The Hylian Shield is one the best shields in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and you can get it as soon as you unlock your first Skyview Tower - if you’re brave enough.

The shield is tucked away in Hyrule Castle and guarded by a frightening new Zelda enemy. Yet, with a bit of nerve and quick thinking, you can skirt around the foe to grab the shield without taking damage.

Below you’ll find the Tears of the Kingdom Hylian Shield location, along with how to get the shield early.

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If you’d like to learn more about Link’s adventure in Hyrule, visit our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough.

Hylian Shield location in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

The Tears of the Kingdom Hylian Shield location can be found in a hidden treasure chest at the Hyrule Castle docks - the precise coordinates are (-0161, 1159, 0037).

The docks are in the same spot as they are in Breath of the Wild, but accessing them works a bit differently thanks to the changed landscape. You can sail in if you have the right devices or drop down from the castle’s shrine if you want a less fiddly method.

How to get the Hylian Shield in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

There are two main routes you can take to reach the Hylian Shield in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with the first relying on you having a Steering Stick.

If you have a Steering Stick Zonai Device – which you can get from the North Hyrule Archipelago’s capsule machine, among other places – travel to the castle moat’s western shore. You’ll find a ready-made boat where the road meets the water. Attach a control stick and fan, and let the wind propel you, or make your own wind with a Korok Frond, and sail around to the point below on the map.

There’s a small opening tucked away in the rock wall. Follow it for a little ways, and it opens up into a wide harbor with a few docks and a landing.

If you don’t have a control stick yet, you can still access the docks. It just takes a bit of extra effort and unlocking the Serutabomac Shrine.

Cook a couple of stamina elixirs or dishes and launch yourself skyward from the Lookout Landing Skyview Tower. Turn north toward Hyrule Castle, and glide until you reach safe ground. You can make it to the path outside the sanctum with just one stamina wheel and a couple of elixirs.

Work your way northeast around the castle, avoiding monsters where you can. The gloom puddles aren’t a huge concern here since you’re in the open air, so you’re fine to run through them as long as you don’t linger for long.

The Serutabomac Shrine can be found on the map below.

Leap off the edge, deploy your paraglider, and float around the castle’s northern edge until you reach this spot.

You can just walk into the docks now – but you’ll want some health restoratives and a speed elixir.

As you approach the staircase leading away from the docks, you may notice a gloom puddle shifting position. You’ll definitely notice it a few seconds later, as it quickly moves toward your position and sprouts a cluster of arms and hands - you’re now facing a Gloom Hand. These hands will grab and squeeze you, reducing your health by one heart per squeeze and inflicting gloom.

If you’re getting the Hylian Shield early, your best bet is just to run away from the Gloom Hands. I lobbed six bomb flowers and several arrows from a Royal Guard Bow at them, and it barely reduced their health. We’ve got a how to beat Gloom Hands guide if you would like to face them head on. Be way though because, on their defeat, a Phantom Ganon will appear.

The staircase is the quickest way, if you can get around the hands, but if not, make your escape to the right, via the narrow passage between the rock and the staircase. You can briefly pop out into the light to restore gloom-broken hearts if you need to. Otherwise, hastily make your way up the wall and onto the landing.

Throw a fire Chu Chu Jelly or a Fire Fruit into the large brazier. The Gloom Hands will vanish, and the chest containing the Hylian Shield appears.

Is the Hylian Shield worth it in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?

The Hylian Shield has a defense value of 90, making it one of the strongest in Hyrule. Make sure to save it for important encounters or particularly difficult fights and it's not indestructible.

If the Hylian Shield does break though, you will now be able to pick it back up from Cece in Hateno Village. You'll have to have completed The Mayoral Election first to have unlocked Cece's shop, and each time you pick it up, it's going to set you back 3,000 Rupees.

Good luck finding the Hylian Shield and, if you’d like to learn more about Link’s adventure, visit our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough.

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