Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Across pop-culture, from games to comic books, shields can define our heroes as much as their swords. This is our definitive list of the best and most iconic shields today.
Hylian Shield (The Legend of Zelda)
Maybe one of the most iconic shields or pieces of equipment in the history of video games; the Hylian Shield is Link’s famous off-hand companion. Adorned with the quintessential triforce and redbird, the shield is of the “heater” style and made of some kind of metal.
Used primarily for defensive purposes throughout the Zelda series, the shield has been known to possess some brutal attack moves. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a special move can be unlocked that allows Link to thrust his shield into an enemy — Dazing and leaving them defenseless for subsequent attacks.
Captain America’s Shield (Marvel vs Capcom)
Used as his primary weapon, the legendary stars and stripes shield belongs to Marvel’s Captain America. Created by Dr. Myron MacLain and later given to Captain America by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the shield was forged with indestructible metal alloys. It also dominates in Marvel vs Capcom.
Whether it be for protection from killing blows or thrown to subdue enemies, this shield is the embodiment of Captain America.
Bubble Shield (Halo)
A sphere with a honeycomb pattern, the Bubble Shield is translucent with a golden sheen. It’s attributes possess a force field that can let players and vehicles through, but not projectiles. Seems like an unfair item to have in a game… the catch? The bubble shield can only exist for 20 seconds.
Wonder Woman’s Shield (Injustice: Gods Among Us)
While not the most flashiest weapon in Wonder Woman’s Injustice: God’s Among Us inventory, her shield has been seen more often in Batman vs. Superman and the upcoming Wonder Woman movie.
The shield itself is similar to her sword, engraved with ancient greek text and references to her origin. A classical look, the round shield possesses a range of magical abilities
Daedric Shield (Skyrim)
From the Elder Scrolls universe, the Daedric armor set is one of the coolest looking collections of heavy armor. Perhaps the most standout piece from the set is the Daedric Shield — usually dark in color (red or black) and most recently shaped like a wing of a dragon, the shield can instill fear into any foe.
Greatshield of Artorias (Dark Souls)
Considered by some to be the best shield in Dark Souls, the Greatshield of Artorias is one of the most badass shields on this list. The daunting size, coupled with it’s intimidating colors make it a classic heavily sought after Dark Souls item.
Besides possessing aesthetics that most Dark Souls players look for, it’s practicality is almost unmatched. It holds it’s own in battle and is one of the best shields for stability and resistances.
Aegis Shield (Final Fantasy)
Perhaps better known for its origin in Greek mythology, the Aegis Shield is also a popular recurring equipment item in the Final Fantasy series. Keeping to its mythological origin, the shield in the series is mostly seen with caricatures of Medusa and gold stylings.
Scorpion Shield (God of War)
Sticking to the Greek theme, another shield wielding mythic hero makes our list — Perseus is best known for possessing a shield that was able to defeat the Gorgon Medusa, and Kratos is best known for defeating literally all every Greek god he could find.
Known as the “Scorpioch Shield” in the non-gaming mythos, Perseus used a shield that was created from a scorpion carapace. In God of War 2, Kratos… uh… “borrows” the shield to do his own slaying.
Shield Knight (Shovel Knight)
One of the main characters of the amazing platforming/action-adventure game Shovel Knight, Shield Knight proves that sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Her shields don’t just deflect projectiles, they crush foes completely!
Ballistic Shield (The Division)
One of the newest shields on the scene — The security tree’s seldom used Ballistic shield is used along with a player’s sidearm to dispatch foes in The Division.
Once deployed, the shield becomes a bullet sponge and a great tool for players to get up close and personal to NPC’s or other players in the Dark Zone.
That concludes the list! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did making it!