Hyrule Guard

Hyrule Guards are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They are brainwashed Hyrulean Soldiers who are hostile towards Link.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Hyrule Guards are Hyrulean Soldiers being controlled by Agahnim. They patrol many areas of Hyrule, particularly Hyrule Castle, and will attack Link on sight. There are many different varieties of Hyrule Guards; they appear to have a simple ranking system that can be discerned by the color of their armor. The colors are, oddly enough, the same colors of Link's assorted tunics. The non-possessed soldiers which appear very early in the game have yellow armor. Hyrule Guards appear to wear plate armor.

Archer
Archers wield crossbows with arrows that can be shot at long distances. They come in blue and green varieties. Blue archers are often found together with other Hyrule Guards. When Link enters their range, they run backwards, pausing only to shoot. Green archers are found exclusively in the marshes south of Link's House, where they hide in the grass and snipe at Link. Both kinds frequently drop arrows when defeated.

Knight
Knights come in blue and red forms. Blue knights are only found in Hyrule Castle Tower. Although they attack with swords and shields similar to weaker Soldiers, they are more dextrous and hold their weapons differently.

Red Knights are found in a variety of locations. They are found in the grounds of Hyrule Castle and inside the Hyrule Castle Tower. Some of them wield tridents and fight the same way blue archers do, hurling their weapon at Link and then backing off to shoot again. Others hide in the grass, coming out to throw a weapon and quickly dive back into hiding again. A third kind stands up on the castle walls, throwing bombs down at Link. They can be defeated if their bombs are thrown back onto them.

Their horned helmets are identical to those worn by Ball & Chain Troopers.

Soldier
Soldiers are among the first enemies Link encounters in the game. They come in three colors; green, blue, and red. The green and blue attack with weak swords and shields; they are not powerful, but they can deflect some attacks from the front. The red ones, which attack with spears, are a bit stronger and can be dangerous earlier in the game. All kinds move slowly until they see Link, at which point they rush towards him. Red ones tend to rush toward Link the moment he moves into an area where they are present, especially after Agahnim has been defeated for the first time, when they are more common.

A very closely related weaker soldier appears only inside Hyrule Castle. They wield daggers and flimsy shields. Rather than deliberately attacking Link they just walk in straight lines, and can be defeated easily.

A green soldier wielding a spear appears if one of the townsfolk of Kakariko Village calls for the guards. This soldier continues to rush towards Link until he is defeated or Link leaves the screen, but he is no stronger than any other green soldier.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Hyrule Guards come in many of the same varieties as A Link to the Past. A stronger mini-boss version called the Chief Soldier also appears, and a weaker soldier, wearing blue armor and wielding short swords, often appears in large numbers.