Stalchild

The Stalchildren are skeletal nocturnal nuisances that rise from the earth immediately after sunset in Ocarina of Time and. These beings commonly group in packs of two, yet some defy Link alone. Regardless of the amount of resistance, they are quite easy to dispel: a couple sword slashes is enough to deaf these simple foes, even the largest versions that appear over the expanse of Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time can be killed this way. Captain Keeta, of Majora's Mask fame, is the most notable Stalchild to date.

Ocarina of Time
Stalchildren can be seen roaming the fields of Hyrule at night in Ocarina of Time. They pop out of the ground, walk slowly toward Link, and attempt to slash him with their claws. They are quite easy to kill, and if Link destroys enough of them in one night, a larger one will pop out; if it is defeated, it will give a larger Rupee reward than the others. If two of these larger ones are defeated before dawn, an even larger one will appear. To prevent their appearance altogether, put on the Bunny Hood before nightfall or simply stay on the dirt roads. Once Link becomes an adult, these creatures mysteriously disappear.

''Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, the Stalchildren are of the Ikana race. In the game, they haunt the Ikana Graveyard and are the fallen soldiers of the Ikana Kingdom. Their general is Captain Keeta, but they'll mistake anybody that wears the Captain's Hat for their fallen leader.

Trivia
In Ocarina of Time, each time you kill a certain number of Stalchildren they grow bigger.

Theory

 * Stalchildren and Stalkin are considered to be younger versions of Stalfos in Ocarina of Time. The only other explanation hinting towards their relation to Stalfos is their ranking in Majora's Mask, appearing as footsoldiers as opposed to the Stalfos-like bodyguards in Ikana Castle. It should be noted that at least one, if not all, Stalchildren in Majora's Mask are adults. There is also the fact that Stalfos don't appear when Link is a kid, and Stalchildren don't appear when he's an adult, in Ocarina of Time.


 * In Ocarina of Time, it is theorized that something could have wiped the during the seven years after Ganondorf took over Hyrule. The logic of this occurrence is often argued, as it is widely thought that the Stalchildren should have flourished under the rule of Ganondorf. Due to the speculation tying them to younger versions of Stalfos, they could have just grown up as Link did, becoming their sword-wielding counterparts Link faces later in the game.