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 The Legend of 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 ).

Notable Stalfos include Igos du Ikana, Captain, Master Stalfos, and Captain Stalfos

The Legend of Zelda
Stalfos appear only in the first and seventh dungeons of The Legend of Zelda 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 Adventure of Link 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. The Stalfos rarely move their shields, leaving them vulnerable to crouched attacks and upthrusts.

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 (スタルフォン, Stalfon) appeared in the Ice Palace dungeon. These Stalfos were much larger, 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. The boomerang also works to destroy them, although it takes a large quantity of hits and allows them to regenerate a few times before actually killing them.

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 in Ocarina of Time and are a common enemy found in several temples after Link becomes an adult. They can perform sword slashes, overhead jumps and are able to block Link's attacks effectively. The only way to damage them is to wait until they lower their guard or to stab them in the back. 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 Stalfos are Z/L-targeted, the one that hasn't been targeted will wait its turn.

They are encountered in the Forest Temple and many other temples but in the forest temple which they guard one of the keys to keep advancing. In the Shadow Temple, Stalfos are present also. In the area with the platform which rises, a Stalfos drops in to fight. Also whilst riding the ghost ship, Stalfos occasionally drop in and try to knock Link off or distract him. On both occasions, it is possible to simply knock the Stalfos off the platform eliminating them completely. They also 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.

According to the Kokiri, a Stalfos is the result of what happens when someone gets lost in the Lost Woods.

Majora's Mask
Stalfos weren't truly 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 Link when prompted to.

They also appear in the second Golden Skulltula house, in the Great Bay. They are harmless, do not attack Link, and give useful information regarding a particular puzzle inside the house if addressed while wearing the Captain's Hat. However, they are still able to be killed as regular enemies.

Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages
In the Oracle series, the two varieties of Stalfos seen in Link's Awakening reappeared. The shrouded Stalfos uses spears and other projectile weapons. There are variations as to which types of stalfos appear in each game. In both titles, the shrouded Stalfos make a return and are in the exact same form as they were in Link's Awakening.

There are variations of the regular Stalfos between the two titles. In Oracle of Ages, there are just two types of the regular Stalfos, a blue and orange variety. The blue ones are standard Stalfos that just walk around, while their orange counterparts will jump away from Link's sword slash and even toss a bone towards Link.

In Oracle of Seasons, both the blue and orange Stalfos make appearances, but there is also a red and green Stalfos as well. Each of them have their own unique abilities, and in total, that makes 4 versions of the classic enemy within Oracle of Seasons.

In addition to the Stalfos encountered as enemies, Link also meets the Stalfos Captain and his Piratians.

A special kind of Stalfos known as the Blue Stalfos is the mini-boss of the Ancient Tomb, the eighth dungeon in Oracle of Ages.

Four Swords
In 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 or hit by bombs, the Stalfos' body will shatter into pieces and its 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, but it is easier to do this once Link has hit the head enough times for it to stop bouncing.

They can also be cut in half, in which case the torso and legs will separate and walk around. A set of dismembered legs will aim kicks at Link. The torso, on the other hand, is helpless and will try to avoid Link. Picking up a Stalfos' club while it is shattered and waiting until it reassembles will cause the Stalfos to pull off its own arm and use it as a weapon.

Four Swords Adventures
The Stalfos in Four Swords Adventures share their appearance with those in Majora's Mask and in The Wind Waker. They frequently accompany one of four exceptionally 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. Their sword looks like a green lightsaber. 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. 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 throw bones and can jump. 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.

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 wood or metal shields. Those with wooden shields can be disarmed while those with metal shields cannot. After they are broken to pieces by either 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 initially visible islands in the northeast quadrant. Here, they have two forms. In one, they appear similar to how they did in The Minish Cap. In the other, they look like skeletal knights, more like the ones from Wind Waker. The knights 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.

Spirit Tracks
Stalfos appear again in Spirit Tracks, using the same models as in Phantom Hourglass. They appear as regular Stalfos, which throw bones, and Stalfos Warriors, which wear viking helmets and wield swords.

Regular Stalfos typically lay motionless as a pile of bones until approached, where they'll stand up and start circling Link. After a few moments, they will being throwing their bones. They can be beaten with bombs, the whip, or the sword. Attacking with the sword will cause them to jump, but careful timing to swing as they land can damage them.

Stalfos Warriors will charge at Link swinging. The best way that either of them can be defeated is with the bow. Warriors are difficult to harm with the whip or sword, so bombs or arrows work best.

Zelda Game and Watch
In the Zelda Game and Watch, Stalfos hide themselves below the platform Link is on and attack upwards. However, their attacks are slow and in a sweeping motion, making them easy to dodge. Between one and three Stalfos appear on each floor.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
On Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland's Cape Treasure, Tingle meets a band of Stalfos pirates under the command of Captain Stalfos when they land their Pirate Ship. They have their hideaway on a small island not far off the coast of Cape Treasure. Due to some circumstances, the pirates believe Tingle wants to join them and so they take him to the hideout. There they tell Tingle to help the pirates in order to obtain three Pirate Items. The pirates claim to have almost no enemies, except for dogs. Their "natural enemies" gnaw at their bones, which is why they are afraid of Tingle's later pet dog Barkle, who frightens the Stalfos pirates at Cape Treasure's dock. He suddenly appears again in the hideout, but Tingle manages to "rescue" the pirates.

When Tingle obtained all Pirate Items, he meets with Captain Stalfos, but due to a misunderstanding, he has to defeat the pirate captain in a fight, since Captain Stalfos is about to cut off Tingle's flesh so that he can become a true pirate. After Captain Stalfos' defeat, the pirates return to their ship and decide to keep up the contact with Tingle, even if he can't become one of them. They present him with the Bone Ocarina, and anytime Tingle plays it while standing on a dock, he summons the Stalfos pirates who bring a Merchant with them.

Notable crewmembers: Engineer, First Mate.

Link's Crossbow Training
Stalfos also appear in Link's Crossbow Training, in various Defender-type stages. Several of them hold shields much like their Twilight Princess counterparts. The shields can be shot several times to be destroyed, allowing the Stalfos to be hit, or the shield can be circumvented with a single Bomb Arrow.

Manga
In the Ocarina of Time manga, one Stalfos (or, rather, the floating disembodied head of one) returns to Ganondorf to report an encounter with Link. Strangely, Ganon calls this Stalfos by the name of the Twilight Princess boss, Stallord. This most likely was an editing error. Stalfos also appear in the show The Legend of Neil when Neil goes through the first temple.