Lynels have not appeared in many Zelda games, but each encounter is hard to forget. These beasts are powerful and resilient, and they have earned their reputation as one of Link’s deadliest foes.
Lynels first appeared in the original Legend of Zelda as common enemies that dwelled near Death Mountain. The beasts came in two forms: the standard, red-colored Lynels and their more powerful, blue-colored variants. Lynels were much stronger than most other enemies, being able to deal multiple hearts’ worth of damage with a single attack. They were also durable — being able to withstand multiple attacks — and assaulted Link with their own version of the Sword Beam.
The feline foe returned five years later in A Link to the Past. They prowled the peak of Death Mountain, searching for any potential victims they could find. Though this version of the Lynel differed from the first game’s by having only one color type, it still retained the skills needed to end games quickly.
The Lynels were again very durable and could only be damaged by stronger weapons like a sword or the Magic Hammer. Lynels themselves attacked by repeatedly assaulting Link from a distance with their fire breath while quickly walking backward whenever Link moved forward. This somewhat-cowardly tactic made it difficult to approach and attack them. Link’s best method to circumvent this was to challenge them while equipped with the Mirror Shield, which was the only shield that could repel their fire.
The next games to feature the Lynels were the two members of the Oracle duo, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. This version of the monster could be seen as a simplified mixture of the first two. Red and blue types made their return, with the blue ones continuing the trend of being stronger. These Lynels, as should be expected, were highly resilient and powerful, and attacked by charging forward at Link while also firing beams from their swords.
Link also encountered a gold-colored Lynel in the Tarm Ruins of Oracle of Seasons. He was one of a handful of Golden Monsters that Link needed to defeat to complete a sidequest and claim the power-increasing Red Ring.
After a twelve-year absence, the Lynels returned in A Link Between Worlds. The Lynels of this game were similar in appearance and behavior to the ones found in A Link to the Past — as was the case with most enemies shared between the two games – and patrolled various parts of Death Mountain’s exterior and interior. Lynels, and a dark-furred variant, were also some of the enemies featured and fought in the Treacherous Tower.
The Lynels attacked with fire breath but would release the flames in long and continuous streams that could quickly deplete Link’s health. To defeat them, Link needed to attack from a distance with arrows, sneak up behind them, or approach while equipped with the Hylian Shield. Once again, the Lynels had high defense coupled with their high-damage output.
Though the most recent version, the Lynels found in Breath of the Wild have become the most iconic and notorious to most gamers. (And possibly the greatest source of Game Overs in the game.)
Lynels dwelled all regions of Hyrule, with each encounter typically staged for intense one-on-one battles. Lynels were among the most powerful enemies in Breath of the Wild, even in comparison to many of the mandatory boss fights. Whenever one noticed that Link was nearby, they would fix their gaze on him but not move. If Link did not flee after a few seconds, the beast would quickly and relentlessly pursue him. They retained their signature fire breath, but now also performed a variety of new and high-damage-dealing attacks. Some of these abilities included charging and ramming into Link at full speed, swinging variants of either the Lynel Swords or the Lynel Spears, releasing an explosive shockwave, and attacking from a distance with arrows. Lynels could also teleport to escape whenever they felt vulnerable, which made cornering them difficult.
To defeat these monsters (or at least by the safest means), Link needed to face them while equipped with an inventory of powerful weapons and items, such as Royal Claymores and Shock Arrows. He also needed to make expert use of the parry and flurry techniques to avoid attacks. If Link needed to flee from a fight, it was best to use the Sheikah Slate to warp to another location, as the Lynels would chase him for long distances to continue the battle.
The regular Lynels were already incredibly powerful in Breath of the Wild, but this did not prevent them from having stronger, different-colored versions, just like with all enemies found in the game.
In addition to the regular red types, there were blue, white, silver, and gold versions of the Lynel, with each type being sequentially stronger than the previous. Link encountered the Gold Lynels in Breath of the Wild’s Master Mode, which, according to the Hyrule Compendium, were Silver Lynels that were magically augmented and enhanced from being struck by lightning.
The Lynels have always been a serious threat, but Breath of the Wild’s additions of numerous strength increases, expert battle skills, and an expanded mythos helped propel the species to a level of notoriety it had never before experienced. Most fans were happy to face a challenging upgrade to an already formidable foe, so hopefully, they will be seen again in future games.
(For more information on the Lynels and the other fascinating creatures of Hyrule, visit Zelda Wiki.)
