Tears of the Kingdom, Ranked Worst To Best

Link will have the opportunity to encounter all sorts of horses in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there are a handful of steeds he'll want to keep his eyes especially peeled for. Six unique horses occupy the newest Zelda game - some making a return from Breath of the Wild, while others are newcomers completely - and each feature a special appearance and set of stats that distinguish them from the average wild horse. At the end of the day, the best horse in TOTK largely comes down to the player's personal preference, but weighing the options objectively can provide some helpful insight.

After all, horses have their work cut out for them. In Breath of the Wild, they were an important means of transportation across Hyrule, with the rare exceptions being the Master Cycle Zero or a crudely built flying machine. Now, thanks to Link's newfound Ultrahand ability, he's able to craft all sorts of speedy vehicles, from basic cars to fully-automated attack drones or mechs. Especially for players taking advantage of the best simple vehicle in Tears of the Kingdom, there's often little incentive to ride a horse. As such, even TOTK's unique horses can vary greatly in value.

6 Spot

Spot is one of the new unique horses in Tears of the Kingdom, but sadly, it's the least impressive of the bunch. Its black and white spotted coat (as showcased by Lootward on YouTube) is one-of-a-kind, and no other horse in the game bears the same pattern - but unfortunately, its stats don't drive as hard of a bargain. With three points in speed and stamina alike, it's not the absolute slowest steed, but it's also far from the fastest horse in TOTK.

Spot redeems itself somewhat in its four points of strength and its ability to pull items with a trailer, but at the end of the day, there are many horses that can accomplish the same with even higher stamina and speed (wild horses included). As such, Spot is considered the worst unique horse in Tears of the Kingdom, despite its charming appearance. Nevertheless, players who wish to add it to their stable collection can unlock it by completing the "Incomplete Stable" side quest in Lookout Landing, then locating Spot in a field southwest of Lookout Landing, as per the subsequent and aptly-named side quest, "Spotting Spot."

5 Royal White Stallion

Zelda's Royal White Stallion has the maximum five points in stamina, four points in strength, three points in speed, and three points in pull. While it's somewhat lacking in speed, stamina is one of a horse's most important stats; after all, players can build all sorts of amazing vehicles in Tears of the Kingdom, but they're useless once they've run out of battery power. Meanwhile, a horse with high stamina - such as the Royal White Stallion - can sprint for lengthy periods of time, making it great for covering large parts of the map (especially early game, when Link can't yet afford to upgrade his Energy Wells).

Plus, the Royal White Stallion is capable of towing, and it's one of the best-looking horses in TOTK, with its pale coat and its blonde mane and tail bearing a striking resemblance to Princess Zelda herself. Fortunately, players who already unlocked the gorgeous stallion in Breath of the Wild can receive it in Tears of the Kingdom by simply transferring their save data. Other players can find the Royal White Stallion lurking in a field above Skull Lake.

4 Epona

Being Link's own iconic horse, Epona no doubt bears a lot of sentimental value to players - and with four points in strength, speed, and stamina, she's a well-balanced option that's useful for both combat and simply getting around the map. Unfortunately, it's impossible to attach a towing harness to her, which means she can't pull any carriages or items - but since players are able to build all sorts of vehicles in TOTK, it's not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Her biggest downside is that in order to unlock Epona in Tears of the Kingdom, players will need to have the appropriate Amiibo on hand, as she cannot be found anywhere in the wild or earned through any side quests. Both the Twilight Princess Link Amiibo and the Super Smash Bros. Link Amiibo have a chance to drop Epona into Hyrule, upon which she'll automatically be tamed and ready to accompany Link. Those who scanned Epona in through an Amiibo in Breath of the Wild can also have her transferred in through save data, but otherwise, there are no alternative ways to unlock Epona in TOTK.

3 Giant Black Stallion

Being one of two Giant Horses in Tears of the Kingdom, the Giant Black Stallion is one of the game's most powerful steeds - which is fitting, given that it's Ganondorf's own look-alike horse. With its maximum five points of strength, two points of speed, and no stamina, it's certainly not the flashiest of equine companions. However, its larger stature - and by extension, longer stride - makes up for its lack of speed points, helping it cover large distances without consuming any stamina. It's an excellent choice for traveling across Hyrule, but it's also an ideal option for combat thanks to its whopping five points of health.

As with all Giant Horses, taming the Giant Black Stallion in Tears of the Kingdom isn't the easiest of feats. Players will need to make their way down to Hateno Bay to first find the horse, successfully soothe it, then prepare for a long journey, as the closest stable will be the Dueling Peaks Stable. Alternatively, it can be transferred in through a Breath of the Wild save file.

2 Giant White Stallion

Another one of the best horses in Tears of the Kingdom is the Giant White Stallion. It shares the same exact stats as Ganon's horse, but it's significantly easier to obtain and register, which gives it a slight edge. Instead of Hateno Bay, players can find the Giant White Stallion near the Horse God Lake, past the Horse God Bridge. However, it can also be transferred in from Breath of the Wild.

1 Zelda's Golden Horse

Being perhaps the coolest-looking steed available, Zelda's Golden Horse is the best overall horse in Tears of the Kingdom. Its stats are well-rounded, clocking in four points of strength and speed, three in stamina, and two in pull. Indeed, in terms of stamina, the Golden Horse one point short of Epona - but the former still outshines the latter, not only in that it can tow items, or that its coat is literally a shiny gold, but also in that it's obtainable without the purchase of an Amiibo.

In order to unlock the best horse in Tears of the Kingdom, players will first need to activate the "Potential Princess Sightings" side quest at the Lucky Clover Gazette near Rito Village. After doing so, they'll need to head to Snowfield Stable near North Tabantha Snowfield, where they'll find the stable hand, Harlow, panicking about the runaway Golden Horse. Following the conversation, they should then head north and locate the horse in the snowfield (which fortunately isn't too difficult, thanks to its luminescent coat).

Along the way, Link will encounter a mighty Frost Gleeok, but if he's careful enough, he can actually get the Golden Horse without fighting the Gleeok. Once it's been brought back to Harlow, players are then able to register, board, and customize Zelda's Golden Horse, giving them permanent access to the best horse The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Source: Lootward/YouTube