If there’s something you can count on finding in a Zelda game, it’s the beloved (and typically quite strong) Hylian Shield–and that hasn’t changed in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, you can actually get your hands on the Hylian Shield pretty early in the game if you’re daring and clever enough. If that sounds like something you’re down for, we’ll tell you how below.
Where to get the Hylian Shield
Before setting off to get the Hylian Shield, you’ll first want to complete a few of the main story missions in Hyrule. In particular, you’ll want to be sure you’ve obtained the paraglider, as it will make getting to the shield much, much easier. When you’re prepared, be sure you have a bow and arrow, then make your way to the foreboding Hyrule Castle.
When you arrive, opt to climb around the rocks on the sides of the massive castle, navigating your way to the northeast of the perimeter until you can see a spot that lets you enter beneath the castle into an area that appears to be an old dock. Now you’ll need to make a decision here to either build a boat to cross into the cave here, or find a spot that lets you glide down into this section.
Once you’re inside, follow the path up the ramp into a room with a massive torch. Pull out your bow and apply fire to your arrow (a Fire Fruit will do the trick), then shoot the torch to light it. Alternatively, you can use a melee weapon and catch it on fire at one of the smaller torches inside the cave. Regardless of which option you go for, lighting the torch will earn you a chest containing the Hylian Shield.
The Hylian Shield provides an absolutely staggering amount of defense, making it hands down the best option for protecting yourself in tough situations. Unfortunately, like other shields in the game, it can actually break. At the time of this writing, it’s not yet known if you can repair the Hylian Shield somewhere in Hyrule or buy additional copies of it, but we’ll be sure to update this if we find out.
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