The enemies found and fought in The Legend of Zelda games are incredibly diverse. They encompass a variety of themes, designs, and purposes, all of which make every game fulfilling and memorable. One important aspect of Link’s foes is that they supply an undeniably important list of cliches associated with video game enemies. One of these is the trope of the large, muscular, and dim-witted beast, and when looking for this type in the Zelda games, one needs to look no further than to the Hinox.
A Link to the Past
The Hinoxes first appeared in 1991’s A Link to the Past. It was in this game that they established themselves as hulking cyclops with incredible durability and offensive capabilities.
Hinoxes only dwelled in the regions of the Dark World near and around the Pyramid of Power. They patrolled the land, looking for any of Ganon’s enemies. Once one such foe was spotted, they would attack by throwing bombs at them. Link could defeat a Hinox with nearly any weapon at his disposal, but the monster’s high health meant that Link would probably not be able to kill it before it could retaliate.
Link’s Awakening
Following the same trend as many other enemies, the Hinox returned two years later in Link’s Awakening. Differing in purpose from the first version, the Hinox served as a miniboss for multiple dungeons.
The Hinoxes still threw bombs at Link, but they also had the ability to charge at Link in an attempt to grab him. If they took hold of Link, they would pick him and then throw him to the ground, dealing damage in the process. Sword attacks and bombs were still useful and essential weapons to use against them, and they could also be destroyed by using the Magic Rod.
Four Swords Adventures
More than a decade passed before the Hinox made a return appearance, that being in Four Swords Adventures. Though the Hinoxes of this game were not minibosses like how they were in Link’s Awakening, they were equally massive and dangerous.
Their primary attacks were changed slightly. Instead of throwing bombs, the Hinoxes would instead pull large boulders out from the ground and then throw them at the Links. And if the Links drew too close to a Hinox, it would charge at them while flailing its fists. If struck by their fists, the Links would take a full heart’s worth of damage and drop Force Gems. Same as before, sword attacks and bombs remained effective tools against the Hinox.
Phantom Hourglass
The first noticeably different version of the Hinox came in Phantom Hourglass in 2007. Appearing only in Goron Temple and on Dee Ess Island, the Hinoxes were smaller than most other types: Their heads rested low into their bodies and had no neck underneath them, and they were blue in color only.
These Hinoxes primarily attacked by punching, and if Link attempted to throw a bomb at them, they had the ability to grab the bomb and throw it back. To defeat the Hinox, the player needed to shoot it in the eye with an arrow and then attack it with the sword while it was stunned.
A Link Between Worlds/Tri Force Heroes
For their next iteration, which was featured in A Link Between Worlds, the Hinox returned to their original-though-updated version from A Link to the Past. These Hinoxes performed the same role as the one from A Link to the Past and behaved and attacked in the same ways. The only noteworthy difference was that they could also ram into Link if he was close enough to them.
The same version of the Hinox also appeared Tri Force Heroes. This version was nearly identical to the one from A Link Between Worlds, with the only exception being their increased health to help create a greater challenge for three Links.
Three special, individual Hinoxes also appeared and served as mini-bosses. They were the Hinox Brothers trio and were fought in the Hinox Mine and Bomb Storage levels.
Breath of the Wild
The latest, and by far most imposing, version of the Hinox came in Breath of the Wild. Easily the largest Hinox seen in the series, the beasts were overworld bosses found throughout Hyrule’s countryside.
All of the Hinoxes could be found in the same condition: asleep. Due to their resilience and tremendous strength, engaging them while they were still unconscious would offer the player a valuable chance to deal with some early damage and gain the advantage in the fight.
Once the battle would begin, Link would need to find a way to hit any of its weak points, which were its shins and its singular eye. Shooting the eye with an arrow was one of the best options, as the Hinox would fall to the ground and clutch its eye in pain for a moment, granting the player a chance to attack its entire body. After Link dealt enough damage to the beast, it would fall and leave behind numerous collectibles, including valuable weapons and monster parts that only Hinoxes produced.
Never a foe to be taken lightly, the Hinox has made few appearances in the series when compared to many other foes, but their design and stature have made them a memorable addition to the series’ collection of monsters. And with the success of Breath of the Wild allowing them to gain newfound attention and popularity, it is likely that more will be seen of them in future games.
