Clawshot

"You got the Clawshot! This is a claw at the end of a long chain."

— In-game description

The Clawshot is an item from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This tool consists of a long chain connected to a discharging claw that Link can fire to either pull items towards himself, or pull himself towards certain surfaces, hence the name. The Clawshot is functionally very similar to the Hookshot, but has several key differences.

Unlike the Hookshot, the Clawshot does not allow Link to grapple to Treasure Chests. The Clawshot does not generally grab wood as the Hookshot does either. It is mostly used to grab onto certain surfaces such as metal grating, vines and specific grappling spots, the fingers of the claw being able to grab through their holes. Unlike most items, the Clawshot is usable while swimming and while underwater like the Hookshot in Ocarina of Time. Furthermore, the Clawshot has the ability to raise and lower Link after deployment.

In combat, the Clawshot is generally useful as a makeshift ranged weapon, with the advantage of not requiring any ammunition. It is ideal for taking out small enemies such as Keese, but will merely cause most larger enemies to recoil or simply do nothing at all. It also lacks the ability of the Hookshot to stun enemies, though the claw extends and retracts appreciably faster, making it a more viable weapon against multiple foes.

The Clawshot is obtained by defeating the Deku Toad, the mini-boss of the Lakebed Temple. After the toad is defeated, it spits out the Clawshot. Later in the game, Link can obtain another Clawshot in the City in the Sky, allowing Link to fire a second Clawshot when he is already stuck to a surface. The Clawshot can be used to play the STAR Game in Hyrule Castle Town. One Clawshot is needed in order to complete the first stage in the game, while both must be used to clear the second stage.

Non-canonical appearances

Super Smash Bros. series

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Link can use the Clawshot to grab his opponents from a distance. He can also use it as a recovery item by tethering himself to the ledges of a stage. Used in this manner, it is capable of dealing mild amounts of damage at a longer range than his sword. The Clawshot replaces Link's Hookshot from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Hyrule Warriors/Legends

The Clawshot appears as the Item Power-Up for the Hookshot. Using the Clawshot it will pull the user to the enemy hit, then they will use the Clawshot to pull a miniature version of the Moon down on enemies. Clawshot's Moon attack can also be used to destroy bombable boulders and other bombable objects. The Clawshot also appears as one of the Item Cards found in the Twilight Map from the Twilight Princess Pack DLC. Like the Hookshot Item Card, it can be used to pull the user to distant objects on the search screen.

Theories

Oocca Invention

It is possible that Clawshots are of Oocca origin, as a second Clawshot is found in the City in the Sky, along with numerous Clawshot-sensitive targets. The Oocca also seem to possess technology compatible with the Clawshot, such as the Sky Cannon and the numerous propellers supporting the city itself. However, the Clawshots from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword potentially precede the Oocca or at least their technology.

Sacred Gift

In Skyward Sword, Link receives the Clawshots as his reward for completing Lanayru's Silent Realm and is one of the Three Sacred Gifts left behind for Link by the Goddess Hylia. This indicates that the Clawshots may be of divine origin and may have been created by Hylia herself, along with other items such as the Goddess Sword. As a result, many of the Clawshots various attributes can be attributed it is divine origins.

Ancient Robots

Given their advanced technology, it is possible the Clawshots where created by the Ancient Robots (and/or their creators) as they existed during the lifetime of the Goddess Hylia. This is somewhat supported by the fact that they are obtained in Lanayru Desert's Silent Realm, as the Ancient Robots apparently originate from the Lanayru region before it became a desert. Ancient Robots are known to have created other items such as Link's Beetle.

Ancient Treasures

One possibility is that the Clawshots that appear in Twilight Princess are the same ones used by Link in Skyward Sword. At some point after, Demise's defeat the two Clawshots where separated between The Sky and The Surface. One of them would eventually be entrusted to the Zora who placed it in the Lakebed Temple, while the other one either was given/entrusted to the Oocca (or possibly the Hylians who lived in Skyloft who later evolved into them) and ended up in the City in the Sky (or Skyloft which eventually became the City in the Sky). If true the it is likely that the Clawshots were upgraded at some point (likely by the Oocca or the race that proceeded them) as the ones in Twilight Princess can lower down Link while he is hanging from the chain, a feature that is absent in Skyward Sword.

Similar Technology

One possibility is that the Clawshots from Skyward Sword later inspired the creation of similar items such as the Gripshot and Hookshot/Longshot. It is possible that the Hookshot is simply a more primitive version of the Clawshot, as the people (Hylians/Humans, Oocca, and/or other races) who originally designed it, were likely unable to completely match the original design of the Clawshot (either due to it being too advanced or due to it being of divine origins), leading to them to develop the Hookshot and other similar devices instead.

See also

• Gripshot
• Double Clawshots
• Hookshot
• Long Hook
• Longshot
• Nice Hookshot
• Switch Hook