Top 8 Shields in Gaming
The best offense is a good defense, or so they say. Throughout the ages, there have been more than a few iconic and memorable shields found in video games history. Whether the shield has a really iconic look to it, a game changing function, or even just some fun anecdotes pertaining to it, this list aims to share the top 8 shields in gaming.
Spoilers: The Hylian Shield isn’t on here.
Mirror Shield (The Legend of Zelda)
The Hylian Shield might not be on here, but that’s only to make way for Link’s actual best shield: The Mirror Shield. To this day, one of the best puzzles in Ocarina of Time, and in fact other Zelda games that came after was the ability to refract light off of the shiny surface of the Mirror Shield.
A puzzle so iconic that many games copied this mechanic going forward, even outside of the Zelda series in general. Of course the shield was also available in Link to The Past, but I think it’s the light puzzles that really attracted me to this one.
Shield of Chaos (Hades)
…or maybe you’re more familiar with Captain America’s Shield, or the Paladin’s shield tossing abilities from World of Warcraft. Basically a shield in which the wielder uses it like some sort of fucked up shield boomerang cannon.
However, as noted above, the Shield of Chaos from Hades easily takes the cake. None of these other shields can compare to how absurdly broken this flurry of blunt force trauma is, so much so that it can all but trivialize an entire run through the Underworld.
Cranial Buckler (Ragnarok Online)
The shield in question here is a simple buckler, one of the earliest and weakest shields in this ancient MMO. However an important thing to note about this buckler is that it’s slotted, therefore you can insert a card into it.
The card system in RO lets you enhance slotted equipment with some wildly game changing effects and abilities. In this case we’re putting a Thara Frog Card into the buckler. This gives it the prefix “Cranial”.
What does all of this amount to? It reduces damage from Demihuman monsters by 30%. And the reason this is so important? Ragnarok Online has a huge emphasis on PVP, and for some reason other players count as “Demihuman” so essentially you’re taking 30% less damage from players.
It’s… a big deal. Trust me.
Energy Shield (Various Games)
Whether you’ve seen it in Overwatch, Paladins, or many other sci-fi meets fantasy games, the concept of the “Energy Shield” is a fun one indeed. Instead of a shield being made out of the typical solid metals we’re used to, we’re instead treated to some sort of fancy energy barrier but for your hands.
On that note, a special mention to Halo’s Bubble Shield which is… not a shield at all, but just a big energy dome.
Huh.
Phalanx (Demon’s Souls)
Phalanx isn’t so much a shield as it is… a boss monster. Yes, you heard me.
The iconic first boss of Demon’s Souls is an amalgamation of black ooze and battered shields that form the first memorable encounters of many for the years to come. The Phalanx isn’t the hardest boss around, especially if you have some Pine Resin lying around — but it’s still an inherently fascinating boss encounter none the less.
Paladin Shield (Final Fantasy VI)
Now this is a fun one. The Paladin Shield isn’t the most obvious piece of equipment to find in Final Fantasy VI, but it is easily one of the best.
To start with you need to acquire the Cursed Shield, an incredibly shitty shield in fact, that causes all manner of status ailments to the wielder. Next you have to have it equipped for exactly 256 battles. (It’s an old video game thing, don’t worry about it.)
Once you complete your tedious task of 256 battles with this worthless piece of scrap, it will magically transform into the Paladin Shield. Not only is this the best shield in FFVI, but it’s also the only other method of learning the spell “Ultima” which is the best magic spell in the game.
As an aside, this also allows you to take the Ragnarok Sword, instead of the Ragnarok Esper, which is the other, *normal* way of learning Ultima. And Ragnarok is one of the best weapons in the game too. So it’s a win-win!
Except for those 256 battles I guess…
Charge Blade (Monster Hunter)
Is it a shield, or a sword? Better! It’s both!
Oh, also, it’s an axe too? Sure!
The Charge Blade has to be one of the most innovative and iconic weapons from the Monster Hunter franchise. It’s an extremely tricky weapon to master, but the sheer design of the thing, it’s mechanics, and in fact the very mechanical nature that it works by incorporating its phial system is nothing short of an artistic flex from the geniuses over at Capcom.
I’m terrible with this thing, but it’s cool as hell, so screw it!
Grass Crest Shield (Dark Souls)
And last, but certainly not least we have the very unassuming Grass Crest Shield from the Dark Souls trilogy. Stylish? This is not. The Grass Crest Shield is probably the most boring looking shield on this entire list. It’s not even the most durable shield you can pick up in the series either, making for a rather subpar piece of defensive equipment.
However, it’s special attribute that increases the player’s stamina recovery while it’s equipped easily makes it one of the most essential pieces of equipment in the entire series. There really isn’t a character that wouldn’t benefit in some way from this shield.
