Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Hylian Shield

Image: Attack of the Fanboy

How to Get the Hylian Shield Early in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

J.R. Waugh

Published: May 15, 2023 01:50 am

So you’ve picked up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, or are hopping back in to start a new playthrough. You might find the durability and effectiveness of early weapons to be frustratingly low. There’s a strong chance you’re looking for the iconic gear of Link’s from yesteryear, and as it turns out, much if not all of this is available in the game. One of Link’s most iconic items returns, as we highlight how to get the Hylian Shield early in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!

How Do You Get the Hylian Shield Early in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

As soon as you can reach the surface of Hyrule, go north from Lookout Landing to the grounds where Hyrule Castle once sat, specifically the northeastern portion. Try and get the Paraglider first to save yourself some headaches, and go to the point on the map marked below:

Zelda-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-Hylian-Shield-Early-Docks-Location — Image: Attack of the Fanboy

Here, you’ll need the following items to get the Hylian Shield early in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:

A bow
At least one arrow

OR any of the following

Wooden melee weapons
Zonai Flame Emitters
Torches
Fire Fruit
Red Chuchu Jelly

And that’s pretty much it. You’ll need to go to the area on the map and face the ledge to the west. You’ll note the path looks different, and along the inner wall where you drop, you’ll notice a cave entrance.

Zelda-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-Hylian-Shield-Early-Docks-Entrance — Image: Attack of the Fanboy

This leads to the Docks area with several lit torches and a pedestal holding a larger, unlit torch. Aim your bow while holding it over one of the torches to light the arrow, and shoot this torch. Alternately, you can use anything that’ll carry a flame to the torch, such as wooden weapons you can light on the other torches. You can also use direct ignition such as by attaching a Fire Fruit to an arrow, putting a Red Chuchu Jelly on the torch, or setting it on fire with a Flame Emitter.

Take any of these approaches to light the torch, and the chest with the Hylian Shield emerges from the ground. The shield is astoundingly better than pretty much anything else you’ll find in the early game, so take care of it!

Image: Attack of the Fanboy
Image: Attack of the Fanboy
Image: Attack of the Fanboy

This copy of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was played on the Nintendo Switch OLED edition, using Ver. 1.1.0.

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Author

J.R. Waugh

J.R. is a Staff Writer with AOTF and has been covering gaming and entertainment in the industry since 2022. Along with a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati, he has studied at the University of Birmingham, UK, and part of his M.A. at the University of Waterloo. You'll find J.R. particularly at home writing about the hottest manga and anime. He is highly passionate about horror, strategy, and RPGs, and anything about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. is streaming his favorite RPGs and other forgotten gems.