Before you get your Sword, you’ll need a Shield. However, don’t worry if you lose it during your journey. There are multiple ways to get a Shield in Link’s Awakening, and you can even upgrade them later on as well.
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Get a Shield From Tarin in Marin’s House
When the game truly begins after the opening cutscene, you’ll be in Marin and Tarin’s house. You can talk to Marin to learn a bit about your surroundings and to get a hint about the location of your Sword. Though, you can also talk to Tarin, who will give you a Shield.
This is an important step when you’re getting started in Link’s Awakening. This is due to the fact that you need to use a Shield to push Sea Urchins out of your way in order to reach your Sword.
When You’ll Need a New Shield
The only time you’ll really need to get another Shield is if your original gets eaten by a Like Like. You can kill that same Like Like to get your Shield back, however, if you leave the screen or turn off your game before you get your Shield back, it will disappear for good!
Buying a Shield From the Town Tool Shop
If you walk into the Town Tool Shop, there will be a Shield for sale on the westmost spot. The Shield will cost 20 Rupees, making it very affordable (unlike the overpriced Deluxe Shovel).
There does not seem to be any spawning criteria for the Shield in the Town Tool Shop. This means can always find one here if your old Shield gets eaten by a Like Like.
Winning a Shield From Trendy Game
You can also win a Shield from Trendy Game, however, only when you can’t carry any more Figures. If you have a Figure in your inventory, you cannot hold another one. This means that the game will prevent you from getting more by not spawning new Figures in Trendy Game.
In place of the Figures that normally spawn on the eastern moving platform, there will be a Shield. If you’re good at using the claw in Trendy Game, you can use this method to get a new Shield for half the price of buying one at the Town Tool Shop. Just pay 10 Rupees for a Trendy Game attempt and then reach forth to snare your prize!
How To Upgrade Your Shield to the Mirror Shield
The only way to upgrade your Shield in Link’s Awakening is to acquire the Mirror Shield from Level 7 – Eagle’s Tower. Doing so will let your Shield reflect beam attacks as well as other magical projectiles. The Mirror Shield can even deflect fire—which is a trick you’ll need to use to reach Level 8 – Turtle Rock.
However, Like Likes can still eat your Mirror Shield! Thankfully, you can also still get it back by slaying the offending Like Like. Furthermore, after obtaining the Mirror Shield, you can get a replacement very easily. The Town Tool Shop and Trendy Game will both now have replacement Mirror Shields. Although, for the latter, you’ll still need to trigger its spawning criteria.
