Boomerang

The Boomerang is a projectile weapon usually used by Link to attack foes, although an enemy called Goriya is known to attack by throwing boomerangs as well. It returns to you when you throw it, even after it hits an enemy (which would be impossible in real life). It has appeared in almost every Zelda game. In The Adventure of Link the green-clad hero doesn't use it at all, but the Goriyas are still there hurling these weapons. In Majora's Mask, the boomerang doesn't make an appearance, although Link can throw boomerang-like arm fins in his Zora form. It also is a secret weapon in Link's Awakening. Once you have the Magnifying Lens from the trading sequence, you can go down to the beach and find a bombable wall, where inside there is some bizarre creature that's willing to trade you something he found washed up on the shore for your Shovel. By this time, you probably have the Sword L-2, so there's no point in keeping the shovel for those Secret Seashells. So trade.

When it comes to damage, the boomerang is a fairly weak weapon in most games: it can't hurt anything bigger than a Keese. However, it can be used to stun bigger enemies for a while, which gives you a chance to deliver some nasty blows with your other weaponry. The boomerang can also be used to get small items located in difficult spots: when it hits an item, it will return to you carrying it. In The Wind Waker it also has a special lock-on ability, which allows you to target five enemies or objects at once. When you throw the boomerang, it will hit all of them in order before returning. This feature is often used to solve different puzzles. In Link's Awakening, the boomerang is quite the powerful weapon - it defeats enemies faster than your Sword L-1 would have, and it cuts down all of those grass clumps where you find rupees and stuff. It also is helpful in the Southern Face Shrine (where you get the Face Key, as it takes out the Armos Statues in 2 hits so that you don't have to deal with using up your arrows. It is still able to retrieve items as well.

In many games, the boomerang can also be upgraded, which will usually make it fly further.

The boomerang has changed its appearance many times.

The Legend of Zelda:

Link's Awakening:

Ocarina of Time:

The Wind Waker: