Hyrulean Soldiers

The Hylian Knights are the military recruits of Hyrule Castle. Besides keeping order in Hyrule, the knights' most important job was to protect the Royal Family. Nevertheless, enemies such as Ganon and his army succeed in overpowering them during warfare. The Hylian Knights do not directly assist Link in his quest, and may actually impede him at times, although they are not usually considered foes (with the exception to their role in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, where they are full-fledged enemies whom attack Link on sight).

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Hylian Knights could be found in various towns, apparently protecting them from monsters. They were clad in suits of purple armor and armed with swords.

Two special knights appeared in Mido Town and Darunia Town, where they taught Link the Downward and Upward Thrusts, respectively.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In A Link to the Past, Hylian Knights served Agahnim (who was controlled by Ganon) when he took over Hyrule Castle. They would attack Link on sight. There were several different knight enemies. Guards are met very early in the game and get stronger as the player progresses, however knights are stronger versions of guards and appear quite late in the game (apart from Grey Knights who appear in the first dungeon):
 * Green guards armed with daggers and small shields.
 * Green guards with bows who would snipe Link from within patches of grass.
 * Green or blue guards armed with swords and larger shields.
 * Blue guards armed with bows.
 * Blue guards with special helmets armed with swords.
 * Red knights armed with tridents and shields.
 * Red knights with special helmets armed with bombs.
 * Yellow guards armed with large shields. Only met before Link gets a weapon, and are never fought.
 * Gray knights were armed with balls and chains. Only one of these were seen, guarding Zelda's cell.
 * Gold knights were stronger versions of gray knights, armed with balls and chains.

In addition, this particular incarnation of Link, as seen in the game, is stated as a descendant of the Hylian Knights' lineage.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The knights in Ocarina of Time wield spears and wear helmets that covers their eyes. Dozens of guards patrol Hyrule Castle and its gardens, and will stop Link from progressing further by throwing him out of the castle when they spot him. One is sympathetic towards the boy, though. After several failed attempts to enter the castle, a knight will allow Link to enter for a small fee, thinking him harmless though you can just climb the vine behind Malon.

Two guards can be also be found in Kakariko Village. The "Clock Soldier of Kakariko" tells Link the time when spoken to, and the other one guards the opening to Death Mountain and buys the Keaton Mask from Link in a subquest.

Though most players might miss it, when Zelda and Impa escape from Ganondorf on horseback, a dying knight can be found in the back alley of Hyrule Castle Town before Link goes to the Temple of Time and draws the Master Sword.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, a knight guards each of the gates in Clock Town, and refuse to let Deku Link pass, though he is allowed during all other transformations, except for when he wears the Fierce Deity's Mask after completing a glitch. When the moon is looming over Clock Town on the Third Day, the knights stay at their posts and urge other residents to flee.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
In The Minish Cap, knights are armed with halberds and are seen guarding Hyrule Castle and its town. Guards in the castle are dressed in blue and red, while the "field" guards are tan and brown. Humorously, at the beginning of the game, several of the guards are shocked to see Zelda travelling with Link instead of in the castle. When Vaati takes over the kingdom, Link must sneak past guards to enter the Elemental Sanctuary, much like in Ocarina of Time.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The knights in Twilight Princess are famous around Hyrule for their cowardice. When Telma states she will take Prince Ralis to Kakariko Village for treatment by Renado, a nearby group of Hylian Knights heartily proclaim that they will escort her, cheering wildly. Humorously, when Telma mentions all the monsters they will encounter, they stop cheering and make a hasty exit.

However, not all of the soldiers are cowardly. During Zant's Invasion of Hyrule, a battalion protects Princess Zelda from Zant's Shadow Beasts. Although they fought gallantly, almost all of them were quickly killed.

Groups of Hylian Knights also parade around Hyrule Castle Town. If any of them encounter Wolf Link, they will form a circle around him and point their spears at him to protect the citizens, though they will not attack. If Wolf Link performs a spin attack, they retreat, leaving behind valuables.

Later in the quest, the spirits of the knights that tried to protect Zelda appear around Hyrule Castle, although they are only visible in Wolf Link's sense mode. They pointed to important parts that were required to progress further in Hyrule Castle.

There are a few possible explanations for the soldiers' cowardice. One could be that during Zant's initial attack on Hyrule, most of the Hylian soldiers were wiped out or at least injured to the point that they had to be discharged. This would mean that all of the soldiers that Link encounters would be new recruits who were more than likely drafted into the military rather than volunteering. Another explanation is Zelda's actions. As the ruler of Hyrule, she was a symbol of courage for her people. When she surrendered to Zant, it must have been a devastating blow to the soldiers' morale.