Stalfos

Skeleton Swordsman

A skeletal swordsman appearing in The Legend of Zelda. Normally does not initiate attacks, but in Second Quest mode, it is a formidable enemy that fires beam attacks from its sword.

Trivia

  • Stalfos normally does not attack, but it is the only enemy that fires sword beams in Second Quest.
  • It sometimes possesses keys or compasses, and the held items can be seen through parts of its body.
  • The sword beam can only be blocked by the Magical Shield, making evasion extremely difficult.
  • Its appearance in Second Quest was a high-difficulty element born from a mistake by director Takashi Tezuka.
  • One of the representative enemy characters appearing in the first The Legend of Zelda.

Alternate names

Stalfos Bone Swordsman Skeleton Swordsman

Tags

Skeleton Swordsman The Legend of Zelda Enemy Character Second Quest Sword Beam Action Adventure Boss Fight Famicom Disk System Nintendo

Profile

Species
Undead

Appearance

Overall appearance
A swordsman clad in armor over a skeletal body, wielding a large sword.
Distinguishing features
  • Skeletal body
  • Heavy armor
  • Large sword
Iconic items
  • Greatsword
  • Armor
  • Sword Beam

Personality and abilities

Core personality
Calm
Detailed personality
Normally moves harmlessly around the surroundings, but in Second Quest, it is a calm and cunning warrior that launches high-difficulty attacks as an enemy.
Keywords
  • Patient
  • Composed
  • Combative
  • Strategic
  • Eerie
Talents
  • Swordsmanship
  • Sword Beam Emission
  • Tactical Movement
Skills
  • Melee Combat
  • Ranged Attacks (Sword Beam)
  • Defense
Motivation
Guarding the labyrinth and obstructing Link

History

Backstory
A skeletal swordsman that appears in dungeons in the world of The Legend of Zelda, standing in Link's way as an enemy. No official individual backstory is explicitly stated.
Debut date
February 21, 1986
Work title
The Legend of Zelda
Media type
Game

Sword Beam in Second Quest

Significant event
Sword Beam in Second Quest
Description
Normally does not attack, but in the high-difficulty Second Quest mode, it fires sword beams and launches powerful attacks at Link.

Holding Keys or Compasses

Significant event
Holding Keys or Compasses
Description
Sometimes holds keys or compasses within the dungeon, and the possession of items is visually apparent.

Relationships

Dungeon Enemies

Dungeon Enemies: unknown

Media appearances

The Legend of Zelda

Game / Supporting

February 21, 1986, Famicom Disk System

Voice cast and creators

Shigeru Miyamoto

Creator name
Shigeru Miyamoto
Role
Original author

Takashi Tezuka

Creator name
Takashi Tezuka
Role
Character Designer

Keiji Terui

Creator name
Keiji Terui
Role
Writer

Koji Kondo

Creator name
Koji Kondo
Role
Music Composer

Nintendo

Creator name
Nintendo
Role
Publisher

SRD

Creator name
SRD
Role
Animation Studio

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