Combat inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcan be frantic and solely offensive. However, having a good defensive strategy and a strong shield can make all the difference in battle, even when confronting multiple enemies. In some circumstances, masteringhow to dodge and parrycan be a matter of life and death. Now that Link has the ability to fuse items to his shields inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there are a lot of combinations to discover.
Looking at the number of items Link amasses in his inventory, players may find picking something to fuse with a shield overwhelming. But a few materials provide genuine benefits to Link’s offensive and defensive capabilities, whether equipping the equivalent of a smoke bomb or transforming the shield into a mode of transport.
Updated on Jun 18, 2025, by Alexandra O’Leary:Although it was released almost a year ago, Tears of the Kingdomis still going strong as an immensely popular and talked-about game. There’s so much content that, even now, players are finding creative ways to explore, fight and build. TheFuse abilitygives players so much range to invent new weapons and shields that there are seemingly endless ways to battle monsters and protect Link from harm. Combined with the vast materials available to collect, the possibilities are limited only by imagination. Whether it’s extra defense or offensive power players are after, there are a lot of shield combinations available.
16Shock Emitter
Shock Enemies Away
Attaching a Shock Emitter to a shield is one of the best ways to buy time if Link is in the middle of a fight. Shocking an enemy will give players a chance to get their bearings or run away if they’re overwhelmed. It’s also a good way to portion out enemies if there’s a big group.
Upon impact, a Shock Emitter will deal a bit of damage and occupy an enemy for a moment, which gives Link time to land a few hits. Lower enemies can easily be defeated without Link ever lowering his shield, which can be a good way to preserve weapons for an important fight and make the most of low-level shields. They can be found in various Zonai dispensers around the map - including inside the Zonai Forge island.
15Red Chuchu Jelly
Deal Fire Damage while Defending
Red Chuchu Jellyis a great material to Fuse with a shield. If struck by an enemy, the jelly will explode and deal fire damage to surrounding enemies. This makes it extra useful against ice enemies - although it’s worth noting that once it explodes, a new jelly will need to be fused to the shield.
Red Chuchu Jelly is dropped by Red Chuchus, which are found around Eldin and hot areas of Hyrule. Players can also apply fire to normal Chuchu Jelly to make it Red. It’s useful if Link finds himself overwhelmed by a few enemies since the jelly will explode and hit any nearby monsters. Also, upon impact, if the fire catches any grass it will cause an upward gust of wind which can help Link escape a tight spot, or get airborne for players who prefer to use their bow and arrow.
14Spring
Bounce Back Enemies
Attaching a Zonai Spring to a shield is a very useful way to crowd-control enemies or get rid of monsters players don’t feel like fighting. If a monster strikes a shield that’s been fused with a spring, it will be flung back. This gives Link time to run or strike a few times before the monster recovers.
It’s also particularly helpful if the monsters are near any cliffs since a well-aimed defense can knock the enemy off the cliff and save Link the hassle of defeating it. Springs can be found in multiple Zonai devices around Hyrule, including the one near Josiu Shrine in North Necluda Sky Archipelago.
13Brightbloom
Quick Light Resource
Brightblooms are invaluable while traversing the Depths, particularly when Link first ventures down there. But at early points in the game, players will likely be unprepared and soon run out of arrows. While players can throw Brightblooms to guide their way, they may have yet to realize Brightbloom can be fused to a shield.
When executing a parry with a shield that has a Brightbloom attached, the hit will distribute the flower onto the ground to light up the area. This can be helpful if players have come across an enemy (or a group of enemies) in the dark and haven’t had enough time to light up the area yet.
12Splash Fruit
Add Damage to Water Warrior Weapons
TheSplash Fruithas more uses than many players may have realized. Throwing a Splash Fruit in front of Link will produce the drench effect. This can add double damage to Zora weapons via the Water Warrior passive effect, or cool Link down in hot areas such as the Gerudo desert.
To be extra safe in these areas (i.e., when Link isn’t wearing the right gear), players can fuse a Splash Fruit to a shield so that as their drenched state, they reapply it to Link by parrying an enemy.
11Shock Fruit
Extra Damage and Time to Evaluate
Shock fruit can be the perfect option when players feel overwhelmed, or just need a moment to get a handle on the situation. These yellow lemon-like fruits will electrify anything that hits it, including enemies who collide with Link’s shield. If players find themselves up against too many enemies, it can be the best move in order to get away.
Enemies cannot strike Link while they’re being electrocuted, which gives Link a few seconds of grace until they bounce back from the hit. They can mostly be found in the Gerudo desert area and East Necluda. It’s a good idea to stock up on shock fruit whenever it is encountered since it can be one of the more difficult to find - but is certainly more plentiful than some other items.
10Metal Spikes
Damage with Defending
Fusing metal spikes into a shield can be incredibly useful when trying to keep an enemy away from Link while also defending him from attacks. Most spikes in the game have a solid knock-back effect, and enemies that are struck by Link’s shield will also be dealt a decent amount of damage.
Although there are other items that might do more in the way of damage, the spikes add an extra bit of security for Link when using his shield, and those good at parrying with it could easily win a battle this way. These rectangle metal spike plates can be found in some monster camps, or attached to some Zonai vehicles, but the easiest way to get them is to purchase them from the Yiga Clan Hideout once Link has the entire Yiga Clan uniform. Players should note that metal spikes cannot be placed in Link’s inventory, so they’ll have to be fused with a shield there and then.
9White Chuchu Jelly
Freezes Enemies Solid
Fusing white chuchu jelly to a shield may not seem like a clever use of the item, but it’s actually one of the best choices during combat. Striking ice chuchu jelly will cause it to explode and release a cloud of cold that will freeze enemies solid. They won’t stay frozen forever, but those few seconds can either allow Link to get away or re-evaluate his tactics.
It also gives players a great opportunity to deal some big damage, especially since hitting a frozen enemy will shatter the ice and send the enemy sprawling. It’s important to note that field bosses/bigger enemies will not be frozen, but will still do damage. Obviously, these are collected by defeating Ice Chuchus, which can mainly be found in the cold Hebra areas and the Gerudo Highlands.
8Puffshroom
Conceals Link From Enemies
Puffshrooms are a welcome addition toTears of the Kingdom, enabling players to use a smoke bomb to counteract the abundance of enemies in Hyrule. Puffshrooms are particularly helpful with large groups of Bokoblins or Moblins, in addition torare and powerful enemieslike the White-Maned Lynel and King Gleeok, as they can provide Link with a quick getaway. Puffshrooms are great to throw or fuse to an arrow, but they can also be beneficial when combined with a shield.
When Link deploys his shield with a Puffshroom attached, whatever hits the shield (whether that be a blow, charge, or arrow), the Puffshroom will explode and emit a shroud of smoke to temporarily blind enemies. If close to an enemy, this allows Link to use a flurry of blows before the smoke dissipates. Likewise, if triggered by an arrow, players can quickly leave the area to find a different approach.
7Flame Emitter
Deals Significant Damage while Defending
Flame Emitters can be found early on inTears of the Kingdomand are used to introduce offensive Zonai Devices on the Great Sky Island. They can be found lying around in certain areas, in addition totwo Zonai Device Dispensersnear the Gutanbac Shrine and the Nachoyah Shrine.
When Link deploys a Flame Emitter Shield, it will turn the device on and produce a long flamethrower in whichever direction he is facing. This can be a great tool against a powerful enemy with little hearts and weak weapons. The Flame Emitter Shield can deal significant damage when focused in one direction and prevent an enemy from advancing on Link for a short period.
