Legend of Zelda’s Mirror Shield Is Never As Cool As It Could Be

Various items usually play an important role in game progression in The Legend of Zelda series. Up until Breath of the Wild nearly every The Legend of Zelda game had progression gated by certain items acquired in each dungeon. Each item is typically required to defeat its respective Zelda dungeon’s boss. Unfortunately this means some items which come later in a game don’t have the opportunity to be used much before the credits roll. One such item consistently unable to realize its full potential in The Legend of Zelda series is the Mirror Shield.

The Mirror Shield makes many appearances across the series, and is always the final shield obtained by Link. Its main purpose tends to be acting as the key item in solving puzzles involving beams of light that need to be redirected. These are sometimes The Legend of Zelda’s more satisfying puzzles to solve, especially in Wind Waker where Medli’s harp acts as a second Mirror Shield, and the two need to be combined with other movable reflective surfaces. However, outside of some reflection puzzles, the Mirror Shield rarely offers any other benefit to gameplay.

The Mirror Shield in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is actually a detriment to Link in some (admittedly very small) ways. Certain projectiles, such as those shot at Link by Deku Scrubs, are destroyed upon contact with the Mirror Shield instead of being reflected back at the shooter. There are very few instances in the series where the Mirror Shield is compellingly used outside of its normal light-reflecting gimmicks, including a peak into the shield’s true potential in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

In Zelda Games, The Mirror Shield Should Always Be Able to Absorb Magic

The Mirror Shield in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is found in the Spirit Temple, often the last dungeon completed by players before confronting Ganondorf in his castle. During the boss fight with Twinrova, the Mirror Shield is used in two ways. The first is when the sisters are separated, and their individual beams must be reflected toward the other by angling the shield properly. When the sisters are later fused into one, though, Link must use the Mirror Shield to absorb their magic projectiles (three of each kind in a row) and fire it back at them.

The Mirror Shield actually has this ability in The Minish Cap, but the item can only be obtained after the final boss has already been defeated. Giving Link the power to absorb magical projectiles and eventually fire them back could be a useful mechanic for late game enemies if implemented properly. Simply letting The Legend of Zelda’s Mirror Shield do all the work might be too easy, but having the returned projectiles stun an enemy might help with some more difficult encounters, and make one of the more iconic Legend of Zelda items more useful.

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