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| “ | These fearsome monsters have lived in Hyrule since ancient times. They possess intense intelligence, resilience, and strength, making them among the most dangerous monsters in all the land. This is compounded by the fact that they have a natural resistance to all elements. You would be wise to challenge a Lynel only if you're very well prepared. | „ |
| ~ The Hyrule Compendium entry on Lynels. |
Lynels are recurring antagonists in The Legend of Zelda series. They are a race of leonine centaurs that hunt and claim territory throughout the kingdom of Hyrule, usually settling in mountainous regions.
Most notably, they serve as major antagonists in the 2017 installment Breath of the Wild and its 2023 sequel Tears of the Kingdom, being some of the most powerful enemies in the kingdom following Calamity Ganon's takeover.
History
Downfall Timeline
This timeline occurs if Link is defeated and killed by Ganondorf at the end of Ocarina of Time.
A Link to the Past
Three Lynels can be found on Death Mountain in the Dark World, east of Ganon's Tower. They shoot fireballs at Link and generally take lots of hits from the Master Sword to take down. However, using the Silver Arrows, Magic Hammer, or a spin attack can make it easier.
Considering these Lynels are found in the Dark World, they were created by Ganon himself to be part of his army when invading the Light World.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
Red and Blue Lynels appear at various points in both games, using swords in a basic stab attack. In he Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, a rare Golden Lynel appears in Tarm Ruins; killing it along with all other golden enemies will give Link the Red Ring, which will double his sword damage.
A Link Between Worlds
Lynels are once again found on Death Mountain, much like in A Link to the Past. However, they appear in greater numbers and even show up inside the caves within the mountain. They also have similar fire-breathing powers, except they shoot fireballs more rapidly.
In Lorule, Black Lynels appear as enemies in the Treacherous Tower.
Echoes of Wisdom
TBA
The Legend of Zelda
In the original game, Lynels appear in packs on Death Mountain and near the graveyard. There are two variants: Red Lynels and Blue Lynels. The behave mostly the same, both shooting sword beams at Link. However, Blue Lynels cause more damage and take more hits to kill.
Converged Timeline
Hyrule's Founding Era
Upon killing Queen Sonia and claiming her Secret Stone, Gerudo King Ganondorf became the Demon King and created an army of monsters and demons, Lynels among them. When Ganondorf was defeated and sealed by Queen Sonia's widower King Rauru, the Lynels were weakened, leading them to lose their saber and mace horns.
Era of the Wilds
Breath of the Wild
After Calamity Ganon's invasion, Lynels began to spread all throughout Hyrule. They are found mostly in mountainous areas, although two can be found in a valley near the Gerudo Wastelands and two more act as "minibosses" in Hyrule Castle.
Lynels are among the most powerful enemies in the game, being even more durable than most Guardians. They use swords, crushers, and elemental arrows (shock, fire or ice), inflicting large amounts of damage on Link whenever they hit. They also have some weaponless abilities, including fire breath and the ability to ignite a ball of fire around them and charging at Link. These are the four types, from least to most powerful: Red-Maned, Blue-Maned, White-Maned, and Silver. Master Mode adds a Golden Lynel, the most powerful of them all.
In Mipha's Diary, it was documented that she and Link fought a Red-Maned Lynel that dwelt on the dreaded Ploymus Rock together when it was causing havoc for the Zoras. The tribe greatly feared the beast due to its use and precision of shock arrows, which is known for being very lethal to them.
Tears of the Kingdom
Lynels make a return into the game, playing the same role as they did in Breath of the Wild as dangerous foes. The Red-Maned Lynel is revealed to have been permanently killed off and Ploymus Rock was able to complete the construction of Mipha Court, where Mipha's Statue was relocated.
Alternate Timeline
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Lynels appear as boss enemies in this game that takes place in an alternate timeline from the one in Breath of the Wild. A Red-Maned Lynel serves as the boss in the stage where Mipha is recruited as the Zora Champion and Link and the party forced it to retreat to protect Prince Sidon, Mipha's younger brother, and at least a dozen of them serves as the final obstacle for Divine Beast Vah Ruta to complete the stage. A Blue-Maned Lynel aids Sooga and the Yiga Clan with guarding Akkala Citadel to prevent activation of its Sheikah Tower sometime later. White-Maned Lynels serve as boss enemies later in the game.
This game also introduced elemental versions of the Lynel, including Fire, Ice, and Electric versions. The elemental versions are just as dangerous as their normal brethren, using similar weapons, having elemental attacks, and being much harder to kill due to having to avoid being affected by their elemental attacks. However, they are vulnerable to the Sheikah Slate runes, which stun them and expose their Weak Point Gauges for a short while, but once down to 50% of their health, expect them to get really angry and step up their attacks.
Once below 50% health, Lynels will use an area-of-effect attack, forewarned when they let out a furious roar, before preparing to slam their weapon(s) into the ground, unleashing a massive explosion of flames, unless they are elemental, then it will be of fire, ice, or electric effect.
Upon when a Lynel, especially being the final enemy of a level, is slain, it will let off a enraged, pained, bellowed roar as it rears up before collapsing and slumping in a defeated heap before being silenced when it vanishes in a cloud of Malice or elemental energy, cutting it off mid-roar.
