Chief Soldier

The Chief Soldier appears as common Mini-boss in. They are Soldiers of Hyrule who have fallen under the Ganon's influence. It also appears as the main boss of the Lake Hylia and Death Mountain Foothills stages, and reappears in later stages as a normal enemy. Normally accompanied by a large group of Soldiers, the Chief Soldier is comparatively much larger and tougher. It is virtually invulnerable to attacks from the front due to his huge sword and shield, and attacks with huge, powerful lunges when Link gets close. This attacking behavior is shared with the Big Dark Stalfos. Unlike the Stalfos, the Chief Soldiers use different tactics and order their troops around in battle. The Soldiers respond by charging forward or firing arrows when the Chief says "Forth!", and hide or retreat to his side for a defensive formation when he shouts "Back!". If the Chief Soldier misses with its lunging attacks, it leaves it wide open for a counter attack to the back or side. Chief Soldiers appear in blue, green or red armor (each increasingly stronger than the former), and they are even sometimes fought as pairs.

Once a Chief Soldier is defeated, his accompanying troops will be destroyed at the same moment. However, sometimes a Chief Soldier can be found leading his troops in a drill and will not immediately attack. If he is alerted to Link's presence, he and his soldiers will immediately charge. In these situations, if the Chief Soldier is killed and any other soldiers remain, they will run around aimlessly before exploding.

Trivia

 * In Japan, Chief Soldiers are known by the same name as Darknuts.
 * Blue Chief Soldiers wear the same armor, aside from the helmet, as the Knights of Hyrule. The Big Dark Stalfos's silhouette is identical to the Chief Soldier.