The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a classic and beloved game and a staple of The Legend of Zelda series and the SNES library. Fans adore the game's exploration, puzzles, and story, and they also love the imaginative and deadly creatures and enemies that fill the game's world and bring it to life.
A love/hate relationship exists between the players and some fo the enemies in the game, though. These monsters in question challenge the players to a far greater degree than most others. They are the foes that keep the player in check and prevent the adventure from ever becoming dull.
10 Wizzrobe
Wizzrobes are smaller enemies, about the same size as Link, who attack by shooting balls of mystical energy at the player. The attack is strong and quick and allows the sorcerer foe to deal damage while also remaining at a safe distance.
The attack is dangerous, but the Wizzrobes' real threat comes from their ability to teleport to nearly any area in any room they are found in. The Wizzrobes also typically attack in groups, so the player must do all they can to quickly corner and attack each Wizzrobe whenever they reappear.
9 Gibdo
Though they are far from being speedy enemies, the Gibdos are incredibly durable and can deal high amounts of damage to the player. These mummified zombies usually patrol dungeons within the Dark World, and they often travel in groups or with other enemies such as the Stalfos.
The Gibdo's resilience to attacks is their greatest asset. They are strong enough to withstand attacks from Link's sword while still continuing on their path, which can leave the player vulnerable when they are too close. Typically, the player's best option is to set the Stalfos on fire. Doing so will burn away their rags and reveal a much weaker Staflos beneath them.
8 Hardhat Beetle
The Hardhat Beetles are not a threat due to their outright strength, but their shells combined with their preferred dwellings help them create a lot of hassle for the player. This has helped the beetles become known among the Zelda fanbase as one of the most annoying enemies in the series.
These enemies have a lot of health, so defeating them can take a long time, but the real issue comes from their shell's ability to vibrate and knock Link back when he comes in contact with them. This trait makes it easy for the Hardhat Beetles to push the player into any precariously placed pits in the floor. To deal with them quickly, the player's best option to knock them into the pits first.
7 Beamos
The Beamos are known for their roles as frustrating and deadly obstacles placed in front of important doorways and passages. These living statues do not move, but their center eye is able to survey a 360-degree perimeter. Once they spot an intruder, the eye will automatically lock on and fire a fast and powerful beam of energy.
The beam is always a threat for the player, and the Beamos are unfortunately indestructible, so the only way to get past them is to expertly avoid their attacks. This can be done either dodging the beam as it approaches, hiding behind objects, or using the Mirror Shield to absorb the blow.
6 Armos
Unlike the stationary Beamos, an Armos statue has the ability to spring to life and chase after the player. They don't have the same level of endurance as some other enemies, but the Armos' speed, erratic behavior, and tendency to jump around all make them difficult to attack and evade. This often leads to the player taking unnecessary damage while trying to fight the statues.
The best thing the player can do is to remain patient and keep their distance when an Armos starts to chase them. If they watch the enemy's pattern for a long enough time, the player will figure out the best time to attack, which is typically when the Armos lands after a jump.
5 Eyegore
The last in the trio of deadly statue monsters, the Eyegore is a large and durable enemy that will awaken from its slumber whenever the player draws too close. Once it is awake, it will chase after the player, following whatever path the player takes, for a set amount of time before returning to its sedentary state.
Defeating these enemies is usually the player's best option, since the Eyegores will often impede progress until they are killed. The sword can damage them, but the best attack options are to either shoot them with arrows or throw any nearby pots at them. The only issue is that the projectile must make contact with the Eyegore's eye.
4 Ball and Chain Soldier
The player encounters the Ball and Chain Soldiers early in the game and clashes with them multiple times throughout the rest of the adventure. They are much stronger than the regular soldiers, and their ball and chain weapon can make encounters with them tense situations.
The Ball and Chain Soldiers have ample amounts of health and can deal significant damage to the player. Typically, the player needs to employ the same strategy they use against the Eyegore and attack the Ball and Chain Soldiers from a distance with projectiles.
3 Hinox
The Hinoxes are large cyclops that patrol the Dark World's overworld sections. When a Hinox spots a player, it will lob bomb after bomb at them until the player either defeats the Hinox or retreats.
The Hinoxes are large, but they do not move at below-average speeds, so they can approach the player more quickly then the player might expect. The player can use the sword to kill them, but if they want to remain safe, they can take them down with arrows or even throw a Hinox's own bombs back at it.
2 Stalfos Knight
The largest common enemy found in the game, the Stalfos Knights protect the Dark World's Ice Palace from intruders. They are more dangerous and more acrobatic than regular Stalfos. Their preferred attack strategy is to use a broadsword as they jump around their lairs to both deliver and avoid damage.
Players can use nearly any attack or weapon to injure the Stalfos Knight, but once they take enough damage, they will only fall to the ground as a pile of bones. After a few seconds, the knights will then resurrect themselves and resume fighting. The only way to permanently defeat a knight is to detonate a bomb next to it after it has fallen to the ground.
1 Lynel
Despite the newfound infamy gained from their appearance in Breath of the Wild, the Lynels have always been dangerous enemies in the Zelda series. The Lynels in A Link to the Past are aggressive and powerful attackers that could easily defeat any player not prepared to face them.
The Lynels attack by hurling fireballs from their mouths. These blasts of fire are powerful, being able to take multiple hearts from Link with one hit. The Lynels are also incredibly durable. The player's most reliable tools for harming them are to use the Magic Hammer, the Silver Arrows, any upgraded form of the Master Sword, or a fully charged spin attack. Aside from those, the best option is to avoid the Lynels at all costs.