! Epona should magically appear and do a little neigh of greeting!
So far, the amiibos that I’ve tested that will spawn Epona are the Link (Rider) and Twilight Princess Link. Keep in mind that it is possible she won’t spawn right away, and you may have to scan one of these amiibos several times over the course of a few days.
It’s important to spawn Epona right near a stable so that you can immediately hop on and take her to be registered right away. Epona will only appear once per unique save when the amiibo is scanned, so plan accordingly! If this is your first time registering a horse in game, the stableman will waive the fee, however, if you’ve already registered another horse prior, be prepared to cough up 20 rupees.
Unlocking Epona Option 2
This one’s easy! If you have a Breath of the Wild save and you already unlocked Epona in that game, she’s already waiting for you at the stable! Simply walk up to the stableman and kick off a conversation. He will introduce the new Pony Points system to you and ask if you want to register or take out one of your horses. Lo and behold, if you check your horse inventory, all of your previously registered horses from Breath of the Wild, including Epona, will be waiting for you!
Definitely check this before spawning a new Epona for yourself. That way you don’t end up with two Eponas in your stable.
A few brief caveats about Epona, however: because she is basically the VIP of horses, the folks at the stable will tell you that you can’t change her name, saddle, or customize her in any way. Which makes sense, she is pretty much perfect the way she is. This also means that you can’t hook her up to a harness to tow wagons or other contraptions, so you’ll need to have a standard in-game horse registered if you want to do any of those things.
And that’s it! You’re now ready to traverse the lands of Hyrule with the best horse in Tears of the Kingdom. And there’s certainly no shortage of lands to explore, so giddy-up!
