Breath of the Wild redefined The Legend of Zelda, but by taking the franchise back to its origins. After decades of styling games in the likeness of A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, Breath of the Wild marked a return to non-linear progression and freedom at any cost. Hyrule is bigger than it’s ever been, as well – and arguably even more dangerous.
Unlike most Zelda games, Breath of the Wild offers a respectable challenge through its enemy design: the most threatening being the Lynel. Lynel can be found all over Hyrule, offering a level of danger that can’t even be found with Calamity Ganon. They’re the hardest enemies in Breath of the Wild by a wide margin and just tracking down a Lynel can be a challenge in & of itself.
Updated March 19, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Breath of the Wild is a game that needs no introduction. The shift to an open world worried many fans of this legendary action-adventure series, but Nintendo did a great job of giving this franchise the much-needed modern facelift it deserved, changing up the gameplay in the process and attracting many fans to check out this series and witness just how brilliant the gameplay mechanics of this title really were. It's easy to see why so many fans are hyped to the moon and back for Tears of the Kingdom, since it's clear that any title building upon Breath of the Wild's engine is bound to be a blast for obvious reasons. There are many enemies that players can battle in Breath of the Wild, with the majority of these variants being pretty challenging in their own right. However, there are some enemies in the game that will truly strike fear into the hearts of players, and the Lynel is one such foe that shouldn't be underestimated in the slightest. These enemies wield powerful weapons that can absolutely decimate most players, so it's well worth keeping these tips in mind.
Lynel Locations
The key to fighting any Lynel is making sure Link is prepared: from a stockade of food to as many weapons & arrows as you can carry, there’s no such thing as over-preparing for a Lynel. Once players have felt they’ve prepared Link enough for the task, Lynels can be found by and around the following locations:
|
Location |
|---|
|
Akkala Wilds |
|
Coliseum Ruins |
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Deplian Badlands |
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Drenan Highlands |
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East Deplian Badlands |
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First Gatehouse |
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Gerudo Summit |
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Great Plateau |
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Kamah Plateau |
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Lanayru Road – East Gate |
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Laporah Mesa |
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Lodrum Headland |
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North Tabantha Snowfield |
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North Akkala Valley |
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Oseira Plains |
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Ploymous Mountain |
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Rowan Plain |
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Second Gatehouse |
While Lynels can be comfortably found at these locations, it’s important to keep in mind that they aren’t static enemies. Breath of the Wild’s Lynels are broken down into 5 variants, all with their own unique stats, spoils, and weapons. Suffice it to say, some Lynels are tougher than others, and players who decide to take on these enemies should know when they've bit off more than they can chew.
Lynel Stats
Since Lynels come in 5 different variants, there’s always an element of tension to encountering one. All Lynels pose a decent in-game challenge, but it stands to reason the average player would rather take on a Red-Maned Lynel than a Silver one.
|
Lynel Type |
HP |
Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
|
Red-Maned Lynel |
2,000 |
Easiest |
|
Blue-Maned Lynel |
3,000 |
Easy |
|
White-Maned Lynel |
4,000 |
Normal |
|
Silver Lynel |
5,000 |
Hard |
|
Golden Lynel |
7,500 |
Hardest |
The more health a Lynel has, the longer the fight lasts – forcing players to use more of their resources, potentially breaking items and eating through the food they’ve otherwise been saving. It should also be noted that Golden Lynels are exclusive to Breath of the Wild’s Master Mode DLC, adding another layer of challenge to an already difficult game mode.
Regardless of which type of Lynel players encounter in the game, they should be ready for an all-out war. After all, Lynels in the overworld scale according to Link's strength, and players will always have to face off against a major challenge whenever they have to fight these major monstrosities in Breath of the Wild.
Lynel Weapons
Lynels can be found with one of three different weapon sets: the Lynel Sword & Shield, the Lynel Spear, and the Lynel Crusher. Lynels also carry Bows with them that fire a range of Fire, Ice, Shock, and Bomb Arrows. All three Lynel weapon variants fight slightly differently, with their own distinctions to be mindful of.
- Lynels wielding the Sword & Shield can damage Link with both and generally fight up close.
- Spear Lynel will charge after Link often and occasionally do ground strikes.
- Crusher Lynel has a close-range shockwave attack that can be especially difficult to dodge.
All Lynels are extremely aggressive, whip out their bow when at far enough range, and will not rest until they kill Link. Players need to be at the very top of their game and employ every combat tactic in their arsenal to beat these powerful foes.
Stasis+ Abuse
Runes ostensibly replaced traditional dungeon equipment in Breath of the Wild, albeit not on a 1:1 scale. While Link does have a Bomb Rune – keeping the classic weapon accounted for – most are unique in function. Stasis in particular locks objects into place, allowing Link to get in free hits while building momentum that’ll send his target flying.
Runes can also be upgraded, with Stasis+ allowing LInk to freeze enemies. By keeping a safe distance in between Rune recharges, it’s perfectly reasonable and doable to wear down a Lynel through Stasis+ abuse. The amount of uninterrupted damage Link can get in goes a long way.
Flurry Rush & Parrying
This is easier said than done, so get ready to do some practicing. Breath of the Wild added two reflex-based mechanics to spice up combat: the Flurry Rush and Parrying. The Flurry Rush can be triggered by dodging right before an attack connects while Link Parries by doing the Shield Bash within the same timing.
Since different Lynels wield different weapons, players will need to learn the dodge windows for every variant. Lynels are also incredibly fast, making the act of Flurry Rushing and Parrying accordingly an inherent challenge. Once both are mastered, however, Lynels will start dropping like flies.
Mounting The Monster
For players struggling to master Flurry Rush and Parrying, Lynels have a weak point that can be easily abused with arrows. Not quite a headshot, Lynels have a sweet spot on their neck where – when shot – renders them immobile.
This allows Link to actually mount the Lynel, getting in a series of free strikes in the process. If Link already has Revali’s Gale unlocked, it’s incredibly easy to just jump into the air, trigger bullet time, and stun-lock a Lynel. With enough practice and arrows, targeting a Lynel’s weak point becomes second nature.
Eat Before Fighting
Perhaps more important than anything, make sure Link actually eats before fighting any Lynels. There are countless recipes in Breath of the Wild that make dishes that can buff Link’s speed, attack, or defense.
Certain dishes also offer temporary Hearts, allowing Link to survive damage that would otherwise kill or leave him in critical condition. Make sure to experiment with the cooking system and jot down recipes that buff Link’s stats.
Champion Powers
Link receives a new Champion Power for defeating each of the Blight Ganons found in the Divine Beasts, calming the latter in the process. They are all extremely powerful abilities that can make a world of difference in the final battle with Calamity Ganon or against any other enemy, especially Lynels.
Urbosa's Fury
Urbosa's Fury is a fantastic tool for defeating Lynels. It has three uses before it needs to recharge, covers a large radius, and deals a lot of damage to anything it hits. It also can stun Lynels, which gives Link some free attacking time, allowing for a lot of extra hits.
Revali's Gale
Revali's Gale is the absolute best way to get mileage out of the bow and its various arrows. If the bow is used while in midair, the game will enter slow motion, allowing for not only more shots from the bow than usual, but also easier headshots. Bomb Arrows and bows with higher power are recommended here, as they will guarantee the highest possible damage.
Daruk's Protection
Daruk's Protection is essentially three hits from the Lynel that deal no damage. If any attack (and I really do mean any, it even works with projectiles) hits this power while it's active, no damage is actually done, and it stuns the Lynel for a short amount of time.
Mipha's Grace
This essentially gives Link an extra life. If the hero falls in battle and Mipha's Grace is enabled, the power will revive Link, healing his HP and even providing some extra hearts. This ability takes quite a while to recharge, so it cannot be abused in the same battle.
Special Arrows
Ranged combat is important for dealing with Lynels in Breath of the Wild, especially since they won't think twice before whipping out their bows and using Elemental Arrows to unleash a world of hurt on Link.
Fire, Ice, And Lightning Arrows
Elemental arrows are pretty effective in Breath of the Wild, having a range of effects that debilitate enemies quite effectively. Fire arrows shroud enemies in flames, ice arrows freeze them to a standstill, and lightning arrows shock them while also making them drop any weapons they may be wielding.
However, none of these effects are applied to Lynels, adding to the difficulty of said encounter. Players are better off using normal arrows instead since they'll just be wasting their elemental arrows on these tough enemies.
Bomb Arrows
At a glance, most people would assume that bomb arrows would lack the same effectiveness against Lynels as they do against normal enemies. After all, these arrows send enemies flying and can be pretty valuable in battle if used properly.
However, while these arrows don't cause Lynels to engage with Breath of the Wild's hilarious ragdoll physics, they do cause 50 points of additional damage that can be invaluable in an encounter against these tough foes. As such, they can still be incredibly useful when trying to kill Lynerls in Breath of the Wild.
Ancient Arrows
If players want to trivialize most of the enemy encounters in the game, all they need to use is Ancient arrows. Even a Lynel is no match against this arrow type, which completely vaporizes this foe and leaves no trace of them.
Of course, this is both a blessing and a curse, since players won't get the amazing loot from these enemies that could be acquired if they were beaten traditionally. As such Ancient Arrows should only really be used to kill Lynels as a last resort or when players are already well-stocked up on loot.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on the Nintendo Switch and Wii U.