Skyward Sword makes a lot of changes to The Legend of Zelda formula that add up, but perhaps the most significant inclusion was the addition of the game’s upgrade system. By finding different bugs and treasure in the overworld, Link can bring his materials back to the Skyloft Bazaar to either enhance his Potions or outright improve his equipment.

With the inclusion of treasure comes some light RNG elements and grinding that makes upgrading everything something of a chore compared to most Zelda games. You’re not going to track down every piece of treasure naturally, let alone enough to upgrade all of Link’s gear. Dusk Relics in particular are some of the rarest treasures in the game.

Dusk Relics are tied to quite a few upgrade trees, but don’t expect Skyward Sword to just hand them over. Finding all the Dusk Relics you need requires a fair bit of grinding – either for the Relics themselves or for Rupees to purchase them. Either way, strap in for some tense farming or get ready to make money.

Into The Silent Realms

Dusk Relics essentially look like purple versions of Amber Relics, but you won’t find any until your first Silent Realm challenge much later into Skyward Sword HD. Silent Realm challenges strip Link of all his equipment and force you to stealth through enemy dense areas where you have no means of fighting back.

All the Silent Realms feature a fair amount of Dusk Relics littered across the level design. You’ll often need to go out of your way – wasting precious time you don’t have – to find them, but it’s worth it to cut down on the grinding. After reviving the Thunder Dragon near the end of the story, you’ll be able to revisit any Silent Realms by speaking to him.

A quick way to earn a lot of Dusk Relics in little time is to grab all the ones you can find in the level and then intentionally get caught by a Silent Realm Guardian. This will reset the entire Realm, including Dusk Relics, but you’ll get to keep any that you already nabbed. Using this method, you can grind more than enough Dusk Relics in a matter of minutes.

Moonlight Merchant Shop

Alternative to the Silent Realm method, Dusk Relics can actually be purchased for a measly 100 Rupees. Unfortunately, the shop that sells Dusk Relics doesn’t open until the very end of the story. Completing the final Silent Realm in Skyloft unlocks the Moonlight Merchant Shop, which is only accessible inside of Skyloft Waterfall Cave at night.

Purchasing every Dusk Relic you need for upgrades requires 1,300 Rupees, which actually isn’t all that much in the grand scheme of things. Once you have 13 Dusk Relics, you can finally stop grinding and start upgrading Link’s equipment.

Dusk Relic Upgrades

You need 13 Dusk Relics in total to fully upgrade Link’s gear. The Silent Realm and Moonlight Merchant methods are your only means of grinding – which means you’ll be locked out of Dusk Relics until end-game – but the upgrades themselves are all worth it:

  • Divine Shield (1) Goddess Shield (4) Large Quiver (3) Medium Quiver (3) Scattershot (2)

The Divine and Goddess Shields are part of the Sacred Shield line of upgrades, and are worth upgrading ASAP. Both shields recharge durability inherently, allowing you to play it less safe in combat. The Goddess Shield in particular is sturdy enough to last you all the way to the final boss. The Medium Quiver increases your Arrow capacity by 10, while the Large Quiver increases it by 15. Finally, the Scattershot buffs the Slingshot’s range and launches multiple seeds at once, making it much easier to stun enemies from afar (something that pays off in spades during Hero Mode).