Stalfos

The Stalfos (or Stalfos Knights ) are skeletal knights that have challenged Link since their debut in the original The Legend of Zelda. They are the only enemy to have appeared in every game in the Zelda series to date. The name Stalfos is both singular and plural (variations such as Stalfo and Stalfoses etc are incorrect). Their name is a portmanteau of stal- and -fos; meaning skeletal ( see stal ) humanoid ( see fos ).


 * See also: Stal, Stalchild, Stalhound, Stalkin, Stallord, Staltroops

The Legend of Zelda
Stalfos appear only in the first and seventh dungeons and are skeletons carrying swords in both hands. Though they are usually found in large groups, they are easy to defeat and do little damage. In the second quest, they are found in the first dungeon, where they have gained a new ability. The Blade Beam normally deals two hearts of damage.

The Adventure of Link
Stalfos can be found in palaces throughout the game in three varieties: normal, red, and blue. Normal Stalfos are white skeletons with swords and shields and are considerably weaker than its red and blue counterparts, which possess more skill and can jump and perform thrusting attacks.

A Link to the Past


Stalfos returned in A Link to the Past and behaved much the same as before, except that they could jump around to avoid Link and would occasionally throw bones as projectiles. In some places, their skulls would detach from their bodies and spin around and make a rush at Link.  A larger form known as the Stalfos Warrior appeared in the Ice Palace dungeon. These Stalfos were much larger and tougher, and carried large swords. Link would have to attack them repeatedly, and when they crumbled to bones, he would have to destroy the skull with bombs before the whole Stalfos regenerated. 

Link's Awakening
In Link's Awakening, regular Stalfos behaved much like their previous incarnations.

A new variety appeared, wearing shrouds and carrying swords and shields, or arrows in place of the sword and shield. These Stalfos Knights were tougher to defeat.

The Master Stalfos is a particularly large Stalfos that appears in the Catfish's Maw, where he has stolen the Hookshot.

Ocarina of Time
Stalfos carry around a sword and shield and are a common enemy found in several temples after Link becomes an adult. They can perform sword slashes and overhead jumps and are able to block Link's attacks effectively. They will occasionally come in pairs. If such is the case, it may indicate both must be defeated quickly. If Link defeats the first one but takes too long to defeat the second one, the first one will be revived, forcing Link to fight both again. Whether or not the remains of the first Stalfos disappear will tell Link if he needs to destroy the second one quickly. Interestingly, if you Z/L-target one of the stalfos, the one that hasn't been targeted will wait it's turn.

They are encountered in the Forest Temple which they guard one of the keys to keep advancing, and they serve as dual mini-bosses within Ganon's Tower and are found in the room with the boss key. In addition, Link will have to fight off two Stalfos while escaping from the castle with Princess Zelda. 

Majora's Mask


Stalfos were rare in Majora's Mask, and the ones which fought like those in Ocarina of Time were Igos du Ikana and his guards. When Link travels to Ikana, he eventually travels into the depths of Ikana Castle, where the skeletal ghost of the King of Ikana sits. He first sends his two guards after Link, both of whom fight like normal Stalfos except that they will continually regenerate after being defeated due to their cursed states. To truly vanquish them, Link must reflect light from the Mirror Shield onto their fallen forms. Interestingly, when Link wears the Bremen Mask and begins to march, the two skeletal warriors will passively follow him until the mask is taken off. After the two guards are defeated, the king himself attacks. King Igos du Ikana is larger and more powerful than the previous Stalfos, and he can exhale a poisonous breath onto Link and even detach his head (in which case it will fly around the room and try to bite Link) and make his body invulnerable to attack. Defeating him will free his soul and he teaches Link the Elegy of Emptiness.

Stalchildren appear in Ikana Graveyard at night. They are the fallen soldiers of the Kingdom of Ikana, and they still guard the gravestones. Their captain, Skull Keeta, can be awakened, in which case he will run up the trail of the graveyard to test Link. When Link attacks him, he starts to attack Link himself with either his claws or by jumping high in the air and attempting to land on Link. When Link defeats him, Skull Keeta asks him to bring peaceful rest to his undead soldiers, and Link obtains the Captain's Hat, which make the Stalchildren harmless and will speak to you when prompted to.

They also appear in the second Golden Skulltula house, in the Great Bay. They are harmless, and do not attack Link, and give useful information regarding a particular puzzle inside the house if addressed while wearing the Captain's Hat.

Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
In the Oracle series, the two varieties of Stalfos seen in Link's Awakening reappeared. The shrouded Stalfos used spears and other projectile weapons. In addition to the Stalfos encountered as enemies, Link also met the Stalfos Captain and his Skull Pirates.

Four Swords
In A Link to the Past: Four Swords, the Stalfos jump away from sword attacks, so try to corner them into a wall or stun them with the boomerang. Also, throwing a pot is an effective method, as they cannot dodge this. Sometimes they will throw a bone at Link; some will even detach their heads and use them to attack.

The Wind Waker


Stalfos appear infrequently in The Wind Waker and are much larger than previous incarnations, carry spiked clubs as opposed to the usual sword, and move very slowly. They come out of coffins and the ground and can be defeated with a combination of bombs, the boomerang, and Link's sword.

After being damaged sufficiently, the Stalfos' body will shatter into pieces and it's head will bounce away from Link (in a similar manner to an injured Bubble). If Link breaks the Stalfos apart but does not destroy it in time, it can reassemble itself. Using the Skull Hammer on the skull after breaking it apart will kill it in one hit.

They can also be cut in half, in which case the torso and legs will separate and walk around. Picking up a Stalfos' club while it is shattered and waiting until it reassembles will cause the Stalfos to pull off it's own arm and use it as a weapon in a nunchaku like manner. 

Four Swords Adventures
The Stalfos in Four Swords Adventures share their appearance with those in The Wind Waker. They frequently accompany one of four exeptionally powerful Big Dark Stalfos, which serve as mini-bosses and can only be attacked while in the Dark World and behave similarly to the Chief Soldier. Sometimes they are seen as a mummy which, when attacked enough, will teleport to the Dark World where they can be killed.

The Big Dark Stalfos are actually the knights of Hyrule who have been transformed into beasts by Ganon by sending them into the Dark World so that the gems they hold that are the key to the Tower of Winds. When the Four Links defeat one, they obtain the gem the Stalfos was guarding. Once the Links have all four (one for each color Link) they gain access to the Tower of Winds where Princess Zelda is held.

The Minish Cap
Stalfos can be found in the Fortress of Winds, Dark Hyrule Castle, and the like. They often disguise themselves as normal skulls, but when Link gets close, they pop out and attack him. The blue ones would simply jump at Link, while the red ones threw bones. Link can use the Gust Jar on Stalfos to remove the head, and the body will wander around slowly. A decapitated Stalfos can not notice Link or attack, but hurts him if touched.

Quote from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Stalfos figurine: "Appears in dungeons. Blue ones jump, and red ones throw bones. See what happens when you remove their heads with the Gust Jar."

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Stalfos take a more surreal appearance. Stalfos are only found in the Arbiter's Grounds, the Cave of Ordeals, Hyrule Castle, and a secret grotto. They wield short swords and either wooden or metal shields. Those with wooden shields can be disarmed, while those with metal shields cannot. After they are broken to pieces, either using Link's regular attacks or hidden skills, they can reassemble themselves; this can be prevented by placing a bomb on their remains. The Ball and Chain also works effectively on them once Link acquires it. They are most easily defeated by a single shot from a Bomb Arrow.

Phantom Hourglass
Stalfos return once more in Phantom Hourglass, where they appear on both of the initally visible islands in the northeast quadrant. Here, they have two forms: in one, they appear similar to their The Minish Cap appearance. In the other, they look like skeletal pirates. The pirates wield swords, while the normal ones simply throw bones. There are three ways to defeat them: by simply attacking them then destroying their skull, by pulling their skull off with the Grappling Hook, or by attacking them with the Magic Hammer.

Notable Stalfos
Igos du Ikana

Captain

Master Stalfos