Hidden in plain sight, the Royal Shield is one of Tears of the Kingdom’s strongest early-game finds-a sturdy, gleaming defense that can carry you through Hyrule’s toughest battles long before you expect it.
Players can find the Royal Shield in a buried treasure chest in the southwest corner of Central Hyrule. The location is west of Hopper Pond and almost directly south of Riogok Shrine in Hyrule Field. Its specific coordinates are (-1454, -1772, 0147). All you need is Link’s Ultrahand ability to pull it from the ground.
The royal shield of Tears of the Kingdom is just like the royal shield from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that players could get through Selmie’s shield-surfing minigame.
The royal shield has a 55 strength and 29 durability rating. It’s made of metal and will attract lightning if equipped during a thunderstorm, and will sink in water. Like other weapons and shields in Tears of the Kingdom, it degrades and will break, but is still worth going out of your way early on to acquire.
Where exactly is Hopper Pond and how to dig up the Royal Shield
Hopper Pond is on the Great Plateau, at its northwest side, just west of the Forest of Spirits in Central Hyrule.
How to find Hopper Pond
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From the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau, go north into the forested area (Forest of Spirits).
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Keep heading northwest; Hopper Pond is a small, shallow lake surrounded by trees near the edge of the Plateau.
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On your map it will show as “Hopper Pond” once you get close enough for the name to appear.
Digging up the Royal Shield there
The specific buried Royal Shield near Hopper Pond is tied to the guide you mentioned and works like other “in the ground” chests:
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Go to the southwest side of Central Hyrule near Hopper Pond; look for a small body of water or a patch of discolored ground that looks like something is buried.
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Stand over the suspicious spot and use Ultrahand to scan for an interactable object under the surface; you should see a chest outline appear slightly below ground or underwater.
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Grab the chest with Ultrahand and pull it up out of the dirt or water.
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Open the chest and you’ll receive the Royal Shield (55 defense).
If you have trouble spotting the exact tile, slowly sweep Ultrahand over the pond’s bottom and nearby shore; the chest will “snap” to your cursor once you pass over it.
What enemies are around Hopper Pond
Around Hopper Pond in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll mainly see low-to-mid tier monsters plus a couple of serious threats nearby.
Enemies right at Hopper Pond
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A Bokoblin camp is set up on the shore of the pond, with several standard Bokoblins using basic gear (Boko Clubs, Boko Bows, Boko Shields) and cooking Seared Steak. Clearing them unlocks a small chest.
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At night, once that camp is cleared, the pond itself becomes quiet and generally does not spawn additional enemies directly in the water.
Dangerous enemies close by
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Just east of Hopper Pond, down a short slope, is an arena-style area containing a Stone Talus, which acts as a mini-boss and can be tough early on.
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To the west of Hopper Pond there is a fixed Gloom Spawn location (the “gloom hands”), making the wider area hazardous if you stray into the trees on that side.
So for early farming around Hopper Pond, watch for the Bokoblin camp at the water’s edge, the Stone Talus directly east, and avoid wandering too far west unless you are ready to deal with Gloom Spawn.
