A giant centaur-looking creature with limbs resembling part horse, abdomen similar to a man, and a cranium with that of a lion. It is a recurring enemy in the Legend of Zelda games. In Breath of the Wild, it is considered a mini-boss. It wields a lance as a weapon to defend itself. The color of the Lynel’s mane will vary depending on the location it appears in.
Main article:
Lynel Mini-boss Guide
Breakdown
| Name | HP | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Lynel | 2000 | ? |
| Blue-Maned Lynel | 3000 | ? |
| White-Maned Lynel | 4000 | ? |
| Silver Lynel | 6000 | ? |
Attacks
Melee
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Bull charge | Runs head-on at full speed. |
| Lateral sweep | ? |
| Overhead strike | ? |
| Spinning Attack | ? |
Ranged
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Straight arrow shot | A linear launched arrow. |
| Trick-shot | Employs a trajectory. |
| Fire Ball** | Hurls a large and fast fireball. |
| Fire Explosion** | Emits an earsplitting roar then follows up with a ground slam to cause an explosive Area of Effect. |
** means that only the high ranking Lynels have this special ability.
Weaknesses
Face Shot
Drops
| Item | Function |
|---|---|
| Lynel Horn | ? |
| Lynel Hoof | ? |
| Lynel Guts | ? |
| Amber | Dropped only by the Silver Lynel |
| Opal | |
| Topaz | |
| Ruby | |
| Sapphire | |
| Diamond |
Strategy
If you need to hunt for Lynel drops, the bulk of the herd guard the Hyrule Castle.
For a mini-boss, Lynels pack a terrifying punch as these seem to surpass the strengths of Bosses themselves. The White-Maned Lynel and Silver Lynel will surely put you to the ultimate test of endurance.
Do not attempt to face them with Ranged Weapons as their own Bows have unlimited ammunition, with their marksmanship being unparalleled.
There are two different ways to deal with their Fireball attacks. For long ranged projectiles, employ a perpendicular sprint to evade it; whereas for close-ranged ones, perform a diagonal sprint. After a successful dodge, you should be in range to strike the Lynel with a two-handed sword charged attack on its vulnerable spot while it’s preoccupied with unleashing the rest of its attacks.
Dealing with the High-Ranking Lynels would require being cautious of their special move, the Fire Explosion, since they expel a huge AoE. Although it is suggested not to use Ranged Weapons, the window for which they attempt to release the devastating attack is enough to land some Ranged hits as you keep distance or prepare for a Shield guard to avoid damage.
When in a bind, Urbosa’s Fury which can be acquired from finishing the Main Quest Divine Beast Vah Naboris dungeon, would make the fight much easier. To trigger this, deliver the finishing blow of a charged attack. After causing lightning to hurl down, it not only makes the Lynel stagger but also deals tremendous amounts of damage. It is advised to have all three charges when struggling to defeat the Lynels.
Alternatives
Although initially not a recommended tactic, more experienced players may opt to arm themselves with the Ranged bow specifically the multiple-shot ones in certain scenarios. The best time to execute this is either: while the Lynel is about to summon a Fire Explosion attack, or as a follow-up after performing a perfect guard.
To place a shot, focus the camera on the Lynel’s head, then attack with ‘hip fires.’ With the aid of the gyroscope-motion controls, you could put some slight adjustments when aiming.
After making the Lynel stagger, you can perform a couple of strikes unharmed, then follow-up by mounting it using the A button. This grants you to inflict even more strikes, while preventing the weapon from suffering any durability drawbacks. As you get shook out of the mount, quickly draw the Paraglider to perform an additional Arrow shot to the face, while at slow motion.
Related articles:
If you shoot one with a guardian arrow they dissolve and leave you nothing. Heh.
yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh!
2 things: the ranged fireball attack is for all lynels, and silver lynels can, very rarely, drop star fragments.
The Lynel Hoof, Horn, and Guts are used to upgrade the Barbarian armor set.