The Lynel Could Be The Missing Link In The Zelda Timeline

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One of the most prolific foes in more recent entries has been the Lynel. The centaur/lion creature is one of the most powerful enemies in Hyrule, but they haven't always been roaming the kingdom in canon. Only found in a selection of games, the biggest causes of «Game Over» screens in have a storied but spotty history. Lynels have been part-time members of the monster roster since the original came out, making them among the oldest monsters that can be fought.

With the release of there are a lot of questions about how the timeline has changed. One theory is that the events of are the substance of the legend in , as the rifts and pools of darkness across Hyrule fit into the narrative and effectively create the legend that follows Zelda. However, the connection to Lynels in the timeline's placement goes beyond just a coincidence in events surrounding the main characters, serving as a way to finally shift the way the canon looks at the «Fallen Hero» timeline presented by Nintendo.

Lynels are one of the oldest monsters in the portfolio, as they were first introduced in the original in 1986. At the time, they came in two variants, with blue Lynels proving more powerful than red ones. This colorful pairing returned in the duology, while Lynels with more natural coats showed up in and For decades, Lynels only appeared in games that followed the traditional top-down style, failing to debut in the full 3D games until and .

Lynels are infamously difficult enemies in Zelda: TOTK, found on both the surface and the Depths. Fighting them requires careful preparation.

While it may seem silly to look at a monster for help with determining where games fall in the overarching timeline, it could be worth looking at frequent appearances. Octoroks appear in every game except, drawing players to look at the clear evolutionary concept of the annoying rock-spitting creatures and apply it to other monsters. Lynels, however, only show up in the games classified as part of the «Fallen Hero