How to unlock Soldier armor - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Increase Link's armor rating by equipping the full set of Soldier armor.

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The Soldier armor in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a great set to get pretty early on in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This three-piece set will boosts Link’s armor rating up to 12, ensuring he’s able to survive far easier than with the basic tunic he starts with. The good news is that the Soldier set can be acquired from the first town you enter, Lookout Landing.

How to unlock Soldier armor

The Soldier armor is hidden in three chests through a hole in the wall in the emergency shelter below Lookout Landing. When you first reach Lookout Landing, speak to everyone you can to progress the story to the point where Link can talk to the soldier in the center of town. Doing this will grant Link access to the shelter.

Once inside the shelter, speak with the lady who is sweeping the floor. Now, go out and do some adventuring and return later. There will be a hole in the wall and speaking with the lady will begin the quest, Who Goes There? Though this quest is for accessing a demon statue, it’s needed in order for the hole to appear.

Link runs toward a hole in the wall in the emergency shelter

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The hole leads to a massive underground network of tunnels that are blocked every 10 feet by boulders that can be smashed. You will need plenty of weapons with rocks attached to them, Bomb Flowers, or basically anything that can destroy rocks.

Link stands ready to fight a Like Like
Defeat the Like Like then jump onto the ledge above it and bash through the rocks.
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Link stands near some boulders, a doorway to his left
Break up the boulders to reveal a doorway that leads to the first piece of the Soldier armor.
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Go into the hole and destroy the rocks on the left and follow the tunnel. Defeat the Like Like and then smash through the rocks above it. Break the mound of rocks on the ground near the brickwork to reveal a door. Inside is a Like Like defending a chest which contains the Soldier’s Greaves (-0307, 0281, -0006).

Link runs across a natural bridge toward blue rocks

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Continue along the main path by smashing the blue rocks. Cross the land bridge and smash through the next blue rocks. The path will spiral down to water. Swim to the shore to find a massive pile of rocks – inside is a mini boss that you don’t have to defeat.

Link swims toward a door, an arrow points the way
Head through the door and defeat the icy Like Like to reach the chest.
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On the eastern side of the cavern is another brickwork tunnel blocked by boulders. Use Bomb Flowers to blow it up or stand on the rocks and smash through. Inside is the next piece of the Soldier armor, the Soldier’s Helm (-0230, 0468, -0039).

Link stands on a rock looking at a tunnel in the distance
Swim through the water to the tunnel ahead.
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Link runs across a path, rocks glow over the ledge
In the cavern with the glowing rocks, continue along the ledge.
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Back in the main cavern, go north through the tunnel blocked by blue rocks. You’ll find yourself on a ledge with glowing rocks on your left. Continue straight, destroying the blue rocks in front of you and then you’ll spot another mound of brown rocks. Smash them to enter the final barracks.

Link uses Ultrahand to pick up a rock, revealing a hole in the ground
Use Ultrahand to move the rock. Drop into the tunnel and use Ascend to reach the chest.
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The chest is behind a gate on the left. Go into a room on the right, lift the stone out of the floor, drop down into the tunnel and use Ascend to get into the room with the chest. Inside is the last piece, the Soldier’s Armor (-0267, 0638, -0035).

There is plenty more to explore in this cave system, including a whole lot of offshoots on the way down to the final piece of armor. Continuing deeper into the cave will reveal a tree root system that leads up into the walls of Castle Hyrule. Next, you should consider finding the Tunic of the Depths to help Link defend against the Gloom. Find more helpful walkthroughs in our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Strategy Guide.

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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