Aeralfos

The Aeralfos (ガーナイル, Gaanairu) is a race of winged and armed reptilian enemies. This particular enemy has appeared only in Twilight Princess. It is first encountered in the City in the Sky as the mini-boss, but is also seen later in the Cave of Ordeals and in Hyrule Castle.

The Aeralfos enters combat with a sword and shield. Its shield, however, is susceptible to being grabbed by the clawshot. The clawshot is a crucial item needed to defeat an Aeralfos. In the room Link first encounters the Aeralfos, it will hover in the air, far out of Link's reach. It will frequently make dive attacks, but will also raise its shield before doing so to block any projectiles Link may use to stop him from initiating the attack. At this point Link can use the clawshot and latch onto its shield, then pull the Aeralfos down to the ground and slash at it with his sword. As long as Link can maneuver around the Aeralfos' attacks and find its weak spots, it will be unable to get back into the air.

In the City in the Sky, an Aeralfos is the mini-boss of the dungeon that uses different tactics than other Aeralfos. It will fly out and through various large holes in the room and try to confuse Link as to where it will strike from next. If Link can pinpoint the Aeralfos, he can use the clawshot tactic again before the Aeralfos initiates its dive attack. The process for damaging it is just the same as before; once Link brings the Aeralfos down to the ground, he can attack it. Upon defeating the mini-boss, Link will retrieve the dungeon's item: a second clawshot. Though nothing new on its own, Link can utilize the two at the same time, which offers the benefits of the Double Clawshot. This item is crucial to defeating the boss of the City in the Sky, Argorok.