Weapon Duplication Glitch: How to Duplicate Weapons, Shields, and Bows

This guide will show you how to duplicate weapons, bows, and shields that works in Version 1.2.0 of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK). Read on to learn the steps of the weapon duplication glitch, recommended shields, bows, and weapons to duplicate, and more!

Was the Weapon Duplication Glitch Patched?

Patched in Version 1.2.0

Version 1.2.0 of Tears of the Kingdom patches the Memories duplication glitch that worked in prior versions.

Ver. 1.2.0 Update Patch Notes

Disable Auto-Update to Keep the Dupe Glitch

You can disable auto-updates to your Switch by going to the System Settings menu. Navigate to the System tab and turn Auto-Update Software to off. This prevents the Switch from automatically downloading new patches to all games.

Do Not Press Download When Starting the Game

If you are starting the game, do not press Download as this will download the latest patch for the game. Instead, select Start Software to continue playing the game at the current version and still use the duplication glitch.

How to Duplicate Weapons, Bows, and Shields

Method #1: Memories Exploit (Patched, last worked on Ver. 1.1.2) Method #2: Pause and Unpause (Patched, last worked on Ver. 1.1.1)

Duplicate Using the Memories Exploit

Attention!	The Material Duplication Glitch has been patched in Version 1.2.0. If you still want to use this glitch, avoid updating the game.

This duplication glitch works with any fused weapon, bow, shield, and material that you have in your Inventory.

You will need to complete Impa and the Geoglyphs main quest to access the Memories tab in the Adventure Log menu.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

How to Duplicate Using the Memories Exploit
1	Equip the weapon you want to duplicate in the Weapons menu. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the Inventory menu and navigate to the Weapons tab. Select the weapon you wanted to duplicate and press the "Equip" button. Note: The Captain III Spear was used in this walkthrough as an example.
2	Save the game. Navigate to the System and save the game.
3	Press and hold the R Button. After saving the game, close the menu and press and hold the R Button. Do not throw the weapon during this step.
4	Press the Minus Button to open the Map menu and go to the Memories tab in the Adventure Log. Press the Minus Button (-) to open the Map. Press the L Button to navigate to the Adventure Log and select the Memories tab. Note: If you cannot select Memories from the menu, complete Impa and the Geoglyphs main quest first to unlock it.
5	Watch a memory 4 times in a row. Select a memory and press the X Button and Plus Button (+) to skip it each you play it. Do this at least 5 times to perform the duplication glitch correctly. Note: If you are duplicating a two-handed weapon or a spear, make sure to watch the memory 5 times instead of 4 as the duplicated weapon will not appear in the later steps.
6	Press the Plus (+) Button and navigate to the Weapons tab. After playing the memory 5 times in a row, press the Plus (+) Button and navigate to the Weapons tab. If the equipped weapon is gone but the background shows Link throwing it, then this means that the duplication glitch worked.
7	Navigate to the System and load the game. Do not close the menu. Instead, press the R Button and navigate to the System tab and load the game.
8	Check if the duplicated weapon on the ground to see if you performed this exploit correctly. The duplicated weapon should appear on the ground after loading the save file. If it does not appear, you will to redo all the steps to try again.

Fuse a Weapon with a Bow or Shield to Duplicate the Bow/Shield

The above image shows Link fusing the equipped Magic Rod with the Gerudo Bow, making it possible to duplicate the bow.

If you want to duplicate a bow or a shield, you can Fuse the weapon with the bow or shield and perform the duplication glitch.

Once the fused duplicated weapon appears on the ground, you can talk to Pelison at Tarrey Town to disassemble the fused weapon for 20 Rupees. This gives you the unfused weapon and the bow or shield that was duplicated.

Duplicate Using the Pause and Unpause Trick

Attention!	The Material Duplication Glitch has been patched in Version 1.2.0. If you still want to use this glitch, avoid updating the game.

This duplication method works with any weapon, bow, or shield that you have in your Inventory menu. You also need to have an extra slot for each equipment to free up space for the duplicated equipment.

See the steps below to learn how to duplicate weapons, bows, and shields.

How to Increase Weapon and Inventory Space

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

How to Duplicate Using the Pause and Unpause Trick
1	Equip the weapon you want to duplicate in the Weapons menu. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the Inventory menu and navigate to the Weapons tab. Select the weapon you wanted to duplicate and press the "Equip" button. Note: The Captain III Spear was used in this walkthrough as an example.
2	Exit the menu and press the Y Button to have Link hold the weapon. Press the Plus (+) Button to exit the Inventory menu and press the Y Button to have Link hold the weapon on his hands.
3	Press the Plus (+) Button and save the game. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the Inventory menu and press the R Button to navigate to the Settings. Press Save and save the game.
4	Do not leave the Inventory menu and go to the Weapons tab. Do not exit the menu and press the L Button to navigate to the Weapons tab.
5	Drop the equipped weapon. Select the equipped weapon and press "Drop" to drop it on the ground.
6	Equip any weapon in the Weapons menu. Select another weapon and press "Equip" to equip it.
7	Press the Plus (+) Button to unpause and pause the game very quickly. This is the tricky part that can make or break this duplication glitch. You can check at the final step to see if you have performed this action correctly. Note: If pressing the Plus (+) Button twice is difficult, you can quickly press the B Button and the Plus (+) Button to unpause and pause the game.
8	Drop the equipped weapon. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the inventory and navigate to the Weapons tab. Press the A Button on the equipped weapon and select the "Drop" button.
9	Go to the Settings menu and load the save file. Press the R Button to navigate to the Settings menu and select "Load" to load the save file.
10	Check if there is the duplicated weapon on the ground to see if you performed this exploit correctly. The duplicated weapon should appear on the ground after loading the save file. If it does not appear, you will to redo all the steps to try again.

List of Glitches and Exploits

How to Duplicate a Bow and Shield at the Same Time

How to Duplicate a Bow and Shield at the Same Time
1	Equip the shield and bow you want to duplicate in the Shields and Bows and Arrows menus. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the Inventory menu and navigate to the Shields and Bows and Arrows menus tab. Select the shield and b ow you wanted to duplicate and press the "Equip" button. Note: The Hylian Shield and Gerudo Bow were used in this walkthrough as an example.
2	Press the Plus (+) Button and save the game. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the Inventory menu and press the R Button to navigate to the Settings. Press Save and save the game.
3	Do not leave the Inventory menu and go to the Shields and Bows and Arrows tabs. Do not exit the menu and press the L Button to navigate to the Shields and Bows and Arrows tabs.
4	Drop the equipped shield and bow. Select the equipped shield and bow and press "Drop" to drop it on the ground.
5	Equip any shield and bow in the Shields and Bows and Arrows menus. Select another shield and bow and press "Equip" to equip it.
6	Press the Plus (+) Button to unpause and pause the game very quickly. This is the tricky part that can make or break this duplication glitch. You can check at the final step to see if you have performed this action correctly. Note: If pressing the Plus (+) Button twice is difficult, you can quickly press the B Button and the Plus (+) Button to unpause and pause the game.
7	Drop the equipped weapon. Press the Plus (+) Button to open the inventory and navigate to the Shields and Bows and Arrows tabs. Press the A Button on the equipped shield and bow and select the "Drop" button.
8	Go to the Settings menu and load the save file. Press the R Button to navigate to the Settings menu and select "Load" to load the save file.
9	Check if there is the duplicated weapon on the ground to see if you performed this exploit correctly. The duplicated shield and bow should appear on the ground after loading the save file. If it does not appear, you will to redo all the steps to try again.

Recommended Weapon and Shield to Duplicate

Hylian Shield

The best way to test this exploit is to duplicate the Hylian Shield. This shield provides the highest defense and durability and you can find it in the Hyrule Castle Docks as soon as you arrive in Lookout Landing.

How to Get the Hylian Shield Early

Any Strong Weapons and Bows

Weapon	Base Attack	How to Unlock
Fierce Deity Sword	38	・Inside Cephla Lake Cave near Kisinona Shrine. Requires wearing the Fierce Deity Set to obtain it. ・Scan from the Majora's Mask Link amiibo
Scimitar of the Seven	28	・Clear the Gerudo Town main quests and give a Gerudo Scimitar x1, Flint x10, and Diamond x4 to Isha.
Lightscale Trident	22	・Clear the Zora's Domain main quests and give Zora Spear x1, Flint x5, and Diamond x3 to Rothuri.
Great Eagle Bow	28x3	・Clear the Rito Village main quests and give Swallow Bow x1, Wood x5, and Diamond x3 to Teba.

You can also use this exploit to duplicate strong weapons and bows. If the weapons are close to breaking, you can let a Rock Octorok eat it to repair it before duplicating it.

If you do not have the equipment listed in the table above, you can duplicate a weapon with the highest base attack power.

Best Equipment (Weapon and Armor)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Related Guides

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