Rupee

"You got 1 Rupee. It's green! Don't spend it all in one place!"

- Text in The Minish Cap

Rupees are the unit of currency within most of the Zelda universe, in circulation in the lands of Hyrule, Koholint Island, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, the Great Sea, the World of the Ocean King, and Skyloft.

Location and Uses
Rupees are acquired by defeating enemies, by cutting tall grasses or bushes, won in mini-games, given as rewards, by opening treasure chests, and by throwing boulders. Rupees are used primarily to purchase items in shops or to gain entrance to some mini-games. They have appeared in almost every Zelda game to date, with the exception of Four Swords Adventures, where Force Gems appear instead, and in The Adventure of Link, where Rupees and the like do not make an appearance at all.

Most titles have quirky ways of obtaining Rupees, such as attacking paintings in A Link to the Past or smashing Link into a tree. Many games even allow Link to sell some of the items he has picked up during the adventure, allowing him to obtain more Rupees. In Skyward Sword, Link can obtain Rupees by shooting at Rupee Ore found along the walls of Tubert's cave. The amount of Rupees 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.

Values
With the exception of The Adventure of Link and Four Swords Adventures, Rupees are included in all The Legend of Zelda titles. The value of a Rupee is denoted by its color, but the value of each color is inconsistent throughout the games. Generally, the greater the value, the harder they are to obtain, usually requiring more difficult tasks. In Four Swords, The Minish Cap, and Phantom Hourglass, both size and color denote value. Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons specify the Rupee value through text rather than color, because the Game Boy palette was limited; however, in the Oracle games, Link could find a larger rupee by digging with his shovel. The Wallet’s capacity ultimately determines how many rupees one may receive even when finding Huge Rupees. The following lists Rupees by their values by the games they appear in.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, along with being used to purchase items, it costs 1 Rupee to fire the bow.
 * OrangeRupee.png Orange Rupee, worth 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Blue flashing rupee.png]] Blue Rupee, worth 5 Rupees

A Link to the Past

 * [[File:Green Rupee ALttP.png]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Blue Rupee ALttP.png]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Red Rupee ALttP.png]] 20 Rupees
 * [[File:50 Rupees.png]] 50 Rupees
 * [[File:100 Rupees.png]] 100 Rupees
 * [[File:300 Rupees.png]] 300 Rupees

Link's Awakening
In Link's Awakening, all Rupees that are found from cutting grass or digging are worth one Rupee, most likely because of the color graphic limitations on the Game Boy. In Link's Awakening DX, all Rupees are colored blue, except for two red Rupees in the Trendy Game Shop in Mabe Village, which are both worth 30. Green Rupees, worth 5 Rupees, make an appearance in one hidden room of the Color Dungeon.

If Link has at least 20 Secret Seashells and exchanges them for a L-2 Sword, then any chests that would contain leftover Secret Seashells will be replaced by 20 Rupees inside. If Link does not exchange his 20 Secret Seashells, then the chests will still contain Secret Seashells until then.

Ocarina of Time

 * Green Rupee.png 1 Rupee
 * Blue Rupee OoT.png 5 Rupees
 * Red Rupee.png 20 Rupees
 * Purple Rupee.png 50 Rupees
 * Huge Rupee.png 200 Rupees
 * Orange Rupee.png 200 Rupees
 * Silver Rupee OoT.png 5 Rupees

Majora's Mask

 * Green Rupee.png 1 Rupee
 * Blue Rupee OoT.png 5 Rupees
 * Red Rupee.png 20 Rupees
 * Purple Rupee.png 50 Rupees
 * Silver Rupee MM.png 100 Rupees
 * Huge Rupee.png 200 Rupees
 * Orange Rupee.png 200 Rupees

Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons

 * [[File:Small Green Rupee.gif]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Small Blue Rupee.png]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Small Red Rupee.png]] 10 Rupees
 * [[File:Red Rupee OoX.gif]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Green Rupee OoX.png]] 1, 5, 10, or 20 Rupees
 * [[File:Yellow Rupee OoX.png]] 1, 5, or 20 Rupees
 * [[File:Blue Rupee OoX.gif]] 20 or 30 Rupees
 * [[File:Big Blue Rupee.gif]] 100 Rupees
 * [[File:Big Red Rupee.gif]] 200 Rupees

Higher values are usually specified by in game text. It should be noted that using the shovel, Link can dig up huge Rupees that are worth 100 Rupees. Rupee values double when equipped with the Red Joy Ring or Gold Joy Ring.

Four Swords

 * [[File:Rupee 1.gif]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Rupee 5.gif]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Rupee 20.gif]] 20 Rupees
 * [[File:BigGreenRupee(50).gif]] 50 Rupees
 * [[File:BigBlueRupee(100).gif]] 100 Rupees
 * [[File:BigRedRupee(200).gif]] 200 Rupees
 * [[File:Rupoor(FS).gif]] Black Rupee, removes a random amount of Rupees from the team's wallet.
 * [[File:Rupee Shard.gif]] Rupee Shards. These are worthless by themselves; collecting four Rupee Shards creates a gem worth 500 Rupees.

The Wind Waker

 * WW_GreenRupee.png 1 Rupee
 * WW_BlueRupee.png 5 Rupees
 * WW_YellowRupee.png 10 Rupees
 * WW_RedRupee.png 20 Rupees
 * Purple Rupee TWW.png 50 Rupees
 * orangerupee.png 100 Rupees
 * Silver Rupee TWW.png 200 Rupees

Four Swords Adventures
There are no Rupees found in Four Swords Adventures, but there are Force Gems. These come in similar values, and in some places they can be used as currency.

The Minish Cap

 * [[File:Rupee 1.gif]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Rupee 5.gif]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Rupee 20.gif]] 20 Rupees
 * [[File:BigGreenRupee(50).gif]] 50 Rupees
 * [[File:BigBlueRupee(100).gif]] 100 Rupees
 * [[File:BigRedRupee(200).gif]] 200 Rupees

Twilight Princess

 * Green_Rupee_TP.png 1 Rupee
 * Blue_Rupee_TP.png 5 Rupees
 * Yellow_Rupee_TP.png 10 Rupees
 * Red_Rupee_TP.png 20 Rupees
 * Purple_Rupee_TP.png 50 Rupees
 * Orange_Rupee_TP.png 100 Rupees
 * Silver_Rupee_TP.png 200 Rupees

Phantom Hourglass

 * [[File:PH Green Rupee.png]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:PH Blue Rupee.png]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:PH Red Rupee.png]] 20 Rupees
 * Rupee 100.png 100 Rupees
 * Big Red Rupee.png 200 Rupees
 * Big Gold Rupee.png 300 Rupees
 * Rupoor.pngrs come in five values: 5 Rupoor, 10 Rupoor, 30 Rupoor, 50 Rupoor, and 100 Rupoor. Each one takes away the specified number of Rupees of the number in its name.

Spirit Tracks

 * [[File:Green Rupee ST.png]] 1 Rupee
 * [[File:Blue Rupee ST.png]] 5 Rupees
 * [[File:Red Rupee ST.png]] 20 Rupees
 * Rupee 100.png 100 Rupees
 * Big Red Rupee.png 200 Rupees
 * Big Gold Rupee.png 300 Rupees

Skyward Sword

 * SS Green Rupee.png 1 Rupee
 * SS Blue Rupee.png 5 Rupees
 * SS Red Rupee.png 20 Rupees
 * SS Silver Rupee.png 100 Rupees
 * SS Yellow Rupee.png 300 Rupees
 * SS Purple Rupee.png Rupoors take away 10 Rupees

Link's Crossbow Training
By breaking certain pots, skulls, and other destructible objects in Link’s Crossbow Training, an Orange Rupee will be released. These Rupees are initially worth 1000 points, but their point value will decrease the longer it stays on-screen. Link must shoot at it quickly to gain the highest amount of points.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
In Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Rupees are the most important part of the game. They act as Tingle's health in addition to being used as currency. Nearly everything in the game requires Rupees, including talking to people. Rupees are also necessary to progress through the game. Tingle must throw Rupees into the Western Pool near his house to cause a tower to grow which will allow him to access other areas of the game. 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.
 * Green Rupee-1 Rupee
 * Blue Rupee-5 Rupees
 * Yellow Rupee-10 Rupees
 * Red Rupee-approximately 20 Rupees*
 * Purple Rupee-approximately 50 Rupees*
 * Orange Rupee-approximately 100 Rupees*

* Values may vary.

Super Rupees and Master Rupee
During Tingle’s quest to reach Rupeeland, Tingle obtained the five Super Rupees and eventually the Master Rupee 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.

Rupee Value Summary
* Values can vary

Rupee Thieves
Rupee thieves appear in several games. When they come in contact with Link they will either cause his Rupees to fly out of his wallet onto the ground (like Thieves and Keatons), or will drain or steal the Rupees straight from his wallet (like Rupee Likes and Takkuri).
 * Known Rupee thieves:
 * Rupee Like
 * Thieves (Hylians & Foxes)
 * Takkuri
 * Rupee Wraith
 * Keaton
 * Rats
 * Pikit

Rupee Draining Items
Most items in the Legend of Zelda series can be used either without cost or until a finite supply is exhausted. These few, however will deplete Link's rupee supply upon use:
 * The Bow in The Legend of Zelda, where firing an arrow costs one rupee.
 * The Magic Armor in Twilight Princess rapidly depletes rupees while equipped.

Rewards
Link will be rewarded simply for collecting high number of Rupees in the following games:
 * Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. After collecting 10,000 Rupees Vasu will give Link the Rupee Ring.
 * 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 with a Medal of Courage.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A Rupee appears as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Trivia

 * In The Legend of Zelda, Rupee was spelled "Rupy". In the manual, it was "Ruby"; this may be due to the fact that in the German versions of the Zelda games, it is called a "Rubin", which means "Ruby".
 * The Rupee is the real-world currency of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Maldives, but they are paper notes as opposed to the gemstone appearance of the Zelda games. It used to be currency in Bhutan, as well.
 * The Silver Rupee’s low value in Ocarina of Time is due to the fact that the Silver Rupee's only purpose in the game was as a puzzle element, and not an actual spending Rupee. These Rupee puzzles can be found in Dodongo's Cavern (only Master Quest), Ice Cavern, the Bottom of the Well, Shadow Temple, Gerudo's Training Ground, Spirit Temple, and some routes of Ganon’s Castle.
 * In Majora's Mask, there appear to be two differently-colored Huge Rupees: one given to Link by a Deku Scrub, and one earned by killing the Takkuri, although this one is not accompanied by text, so its title as a "Huge Rupee" could be debated. This orange Rupee can also be obtained in Ocarina of Time by killing the Skull Kid as an adult.
 * In Majora's Mask, the probability of finding a Red Rupee in grass is high if Link has less than twenty rupees in his wallet.
 * When using the Salvage Arm in Phantom Hourglass, there may be a few valuable Rupees in bubbles. If the back arrow is pressed before reaching the treasure chest and Link chooses to salvage the same spot again, all the Rupee bubbles will be back.
 * Four Swords Adventures is one of two Zelda games, the other being The Adventure of Link, that didn't include Rupees. Instead, it brings about a new collectible called Force Gems. However, Force Gems cannot be used as currency like Rupees, with a few minor exceptions. They are used to return the power to repel evil to the Four Sword.
 * In the CD-i Games, The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon, Rupees are referred to as "Rubies".
 * In Super Paper Mario, Mario has to collect 1 million Rubees, red crystals that are nearly identical to Rupees.
 * In Animal Crossing: Wild World, certain dressers and cabinets will read "You found 10 Rupees! Too bad it's useless in this town." when opened.
 * In The Wind Waker, Rupees are translucent. Rupees in other games are not translucent.
 * A Link to the Past is the only main series game to have Rupees of the same color and size have different values in different instances.