Recurring enemies in The Legend of Zelda series

This article describes several types of fictional enemy creatures encountered in The Legend of Zelda series of video games.

While many enemies can be killed solely with Link's sword, others require the use of specific items to eliminate.^[1] In addition, starting with The Wind Waker, some enemies wield weapons such as swords or lit torches that can be used by Link after destroying the enemy. These items serve a single use and eliminate other obstacles by means such as smashing open a doorway or burning down a blocked passage.^[2] Specific enemies also hold key items that can be obtained by either killing the monster or using the grappling hook.^[3]

Creation and influence

Enemies in The Legend of Zelda series first appeared as basic, combatant obstacles in The Legend of Zelda. Although initially conveyed as two-dimensional sprites,^[4] in the newer games, starting with Ocarina of Time, they are rendered by 3D computer graphics.^[5]

Enemy types

Armos

Armos are living statue enemies. According to The Minish Cap, they were created to guard the Wind Tribe, and there is a Minish-sized chamber inside them where they can be turned on or off. They typically pose as statues or suits of armor, but attack when approached. Some Armos statues are inanimate and can be moved like blocks. There is a larger, stronger variety of Armos known as Armos Knights, which first appeared as a collective boss in A Link to the Past.^[6] In the The Wind Waker, both the standard Armos and the Armos Knights appear as common enemies. To defeat the standard Armos, an arrow had to be shot into the pink gem that was in the Armos' back or slash at it with a sword. After damaging this gem, the Armos will spin around, chasing Link for a few seconds, then explode, inflicting damage to Link if he is within range of the explosion. To defeat the Armos Knights, a bomb had to be thrown into their open mouth (which opened periodically). While the Armos Knight is dying, they, too chase Link for a few seconds before exploding. In Twilight Princess, they are hammer-wielding statues that can only be harmed from behind. There were also enemies called Titan Armos that were supposed to appear in the game but cut in the final release.

Majora's Mask featured another variety known as Death Armos, which hovered around and attacked by slamming into the floor. They could be turned upside-down using Light Arrows—similar to the effect Light Arrows had on Stone Tower Temple, where the Death Armos dwelled—causing them to damage their vulnerable heads on the floor with the proper timing.

Beamos

Beamos are one of the more common enemies in The Legend of Zelda series. The Beamos is typically a type of pillar-mounted mechanical eye that rotates 360 degrees in search of intruders. If the Beamos spots an intruder it will fire a beam while the target is in view, and will either continue to rotate or track the target to keep it in view. In A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons, it is invulnerable, but in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, it can be defeated by setting explosives or by firing an arrow into its "eye". The beam can generally be reflected with the Mirror Shield. In Ocarina of Time, Beamos can fire both a beam that knocks Link back and a beam that inflicts damage.

Beamos in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are strange biological creatures which fire a laser out of the pupil opposed to those in Twilight Princess which are monolithic constructs which project a fiery beam from a vertical slot below the "eye". In addition, the organic beamos in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Skyward Sword explode once defeated, while those in Twilight Princess merely become inactive stone pillars.

Beetle

There are two different variations of the Beetle in the Zelda series. Spiked Beetles have sword-repellent spiked carapaces on their top side to protect their vulnerable undersides, though Link can flip them over by bumping them with his shield. They appear in most handheld Zelda games. Hardhat Beetles have elastic carapaces covering their body that they use to knock Link away. In Skyward Sword, the beetle is a type of item that the user can use to pick up and drop bombs, collect Rupees and hearts, flick switches, kill enemies, perform reconnaissance, and for several other purposes.

Biri

Biri are electrified jellyfish that can live in or out of water, and appear in A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Oracle of Ages. They often split into smaller Biri when attacked. In the Game Boy Advance remake of A Link to the Past, they guard Arrghus in the Palace of the Four Sword.

Bari are larger Biri that appear in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. In Ocarina of Time, it behaves similarly to the Biri.

Bubble

Bubbles (also known as Anti-Fairies or Wisps) are skull enemies. If one touches Link, it will usually cause a certain status effect depending on what type of Bubble it is. They can come in different colorations, with slight differences. The two normal types of Bubbles asides from the standard one are fire and ice. If a Fire Bubble touches Link, it will set Link on fire for a short amount of time. If an Ice Bubble touches Link, it will freeze Link for a short amount of time. In 'Majora's Mask', there is a new type of Bubble, a Cursed Bubble. If a Cursed Bubble touches Link, it will render Link unable to use any items, including his sword for a short amount of time.^[7] In Twilight Princess, they come in 3 different forms, being ice, fire and normal. They resemble skulls while on the ground, and sprout wings when approached.

Buzz Blob

Buzz Blobs first appear in A Link to the Past, and have an appearance similar to a cactus. They electrify anyone who comes too close to them with a piece of steel, but wander around without a motive. Buzz Blobs only appear in the overworld. Sprinkling Magic Powder onto a Buzz Blob transforms it into a creature called Cukeman. The Cukeman gives Link confusing advice about the game and various things in it. However, they are still electrified.

ChuChu

ChuChus (or Chus, in Twilight Princess) are creatures similar to Buzz Blobs that appear in Majora's Mask, Skyward Sword, The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks. In Majora's Mask, they appeared as slug-like creatures with squat, translucent bodies, stalk-eyes, and a permanently smiling mouth, while in The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, and Phantom Hourglass, their design was merged with that of the Buzz Blob, and they had upright, opaque bodies and vibrantly colored faces, giving them a goofy appearance. In The Minish Cap two "giant" ChuChus (Link fights them while shrunk) appear as bosses (A green one as the first boss of that game and a blue one as a mini-boss later on). In Twilight Princess, their design was again changed. They no longer have faces, instead possessing larger, translucent, slug-like bodies, and can combine to form larger Chus. They change again in Skyward Sword, looking a lot more like Gels than they previously did. Their behavior from Twilight Princess has mostly been carried over, however.

They usually drop items upon their defeat, primarily Chu Jelly, which can be used as a restorative. They aggressively attack anything that invades their territory by tackling it, but will hide in puddles on the ground if no one is close. They mostly move by bouncing around, though some move around in their puddle forms until they can get close to an enemy. They also come in a wide variety of colors and types - Green ChuChus can move around as ooze, Gray ChuChus (also known as Spiny ChuChus) can project spikes, Dark ChuChus turn to stone when exposed to light but are otherwise impervious, and Yellow and Blue ChuChus are electrified. In Twilight Princess, there are Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Gold, and Green Chus. When two or more different-colored Chus combine, they become a Purple Chu, with the exception of a Blue-Yellow mix, which produces a green Chu, if you defeat a green Chu and take the chu jelly, if Link drinks it, nothing happens. Skyward Sword has four varieties of Chuchu: green, red, yellow and blue. Green Chuchus are the standard variety, Red Chuchus appear at Eldin Volcano and are more aggressive towards Link, Yellow Chuchus appear in Lanayru Desert and can electrify themselves, and Blue Chuchus are found in underwater areas such as the first room of the Ancient Cistern.

Daira

Daira are humanoid alligators that appear in The Adventure of Link and A Link to the Past. In The Adventure of Link, they wield axes that Link's shield can't block; orange Daira use hand-axes, while red Daira throw them from a distance. In A Link to the Past, one species can throw fireballs from its mouth.

Darknut and Iron Knuckle

Darknuts are large armored soldiers that are commonly found in dungeons. These warriors are armed with swords and often carry shields as well. Unlike Iron Knuckles, Darknuts sometimes wear capes and tend to be only vulnerable from the back. In The Legend of Zelda, Darknuts are heavily armored soldiers that usually appear in large groups. They are not very aggressive, but difficult to attack due to their armor and erratic movement. They can be defeated by the sword or with bombs, and take multiple hits to defeat. They appear in blue and red; the blue ones take twice as many hits to defeat. In The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Darknuts are defeated by counterattacking and removing their armor. Their behavior then becomes much more aggressive. In Twilight Princess, they will throw their broadsword and draw a rapier with which to continue the fight.

A similar enemy to the Darknuts are Iron Knuckles, animated suits of armor that appear in The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. In The Adventure of Link, Iron Knuckles wield a sword and a shield, and can maneuver both of them. In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Iron Knuckles are axe-wielding juggernauts. Though strong, these Iron Knuckles are initially very slow. However, they become swifter as Link damages them and pieces of their armor fall off.

IGN called Darknuts an "infamous Zelda bad guy", describing it as "annoyingly relentless". They further stated that "There are few fights I anticipate more in a Zelda game than the inevitable clash with a Darknut", describing battling with them as "a thrill".^[8][9][10]

Deku Baba

Deku Babas are carnivorous plants, each with a Venus flytrap-like mouth. In some games, their cut stems can be used as Deku Sticks, and they may also yield deku nuts or seeds upon dying. Several different types of these enemies exist in the games. The The Wind Waker contains a more colorful variety, known as a Boko Baba. Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess feature Bio Deku Babas and Deku Serpents, respectively, which will attempt to chase after and attack Link if their stems are severed. Twilight Princess also features Big Deku Babas and Deku Likes, the latter of which has a toothy mouth growing directly out of a leafy base without any stem. Spirit Tracks has Fire Babas which, as their name implies, breathe fire. Deku Baba were also seen in the short demo for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword shown during E3 2010. These Deku Babas' mouths split either vertically or horizontally and the player can only defeat them by slicing their sword in the same direction, similar enemies can be found in Skyward Sword named Quadro Babas, which can change the opening of their mouth, making them somewhat harder to defeat, but are encountered after Deku Babas.

Dodongo

Dodongos are carnivorous saurian beasts^[11] that appear in Zelda games in several different forms. According to Nintendo of America, they resemble gigantic iguanas, move slowly and can breathe powerful blasts of flame.^[12] In many games in which they appear, the main way to defeat Dodongos is to feed them Bombs by dropping or throwing them into their open mouths. They first appeared as both bosses and normal enemies in The Legend of Zelda, then reappeared in different forms in A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords Adventures and Twilight Princess.

In A Link to the Past, Dodongos do not have armor. Dodongos in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are two-legged (while King Dodongo in Ocarina of Time had four legs), fire-breathing creatures. The Gorons in Ocarina of Time use Dodongo hides to make the heat-resistant Goron Tunics,^[13] and mine within Dodongo's Cavern,^[14] once a Dodongo nest, until it is overrun by Dodongos led by King Dodongo.^[15] In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Dimitri is a friendly Dodongo character.^[16] In Twilight Princess, Dodongos are gecko-like creatures that breathe fire but must be defeated by attacking their tail or shooting them in the mouth with an arrow.

Other types of Dodongos include Baby Dodongos, which are infant, worm-like creatures^[17] which explode when attacked, and Big Dodongos, which are larger versions of normal Dodongos.^[18] In Link's Awakening, a creature called the Dodongo Snake is encountered in certain dungeons. Though it bears little resemblance to its namesake, it share the species' trademark weakness of being force-fed Bombs

IGN called it an "awesome lizard dude" and a "deadly, fire-breathing creature", commenting on how awesome the boss fight was.^[19][20]

Gargoyle

Gargoyles are statues found throughout the underworld levels in The Legend of Zelda. The gargoyles that bear resemblance to demons face right, and ones that resemble dragons face left. They emit beams at Link and can only be repelled by a large shield.

Gel

Gels are simple Hershey Kiss-like enemies with two eyes. They often hide between the tiles of dungeon floors, waiting to pop out and jump at Link. Gels first appear in The Legend of Zelda, and appear again in Link's Awakening. Similar enemies called "Bit" and "Bot" appear in The Adventure of Link. A gel-like creature called "Zol" appears in The Legend of Zelda; it splits into two Gels when attacked, like Purple Chus in "Twilight Princess," which split into two smaller Chus when attacked.

Gibdo

Gibdos are undead creatures similar in appearance to Egyptian mummies. They appear in The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess ,and The Minish Cap. Their mummy wrappings are flammable, and sometimes can be burned away to reveal a Stalfos skeleton or ReDead underneath.

Goriya

Goriyas are armored humanoid creatures which appear in caves or dungeons and throw boomerangs. Most are antagonistic, though a friendly one can be found in Link's Awakening and will trade a Boomerang for one of Link's items.

Helmasaur

Helmasaurs (also known as Iron Masks) are small enemies found in A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Four Swords, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, The Minish Cap, and Twilight Princess. They are recognized by their metal masks which protect them from frontal attacks, requiring Link to either attack them from behind or remove the mask to make them vulnerable. An insect-like monster called Hiploop appears in Majora's Mask and wears the same face protectors that Helmasaurs wore. In A Link to the Past, a larger version called the Helmasaur King appears as a boss in the Palace of Darkness dungeon. In the Twilight Princess large Helmasaurs called Helmasauruses appear and have leathery shells which cannot be removed with the Clawshot. In the Four Swords and Minish Cap Helmasur's have a bird-like appearance and wear a steel faceplate resembling a spike, which can be removed with the Magnetic Glove.

IGN called the Helmasaurs "cute little Pokemon look-a-likes", while describing the Helmasaur King as a "brutish beast".^[21]

Keese

Keese are simple bats^[22][23] that appear in almost every Zelda game. They often lurk in caves and dungeons, where they will fly around erratically, and occasionally stop to rest. There are fire, ice and electricity variants, which can respectively light Link on fire, encase him in a block of ice or shock him with electricity. There are also larger "Bad Bats" in Majora's Mask, and demonic "Vires" formed from two bats fused together. In The Adventure of Link, there are bat-like enemies called Aches that serve as the bats of the game. There are also stronger, bipedal Achemen. Skyward Sword introduces a dark variant that can curse Link if it strikes him.

Leever

Leevers are cactus-like monsters that have appeared in almost every Zelda game, excluding only The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword. They primarily live in sandy areas, such as deserts and beaches, and they live beneath the sand, burrowing to the top to attack in ambush. Leevers generally have a conical shape that tapers towards the top, and sharp leaves on top. They attack by spinning rapidly and slamming into whatever they are attacking.

Like Like

Like Likes are cylindrical monsters similar to gelatinous cubes that can suck in creatures as large as humans and consume items they carry, such as tunics, rupees, bottles and shields, the last of which are considered a delicacy. They are present in nearly every Zelda game. The name "Like Like" is derived from an ancient Hylian proverb, "Shield-eaters and world leaders have many likes alike".^[24] If killed quickly enough, they will drop the shield, although in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, it is permanently eaten. Like Likes are yellowish in color and dissolve into a puddle when killed, although sometimes they disappear when killed.

In some Zelda games such as The Minish Cap and A Link Between Worlds, a variant called the Rupee Like appears. It hides underground by using a Rupee attached to its body as bait, then pops out and sucks Rupees from greedy heroes who try to take it.

Like Likes appear in the adventure mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee. They also appear as a trophy in Melee, in which they have the title of "Most Aggravating Enemies Ever", barely beating Wallmasters for the title.

Lizalfos

Lizalfos are humanoid lizards that appear in The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Lizalfos in The Adventure of Link stand upright and wield a shield and either a spear or hammer and possess a similar fighting style to Iron Knuckles, while those in later games are rapid-moving monsters that often attack in pairs or small groups. In Skyward Sword, there are dark versions of Lizalfos that prevent the player from using their sword when they attack the player.

A monster called the Dinalfos, or Dynalfos, is very similar to the Lizard Men, but is larger and tougher. In Twilight Princess Dinalfos wear skulls and armor. Some Dinalfos can also breathe fire.

Lynel

Lynels are centaur-like monsters featured in The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and A Link Between Worlds. Equipped with a sword and shield, Lynels appear in red and blue colours and often dwell in mountainous regions.^[25] They shoot sword beams at Link that can only be blocked by the Magical Shield, making them dangerous at a distance. In A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds, they attack by breathing fire at Link.

Moblin

Moblins (spelled molblins in the original games) are humanoid, bulldog-like monsters that usually reside in forests; their name is derived from "Forest" (森, Mori) and "Goblin". They are sometimes accompanied by Pig Warriors (known in Japan as "Butablin", derived from "Pig" (豕, Buta) and "Goblin"), monsters with the same basic form but more porcine characteristics. These two types of monster were separate up until The Wind Waker, in which Pig Warriors were eliminated and Moblins were given their porcine characteristics. Moblin/Pig Warriors commonly wield spears, swords, or bows. They are one of the most common enemies in the games they appear, and are considered "mighty", but also "dumb".^[26][27] They are described as greedy, self-possessed creatures, and the major antagonist commonly uses them as mercenaries or summoned monsters.^[28] Moblins were originally going to appear in Twilight Princess, but didn't make the final cut. They do appear in Skyward Sword, however: they seem to have reverted to a bulldog-like appearance in this game. They also carry shields: their metal shields are impervious to sword blows, but can be climbed over. In Wind Waker, it is possible to get behind a Moblin and strike him on the butt, sending him into frantic hopping.

Some Moblins are identified as characters in the series, such as the Moblin King (Link's Awakening), the Great Moblin (Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons), Moe (The Wind Waker), and the Monster Lady (The Minish Cap). Miniblins appear in The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. They resemble miniature Moblins, attack with tiny pitchforks, and often appear in unending swarms. Bokoblins are a common enemy in The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. They are smaller than Moblins, at about the same height as a human, but have a larger, snout-like head. In the Wind Waker they are often found at sea in hideouts and are usually purple or green. In the Twilight Princess, Bokoblins are two main types, red and blue, red being the more dangerous. In Skyward Sword, Bokoblins may be either red, green, or blue; another variant called the "Technoblin" also appears in areas affected by Time Stones. Bulblins are a common enemy in Twilight Princess. They are roughly the same as Bokoblins, but smaller and with a squashed face. They seem very militant, as they patrol several encampments across Hyrule, and are often seen riding large brown boars named Bullbos. Their king, King Bulblin, is a recurring boss in the game, and rides the blue Lord Bullbo.

IGN called them "some of the most iconic and creative looking enemies in the series".^[29]

Moldorm

A centipede-like monster, found as a common enemy in many Zelda games. The normal-sized Moldorms (usually called Mini-Moldorms) mainly appear in caves, crawling in a non-linear pattern which makes them hard to strike. Giant Moldorms also appear in some dungeons and bear thick armor that protects them from damage, though the tips of their tails are vulnerable.

IGN called them rude, citing their "unpredictable, kamikaze style of attack".^[30]

Octorok

Octoroks are land-dwelling, octopus-like enemies that appear in every game except Twilight Princess. They attack by shooting rocks from their mouth, which can be blocked with Link's shield. In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, they are aquatic and attack similarly to River Zoras from other games. Octoroks appeared in the adventure mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee. In the Adventure of Link, they attack the same way the snifits do in the NES game Super Mario Bros 2.

There is also a subspecies known as the Sea Octorok that appears in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. It has a different design, with a bony carapace, and dwells solely in the sea. They shoot bombs rather than rocks. Another version of Octorok appears in Spirit Tracks that shoots ink instead. There is also a more benign Octorok in A Link Between Worlds who plays a mini game with Link.

Peahat

Peahats are plant-like enemies that hover using their petals. They have appeared in both 2D and 3D Zelda games. They are described in the manual of The Legend of Zelda as the "ghosts of flowers". In Twilight Princess, they are not enemies but actually help Link, especially in the boss battle against Twilit Dragon Argorok, in the City in the Sky. They are basically objects that Link can grapple onto with a Clawshot. They have the same role in Skyward Sword, where Link is able to use the whip to pull them out of the ground. In Wind Waker there appeared a large, seafaring version of this enemy called Sea Hats.

Poe and Ghini

Poes are ghost enemies, omens of concentrated hatred toward the world that freely roam graveyards and other haunted locales, as well as the overworld and dark places. They always carry their signature lanterns. A similar ghost enemy called Ghini (recognized by their single eye and long tongues) is also known to appear in the 2D games, such as The Legend of Zelda and Link's Awakening.

In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, defeated Poes can be captured in a bottle and traded for Rupees and other benefits. It is revealed in The Wind Waker and Four Swords Adventures that Poes are ruled by Jalhalla, a Poe embodied by a skull-like mask.

In Twilight Princess, Poes are creatures that appear in certain dungeons, caves, and other areas of Hyrule at night. They appear in two varieties: the small, scythe-wielding Imp Poes and the larger, cloaked, standard Poes. About midway through the game, Link meets Jovani, a man who is cursed by Poe Souls, and, by killing Poes, Link can get rewards from him -their role in Twilight Princess being similar to the Gold Skulltulas from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. They are also invisible to Link unless he uses his wolf form's 'sense' ability, but can still be noticed by a lamp they each carry.

IGN commented that as they are "Becoming more and more frightening with every game, it is exciting to imagine how these characters will look in future Zelda games."^[31] Game Informer editor Tim Turi listed Poes among the top 10 ghosts, and suggested that the fact Poes become invisible while targeted in Ocarina of Time is a homage to Boos from the Mario series.^[32]

Pols Voice

Pols Voice is a breed of rabbit-like monster, described in the manual of The Legend of Zelda as "a ghost with big ears", that appear in many 2D games of The Legend of Zelda series. They hop around rooms in an erratic pattern.

A passage in the manual for The Legend of Zelda states that Pols Voices hate loud noises, referring to a feature only present in the Japanese version of the game which involved the microphone built into the Famicom controller. As such, it was replaced with different weaknesses in other versions of the game, namely shooting an arrow will defeat it instantly. This feature was brought back when the monster appeared in Phantom Hourglass, and is referenced in its appearances in the Game Boy Color games by being vulnerable to the use of musical instruments.

HORSE the band, which often references Nintendo in their songs, has written a song titled "Pol's Voice" (2003) which features a fight against a Pols Voice.

Puffstool

Puffstool is a mushroom-like monster with a pair of eyes on their caps, and scatter spores all over dungeons. Although their movement is slow, when their caps are red, they are invincible. They appear in various places, like dungeons and caves, often hiding in the dust for a surprise attack. When they shake, their spores accumulate more dust.

Rats

Rats are enemies in the Zelda series that lurk in dark places such as tombs and sewers. Rats first appeared in A Link To The Past below Hyrule Castle and have appeared in Link's Awakening, but could not be interacted with, In The Wind Waker, Rats appear to be a lot more intelligent than in other Zelda games, trying to steal Link's Rupees when attacked and sending Link to the beginning of a maze if he takes a wrong turn. Some can also sell Link items like bombs, Hyoi Pears, red Potions, Blue Potions, and All-Purpose Bait when tempted with All-Purpose Bait.

In Four Swords: Adventures, Link will drop Force Gems if hit by a rat. In Twilight Princess, Rats will appear to be gnawing on skulls and when provoked, attack Link in the twilight. Some Rats will also transform into Twilit Vermin, and appear in Arbiter's Grounds as ghosts, latching onto Link and slowing him down as if he were wearing Iron Boots. In Phantom Hourglass, Rats carry small keys in dungeons and will elude Link by running in and out of holes that must be blocked off. In Spirit Tracks, Rats will scare Princess Zelda and must be defeated to progress.

Razor Trap

Razor Traps are indestructible metallic devices armed with spikes. They have appeared in every Zelda game except The Adventure of Link. Some sense intruders and fly towards them, while others move in a set pattern. In The Wind Waker, Razor Traps are simply called "Traps". In Twilight Princess, Razor Traps are confined to tracks.

ReDead

ReDeads are undead creatures similar to Gibdos. They paralyze Link by screaming, and then slowly move towards him to attack, usually while clinging on to him.^[33] ReDeads first appeared in Ocarina of Time and later in Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and The Wind Waker. They are the basis of one of the masks in Ocarina of Time, and in Majora's Mask it is revealed that they used to be court dancers. They also appear in the adventure mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee. In Majora's Mask, by burning the bandages of Gibdos they are revealed to be ReDeads underneath. A similar enemy called the ReDead Knight appears in Twilight Princess, and uses a large sword to attack Link after screaming to paralyze him.^[34]

Rope

Ropes are a species of snake that appear in several Zelda games. In The Legend of Zelda, they appear in several Underworld dungeons. Their attacking style was to charge at Link at full speed whenever he got within their line of sight. Ropes came in two breeds: the regular who dies on one strike of the sword and a tougher, flickering one that appears in the second quest. It generally does not take much effort to kill a Rope.

Skulltula

Skulltulas are giant spiders, named for the white, bony plate in the shape of a human skull that forms its carapace. Skulltulas and giant Skulltulas hang upside down in an upright position, suspended by a strand of silk thread from a ceiling surface. Skulltulas appear in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword.

A relative of the Skulltula, the Skullwalltula is smaller and is usually found on scalable walls. They make a constant scratching sound as they rotate. Skullwalltulas appear in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. Gold Skulltulas resemble Skullwalltulas and are roughly the same size, but with a metallic gold faceplate. They produce a distinctive rasping sound, different from other Skulltulas, that can be used to locate them. In Ocarina of Time, Gold Skulltulas become tokens which can be exchanged for prizes at the Skulltula house. In Spirit Tracks, a new type of Skulltula is found, i.e., Big Skulltula. These Skulltulas are larger than normal ones and have an orange-colored abdomen.

Stalfos

Stalfos are animated skeletons mostly from the remains of dead warriors who still have a strong will to fight, and serve evil powers such as Ganon or Vaati,^[35] though there are beasts such as Stalhounds and Stallord (which appeared in Twilight Princess as a boss, "Twilit Fossil Stallord"). According to a Kokiri in Ocarina of Time, all Hylians who become lost in the Lost Woods become Stalfos.

The standard Stalfos appear in all games excluding Majora's Mask, and attack by shooting arrows, jumping on Link, or throwing their own bones at him. Stalfos Knights appear in A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. They carry armor, swords, and a shield. Shrouded Stalfos appear in Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons. They use swords, shields, and bows to attack Link. Stalchilds appear in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. They are child-sized, and attack by swiping at Link. In Majora's Mask, they are led by the giant Skull Keeta, and his master Igos du Ikana. Similar enemies named Stalkin appear in Twilight Princess, wielding small spears.

In Skyward Sword, a Stalfos is found in the Skyview Temple; it must be defeated in order to obtain the Beetle. They fight by wielding 2 swords. A similar enemy, Stalmaster, is an elite member of the Stalfos, where can be found in the Ancient Cistern and Sky Keep. IGN cited Stalfos as an example of "spooky and frightening enemies".^[34]

Tektite

A Tektite is a human-sized four-legged insectoid creature that appears in many Zelda games. The Tektite attempts to use its powerful legs to leap upon and attack its prey.^[36] In some Zelda games, the Tektite is able to use its limbs to counterbalance itself upon water. In The Adventure Of Link Tektites shoot fire balls and are invulnerable to Link's sword, though Link can damage them by using the Fire spell to launch his own fireballs at them. There are two different colorations for Tektites; red and blue, each with subtle differences, but blue usually being stronger.

Wallmaster and Floormaster

Wallmasters are ghostly or zombified manifestations of giant hands. In The Legend of Zelda, Wallmasters emerge from the walls of certain rooms to grab Link, while the Wallmasters in A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask hide on the ceiling and attempt to drop onto Link when he enters the area. Should they grab Link, they will drag him back to the entrance of the dungeon. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages uses both variations of Wallmaster, respectively colored red and blue to signify their attack strategy.

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask also introduces a new variation of the creature: the Floormasters. In these games, Floormasters do not send Link to the dungeon entrance: instead, they simply charge at Link, becoming invulnerable during the charge, and split in three once Link has hit them enough times. Each of these smaller Floormasters can be destroyed with only one sword hit each, but the player will need to be quick and kill them all before the full size one appears again. A general rule that applies to Floormasters is that they are always visible.

In Twilight Princess a similar enemy, known as Zant's Hand, is found in the Palace of Twilight. Another variant of Wallmasters exist in Spirit Tracks called Keymasters, large purple hands with an eye where their palm is. When Link finds a Boss Key, a large amount of Keymasters will appear and attempt to steal the key, forcing Link to be stealthy.

The Wallmasters of A Link Between Worlds behave in a similar manner to the ones in A Link to the Past but their presence is required to solve some puzzles. There is also a boss version of the creature.

The Wallmaster was ranked the 10th most terrifying video game enemy of all time by Cracked, due to their ability to effectively erase most of the players' progress through the dungeon.^[37]

Wizzrobe

Wizzrobes are magic-using enemies. They attack Link with different magical attacks, including ice and fire,^[38] and can sometimes suck Link's Rupees out of his wallet. In The Wind Waker, they resemble robed, anthropomorphic toucans, and are able to summon other monsters to fight for them, although only the Mighty Wizzrobe can summon stronger creatures.

Wizzrobes appear in Phantom Hourglass, but use no magical attacks, instead wielding a scythe that steals 15 seconds of Link's "sand of hours". If they are defeated, however, they relinquish a 30-second item of sand of hours which is not permanent. In Hyrule Warriors, a unique character based on the Wizzrobes called Wizzro appears as a recurring enemy general under the command of the sorceress Cia.

Wolfos

A Wolfos is a large, demonic wolf that made its debut in the Ocarina of Time, but went on to make several other appearances. Sometimes portrayed as anthropomorphic, they are generally difficult enemies. The best method to destroy it is to repeatedly use the shield until it drops its guard.

The White Wolfos is a snowy variant of the traditional Wolfos that makes a more recent appearance in Twilight Princess, where they appear more like a traditional Arctic wolf.

Zora

Zoras (sometimes identified as River Zoras) are fish-like humanoids that appear in the earlier 2D Zelda games. They attack by spitting beams or fireballs at Link and may submerge under water. In A Link to the Past, Zoras are portrayed as amphibious rather than fully aquatic and will leap out of the water to chase Link when he enters their domain in northeastern Hyrule. A giant Zora also lives in their region, who does not fight Link but instead sells him a pair of flippers for a steep 500 Rupees.

In Ocarina of Time, the Zoras were redesigned into a race of peaceful fish people, which they have been portrayed as in all Zelda games since. To differentiate between the two species, the violent Zoras are known as River Zoras in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, and it is mentioned in Ages that the peaceful Ocean Zoras despise their "vulgar" counterparts.

In Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, Zoras reappeared with a sword and shield, though they still had their ability to shoot fireballs. The player can use the boomerang to stun them for a brief amount of time. River Zoras also appear in A Link Between Worlds. In this game, they are ruled over by their queen, Oren. While Oren is peaceful, she is exasperated by how her fellow Zora continue to attack humans despite her efforts to get them to stop.

IGN called them "an iconic part of the Zelda franchise", stating the "enemy [they] hated more than all others was the River Zora". They also commented on how much they have changed over the years, calling it "remarkable".^[39]

See also

• The Legend of Zelda series
• Characters in The Legend of Zelda series

References