Elemental variations on standard arrows have been around in Zelda titles for quite a while, with their most notable appearances being in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, with the latter having them as the main dungeon item for all four main dungeons. In Breath of the Wild, these elemental arrows return in a slightly different form, using ammunition rather than magic and being readily available from the get-go.
While Light Arrows are noticeably absent in Breath of the Wild, with the exception of the final fight against Calamity Ganon, they are instead replaced with Shock Arrows, which, while not as powerful as their Light counterparts, can still do some serious damage when wielded by the Hero of the Wild.
Where To Find Shock Arrows
For most players, the first time they will come across an abundance of Shock Arrows is during the main quest to reclaim Vah Ruta from Waterblight Ganon. At the highest point in the area immediately surrounding Zora Domain, players will be sent by the Zora to find at least 20 Shock Arrows on Ploymus Mountain that have been conveniently shot into trees by a rather moody Lynel, which will continue to spawn even after this quest has been completed. Along the road up to Zora Domain, players can also find an abundance of Lizalfos that enjoy firing Shock Arrows at Link with enthusiasm and are a good way to get more of them if the Lynel proves to be an issue and starts attacking the player.
Where To Buy Shock Arrows
For the most part, Shock arrows aren't found all that often inside shops as they are normally reserved for Fire, Ice, or Bomb Arrows instead. That being said, the player can find Shock Arrows rather easily in one of Gerudo Town's many stores that specializes in arrows, with Link being able to buy at least one of each kind of arrow from this vendor. If the player hasn't reached this point in the game yet, they can also be found in Lurelin Town's Fish Market, the Kara Kara Bazaar on the road to Gerudo Town, or the General Shoppe in Korok Forest.
While the Fish Market and General Shoppe will always have multiple Shock Arrows available, the Kara Kara Bazaar rotates will only have one of each available at a time. While this does make it harder to find multiple arrows of a specific type needed for any given situation, it does also allow the player to always have a place where they can buy at least one of each arrow type.
Shock Arrows In Quests
The only quest that requires the player to find and use Shock Arrows is the Divine Beast Vah Ruta main quest. Not only does the player need these arrows in order to temporarily shut down Vah Ruta, but they are also very useful against Waterblight Ganon, who is particularly susceptible to the shock effect. However, Shock Arrows should be used with caution in the arena, as in the second phase of the fight, it is very easy for Link to accidentally electrocute himself while firing Shock Arrows at Waterblight Ganon.
Shock Arrows In Battle
The main reason why Shock Arrows, as well as shock damage in general, are so good in Breath of the Wild is how they interact with equipped weapons. When hit with any shock damage, both Link, as well as the majority of enemies, will drop whatever weapon or shield they are holding, with only a very small chance of either keeping hold of their items. This makes them very useful against Silver enemies found in later regions of the game, but the effect doesn't work on all enemies.
The most notable exceptions to the shock arrow effect are Lynels, which will never drop their weapons until they are defeated. Lynels are also one of the more common enemies to use Shock Arrows themselves and can be a decent source of them if the player knows how to handle Lynels easily.
Resisting Shock Arrow Effects
There are a handful of ways to resist the effect of Shock Arrows and shock damage, the most readily available being the Thunderhelm, which can be obtained by completing a handful of side quests in Gerudo Town and talking to Riju, who will lend Link her Thunderhelm once he has helped enough of her people. Another wearable item that resists shock damage is the Rubber set, which makes Link immune to all lightning strikes when he is wearing the full set of armor at its second upgraded level or higher. The easiest way to get the Rubber set is to finish the From The Ground Up side quest, which will result in a vendor called Grante making a home in the newly built Tarrey Town and will sell Link a Hylian Shield should the first one break, as well as several rare armors such as the Rubber and Barbarian armor sets.
Hunting Usefulness
For the most part, using elemental arrows isn't very efficient for hunting, as it will alter the type of meat obtained by animals by either freezing it or cooking it, depending on the type of arrow used. Shock Arrows are unique in that they allow the player to hunt animals in dangerous environments, such as Death Mountain and the Tabantha region, without the meat being affected by the environment. Using a Shock Arrow on an Eldin Ostrich is one of the only ways to get a Raw Whole Bird, while the effect that Shock Arrows have in water makes them perfect for catching multiple fish, as the shock effect will kill the fish and prevent them from swimming off when Link gets close.