The 
Master Sword makes its return in Tears of the Kingdom, but ironically, it's not required for completing the game. However, it's the only weapon that can't break and instead will run out of energy for 10 minutes. Thus, it may be worth getting back.
In Tears of the Kingdom, the Master Sword does not have its base power listed on the inventory screen. Returning players to Tears of the Kingdom have assumed the sword's damage is 30 like it was in Breath of the Wild. There's a way to confirm the Master Sword base attack and how to go about making it stronger.
Where is the Master Sword?
The Master Sword can be found in the head of the Light Dragon that flies above The Surface of Hyrule. The Light Dragon follows a flight path that takes it by most of the Skyview Towers and Geoglyphs. If players want to make their search easier or if they can't seem to catch the Light Dragon, they can track the Master Sword's location by speaking to the Great Deku Tree in Korok Forest.
In order to retrieve the Master Sword, players will need two stamina wheels. This is equivalent to about five stamina vessels that can be received from Goddess Statues. Players can expand stamina by collecting Light of Blessings from the Shrines of Light on The Surface and the Sky Islands.
Temporary (yellow) stamina wheels gained from food or elixirs won't count when trying to get the Master Sword.
How Strong is the Master Sword?
Oddly enough, there isn't a number indicating the blade's damage. However, players can find out by comparing it to stronger weapons in their inventory. The Master Sword does 30 damage. This number does not increase when it's glowing near gloom. It can increase by Fusing monster parts with high fuse power.
Players can confirm the Master Sword's base power by doing the following:
- Select a weapon in the inventory.
- Drop the weapon, then equip the Master Sword.
- Exit out of the menu and approach the dropped weapon.
- Next to the weapon's name will be an arrow indicating its damage compared to whatever melee weapon Link has equipped. A green arrow means the dropped weapon is stronger, red means weaker, and gray means equal.
Some weapons won't have a base damage of 30, so if players want to really confirm that the Master Sword is at 30, they will need to take another weapon and fuse it with a Monster Part that has approximately 20 Fusion Power.
An example:
- Take a Pristine Traveler's Spear (base damage: 4) and Fuse it with a Black Lizalfos Horn (fuse power: 26).
- Once the Traveler's Spear is Fused with a Black Lizalfos Horn, it will become a Black Lizal Spear. Its damage will then rise from 4 to 30.
- When the Black Lizal Spear is dropped and the Master Sword equipped, there will be a gray arrow pointing straight next to the Black Lizal Spear's name to indicate it has the same base damage as the Master Sword.
How to Increase the Master Sword's Damage
Just like other weapons, the Master Sword can be Fused. Whatever material/weapon is Fused to it won't show up physically on the sword. Instead, the Master Sword will have green Zonai script carved in its steel.
When Fusing something to the Master Sword, players will take the 30 base damage and add the Material's base damage. The rarer and more challenging the monster, the more likely it will drop a powerful material with high Fusion Power.
For example:
- A White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn adds 44 damage.
- 44 (White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn) + 30 (Master Sword) = 74.
- This will make the Master Sword stronger than most weapons, but weaker than something like two Gloom Spears put together (damage: 80).
Players may also notice that the Master Sword glows blue when there are nearby enemies with gloom. Again, this won't raise the Master Sword's base damage or durability, but hitting an enemy while the blade is glowing will deal critical hits.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.