Armos

Armos Statues, also called Armos and Armos Knights, are stone statues which appear often in The Legend of Zelda series as enemies. Despite being a common sight amongst Zelda games, their weaknesses, attack methods, and habitats vary significantly between games.

Notable variations include Armos Knight, Armos Warrior, and Death Armos. They can be easily confused with the Iron Knuckle, Darknut, and even the Eyegore under certain circumstances.

Characteristics
The Armos has become a staple of the Zelda series since its debut in the original The  Legend of Zelda, one of the specialized versions that exhibits bipedal movement. These statues, when disturbed, charge and follow Link at will, up until Link either attacks, detonates a Bomb nearby, or wails on it with any variety of his conventional weapons including the Boomerang, Arrow, and even Bomb Arrows as in Link's Awakening.

Besides their aggressive behavior, only physical appearance sets apart the different incarnations between games. From The Legend of Zelda, in which the Armos were akin to human knights, to the stone monoliths of Ocarina of Time, to the awakened rock forms of Twilight Princess, the charging, virulent behavior characteristic of the Armos may be the only constant. Even so, all incarnations of Armos seem mechanical in nature, using their sensory perception of touch and activation as a reference point; in The Minish Cap, these foes can even be deactivated.

Armos can also be used to complete puzzles that require a heavy depressor to stomp a switch, especially when no other similar object is nearby. However, since some incarnations of the Armos, specifically ones seen in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, tend to jump about at random when activated, attempting to solve a simple puzzle can prove to  be a daunting task. On a similar note, some Armos in The Legend of Zelda, reveal staircases beneath their resting position when moved.

The Stout Knight of The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening, the Oracles, and The Minish Cap
Debuting in The  Legend of Zelda, this  incarnation incorporates the bipedal movement lost in later titles to  reach Link, and also boasts a humanoid knight-like appearance. In The Legend of Zelda specifically, when undisturbed, these foes are impervious to all forms of attack. However, when awakened, their vulnerabilities arise, and can be dispelled with all  kinds of weaponry, from Boomerangs to Bombs, to the Magical Rod. The only difference sighted for this incarnation in the Oracle titles is that the foe can be damaged with regular sword strikes, in comparison to the Link's Awakening version.

The Minish Cap version of this Armos can actually be mechanically disabled. To do this, Link must become Minish-sized and climb into the statue. Once inside, flipping a switch will deactivate the Armos' sensitivity, allowing Link to walk past them, unhindered. Armos must be activated and deactivated to solve several puzzles and can only be found in the Wind Ruins area. Likewise, although Armos must be moved in order to access several important areas of Link's Awakening, Link can slowly push these enemies out of the way without having to awaken them by using his shield.

In the Oracle titles, despite their commonality across the series, these monsters are quite rare in Holodrum, only making appearances near Tarm Ruins and Northern Peak in Oracle of Seasons. In Oracle of Ages, Armos only appear in Moonlit Grotto. They only attack after Link activates a switch.

Boss-wise, an Armos Warrior is the mini-boss of the Skull Dungeon, and an Armos Knight mini-boss, somewhat similar to its A Link to the Past counterpart, can be found in the Southern Face Shrine.

The Monolith of A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass,  and Spirit Tracks
Armos make their second true appearance in A Link to the Past. Their statues have a different design, this time armed with swords instead of spears. These foes have hereby lost the ability to walk, showing no actual movement aside from hopping towards Link on their pedestal, a trait later used in many future games. Only the variety in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks does not wield any sort of weapon, but it is more of a large, hopping monolith than a traditional armed statue common to previous incarnations. In the latter title, a small Miniblin can even ride atop the Armos, requiring a dual strategy in order to defeat the combined foe.

In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, these foes appear exclusively in  dungeons, and in two varieties: typical Armos statues (increased sensitivity and attacking behavior) and solid statues (Armos-looking but do not move or attack). The latter will not budge when bothered and can be used to depress switches and access previously covered areas. These foes will, no matter how they are attacked, hop around madly and eventually explode, effectively defeating themselves. The final explosion can usually be blocked with a shield or evaded by running away. The Armos incarnation seen in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks can be immobilized by a nearby Bomb explosion, allowing Link to move them about, as in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

The Crystal-Encrusted Backside of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess
Contrary to their counterparts in other games, Armos in The Wind Waker will move on their own without waiting for Link to approach. To defeat one of the monsters, Link must fire an arrow into the small green target on the statue's chest, which will halt its tracks and reveal a glowing gem on its backside. Link can strike this gem with several weapons, defeating the monster (alternatively, Link can move behind the Armos and strike without shooting an arrow, though this is a little more difficult). Like its counterparts in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, these Armos will hop around madly after their own defeat, eventually exploding and damaging Link if he's nearby.

Armos in Twilight Princess wield hammers and look very different from those in previous incarnations. They have a more tribal look, partly resembling the Moai statues on Easter Island. When animated, their facial features are clearly outlined by a glowing blue color, and their weak spot, the glimmering blue crystal at the rear, will illuminate.

Armos Titan


A beta version of Twilight Princess included an enemy called the "Armos Titan". However, this enemy was never included in the final version of the game. These Armos look a little more like traditional Armos statues but have no weapons and attack with their hands. Unlike the other Armos, this one's diamond is placed on its chest and can be successfully hit by shooting two arrows or one Bomb Arrow at it. It appears to have been replaced by the hammer wielding Armos seen in the final version of the game that shares the same gem-like weak point. Armos Titan slightly resemble the Sacred Grove Guardians.

Weaknesses
The Armos is one with many weaknesses, presumably more of which achieve relevance after the Armos is activated. Across the board, Bombs, Arrows, and sometimes even rudimentary sword strikes are enough to dispel these creatures, leaving the Boomerang, Bomb Arrows, and even the Ball and Chain to cover the specialized incarnations between games. Interestingly, only the foes seen in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask can be stunned with Deku Nut flashes; another specialized  weakness exploitation is through use of the Mortal Draw in Twilight Princess.

Trivia

 * Due to what is presumably a glitch in The Legend of Zelda, Armos will strike Link  immediately if he approaches them from the south side. When approached from other angles, these enemies will give their adversary a few moments to get out of range.
 * In Ocarina of Time, the Goron Emblem appears on Armos' foreheads.