Best Early Game Shield In Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom

Shields provide some of the best in-game defense against enemy attacks and can double up as an excellent Hyrulian skateboard. Not all shields can be found relatively early, as you’ll have to rely on the Fuse ability to create some outlandish yet versatile shields to protect you. While you can find some lackluster shields when exploring the Great Sky Island, the best shield to own is crafted with a Flame Emitter. We’ve detailed how to get the Fuse Flame Emitter Shield in Tears of the Kingdom.

How To Get Flame Emitter Fused Shield In Tears of the Kingdom?

The best shield to have, specifically for the early game sections of Tears of the Kingdom, is a fused shield. Not exactly what many players were expecting, but this type of shield can be fused with any shield you may have found while traversing the Great Sky Island.

Specifically, we tried the Rusty Shield with the Flame Emitter, which works well, especially when fending off multiple enemies that are weak to fire, so it can only be used for specific purposes. Nevertheless, since the Old Wooden and Rusty Shields are easy to come by, the latter has slightly better stats and will be used for crafting.

To get the Flame Emitter, however, you’ll need to locate a Zonai Device Dispenser for which you can trade your collected Zonai Capsules in exchange for various items. There are specific Zonai Device Dispensers with a Flame Emitter to exchange for; the closest dispenser is right after the Mining Cave location, as you’ll find a Construct working here.

You can exchange Zonai Capsules for the Flame Emitter, and you’ll need to take it out of your Inventory before selecting the Rusty Shield as the shield to fuse it with. Using the Fuse Ability, merge these two items to have the Flame Emitter Shield, which can deter enemies from attacking you but be wary of starting forest fires.

Other great items to fuse with the Rusty Shield are rocks for the Rock Shield, spikes for the Spiked Shield, and rockets. But if you want a more durable shield that leans away from novelty, the Hylian Shield is the one players can seek out.

This shield, however, can be obtained a little later in-game through the Story Quests until you’ve reached Lookout Landing Village. You must find the village’s Skyview Tower and ascends into the skies towards a nearby castle area.

Along the area’s northeastern side, quickly descend near the border before launching the paraglider and steer Link close to the lower level alcove. Follow the path after dropping down, find a ledge protruding on its left side, and drop down at least twice to locate a cave entrance.

You’ll need to run down the path until you’re near the bottom, as you’ll find a giant brazier at the center, where you’ll find a chest in this area. Opening the chest will award you with the Hylian Shield, and you can return to the surface before finding your way back to Lookout Landing.