Blade Trap


 * Not to be confused with Spike.

The Blade Trap, also known simply as a Trap, is a commonplace type of obstacle found in dungeons in The Legend of Zelda series, appearing in every game except The Adventure of Link.

Function
Blade Traps are formidable mechanized traps that have impaled many a hero on its spikes, having their original appearance in The Legend of Zelda on the NES. The Traps have come in a variety of types over the years and are impervious to all attacks. Generally speaking, upon crossing the path of a Trap, whether vertical or horizontal (in 2D view), the trap will react instantly by closing in rapidly on the intruder. Contact with a Trap damages Link (one heart by default) and may prove deadly in some circumstances.

Types
The simplest Blade Trap, introduced in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and even Twilight Princess to an extent, is one that glides along a projected path, regardless of Link's presence at the same constant speed, competing for space. Although titles before and after Ocarina of Time incorporate Blade Traps into their dungeons also, they were often given other traits such as motion sensitivity and increased speed that made them better at impeding Link's progress than their much simpler incarnations. The exclusive Spinning Blade Trap of the Oracle titles, and much of the latter games' Blade Traps kept the streamlined movement from the original The Legend of Zelda traps a constant, although the particular attention placed on the movement of such traps brought about their individual differences between games.

Motion Sensitivity
Stemming back to the original The Legend of Zelda and appearing as far into the series as Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, the Blade Traps came equipped with motion sensing capabilities - they were able to increase their speed whenever in close proximity to Link, in order to catch and injure him as, and sometimes even before, he passed their narrow path. As the series progressed, however, Blade Traps began to appear in different versions, one of which often specializing in motion sensitivity, while the others leaned towards non-sentient movement or stationary existence like the varied incarnations of the Blade Trap from A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and The Minish Cap.

There are two different types of Blade Trap when it comes down to movement: non-sentient and sentient, both of which can be detrimental to Link's health under certain conditions. First introduced in Link's Awakening, the sentient trap operated as a motion sensor, distinguished from its contemporaries by the pair of "eyes" protruding from the trap's dome. However, for the majority of Zelda titles, excluding the blue traps of The Minish Cap, but including the fast Wind Temple traps from The Wind Waker, the Blade Traps are non-sentient, meaning their path remains unchanged regardless of Link's close proximity.

Size and Model Variation
A Link to the Past was the first Zelda title to introduce Blade Traps in varied sizes, and with size often came specialized traits such as those explored above: motion sensitivity, increased speed, etc. The standard Blade Trap in A Link to the Past was much smaller in size and less agile than that of the larger, hallway-spanning version often seen in the many intrepid dungeons of the Dark World. Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were the only titles with significantly larger Giant Blade Traps in comparison to even that of the larger A Link to the Past incarnations, however, they behaved the same as their smaller counterparts. These titles also introduced modulation of the Blade Traps to the series, giving increased speed capabilities to different colored traps.

In Twilight Princess, a gilded model used in the Temple of Time and a stone model seen in the Arbiter's Grounds and locations elsewhere are the two Blade Trap versions commonly seen, of which they have no functional difference. In a few cases, they travel in circles along the ground, but in most cases, they are merely bladed versions of the Spinner and compete with Link for space on the Spinner rails. The boss of the Arbiter's Grounds, Stallord, uses them to great success in its boss battle, posing as mere annoyances as Link attempts to locate a good point to disconnect from the main rail in transit to damage one of Stallord's fragile spinal columns.

Weaknesses
Interestingly, the Twilight Princess Blade Trap incarnation is the only Blade Trap that can be destroyed, as the Dominion Rod may be used to bring a nearby statue to life, consequently smashing the trap in question with its impregnable axe, exerting enough force to shatter the trap to pieces. Otherwise, there is no way to destroy them; Link must simply divert them or block their narrow paths with objects stronger than their overall exerted force, such as blocks or statues found in the area so he may pass uninjured.

Trivia

 * In the Prima Games guide for Ocarina of Time 3D, Blade Traps are referred to as Spike Traps.