I can't understand why no one has mentioned hitting a Darknut/Deathknight in the face with the Hookshot yet. I find the easiest way to beat them is to fire it past their shield at point-blank range, which both stuns them and knocks them back (Fire Boomerang throws them behind you). Also, I'm pretty sure you can stun them from the sides too, it's just that they have a good chance of clipping the shield and getting blocked.

By the way, I haven't tried that trick on the newer 2.11 betas, but it was a godsend against Deathknights in most 1.92/2.10 quests. I also don't remember the wand-sword working on Patra. Did that and/or the Hookshot change at some point?