Lizalfos

Lizalfos are lizard-like creatures that are found in several Zelda games.

Characteristics
Lizalfos wield quite strong swords. It is usual that they confront Link in pairs, but he will only have to actually fight with them one at a time. When one gets injured, it steps back and the less-injured one takes charge. They are very agile in combat and tend to swing for Link at a certain time, but there are always small opportunities to attack when they drop their guard. They tend to circle Link first and then approach on the counter attack.

The Adventure of Link
While Lizalfos do not appear in games prior to Ocarina of Time, similar enemies known as Geru appear in The Adventure of Link. These enemies may of provided inspiration for Lizalfos.

Ocarina of Time
Unlike their counterparts from the previous installment, Lizalfos are no longer carrying shields and only appear with swords as weapons. They also have much less armor but are much more agile, as they are able to jump far away from Link's attack range. Usually appearing in groups, the creatures constantly cycle through to the next, after one is attacked. Lizalfos are scarce within this game, only showing up in a few dungeons such as Dodongo's Cavern and the Spirit Temple. A similar enemy, Dinolfos, appears later in this game, as well as in Majora's Mask

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Lizalfos have a more dinosaur-like appearance and have ax blades roped to their tails, presumably as a secondary weapon. They come in three variations: normal, with helmets, and in full armor. They also return, equipped with shields, and are much more common than in Ocarina of Time. The first two are fairly easy to kill with Bomb Arrows or swordplay. However, the larger armored type known as Dynalfos, which appear first in the Temple of Time, are dangerous opponents capable of frequently dodging the Ending Blow and blocking other hidden skills, although about 3 well-timed Helm Splitters should be able to defeat them. A single Mortal Draw is also able to quickly dispose Lizalfos.

Lizalfos appear in parts of Hyrule Field, as well as numerous dungeons, including the Lakebed Temple, Hyrule Castle, the City in the Sky, the Cave of Ordeals, and the Temple of Time.

The mini-boss Darkhammer is possibly a large Lizalfos covered with armor found in the Snowpeak Ruins. It wields the Ball and Chain, a weapon Link needs to progress through the game. Darkhammer wears very heavy armor covering its entire body save for its tail, which is its only vulnerable point. It attacks by swinging the Ball and Chain wildly in circles, knocking Link backwards if he is hit. However, its main attack flaw is that as long as it was swinging its weapon it had little in the way of a close range attack.

Skyward Sword
In Skyward Sword, Lizalfos have one large, rocky arm that they can defend against with. They also have morning stars on their tails, similar to the Twilight Princess incarnations. A dark variant of Lizalfos appears in the Fire Sanctuary.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, in Twilight Princess, arrows will stick to Lizalfos indefinitely and can be retrieved.