Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom begins with you having no armor and shield, making him extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks. The early hours of our journey in Zelda: TotK are extremely perilous and stress-inducing due to not having any decent shield or armor.
To make your initial journey through Hyrule a pleasant one without the suffering we endured, we are here to help you find some of the best shields the game has to offer as you are starting out.
We have divided shields in two categories because of the stark differences in their properties and usage. Normal and Fused ones. We have only included the shields and fusion items that can be obtained in the first few hours of Zelda: TotK.
Normal shields or shields without fusion are the ones that you will find on your journey throughout Hyrule. The shields of Hyrule have been spared for some strange reason and are not afflicted with rot after the upheaval.
All the shields can be fused with certain items to enhance their properties or create special fusion combinations, hence Fused Shields. We will be discussing a few fused shields here that can be made pretty early in the game.
Hylian Shield
The best shield in the game, Hylian Shield with 90 defense, can be found early in the game with a little effort. Use the Lookout Landing Skyview Tower to propel Link towards the Hyrule Castle. Make sure to have a lot of Energizing elixirs or cook some Endura carrots meals.
After reaching the castle, drop down the cliff near the shrine to find the Hyrule Castle docks. Avoid the gloom hands and make your way to the second floor of the docks. Light up the torches to make a treasure chest appear. Open it to obtain the Hylian Shield.
Hylian Shield has the max stats for any shield in Zelda: TotK. It can be used to deflect any projectile attacks including Lynel’s blast attack. We recommend finding this shield as soon as you hit the ground.
Zora Shield
Zora’s Shield is abundantly available throughout Zora’s domain. Most probably as the first place you will visit to solve the Regional Phenomenon, we recommend finding Zora’s Shield as a priority. It offers 24 defense in addition to great durability.
Radiant Shield
Radiant Shield can be obtained from the treasure chests in enemy encampments, spread throughout the Gerudo region. The shield has 35 defense, and it can withstand a lot of punishment before it disintegrates.
Knight’s Shield
Knight’s Shield has a defense rating of 40, and it can easily be obtained from the Gerudo Desert. One place where this shield can be found with a 100% drop rate is the Ancient Altar Ruins in the Gerudo Desert. Knight’s Shield respawns in this place after every blood moon.
With high defense and durability, Knight’s Shield is among our first choices during the early hours of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Royal Shield
Royal Shield can be obtained from a treasure chest inside the ruins of the Great Plateau, South of Hyrule Field Skyview Tower. The shield has 55 defense and it is the third-best shield after the Hylian Shield and Royal Guard’s Shield. It can be used to deflect the attacks of stronger enemies like Gleeok.
Royal Guard’s Shield
Royal Guard’s Shield can be found inside the Hyrule Castle. From the Lookout Landing Skyview Tower, glide towards the Hyrule Castle and drop down the opening to reach the Second Gatehouse. You can find the Royal Guard’s Shield lying there on the ground with 70 defense.
Due to its high defense rating, we recommend finding Royal Guard’s Shield as soon as possible. The only drawback of this shield is its low durability, just like the rest of the Royal Guard equipment.
Gemstones Shields
Shields fused with gemstones produce special elemental effects when struck by an enemy. Sapphire fused shields freeze the attacking enemy and topaz fused shield does shock damage. Gemstones can be farmed from the black ore deposits present in the caves of the Great Sky Island and Hyrule.
Rocket Shield
Shields can be fused with Ancient Zonai Rocket to make Rocket Shield. They propel Link into the air to gain some altitude. Rocket Shields are the best alternatives for Revali’s Gale from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Rockets can be exchanged from various device dispensers across Hyrule.
Rock Shield
Running out of hammer weapons to destroy breakable boulders? Don’t worry. We got you covered. Fuse any shield with a rock and use the parry command (ZL plus A) to break the boulders in your path. Due to their higher durability than weapons, rock fused shields serve as a better hammer than the actual hammer weapons in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Muddlebud Shield
Enemies hit with Muddlebuds get confused and start fighting. Fusing Muddlebuds with shields improves their efficiency and prevents them from being lost with each arrow strike.
Muddlebud shields release the spores to confuse enemies when hit and are perfect for crowd control. Muddlebuds can be obtained pretty early in the game from damp caves and Hyrule Field.
Kart Shield
Shields can be fused with kart to create one of the best skating shields in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Kart Shield can be used to grind metallic rails and travel fast from hills to ground level. Ancient Karts are available in the tutorial area of the Great Sky Island.
Bomb Shield
Want to kill a mob of enemies and gain altitude at the same time? Fuse a Bomb Flower on your shield and do the shield skate command (ZL, X, A). This will result in Link slamming his shield on the ground, causing a massive explosion that propels him into the air without taking any damage. Bomb flowers can be purchased pretty early in the game from the Bargainer Statue in Lookout Landing.
Spring Shield
Ancient Zonai Springs can be fused to the shields to create Spring Shields. If an enemy attack comes in direct contact with a Spring Shield, it automatically deflects and pushes it back. Link can also use it to gain altitude without losing the ancient spring.
Ancient Springs can be obtained from the early shrines or device dispensers on the Great Sky Island.
Flame Emitter Shield
Shields can be fused with Ancient Flame Emitters to create massive flame throwers. Simply take out your flame emitter shield by holding the ZL button and watch Bokoblin’s dance of death. Flame emitters are easy to obtain during the early section of the game from the Hyrule Field.
These are all the best normal and fused shields you can obtain during the first few hours of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We recommend visiting the locations of normal shields after every blood moon to get a brand-new shield every time.
