Theory on the relationship of Darknuts and Iron Knuckles.

[Moblinking5000]

In Japanese, Darknuts are called '' タートナック'', or ''Tart Knuckle''. This, along with the fact that Darknuts and Iron Knuckles are both armoured warriors make me consider a relationshio between them.

First of all, let's look at Iron Knuckles. They're only appeared in three games: The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask.

In Zelda 2, Iron Knuckles are warriors chosen by the King of Hyrule to guard the six palaces. In OoT and MM, they are Gerudo warriors(in other words, not demons) who defend areas such as the Spirit Temple and Ikana Graveyard.

Now Darknuts usually defend areas like dark dungeons and things like that, but we do see them in areas like Hyrule Castle in The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap, or the Temple of Time in Twilight Princess.

Now, what could this mean? None of the enemies labelled as Iron Knuckles are demons, but some of the Darknuts have more monstrous appearances and have been summoned by people like Ganon in TWW while also hanging around ancient ruins, which made me consider this idea:

What if Iron Knuckles are light/good aligned, and Darknuts are evil/demonic Iron Knuckles that lasted too long and/or got corrupted by Malice?

 

[Chevywolf30]

Interesting. I always just thought they were the same thing under different names. I thought at first that Hyrule castle in WW before you get the Master Sword was a battle scene, and maybe it was but time corrupted the Darknuts? And the TP ones, I remember seeing some in Hyrule castle there, which had been corrupted for a while, so there's certainly a good bit of possibility towards your theory.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Interesting theory.

Iron Knuckles are kind of perplexing because in Ocarina of Tine there is the lore that all Iron Knuckles are just brainwashed Gerudo. Also a nice fun fact: if you strip the character model of any Iron Knuckle in OoT or MM, they contain a Gerudo within them. It's some nice lore, but I'm unsure if in terms of the game design if it was intentional.

Darknuts are supposedly different, but interestingly have never appeared alongside Iron Knuckles in a canon game.

I think it's certainly possible that there is some relationship between them, but to what extent we can't be sure. Perhaps a Darknut is an Iron Knuckle that has no host body, unlike an Iron Knuckle which is a brainwashed Gerudo?

 

[Moblinking5000]

Interesting theory.

Iron Knuckles are kind of perplexing because in Ocarina of Tine there is the lore that all Iron Knuckles are just brainwashed Gerudo. Also a nice fun fact: if you strip the character model of any Iron Knuckle in OoT or MM, they contain a Gerudo within them. It's some nice lore, but I'm unsure if in terms of the game design if it was intentional.

IIRC, the Encyclopedia confirms that the IKs are Gerudo in OoT, so I doubt that it was just an asset or something used to fill space.

I think it's certainly possible that there is some relationship between them, but to what extent we can't be sure. Perhaps a Darknut is an Iron Knuckle that has no host body, unlike an Iron Knuckle which is a brainwashed Gerudo?

This is a possibility as well.

If the IKs in OoT and MM are Gerudo warriors, I wonder if the Zelda 2 IKs are Gerudo as well? If they weren't, they would be the only IKs who aren't Gerudo, which would be peculiar. Since the IKs in Zelda 2 guard palaces aligned with Hyrule, this could also set a precedent for the era of BotW, where the Gerudo are aligned with Hyrule.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

IIRC, the Encyclopedia confirms that the IKs are Gerudo in OoT, so I doubt that it was just an asset or something used to fill space.

True, but if my memory serves right most of the design for OoT came together before the whole story was being fleshed out completely, it's probably an instance of taking an asset, re-using it, then working it into the lore later as a result.

 

[Moblinking5000]

True, but if my memory serves right most of the design for OoT came together before the whole story was being fleshed out completely, it's probably an instance of taking an asset, re-using it, then working it into the lore later as a result.

This actually also helps make sense of why there are IKs in Ganon's Castle; Ganondorf is a Gerudo, and there's Gerudo people devoted to him in OoT, so it would make sense as to why some of them would be there to guard their ruler.

 

[Dio]

Iron Knuckles are likely bewitched Gerudo rather than willing soldiers as they don't appear to need to eat or drink. Nabooru is an example of this. She was made into an iron Knuckle by Twinrova. Further supporting this theory is the fact that inside the old character models for Iron Knuckles you can actually see a basic Gerudo character in there so it was likely originally intended for them to be connected to the tribe.

I imagine them to kind of mummify inside the armour and go beyond saving after a while especially in the hot desert environment. Though it is possible they are mummified before being armoured up. The Anubis enemy appears a couple of times in the spirit temple and he is a God of embalming so it all fits in nicely with the mummification.

Then of course we now have the sheikah mummies and Ganondorfs mummy in the BoTW era.

I think it's a cool theory and I hope im right but we may never know of course.

As for Darknuts. In Windwaker we see they are some kind of humanoid creatures inside the armour, this leads me to think they they are a species of monster rather than converted humans. And when Ganon ran out of his own people to bewitch the Darknut seems like the perfect replacement for a supersoldier.

 

[The Dashing Darknut]

Thing that separates them: One is fabulous and one is not.

 

[Dizzi]

Maybe ones kinda a promoted bunch and the others qre the like general soldiers???

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

As for Darknuts. In Windwaker we see they are some kind of humanoid creatures inside the armour, this leads me to think they they are a species of monster rather than converted humans. And when Ganon ran out of his own people to bewitch the Darknut seems like the perfect replacement for a supersoldier.

When their armor completely falls off they are creatures that resemble dogs almost, with their heads at least.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

Lol @ tart knuckle.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

When their armor completely falls off they are creatures that resemble dogs almost, with their heads at least.

I imagine them to kind of mummify inside the armour and go beyond saving after a while especially in the hot desert environment. Though it is possible they are mummified before being armoured up. The Anubis enemy appears a couple of times in the spirit temple and he is a God of embalming so it all fits in nicely with the mummification.

An interesting connection here, could the creatures inside be Jackals (like Anubis) rather than dogs? Not saying that Egyptian gods exist within the zelda world, but it could just be to illustrate the fact that there is some tie between Darknuts/Iron Knuckles and the undead. IKs could be some form of undead or mummified person as proposed, and Darknuts could be closer to a species or magical creation tied to death.