Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Hylian Shield is one of the toughest shields players can find in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, giving Link highly durable defense when equipped. Despite its iconic status as Link’s favored shield, the Hylian Shield can be collected early in Tears of the Kingdom. As a result, players who make the journey can get practically unbreakable late-game defense only a few hours into the game.

Unlike collecting Link’s Master Sword in Zelda: TOTK, grabbing the Hylian Shield doesn’t require players to upgrade Link’s stamina or take down challenging bosses. However, players will still need to do some prep work before heading out to find Link’s shield. Depending on the route players take, the journey might require the paraglider or Zonai components and a bit of creative thinking.

Hylian Shield’s Location In The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

The Hylian Shield is located at the Hyrule Castle Docks, and there are a couple of ways to reach this area safely.

For creative players who don’t mind tinkering with Ultrahand, traveling to the docks by water is the best option. This involves crossing the Hyrule Castle Moat north of Castle Town Prison.

On the shore north of Castle Town Prison, players will find a dock with a basic raft that can be upgraded with Zonai components such as fans and steering sticks. Once upgraded, players can sail north along the moat to find a small cave with the docks as marked on the map above.

Alternatively, players who don’t mind a trek can travel along the castle’s western edges, following the cliff until they reach the same cave. From here, it’s possible to glide down to the Docks using Link’s paraglider.

How To Get The Hylian Shield In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Inside the cave, Link will encounter a set of Gloom Hands guarding the Docks. Players who’ve mastered Tears of the Kingdom’s weapon Fusions might feel up to battling this fearsome foe. However, it appears that Gloom Hands will eventually despawn if players stay away from them. Therefore, avoiding the Gloom Hands is highly recommended for players in the early game and anyone who wants to avoid unnecessary fighting.

Once the Gloom Hands are gone, players should head up the stairs. Unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of Gloom in this area, which can damage Link’s health, so learning how to resist Gloom in Zelda: TOTK is essential.

Eventually, players will reach a floor with four small braziers surrounding a bigger unlit brazier which can be lit using flaming arrows, weapons with fire effects, torches, Fire Fruit, and more. Once lit, a chest containing the Hylian Shield will appear.

With an impressive 90 Defense stat, the Hylian Shield outmatches the basic early-game shields players can find several times over. However, like all shields in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it still has limited durability and will eventually break. As such, it’s best to save the Hylian Shield for facing Link’s toughest foes.