The boomerang has often been a helpful weapon for Link in previous Legend of Zelda titles. It could be used to hit switches that were out of reach or reel in faraway items. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, boomerangs are classified as melee weapons.
They aren't quite the strongest melee weapons, but fusing them with a powerful monster part can bring out their potential. In addition, Recall can be used on a thrown boomerang to let it retrace its path, potentially hitting its target before returning to Link. With six types of boomerangs in Tears of the Kingdom, it's best to know which ones deserve a spot in the inventory.
6 Boomerang
- Attack: 7
- Type: One-handed
- Location: Lanayru Wetlands (Linebeck Island)
Like every other weapon on The Surface, the 
Boomerang is decayed. This means its attack power and durability is lower than their pristine-counterparts in The Depths. Because of its low attack and durability (without fusing), the regular Boomerang comes in at last place. It's wooden, so it can't be equipped in extremely hot regions. Despite this, it can still be used to blaze through enemies if tossed through flames. Link will just need to put out the fire (B button) when it returns to him.
Boomerangs are commonly used by the green Lizalfos. A good place to look for them is in the Lanayru Wetlands. There's a green Lizalfos that patrols Linebeck Island (east of Wetland Stable). It's possible the Lizalfos will have something fused to the Boomerang, but it can be removed and replaced with something stronger once it's been collected.
5 Lizal Boomerang
- Attack: 8
- Type: One-handed
- Location: Hyrule Castle, common drop by Lizalfos
Strangely, the Lizal Boomerangs aren't decayed. They're still not very durable and their base attack is 8, but they won't burn up in areas with intense heat. As a metal melee weapon, they're not good to equip during thunderstorms, as this can draw lightning towards Link. Like most boomerangs, the 
Lizal Boomerang is a one-handed weapon.
As their name indicates, Lizal Boomerangs are commonly found wielded by Lizalfos. There's a respawn location for the Lizal Boomerang on the edges of Hyrule Castle. Link will need a bomb flower (or Vow of Yunobo) or a rock/boulder-fused melee weapon to get it, as the Lizal Boomerang is buried under a breakable wall.
4 Boomerang (Pristine)
- Attack: 8
- Type: One-handed
- Location: The Depths
Once Link finds and breaks a weapon that he finds on The Surface, its pristine version will appear in The Depths. Pristine weapons are not decayed and have a sparkle icon next to their name. The Pristine Boomerang has the same attack power as an unfused Lizal Boomerang (i.e, 8), but what makes it better is its higher durability. Like the decayed Boomerang, the Pristine Boomerang is made of wood, so it'll catch fire when exposed to intense heat.
Pristine weapons are carried by Shadow Soldiers in The Depths. These spirits stand atop a cairn, and will disappear when Link takes the weapon from them. If TotK players are looking to add the Pristine Boomerang to their arsenal, then they'll need to find its decayed counterpart. Pristine Weapons will respawn during each Blood Moon.
3 Giant Boomerang
- Attack: 11
- Type: Two-handed
- Location: Observation Room (Hyrule Castle)
The 
Giant Boomerang✨ is a two-handed weapon with a base attack of 11. Because of this, Link won't be able to use his shield while wielding it. The Giant Boomerang is made of metal, which means it can be equipped in hot areas. Although its attack is weaker than most other melee weapons, Link can fuse it with a material to give it some more power.
There's a Giant Boomerang in the Observation Room of Hyrule Castle. Link can reach this by jumping over the wall where he and Captain Hoz saw Princess Zelda. There's a ledge that leads into the Observation Room, and in there, players will find a grate that leads to the Royal Hidden Passage. On the staircase, there will be a Blue Lizalfos equipped with a Giant Boomerang.
2 Sea-Breeze Boomerang
- Attack: 16
- Type: One-handed
- Location: Hebra Canyon Mine (The Depths)
Those that played Wind Waker will recognize the Sea-Breeze Boomerang. The Hero of Winds found this weapon in the Forbidden Woods of the Great Sea. In Tears of the Kingdom, it's a one-handed, wooden weapon with a base power of 16, making it stronger than any of the Boomerangs found on The Surface.
There are two ways to get the 
Sea-Breeze Boomerang: Loot it from the chest in the Hebra Canyon Mine, or scan the Toon Link amiibo (Smash Bros. Or Legend of Zelda). Since there aren't many chasms in Hebra, players will need to enter the Hyrule Ridge Chasm. This is near the Runakit Shrine and the Lindor's Brow Skyview Tower. There will be the Tikanur Lightroot nearby as Link enters The Depths. From here, go north towards the Mu-ufatur Lightroot (corresponds to the Rutafu-um Shrine on The Surface). The Hebra Canyon Mine will be right next to this Lightroot.
1 Giant Boomerang (Pristine)
- Attack: 23
- Type: Two-handed
- Location: The Depths
The best boomerang in Tears of the Kingdom is the Pristine Giant Boomerang. Like the Pristine Boomerang, it managed to avoid the decay from The Upheaval and can only be found in The Depths. This boomerang is two-handed, meaning shields are a no-go, but the 23 base attack hopefully makes up for it.
Pinning down the location of a Pristine Giant Boomerang in The Depths can be tricky. They're carried by Shadow Soldiers, but different regions in The Depths carry different weapons. Link may have luck finding a Pristine Giant Boomerang if he looks in The Depths near the path leading to the Drena Canyon Bargainer Statue (corresponds to the Forgotten Temple on The Surface). However, this isn't a guaranteed spawn location for the Pristine Giant Boomerang. Keep in mind that the pristine version of the Giant Boomerang won't show up at all if Link hasn't found and broken a decayed Giant Boomerang, which, again, can be found, on The Surface.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.