Wolfos are recurring enemies in the The Legend of Zelda series.[1]
Characteristics
Ocarina of Time
Wolfos appear mainly in forested areas like the Sacred Forest Meadow and the Forest Temple. They emerge from the ground when approached, attacking with their claws while occasionally attempting to block attacks. Effective strategies include Z-Targeting and shielding until they lower their guard, dodging their attack to expose their back, or stunning them with the Hookshot or a Deku Nut. Their counterpart, the White Wolfos, appears in snowy environments such as the ice caverns.
Majora's Mask
That's a Wolfos. Lure it in and watch its movements. It doesn't like its tail to be touched...
Wolfos attacking from Majora's Mask 3D
Wolfos return with the same behavior as in Ocarina of Time. They are commonly found near the Southern Swamp and replace the White Wolfos in Snowhead after spring returns following Goht’s defeat. Additionally, a lone Wolfos appears in Sakon’s Hideout as part of the security mechanism guarding the Sun Mask.
Echoes of Wisdom
WolfosThis wolflike creature is the bane of travelers, circling ominously around them to sow fear and confusion.[2]
A Wolfos from Echoes of Wisdom
Wolfos are wolf-like creatures that can be found inhabiting Hyrule Field and the lower area of Hebra Mountain. Zelda can learn the Wolfos Echo with the Tri Rod, and summoning one costs three Echo energy.
Other Appearances
Ocarina of Time (Himekawa)
Wolfos appear in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Himekawa), fighting Link and Mido in the Forest Temple. More are also seen as minions of the Baku Tree.
Cadence of Hyrule
Wolfos appear as enemies in Cadence of Hyrule where they can be found in forested areas and dungeons. Like most enemies, they can only move to the beat of the music and move every two music beats. However, they can move and attack in all eight directions, including diagonally, which can make fighting large packs of them dangerous. In fact, a large pack of Wolfos does appear within a section of the Lost Woods along with a single Black Wolfos, the latter of which always spawning near the exit where the heroes are supposed to go in order to reach the Lost Swamp.
Fortunately, they will only attack Cadence, Link, Yves, and Zelda if they're not looking directly at them. When they do look at the Wolfos, they will change their course of direction and hop away from the heroes, keeping their eyes on them at all times until they turn around or until the Wolfos moves to a position either behind or adjacent to the hero where they cannot see them.
Before moving and attacking, they will always crouch down and bare their long, saber-tooth-like fangs for one beat before hopping onto another tile, dealing damage to anyone who's standing in their way. They share this pattern with other Wolfos species, such as the White Wolfos and Red Wolfos. Their movement pattern is based on the Hellhound enemies from Crypt of the NecroDancer.
Trivia
- The Wolfos is likely based on the werewolf legends in European folklore, due to their appearance.
- The sounds of the Wolfos is an edited stock sound effect of a dog howling by Warner Bros. Sound Effects Library, which is also used for signifying the beginning of nighttime in the Nintendo 64 games.
- The character Sabrewulf from the Killer Instinct series is similar to the Wolfos.
Nomenclature
 Names in other regions  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 | Japanese | ウルフォス (Urufosu) (OoT)[3] | Same as English. |
| This table was generated using translation pages. | |||
Gallery
Models
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Model from Ocarina of Time -
Model from Ocarina of Time 3D -
Model from Majora's Mask -
Model from Majora's Mask 3D
Unsorted
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A White Wolfos in Ocarina of Time -
Link fighting a Wolfos in Ocarina of Time -
White Wolfos in Majora's Mask -
The White Wolfos in Ocarina of Time 3D -
Dark Echo variant from Echoes of Wisdom. -
A Wolfos from Cadence of Hyrule -
Wolfos from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) -
A Wolfos pup from Cadence of Hyrule
See Also
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 213 (OoT | OoT3D | MM | MM3D)
- ↑ "This wolflike creature is the bane of travelers, circling ominously around them to sow fear and confusion." — Notebook (Echoes of Wisdom)
- ↑ Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Shogakukan) pg. 142