Fan Makes Awesome Custom Wind Waker Shields

The Wind Waker has some of the most aesthetically interesting items and weapons in the entire Zelda series. This fact did not go unnoticed by artist Soren Kalla, who lovingly crafted both the Hero’s Shield and Mirror Shield as they appeared in the GameCube classic. The detail and craftsmanship on these shields are simply amazing, and Kalla was kind enough to include step-by-step images on her Imgur page.

Soren Kalla, who also designed the beautiful Hylian Court playing card set, set out to create Wind Waker‘s Hero Shield and Mirror Shield with the help of a laser cutter, some patience, and boundless artistry. The artist explained that the Hero’s Shield was created first; she utilized a laser cutter to construct the shield designs and then set out to build the base. Because the Hero’s Shield is curved, hinges and a lot of bondo were used to give the shield that trademark curve. After bordering, Kalla painted the shield and assembled the designs on its front. The artist explained that Rustoleum “Hammered” spray paint was used to give the shield’s border the metal look.

Next came the Mirror Shield, which Kalla excitingly explained used a special material known as Mirrored acrylic. This material is “super light weight, hard to break, 100% reflective, AND IT WORKS WITH A LASER CUTTER GUYSSS^[sic].” The artist assembled and painted this shield like she did the Hero’s Shield, and finally attached the mirrored design to the front. Lastly, specialized handles were made and the shields were complete. Looking at pictures of the Mirror Shield in action is absolutely amazing, as it reflects light just like in the game.

You can view all the steps taken to make these shield’s on Soren Kalla’s Imgur. Also, you can see all of her artwork on the artist’s Tumblr and website. The Hylian Court playing cards are available for purchase there as well.

What do you think of the shields? Would you consider making your own someday? Let us know!

Source: Imgur (Soren Kalla)

Rod Lloyd

Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net