Stalfos

are recurring enemies in .
==Characteristics==
Stalfos are skeletal knights or soldiers common to dungeons and tombs. They vary in appearance and behavior in each installment of , but generally share similar traits as undead enemies wielding swords and sometimes shields, or as skeletons that attack with their bones or even skulls.
In their two-dimensional appearances, Stalfos are usually depicted as common, weak enemies. They will often jump away to evade Link's Sword when he attempts to attack them, and others may even throw their bones at him in retaliation. In their three-dimensional appearances, Stalfos are instead depicted as elite enemies or even Sub-Bosses who skillfully wield weapons and take a lot more effort by the player to defeat.
Numerous variants of Stalfos, and other similar skeletal enemies and bosses, have appeared throughout the series.
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In the original , Stalfos appear as common enemies in dungeons that wield dual swords. They appear in Level 1 and Level 7. In the Second Quest, they appear in Level 1, Level 3, and Level 8. They are weak monsters that wander in a random path, and can be killed in a single strike with even the standard Sword. The Stalfos in the Second Quest are slightly different as they can shoot Sword Beams like Lynels, increasing the challenge. When defeated, Stalfos may drop either a Heart, one Rupee, five Rupees or a Clock.
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In , Stalfos appear wielding a sword and a basic shield. They use their shield to block Link's attacks from their upper body, however as they do not move their shields, their legs are vulnerable to attacks while crouching. Some Stalfos fall from above and attempt to attack Link with a Down Thrust. Red and Blue appear, with the blue variant being the stronger one. They appear in the Parapa Palace, Midoro Palace and Palace on the Sea.
An even stronger variant, called a Parutamu, also appears. These warriors look and fight identically to the Stalfos, but wear horned helmets. Red and blue Parutamu appear.
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In , Stalfos appear in dungeons in both the Light World and the Dark World, with the earliest being the Eastern Palace. Stalfos differ from their previous incarnations as they no longer wield weapons, and instead, most are able to jump into the air whenever Link tries to swipe at them with his Sword, dodging his attack. Stalfos in also vary with different characteristics, as indicated by the color of their skull.
Blue Stalfos are the most simple, as they will only attempt to jump away from Link's attacks. They can be defeated with very quick Sword strikes, especially when they are cornered to a wall, although it usually takes a couple strikes to defeat them. They can also be defeated instantly by picking up and throwing a nearby pot at them, which they will not dodge. They signal their movements by looking in the direction they are going to move next when they stop.
Yellow Stalfos are much different as they detach and throw their skulls at Link to attack. These skulls fly through the air and cannot be destroyed, and must simply be deflected away or avoided. These Stalfos will not attempt to jump away from Link's attacks, and will instead crumble to a pile of bones when hit. If let alone, their bodies will fly away. If these are crumbled before they can detach their heads, then they will fly away once they stand up, head and all.
Red Stalfos behave similarly to blue Stalfos as they will jump from Link's attacks, but will also retaliate by throwing bones at him. Green-colored Stalfos are nothing more but floating skulls. They will slowly float towards Link, but unlike the yellow Stalfos, their heads can be defeated. In Turtle Rock, their heads appear yellow.
A much bigger variant, known as Stalfos Knights, appear in the Ice Palace and the Palace of the Four Sword.
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Stalfos appear in two distinct varities in : normal Stalfos and Shrouded Stalfos, the latter which also comes in another variant known as Sword Stalfos. Ordinary Stalfos behave like the Stalfos of , as they possess the ability to jump away. The most basic Stalfos will only dodge Link's attacks, but other types with different characteristics are later encountered. Other Stalfos will actively pursue Link and jump in an attempt to crash down on him from above. Another type throws their bones at him, in addition to jumping away.
In Catfish's Maw, a talkative Stalfos called Master Stalfos appears as one of the dungeon's mini-bosses, and is encountered four times. This Stalfos moves to a different room each time it is defeated, and drops the Hookshot once it is defeated the fourth time.
In Link's Awakening DX, they appear green.
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Stalfos appear as large armored soldiers carrying a sword and a shield in with a similar appearance as the Stalfos Knight from A Link to the Past. They are skilled sword fighters who are able to block Link's attacks with their shield and retaliate with a powerful Jump Attack (which inflicts two Hearts of damage), often laughing at the hero. Although they do appear alone, Stalfos are encountered in pairs or small groups. Link can attack Stalfos by striking their unprotected backsides, especially after dodging their attack which leaves the Stalfos vulnerable. Stalfos are also susceptible to Deku Nuts, Boomerang or Hookshot, which will briefly stun them and give Link an easy opportunity to strike. They typically take several hits of the Master Sword to defeat, many by the Kokiri Sword, but only a few by the Giant's Knife/Biggoron's Sword.
Stalfos appear in the Forest Temple, where Link faces a pair in one room, and later a group of three in another. The latter group will crumble into a pile of bones once defeated, requiring that Link defeat all of them before they can regenerate. Stalfos are also found in the Shadow Temple, Spirit Temple, Gerudo Training Ground, and Ganon's Castle. In , they also appear in the Fire Temple, Water Temple, and the Ice Cavern.
According to Fado, anyone who gets lost in the Lost Woods becomes a Stalfos.This however, seems to apply only for adults, as children become Skull Kids, instead.
In addition to the Stalfos soldiers, Stalchildren also appear as enemies in Hyrule Field during the time that the Hero of Time is a child.
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Stalfos are the long-dead skeleton knights of the Ikana Kingdom in . Link faces Igos du Ikana and his inside the Ancient Castle of Ikana. Both knights fight similarly to the Stalfos of the game's prequel. However, when defeated, their bodies will fall flat down and eventually regenerate. To defeat both soldiers, Link must use Fire Arrows to burn the curtains that blot out the sunlight, and reflect the light that comes into the room with his Mirror Shield onto their remains when they are knocked out. Once they are defeated, their king, Igos du Ikana, challenges Link himself. He is much stronger than his lackeys, but the same procedure by the hero is needed to defeat him.
Skull Keeta, the giant captain of the Stalchildren, served under Igos du Ikana.
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In , Stalfos, Shrouded Stalfos and Sword Stalfos all appear, and look and behave much like their counterparts. The ordinary Stalfos are slightly more diverse, and are distinguished by their coloration.
Blue-colored Stalfos are the most basic Stalfos who simply walk around and pose little threat. Orange Stalfos, however, act more like their counterpart as they will jump to avoid Link's attacks, and have the ability to toss bones at him. Red Stalfos will also jump to avoid Link, but do not throw bones. Green-colored Stalfos are more aggressive and will attempt to jump and land on top of Link. The red and green varieties exclusively appear in , which features all four colored Stalfos. Gibdos can have their bandages burned by Ember Seeds to reveal an orange Stalfos.
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A unique Blue Stalfos appears as the mini-boss of the Ancient Tomb in .
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Stalfos appear as large skeletons wielding heavy clubs in . Stalfos attack by swinging their clubs around, but because of their weight, they move slowly and are often left vulnerable while trying to lift it. After attacking them enough times with the Sword, they fall to pieces and their heads jump around. Their bodies will eventually regenerate, but if the head is struck enough times, they will be defeated. If the Spin Attack is used enough times, they will split into two, with their lower body attacking Link while the upper retreats, until struck once more to fully crumble them. Once defeated, their clubs can be picked up and used against other enemies. Stalfos can immediately crumble if a Bomb is detonated near them, and they then can instantly be destroyed by smashing their head with the Skull Hammer. Other weapons, specifically any Arrows (except Light Arrows) and the Boomerang are ineffective, and if aimed at their head, they can be comically seen stopping their skulls from spinning after being briefly stunned.
These Stalfos first appear as the mini-bosses of the Earth Temple, where Link faces a group of three. They also appear inside the Wind Temple, Ghost Ship, Savage Labyrinth, and Ganon's Tower.
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 features two types of Stalfos: ordinary Stalfos, as well Big Dark Stalfos; the latter being a significantly larger Stalfos carrying a sword, which are fought as bosses. Like previous incarnations, ordinary Stalfos will jump from the Links' attacks. They can be cornered by the Links to make fighting them easier. Big Dark Stalfos are in actuality the Knights of Hyrule, who were cursed and transformed by Ganon. A smaller variety of the Big Dark Stalfos, Dark Stalfos is also encountered, which are ordinary Stalfos warriors who are not Hylain Knights.
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Stalfos appear in blue and red varieties in . The blue variety jumps to dodge Link's attacks, and will also attempt to jump onto him. The red variety throws bones as their primary weapon. If the Gust Jar is used on them, it will remove their heads and cause them to wander around blindly. They will stop attacking Link and will no longer jump away from his attacks. If a Gibdo's bandages are burned with the Flame Lantern, it is revealed to be a Stalfos underneath.
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Like in , Stalfos in wield swords and carry shields. They use their shields to block Link's attacks, leaving only their unprotected sides vulnerable. However, Link can perform a Shield Bash to leave them open for an attack. Once they are vulnerable, Link can perform a Helm Splitter to break them apart. When they are defeated, they become a pile of bones and will eventually regenerate if left alone. To completely destroy them, Link must place a Bomb near their remains to demolish them, or shoot a Bomb Arrow at them. It is also possible to destroy a Stalfos while it is whole by shooting a Bomb Arrow at it while it is open to attack. After the Ball and Chain is acquired, it can be used to destroy Stalfos instead of bombs. They are frequently encountered in Arbiter's Grounds, and later appear in Hyrule Castle and the Cave of Ordeals.
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Stalfos appear in two variants in . The common variety initially appear as a pile of bones on the ground, but emerge and become whole when Link approaches near. They attack by throwing bones at him, and will jump away when Link attempts to swipe at them. The Stalfos can be defeated by performing several quick Jump Attacks against them. Alternately, they can also be defeated instantly by throwing Bombs at them.
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Stalfos behave identically to their previous iteration in . They are especially common to the Sand Temple, where some of the Stalfos may rise from certain sand pits.
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Stalfos appear as armed warriors wielding a pair of swords in for the first time since the original The Legend of Zelda. Like the Stalfos of older 3D console games, they are skilled swordsmen who, in absence of a shield, use their swords to block Link's attacks in addition to attacking him with powerful strikes and blows. Stalfos hold their swords either vertically or horizontally, and will block Link's sword if he attempts to strike them from adjacent angles. When held vertically, their swords will block attacks from the side, and when held horizontally, they block strikes coming from above or below. The Stalfos will alternate between the two. They can be damaged by striking them from an angle between their blades where their fronts are unprotected. Stalfos can also be attacked with a Shield Bash as they move to attack, which will break off their arms and briefly allow for several strikes before their arms regenerate. Like the previous three-dimensional Zelda games, Bombs are also effective in breaking off their arms. A Stalfos first appears as the mini-boss of the Skyview Temple, with three more being fought in the same dungeon during Link's quest to obtain Sacred Water for Faron. They also appear in the Sky Keep, and are summoned by Ghirahim during the Horde Battle.
Stalmaster, a four-armed Stalfos carrying an assortment of weapons, appears as the mini-boss of Ancient Cistern and as one of the mini-bosses of Sky Keep. LD-002G Scervo and Dreadfuse are robotic, skeletal-like enemies that are closely similar to Stalfos, and are fought in the Sandship and Sky Keep as mini-bosses, respectively.
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Two types of Stalfos exist in . Common Stalfos will repeatedly jump from Link's attacks. These Stalfos are a little more aggressive than their past incarnations, as they will also pursue after Link. In certain dungeon rooms where Link is required to fight them, they first appear as piles of bones and rise the moment Link enters. A different type of Stalfos, Red Stalfos, will throw bones at Link when he gets close.
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Stalfos in Tri Force Heroes behave mostly the same as in A Link Between Worlds. They come in only the basic variety, but have the bone-throwing ability that was previously seen in Red Stalfos. When they see the Links, they will charge after them. A Stalfos will evade the Links' attacks, but will jump over them and land behind them as opposed to away from them, in an attempt to attack from behind. They are able to evade most weapons, with the exception of the Fire Gloves, which deals minimal damage against them. Stalfos can easily be defeated when cornered by the Links. They are common enemies to The Dunes and The Ruins. The bandages of a Gibdo can be burned away with the Fire Gloves or pulled away with the Gripshot to reveal a Stalfos.
In the Den of Trials, a "dark" variant of the Stalfos appears in the Desert Zone, Shadow Zone and Baneful Zone. These Stalfos throw balls of dark energy, which will briefly Curse the Links to prevent them from using their Sword or other Items if they are hit. Some of these Stalfos also ride "dark" Totem Armos as well.
A giant Stalfos, Stalchampion, appears as the Boss of the Desert Temple.
==Spinoff appearances==
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Stalfos hide themselves beneath the platform Link is on and attack from below in . However, their attacks are slow and in a sweeping motion, making them easy to dodge. Between one and four Stalfos appear on each floor. They cannot be attacked by Link.
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Stalfos appear as enemies wielding swords in and . Although armed, they are generally weak enemies. In , a stronger variant called Fire Stalfos also appears, which has the ability to shoot fireballs from their swords.
In , Goronu raises these skeletal warriors from the dead and sends them to find and kill the living. He calls them "Sleepy Bones", a term actually used to refer to someone lazy. They are given armor and swords to fight with as they reanimate.
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In , Stalfos are only encountered in three rooms of Shrine of Illusion. They wield a sword and a shield. It takes a few hits for Zelda to defeat a Stalfos.
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Stalfos appear in various Defender-type stages in . Several of them hold shields much like their counterparts. Their shields can be shot several times to be destroyed, allowing the Stalfos to be hit. The shield can also be destroyed with a single Bomb Arrow.
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In , the boss known as Captain Stalfos is the leader of a troupe of pirates. Although he shares his name with Stalfos, his crew members are not Stalfos, and are generally friendly.
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Stalchild Captains are Captains that command Stalchildren in . They are identical to the Stalfos in their iteration, but are never referred to as Stalfos in-game. In the official game guide, they are referred to as Stalfos Captains instead.
==In other media==
=== TV Series===
In , Stalfos appear as one of Ganon's most common soldiers. For the most part, Ganon uses the Stalfos to carry him around on a platform since his teleportation powers are limited in the overworld. In "The Ringer," Ganon disguises several Stalfos in cloaks so that they may transport him to the Magician's Contest, and in "The Missing Link," Ganon arrives to North Castle with Stalfos carrying him once again.Stalfos carrying Ganon in "The Missing Link" Unlike the games, Stalfos can be seen wielding a variety of weapons such as , , , , , and the usual , out of which they can shoot Sword Beams from. Stalfos seem to be able to withdraw Bombs from their chest any time they please, as seen in "The Ringer" and in "The Missing Link." They usually attack in groups, although Link easily defeats them with just one Zap from his Crissword.
Like all of Ganon's minions, Stalfos are capable of speaking and have a rough, raspy voice. They appear in seven episodes out of the thirteen total: "The Ringer," "Sing for the Unicorn," "Doppelganger," "Stinging a Stinger," "Hitch in the Works," "The Missing Link," and "The Moblins are Revolting."
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Stalfos appear in two episodes of . Like in the Zelda animated series, they are capable of speaking, although they are only heard in one episode. In "Quest for the Potion of Power," Link fights and defeats two Stalfos as he, Princess Zelda, and Kevin are making their way through the Parapa Palace. Stalfos also appear in "Having a Ball," where they confront Link, Zelda, Kevin, and Princess Lana while they are in the desert. However, they pose no real threat to the heroes since Kevin and Link easily dispose of them using the Zapper and the Sword, respectively.
=== (Valiant Comics)===
Stalfos make several appearances throughout the issues of published by Valiant Comics. They first appear in "To the First Power" as one of the enemies that capture Link under the orders of a Wizzrobe. They appear again in "Queen of Hearts," where they battle against Link and Queen Seline to keep them from breaking the magic container that will give the queen her magical powers back. Stalfos are last seen as one of the monsters ambushing Princess Zelda after she fails in defeating Ganon in "Day of the Triforce."
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In , Princess Zelda, Link, and Charles of Moria encounter Stalfos when they accidentally fall into the Underground Tunnel, which is a maze infested with these skeletal warriors. After the fall, Link notices a piece of paper sticking out of a rock and tells Zelda and Charles he has found a map, hoping that it is not fake.
If Link thinks the map is fake, he will throw it away and tell Zelda and Charles to follow him. With the Stalfos pursuing them, Link tries to get the group out of the tunnel, but he trips on a Stalfos since the tunnel is so dark. The page ends with a Game Over as Zelda cries to Link saying that he picked the wrong path, claiming that they will die at the hands of the Stalfos.
However, if Link decides that the map is real, he will tell Zelda and Charles to follow him after examining the routes just as the Stalfos begin to approach them. Eventually, they safely exit back out to the woods, leaving the Stalfos howling at the end of the tunnel.
=== (Ishinomori)===
In the , two Stalfos appear in the Ice Palace. When Link asks Kholdstare that he let him see the map of the Dark World, Kholdstare refuses and unleashes two Stalfos to attack Link. When the young hero sees that they keep re-spawning even after defeating them, he begins to focus his power on the Master Sword, whose power causes for the Stalfos to be permanently defeated.
=== (Himekawa)===
In the , a Stalfos warrior named Stallord appears, who commands an army of Stalfos belonging to Ganondorf. Link later combats Stallord seven years later as an adult and defeats him, reducing him to just a floating, disembodied head. Stallord then flies away to report to Ganondorf about the Hero of Time's arrival.
==Crossover appearances==
=== series===
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In , Stalfos in their incarnation appear as enemies in the Smash Run mode. A Stalfos's movement involves walking slowly from left to right, but they begin to attack when the player's fighter is nearby. Stalfos are powerful enemies that can parry most attacks with their shields and deal heavy damage with sword slashes, either from doing a three-slash combo or a jump attack. Stalfos are vulnerable to attacks from above, below, and behind them. A Stalfos sometimes jumps backward to position itself.
Stalfos also appear as a Trophy:
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Shadowy Stalfos appear inside the in the Classic Mode of . It is now possible to a Stalfos.
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Stalfos appear as enemies in where they move to the beat of the music. They move on every other beat, crouching on one beat before hopping away to an adjacent tile on the second beat, harming anyone who stands in their way. They use shields to protect themselves from frontal attacks, though they can be easily knocked off by a weapon. They only appear in dungeons, and are one of the many undead enemies that can be summoned by a Sarcophagus.
== Trivia ==
* Interestingly, in The Wind Waker, if Link were to grab a Stalfos' club while they regenerate, the enemy will notice their weapon being stolen and will use their left arm as a nunchaku. They even yell "Wacha!" as they approach and attack the Hero of Winds. The act by the foe is a reference to the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. When Link is struck and drops the club (or if he lets go), they will regain it and resume their normal way.
* The Hero's Spirit in Twilight Princess - who is not a genuine Stalfos, but actually the restless soul of the Link from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask according to Hyrule Historia, appears as such due to his death and is filled with regrets from his life. He teaches his descendant the seven Hidden Skills to make the Hero of Twilight become a better fighter to honor their bloodline and to defeat Ganondorf.
* The character Spinal from the fighting game Killer Instinct appears very similar to a Stalfos, as he is an undead skeletal figure wielding a sword and shield.
==Nomenclature==
Stalfos is a of "stal-" and "fos," meaning "skeletal humanoid."
==Gallery==
==See also==
* Stal (Enemy Type)
* Big Dark Stalfos
* Black Stalfos
* Black Stalfos Knight
* Black Stalfos Knight Head
* Black Stalfos Mage
* Black Stalfos Rider
* Blue Stalfos
* Dark Stalfos
* Igos du Ikana
* King's Lackeys
* Master Stalfos
* Parutamu
* Shrouded Stalfos
* Stalchild
* Stalchild Captain
* Stalfos Knight
* Stalfos Knight Head
* Stalfos Mage
* Stalfos Rider
* Stalfos Warrior
* Yellow Stalfos
* Yellow Stalfos Knight
* Yellow Stalfos Knight Head
* Yellow Stalfos Mage
* Yellow Stalfos Rider