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Small Shields,(TMC)[1] also known as Fighter's Shields,(ALttP)[1] are recurring Items in The Legend of Zelda series.

Overview[]

A Link to the Past[]

A Link to the Past Manual Description
A Link to the Past logo
Shield
The shield has three potential levels of power. Your first shield can only fend off the enemy's arrows, spears and rocks. If you can improve your shield, or find a better one, you can defend yourself against different attacks.
A Link to the Past & Four Swords Manual Description
A Link to the Past & Four Swords logo
Shield
There are three levels of shield power, each with a greater defensive value.

In A Link to the Past, the Fighter's Shield is a small family shield that belongs to Link's Uncle, and is received from him in the secret passageway leading into Hyrule Castle grounds. As it is the first shield obtained in the game, it is the weakest of all shields and provides very little defense. It is able to protect against arrows, spears and rocks, but little else. The shield can be eaten by enemies, and if the shield is swallowed up by a Pikit or a Like Like, another one can be purchased in the many shops throughout the Dark World.

Link can obtain an upgraded version of the Fighter's Shield known as the Red Shield by throwing it into the Mysterious Pond of the Waterfall of Wishing. Only by answering the Great Fairy's question honestly will she reward him with a better shield.[2]

The Minish Cap[]

The Minish Cap Manual Description
The Minish Cap logo
Shield
Blocks (and sometimes reflects) P11 enemy attacks. Some enemies can’t be defeated without a shield, but it’s also just a good idea to know when to defend yourself.

The Small Shield is given to Link by Princess Zelda in Hyrule Town during the Picori Festival.[3] Shortly after receiving it, he must use it to protect Zelda from a Business Scrub north of Hyrule Town.[4]

Like most basic shields obtained throughout The Legend of Zelda series, the Small Shield can be swallowed by Like Likes. If this happens, Link can defeat the Like Like to retrieve the Small Shield, or buy a new one at Stockwell's Shop. The Small Shield can defend Link from the most basic of attacks, such as an Red Octorok's rocks and sword strikes from other enemies. After Link completes the main quest, he can turn the Small Shield into the Mirror Shield by allowing Biggoron to eat it.[5][6]

Other Appearances[]

A Link to the Past (Ishinomori)[]

Fighter's Shield

Link using the Fighter's Shield against Agahnim

In the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori, Link's uncle is seen using the Fighter's Shield during his duel against Agahnim. However, after Link witnesses the defeat of his uncle at the hands of his wizard, he rushes to his side and obtains his uncle's sword and shield from him before passing out. Link continues to use the shield only for the first chapter, using it to defend himself from enemy attacks. However, when he reaches the Sanctuary with Princess Zelda and faces off against Agahnim, he loses his sword and shield along with it, and the young hero is never seen using the Fighter's Shield for the rest of the comic.

Ancient Stone Tablets[]



In Ancient Stone Tablets, the Small Shield is obtained in the first dungeon, the Eastern Palace.

Trivia[]

  • Screenshots from versions of the game prior to release seen in promotional material for the game show the Fighter's Shield with brown coloring, rather than blue.[citation needed] This possibly explains why some official art depicts it as brown, while others depict it as blue.
  • The Fighter's Shield is the first shield to have a bird-like design on it in the series, and many aspects of its design were used for the Hylian Shield.
  • The Great Fairy granting Link a better shield when he answers honestly is an homage to the Aesop fable, The Honest Woodcutter. In the story, a man accidentally flings his axe into a lake and begins to weep, having lost his only means of livelihood. The god Hermes decides to take pity on the woodcutter and emerges from the lake holding a golden axe, asking the man if it is his. The man truthfully denies, and Hermes produces a silver axe asking the same. Once again, the man answers honestly saying that he had lost a wooden axe. For his display of honesty, Hermes gives him all three axes. Later, a man overhearing this story decides to fling his own axe into the lake and falsely cry about his loss. Hermes again appears offering to the man a golden axe, which he greedily claims. Disgusted by this man's avarice, Hermes gives him nothing and leaves his axe at the bottom of the lake as punishment.

Trivia[]

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland EnglishUK Small Shield
Japan Japanese ちっちゃな盾 (Chicchana Tate) Little Shield
French Republic FrenchEU Petit Bouclier Same as English.
Federal Republic of Germany German Kleiner Schild Same as English.
Italian Republic Italian Scudo piccolo Same as English.
Kingdom of Spain SpanishEU Escudo pequeño Same as English.

Gallery[]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 139 (ALttP | TMC)
  2. "Hello there. Did you drop this? I like an honest person. I will give you something better in return." — Great Fairy (A Link to the Past)
  3. "Here! I want to give you a present! Doesn't this shield suit you perfectly, Link?" — Princess Zelda (The Minish Cap)
  4. "Owwwwch! That must be the Business Scrub I heard the soldiers talking about. They were saying a Deku Scrub had been hassling all the passersby. Link, do something about it! Otherwise, we can't get to the castle. If only we had some way to defend ourselves against those nuts of his." — Princess Zelda (The Minish Cap)
  5. "Welcome. Goro. Oh, what a tiny Goron you are... You make this big Goron happy with this unexpected visit to my distant home. Tell me, little one, what do you know about shields? Well, among us Gorons, who know well the taste of steel... They are considered a fine delicacy. Ah, yes... Just once, I should like to taste a fine, fresh shield..." — Biggoron (The Minish Cap)
  6. "Nummnumm! Slurp, slurp! Oh, delicious! That was excellent! Thank you so much. Now, I finally know the legendary taste of a shield! And I will happily fulfill my promise! Let me just spit your shield back out again! Goro goro...?! It-It seems your shield has changed shape a little as I was chewing on it... Oh, but it's fine! It is still a shield after all, just a slightly differently shaped one! I think... Well, I have to go now! Good-bye, goro!" — Biggoron (The Minish Cap)
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