Lynel
Games | ||
Location | Death Mountain | |
Upgrade to | ||
Threat |   | |
Attacks | Oracle of Seasons | |
Effective | ||
Health | Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom | |
Contact
SpearLynels are recurring enemies in The Legend of Zelda series. They are centaur-like beasts that have the body of a horse, the torso of a human, and the head of a lion.
The Legend of Zelda
Lynels make their debut in The Legend of Zelda. They continuously send out sword beam projectiles toward Link. They are found across the northwestern section of the overworld. They come in two color variations; red and blue. The blue Lynels take two more hits with the wooden sword and deal twice as much collision damage as the red Lynels.
A Link to the Past
Three Lynels appear exclusively atop Death Mountain while in the Dark World. Since they are on the path located between Turtle Rock and Ganon's Tower, these enemies are not encountered until very late in the quest.
Lynels in A Link to the Past have similar traits to their The Legend of Zelda counterparts. They once again shoot out projectiles toward Link, but this time in the form of fireballs instead of swords. Fortunately, these fireballs are not too damaging, doing only one heart of damage to Link when he has the Blue Mail on. Link's Red Shield is not quite enough to deflect these fire attacks, but Link's Mirror Shield will do the trick. Simply coming into contact with a Lynel is more damaging, doing two full hearts of damage to Link when he wears the Blue Mail.
Link can defeat a Lynel in a variety of methods. His standard Master Sword will have no effect on these fearsome beasts. If Link has acquired either the Tempered Sword or the Golden Sword, then his sword can do damage. Alternatively, Link can hit a Lynel with his Master Sword, but only by performing a Spin Attack.
Link can also defeat a Lynel with three hits from his Magic Hammer, but this requires him to get very close. The other alternative is to shoot a single Silver Arrow to defeat one of these creatures.
Oracle of Seasons
Lynels are easily the most challenging enemies in the game. Referred to as Fire Cats in the booklet, these wolves charge up at Link and deal some massive damage, and once they start pounding him it's hard to get them off. Defend with the shield and run up for some quick slices to finish them off. Beware, as only the Mirror Shield (Lv. 3) can block their spears. They have a rather good sense of aim with their spears as well, so watch out.
Oracle of Ages
Lynels in Oracle of Ages are identical to their Oracle of Seasons counterparts. They are found exclusively within the Sea of No Return, located just outside the entrance to the Ancient Tomb.
A Link Between Worlds
Lynels in A Link Between Worlds can be found on Death Mountain, in both Hyrule and Lorule. They are easily the most dangerous enemy, as they deal four whole hearts of damage per hit. The best way to defeat them is to use the Ice Rod to stun them, then go over and slash away with the Captain's Sword or Master Sword.
Breath of the Wild
"These fearsome monsters have lived in Hyrule since ancient times. They possess intense intelligence, resilience, and strength, making them amongst 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."
Lynels appear in Breath of the Wild as some of the strongest enemies in the game, easily rivaling the majority of the bosses. Like most of the enemies in the game, they come in a variety of colors, with each color getting progressively stronger, ranging from the standard Red-Maned Lynel, to the deadly Silver Lynel, Gold Lynel's' also exist. They will also have one of three weapon loadouts, reflecting the three different types of melee weapons in the game; the Sword Lynel (carries a Lynel Sword and a Lynel Shield), the Spear Lynel (carries a Lynel Spear), and the Crusher Lynel (carries a Lynel Crusher). All Lynels, regardless of weapon loadout, carry a Lynel Bow. These weapons all drop upon their death (with one notable exception), and as the Lynel levels up, their weapons also increase in power, and with the right damage modifiers are the strongest weapons in the game, giving the player some incentive to take on the challenge of killing them.
All Lynels are also impervious to elemental damage, and are not stunned by normal electrical attacks, but will usually stop at their tracks if there's fire in their path.
Standard Red-Maned Lynels have 2000 HP, making them tougher than Moldugas (1500 HP), Stone Taluses (900 HP max), and Black Hinoxes (800 HP). There are six of these Lynels in the base game. However, as the World Level rises, these Lynels will effectively "level up", and will start to spawn as the next color up. For instance, the Red-Maned Lynels you can find on the Oseira Plains will turn into Blue-Maned Lynel, and then White-Maned Lynel, and then eventually Silver Lynel. However, some Lynels remain the same throughout the game, such as the Lynels at Hyrule Castle and the Red-Maned Lynel of Ploymus Mountain.
Lynels are somewhat passive and will initially just watch Link, especially in the early game, until Link gets too close, at which point they will attack. The best way to avoid attack is to maintain your distance and leave the area. They generally leave Link alone if he is on horseback.
When attacking a Lynel, do NOT stay at range, as Lynels always carry Shock Arrows, Fire Arrows, or Ice Arrows, and they are typically hard to dodge and do massive damage. Getting in close will cause the Lynel to put away it's bow and draw it's melee weapon, which is easier to deal with. While any weapon can be used to kill a Lynel, using a one-hander/shield is the safest option, while using a two-hander is the fastest option. Spears can be effective as well, but due to their lower damage output and having to manually switch to the shield, they offer the least advantage. Executing perfect dodges, and unleashing flurry attacks are the best opportunities for damage. Alternatively, shooting them in the face will stun them for a moment, allowing you to either get a few hits in, or better, run around to their back and mount them to get some free hits that do not cause any weapon durability loss. Dodging a charge attack can also put you in position to mount them. Lynels are also vulnerable to Stasis+, which can give time to get out of the way, or even get some free hits in. Hitting them during Stasis+ will also give them a short stun as they come out of it. Additionally, you can use Urbosa's Fury to stun the Lynel for some damage and enable you to mount it.
Any Lynel, regardless of color, can be "removed" in one shot with an Ancient Arrow. However, the game does not seem to consider this as a true kill, so no weapons/items will drop, and it does not seem to add to World Level (this is unverified).
Weapon-Related Attack/Movement Patterns
- All Lynels will:
- Charge Link with weapon side strikes (exploitable with both Perfect Guards and Perfect Dodges);
- Charge Link by crouching and bounding on all their limbs (exploitable with both Perfect Guards, Perfect Dodges), and mounting (although time tight);
- Put distance between them and Link to shoot fire from their mouths 3 times; these can be avoided by running perpendicularly from the path of the fireballs, or by running in the same manner close to the Lynel (in grassy areas, this will create an updraft that can be exploited); Performing a successful parry up close can prevent them from shooting the other to fireballs. Normal Lynels (Red Maned variants) will only perform this attack when they lose about half their health.
- Use their bows with elemental arrows and air-volley their shots on top of Link if he attempts to put some distance between him and them;
- Roar and rear up in order to perform an explosive attack by striking the ground (in grassy areas, this will create an updraft that can be exploited);White Maned Lynels are the weakest incarnation to perform this attack.
- Teleport close to Link if he climbs to higher ground while still on their range;
- One-Handed Weapon-wielding Lynels will:
- Swing three (3) times on close quarters with their weapon
- Swing one (1) time on close quarters with both their weapon and shield. All these attacks can be exploited with Perfect Dodges and Perfect Guards.
- High-Ground-strike Link if they are facing a ledge.
- Spear-wielding Lynels will:
- Ground-strike Link after jumping, but not all of these attacks can be avoided with Perfect Dodges because they sometimes produce shockwaves that reach Link even during bullet-time. As such, Link would have to perform a Perfect Guard to create openings to strike these Lynels.
- Charge towards Link, attacking with the reach of their spears after they're past Link
- Two-Handed Weapon-wielding Lynels will:
- Strike the ground after charging. These shouldn't be parried with a Perfect Dodge because they sometimes produce shockwaves.
- If on close quarters, will strike with its club three times, and these attacks can be avoided with the Perfect Dodge.
- If one stands behind them, they will attempt a spinning attack. To avoid it, one can run away from it, crouch underneath the Lynel or perform a Perfect Guard against it.
Drops
The drops include some of the best items in the game, including the Savage Lynel Bow, the Sword the Shield, among others. These drops also have mighty and normal versions, both of which are weaker than the savage weapons, with mighty weapons being stronger than the normal Lynel weapons. Keep in mind that only Lynels that wield Swords carry shields. They can also drop a Lynel Hoof, a Lynel Horn and Lynel Guts. These are used for enhancing many pieces of armor in the game, such as the Barbarian Armor. However, the two Lynels that are found within Hyrule Castle do not drop anything on death.
| Recoverable Materials (for Red-Maned Lynel) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lynel Horn
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 Lynel Hoof
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 Lynel Guts
| |||
| Carried Weapons (for Red-Maned Lynel) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lynel Sword or Flameblade Lynel Shield Lynel Bow
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 Lynel SpearLynel Bow
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 Lynel CrusherLynel Bow
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 Fire Arrows, or Shock Arrows, or Ice Arrows
| ||||
Related
Trivia
- Despite being considerably more harmful and dangerous than Hinoxes, Moldugas and Stone Taluses, Lynels are not included in the overworld mini-bosses qualifier like the other three, nor slaying them all award any medals from Kilton. In some cases, the most powerful species of Lynels are more difficult to kill than some of the Blights or even Calamity Ganon.
- Unlike bosses, however, they are vulnerable to Ancient Arrows. One hit from an Ancient Arrow vaporises them, leaving no trace or drops.
- Lynels are among the only weapon-wielding enemies in the game (the other being the Wizzrobes) that do not drop their weapons when they're stunned, nor pick up dropped weapons.
- Due to game progression mechanics, several Lynel weapons and shields deprecate in presence, so most of their basic and middle weapons may not be obtainable the longer the game is played. As such, said weapons end up irreversibly becoming Savage Lynel weapons.
Age of Calamity
Lynels in Age of Calamity serve as mini-bosses that are prevalent in early scenarios and challenges, with stronger variants appearing in the later game. The first Lynel appears in the Mipha, the Zora Princess scenario, where it is threatening to attack a young Prince Sidon. Lynels have a variety of attacks, including the ability to shoot blasts of fire out towards nearby warriors, launching arrow strikes, and dashing forward with their bodies and weapons. When preparing a fire attack, they are often vulnerable to Remote Bomb strikes, which can lower their health gauge.
When defeated, a Lynel may drop a Lynel Hoof, a Lynel Horn, or some Lynel Guts as a reward. Additionally, the player will receive a Lynel Trophy each time one of these bosses are defeated. These can be used to complete quests or upgrade weapons of the various warriors. Stronger variants and elemental variants of Lynel also appear throughout Age of Calamity, including Blue-Maned Lynel, White-Maned Lynel, Silver Lynel, Electric Lynel, Fire Lynel, Ice Lynel, and Malice Lynel.
Tears of the Kingdom
Standard Red Lynels reappear from Breath of the Wild and remain present for the entire game, with adjusted enemy balancing allowing for each of every type of Lynel to share overworld space with each other at the same time. Lynels will always be found in West Hyrule Plains, northeast of Lake Illumeni and North Akkala Valley. A Lynel is also the first opponent fought in the Floating Coliseum, and is followed by every other Lynel type in order of strength; from Blue-Maned Lynel, to White-Maned Lynel, to a Silver Lynel and an armored Silver Lynel. They carry over many of their characteristics from Breath of the Wild with the most notable differences being that they now drop Lynel Saber Horns and Lynel Mace Horns upon defeat. Lynel Hoofs will also be dropped, along with a variety of low level unfused basic weapons, and Lynel Bows and Lynel Shields.
Non-Canon Appearances
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Gallery
Red Lynel artwork from The Legend of Zelda
Blue Lynel artwork from The Legend of Zelda
Red Lynel sprite from The Legend of Zelda
Blue Lynel sprite from The Legend of Zelda
Sprite from A Link to the Past
Sprite from A Link to the Past
Sprite from A Link to the Past
Sprite from A Link to the Past
Red Lynel sprite from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
Blue Lynel sprite from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
Lynel power card from Nintendo Cereal System
Red-Maned Lynel from Breath of the Wild
Hyrule Compendium Entry of a Lynel from Breath of the Wild
Blue-Maned Lynel from Breath of the Wild
White-Maned Lynel from Breath of the Wild
Silver Lynel from Breath of the Wild
Golden Lynel from Breath of the Wild - Master Mode
Lynel from Age of Calamity
Names in Other Languages
- Simplified Chinese: 莱尼尔 (Láiníěr)
- Traditional Chinese: 萊尼爾 (Láiníěr)
- Dutch: Lynel
- EN US: Lynel
- EN UK: Lynel
- CA French: Centaléo
- EU French: Lynel
- German: Leune
- Italian: Lynel
- Japanese: ライネル (Raineru)
- Korean: 라이넬 (Lainel)
- Portuguese: Lynel
- Russian: Левр (Levr)
- LA Spanish: Centaleón
- EU Spanish: Centaleón