Rupee

Rupees (pronounced ) are the unit of currency within most of, in circulation in the lands of Hyrule, the Dark World, Koholint Island, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, the Great Sea, the World of the Ocean King, Skyloft, Lorule, and Hytopia. They resemble hexagonal gemstones, come in many colors and sizes, and are most often stored within a Wallet.

Location and Uses
Rupees have appeared in nearly every Zelda game to date, with the exception of, where there are no items available for Link to purchase, and , where Force Gems appear in their place. They are most commonly acquired by defeating enemies, cutting tall grass or bushes, throwing rocks, smashing pots, rolling or dashing into trees, winning mini-games, or found inside Treasure Chests. They can also rarely be found simply lying around in the overworld and in dungeons, and are sometimes given to Link as rewards for completing certain sidequests. In many games, it is possible for Link to sell certain items, such as treasures and bugs, in order to obtain Rupees quickly and easily. In some games it is also possible to gamble for Rupees as well.

The amount of Rupees that Link can carry at once differs from game to game. In many games Rupees are stored inside Wallets, in which Link can increase his carrying capacity by obtaining bigger Wallet upgrades.

Rupees are primarily used to purchase items in shops or play certain mini-games. The value of a Rupee is often denoted by its color, but the value of each color is inconsistent throughout the series. Generally, the greater the value of a Rupee, the harder it is to obtain, usually requiring more difficult tasks to do so. In the, , , , and , both size and color denote value. In, the value of a Rupee is specified through text rather than color, because of the Game Boy's limited color palette.

The Legend of Zelda
In, Rupees were originally called Rupies (singular: Rupy), while they were called Rubies in the game manual. They are correctly referred to as Rupees in the Game Boy Advance release. Only yellow and blue varieties exist. Normally, they can only be found by killing enemies or stumbling across hidden rooms in dungeons, where a large formation of yellow Rupees can be found. Solving a dungeon's puzzle (such as defeating all enemies in a room) will sometimes reward in Rupees. However, in addition to this, Moblins hidden in caves around Hyrule will gift Link 100 Rupees when visited, uttering the iconic phrase "It's a secret to everybody" in the process. On the other hand, certain Old Men will demand that Link pay them for damaging their doors if he intrudes on their caves, and subsequently take 20 Rupees from him.

Rupees are used to buy items such as Food and equipment from Merchants, and Water of Life from Old Women, as well as play the Money Making Game, which, while a potential risk, can come in useful if Link happens to be low on funds. A pair of Old Women near the Lost Woods and in the waterfall near Death Mountain even require a payment of 30 Rupees if Link desires to know how to navigate the Lost Woods or Lost Hills, and Old Men inside certain dungeons will sell Link Bomb capacity upgrades for 100 Rupees. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Rupees are also used to fire the Bow, with one Rupee being deducted for every Arrow that Link shoots, as Arrows do not appear as collectible ammunition in the game. Naturally, if Link runs out of Rupees, he will be unable to use the Bow until he finds some more.

A Link to the Past
After their absence in The Adventure of Link, Rupees reappear in, in which they are colored Green, Blue, or Red. These colors have since been used in every other game in the series, having the exact same value in every canonical appearance. There are also three other kinds of Rupee that can only be found in Treasure Chests, which are all green and have their value denoted by a small number. Large formations of Blue Rupees can also be found hidden in certain caves and dungeons, such as the basement floor of the Palace of Darkness and the Chris Houlihan Room, which brightly glisten.

A Link to the Past introduced the concept of being able to find Rupees by cutting grass and bushes, destroying rocks and pots, opening Treasure Chests, and dashing into trees. The Shovel can also be used to dig for Rupees, most notably at the Treasure Field. It also introduced the ability to sell items to gain Rupees; Link is able to sell Golden Bees to the Street Merchant for 100 Rupees each, as well as Fish for 21 Rupees in addition to Bombs and Arrows. As a small easter egg, paintings resembling can be found in certain buildings in Kakariko Village, and will occasionally produce Rupees when pulled. Link is able to spend his Rupees at various shops and mini-games located throughout both Hyrule and the Dark World, earning him many items such as Shields and Potions. There are also three Fortune Tellers, one located north of Kakariko Village, one north of the Village of Outcasts, and one beside the Lake Hylia Shop, who Link can pay between 10 and 30 Rupees to learn how to progress in his quest. Most importantly, Rupees used to open the Palace of Darkness, as Link needs to pay Kiki the monkey ten Rupees to follow him to the dungeon, and another 100 to open its door. Rupees are perhaps used most extensively to donate to the Pond of Happiness, where Venus will upgrade Link's Bomb or Arrow carrying capacity by five for every 100 Rupees he throws in.

In the remake in, sparkling rocks will sometimes randomly appear in place of other stones. These rocks can be struck with the Sword repeatedly to drop Rupees for as long as it sparkles.

Link's Awakening
In, due to the Game Boy's limited color palette, Rupees found by defeating enemies, cutting grass and digging with the Shovel are worth only one Rupee. Higher values of Rupees, namely those found in Treasure Chests, are instead denoted by text rather than color. The Trendy Game Shop in Mabe Village provides Rupees worth thirty as prizes on the moving conveyor belt. If Link has at least twenty Secret Seashells and exchanges them for a, then any chests that would have contained extra Secret Seashells will contain twenty Rupees instead.

Rupees in Link's Awakening can either be spent at the Town Tool Shop or at various mini-games around Koholint Island. Collecting Rupees becomes a necessary endeavor in this game, as the Deluxe Shovel and Bow must be purchased in order to progress through the game, the latter of which is required to solve a puzzle in Turtle Rock. Furthermore, Link must play Mamu 300 Rupees if he wishes to learn the Frog's Song of Soul, revive the, and access Turtle Rock.

In, all Rupees are colored blue, with the exception of the Rupee prizes in the Trendy Game Shop, which are colored red. In the Color Dungeon only, a large formation of green Rupees can be found in a secret room, similarly to the hidden Rupees of A Link to the Past. These Rupees are worth five each.

Ocarina of Time
In, seven different varieties of Rupee exist, though the Blue and Silver Rupees are both worth five Rupees, while the Huge and Orange Rupee are both worth 200. Silver Rupees are unique as they serve as a puzzle element; a set of Silver Rupees must be collected (occasionally within a time limit) in order to open a locked door or make a Treasure Chest appear. These Rupee puzzles can be found in Dodongo's Cavern ( only), the Ice Cavern, the Bottom of the Well, the Shadow Temple, the Gerudo Training Ground, the Spirit Temple, and some routes of Ganon's Castle.

Like in A Link to the Past, Link may sell certain Bottled items such as Fish and Blue Fire to the who lives in the Market when Link is a child, or Kakariko Village when Link is an adult. Poe Souls and Big Poe Souls, however, can be sold to the Poe Collector, who appears near the entrance to the Market in the future. As part of the Mask Trading Sequence, Link may also sell Masks to various characters, the most notable being the Running Man, who will completely fill up Link's current Wallet, regardless of how large it is, for the Bunny Hood. If Link kills all 100 Gold Skulltulas and returns to the Cursed Man in the House of Skulltula, he will be rewarded with a Huge Rupee, and may return to the Cursed Man multiple times in order to receive the reward again, effectively giving him an unlimited supply of Rupees. In addition, if Link enters the Lost Woods as an adult and manages to defeat one of the Skull Kids there, he will receive an Orange Rupee, which can also be obtained multiple times. As an easter egg, if Link shoots at one of the windows in with the Slingshot, it will produce a Red Rupee, though this may only happen once. Link can spend his Rupees in the numerous shops and mini-games found in both Hyrule's present and future periods, but can also use them to buy items and upgrades from Business Scrubs. Furthermore, a total of 550 Rupees are required to buy all ten Magic Beans from the Bean Seller, which open up many shortcuts and secrets throughout the overworld, including Pieces of Heart.

Majora's Mask
Rupees in remain largely the same as in Ocarina of Time, the only difference being that Silver Rupees are now worth 100 rather than 5, and are not used as puzzle elements. Whenever Link plays the Song of Time to reset the three day cycle and return to the Dawn of the First Day, any Rupees in his Wallet will be lost, along with any ammunition items. To counteract this, Link can deposit his Rupees at the Clock Town Bank in West Clock Town (South Clock Town in ), which allows Link to store up to 5000 Rupees. As Link saves up more Rupees, he will be rewarded with different prizes, the most valuable being a Piece of Heart. The upside to resetting the three day cycle, however, means that most Rupees can be obtained multiple times whenever Link resets the cycle, most notably those found in Treasure Chests. Of these, some of the most notable are the three Silver Rupees that can be found in Treasure Chests in East Clock Town, the Bombers' Hideout, and the Stock Pot Inn, as well as the Purple Rupee found in a Treasure Chest on the tower opposite of the Clock Tower in South Clock Town on the Final Day. Also, three Red Rupees can repeatedly be found in the Laundry Pool, but they can only be accessed on the Night of the Second Day, being out of reach at any other time.

Link can sell his Bottled items to the Curiosity Shop in West Clock Town. Unlike the Beggar from Ocarina of Time, the Man from Curiosity Shop will buy any of Link's Bottled items—excluding major, plot-related items such as the Deku Princess and Seahorse—and will pay the most for Big Poe Souls, Chateau Romani, and Gold Dust, which each sell for 200 Rupees. If Link dons the Postman's Hat, he may receive either a Green or a Blue Rupee whenever he interacts with a Mail Box. Like in Ocarina of Time, the Huge Rupee in Majora's Mask is given to Link after he completes a certain sidequest, being the game's Trading Sequence. After giving the to the Business Scrub in Ikana Canyon, Link will be rewarded with the Huge Rupee, and he may go back in time and repeat the entire Trading Sequence again to receive the prize as many times as he desires. The Takkuri near the entrance to the Milk Road in Termina Field will drop an Orange Rupee when defeated. Interestingly, Red Bubbles will always drop Purple Rupees when shot by a Light Arrow.

Termina, like Hyrule, features shops, mini-games, and Business Scrubs that Link can spend his Rupees on. Of the 20 non-transformation Masks that appear in the game, only one, the All-Night Mask, must be purchased. It will be on sale for 500 Rupees in the Curiosity Shop on the Night of the Final Day if Link saves the Old Lady from Bomb Shop from Sakon in North Clock Town on the Night of the First Day.

Oracle Series
In and, Rupees are the currency used in both Labrynna and Holodrum, respectively. The land of Subrosia in Oracle of Seasons uses Ore Chunks as its currency instead, as Rupees do not appear there at all. Rupees in the Oracle series are denoted by their color as well as size, with larger Rupees equating to higher values. Like Link's Awakening, the value of Rupees found in Treasure Chests are also denoted by text as well. While Rupees are most commonly found through conventional means, Rupees may also sometimes be randomly found inside Gasha Nuts. Maple will often drop and scatter her Rupees, along with Link's, if the two collide with each other. In certain dungeons, it is possible to find large formations of Green Rupees in hidden rooms, similarly to those in A Link to the Past. These unique Green Rupees are worth ten each. Very large Rupees can potentially be dug up with the Shovel. In Oracle of Seasons, as a throwback to the Moblins and Old Men of The Legend of Zelda, Link may sometimes find hidden staircases on the overworld that lead to underground homes of Old Men, who will either gift Link some Rupees or force him to pay back for destroying their doors. The value of Rupees are doubled when Link is equipped with the or the.

Rupees in the Oracle games are mainly used to purchase items, such as from the Lynna City Shop or Horon Village Shop, as well as play a variety of mini-games in their respective lands. Rupees are also used to appraise Magic Rings at Vasu Jewelers for 20 Rupees each; Vasu will buy duplicate rings for 30 Rupees.

Four Swords
Rupees play a much larger role in, where the main objective of the first three stages is to collect as many Rupees as possible in order to receive a Great Key from each of the Great Fairies. These keys are necessary to enter Vaati's Palace. A total of 1,000 is needed for the Silver Key, 3,000 for the Gold Key, and 5,000 for the Hero's Key. After a stage is completed, the Links are each scored on the amount of Rupees they have collected each. The Link who collects the most Rupees in a stage is rewarded a Medal of Courage. Like the Oracle series, the value of Rupees are denoted by their color and size.

Rupees are found through most conventional means, such as by defeating enemies, cutting grass or other obstacles, and opening Treasure Chests. Some rooms of an area will also spawn multiple Rupees for a period of time. When all four Links are at full health, the stage goes into Rupee Fever, where the value of Rupees are doubled for as long as the Links maintain their full health. When the Links arrive at the warp zone at the end of each section of a stage, they are also awarded bonus Rupees based on how much time they took to complete that area. Four Rupee Shards can also be found hidden in every Stage. When one Link manages to collect all four, he is rewarded with a total of 500 Rupees.

However, it is also possible to lose Rupees as well. Being attacked by an enemy will result in a Link dropping a few of his Rupees. Dropped Rupees will shortly disappear if they are not picked up in time. It is possible for one Link to steal another's Rupees by collecting them as they are dropped by an enemy attack. Rupee Wraiths will also follow and attach themselves to a Link to drain their Rupees, though this enemy can also be passed onto another Link. A new type of Rupee, called Black Rupees, may also sometimes appear, which picking up will cause the Link to drop up to 80 of his Rupees. Lastly, Rupees are also lost when one of the Links is defeated, where a penalty must be paid for revival. At first the amount is 50, but increases exponentially each time a Link falls. If a Link is defeated and he does not have enough Rupees to revive, the game ends.

In, collecting a grand total of 30,000 Rupees or five Medals of Courage unlocks the Hero's Trial.

The Wind Waker
's Rupee system is similar to Ocarina of Time's and Majora's Mask's, but differs as Orange Rupees are now worth 100, Silver Rupees worth 200, and introduces Yellow Rupees, which are worth ten. Spoils can be sold to Beedle at his Shop Ship for a small price. Once Link obtains the Grappling Hook, he will be able to salvage for Rupees while at sea by dropping the hook into spots where Light Rings form, which will produce a Treasure Chest containing any amount of Rupees. Some Light Rings will only appear once Link has obtained its appropriate Treasure Chart, which may reward in 100 or 200 Rupees. Link can also earn Rupees by participating in the Letter Sorting mini-game in the Dragon Roost Cavern, where he will be paid 20 Rupees each time he completes a round.

Rupees are used extensively in The Wind Waker to purchase a variety of goods from various shops, as well as participate in mini-games. Rupees become extremely important as they are necessary to purchase the Sail from Zunari, which is required to leave Windfall Island. Link will also need to pay Tingle 398 Rupees to decipher each Triforce Chart in order to find the Light Rings where the Triforce Shards are found. Link can purchase other various items, such as Bait and ammunition, from Beedle's Shop Ship. Rupees are also used extensively at the Auction House in Windfall Island, where Link may compete against the island residents to bid for various items.

In, the Magic Armor consumes Link's Rupees when he is hit by an attack, as opposed to draining his Magic originally.

The Minish Cap
The Rupee system in is the same as the one in Four Swords, with the exception of Black Rupees and Rupee Shards, which do not appear. Some Kinstone Fusions may result in a Treasure Chest appearing somewhere that contains a certain amount of Rupees, while other fusions may produce a Golden Monster, powerful enemies that drop a high sum of Rupees when defeated. These types of Kinstone Fusions can usually be identified when the prospecting participant dreams of a Rupee symbol. Yellow Picolyte can be purchased from Beedle in Hyrule Town square, which will increase the odds of Rupees appearing for as long as it is active.

Rupees in The Minish Cap are mainly used to purchase items, such as goods from Stockwell's Shop, Potions from Syrup the Witch's Hut, and Lon Lon Milk from Malon when she is in town, as well as to participate in certain mini-games. In Hyrule Town, Link can also gamble for Rupees at the Chest Mini-Game Shop.

Twilight Princess
The Rupee system in is the same as the one in The Wind Waker. Link can continuously earn Rupees by finding Golden Bugs and giving them to Agitha in Hyrule Castle Town, who will reward him 50 Rupees for one bug, and 100 Rupees each time he completes a pair. Agitha will also give Link the Big Wallet after giving her the first bug, and the Giant Wallet once he has handed in all 24 bugs. Once Link has collected all 60 Poe Souls and lifted Jovani's curse, his pet cat Gengle can be found at his house, who will reward Link 200 Rupee every time he visits. Hena will reward Link ten Rupees for every Rollgoal level he completes, and will completely fill his Wallet to its maximum capacity after completing the 64th level. In, each time Link completes one section of the Cave of Shadows as a wolf, he will find a Treasure Chest containing a small amount of Rupees at its end before having to leave. The final floor of the Cave of Shadows contains a Silver Rupee, as well as a hidden Orange Rupee that can be found by digging at the head of the Wolf Link statue.

As in previous games, Rupees are used to buy goods from shops and participate in mini-games. Rupees are used much more extensively in the sidequest to open a Malo Mart branch in Hyrule Castle Town, which first involves donating 1,000 Rupees to Gor Ebizo in Kakariko Village's Malo Mart to repair the bridge leading to Castle Town, then another 200 Rupees to buy out Chudley's Emporium and replace it with Malo Mart. Once the Castle Town branch has been opened, Link will be able to purchase the more affordable Magic Armor, which uses Rupees to function. This armor protects Link from all damage, at the cost of draining him twelve Rupees each time he is attacked. If Link runs out of Rupees, the armor loses its power and becomes heavy. Rupees are also used extensively to donate to Charlo in the Road of Hyrule Castle Town, who will give Link a Piece of Heart after giving him a total of 1,000 Rupees.

Twilight Princess introduced, for the first and only time, a feature where Link puts Rupees back into a Treasure Chest if his Wallet capacity is exceeded. This feature was removed in Twilight Princess HD, where Link will still keep the Rupees even if his Wallet is full.

Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks
and share the same Rupee system, with the exception of Rupoors, which appear in Phantom Hourglass only. Both games use color and size to denote value. In both games, Treasures can be sold for a small sum of Rupees, either to the Teller of Treasures on Mercay Island in Phantom Hourglass, or to Linebeck III's trading company in Spirit Tracks. The Teller of Treasures will also buy Ship Parts from Link as well. While Rupees can be found through most conventional means while on foot and in dungeons, Rupees can also be earned while sailing in the World of the Ocean King and while traveling by train in Hyrule. When Link receives the Cannon part for either Linebeck's ship or the train, he will be able to shoot down enemies and obstacles such as rocks to reveal Hearts for the vehicle and sometimes Rupees. In Phantom Hourglass, Rupees in bubbles can also be collected while using the Salvage Arm to haul up Treasure Chests, although the chests themselves do not contain Rupees.

Phantom Hourglass introduces black-colored Rupees called Rupoors, which deduct a certain amount of Rupees from Link's Wallet when they are picked up.

As with other games, Rupees in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are primarily used to purchase items from various shops in their respective worlds.

Skyward Sword
The Rupee system in SS undefined uses a simplied system with only five main colors. It reintroduces the Silver Rupee worth 100, as well as the Gold Rupee from Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks now worth 300.

Treasures collected can be sold to Rupin in his house in Skyloft during the night. Stritch will also buy Bugs that Link has caught as well. A mineral known as Rupee Ore can be found along the walls of Tubert's cave in the Eldin Volcano. By shooting at it with either the Slingshot or the Bow, Link may obtain Rupees. The amount of Rupees dropped corresponds to the color of the Rupee Ore that was shot. Link can also obtain Rupees by drawing a hexagon shape on a Goddess Wall. Rupees may also sometimes be unearthed by digging in marked mounds using the Digging Mitts.

Rupees are used extensively in Skyward Sword to purchase items and upgrades at the Bazaar or Beedle's Air Shop, some of which may prove necessary on Link's quest. These most notably include upgrades to his Adventure Pouch, as well as new, stronger equipment at the Gear Shop, and upgrades to pre-existing equipment at the Scrap Shop. Rupees can also be used to purchase Potions at the Potion Shop, as well as upgrade them at the cost of Rupees and specific Bugs.

In addition to the five colors of Rupees, Rupoors make a reappearance and will decrease a certain amount of Link's Rupees. These can be found in underground tunnels or dug up during the Thrill Digger mini-game. Black-colored Rupee Ores will also drop Rupoors.

Equipping the Rupee Medal causes Rupees to appear more frequently. The Cursed Medal produces a similar effect, but prevents Link from opening his Adventure Pouch.

A Link Between Worlds
The Rupee system in is similar to the one in Skyward Sword, but with the absence of Rupoors and the inclusion of Purple Rupees. They are used as the currency of both Hyrule and Lorule. The game notably features the lack of a Wallet upgrade, and allows Link to carry up to a maximum of 9,999 Rupees. This feature facilities the rental of equipment from Ravio's Shop, where Rupees are used most extensively in the game. Link may rent Ravio's equipment at a cheap cost for an indefinite period, or may purchase the equipment to own at a higher price. If Link falls in battle while renting any items, Ravio's bird Sheerow will appear to take the item back to his shop, forcing Link to return to rent the item again.

In Death Mountain, boulders containing chunks of green gems can be found. These boulders can be smashed with the Hammer to make Green Rupees fly out. Similarly, when the Gemesaur King's mask is smashed with the Hammer, some Rupees will fall out as well. In homage to the Moblins of The Legend of Zelda, there is also a friendly Hinox found in a cave in eastern Lorule who will bribe Link Rupees to leave him alone. Link can demand more Rupees from him before accepting his price, although asking for too much may cause the Hinox to become enraged and attack.

Aside from Ravio's Shop, Rupees are also used to purchase items from shops and participate in mini-games. The Fortune's Choice mini-game, similar to the Treasure Chest Game in A Link to the Past, allows Link to choose from a selection of chests for a chance to win Rupees.

Tri Force Heroes
The Rupee system in is the same as the one in A Link Between Worlds. Rupees are found throughout Levels of the Drablands, and to a lesser extent, the town of Hytopia, where they are used as its currency. Like A Link Between Worlds, there are no Wallet upgrades and Link can carry up to 9,999. Rupees can be found through most conventional means, including in plain sight and inside chests. When a boss is defeated, it will explode into many Rupees for the Links to collect. At the end of every Level, the amount of remaining Fairies the Links have are tallied and turned into bonus Rupees, multiplied by 30 for each Fairy. The Links will also receive a small amount of Sympathy Rupees if one Link disconnects during a Level, multiplying 20 by the Stage number the Links were in.

Rupees see very little use in Tri Force Heroes, where they are primarily used to pay Madame Couture to tailor new Outfits, as well as purchase Materials from the Street Merchant and to change the award of the Daily Riches game. Link can also sell unwanted Materials to the Street Merchant for a small price.

If Link wears the Rupee Regalia, the odds of Rupees and their rarer values being dropped increases. It also causes dropped Rupees of a single value to always appear in pairs, effectively doubling the value of Rupees. This does not occur to Rupees sitting in plain sight or those found in Treasure Chests.

After Link clears all Levels and their Drablands Challenges in every Area, King Tuft will reward him with a Gold Rupee.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
In, Rupees play an extensive and important role to the game, and are featured heavily in the game's story. Tingle is instructed by Uncle Rupee to collect as many Rupees as possible and throw them into the Western Pool near his house to cause a tower to grow, allowing him entrance to the paradise Rupeeland. In game, Rupees act as Tingle's health in addition to being used as currency. Nearly everything in the game requires Rupees, including talking to people. The tower that Tingle is instructed to build will also grant him entry to other areas of the game as he gradually makes his way to Rupeeland.

Rupees can be found by defeating monsters, opening chests, or given as rewards for services to people. In the instances where Tingle is rewarded, he must choose the amount of Rupees he expects to receive from the person. If the amount he chooses is too high, the character will become outraged and give him nothing. Tingle must also choose how much he will pay people for information or services. There is no set price on any item, and Tingle must guess how much the other character will want for it. This is done with a sort of cash register type of interface on the touch screen.

Not all Rupees in the game have set values. They are generally the same, but some can vary slightly.
 * * Values may vary

Super Rupees and the Master Rupee
During his quest to reach Rupeeland, Tingle must also obtain the five Super Rupees hidden throughout the three continents, and eventually the Master Rupee hidden in the Auros Ruins. The Super Rupees have no value, but are said to contain mystical powers. The five Super Rupees are the Metal Rupee, the Aqua Rupee, the Leaf Rupee, the Earth Rupee, and the Magma Rupee.

Link's Crossbow Training
In, Rupees increase Link's overall score during a level. By breaking certain pots, skulls, and other destructible objects, an Orange Rupee will be released. These Rupees are initially worth 1,000 points, but their point value will decrease the longer they stay on-screen. Link must shoot at them quickly to gain the highest amount of points.

Philips CD-i Games
In and, Rupees are referred to as Rubies. They are used as the currency of Koridai and Gamelon, respectively. They can be found only by defeating enemies, and must be picked up by crouching down and striking them with the Sword. Rubies are used to purchase a small selection of items such as Lantern Oil, Rope, and Bombs from the games' respective shops. Certain items also require Rubies to function, and will use a set amount each time they are used. Both Link and Zelda can carry up to 999 Rubies.

In, Rupees come in only two values, similar to The Legend of Zelda. They are found only by defeating enemies. Unlike other games, Rupees are kept in the item inventory. In order to make a purchase, Rupees must first be selected from the inventory. Rupees are mainly used to purchase Spells, as they are valued for containing magical energy. Similarly to certain items in The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon, Spells also require a certain amount of Rupees to use. If Zelda gives the Blacksmith in Great Wimbich a Coal to turn into a Diamond, the Diamond will fill Zelda's capacity to the maximum of 999 Rupees. Although while Rupees are correctly referred to as such in the game manual, characters refer to them as "Rubies".

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A Green Rupee appears as a Sticker in.

Hyrule Warriors Series
In and, Rupees are obtained by defeating enemies, opening Treasure Chests, breaking brown pots, selling Weapons, and completing battles. Finishing a battle gives bonus Rupees based on the performance, time, and difficulty settings, with more Rupees being rewarded the better the Warrior performed and the higher the difficulty setting. Rupees are used in the Bazaar to craft new Badges, increase the level of a Warrior, buy Potions and Mixtures, and modify Weapons.

Unlike other Zelda games, Rupees are automatically collected once they appear, making their physical appearance during gameplay cosmetic and an indicator of the amount earned. The Rupee colors that normally appear are green, blue, and red. Silver and Gold Rupees can also appear if a Rupee Fairy is obtained.

An 8-bit version of the Rupee from The Legend of Zelda called the 8-Bit Rupee, added to the game with the Twilight Princess DLC Pack, also appears as the the Lv.★ form of Agitha's Parasol.

Rupee Value Summary
* Values can vary

Rupee Thieves
In certain games of The Legend of Zelda series, there exist enemies that will steal or cause Link to lose Rupees when attacked. When Link comes in contact with one, they will either cause his Rupees to fly out of his Wallet and onto the ground, allowing Link to quickly pick them up again, or drain or steal his Rupees straight from his Wallet. Known Rupee thieves include:
 * Pikit
 * Rat
 * Rupee Like
 * Rupee Wraith
 * Takkuri
 * Thief
 * Thief

Rewards
Link will be rewarded simply for collecting a high number of Rupees in the following games:
 * In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Vasu will give Link the after collecting a grand total of 10,000 Rupees.
 * The Banker in Majora's Mask gives Link the Large Wallet after depositing 200 Rupees, a Blue Rupee after depositing 1,000 Rupees and a Piece of Heart after 5,000 have been deposited.
 * Four Swords rewards the Link with the most Rupees a Medal of Courage. In Four Swords Anniversary Edition, collecting a grand total of 30,000 Rupees or five Medals of Courage unlocks the Hero's Trial.

Trivia

 * The is the real-world currency of, , , , , the , and . However, they are paper notes as opposed to the gemstone appearance of the Zelda games. It was also formerly the currency of  and.
 * The Rupee sprites in The Legend of Zelda are the same from the earlier Nintendo game , where they were originally called Gold Bars.
 * The large formations of Blue Rupees found in hidden caves and rooms in A Link to the Past have a smaller hitbox than Rupees found from killing enemies and lifting pots or skulls. This is because these Rupees are not sprites, but rather object layer tiles as the game cannot handle many sprites on screen. As a result, Link cannot pick these Rupees up with items like the Hookshot or the Boomerang, as they will simply go right through them. Link can even walk in between the Rupees even if they are very close to another. The Green Rupees found in the Color Dungeon of Link's Awakening DX behave similarly.
 * In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Rupees are translucent. In all other games, Rupees are opaque.

Etymology
Rupee is likely derived from or a corruption of, a valuable gemstone. As a result, Rupees were frequently misnamed early in the series, such as the name "Rupy" in the original The Legend of Zelda. In the German versions of the Zelda games, a Rupee is called a Rubin, which is German for ruby.