Big Dark Stalfos

The Big Dark Stalfos is a boss that appears four times in Four Swords Adventures. They are exceptionally large Stalfos armed with large green swords. They are actually Knights of Hyrule who were defeated by Ganon and transformed into monsters in the Dark World. Link must face and defeat all four of these monsters to release the knights from their curse and obtain their Royal Jewels, which are required to enter the Tower of Winds.

Appearances and Behavior
Big Dark Stalfos do not exist as a physical form in the Light World, appearing only as a shadow holding a floating sword. While they cannot be harmed, they can harm Link with their lunging strikes. The only way for the four Links to defeat a Big Dark Stalfos is to enter the Dark World using a Moon Gate, wherein the monster will be vulnerable. Big Dark Stalfos fight much like Chief Soldiers, attacking aggressively with lunging strikes, but are considerably larger. They often appear alongside regular Stalfos, and each one Link fights will come with more companions to help him defeat the hero. Striking the monster from behind or the side, particularly with Spin Attacks is the most effective way to defeat these bosses.

Dark Stalfos
Although unnamed in the English version of the game, what are presumed to be regular Dark Stalfos appear in the Temple of Darkness. In the Japanese version they are known as, meaning "Stalnut" or "Stalknuckle". Like the larger variety, they appear as invincible dark shadows wielding swords. Only by entering the Dark World can their true form be seen and fought. These enemies also appear in a slightly larger form during the battle with Ganon when one of the Links is sent to the Dark World by his Trident.