Stalfos

The Stalfos are skeletal knights that have challenged Link since the original The Legend of Zelda. They are the only enemy to have appeared in every game in the Zelda series to date.

In 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 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.

In 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 Skeleton 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. 

In 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. These shrouded Stalfos 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. Link must defeat him by slashing him with a sword to break him apart, and then detonating a bomb in his remains (in the same manner as the Skeleton Warrior from A Link to the Past).

In 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.

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. 

In 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 Stalfoses 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.

In 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 The Wind Waker
Stalfos are large skeletons carrying 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. If Link breaks the Stalfos apart but does not destroy it in time, it can reassemble itself. Using the Skull Hammer after breaking it apart will kill it in one hit. 

In 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.

In 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; to prevent this, plant 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.