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Stalfos

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Stalfos
A Stalfos from Twilight Princess
A Stalfos from Twilight Princess
First appearance The Legend of Zelda (1987)
Appearances The Legend of Zelda
The Adventure of Link
A Link to the Past
Link's Awakening
Ocarina of Time
Oracle of Ages
Oracle of Seasons
Four Swords
The Wind Waker
Four Swords Adventures
The Minish Cap
Twilight Princess
Phantom Hourglass
Weapon(s) Sword
Shield
Daggers
Bones
Effective weapon(s) Sword
(Phantom Hourglass)
Hammer
"Lure it close to you and watch its movement carefully! Attack it when it drops its guard!"
— Navi

Stalfos are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They appear in every game except The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. One of the most frequently appearing enemies in the series, Stalfos are skeletal warriors who attack with swords, shields, and occasionally, their own bones.

Contents

[edit] Appearances

[edit] The Legend of Zelda

A Stalfos from The Legend of Zelda Stalfos appear in a select few dungeons, occasionally as a group, with each member armed with two swords trying to attack Link. During the Second Quest, Stalfos attack with Sword Beams.

[edit] Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

A red Stalfos from The Adventure of Link
A blue Stalfos from The Adventure of Link

Stalfos are found in various palaces, equipped with a single sword and one shield. Owing to the fact that they hold their weaponry at torso-height, their lower body is rendered defenseless. Their are two varieties of Stalfos, red and blue, with the blue being stronger. Red Stalfos simply attack with their sword, but Blue Stalfos can jump and perform a Downthrust.

Stalfos Knights wear a helmet and breastplate, making them more durable, but otherwise they are identical to regular Stalfos.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

A blue Stalfos from A Link to the Past
A red Stalfos from A Link to the Past

Stalfos do not attack with weapons; instead, they throw bones at Link to damage him, and jump to avoid his attacks. They can be found in variations of white, blue or red, similar to The Adventure of Link. Certain Stalfos also have the ability to detach their skulls from their body, in order to send them towards Link to damage him. They can easily be defeated with the Bow & Arrow.

A larger form of Stalfos known as Stalfos Knights appears in the Ice Palace; unlike regular Stalfos, this enemy attacks with a weapon, and requires a bomb blast to be destroyed.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

A Stalfos from Link's Awakening

Stalfos have no weaponry other than the ability to jump in order to cause damage. Shrouded Stalfos also appear, whose attack patterns are very similar to the Moblin in the game.

A large Stalfos, Master Stalfos, appears as the mini-boss in Catfish's Maw. He guards the Hookshot, and must be battled four times.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Artwork of the Stalfos from Ocarina of Time

Stalfos appear as enemies in the Forest Temple as well as other extant locations. It is possible to encounter a total of 16 Stalfos in the game.

Stalfos are frequently battled in pairs. Sometimes in the two-on-one battles, Link must defeat both Stalfos within a certain amount of time of each other. If Link defeats one but fails to defeat the second within the time limit, the first Stalfos will be revived and must be defeated again. Not all dual Stalfos battles are like this, however. Stalfos have two attack patterns. The first has a Stalfos letting its guard down, only to raise its sword and damage Link for 1 heart. These attacks can be avoided either by hitting a Stalfos while it strikes or by blocking its attack with a shield. The other attack pattern consists of jumping and if it connects with Link, he is dealt 2 hearts worth of damage. During this, Link can damage a Stalfos' vulnerable backside.

Additionally, the nature of Stalfos is explained in this game. Fado, a Kokiri girl whom Link meets in the Lost Woods as an adult, tells Link that everyone not of the Kokiri become Stalfos if they lose their ways in the mazelike woods, suggesting that the Stalfos that Link battles are wayward travelers.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

No actual Stalfos are encountered, but at one point, Link encounters Igos du Ikana, the skeleton king of the ruined Kingdom of Ikana, and his two bodyguards, all of which attack very similarly to Stalfos from Ocarina of Time. The only way to defeat these enemies is to damage them sufficiently, then use the Mirror Shield to shine sunlight upon them.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons

A green Stalfos from Oracle of Ages and Seasons
A red Stalfos from Oracle of Ages and Seasons

Regular Stalfos appear throughout both games, similar in appearance and attack method to Stalfos from Link's Awakening, only with a number of new color schemes and variations. They can be damaged or killed by the Rod of Seasons, making them some of the only enemies that it inflicts damage on.

In Oracle of Ages, Stalfos Reaper serves as the miniboss of the Ancient Tomb, the eighth and final dungeon. It shoots balls of energy at Link that can be reflected back at it with a sword. When hit, it turns into a baby and becomes vulnerable to damage. If Link unsuccessfully deflects the Stalfos' attack, he becomes a helpless infant himself.

There is also a character who appears in both game; a Stalfos known as the Pirate Captain, captain of a crew of skeletal sailors who also appear to be Stalfos.

In Oracle of Seasons, the Pirate Captain appears once more. It is later revealed that the Stalfos Captain was once the King of Labrynna and husband to Queen Ambi, and that he was somehow transformed into a Stalfos while lost at sea.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

A Stalfos from Four Swords

Stalfos attack by jumping around and and dodging Link's attacks. In order for Link to defeat them, they must be cornered or stunned with the Boomerang.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

A Stalfos from The Wind Waker
Artwork of a Stalfos from The Wind Waker

Stalfos rarely appear in dungeons on the Great Sea; however, they make quite a number of appearances during Link's quest to reassemble the Triforce of Courage. They are larger than previous incarnations, and as such, much slower. They hobble around on short stubby legs while swinging around large spiked clubs. They wield the maces inexpertly and spin violently across the room while using them, often losing their balance.

When Link repeatedly slashes one or plants a Bomb near a Stalfos, their bodies shatter into several segments and their heads leap around the room. In order to keep them from reassembling, Link must destroy their heads. It is also possible to cut them in half, in which case their torso and lower body walk around separately; the upper body will flee, running on its arms, while the lower body will chase Link and try to kick him. Taking a Stalfos' mace while in its shattered state and waiting until it reassembles causes the Stalfos to pull off its left arm and use it as a weapon until it reclaims its weapon.

The easiest and most expedient method to dispose of these skeletal fiends is to throw a bomb in front of them, then lure them over it. When it explodes, Link should quickly L-Target the head and stun it using the boomerang. He then should run over to the head and smash it with the Skull Hammer. Link is unlikely to take any damage using this method, and he will defeat the Stalfos much more quickly than if he only uses his sword.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Stalfos are usually found in the Dark World or in dungeons. There are standard-sized Stalfos as well as slightly larger ones. Furthermore, there are four Big Stalfos who were once Knights of Hyrule. Stalfos can be dispatched with the Four Sword.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

A red Stalfos from The Minish Cap
A blue Stalfos from The Minish Cap

There are two types of Stalfos in The Minish Cap; blue Stalfos and red Stalfos. The blue ones dash towards Link to collide with him and also will try and jump over link and smash him, while the red ones throw bones at him. Sometimes a Stalfos disguises itself as one of the breakable skulls in a dungeon, during which Link can actually absorb the Stalfos in his Gust Jar to destroy it. If Link uses the Gust Jar on Stalfos that are walking around while in their full state, it removes the head, causing the body to wander around slowly. A decapitated Stalfos will not notice or attack Link, but will hurt him if he touches it. It may also walk blindly into a bottomless pit, something that ordinary Stalfos do not do. Their heads can also be removed with the Cane of Pacci.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Stalfos are armed with swords and shields, and can only be killed by dropping Bombs on their broken corpses, or, alternatively, by using Bomb Arrows or the Ball and Chain. At one point in the game, Link encounters a Stalfos who regenerates after a set time (about 15 seconds) unless its corpse is destroyed with Bombs, Water Bombs, or Bomblings.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Stalfos appear on the Isle of the Dead and the Isle of Ruins, as well as Mutoh's Temple. There are two kinds of Stalfos in the game; blue ones that throw bones and red ones that wear pirate hats and use swords. Similar to The Wind Waker, their weak points are their heads. They can easily be defeated with the Hammer, Bombs, or Bombchus. They are usually hidden amongst the other dead skeletons that lie on the ground, but when they are approached, they rise and fight. Bombs can be thrown at them from a distance before they get up. Their heads can be pulled off their bodies using the Grappling Hook.

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda animated series

Stalfos are one of the most common enemies in the service of Ganon. They wield their traditional swords and shields and use bombs in battle. Interestingly, characters refer to a singular Stalfos as "Stalfo", using only "Stalfos" when they appear in numbers.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

[edit] See also

Retrieved from "http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Stalfos"