100% Completion

100% Completion refers to having mastered all aspects of a title. The Permanently Missable Items article is useful to those undertaking this challenge. Like the Three Heart Challenge and Speed Runs, 100% Completions are an optional challenge for Zelda series fans.

To brag of having a 100% Completed file, one must have all Heart Containers, Weapon upgrades, Items, and Collectible items such as Ship Parts. Unlike other gaming series like Metroid or some Mario games, the Legend of Zelda series thus far has no in-game rewards (such as alternative or lengthened endings for the feat) or even bragging rights rewards that acknowledge the completion. Although finding every last collectible is difficult in its own rights, doing so makes gameplay easier than Speedruns, Minimal Completions, and Three Hearts Challenges.

It is important to note that 100% Completion refers to completing tasks that are addressed permanently to the quest's status. Actions like not dying or always having a maximum amount of items (Rupees, bombs, arrows, etc.) cannot count into the completion agenda because they're permanently subject to change.

General
The following tasks apply for every installment in the series.

Checklist
 * Beating the game.
 * Collecting the map, compass and Heart Container in every dungeon where they're available.
 * All dungeon and overworld inventory items obtained.

Most Difficult Aspect: Beating the game

Checklist
 * Beat the game.
 * Acquire the compass and map in every level.
 * Acquire all items.
 * Have 16 Heart Containers.
 * Show the letter to the Old Woman.
 * Acquire both bomb capacity upgrades.

Most Difficult Aspect: Beating the game

Checklist
 * All 4 Heart Containers.
 * All 4 Magic Containers.
 * Level 8 Life experience.
 * Level 8 Magic experience.
 * Level 8 Attack experience.
 * All Treasure Bags that are scattered throughout the overworld, and found in some palaces. In some cases, Link has to use his upward stab move to make Treasure Bags and other hidden objects drop from statues.
 * All Link Dolls.
 * All Spells.
 * Upward and downward stab attacks.

It's worth noting that the game freeze's Link's current number of keys when the player collects the Magic Key. Some players may want to avoid collecting and using regular keys, opting to pass through locked doors via the Fairy spell instead. After collecting the Magic Key, the player may then revisit the palaces and collect all the regular keys they passed up, thereby achieving the highest possible value of keys that can be displayed in Link's inventory.

Most Difficult Aspect: Beating the game

Checklist
 * All 24 Pieces of Heart found.
 * All four bottles obtained.
 * All items obtained.
 * Magic Boomerang obtained.
 * Master Sword tempered to level 4 (Golden Sword).
 * Red Mail obtained.
 * Magic Meter halved.
 * Bomb and Arrow carrying capacity maxed (50 and 70, respectively).
 * When visiting Hyrule Castle during the first part of the game, the player can miss the Dungeon Map as well as a chest containing the Lamp. The Lamp can be obtained from a couple of other chests if it's missed here, but the contents of those chests will be replaced. There are also a couple of optional rooms that can be missed if Link doesn't visit them before defeating Agahnim.
 * If Link does not open the chest containing the Boomerang in Hyrule Castle, he will not be able to obtain it from said chest when the dungeon becomes inaccessible after defeating Agahnim in Hyrule Castle Tower. The Boomerang can still be obtained later on.

Gameboy Advance remake (The Gameboy Advance remake included several new features, extending the checklist)
 * completed.
 * Palace of the Four Sword completed.
 * Lumberjack sidequest completed.

Most Difficult Aspect: This is a matter of personal opinion.

Checklist
 * All 12 Pieces of Heart found.
 * Trading Sequence completed (culminating with the Boomerang).
 * Sword upgraded to level 2 (Seashell Sword).
 * Magic Powder carrying capacity upgraded to 40 units.
 * Bomb carrying capacity upgraded to 60 units.
 * Arrow carrying capacity upgraded to 60 units.
 * Collecting all the Stone Slabs (Stone Beaks in DX version).
 * All areas of map uncovered.

In addition to the tasks mentioned above:
 * Photography sidequest completed (many photographs are permanently missable).
 * Completion of the Color Dungeon.

Most Difficult Aspect: Due to a glitch, one of the Deku Nut upgrades is permanently lost if it's not earned before collecting the Poacher's Saw. Because of this, the Mask Trading Sequence must be done before proceeding further on the Biggoron's Sword sequence. (This is fixed in .)

Checklist
 * Fire the Fairy Slingshot in both windows during the castle courtyard scene with young Princess Zelda. Link will receive a red rupee by firing at the left window, while firing at the right window triggers an angry guard to hurl a bomb at Link. Both events are one-time occurrences and can be missed permanently since the player can't return to this area at a later time.
 * Speak with the dying guard in the Hyrule Market alley after collecting the third Spiritual Stone, but before removing the Master Sword. The guard's dialog sets a flag in the player's save file, causing it to occur just once before the game removes the guard entirely.
 * All 36 Pieces of Heart found.
 * First four Happy Masks sold (with the availability of the other four masks being the reward).
 * All upgrades (Deku Nuts and Bombs up to 40, Deku Sticks up to 30, Arrows and Deku Seeds up to 50, Rupees up to 500, and the Golden Scale and Golden Gauntlets).
 * All 100 Gold Skulltulas killed, receiving the rewards (and, although optional, receiving a Huge Rupee after talking to the last Cursed Man as thanks).
 * All four bottles.
 * All main and Equipment items (including the optional Ice Arrows and Biggoron's Sword; regarding the former, it's optional to find and use all keys in Gerudo's Training Ground even after obtaining the grand prize).
 * Retrieving Epona, and having the cow from Lon Lon Ranch in Link's House after winning Malon's horsetrack minigame.
 * Racing the Running Man from Gerudo Valley at least once (as it saves the time record inside the list of greatest deeds at Link's House).
 * All 6 Great Fairies found.
 * All 10 Magic Beans planted.

Most Difficult Aspect: Boss Gauntlet; Boss Challenges in Master Quest.
 * In addition to the above, Boss Gauntlet unlocked and completed.
 * All of the above completed in as well.

Most Difficult Aspect: Keeping an eye for time-sensitive events, particularly those that are mutually-exclusive.

Checklist
 * All 52 Pieces of Heart found (including the one won by depositing 5000 Rupees or more in the Clock Town Bank).
 * All 24 masks, including the Fierce Deity's Mask (which provides that all 20 normal masks were found as well).
 * All six bottles.
 * Bombers' Notebook complete.
 * All Stray Fairies rescued (and the rewards received).
 * Sword tempered with Gold Dust, Mirror Shield obtained.
 * All upgrades (Bombs up to 40, Arrows up to 50, Rupees up to 500).
 * All of Tingle's maps purchased, and therefore the map of Termina fully visible.
 * All 10 Owl Statues activated.

and
Most Difficult Aspect: Due to a glitch, the Ring Box L-3 upgrade is permanently lost if it's not earned via secrets in a Linked Game before collecting the Ring Box L-2.

Note: When playing the games on the 3DS Virtual Console, the player cannot access the Advance Shop in either game, preventing them from acquiring the GBA Time Ring and GBA Nature Ring by normal means. However, the player can modify their ring password to trick a linked game into giving them one of the rings.

Checklist
 * All 12 Pieces of Heart.
 * All 8 Heart Containers (9 Heart Containers in a linked game).
 * All 64 Magic Rings (only in a linked game).
 * L-2 Sword (L-3 Sword in a linked game).
 * L-2 Shield (L-3 Shield in a linked game).
 * 30 bomb upgrade (50 bomb upgrade in a linked game).
 * 50 seed upgrade (99 seed upgrade in a linked game).
 * L-2 Ring Box (L-3 Ring Box in a linked game).
 * Biggoron's Sword (only in a linked game).
 * Bombchus (only in a linked game).

Checklist
 * Beating Vaati's Palace on the Third Epic, which proves that:
 * All Great Keys were obtained.
 * Obtaining the Sword Beam, which proves that:
 * In the original version, the Master Sword was obtained in.
 * In the Anniversary Edition, the Realm of Memories was completed.
 * Obtaining the Hurricane Spin, which proves that:
 * In the original version, the Riddle Quest was completed and at least 10 Triforce Medallions (the requirement for unlocking it) were collected.
 * In the Anniversary Edition, the Hero's Trial was completed.

Most Difficult Aspect: Completing successfully the Nintendo Gallery, due to some of the figurines being of ephemeral availability.

Checklist
 * All 44 Pieces of Heart found.
 * All 61 Charts collected (and, in the case of the 41 Treasure Charts, all treasures must have been collected).
 * All four bottles.
 * All upgrades (Bombs and Arrows up to 99, Rupees up to 5,000).
 * Hero's Charm and Magic Armor collected.
 * All 12 possible souvenirs obtained in the trading sequence available at Zunari's Shop.
 * All three types of potion prepared in the Chu Jelly Juice Shop.
 * All memberships gained in Beedle's Shop Ship.
 * The Great Sea map completely drawn.
 * Nintendo Gallery complete.

Checklist
 * All 100 Kinstone Fusions (and Kinstone Bag converted to Tingle Trophy).
 * All 44 Pieces of Heart found.
 * Full Heart Container found.
 * All 4 bottles obtained (requires completion of Goron Sidequest).
 * All 8 Golden Monsters defeated.
 * All 136 figurines obtained (and Mysterious Shells converted to Carlov Medal).
 * Magical Boomerang obtained.
 * Mirror Shield obtained (requires completion of Goron Sidequest).
 * Bomb carrying capacity upgraded to 99.
 * Remote bombs.
 * Arrow carrying capacity upgraded to 99.
 * Light Arrows.
 * All 8 Tiger Scrolls obtained from the first 5 Blade Brothers.
 * All 3 Sword Technique upgrades obtained from the remaining 3 Blade Brothers.
 * Wallet capacity upgraded to 999 Rupees.
 * Homes found for 2 of Din, Nayru and Farore.
 * All 3 Joy Butterflies found.
 * All 8 Swordsman Newsletters.
 * All 6 colors of Picolyte made available.
 * All 8 Wind Crests examined.
 * There's a permanently missable chest found in a small dungeon near the Royal Hyrule Library. It's accessed by shrinking Link to Minish size and swimming into the storm drain just outside the library. The dungeon becomes inaccessible after Link has fused all four elements into the Four Sword, as the library can no longer be entered after that point.

Checklist
 * All 45 Pieces of Heart.
 * All upgrades (three Bomb Bags plus the Big Bomb Bag that doubles the capacity of the bombs currently stored; arrows up to 100; Rupees up to 1,000).
 * All four bottles.
 * All 24 Golden Bugs collected.
 * All 60 Poe Souls obtained (and, although optional, receiving 200 Rupees from Jovani, talking to him in the bar, and then receiving 200 Rupees from his cat at least once).
 * Equipment complete (including the Magic Armor).
 * All seven Hidden Skills learned.
 * All types of fish captured while Lure Fishing, and Sinking Lure found.
 * Level 8-8 of Rollgoal completed.
 * Fully completing the Cave of Ordeals.
 * Completing the Fish Journal.

Most Difficult Aspect: Collecting enough money to purchase the upgrades for sale, getting the (random-appearing) Ship Parts.

Checklist
 * All 13 extra Heart Containers.
 * All 60 Spirit Gems.
 * All 35 Charts (including the four vital Sea Charts) collected, and their respective treasures retrieved.
 * All upgrades (Bombchus and Bombs up to 30, arrows up to 50).
 * Great Spin Attack learned.
 * All Ship Parts collected.
 * All memberships from Beedle gained.
 * 25-minute-worthy Sand of Hours.
 * Completing the entire Temple of the Ocean King with the full 25-minutes of the Sand of Hours remaining within the Phantom Hourglass.
 * Catching all fish.
 * Obtaining each Treasure at least once.
 * All 16 Big Plays obtained, and the four corresponding treasure chests received.

Most Difficult Aspect: Collecting the indicated treasures for the Train Cars.

Checklist
 * All 13 extra Heart Containers.
 * All upgrades (Bombs up to 30, arrows up to 50).
 * Both Swordsman's Scrolls, which proves that:
 * All 50 rabbits have been captured.
 * The Stamp Book has been completed.
 * The Spirit Tracks fully restored, which proves that:
 * All Force Gems have been obtained.
 * All stations visited and beaten.
 * All Train Cars collected, which also proves that at least one sample of every treasure was obtained.
 * All memberships from Beedle gained.

[[SS undefined]]
Most Difficult Aspect: Hero Mode and Boss Rush Mode in it.

Checklist
 * All 5 Empty Bottles obtained.
 * All 24 Pieces of Heart obtained.
 * All 27 Goddess Cubes activated and their Chests opened.
 * All 80 Gratitude Crystals obtained.
 * All 10 Medals obtained (2 Life, 2 Heart, 2 Rupee, 1 Treasure, 1 Bug, 1 Potion, 1 Cursed).
 * All 4 additional Adventure Pouches earned.
 * All upgrades, including:
 * At least one fully upgraded shield of each type (Wooden Shield to Banded Shield, and then to Braced Shield; Iron Shield to Reinforced Shield, and then to Fortified Shield; and Sacred Shield to Divine Shield, and then to Goddess Shield).
 * Rupees up to 9,900 Rupees (9,000 through the collection of the aforementioned Gratitude Crystals, plus all 3 Extra Wallets worth 300 Rupees each purchased).
 * All major items upgraded (Slingshot to Scattershot; Beetle to Hook Beetle, then Quick Beetle, and finally Tough Beetle; Bug Catching Net to Big Bug Net; Bow to Iron Bow, and then Sacred Bow; Digging Mitts to Mogma Mitts).
 * At least one fully upgraded bag for each ammunition (Seed Satchel, Bomb Bag, and Quiver; each from small to medium and then large).
 * All Dowsing options available (Treasure, Rupees, Hearts, Goddess Cubes, Gratitude Crystals, Main Quest, Side Quest, Free Look).
 * Hylian Shield obtained.
 * Though optional, obtaining each bug and treasure at least once.