The Legend of Zelda is one of the oldest series in gaming, starting way back in 1986, and that very first game is still a source of inspiration for many, Nintendo itself included. And though Zelda broke many of its traditions with Breath of the Wild, it held onto plenty of well-known enemies.
No game is truly complete without a strong cast of enemies for our hero to defeat, and Zelda is packed with them. You may not even know the names of many of them, but their appearance is one you can't miss. Some enemies take a long hiatus, only to appear years later, while some are basically guaranteed entries.
10 Bokoblin
When you think of the enemies of Breath of the Wild, likely the first that will enter your mind is the Bokoblin. Simple little guys, they're littered across the land of Hyrule in their camps and riding horses, or even bears. And of course, they appear in some other entries as well, but their first appearance was actually in Wind Waker.
Unlike their much more famous counterparts that have existed since the beginning, Moblins, Bokoblins began as 3D enemies, and first appeared as 2D enemies in Cadence of Hyrule. It's funny for how well-known they are that they only appeared about halfway through the history of the series, but that just means they made a good first impression.
9 Chuchu
Like any self-respecting game, Zelda of course has slime enemies. They're an enemy type as old as games themselves, simple little blobs of something that for some reason are out to get you. Dragon Quest has slimes, Final Fantasy has flans, and The Legend of Zelda has Chuchus.
Chuchus have appeared in the series for years, and have always been simple blobs of various colors, though many have elemental effects of their own like electricity and fire. And in Twilight Princess, they can merge together into bigger Chus, and in Breath of the Wild get split into smaller Chuchus.
8 Darknut
Considering that Link himself is a knight with a famed sword, the number of enemies like him in the series is surprisingly small, considering the popularity of the archetype. But one enemy has existed throughout the series, usually reserved as an almost mini-boss enemy, and that is the Darknut.
The quintessential medieval knight, the Darknut towers over Link in all incarnations, typically charging at him while keeping their shield aloft. And in Twilight Princess, each and every fight against a Darknut is a true test of skill, slowly whittling away their armor until there's nothing left.
7 Stalfos
Just like slimes, skeletons are the one enemy type games just can't go without, and are frankly more common than your average slime. For Zelda, this comes in the place of Stalfos - the bony guys who shuffle about crypts hoping to take you down before falling victim to the master sword, returned to death once more.
But in the 3D games, Stalfos are much more formidable enemies, people who've died and come back as dangerous warriors fit to give Link a serious challenge. And though Stalfos themselves don't make a strict appearance in Breath of the Wild, they do appear as skeletal versions of Lizalfos and Bokoblins.
6 Octorok
Much of the Legend of Zelda has Link exploring the nature of Hyrule as opposed to the cities, meaning he comes up against plenty of the natural life that doesn't take too kindly to his intrusions. And when roaming the waters of Hyrule, Octoroks are some of the most common, and quite simply irksome enemies you'll encounter.
Like octopi with heads just a bit too big, octoroks like to hide beneath the water's surface or the ground itself, popping up when Link is turned away to take potshots with rocks. They're fast little guys and require quick reactions to effectively deal with, like a shield deflect or chopping their top while underground.
5 Hinox
Well-known from Breath of the Wild, their giant form being climbable when sleeping and the terror when they pick up a tree to throw at you, Hinox are actually fairly limited in their appearances, with Breath of the Wild actually being their first official 3D appearance and A Link Between Worlds featuring a 3D version of their version from A Link To The Past.
A feature common across them all however is their utter love for bombs and throwing things, Link included. Though they were weak to bombs in the original, every future incarnation has them throw bombs with glee while brushing off Link's, in some games even throwing them back like a game of catch.
4 Armos
Armos are one of those enemies that when you hear the name, you probably think you've never heard of. And in fairness, maybe you haven't since the name is never really said. But they're actually featured in just about every Zelda game, usually as an inactive but obviously going to kill you enemy.
See, Armos are statues. And at times they appear indistinguishable from the other statues around them. And sometimes they're very conspicuously placed by doors and come to life as you approach. They usually require a more unique approach to defeat, being puzzle enemies by their very existence.
3 Wallmaster
If you've been playing Elden Ring recently, you've probably come across those freaky hand enemies and felt a shiver up your spine and wondered when did the obsession with hand enemies actually begin. And maybe you'll never get that answer, but you can definitely blame Zelda for some of it.
Appearing from the very first game, Wallmasters are disembodied hands that, more often than not, drop from the ceiling to grab Link and drag him back to the beginning of a dungeon, and in Ocarina of Time can't even be permanently killed. You wouldn't think a hand would be the creepiest enemy, and yet it is.
2 Wizzrobe
Wizzrobes are, as the name so deftly hides, wizards in robes. They've been enemies in the series from the very beginning, usually focused on ranged attacks to take down Link, though didn't get a 3D form until Wind Waker, and a drastic toucan-inspired redesign to boot.
In fact, they used to look quite a bit like the black mages from Final Fantasy, like little Vivi especially. And then Breath of the Wild came along. They saunter across the air while shooting magic your way and poofing out of existence. But if you've come across any official Breath of the Wild art, you'll have seen what they're like underneath, and there's nothing precious there.
1 Lynel
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
Another enemy made famous due to their appearance in Breath of the Wild, Lynels are by all means bosses, even if the game doesn't class them as such. They're the ultimate challenge, needing Link to master all of his skills and good use of potions just to survive, and Lynels already have looks that could kill.
They also appeared in the original Legend of Zelda where they were one of the strongest enemies, and again in A Link To The Past where their fireballs could only be deflected with a magic shield, and only damaged with charge attacks. They've always been threatening, though Breath of the Wild definitely takes it a step further.