Armos
Armos Statues (アモス, Amosu), also called Armos and Armos Knights, are stone statues which appear often in The Legend of Zelda series as enemies. Despite being a common sight amongst Zelda games, their weaknesses, attack methods, and habitats vary significantly between games. It seems that the suffix -mos refers to stone/metal enemies such as beamos like stal- refers to undead warriors.
The Legend of Zelda
Armos appear exclusively and commonly on the overworld, never once making an appearance in any labyrinth. Unlike other enemies, these will not attack unless Link approaches. Until bothered in this manner, Armos will be impervious to all forms of attack. By touching a dormant statue, Link will cause the monster to suddenly spring into movement. These monsters will walk slowly or charge madly towards Link once awakened; which speed they choose appears to be random. Armos can only attack Link by ramming into him and do not have any form of ranged attack.
Although the game never requires a player to kill an Armos, they can be defeated most easily with any number of weapons once awakened from their dormant state. It can take up to two hits from the Wooden Sword, but can be killed with a single strike from the White Sword or Magical Sword. Candles, Arrows, Bombs, and the Magical Rod can also kill Armos, although these methods are usually wasted on the nonthreatening slow versions. When dealing with a fast Armos, it's easiest to disable it with a Boomerang throw, then strike with the White Sword or Magical Rod.
Due to what is presumably a glitch in the game, Armos will strike Link immediately if he approaches them from the south side. When approached from other angles, these enemies will give their adversary a few moments to get out of range.
Once removed from their dormant state, some Armos will reveal a hidden staircase underneath them. One such hidden stairway leads to a shop selling the ever-coveted Blue Ring.
A Link to the Past
Skipping over The Adventure of Link, one of the few games to not feature these monsters, Armos make their second appearance in A Link to the Past. Many of their characteristics return from the original debut, although they are now taller than they once were. Armos now come in two variations: gold and gray, but there are no significant differences between the two other than appearance. Armos only appear above ground in the Light World and once again only attack when approached. They can be defeated with any number of weapons, but yet again, they do not need to be defeated to complete the game. Swords and Bombs can deal damage to Armos, but Arrows and the Fire Rod are capable of defeating them in one strike.
Eyegores and the Armos Knights boss, both variations on typical Armos, first appear in this game.
Link's Awakening
The trait of only attacking when touched sticks in Link's Awakening, where Armos make their third appearance. Unlike in previous games, these monsters can now only be damaged by Bombs, Arrows, or Bomb Arrows. Although Armos must be moved in order to access several important areas of the game, Link can slowly push these enemies out of the way without having to awaken them by using his shield.
An Armos Knight mini-boss, somewhat similar to its ALttP counterpart, can be found in the Southern Face Shrine.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask
For the first time in the series, Armos appear exclusively in dungeons. Their 3D polygon debut is made in Dodongo's Cavern of Ocarina of Time where Young Link faces them for the first time. As has become the typical, most Armos will only attack after being touched. However, a select few will not budge when bothered and can be moved around by hand to cover up ground-bound switches. Armos are much more common in Ocarina of Time when compared to Majora's Mask, but they still make a few appearances in the latter.
Armos in these two games can be temporarily stunned with Deku Nut flashes. While he is a child, Link can defeat an Armos through two Bomb explosions or with a sword strike while it's stunned. As an adult, Link can defeat one with a single swing of his sword even if the monster hasn't been stunned. Of course, bombs can still be used if it's desired. No matter how they are given the final strike, Armos will start to hop around madly and eventually explode, effectively defeating themselves. The final explosion can usually be blocked with a shield or evaded by running away.
A variation on Armos, the Death Armos, appears exclusively in Majora's Mask in Stone Tower Temple.
Oracle of Seasons/Ages
As with many enemies in Oracle of Seasons, the Armos carries the same sprite it did in Link's Awakening. Their attack strength and movement patterns have also remained the same, but this time around, they can be damaged with regular sword strikes. They can also be easily defeated with two hits of the boomerang.
These monsters are quite rare in Holodrum, as they only make limited appearances near Tarm Ruins and Northern Peak. Armos only appear in Oracle of Ages in Moonlit Grotto. They only attack after activating a switch and can be destroyed with bombs.
The Wind Waker
Contrary to their counterparts in other games, Armos in The Wind Waker will move on their own without waiting for Link to approach. To defeat one of the monsters, Link must fire an arrow into the small green target on the statue's chest, which will halt its tracks and reveal a glowing gem on its backside. This gem can be stricken by several weapons, and when it is, the monster will be defeated (alternatively, Link can move behind them and strike without shooting an arrow, though this is a little more difficult). Like its counterparts in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, these Armos will begin hopping around madly after their own defeat, eventually exploding and damaging Link if he's nearby. They can only be found in Tower of the Gods, Wind Temple and The Savage Labyrinth.
Armos Knights appear mainly in Wind Temple as common enemies with similar appearances and weaknesses to Armos found in Ocarina of Time. These variations will hop towards Link much like their more standard brethren but occasionally, stop suddenly and open their mouth. If Link throws a bomb (or Bomb Flower) into its open mouth, the monster will be defeated instantly, and start hopping and exploding like regular Armos. If Link doesn't throw a bomb in, the monster will close its mouth and continue chasing after him. Eventually, it will re-open its mouth providing Link another chance to strike. These Armos variations will also hop maddly about when they have been vanquished but unlike their average brethren, they will not chase Link but rather hop in a straight line towards where he stood last.
The Minish Cap
Armos in The Minish Cap can be killed like regular monsters, but can also be disabled. To do this, Link must become minish-sized and climb into the statue while he's too small to detect. Once inside, he can flip a switch which will cause the Armos not to attack when touched. Armos must be activated and deactivated to solve several puzzles and can only be found in the Wind Ruins area.
Quote from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Armos figurine:
"Appears in the Wind Ruins. Built by the Minish for the Wind Tribe long ago. They look like stone statues, but if you get too close, they move!"
Twilight Princess
Armos in Twilight Princess wield hammers and look very different from those in previous incarnations. They have a more tribal look, partly resembling the Moai statues on Easter Island. When animated, their facial features are clearly outlined by a glowing blue color. They can be defeated the same way as in The Wind Waker by striking the weak spot on its rear. They are easiest to kill using the Mortal Draw skill or by striking them with the Ball and Chain before they fully animate. They can also be killed with a bomb arrow before they wake up, if hit in the correct spot.
Armos Titan
A beta version of Twilight Princess included an enemy called the "Armos Titan" [1]. However, this enemy was never included in the final version of the game. These Armos look a little more like traditional Armos statues but have no weapons and attack with their hands. Unlike the other Armos, this one's diamond is placed on its chest and can be successfully hit by shooting two arrows or one bomb arrow at it. It appears to have been replaced by the hammer wielding Armos seen in the final version of the game that shares the same gem-like weak point.
Phantom Hourglass
In Phantom Hourglass, a single bomb explosion will immobilize Armos allowing Link to push and pull them like blocks. Because of this, these monsters are generally only found around switch-based puzzles.
References
- Enemies
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass