Hinox

Hinox
Hinox from Breath of the Wild
Game(s)	A Link to the Past Link's Awakening Four Swords Adventures Phantom Hourglass A Link Between Worlds Tri Force Heroes Breath of the Wild
Other Media	A Link to the Past (Ishinomori) Link's Awakening (Cagiva) Four Swords (Himekawa)
Habitat(s)	Dark World Bottle Grotto Eagle's Tower Turtle Rock Death Mountain Foothills Palace of Winds Goron Temple Dee Ess Island
Member(s)	Hinox Brothers Hinox (Character)
Health	600 ^(BotW) 800 (Blue) ^(BotW) 1,000 (Black) ^(BotW)
Effective Weapon(s)	Bomb Bow Boomerang Quake Medallion

Hinox are recurring enemies in The Legend of Zelda series.^[1] They are Cyclops-like ogres that have an affinity for Bombs, and commonly use them as weapons against Link. They typically appear as musclebound, light brown humanoids with a single eye and a ponytail. In most games, they are significantly weak to Bomb explosions.

Characteristics

A Link to the Past

A Link to the Past Manual Comment

	Hinox
	This super-strong monster is rumored to inhabit the Dark World. Although he is amazingly strong, he cannot withstand the very bombs he throws. Aim for the eye if you want to find his weak point.

In A Link to the Past, Hinox are found in the Dark World of Hyrule. They are common to most locations, particularly near the Bomb Shop, and have a seemingly endless supply of Bombs to throw at Link. They are very powerful and are able to cause a lot of damage to Link if they come into contact with him. Despite their slow movements, they are extremely dangerous to Link when he first enters the Dark World and should be treated with caution. Striking them with a Sword will defeat them, but it takes many hits and puts Link in danger, so it is easier for Link to throw his own Bombs at them or strike them with his Bow from afar.

Despite what the English game manual suggests, the Hinox's weak point is not usually its eye, unlike similar monsters with a prominent single eye, nor are they weak to their own Bombs; these are mistranslations of the original Japanese manual, which stated the phrase "目には目を (Me ni wa Me o)",^[2] or in English, "an eye for an eye." The true weakness of a Hinox are Link's own Bombs, which can destroy them with a single hit.

In the secret ending of A Link to the Past & Four Swords, obtained after completing the Palace of the Four Sword, Hinox are shown passing Bombs to one another, and one appears on top of the Pyramid of Power playing with a Super Bomb.

Link's Awakening

In Link's Awakening, Hinox appear in certain dungeons of Koholint Island as mini-bosses. A yellow one first appears as the mini-boss of Bottle Grotto, and later a red and blue Hinox appear in Eagle's Tower and Turtle Rock, respectively. The blue Hinox of Turtle Rock is not the dungeon's "true mini-boss", as it will respawn when Link leaves and later re-enters the room.

The Hinox are much larger than those in A Link to the Past. They attack Link by throwing Bombs at him, as well as charging at him to grab him. If grabbed, the Hinox will lift Link off the ground and throw him to the sides of the room, causing him damage and leaving him stunned. In the first and second battles, the boss rooms have cracked floors and holes, respectively. If Link is grabbed, the Hinox may throw Link down one of these holes, which will reset the battle and restore the Hinox to full health the next time Link enters their room. After being struck by Link's Sword, the Hinox will throw a Bomb in retaliation.

All three Hinoxes retain their weaknesses to Bombs, but now takes two explosions to destroy one. Once Link obtains the Magic Rod from Turtle Rock, he can make short work of them, like many other enemies in the game.

In Link's Awakening DX, a stone golem, known as Stone Hinox, appears as a mini-boss of the Color Dungeon exclusive to the remake. While similar in form to a Hinox, its behavior is quite different, and it drops boulders as opposed to throwing Bombs.

Four Swords Adventures

In Four Swords Adventures, Hinox appear in large numbers in the Death Mountain Foothills of Hyrule. They behave similarly to their previous incarnations but instead attack by throwing Boulders. They will also attack by attempting to grab one of the Links. If grabbed by one, it shakes the Link and makes him drop his Force Gems. Despite their lack of explosives, they are still weak to Bombs, so it is recommended that the Links find nearby Bomb Flowers to destroy them with. At some point in the Death Mountain Foothills, a Quake Medallion can also be found in a nearby cave, which can be used to turn them into weak Zols.

Phantom Hourglass

In Phantom Hourglass, Hinox, also known as Eye Brutes in the Prima strategy guide,^[3] can be found on Dee Ess Island and in the Goron Temple. They look significantly different to their previous incarnations; they are now blue and have a fuse-like ponytail, giving them a Bomb-like appearance. Their eye is also more prominent on a featureless face, and surrounded by a gold eyelid. They attack by throwing punches and Bombs; if Link throws a Bomb at them, they will throw it back. Because these creatures cannot be attacked from the front with the Sword, it is better to use the Boomerang from behind or to shoot them in the eye with the Bow to stun them for a short time, opening them up for attack.

A Link Between Worlds

Hinox appear throughout Lorule in A Link Between Worlds in a similar role to those in A Link to the Past, although their Bombs now do more damage and they no longer have a weakness to Link's Bombs. A variety also appears in Lorule's snowy Death Mountain, which wears a coat and throws Snowballs. The Snowballs are not as damaging as the standard variety's Bombs, but Link will be frozen briefly if hit, leaving him open to physical attacks. Both varieties of Hinox will also charge at Link, causing a large amount of damage. They can withstand many hits before being defeated.

A lone, friendly Hinox can also be found inside a cave behind a waterfall in eastern Lorule. It bribes Link with the offer of Rupees if he promises to leave it alone.

Tri Force Heroes

In Tri Force Heroes, Hinox appear the same as in A Link Between Worlds. They typically appear as strong, uncommon enemies that are usually encountered as "mini-bosses" in certain Levels. They first appear in Blazing Trail, where the Links fight a group of them along with Fire Keese on an island surrounded by fire spouts. They later appear in the second Stage of the Fire Temple. One appears riding a mine cart and throws Bombs at the Links. The Links must fight it by picking up its Bombs and throwing them back into its mine cart. Alternately, the Links can also use Bomb Flowers growing nearby as well. After it is defeated, two more appear and must be defeated using the same method. Hinox also appear in the final Stage of The Lady's Lair.

Three unique Hinox, the Hinox Brothers, appear as the mini-bosses of Hinox Mine and Bomb Storage. Two are fought in Hinox Mine, though initially the Links face one. The Links fight them on moving mine carts, and must throw their Bombs into their carts. In Bomb Storage, the Links first fight two of the brothers, and use the Gust Jar to propel their Bombs into their balconies. After the pair is defeated, the Links then face the third brother, who throws much bigger Bombs while summoning Hardhat Beetles. As these Bombs are too heavy to use the Gust Jar on, one Link must supply the other two with smaller Bombs to continue the strategy.

Breath of the Wild

Hyrule Compendium Entry

145 (150) Hinox	Description The largest monster to make its home in Hyrule, the Hinox lives primarily in forested areas. A keen awareness of your surroundings is paramount when facing one, as Hinox are known for tearing entire trees from the ground and using them as weapons. A deft hand can steal weapons off the necklaces they wear.
	Common Locations East Necluda West Necluda
Recoverable Materials Hinox Toenail Hinox Tooth Hinox Guts Apple Wildberry Palm Fruit Voltfruit Mighty Bananas Fortified Pumpkin Hearty Durian

In Breath of the Wild, Hinox appear as bosses found in different locations across Hyrule, typically in a clearing, asleep. In this game, Hinoxes are found in red, blue, and black varieties, depending on strength. They are depicted as giant Bokoblin-like creatures with a single eye in their forehead, wearing a necklace strung with several pieces of equipment as decoration. They are the largest enemy to be found in the overworld. They spend most of their time sleeping, only engaging Link when woken. Once awake, they will use physical attacks such as swipes and punches and pull up nearby trees in order to toss them at Link. If the hero climbs out of their reach, the lesser variants will throw small boulders at him, while the black Hinox use Bomb Barrels. Shooting an arrow at the eye will result in the monster being stunned and open to attacks until it recovers. After their health drops to half, they will cover their eye to block further arrow shots, however, there are still chances to hit it occasionally. Once defeated, they will drop roasted meat, Weapons and Hinox Toenails, Hinox Teeth and Hinox Guts.

A skeletal variant called the Stalnox also can be found.

Locations

Red

Blue

Black

Other Appearances

Non-Canon Information

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A Link to the Past (Ishinomori)

Hinox from the A Link the Past comic

Hinox appear several times throughout the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori. Link is first confronted by a Hinox after just arriving to the Dark World; upon leaving a nearby shrine, Link comes across three thieves and a Hinox, who ask him about a Fairy they are pursuing for her magic powers.^[4] When Link tells them he does not have the Fairy, the Hinox begins to attack by throwing Bombs at him. However, Link manages to catch one of them and throws it back into its mouth, causing the Hinox to explode. His efforts manage to save the Fairy they were pursuing, Epheremelda.

Another Hinox appears when Link visits the Palace of Darkness. After Link is discovered wandering around the palace by a Rocklops, the foe warns Link of what could happen if he set off the firecorns in the palace,^[5] but the young hero disregards his warning and takes a nearby Hinox's bomb belt that was wrapped around it.^[6] Link then stumbles upon the imprisoned crystal, but is attacked by a Gleeock that was called upon by the Rocklops. Although he defeats it easily with the Master Sword, soon more Hinox riding Gleeocks begin to head towards him.^[7] Link gives Epheremelda ones of the bombs from the Hinox's belt, which eventually denotes the firecorn stockpile and destroys the entire palace.

A Hinox is last seen inside the Swamp Palace, where the foe, along with a Taros, shuts the entrance to the rest of the palace and impedes Link from rescuing the Maiden inside. As Sahasrahla's Friend watches the battle between Link and the Taros from a fountain in the Light World, he accidentally activates the statues that cause water to pour into the fountain. This leads to the Swamp Palace in the Dark World to become flooded, washing away both the Taros and the Hinox, who eventually end up sinking as they struggle with each other.^[8]

Link's Awakening (Cagiva)

In the Link's Awakening manga by Ataru Cagiva, a Hinox named Master Drona appears. He is much stronger than the average Hinox, and fights only for the thrill of battle. He was captured by the Moblins, but was offered freedom in exchange to help them defeat Link. As the two fought, Link's sword techniques had no effect on him. However Link manages to defeat him with a secret sword technique. As Drona lays dying, he thanks Link for the battle.

Trivia

As well as being based on the mythical Cyclops, Hinox also share similarities with Japanese Oni. Their loincloths and upturned fangs in particular are similar to the traditional appearance of an Oni, and the red and blue colored Hinox in Link's Awakening may be a reference to the tradition of a red and blue Oni pair.

Nomenclature

Names in Other Regions
Language		Name	Meaning
	Japanese	ヒノックス (Hinokkusu)	Hinox
	French^CA	Hinox ^(ALBW)
	French^EU	Hinox ^(ALBW)
	German	Hinox
	Italian	Hinox ^{(ALBW \| BotW)}
	Korean	히녹스 (Hinokseu)	Hinox
	Spanish^EU	Hinox ^(ALBW)
	Spanish^LA	Hinox ^(ALBW)

Gallery

Artwork of a Hinox from A Link to the Past
Artwork of Link fighting a Hinox from Link's Awakening
Red Hinox from Link's Awakening
Blue Hinox lifting Link in Link's Awakening
Blue Hinox from A Link Between Worlds
The friendly Hinox from A Link Between Worlds about to rage
A Dark Hinox from Tri Force Heroes
A Hinox from Breath of the Wild
A Blue Hinox from Breath of the Wild
A Black Hinox from Breath of the Wild

References

↑ "Hinox" (Art & Artifacts (Dark Horse Books), pg. 144)
↑ "Mysterious monsters prowl the earth in the World of Darkness. They have lots of stamina, and will also throw bombs. Their weakness is "An eye for an eye..."" (Triforce of the Gods manual, pg. 51)
↑ "Eye Brutes like to batter Link up close and hurl Bombs at him from afar." (The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Games), pg. 26)
↑ "All right, kid! Did you see a faerie fly through here? Which way did she go? [...] Yer lyin'!! Don't hide her! We want her magic powers and we want them now!" (A Link to the Past (Nintendo Power), pg. 12)
↑ "You fool! you know what will happen if you use the firecorn here?!" (A Link to the Past (Nintendo Power), pg. 10)
↑ "We'll all go up in smoke! But if you guys are going to get me...we'll all go together!" (A Link to the Past (Nintendo Power), pg. 10)
↑ "Link!! There's more on the way!" (A Link to the Past (Nintendo Power), pg. 12)
↑ "GLUB! Let me g-g-go! Your armor...too heavy..." (A Link to the Past (Nintendo Power), pg. 2)