Stalfos
We Have Reserves. note
The word Stalfos has its etymology in the ancient Akkalan language, and refers to bones of once living creatures. In modern times the term is applied loosly to almost any undead abomination and monstrosity. As a political entity, the identity of the Stalfos has changed just as dramatically as all the kingdoms that have risen and fallen across the history of Hyrule: due in part to the undead being the servants of many fighting lords and necromatic powers.
The origins of the rituals and practice of animated skeletons is lost to time. Many Hylian scholars agree that necromancy had its origins west of the Gerudo desert at a time when dragons still ravaged the land. In the ancient lore of the Gerudo and Akkalans, necromancy was common practice during the Ancient Age in the far west of Hyrule. The Kingdom of Ikana and Cobble Kingdoms were famously destroyed during the height of their necromancy practices. Many cults to the forgotten god Mudora practiced necromancy rituals deep in the Gerudo Desert. After King Nohans' conquest of Hyrule, the Ancient Akkalans enforced a complete ban on all forms of necromancy and thus the practice faded for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Petty necromancers and Gerudo Kings have occasionally tried to revive the practice over the centuries, with little luck.
In modern times there have been stories of Stalfos appearing in larger numbers than was usual. Whispers of necromantic powers returning the Hyrule are not uncommon. Indeed, there are forces at work that wish to revive the long forgotten arts of cheating death.
General
- Animate Dead: Most Stalfos units are animated constructs made from harvested bones.
- Dem Bones: Except for the ReDeads, who noticeably still have flesh on their bones, and the ghostly Poes, all Stalfos are skeletons.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: They will raise the corpse of anyone and accept anyone.
- Living Forever Is Awesome: Deconstructed. It's stated that some of the mindless Stalfos Mooks were once ordinary people who craved immortality, and allowed the necromancers to experiment on them.
- Multinational Team: Their heroes consist of a Sheikah, a Goron, a Hylian, an Akkalan, a dragon and a Gerudo.
- Night of the Living Mooks: The Stalfos are an army of undead.
- Our Liches Are Different: Scythe Lords, Necromancers and Death Swords, the mysterious leaders of the Stalfos. Unlike the rest, they seem to retain some capacity of intelligence.
- Two Girls to a Team: The Stalfos only have two female members, those being Irene and Meg.
- Undead Laborers: Stalchildren work on various Stalfos buildings.
Summoned Units and Collector
Collector, Stalkin, Staltroop, Stalgiant
Clockwise from top right: Stalkin, Stalgiant, Staltroop, Collector.
- Cannon Fodder: The Stalkin, Staltroops and Stalgiants are some of the worst units in the game, but they are cheap to train and can be raised anywhere. Their purpose is to overwhelm enemies with sheer numbers.
- Decomposite Character: The Stalkin were called Stalchildren in Twilight Princess, but they are not the same here. The proper Stalchildren appear working on the buildings of the Stalfos.
- Giant Mook: The Stalgiants.
- Undead Child: The Stalkin may be this, but they may also be skeletons of small creatures like Kokiri or Blins.
Haunted Ruins Units
Poe, Big Poe, Ice Big Poe, Phantom Rider, Poe Necromancer
Clockwise from top right: Big Poe, Phantom Rider, Poe Necromancer, Icy Big Poe, Poe.
- Chill of Undeath: Taken literally with Icy Big Poes, which can freeze and stun their enemies.
- Ghastly Ghost: All of them are hostile ghosts serving necromancers.
- Necromancer: The Poe Necromancer.
- Vengeful Ghost: It's stated in their descriptions that some of them may be kept in the living world by vengeance alone.
Soldier's Sepulcrum Units
Bubble, Battleforged, Stalfos Knight
Clockwise from top right: Battleforged, Stalfos Knight, Bubble.
- Note: For the Lost soul, see its section in Meg's entry below. For the Blue Bubble, see Irene's entry.
- Alliterative Name: Soldier's Sepulcrum.
- Carry a Big Stick: The Battleforged's giant mace.
- Face-Design Shield: The Stalfos Knight's shield is adorned with the Stalfos maw.
- Flying Face: Bubbles, which are winged skulls with no long bones.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: The Stalfos Knight's shield gives it a big of survivability.
- Pulling Themselves Together: The Battleforged will begin to do this if their corpses are left unchecked, meaning a single one has much more staying power than the average Stalfos.
- Warrior Undead: The Battleforged and Stalfos Knights are a step above the usual Stalfos, having some battle experience.
Sacrificial Slab Units
Eyesoar, Stalhound, Stalhorse
Clockwise from top right: Stalhound, Stalhorse, Eyesoar.
- Note: For the Staldra, see its section in Blind's entry below.
- Alliterative Name: Sacrificial Slab.
- Non-Human Undead: None of the units trained here are made from human corpses, suggesting animal sacrifice was practiced at these altars instead of human.
- Oculothorax: Eyesoars are small disembodied eyeballs animated by dark magic.
- Raising the Steaks: Stalhounds and Stalhorses are remains of animals which were sacrificed at the altar, though this does bring up the question of which culture in Hyrule specifically sacrificed canines and horses.
Dark Reliquary Units
Re Dead, Stalmaster
From left: Redead, Stalmaster.
- Note: For the Redead Knight and Stalreaper, see their section in Death Sword's entry below.
- Dual Wielding: Stalmasters can wield four swords at once, one for each arm.
- Evil Is Visceral: The Redeads are some of the only non-hero units to have flesh, and they are pretty creepy as a result.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Stalmasters have four arms in which they hold four swords.
- Our Zombies Are Different: Even the description is not sure what exactly the Redeads are, but it offers some theories, such as them being failed necromancers or Sheikah guardians twisted into evil servants.
- Support Party Member: Both the Redead and Stalmaster are this; the Redead debuffs enemies, and Stalmaster buffs allies.
- Walking Ossuary: The Stalmasters are presumably this, having four arms and way too many ribs.
- Warrior Undead: Stalmasters are undead warriors who have had centuries to perfect their fighting skills and serve as champions for necromancers.
Stalfos Heroes
Dampé
Dampé the Gravedigger
Frollo was right.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Adaptational Intelligence: He might be horribly inbred, but he is not as stupid as he seems.
- Adaptational Villainy: A helpful and morally conscious character in canon. In Hyrule Conquest, he actively brings help forth Stalchildren to do the necromancers' bidding.
- Disabled in the Adaptation: Maybe. It's not exactly clear what his deal is in Ocarina of Time. He could be inbred, old, or simply ugly. In Hyrule Conquest, he is definitely deformed through inbreeding.
- Evil Cripple: Downplayed. He seems to be able to get around and work, though with difficulity.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: How he manages to avoid suspicion.
- Race Lift: Hinted to be a Sheikah instead of Hylian.
Gabora
Gabora
It doesn't matter whether he is a Goron or not. What matters is; where is Zubora?
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Adaptational Modesty: He doesn't show off as much of his muscle due to being more covered up.
- Adaptational Villainy: In canon, Gabora is a helpful blacksmith who helps Link forge the Razor and Gilded Swords. Things seem to have taken a worse turn for him here.
- Deal with the Devil: According to in-game descriptions, people still seek out Gabora's services long after his death, but at a cost.
- Related in the Adaptation: Downplayed. While he and Death Sword were rumored to be linked in the original games, there was ultimately no confirmation. Here, he is definitely Death Sword's blacksmith.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: Such a competent and renowned blacksmith that not even death stops people from seeking him out.
Meg
Meg
Who names a ghost Meg?
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Deal with the Devil: In-game descriptions indicate necromancers seek out her services, though it's unclear as to what.
-
Recursive Adaptation: Her headpiece has been redesigned to be more in line with Cia, whose design was based on Meg. - Shrouded in Myth: Not even the in-game description is sure as to how she ended up as she did.
- Tom the Dark Lord: Meg. Just Meg.
Unique Unit: Lost Soul
They don't walk on air, but they will walk over you.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Adaptation Name Change: Simply called Stalfos in Ocarina of Time, but renamed here to avoid confusion.
- Composite Character: A really minor example, but their shields come from Twilight Princess.
- Face-Design Shield: Like the Stalfos knights, their shields are adorned with the Stalfos maw.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: They carry a round shield to protect them from damage.
- Praetorian Guard: An undead variation for Meg.
- Warrior Undead: Like the Stalfos Knights, they're genuine undead soldiers rather than just mindless drones.
Irene
Irene
She's literally just there to cause trouble.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Adaptational Villainy: There was nothing to suggest Irene had ill intent in A Link Between Worlds. In Hyrule Conquest, she seems to have taken a darker path.
- Cute Witch: Rather pretty for a necromancer.
- Token Human: Only one of the Stalfos heroes to not be an undead necromancer.
- Replacement Artifact: Replaced Azrily/Malmord from Hyrule: Total War.
Unique Unit: Blue Bubble
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda
- Flaming Skulls: And that's pretty much their design fully described.
- Flying Face: As is tradition.
- The Jinx: Just like in their original appearances, they can jinx their enemies to prevent them from attacking.
Blind
Blind the Thief
He needs tho thee a denthith.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Composite Character: Of both his variants from A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds.
- Dracolich: After his return from the dead.
- Full-Body Disguise: Blind can disguise himself as anybody, with his favorite being young women.
- Punny Name: Robbed blind.
- Replacement Artifact: Replaced Onox as the Dracolich of the faction, taking his bonuses and unique unit.
- The Dreaded: By the Sheikah for managing to steal from them.
Unique Unit: Staldra
It has enough eyes to technically be considered a spider.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Dracolich: A mook variant excavated from deep caves.
- Healing Factor: Like the Gleeoks, they can regenerate their heads, making them that much harder to kill without a full contigent.
- Multiple Head Case: Staldra are constructed with three heads grafted unto their bodies, allowing them to attack multiple enemies at once.
- Our Hydras Are Different: The Staldra resembles a stocky three-headed snake skeleton.
Death Sword
Death Sword
A quintessential Dark Lord.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Adaptational Intelligence: There was no real telling whether he was intelligent in Twilight Princess. Here, he is the leader of the Stalfos.
- Adaptation Species Change: Seemingly a phantom in the original games. Here, he is rumored to be an ancient Gerudo.
- Decomposite Character: Maybe. The presence of Gabora's name on his sword indicates he was some form of Phantom Ganon in Twilight Princess, though the two are separate characters in Conquest.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Death Sword is certainly not a nice name.
- Related in the Adaptation: Downplayed. There were hints he was connected to Gabora in the original games but there was ultimately no confirmation. Here, they are directly connected.
- Replacement Artifact: Replaced Akazoo after initial considerations to merge them.
Unique Units: Stalreaper and Redead Knight.
The Stalreaper (left) and Redead Knight (right).
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda II: Adventure of Link (Stalreaper) and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Redead)
- Adaptation Name Change: From Reapling to Stalreaper.
- Cold Flames: The Stalreaper's blue fire.
- Composite Character: The Stalreaper is a composite of the Reapling and Blue Stalfos.
- Mythology Gag: The Stalreaper's canon name, Blue Stalfos, is mentioned as a folk name in its description.
- Sinister Scythe: Stalreapers use scythes as their main weapon.
- The Grim Reaper: Invoked by the Stalreaper, though they are just powerful necromancers.
Stallord
Stallord
Things can always get a lot worse.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Adaptational Ugliness: Players who pay attention will notice his skull has a sleeker shape, sharper teeth and a scrunched up brow that makes him always seem furious.
- Dracolich: He is an undead dragon.
- Shrouded in Myth: The Gerudo apparently see him as a cosmic figure capable of devouring the sun, and claim the world was made from his body.
- The Cameo: In Undying Nephalim's other game, Star Fox: Event Horizon, multiple Stallord models serve as props on Titania.
- The Great Serpent: Apparently this in Gerudo mythology. Some form of embelishment might have taken place.
- Undead Fossils: The Stallord may count as this.
