Darknut

A Darknut is an enemy that has appeared in commonly in the Legend of Zelda Series, debuting back in 1987 on the original The Legend of Zelda.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda

Darknuts appeared in the original Legend of Zelda in two variations. The two forms were identical other than the Blue Darknut took additional hits to defeat. These enemies were often times found within groups of 3 or more, making them tough to defeat in constricted areas.

Ocarina of Time

In Ocarina of Time enemies similar to darknuts can be found in the Spirit Temple and Ganon's Tower, called Iron Knuckles.

Four Swords

Four Swords Darknuts look like yellow armoured knights wielding large spiked balls. They will swing it around while moving towards Link (or Links), and if they are close enough for a certain time they will launch the ball in a straigh line - a very long-ranged attack - and then bring it back close to themselves and stop moving. This is Link's only chance to attack, since the fast moving ball makes it impossible to approach at other times. They can take a number of hits, and without both Sword Shards can be hard to defeat. They are found whithin areas that close all exits until you defeat the enemies that appear - like miniboss battles of sorts - and a lightning bolt strikes the ground to make them appear. They are very seldom - if ever - fought alone, making them (and the enemies you fight at the same time) very hard to defeat.

The Minish Cap

Darknuts are some of the toughest enemies Link faces in Minish Cap. The black versions have the most health and use a 'tornado thrust' attack in which they stab forwards whilst unleashing a powerful rotary energy in their sword.

Twilight Princess

Enemy: Darknut
Attacks: Axe (one heart); Sword (half-heart)
Found: Temple of Time; Hyrule Castle; Cave of Ordeals
Description: Link first faces off against a Darknut in the Mini Boss battle in the Temple of Time. From there, you will encounter Darknuts as regular enemies from time to time. When battling one, look for openings in its defense and attack it with your sword. It is recommended that you use many of the different Hidden Skills as they are quite useful in battles against a Darknut. When facing multiple Darknuts at once, attempt to tackle them one at a time. (See the Mini Boss Guide on Darknuts for more details.)

Trivia

• Link is shown battling with a shiny metallic knight resemble a Darknut from the first Zelda game in Ocarina of Time Space World (1995) Tech Demo. In later Beta version, Darknut model is improved and can be seen wearing gold armor. But, this enemy was never used in the final version of this game.

See also

• Iron Knuckle

Gallery

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  Roaming Darknut Artwork from The Legend of Zelda

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  Red Darknut Artwork from The Legend of Zelda

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  Blue Darknut Artwork from The Legend of Zelda

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  Red Darknut Sprite from The Legend of Zelda

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  Blue Darknut Sprite from The Legend of Zelda

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  Darknut Sprite from Link's Awakening

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  Darknut model in beta version of Ocarina of Time

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  Improved Darknut model in beta version of Ocarina of Time

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  Red Darknut Sprite from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

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  Blue Darknut Sprite from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

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  Darknut artwork from Twilight Princess

References

1. "A knight who lives in the labyrinths. He has lots of attacking power. He repels Link's attacks from the front with his shield." — (The Legend of Zelda - US Instruction Manual, NES Version, page 36).
2. "These heavily-armored knights use their massive shields to deflect your attacks." — (The Legend of Zelda - US Instruction Manual, GBA Release Version, page 27).
3. "Darknuts are skilled knights who fight with swords and shields. Found only in dungeons, these foes wear either red or blue armor." — (The Great Hyrule Encyclopedia).