Darknut

A Darknut as seen in Twilight Princess.
Darknut
Type	Soldier
Debut	The Legend of Zelda

The Darknut is a type of armored soldier that serves as a powerful recurring enemy within the Zelda series.

Information

Darknuts are large armored soldiers that commonly are found in dungeons. These warriors are armed with swords and often have shields as well. Unlike Iron Knuckles, Darknuts wear capes and tend to be only vulnerable from the back.

Appearances

In The Legend of Zelda, Darknuts are heavily armored soldiers that usually appear in large groups. They are not very aggressive, but difficult to attack due to their erratic movement.

In Link's Awakening, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Darknuts are similar to their previous incarnation. They are not as strong, but more aggressive. They also often wield bows or spears instead of swords. In Four Swords, Darknuts are dangerous opponents that are known to quickly dash and strike their opponent.

In The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap, Darknuts are large warriors that wear colorful and decorated armor. Some wield only swords, whereas some have shields and capes. They are difficult to beat, but often leave themselves vulnerable after attacking. In The Wind Waker, Darknuts left behind the highly prized Knight's Crest. Their powerful swords could also be picked up and used afterwards. Interestingly enough, if their helmets are knocked off, they are revealed to be strange dog-like creatures underneath.

The Darknuts also appear in Twilight Princess, starting in the Temple of Time where the Darknut acts as a miniboss. There are also several found in Hyrule Castle and on the 39th and 49th floors of the Cave of Ordeals. Once again they are difficult to defeat, especially when attacking in groups, and some wield maces rather than swords. After taking enough damage, Darknuts will drop their armor and become more agile.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In Link's Crossbow Training, a Darknut is faced as a boss of the eighth level, based on its appearance from Twilight Princess.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Darknuts can appear as enemies in Smash Run areas. Based on their Twilight Princess appearance, their swords and shields deflect most attacks, and their armor has to be knocked off before they become vulnerable. Darknuts have also appeared as a trophy and sticker (from The Wind Waker) in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a trophy in the 3DS Smash Bros. and an Advanced Primary Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Spirit came with a bonus boost to the player fighter's sword attack power when equipped. When fought in Spirit battles, the Darknut's Spirit would possess a copy of Link (in his Dark Link) costume) with boosted stats.
• Darknuts appeared as enemy captains in Hyrule Warriors, based on their Twilight Princess appearance.
• In Cadence of Hyrule, Darknuts appeared as enemies, based on their The Wind Waker appearance. They used powerful attacks that could cover the area around them, but they were left temporarily winded and vulnerable to attack afterwards.

Trivia

• In The Wind Waker, there are three different variations (and figurines) of Darknut.
• Darknuts and Iron Knuckles have similar Japanese names. Those being Tatonakku and Aian'nakku respectively.