- "Use your shield well and fight with (Z) Targeting techniques!"
- — Navi
Lizalfos (リザルフォス Rizarufosu?) are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They resemble bipedal lizards with a long tail and a green hue to their skin. Their tongues are forked, and their mouths are filled with sharp teeth. They wear few, if any, clothes, usually only a metal loincloth and a few pieces of armor. Lizalfos are most commonly found either on the fiery slopes of Death Mountain, or scattered around in the region of the Gerudo Desert, as well as more temperate forests.
Appearances[]
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link[]
Lizalfos come in three forms: Orange, Red, and Blue. All three forms carry shields that they can move to parry Link's sword. Orange Lizalfos attack with a spear similar to the Iron Knuckle's sword, but a bit faster. Link gains 150 experience points for defeating an orange Lizalfos. Red Lizalfos attack with a mace that can only hit high, but cannot be blocked by Link's shield, unless Link has cast the Reflect Spell. Link gains 100 experience for defeating a red Lizalfos. Blue Lizalfos attack by throwing maces in Link's direction. And like the red ones, their maces cannot be blocked by a shield without the reflect spell. Link gains 200 experience for defeating one. All varients were clad in black, roman styled armor,
All Lizalfos are found in southeastern Hyrule, save one Orange Lizalfos who kidnaps a child from the Mountain Town of Darunia and hides away on Maze Island. Orange and Red Lizalfos inhabit the forests and caves, and Blue Lizalfos inhabit the graveyard and the lava flows leading to the Great Palace.
Lizalfos are one of the most organized forces in Ganon's arsenal, building several large wooden walls in choke points where Link must pass. Many of them hide on the scaffolding behind this wall, and hurl down rocks upon the hero, safe from his blade while ground troops divert his focus. These rock-throwing Lizalfos cannot be stabbed even if Link is able to reach their height with the Jump Spell, and can only be killed with the Thunder Spell or by turning them into Bots with the Spell Spell.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[]
Lizalfos appear multiple times. Two pairs of Lizalfos are encountered within Dodongo's Cavern when Link is a child; later, two Lizalfos battle Link inside the Spirit Temple. In master quest mode they appear more frequently. Their appearance is similar to that of The Adventure of Link, only they wear armor with a single pauldron, and armored loincloths. They each brandish a sword as well, and make high-pitched yips and cries.
Lizalfos are remarkably nimble and swift. They attack in pairs and "tag out" when one sustains enough damage. They use their agility to dive over the hero's head, hoping to get a surprise attack off, or just slashing and stabbing at him. They also occasionally parry Link's attacks. Lizalfos attacks can occasionally strike over the Deku Shield if Link is too close.
[]
“Use your shield well, and fight with (Z) Targeting techniques!” |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]
Lizalfos are notably different from their Ocarina of Time counterparts. They are slightly bulkier and darker scaled, and are often clad in a thin leather loincloth, and various tribal jewelry. Typically, they are armed with scimitar-like swords, squared bucklers, and axe-heads attached to the end of their tails. Some variants wear goat skull helmets and bone jewelry. The most dangerous Lizalfos are larger and wear heavy armor for protection, providing complete invulnerability except for their backs. They will sometimes emit a low growling noise when attacked or defeated.
They are persistent foes and appear in a large variety of Dungeons and Overworld areas. They are also capable of taking much more damage than the Ocarina of Time versions. Agile, they use their swords and axes to damage Link, and their bucklers are often put to good use. Save for the armored varieties, they are still very susceptible to Link's special sword skills. If Link tries to kill one from a distance using the Hawkeye and Bow combination, he cannot do anything more than briefly stun it. They must be faced head-on to ensure a kill.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword[]
Lizalfos bear resemblance to their Twilight Princess counterparts, having weapons attached to the end of their tails. In this game, however, they can breathe fire, and wear iron gauntlets which they use as a shield and a weapon. They are incredibly agile and dodge very frequently when attacked and act the same a Quadro Baba does as it dodges attacks when Link tries to slash at it, however, Lizalfos do not attack immediately but Lizalfos also very often come in pairs, with a different arm dominance. After dodging Link's sword, they tend to crouch and taunt Link, and if Link hits their gauntlet, it will stun him, giving the Lizalfos a chance to counterattack with an uppercut, although it is possible to avoid the counterattack or use a Shield Bash. When Link hits their iron arm, the Lizalfos that blocked the attack when taunting Link will laugh at him before hitting Link. Their crouch-shield stance is the most opportune time to hit them, as they slant their shielding arm and leave the other side of their bodies open to attack. Regardless of how a Lizalfos holds its gauntlet while in this crouch position, it is vulnerable to stabbing attacks. The player can use Link's Fatal Blow movement to kill a Lizalfos by a Spin Attack or a jump slash.
They can also be attacked from behind with the Bow, but will block arrows from their gauntlet sides or the front and be alerted to Link's presence. If they see Link but he is out of range, such as up on a ledge above them, they will taunt him with side-winding body movements and a hissing/chattering sound. They always drop Lizard Tails when defeated. The game also includes Dark Lizalfos, more powerful versions of the standard enemy.
They wore small chestplates and tribal arm-bands. They also had armor on their legs and what seems to be a short crimson robe with white edges.
Fi's Note[]
“This unmistakable monster is equipped with an arm guard made of hard iron. Great physical prowess makes it difficult to predict its movements. You will need to anticipate the direction of its arm guard to successfully land an attack on the exposed angle.” |
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]
Lizalfos in Breath of the Wild have a horn on their foreheads and a chameleon-like appearance. They can wield "Lizal" series armaments such as Lizal Bows, Boomerangs, Shields or Spears. They can drop Lizalfos Horns and Talons. There are several Lizalfos variants; the basic, eponymous green variants, along with Blue, Black, and Silver Lizalfos, as well as Golden Lizalfos which are the strongest and are exclusive to the Master Mode. There are three additional elemental variants, Fire-Breath, Ice-Breath and Electric Lizalfos. Blue, Black, and Silver Lizalfos occasionally drop additional Lizalfos Tails when killed, while Fire-Breath, Ice-Breath and Electric Lizalfos can drop, respectively, Red, Icy and Yellow Lizalfos Tails. Two undead variants are introduced in Breath of the Wild as well Stalizalfos and Cursed Lizalfos.
Unlike many of the other common monsters seen in Breath of the Wild, even common Lizalfos are not to be taken lightly. They are incredibly fast, and are capable of more advanced combat tactics, such as dodging, ambushes, or disrupting charge attacks from afar. Lizalfos typically use their held weapons to attack, but will use their tails and a water spit as well, while the elemental variants have an additional elemental attack (fire breath, ice balls, or electric discharge). Befitting their chameleon-like appearance, all living Lizalfos can attack with their tongue and camouflage themselves to blend in with the environment to launch sneak attacks. Also unlike most enemies, they are amphibious and often patrol beaches, seas, and watery areas, and never sleep. Lizalfos are faster than Bokoblins or Moblins. Lizalfos have a carnivorous diet consisting of meat, fish, and even insects, and like Blins, can also be seen eating meat and fish in their camps; Link can find roasted fish and meat there. In certain areas like Tabantha Frontier, Lizalfos can be seen interacting with other enemies like Moblins and Bokoblins in camps. Moblins tend to be more respectful of Lizalfos while fighting alongside them in battle. While Lizalfos are primarily carnivorous feeding on primarily meat and fish, they are also known to be insectivorous as well, even using their long tongues to catch nearby insects while on patrol.
Fire and Ice-Breath variants are highly vulnerable to reverse elemental attacks, and can even be instantly killed by such a weapon or arrows. Electric Lizalfos do not have an elemental weakness, and are able to release electric bursts from their horns to stun Link, who will drop any weapons, bows, and shields wielded. If their horn is hit with an arrow, they will discharge electricity, shocking nearby allies or Link himself. Fire-Breath Lizalfos inhabit areas such as Eldin Canyon and Gerudo Desert, while Ice-Breath Lizalfos inhabit cold areas such as Gerudo Highlands and Hebra Mountains. Electric Lizalfos inhabit areas like Hyrule Ridge and Gerudo Desert. Fire-Breath Lizalfos also possess the ability to swim in Lava and can spit lava from their mouths while swimming in it. Ice-Breath Lizalfos can hide under snow to ambush Link while Electric Lizalfos hide under sand. All Lizalfos can cling to walls camouflaging themselves attacking Link with their tongues if he climbs near one. As a result, Lizalfos are masters of ambush tactics. Lizalfos senties carry seashell shaped Monster Horns to alert nearby allies if they spot Link unless he eliminates them first or disguises himself. Lizalfos also are talented craftsmen with their weapons generally being some of the finest armaments crafted by monsters surpassed only by Lynel made armaments. Some Bokoblins and Moblins even prefer Lizalfos made armaments over their own armaments. However Lizalfos may wield Zora, Sheikah, Goron, Hylian, Korok, Bokoblin, or Moblin made armaments or pickup any available weapon, bow, or shield on the ground if unarmed. Lizalfos wield Boomerangs in Lanayru Wetlands, while a Ice-Breath Lizalfos at Goflam's Secret Hot Spring in Hebra Mountains wields a Giant Boomerang. A Fire-Breath Lizalfos in Eldin Mountains wields a Stone Smasher, while a Black Lizalfos on Samasa Plain in Lanayru Great Spring wields a Eightfold Longblade. Lizalfos will occasionally throw their weapons at Link which is dangerous if they are wielding a boomerang class weapon though can be advantageous for Link as he can pickup thrown weapons forcing the Lizalfos to fight unarmed.
Stalizalfos are reanimated Lizalfos skeletons that appear at night. Like Stalkoblin and Stalmoblin, they occasionally raise out of the ground. As they are made of bone, they are more fragile, lack tongues, and lose their ability to camouflage, though they make up for it by pretending to be piles of bones. They will still try to perform their tongue attack which humorously fails due the loss of soft tissue leaving them wide open to attack. They occasionally wield their Lizalfos Arm as makeshift weapons, which Link can use himself. Lizalfos Arms can be used as a Boomerang as they return to the thrower when thrown by either Link or Stalizalfos. Cursed Lizalfos are Lizalfos skulls possessed by Malice. Cursed Lizalfos fly around and behave like Bubbles seen in past games though are faster than Cursed Bokoblins. They are spawned from mouths made of Malice. Cursed Lizalfos appear in the four corrupted Divine Beasts and Hyrule Castle.
Link can disguise himself as a Lizalfos with the Lizalfos Mask, making Lizalfos follow him around out of curiosity rather than attacking. The disguise will fail if Link attacks them or there are other types of enemies around as the Lizalfos Mask only effects Lizalfos and Lizalfos variants, save for Cursed Lizalfos which are unaffected having been robbed of much of their personality save for their slyness.
- "Our scholars say that in the distant past, Zora's Domain had a king with no special talent for the art of war. What he lacked in skill with a blade he made up for in love for his people, and especially love for his queen. One day, news reached the king of a horde of monsters gathering in the Zodobon Highlands. The king steeled himself for war to protect his people, but the queen knew how ill suited for the task he was. Worried for his life, she wove one of her own scales into his armor, hoping that her love would protect him in battle. It seemed for a time that the tide of battle favored the Zora and that all would make it safely home. But the cunning Lizalfos general saw an opening and seized it, driving the king's forces into a corner. Just when the general's sword was ready to crash down upon the king, a miracle took place. An errant sunbeam reflected from the scale on his armor blinded the Lizalfos stopping the deathblow from falling. This was the chance the king needed to rally his forces and turn the tide, taking down the general and securing victory. This came to be known as the Miracle of the White Scale, a scale that only female Zora possess. It was this miracle that began the tradition of Zora princesses crafting armor for their future husbands."
- — Miracle of the White Scale
One of the Zora Stone Monuments mentions a Lizalfos general who led an army of Lizalfos and monsters in the distant past and warred with the Zora. The general gathered his army at Zodobon Highlands which forced the Zora into a confrontation with its army. The Lizalfos general proved to be a dangerous foe who almost defeated and killed the current King and his army. The Zora Queen stitched one of her white scales into her husband's armor, which reflected an errant sunbeam that blinded the general, giving the Zora King and his army an opening to defeat them and kill the Lizalfos general. This event became known as the "Miracle of the White Scale". This shows how dangerous and organized Lizalfos can be when it comes to waging war considering they could wage war with Zora's Domain. It presumably explains why the Zora maintain a strong military composed of Zora Knights and why Princess Mipha, King Dorephan, and Prince Sidon are all talented and highly trained warriors. Thanks to its army and strength of the Zora Royal Family, the Lizalfos and monsters of the Lanayru Great Spring region do not dare assault Zora's Domain even though they control most roads leading to it though the Zora have the advantage of being able to travel via the region's waterways which connect to Zora River, Hylia River, and Akkala Falls. However most Zora stay within the safety of Zora's Domain. However the monster presence has discouraged tourism to Zora's Domain by Hylians. Lizalfos are more prominent in the Lanayru province due to their amphibious nature making them suited to the watery environment.
The Golden Lizalfos variant is added by activating the Master Mode of the DLC pack The Master Trials. While their attack methods remain the same as other Lizalfos, the Golden Lizalfos are the strongest variants and possesses higher HP. Additionally, they will not attack Link while he is wearing Majora's Mask (reacting similar to how they respond to the Lizalfos Mask) obtained during The Master Trials DLC side quest "EX Treasure: Ancient Mask". Unlike the Lizalfos Mask, Majora's Mask also effects Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lynels in the same manner. However they will attack if Link attacks them or there are other enemy types not effected by the mask around.
Hyrule Compendium[]
Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. They're a sly species that lurks underwater or uses camouflage to blend in with the environment to launch ambushes. Moreover, they never sleep. They're meat eaters by nature but will enjoy the occasional insect or two."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Blue Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. Compared to the green Lizalfos, many of these carry much stronger weapons and are generally much tougher."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Black Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. This particular type tends to carry some pretty strong weapons, so they are among the most dangerous Lizalfos."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Stalizalfos[]
- "The remains of Lizalfos appear in the dark of the night. They're as sly as ever, even now that they're just some bones stacked atop each other. However their bodies are much more fragile, and a single solid hit can reduce them to pieces. If a skull remains intact, they will put themselves back up and continue to fight. They've been known to grab the wrong skull at times, but they never seem to mind..."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Fire-Breath Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. Their fiery breath makes them pretty dangerous, but exposure to cold will kill them instantly. They mainly make their homes in volcanic areas but have also been sighted in the Akkala region."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Ice-Breath Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. The balls of ice they spit make them particularly troublesome, but exposure to fire will kill them instantly. Their homes are mainly on snowy mountains."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Electric Lizalfos[]
- "These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. They can emit strong electrical currents from their bodies, so don't get too close. Their horns are brimming with electricity, which will discharge and arc to nearby areas if struck by an arrow. They tend to live in desert climates."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Silver Lizalfos[]
- "These Lizalfos have been influenced by Ganon's fiendish magic to become the strongest Lizalfos of all. They're called "silver" for their unique coloring and also to denote their rarity. Their purple pattern makes them even more distinct."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Cursed Lizalfos[]
- "The Malice has given these Lizalfos skulls a sorry form of life after death. Only the slyness of their former selves remains, making them faster than Bokoblin skulls. They thoughtlessly attack anyone who approaches."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Golden Lizalfos[]
- "With brutal strength and extreme resilience, this type of Lizalfos somehow surpasses Silver Lizalfos in sheer power. It is said they are actually Silver Lizalfos who mysteriously transformed after being struck by lightning. Perhaps that is why they have such a high tolerance for electric attacks."
- — Hyrule Compendium
Theory[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
Other Relatives[]
The Lizalfos are likely related to a variety of other similar reptilian species. Lizalfos are commonly identified as being related to the Dinolfos, although this is easily debatable due to the lack of information between the two species. Dairas are also a likely relative, due to the similar appearance and their use of primitive weaponry. Yet another potential relative are the Tokay, another primitive reptilian species. However non-monster lizard species do exist in Hyrule as shown by Hightail Lizards, Hearty Lizards, and Fireproof Lizards and Lizalfos are described as lizard-like monsters presumably more closely related to Dragons as suggested in the Hyrule Warriors sub-series and implied in Breath of the Wild (as their parts are used to upgrade the Zora armor set of which the Helm and Greaves are made with dragon scales, presumably with their parts being used due to Lizalfos being an amphibious dragon subspecies). Despite their benign nature, the three Dragon Spirits are classified as monsters along with Lizalfos indicating Dragons are considered a type of monster with Lizalfos being a lizard-like dragon subspecies. Lizalfos may also be related to Aeralfos.
Theory warning: Theories end here.
Other appearances[]
Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.
Link's Crossbow Training[]
The Twilight Princess version of Lizalfos appearance appear as enemy targets in the Temple of Time: Ranger stage.
Hyrule Warriors[]
Lizalfos appear as officer enemies in Hyrule Warriors. In early gameplay videos, the Lizalfos design from Skyward Sword was used, though by the game's release, the Lizalfos were changed to use their Ocarina of Time design while retaining certain aspects of their Skyward Sword design, such as a armored gauntlet on their left forearm. Despite this change, Lizalfos can still breathe fire, and it is when this happens that it shows its weak point gauge. If Bombs/Super Bomb are used during one of their attacks, it will throw them off balance, causing them to spin around, spewing fire that damages nearby enemies and exposes their Weak Point Gauge. There fighting style and weaknesses are the same as Dinolfos and Dinolfos Chieftain.
They are apparently lead by Lizalfos Chieftain who is slightly larger than his brethren and capable of speech. In the game, Lizalfos Chieftain refers to itself and its brethren as members of the Dragon race, indicating that they are species of flightless dragon, which may explain their ability to breath fire.
Lizalfos and Lizalfos Chieftain drop Lizalfos Scale as their Bronze Material drop and Lizalfos Gauntlet as their Silver Material drop.
Hyrule Warriors Legends[]
Lizalfos Chieftain has a larger role in the main story, appearing as Volga's subordinate in most story scenarios where Volga appears. Also a Bomb icon now appears over a Lizalfos heads to show when they are vulnerable to a Extra-Effective Item Attacks. In Ganondorf's Return, the prison Gatekeepers from Hyrule Warriors are replaced by Lizalfos Prison Guards that try to recruit their Darknut prisoners to fight for the Monster Forces.
Both variants wear a loincloth slightly shorter than their Ocarina of time variants, it seems to be in layers and held on by chains. They also have a breastplate.
Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Aeralfos
- Cursed Lizalfos
- Darkhammer
- Dinolfos
- Electric Lizalfos
- Fire-Breath Lizalfos
- Ice-Breath Lizalfos
- Lizalfos Chieftain
- Stalizalfos
- Super Aeralfos
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