User:Fizzle8094@legacy41964097/Sandbox

Soldiers are a recurring enemy in the Zelda series. They are guards and knights of Hyrule that have been taken over by the powers of darkness. They are either controlled by dark magic, or are merely empty suits of armor animated by evil forces. They wield a variety of weapons, and are similar to Darknuts. They first appeared in A Link to the Past.

Characteristics
Soldiers resemble normal Hyrulean Castle Guards, but their face, if they still have one, is always obscured by their distinctive helmets that give no indication of what sort of man lies beneath. The only thing visible from under their armor are two glowing eyes. They weild a variety of weapons, and their armor has subtle variations between each type of Soldier. Usually the color of the armor denotes their defensive strength, but the green variety is probably the most common. Most soldiers wield a shield along with their main weapon, but unlike Darknuts they are often defensively weak. They make up for this by usually attacking in large squads. In A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures Soldiers are controlled by Agahnim and Vaati respectively, while in Link's Awakening they were once Richard's men, now controlled by the Nightmares of Koholint Island.

Soldier
The basic Soldier actually behaves quite differently to most other varieties. Rather than actively hunting out Link, its behavior is much like a Darknut from The Legend of Zelda. They will not react to sound, but will merely patrol around the interior of Hyrule Castle and also around Kanalet Castle. In A Link to the Past they weild a small dagger-like blade and will charge directly at Link when they see him, but will not react if he moves. They are notable for wearing capes, unlike other soldiers. In Link's Awakening, they will throw spears at Link. In Four Swords Adventures, they behave like Sword Soldiers, but are considerably weaker, and usually appear in very large packs, often following a Chief Soldier. They come in Blue and Red varieties. Interestingly, if a Chief Soldier is defeated and these soldiers remain, they will eventually explode.

Sword Soldier
Sword Soldiers are the most distinctive and common type of soldier in A Link to the Past. They are by far one of the most intelligent enemies in the game, following patrol routes and reacting to Link upon sight or sound. When they notice him, they will charge and attack with their blades, and must be fought off one by one. Often if Link gets in a battle with one soldier, the sound of the fight will cause more to join in. If Link has a chance, he should attack from behind, as while their shields do not stop his attacks, they can parry Link's swipes with their swords. They are succeptable to being knocked down pits when not aware of Link's presence, so stealth is advised. They come in three varieties, Green, Blue, and Assault. Assault Sword Soldiers appear only in Hyrule Castle Tower, wear different armor, and hold their blades above their heads, attacking aggressively as soon as Link enters a room. In Four Swords Adventures, they come in Green and Grey varieties. The grey ones are the strongest type of basic soldier in the game.

Bow Soldier
Bow Soldiers appear in A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures. These archers wear blue or green armor, and will unleash a hail of arrows upon Link when they spot him. Thankfully their arrows can be blocked by the most basic shield, so adopting a defensive charge before attacking aggressively when close is the best tactic to deal with them. Some are known as Tussock Bow Soldiers, these will hide in the tall grass and launch arrows at him when Link is near. In Four Swords Adventures, if you cut the grass around the soldier, they will be unable to hide again.