Although they’re both excellent games in their own right, both the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link pale in comparison to the Super Nintendo’s A Link to the Past. Released as Triforce of the Gods in Japan, A Link to the Past established many staples for the franchise. The series’ lore was expanded, the Triforce was given a more tangible role, and the very structure of A Link to the Past went on to influence every single Zelda that followed it up to Breath of the Wild

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While A Link to the Past’s contributions are numerous and all impactful in their own right, there’s one in particular that often goes undersung: Bottles. Bottles are now a staple of The Legend of Zelda, but they were non-existent in the original games. In the first Zelda, players could get two potions to heal, but that was it. For Zelda II, Link had costly healing magic and nothing else in the heat of combat. All things considered, it made both games fairly challenging to get through.

Bottles allow for A Link to the Past to rebalance itself according, offering a more manageable difficulty curve than either of its predecessors. Along with storing potions for later, Bottles can hold Fairies to revive Link & even bees– but where are A Link to the Past’s four Bottles hidden? 

4 Bottle 1 (The Merchant)

Two Bottles can be found as soon as players break Zelda out of Hyrule Castle and gain access to Kakariko Village. While Bottles are normally tied to side quests, one can simply be purchased outright. In the North West corner of town, a merchant will be selling on a rug and will offer to sell Link a Bottle for 100 Rupees. 

While the Merchant does allude to restocking, he never will and this Bottle is his sole ware. Although this is still extremely early in the game, it shouldn’t take too long to find 100 Rupees. Heck, most players will likely stumble on their 100 on the way to Kakariko Village for the first time. 

It should also be pointed out that Bottles are something of a scarcity in The Legend of Zelda. This could be because glass isn’t in mass production, but Bottles are always treated as genuine treasures. Then again, this could simply be because of how useful they are on a gameplay level. 

3 Bottle 2 (The Bar)

Milk Bars have become a staple of The Legend of Zelda, but that’s actually one detail that didn’t originate in A Link to the Past. In the Super Nintendo Zelda, Kakariko Village has a proper bar and everything. Should players walk in through the front door, they’ll notice a chest behind the back counter with no means of getting to it. 

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If players found bombs in Kakariko’s North West grotto earlier, they can bomb their way into the back of the bar. Simply drop a bomb behind the building and Link will be able to make his way inside. It’s actually quite handy that players can gain access to two Bottles mere minutes after leaving the Sanctuary for the first time. 

It should be noted that this is only one of a few items Link can get in Kakariko Village after nabbing the bombs. There are also Heart Pieces and Rupees to find, along with an unrelated Bug Net that Link can use to catch Fairies & Bees in order to store in his Bottles. Plus, if for whatever reason players don’t have 100 Rupees, they can always just settle for the freebie and come back to the merchant later. 

2 Bottle 3 (The Bridge)

To get the third Bottle, players will first need to complete the first two dungeons– the Eastern and Desert Palaces– in order to gain access to the Power Glove. Link will now be able to lift up boulders, allowing him to gain access to North Eastern Hyrule. Past Syrup the Witch’s Potion Shop is the Zora’s domain. 

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Upon entering the water themed area, Link will be immediately attacked by rogue Zora. Players will need to navigate through the maze-like river, walking on shallow water in order to avoid both fireballs and falling into the deep end. At the end of the path is a large Zora who will sell Link the Flippers for 500 Rupees. 

From there, players are free to swim in any and all bodies of water. Should Link swim under the easternmost bridge, he can find a man sleeping underneath who will give Link a Bottle once woken up. While he laments not being able to offer more help, his Bottle is frankly all the help players need. 

1 Bottle 4 (The Chest)

Although Link can get his first three Bottles relatively early in the game, the fourth & last isn’t available until midgame. The earliest players get the fourth Bottle is after they clear the fourth dungeon in the Dark World, Gargoyle’s Domain. Level 4’s dungeon item ends up being the Titan’s Mitt, an upgrade to the Power Glove which lets Link pick up even heavier rocks. 

Players will then need to find a frog south of the Village of Outcasts and escort them to the Dark World equivalent of the blacksmith’s shop. From there, simply use the Magic Mirror to warp to the Light World and reunite the Dwarven blacksmiths inside. They’ll offer to temper the Master Sword Link stops by, but hopping back to the Dark World will reveal a chest inside the shop. 

If Link escorts this chest south of the Swamp Palace inside of the Dark World and then uses the Mirror to warp to the Light World, he can give the chest to the silent thief from the beginning of the game who will unlock it. Players will be given their final Bottle for their efforts. Just make sure to temper that Master Sword, too. 

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