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Not to be confused with Parry Attack, an ability featured in The Wind Waker.

The Parry,(BotW)[3] also known as the Shield Attack,(TP)[4] and the Shield Bash,(SS)[5] is a recurring ability in The Legend of Zelda series.

Overview[]

Twilight Princess[]

The Shield Attack is the second Hidden Skill that Link can learn. This Hidden Skill lets Link bash the enemy with his Shield to open their defenses. The Shield Attack can be learned by first finding the Howling Stone located on the trail leading to Death Mountain.[6] Howling at the Howling Stone awakens the White Wolf, who joins in howling with Wolf Link. After howling with the White Wolf, the White Wolf instructs Link to find him while in human form and marks where he will wait on Link's Map.[7] Once Link returns to human form, he can find the White Wolf waiting at the Ordon Spring. Approaching the White Wolf can return Link to the clouded area where he can find the Hero's Spirit and learn the Shield Attack.

To perform the Shield Attack on the GameCube version, Link must get close enough to the enemy while targeting it and then press the R-Button, which will cause the enemy to lower its defense and thus allow Link to attack the foe with another skill, such as the Helm Splitter.[8][2] In the Wii version of Twilight Princess, this Hidden Skill can be executed by thrusting the Nunchuk forward.[9]

Other than bringing the enemy's defenses down, the Shield Attack can also be used to deflect certain enemy projectiles.[9][10]

Skyward Sword[]

Link can learn the Shield Bash ability after first acquiring a Shield.[11] The Knight Commander, Eagus teaches Link this ability at the Sparring Hall.[12] To perform the Shield Bash, Link must ready his Shield right before an enemy attacks him. The force from his Shield arm will repel the enemy's attack.[13] The Shield Bash gives Link an opening to strike his opponent.[5] The technique is useful against enemies who throw weapons or refuse to give an opening.[14] Using the Shield Bash to parry an attack requires perfect timing in battle.[15] Link can practice this ability on the Defense-Practice Log in the Sparring Hall.[16]

Breath of the Wild[]

Link can Parry by readying his Shield with ZL and pressing the A button in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. By Parrying at the right time - just before an attack makes contact with his shield - Link can execute a Perfect Guard, which will unbalance Enemies and redirect projectiles without causing damage to the shield. Nearly every form of attack in both Breath of the Wild can be parried, even things like explosions and Lynel fireballs, which will pass through Link without causing damage. This technique is particularly useful against Guardians, as it will reflect their beam attack directly back at them and deal 500 damage.

Tears of the Kingdom[]



Parrying is largely the same in Tears of the Kingdom as it was in Breath of the Wild. One key difference, however, is that using Fuse to combine Link's shields with certain Materials can produce additional effects. For example, if Link is using a Lynel shield or a shield with a sharp object fused to it, the shield itself can deal damage if it makes contact with an enemy.

Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageName
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

See Also[]

References

  1. "But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you...the ending blow." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess HD)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do it no harm. When facing such a foe, you must use [ZR] to thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy, causing the fiend to recoil." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess HD)
  3. "Parry" — Ability Controls (Breath of the Wild)
  4. "Very well. My second skill is... The shield attack! Let it be hewn into your mind!" — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess HD)
  5. 5.0 5.1 "This technique is called a shield bash, and it will make the enemy recoil, giving you an opening in which to attack." — Eagus (Skyward Sword HD)
  6. "Search for the statues that howl with the sound of the wind. Seek the sound that calls the spirit of the beast to awaken me again." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess HD)
  7. "Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me..." — White Wolf (Twilight Princess HD)
  8. "What ails you? You cannot shield-attack with [R] unless you lock on with [L] first! Get closer to your foe and shield-attack with [R]!" — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess)
  9. 9.0 9.1 "While [Z]-targeting your enemy, thrust the Nunchuk forward to shove with your shield. You can also reflect your foe's projectiles!" — N/A (Twilight Princess)
  10. "The shield attack I just taught you can also be used to repel an enemy's projectile attacks." — Hero's Spirit (Twilight Princess HD)
  11. "... Get a shield and come back here! Then I'll be able to teach you the secrets of defense!..." — Eagus (Skyward Sword)
  12. "If you're not sure how to use a shield, Knight Commander Eagus at the Sparring Hall will happily teach you." — Owlan (Skyward Sword)
  13. "If you ready your shield before an enemy attacks you, the force from your shield arm will repel the enemy's attack." — Eagus (Skyward Sword)
  14. "This technique is very useful against enemies who throw weapons at you or just refuse to give you an opening for attack." — Eagus (Skyward Sword)
  15. "In a real battle, pulling off a defensive shield maneuver requires perfect timing. Believe me, you really don't want to miss." — Eagus (Skyward Sword)
  16. "Why don't you put what you learned to use with that defense-practice log?" — Eagus (Skyward Sword)
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