Hylian Shield

The traditional shield of the Nintendo 64 Zelda games. The Hylian shield can either be purchased or found by Young Link in Ocarina of Time. Emblazoned with Hylian artwork, complete with an eagle and the Triforce, the Hylian shield is much too large for Link to wield on his arm and functions more like a turtle's shell. After his seven year sleep, Link became able to use it as his standard shield (until he finds the Mirror Shield.) A similar version, named the same, is used by Link in Twilight Princess, and is bought from Malo Mart in Kakariko Village after unlocking the Twilight from Eldin province.

In OoT, the Hylian Shield becomes almost necessary to survive a visit to the Great Fairy in Death Mountain, as child Link's 'turtle shell' use of the shield protects from recurrent flaming rock eruptions. It is also unprone to the risk of being burnt by particular fire-bourne enemies, such as keese. Child Link's use of the shield does not provide as much adequate protection from the front as the Kokiri shield (and the Hylian Shield as an adult), and is similarly unable to reflect Deku Scrub and Octorok attacks. It is worth note that (apparently) the guard at the gates of Kakariko Village (leading to Death Mountain) can offer a discount in correspondence with the owner of the Bazaar in Hyrule Castle Town.

The pedestal on which the avian is perched on is often seen to be the "missing fourth piece" of the Triforce, combined known as the Tetraforce, that completes the triangle. No point in the series has the existence of a fourth piece every been mentioned, however. This inverted triangle was presumably removed to dismiss the confusion of its such existence.

In Twilight Princess, the Hylian Sheild becomes available before entering the Goron Mines in the newly established Malo Mart. It is described as a limited-time offer, but will be available for purchase until Link buys it. Its appearance is largely similar to its OoT incarnation, with some minor design changes. It looks more weathered than before, due to prolonged use over time. The metal frame is thinner now, and the numerous rivets are replaced by three large bolts. The Hylian eagle is noticebly bigger, and takes up the entire bottom half of the shield. The inverted triangle at the bottom has been removed and two metal decals take its place.