Ball & Chain Trooper

The Ball and Chain Trooper was a recurring enemy in several Zelda games. He was a heavily armoured soldier, equipped with a large, spiked ball with a durable chain attached, hence his title. He would almost always swing his weapon around, causing much damage to Link. It is because of the rapid depleting of hearts he caused that the Ball and Chain Trooper is regarded as one of the toughest enemies in the Zelda series.

A Link to the Past
In his first appearance, the Ball and Chain trooper acted as the guardian of Princess Zelda's cell. Considering the lack of experience Link had at that time, the battle was considered difficult, quite likely the toughest foe Link had fought so far. Link had to kill him by first stunning him with a boomerang and then slicing him with a sword a number of times. However, due to his strength, the Trooper revived from his stunned state relatively quickly, so Link had to move fast. Throughout progress in the game, several more troopers became more frequent, expecially around Castle Tower.

Minish Cap
Found in the Palace of Winds and Dark Hyrule Castle, the Ball and Chain Troopers dangerously swung their weapon around as usual, and true to their reputation, are thought of as one of the hardest enemies in the game. To defeat them, Link had to dodge their whirling artillery and strike their bodies. If preferred, it was possible to perform a Downward Thrust with the Roc's Cape.

Twilight Princess
In the Snowpeak Ruins, there lived a version of a Ball and Chain Trooper, Darkhammer. He was a large, reptilian monster coated with armor and in posession of a Ball and Chain. Link had to Clawshot the ceiling to avoid the violent, constant spinning of his weapon and reach his vulnerable tail, which Link would then attack. After Link defeated the beast, the Ball and Chain became available for his taking, a first for a Zelda game.