The Hylian Shield is the strongest and by far the most durable shield in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. With a parry power of 90 and a base durability of a massive 800, it surpasses virtually any ordinary shield Hyrule’s. However, you cannot find it in a shrine and you will not automatically get it together with the Master Sword. The original’s only regular Location lies deep in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle, where a Stalnox guards a special trial of the royal soldiers. Although the Hylian Shield is exceptionally durable, it too can break at some point. Then it is not lost: After Tarrey Town has been completely built, Granté will sell you a replacement for 3,000 Rupees.
Hylian Shield – values and Location at a glance
| Property | Hylian Shield |
|---|---|
| Location | Hyrule Castle Dungeon |
| Prerequisite | Stalnox defeat |
| parry power | 90 |
| Basic durability | 800 |
| Maximum parry power with bonus | 144 |
| Maximum durability with bonus | 1.160 |
| replacement | Granté in Tarrey Town |
| Price of replacement | 3.000 Rupees |
| Can break? | Yes |
| Can be repaired? | No |
Hylian Shield get
early in the game
For the Hylian Shield you do not need to free the four Divine Beasts, own the Master Sword or have defeated Ganon. Once you leave the Great Plateau, you can theoretically travel directly to Hyrule Castle and get the shield. The only problem is the environment: numerous guard runners, guard flyers and guns patrol around the castle, while high-level monsters wait inside. However, with a little caution you can avoid most of these enemies. If you want to get the shield as early as possible, you will need some arrows for the Stalnox and enough equipment to survive the journey through the dungeon.
Location in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle
The Hylian Shield is located in the western basement of Hyrule Castle. The area is called the Dungeon and consists of a long corridor with numerous prison cells. The real goal is a large circular chamber at the end of this area. At first there is just a huge pile of bones. As soon as you enter the room, it will assemble into a Stalnox. After his defeat, the Treasure Chest appears with the Hylian Shield. For our full exploration of the entire castle, check out Hyrule Castle – Hylian Shield, Bodyguard Set, Commemorative Photo and All 25 Koroks.
Fastest way to dungeon
You don’t have to fight through the main gate of Hyrule Castle. It’s better to approach the castle from the west or northwest and look for a low entrance into the rock below the castle at the height of the moat. There you will reach the underground passages. One of the paths leads over the West Passage with a lorry. You can power the cart with bombs and then follow the corridors towards the dungeon. Fragile rock walls are opened with bombs.
Another option is to access the outer entrance to the dungeon directly from the northwest side of the castle. Behind the entrance a metal gate blocks the path. Use the Cryo Module to create a pillar of ice under the gate, lifting it and allowing Link to walk underneath it. This route takes you almost immediately into the prison area and avoids large parts of the actual castle.
Through the dungeon to Hylian Shield
In the dungeon there are prison cells on both sides of the corridor. Some contain black or silver enemies and do not necessarily have to be opened for the Hylian Shield. Therefore, do not press every switch at random. Hatred mud blocks the way in several places; Look for the corresponding orange hate eyeballs and destroy them with an arrow. Fragile walls between individual cells can be blown up with bombs. In addition to the Hylian Shield, you will find various high-quality weapons from the king and bodyguard series here, so it is definitely worth exploring the dungeon thoroughly.
Defeat Stalnox in front of the Hylian Shield
In the large chamber at the end of the dungeon there is a Stalnox with 1,000 life points. Its main weak point is its large eye. Shoot straight into it with your bow to collapse the Stalnox and use the stun for multiple melee hits. Later, the eye completely detaches from the skull and rolls across the floor. Concentrate all attacks on this eye. If the Stalnox manages to reinsert the eye, the fight continues. With quick one-handed weapons or a powerful two-handed sword, you can usually kill the exposed eye before it gets back to the body.
The battle is also the old final test of the royal soldiers. A stone tablet in the chamber explains that only by defeating a giant monster was a soldier recognized as a true knight of the kingdom. As soon as the Stalnox is defeated, the large Treasure Chest will appear with your actual reward.
Hylian Shield from the Treasure Chest take
After the fight, open the chest that appears and you will receive the Hylian Shield. If your shield inventory is completely full, you must first discard or destroy another shield. The Hylian Shield also belongs in the Hyrule Compendium. If you want to photograph all the entries yourself, you should take a picture before collecting them or immediately afterwards. The chest is unique and will not appear again after collecting the shield.
Hylian Shield – parry power 90
With a parry power of 90, the Hylian Shield has an exceptionally high value even without a bonus. The parrying power determines, among other things, how well the shield intercepts enemy attacks and how easily a successful block or parry throws an opponent off balance. With numerous normal opponents, the value is sufficient to easily ward off their armed attacks. The shield is therefore ideal for close combat against strong Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos and other high-level monsters.
Durability 800 – how long does the Hylian Shield last?
The real special feature is its basic durability of 800. This value is many times higher than the durability of ordinary shields. A Hylian Shield can therefore last an exceptionally long time during a normal playthrough. However, the number 800 does not mean that the shield can survive exactly 800 hits. Different attacks cause varying degrees of durability loss. Directly blocking Guardian lasers and prolonged shield surfing can also damage the shield. Perfect parries therefore still make sense instead of simply taking every strong attack with your shield raised.
Is the Hylian Shield indestructible?
No. Unlike some previous versions of the legendary shield, the Hylian Shield in Breath of the Wild is not indestructible. Its 800 durability points just make it last a lot longer than almost any alternative. Just before it breaks, like other pieces of equipment, a warning appears. At some point it will be completely destroyed and disappear from the inventory. Breath of the Wild does not have a repair option. You then have to buy a new copy.
Use
Hylian Shield against guard
Due to its enormous durability, the shield is ideal for fights against guardians. Nevertheless, you should use the energy beams with one if possible perfect parade throw them back instead of simply blocking them. Hold ZL and press A just before the beam hits. The laser is thrown back at the Guardian, dealing massive damage. A sentinel wreck in particular falls after just a single, cleanly reflected beam. We explain all variants and their loot in detail on our solution page Guardians – all types, Locations and ancient materials.
Hylian Shield shield surfing
You can surf with the Hylian Shield just like with any normal shield. Due to its tremendous durability, it can withstand such trips much longer than most ordinary models. Nevertheless, it also loses durability depending on the Depths. Shields are subjected to significantly less stress on snow and sand than on rough rock. If you want to keep the Hylian Shield primarily as valuable combat equipment, it is better to use an easily replaceable shield for long journeys over stone.
Can the Hylian Shield get a bonus?
Yes. The original from the Treasure Chest of Hyrule Castle may receive an additional modifier depending on the game’s hidden progression system. Breath of the Wild counts defeated enemies and bosses in the background and improves various enemies and pieces of equipment as you progress. If you get the Hylian Shield very early, it usually has its unchanged basic values. The chest version for stronger bonuses is only unlocked when the game is well advanced.
Possible bonuses of the Hylian Shield
| Bonus | Possible additional value | Maximum total value |
|---|---|---|
| parry power + | up to +54 | 144 parry power |
| durability + | up to +360 | 1,160 Durability |
The maximum Hylian Shield can theoretically achieve either a parry power of 144 or a durability of 1,160. The additional durability is not displayed as a specific number in the inventory. You only see the corresponding durability bonus. Such a shield is not necessary for a normal game play and requires a very well developed internal progress value.
Select bonus by saving and loading
If your game is already advanced enough, you can save before opening the Hylian Shield Chest. First defeat the Stalnox and then create a manual save directly in front of the still unopened chest. Open it and check the shield you received. If the bonus doesn’t meet your expectations, reload the save and open the chest again. The modifier can be redefined. However, if you have already finally collected the original, this opportunity cannot be repeated in the normal game.
Granté replacement shields have no bonus
The Hylian shields purchased later from Granté always have the normal basic values of 90 parry power and 800 durability. The special modifiers can only appear on the original shield from the Treasure Chest of Hyrule Castle. If you really want to collect a maximally improved Hylian Shield, you should only open the chest once the internal progress has increased enough. However, this is hardly necessary for normal adventures: even the basic version has a durability that far exceeds almost all other shields.
Hylian Shield broken – where can you get a replacement?
If the Hylian Shield breaks, you won’t have to go to the dungeon of Hyrule Castle again. The Treasure Chest there remains open. Instead, you can buy a new shield from Granté in Tarrey Town. The prerequisite is that you have already received the original in Hyrule Castle and have completely completed the large Side Quest “On Expansion Course”. Afterwards, Granté is on the balcony of a house near the entrance to Tarrey Town. We explain the complete structure of the settlement under City of Tarrey Town – On expansion course and all residents.
Hylian Shield buy
at Granté for 3,000 Rupees
A replacement at Granté costs 3,000 Rupees. The offer only appears if you have already unlocked the original shield from Hyrule Castle and do not currently own a Hylian Shield. You don’t have to have defeated Ganon to do this. Even a replacement purchased later can break again; You can then purchase a new shield again as soon as there are no other copies left.
Granté does not sell Hylian Shield – possible cause
If Granté offers all rare armor but the Hylian Shield is missing, check your inventory first. Then take a look at Link’s house in Hateno Village. A Hylian Shield hanging on a sign holder there continues to count as an existing copy and prevents a replacement purchase. A sign that is still somewhere in the currently loaded game world can also temporarily block the offer. If you definitely don’t have one anymore, travel far enough away or reload the game and then return to Tarrey Town.
Requirement for Granté – “On expansion course”
Granté will only move to Tarrey Town once the entire settlement has been built. To do this, you first have to buy Link’s house in Hateno Village and then follow Hudson to Akkala. During “Expansion” you will need large amounts of wood bundles and have to find residents from different races for the new city. In the end, Hudson and Rhondson’s wedding takes place. Only after Side Quest has been completed will Granté be permanently available on the balcony of his house. You can also find our detailed Akkala route with Tarrey Town at Akkala – tower, all shrines, Tarrey Town, Kilton and Lomei Labyrinth Island.
Can you have multiple Hylian Shields at the same time?
During regular gameplay, the Hylian Shield is intended as a single special shield. As long as you already own a copy, Granté will not sell another one. This also applies if you only displayed the shield on a holder in Link’s house. Only when the Hylian Shield is no longer available will a replacement be available for sale. Glitches and duplication tricks can get around this rule, but are not part of the regular game mechanics and are not required for a full save.
Does the Hylian Shield come back after a blood moon?
No. A blood moon resets countless monsters and weapons in the open world, but not Treasure Chests that have already been opened. If you have taken the Hylian Shield from its chest in the dungeon, this chest will remain open permanently. Even a later blood moon does not create a second shield there. After the loss, the intended path always leads to Granté in Tarrey Town.
Do you have to defeat the Stalnox again?
You don’t have to return to Hyrule Castle for a replacement shield. The only thing that matters is that you have opened the original Treasure Chest once and received the Hylian Shield. Granté then takes over the supply of replacements. The Stalnox is therefore only relevant for receiving the shield for the first time.
Hylian Shield keep in the house
If you would like to receive the original shield as a collector’s item, you can display it on a shield holder in Link’s house in Hateno Village. There it does not use up any shelf life and is retained permanently. Just keep in mind that Granté won’t sell another Hylian Shield as long as the copy is hanging in the house. So you can’t just safely display the original and regularly buy a second replacement at the same time.
Hylian Shield or Ancient Shield?
The Hylian Shield is significantly more durable overall with 90 parry power and 800 durability. The Ancient Shield from the Akkala Institute, on the other hand, has a special property against guardians: held guardian lasers are automatically reflected without you having to time a perfect parade yourself. However, this automatic reflection comes at a cost of durability. For general close combat and the longest possible service life, the Hylian Shield is the better permanent solution; For players who struggle with Guardian parries, the Ancient Shield has its own tactical advantage.
Hylian Shield and Master Sword
Hylian Shield and Master Sword form the hero’s classic equipment and also complement each other perfectly in terms of play. The Master Sword gets its own weapon slot and cannot be permanently broken, while the Hylian Shield rarely needs to be replaced due to its 800 durability. You can get both long before you face Calamity Ganon. The Master Sword is located in the Korok Forest and requires at least 13 real Heart Container. The Hylian Shield, on the other hand, has no heart or story requirements – if you survive Hyrule Castle and defeat the Stalnox, you can take it with you immediately.
Hylian Shield in master mode
Even in master mode, the Hylian Shield is in exactly the same place in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle. His base stats of 90 parry and 800 durability remain unchanged. Since Master Mode uses a completely separate savegame, you’ll need to get the shield there again and rebuild Tarrey Town if you want to buy a replacement from Granté later. Due to the stronger opponents and their life regeneration, a long-lasting shield is particularly valuable here.
Is it worth getting the Hylian Shield early?
Yes. You don’t need to make any progress in the main story to find it, and with a single trip to Hyrule Castle you’ll get a shield whose durability far exceeds most of the other equipment. However, if you want to collect the optimal Hylian Shield with a rare bonus, you should wait until the game is very advanced, as the strongest modifiers are only unlocked late through the hidden scaling system. For all other players, the unchanged basic version with 90 parry power and 800 durability is already more than strong enough for practically the entire adventure.
Keywords: