Lizalfos

Lizalfos (リザルフォス) are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They resemble bipedal lizards with a long tail and a green hue to their skin. Their tongues are forked, and their mouths are filled with sharp teeth. They wear few if any clothes, usually only a loincloth and a few pieces of armor. Lizalfos are most commonly found either on the fiery slopes of Death Mountain, or scattered around in the region of the Gerudo Desert, as well as more temperate forests.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Lizalfos come in three forms: Orange, Red, and Blue. All three forms carry shields that they can move to parry Link's sword. Orange Lizalfos attack with a spear similar to the Iron Knuckle's sword, but a bit faster. Link gains 150 experience points for defeating an orange Lizalfos. Red Lizalfos attack with a mace that can only hit high, but cannot be blocked by Link's shield, unless Link has cast the Reflect Spell. Link gains 100 experience for defeating a red Lizalfos. Blue Lizalfos attack by throwing maces in Link's direction. They also wear black armor over their torsos, and like the red ones, their maces cannot be blocked by a shield without the reflect spell. Link gains 200 experience for defeating one.

All Lizalfos are found in southeastern Hyrule, save one Orange Lizalfos who kidnaps a child from the Mountain Town of Darunia and hides away on Maze Island. Orange and Red Lizalfos inhabit the forests and caves, and Blue Lizalfos inhabit the graveyard and the lava flows leading to the Great Palace.

Lizalfos are one of the most organized forces in Ganon's arsenal, building several large wooden walls in choke points where Link must pass. Many of them hide on the scaffolding behind this wall, and hurl down rocks upon the hero, safe from his blade while ground troops divert his focus. These rock-throwing Lizalfos cannot be stabbed even if Link is able to reach their height with the Jump Spell, and can only be killed with the Thunder Spell or by turning them into Bots with the Spell Spell.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Lizalfos appear multiple times. Two pairs of Lizalfos are encountered within Dodongo's Cavern when Link is a child; later, two Lizalfos battle Link inside the Spirit Temple. Their appearance is similar to that of The Adventure of Link, only they wear armor with a single pauldron, and armored loincloths. They each brandish a sword as well, and make high-pitched yips and cries.

Lizalfos are remarkably nimble and swift. They attack in pairs and "tag out" when one sustains enough damage. They use their agility to dive over the hero's head, hoping to get a surprise attack off, or just slashing and stabbing at him. They also occasionally parry Link's attacks. Lizalfos attacks can occasionally strike over the Deku Shield if Link is too close.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Lizalfos are notably different from their Ocarina of Time counterparts. They are slightly bulkier and darker scaled, and are often clad with thin leather armor and various tribal jewelry. Typically, they are armed with scimitar-like swords, squared bucklers, and axe-heads attached to the end of their tails. Some variants wear goat skull helmets and bone jewelry. The most dangerous Lizalfos are larger and wear heavy armor for protection, providing complete invulnerability except for their backs. They will sometimes emit a low growling noise when attacked or defeated.

They are persistent foes and appear in a large variety of dungeons and Overworld areas. They are also capable of taking much more damage than the Ocarina of Time versions. Agile, they use their swords and axes to damage Link, and their bucklers are often put to good use. Save for the armored varieties, they are still very susceptible to Link's special sword skills. If Link tries to kill one from a distance using the Hawkeye and Bow combination, he cannot do anything more than briefly stun it. They must be faced head-on to ensure a kill.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Lizalfos bear resemblance to their Twilight Princess counterparts, having weapons attached to the end of their tails. In this game, however, they can breathe fire, and wear iron gauntlets which they use as a shield and a weapon. They are incredibly agile and dodge very frequently when attacked. They tend to crouch and taunt Link, and if Link hits their gauntlet, it will stun him, giving the Lizalfos a chance to counterattack with an uppercut. Their crouch-shield stance is the most opportune time to hit them, as they slant their shielding arm and leave the other side of their bodies open to attack. Regardless of how a Lizalfos holds its gauntlet while in this crouch position, it is vulnerable to stabbing attacks.

They can also be attacked from behind with the Bow, but will block arrows from the sides or the front and be alerted to Link's presence. If they see Link but he is out of range, such as up on a ledge above them, they will taunt him with side-winding body movements and a hissing/chattering sound. They often drop Lizard Tails when defeated. The game also includes Dark Lizalfos, more powerful versions of the standard enemy.

Other species
The Lizalfos are probably related to a variety of other, similar, reptilian species. Lizalfos are commonly identified as being related to the Dinolfos, although this is easily debatable due to the lack of information between the two species. Dairas are also a likely relative, due to the similar appearance and their use of primitive weaponry. Yet another potential relative are the Tokay, another primitive reptilian species.