Editing Iron Knuckle

{{species infobox
|image=[[File:OoT Iron Knuckle art.png|200px]]<br>Art of an Iron Knuckle from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''
|latest_appearance=''[[Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda]]''
|notable=[[Nabooru]]<br>[[Rebonack]]
|variant_of=[[Gerudo]] (3D games)
|variants=[[Iron Knuckle Knight]]
|relatives=[[Darknut]]
|comparable=[[Armos]]<br>[[Eagle Knight]]<br>[[Onox]]<br>[[Parutamu]]
}}
'''Iron Knuckles''', originally formatted as '''Ironknuckles'''<ref>''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' instruction booklet, page 38.</ref>, are heavily-armored soldiers which first appear in ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''. In both design and behavior, they are essentially identical to the related [[Darknut]], and as such very rarely appear in the same games.

==History==
===''The Legend of Zelda'' series===
====''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''====
[[File:Iron Knuckle ZII sprite.png|frame|left]]
They appear in orange, red, and blue throughout the [[palace]]s, and were presumably placed there by the [[King of Hyrule]]. They move relatively fast, and are capable of slashing their swords at chest height and knee height. They also have shields to block [[Link]]'s own attacks. Each color type gains more health, strength, and attack frequency. The blue ones are additionally capable of throwing knives or [[sword beam]]s, depending on the version of the game. [[Down Thrust|Downward Thrust]]ing can be done to avoid an attack being blocked by the shield, though a blue one may be too fast for this to be effective in some situations. The boss of the [[Island Palace]], [[Rebonack]], is an Ironknuckle that rides a metallic horse that can run on and off the screen. He is later found twice in the [[Three-Eye Rock Palace]].

Statues of Ironknuckles can be found both right outside and in dead ends and on raised platforms inside of all [[Palace]]s other than the [[Great Palace]], which uses [[Eagle Knight]]s instead. Attacking these may either do nothing, give Link a red [[Magic Jar]], or sometimes in later palaces, turn into a red Ironknuckle.

====''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''====
In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', Iron Knuckles are encountered in the [[Spirit Temple]] as mid-bosses and [[Ganon's Tower]] as enemies. They appear in silver and black, although the colors do not signify any strength difference. The Spirit Temple has two separate silver ones and Ganon's Castle has a silver one and a black one at the same time.

Iron Knuckles are much wider and much slower than in ''Zelda II: Adventure of Link'', and additionally wield huge axes. However, a pre-release screenshot showed a golden Iron Knuckle with armor resembling their previous design. To attack, Iron Knuckles will swing their axes at Link for massive damage, even capable of destroying certain stone structures. They can swing twice back and forth, once forward, or if Link is behind one, once while turning. Most items will not damage them. Once they have taken enough damage, their outer armor will fall off, and they will become faster, but more vulnerable. They are now able to use their axes like a shield, but will flinch when being damaged.

One specific Iron Knuckle with a unique helmet, red gauntlets, and only one phase of battle appears behind the Spirit Temple's boss door and is revealed to be a brainwashed [[Nabooru]]. In fact, in the original version, all Iron Knuckles have Nabooru-like [[Gerudo]] heads under their helmets, potentially for testing purposes as they appear to use a prototypical design. They can be seen by positioning the camera just right through the front of the helmet. In the 3DS version, all the heads were removed from view, except for the one that houses Nabooru in-story. However, the top of a Gerudo torso can be seen, and in fact is visible in the second phase of battle in all versions of the game. All Iron Knuckles, including the brainwashed Nabooru, have very deep vocal grunts despite being ostensibly female in this game. Additionally, their models are substantially larger than those of normal Gerudo, including Nabooru.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest]]'', a silver one appears in the [[Fire Temple]], an additional black one appears in an optional room of the Spirit Temple (where it is used to reach two [[Gold Skulltula]]s and thus being a rare case of a respawning miniboss), and a silver one and a black one are also in the [[Gerudo Training Ground]]. [[Inside Ganon's Castle]], a black one appears at the entrance and a respawning silver one appears in the Spirit wing, being used to uncover a rusted [[switch]]. All of these new encounters are treated as minibosses.

====''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask''====
Iron Knuckles appear four times. Twice as minibosses underneath the graveyard in separate graves (a black one in the first grave and a silver one in the second), and another time as a lifeless, sword-wielding bronze suit of armor in the [[Curiosity Shop]]. On the other side of its helmet is a hole in the wall [[Kafei]] uses to spy on what happens in the shop. The fourth one is another silver one found in the battle-themed [[Moon]] challenge. The fightable ones look and act exactly the same as in ''Ocarina of Time'', and keep the same Gerudo head in the original.

===CD-i games===
====''Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon''====
[[File:Ironknuckle ZWoG sprite.png|frame]]
An Ironknuckle is a boss, having kidnapped most of [[Sakado]]'s residents and taken them to [[Tykogi Tower]], despite [[Mayor Cravendish]] telling him that that is "illegal." Once he is defeated with the [[Power Glove]], his [[Armos]] minions watch him break apart, revealing a beating cartoonish heart, which is used as a [[Heart Container]].

====''Zelda's Adventure''====
[[File:ZA Iron Knuckle.png|frame|left]]
In ''[[Zelda's Adventure]]'', Iron Knuckles<ref>[http://www.cdinteractive.co.uk/download/mags/0606-07%200607-1999.pdf ''CD-i magazine'' third 1999 issue], page 5</ref> are found in the [[Shrine of Strength]] as its sole standard enemy variety. They wander around with swords drawn and pointing forwards, similar to Darknuts in the first game. They lack shields, but take a very large amount of hits to defeat.

===''Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda''===
[[File:CoH Iron Knuckle.png|frame]]
In ''[[Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda]]'', Iron Knuckles appear as enemies. They have masks resembling their design from the Nintendo 64 games, but rounder. Iron Knuckles are depicted as being very stout and appear alongside [[Guard (enemy)|Guard]]s, which are smaller, and Darknuts, which are about the same size, but more muscular and with smaller helmets. Potentially in reference to their English name, Iron Knuckles have studded fists instead of typical weaponry. They move after several beats and will attempt to charge up a punch if the player character is close, at which point it leaves the straps on its back open to attack. Comically, it reveals a cartoonish eye wincing in pain for a frame of animation when damaged. They have a brown variant and a black variant known as '''Iron Knuckle Captain''' and '''Iron Knuckle Chieftain''', respectively, with each getting progressively stronger.

In the future [[Hyrule]] in DLC in the digital release and in the base version of the physical release, Iron Knuckles commonly appear in the [[Gerudo Arena]]. The arena's miniboss is an Iron Knuckle that rides a large [[Bullbo]]-like creature, called the [[Iron Knuckle Knight]]. A passive Iron Knuckle can be spoken to in the arena's lobby, nursing off a wound they sustained from a [[Bokoblin]] attacking their back. If spoken to, they say their brother is also competing and is better at riding than them, thus potentially being the Iron Knuckle Knight that is faced.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
TAoL Ironknuckle orange art.jpg|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'' (orange)
TAoL Ironknuckle art.jpg|''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' (red)
TAoL Ironknuckle red art.jpg|''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' (blue)
Iron Knuckle red ZII sprite.png|''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''
Iron Knuckle blue ZII sprite.png|''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''
OoT Iron Nabooru art.png|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' ([[Nabooru]])
OoT early castle screenshot.jpg|''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' (pre-release)
CoH Iron Knuckle Captain.png|''[[Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda]]''
CoH Iron Knuckle Chieftain.png|''Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=アイアンナック
|JapR=Aiannakku
|JapM=Iron<nowiki></nowiki>[[Darknut|nuc]] / Iron Knuck
|Fre=Hache-Viande
|FreM=
|Ger=Eisenprinz
|GerM=Iron Prince
|ChiS=铁骨武士
|ChiSR=
|ChiSM=
|ChiT=鐵骨武士
|ChiTR=
|ChiTM=
}}

==References==
<references/>
{{TAOL}}
{{TWOG}}
{{ZA}}
{{OOT}}
{{COH}}
[[Category:Knights]]
[[Category:Zelda II: The Adventure of Link enemies]]
[[Category:Zelda's Adventure enemies]]
[[Category:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time enemies]]
[[Category:The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask enemies]]
[[Category:Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda enemies]]
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