The Legend of Zelda is a franchise known for the iconic equipment its hero, Link, uses across every game. With its brand-new abilities and introduction to the wondrous Zonai Devices, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is no different. However, there are two items that will always outshine any other item in the series: the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield. These legendary items have become as important to the series as the characters themselves.
Updated June 16th, 2023, by Christopher Norman Worcester: It is now clear that Link can replace a lost or broken Hylian Shield in TotK. This guide has been updated with every step Link must take to get a new copy of Tears of the Kingdom's best defensive tool. This task will require Link to complete the mayoral election quest line in Hateno Village, and when finished, Link will have access to a specialized merchant for the remainder of the game.
While the Master Sword requires a considerable amount of time to acquire in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the Hylian Shield - arguably the best shield in the game - can be found very early in Link's journey. This guide will explain exactly how players can make their way into the depths of Hyrule Castle, collect the shield, and make it out with ease.
How to Find TotK's Hylian Shield
To get TotK's Hylian Shield, Link must make his way onto the floating island that was once Hyrule Castle. Luckily for Link, if he approaches this correctly, there will be very little danger along the way, making it possible to get this incredibly powerful shield very early in Tears of the Kingdom. There are only a few things Link must have with him when planning this expedition:
- Paraglider: The paraglider is an absolute necessity here. While there may be other routes into the castle that become available later in the game, this route to the Hylian Shield will require Link to use the glider.
- Stamina Replenishing Food/Potions: Link will be required to glide for a good distance; it's a good idea to bring several items that can refill Link's Stamina Wheel. Cook with items such as the Stamella Shroom, Endura Carrots and Shrooms, Staminoka Bass, Stambulb, etc. Anything that sounds like stamina or energy will usually help.
- Complete Wind Temple: Acquiring help from the Sage of Wind can be helpful during a specific jump, but they are not completely necessary. Link can acquire the Vow of Tulin by completing the Rito missions in the "Regional Phenomena" main quest.
Link will be making his way to the Docks section of Hyrule Castle. The following sections will explain exactly how to approach this task.
Head to Lookout Landing Skyview Tower:
Link will want to begin this journey from the tower at Lookout Landing. This will place Link high enough to glide all the way to Hyrule Castle. Technically Link could float all the way to Docks without stopping, but to be safe, Link should use Serutabomac Shrine as a fast-travel point. This will allow Link to try his jump to the Docks multiple times without needing to go back to Lookout Landing.
Landing at Serutabomac Shrine:
This shrine is found on the northeast side of the castle, very close to the highest point on the island. Gliding in from Lookout Landing will require a considerable amount of stamina, so make sure Link has plenty of meals/potions to refill his gauge.
As Link makes his way over the steeple, he'll see the tell-tale green spiral that marks a shrine. See the map above for the exact location (coordinates -0179, 1170, 0280).
This is a perfect place for Link to use as a hub to make his jumps down to the dock. It also happens to be simple to complete, relying on Tears of the Kingdom's new Ascend ability almost exclusively. However, even if Link does not complete it, simply registering his hand at the entry will unlock the fast-travel point.
Making the Jump to the Docks:
From the shrine, follow the edge of the cliff west until coming to a cave. Do not go inside the cave, as there are several high-level Horriblins.
Instead, jump off the cliff right before the cave. Glide out far enough from the cliff so the map returns to the full view. Look for a place on the cliff where there is a clear break in land (see image for exact details). This break is the cave that leads Link to the Docks.
As Link gets closer to water level, he'll see a cave. This can be hard to see from a distance, so make sure that Link is staying in the channel between the break in land. This is where the Vow of Tulin will come in handy. The cave that Link enters is fairly small, and the gust of wind can help Link reach land extremely quickly. This can be done without the vow; just make sure to have plenty of stamina. Look for a section with two small braziers (-0269, 1153, 0024), this will be the easiest section to reach.
How to Get the Hylian Shield in TotK
Swim Across Water:
From the two small braziers, Link will need to make it to the other end of the chamber. There is a much larger brazier that Link must reach (-0175, 1156, 0037), which sits right above a gray brick wall with a large stone shield carved into it. If Link sticks to the steps, he will encounter a Gloom Spawn (Gloom Hands), which can be incredibly dangerous if Link is not properly equipped. Instead, Link should swim across the water and climb the wall.
Light Large Brazier:
Once at the top, Link will see the large brazier. Fans of Breath of the Wild will recognize this brazier from the sole shrine puzzle at Hyrule Castle. This time, lighting the brazier with a torch, or any kind of fire-fused arrow, will cause a small stone treasure chest to rise up from beneath the ground. The Hylian Shield is found in this chest.
With the Hylian Shield in hand, the only thing left to do is retrieve the Master Sword, completing Link's legendary equipment duo.
How to Replace a Lost or Broken Hylian Shield in TotK
Even though TotK's Hylian Shield is ridiculously strong, there will come a time when it will break. It is also possible for Link to lose the Hylian Shield in certain combat situations, such as being electrocuted. If Link finds himself without his legendary shield, he need not worry. Tears of the Kingdom features a special merchant that will become available after completing a specific series of quests.
To begin this process, Link must find Cece, Hateno Village's famous fashion designer. When Link finds her at her shop (3359, -2138, 0120), he will become involved in a political dispute that will only be resolved by holding a new mayoral election. It is this event that triggers Tears of the Kingdom's mayoral election quest line.
The first quest, "Team Cece or Team Reede?" will begin after Link interacts with Cece and her sister, Sophie. Link will then have to complete two side additional quests, "Reede's Secret" and "Cece's Secret," before wrapping everything up with "The Mayoral Election." These quests are all relatively simple and can be completed fairly quickly.
Once done, Cece will open her shop to Link, offering the Hylian Shield for 3,000 rupees. Link will only be able to purchase the shield if he does not have it in his inventory. Luckily, once the store is open, there is no limit to how many times Link can return to purchase the Hylian Shield in TotK.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.
