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The Lynel. Perhaps The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's fiercest monster, second only to the Demon King himself. Lynels were infamous back in Breath of the Wild for their astounding damage output, tactics, and intelligence. Taking on a Lynel is no easy task, and Tears of the Kingdom has only added more to the Lynels' repertoire. But don't worry: there are always methods to the madness, and Lynel fights can become quite trivial once you learn how they tick. Here's everything you'll need to know if you want to go Lynel hunting.
First things first, let's set the stage. Lynels are generally solitary monsters, living in wide-open areas and largely away from populated areas similar to mid-bosses like Hynoxes. You can find Lynels in the Depths as well, so make sure to make liberal use of Brightbloom Seeds, so you don't accidentally stumble into an encounter you might not survive. If you do run into a Lynel and you feel you might not be ready, don't panic. Despite what the Hyrule Compendium might tell you, Lynels are the only monsters in the game that do not attack on sight. Instead, the Lynel will observe you, giving you time to flee or gather supplies. Just don't get too close - approaching the Lynel will have it draw its weapon as a warning. Should you continue to approach or draw a weapon... Well, don't say it didn't warn you.
Update by Devin Amlen on 6/12/2023: To better act as a complete Lynel guide, we've added some information that will no doubt assist you, such as information about item drops, locations, and more.
Color Coordinated
Lynels follow the color-hierarchy system that many common enemies like Bokoblins follow. Meaning, Lynels will different colors depending on their strength. Red-Maned Lynels are the weakest - though they are still quite threatening and could be considered a mid-game enemy. Next up are the Blue-Maned Lynels - these guys are a step up from the Red-Maned Lynels and will typically pack better weapons and have higher stats. You can identify them from their blue color and purple mane. Next is the White-Maned Lynel, the penultimate tier. White-Maned Lynels typically pack high-end weaponry and Savage Lynel gear, making them one of the two renewable sources of Savage Lynel gear. White-Maned Lynels have a zebra-like pattern and white manes. Finally, there's the dreaded Silver Lynel; like other Silver enemies, they are predominantly white with purple and blade markings. Silver Lynels are the toughest Lynels and are some of the strongest enemies in the game. Some Lynels may even come with armor, which requires a blunt weapon like a Rock Hammer to break through.
Where To Find Lynels
Courtesy of zeldadungeon.net, we've compiled a list of locations that Lynels appear. Lynels can appear in both the Surface and the Depths. In the Depths, they'll deal Gloom damage, so be careful! Also, keep in mind that Tears of the Kingdom, much like Breath of the Wild, will scale some enemies based on your progress. Lynels will spawn at the listed locations, but what color they are may vary based on your progress!
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Red-Maned Lynel |
Blue-Maned Lynel |
White-Maned Lynel |
Silver Lynel |
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Surface |
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No Silver Lynels naturally spawn on the Surface, but may appear in place of other Lynels due to the game's scaling difficulty. |
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Depths |
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Know Your Weapons
Lynels wield powerful weapons and make great use of them. Lynels will come packing a bow, arrows, shield, and one of the three melee weapon types; one-handed sword, two-handed sword, or spear. What melee weapon the Lynel wields is important, as Lynels have different attack patterns based on what weapon they have. For example, Two-Handed Lynels will have a powerful spinning attack to knock close-range opponents away, while One-Handed Lynels have a three-hit melee combo. That being said, Lynels have attacks they will use regardless of what weapon they have, so make sure to be prepared for anything.
Keep Your Enemies Close
Perhaps one of the most important rules for fighting Lynels is do NOT run once battle has begun. Not only with the Lynel give chase, but if you put enough distance between yourself and the Lynel, the Lynel will draw its bow and begin attacking at range. Bokoblins may not be great shots, but Lynels are quite deft with the bow and will snipe you with unerring accuracy. Hiding behind cover will not help either, as Lynels will opt to arc their arrows over the cover and hit you anyway. If you see a Lynel draw its bow, get close so it will switch back to its melee weapon.
Advanced Techniques
The best way to prepare for a Lynel is to practice your perfect dodges and shield parries. By timing your dodges right, you can activate a flurry rush to get free damage. Flurry Rushes are perhaps your best friend when fighting a Lynel, as many of the Lynel's attacks are very telegraphed but very punishing if you fail to dodge or block. Meanwhile, parrying attacks can briefly stun a Lynel, letting you get some free hits in as it recovers. Or, you could also take that opportunity to mount the Lynel - yes, you read that right. By mounting a Lynel, you can go to town with your weapon as the Lynel attempts to buck you off. This will drain your stamina, so the more stamina you have, the longer you can stay on its back. Weapon durability doesn't seem to go down during this, so feel free to use your best weapons.
Preparations
With any tough fight, it's important to make sure you're prepared. Upgrading your armor is always helpful, as Lynels hit HARD and can easily knock off dozens of hearts with a single hit. If you're unable to upgrade your armor, make sure to cook up meals or elixirs, preferably with level 3 Defense Up. Attack Up is also a very useful effect; Lynels have a lot of health, especially at later levels, so you might go through a few weapons trying to wear them down. So, keeping a damage buff in your pocket will keep you nice and ready. Bringing some Fairies is good insurance in case you do take a few hits - Fairies can be found around Sky Island Ponds. Just make sure not to scare them off!
Lynel's Attacks
Here is a list of attacks Lynels can use. Many of these attacks can be parried or perfectly dodged, which allows you to get some hits in. Perfect dodges are recommended, especially with Royal weapons thanks to their Perfect Dodge Damage Bonus.
- (One-Handed and Spear) Swipe Combo: The Lynel will approach Link and swipe at him with its weapon three times in a row. This attack can be tricky since if you fail to perfect dodge the first swing, you are forced into dodging the rest of the attack. Backflip away from the Lynel or parry the attack to get some hits in. Spear Lynels will have a much larger range when attacking.
- (Two-Handed) Crush Combo: The Lynel will rear back and slam its weapon into the ground three times in a row. This attack has splash damage, so be careful when timing your dodges or parries as failing to perfect dodge can get you hit anyway even after dodging the initial blow.
- (Two-Handed and Spear) Leaping Attack: The Lynel will jump towards Link and slam its weapon into the ground for a large area of splash damage.
- (Two-Handed) Spin Attack: The Lynel will perform a spinning attack, knocking Link away and dealing a large amount of damage. Lynels will typically use this move if Link is nearby as they finish another attack.
- Bear Hug: The Lynel will rear back before attempting to crush Link with its arms, charging forwards. Be careful, as the Lynel can close the distance very quickly with this one move. You can backflip out of the attack to get a flurry rush in.
- Charge: The Lynel gets down on all six of its limbs and charges at Link, trampling him. This attack is fast and can rapidly close the distance between Link and the Lynel, and can be perfect dodged by dodging left or right, away from the Lynel, as it passes Link.
- Galloping Swipe: The Lynel will gallop away from Link, then towards Link, and swing their weapon as they pass. Lynels will often use this move several times in a row. You can perfect dodge this by backflipping over the weapon as the Lynel swings it.
- Fire Breath: The Lynel will jump away from Link and charge up a fireball. The Lynel will then launch a huge blast of flame three times. You can avoid this by either shield-bashing or by sprinting left or right away from the flames. This attack leaves behind a lot of fire, so if you're in a grassy area you can take advantage of the updrafts it creates.
- Fire Explosion: Typically used at half health or less. The Lynel will let out a huge roar before slamming its weapon into the ground, creating a huge, fiery explosion that will deal massive damage. This attack can be parried, so time your shield bash well. Otherwise, simply run away when the Lynel roars to avoid this attack. Lower-level Lynels may not use this move.
- Horn Attack: The Lynel will swing its head down towards Link, aiming to hit him with its horns. This attack has very little wind-up and can be hard to avoid without a shield or careful observation. You can, however, perfectly dodge it by backflipping away from the Lynel as it attacks.
- Bow and Arrow: If Link is far enough away from the Lynel, the Lynel will opt to use its bow to attack from range. Lynel Bows can fire anywhere from three to five arrows at a time, and some Lynels will pack elemental or even bomb arrows to pelt you with. It's advised you keep a close distance to avoid this move.
- Teleportation: Don't worry, it's not what you think. If a Lynel strays too far from its spawn location, it will teleport back to its home.
Keep your breath steady, and time your dodges well. The Lynel will be worn down and eventually fall, rewarding you with some fantastic gear and materials. Lynel Guts sell for a lot of rupees, and can be used to brew elixirs or upgrade armor. Lynel Bows pack quite the punch by firing three (or five) arrows at a time, and Lynel Shields are bladed and can damage enemies with a shield bash.
Item Drops
Putting all the effort into killing Lynels deserves an adequate reward, so the folks over at Nintendo made sure to make the Lynel's drops more than worth it. Below is a list of all the possible Lynel drops, including weaponry. Most Lynels will
- Lynel Hoof: Lynel Hooves can be used to brew elixirs. All Lynels drop these, usually multiple.
- Lynel Guts: Lynel Guts can be used to brew elixirs. Blue-Maned Lynels and above may drop this.
- Arrows: Lynels will typically drop bundles of Arrows.
- Armor Fragment: If the Lynel was wearing armor, it will usually drop an armor fragment for use in Fusion.
- Lynel Saber Horn: Meant to be fused onto weapons. Good for cutting. Comes in varying levels of power based on the color of the Lynel.
- Lynel Mace Horn: Meant to be fused onto weapons. Good for breaking rocks. Comes in varying levels of power based on the color of the Lynel.
- Lynel Bow: A triple-shot bow used by Lynels. Comes in standard, Mighty, and Savage variants. Sometimes, Lynel Bows will have a multishot bonus that lets them fire up to five arrows with a single shot.
- Lynel Shield: A bladed shield used by Lynels. Can damage enemies with its shield-bash. Comes in standard, Mighty, and Savage variants.
Lynels will also drop whatever weapons they happen to be carrying. Red-Maned Lynels typically use Soldier weapons, Blue-Maned and White-Maned Lynels typically use Knight weapons, and Silver Lynels tend to use Royal weapons. However, some Lynels may use other types of weapons!