Bosses in The Legend of Zelda series

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Contents 1 Creation and influence 2 Games 2.1 The Legend of Zelda 2.2 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 2.3 A Link to the Past 2.4 Link's Awakening/DX 2.5 Ocarina of Time/Master Quest 2.6 Majora's Mask 2.7 Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons 2.8 Four Swords 2.9 The Wind Waker 2.10 Four Swords Adventures 2.11 The Minish Cap 2.12 Twilight Princess 2.13 Phantom Hourglass 3 Spin-off games 3.1 Zelda wristwatch game 3.2 Zelda Game & Watch 3.3 Phillips CD-i 3.4 Link's Crossbow Training 4 Recurring bosses 4.1 Angler Fish 4.2 Aquamentus 4.3 Arrghus 4.4 Ball & Chain Soldier 4.5 Digdogger 4.6 Dodongo 4.7 Facade 4.8 Gerudo Guards 4.9 Gleeok 4.10 Gohma 4.11 Goriya 4.12 Gyorg 4.13 Jalhalla 4.14 Lanmola 4.15 Manhandla 4.16 Moldorm 4.17 Mothula 4.18 Smasher 5 See also 6 References

This article lists types of fictional enemy creatures encountered as bosses or sub-bosses in The Legend of Zelda series of video games, specifying their role in each appearance, and focusing on those which have evolved throughout the series.

[edit] Creation and influence

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[edit] Games

[edit] The Legend of Zelda

In The Legend of Zelda, Ganon attempts to conquer Hyrule by capturing Princess Zelda and obtaining her Triforce of Wisdom. However, before he can take it, Princess Zelda sends Impa for help and splits her Triforce of Wisdom into eight shards, which she hides in the eight dungeons. Impa finds Link and sends him to retrieve the shards from each dungeon, where it is guarded by a boss, before finally challenging Ganon and rescuing Zelda. The dungeons differ between the First and Second Quests, though the bosses remain the same.

The bosses set to guard the shards of the Triforce of Wisdom include:

• Aquamentus, boss of the Eagle, Demon, and E Dungeons.
• Dodongo, boss of the Moon, L, and Pincer Dungeons.
• Manhandla, boss of the Manji Dungeon.
• Gleeok, boss of the Snake, Lion, A, Z, and Spiral Dungeons.
• Digdogger, boss of the Lizard and D Dungeons.
• Gohma, boss of the Dragon and Hook Dungeons.

The game also includes sub-bosses which guard a specific room in a dungeon. Each dungeon boss reappears at least once as a sub-boss.

[edit] Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

In The Adventure of Link, Link learns the tale of another Princess Zelda who was cursed to sleep long ago at the hands of an evil magician working for her greedy brother, the prince, because she wouldn't reveal the location of the Triforce of Courage to them. Meanwhile, Ganon's minions attempt to enact a plot to revive Ganon, that requires spilling the blood of Link. While avoiding death at the hand of Ganon's minions Link must return six crystals to matching palace monuments in order to enter the Great Palace and retrieve the Triforce of Courage to break the magician's curse.

Each of the six palaces is guarded by a boss, set there by the ancient king who hid the Triforce:

• Mazura (also known as Horsehead), boss of Parapa Palace.
• Jermafenser (also known as Helmethead), boss of Midoro Palace. Also the boss of Sea Palace (exclusive to the Japanese version of the game).
• Rebonack, boss of Island Palace.
• Carock, boss of Maze Palace.
• Gooma, boss of Sea Palace (exclusive to the US/PAL version of the game).
• Volvagia (also known as Barba), boss of Three Eye Rock Palace.

The Great Palace's two bosses, serve as the final trial for obtaining the Triforce from its wizard protector:

• Thunderbird
• Dark Link.

The game also includes sub-bosses which guard specific palace areas. Rebonack reappears twice as a sub-boss in all versions of the game. Mazura reappears once as a sub-boss exclusive to the Japanese version of the game.

[edit] A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, the wizard Agahnim enacts a plot to free his alter ego, Ganon, from the Dark World, that requires him to imprison the seven Shrine Maidens within crystals in the Dark World. Princess Zelda, the last of the Shrine Maidens, telepathically contacts Link to ask for rescue from her impending imprisonment.

The Ball & Chain Trooper guards Princess Zelda in the Castle Dungeon.

After hiding Zelda in the Sanctuary, Link learns that to stop Agahnim he needs the Master Sword. The first three bosses guard the Pendants needed to obtain it:

• The Armos Knights guard the Pendant of Courage in the East Palace.
• The Lanmolas guard the Pendant of Power in the Desert Palace.
• Moldorm guards the Pendant of Wisdom in the Mountain Tower.

Link defeats Agahnim, but not before he sends all seven Shrine Maidens to the Dark World. The next seven bosses guard the Shrine Maidens, whose power is needed to break into Ganon's Tower to prevent Ganon's release from the Dark World:

• Helmasaur King, who guards the first Maiden in the Dark Palace. It is a large, disgusting scorpion-like monster that wears a mask over its face. Links uses his Magic Hammer to shatter the mask and attack. The Helmasaur King can charge across the room and swing his tail.
• Arrghus, who guards the second Maiden in the Swamp Palace.
• Mothula, who guards the third Maiden in Skull Woods.
• Blind, who guards the fourth Maiden in Thieves' Town. He takes on the guise of a beautiful maiden trapped in the dungeons of the town. To defeat him, Link uses a clue given by a thief in the Light World-"Blind hated light." His true form is that of a monstrous red demon.
• Kholdstare, who guards the fifth Maiden in the Ice Palace. It is a giant cyclopean puff-ball encased within ice, and it attacks by causing icicles to fall from the ceiling. If the ice is destroyed, it can split in three and begin sliding around.
• Vitreous, who guards the sixth Maiden in Misery Mire. It is a giant eyeball surrounded by its smaller brethren, and it attacks by casting lightning bolts at Link. If its brethren are destroyed, it will begin jumping around the room, attempting to tackle Link.
• Trinexx, who guards Princess Zelda in Turtle Rock. It is a three-headed snake made of stones, though initially it is encased in a rocky shell that makes it resemble a turtle. Its rightmost head is red, and can breathe fire, while the leftmost head is blue, and can breathe super-chilled air.

Exclusive to the Game Boy Advance re-release of A Link to the Past, it is implied that Ganon freed himself from the Four Sword by shattering it into four aspects before having Agahnim enact his plot. If both A Link to the Past and Four Swords are completed, Link may enter an optional dungeon to obtain those four aspects of the Four Sword. In doing so, Link will summon four Dark Links that will reward the player with an alternate game ending if defeated.

The sub-bosses that guard the aspects of the Four Sword are:

• Helmasaur King, who guards the green Four Sword Aspect in the Palace of the Four Sword.
• Arrghus, who guards the red Four Sword Aspect in the Palace of the Four Sword.
• Mothula, who guards the blue Four Sword Aspect in the Palace of the Four Sword.
• Blind, who guards the purple Four Sword Aspect in the Palace of the Four Sword.

[edit] Link's Awakening/DX

In Link's Awakening, the Shadow Nightmares (also known as DethI) have taken over the Wind Fish's dream-world, Koholint Island, where Link finds himself a prisoner after becoming shipwrecked. In order to prevent intruders from possibly waking the Wind Fish and destroying their domain, the Shadow Nightmares hid the eight Instruments of the Sirens in dungeons.

The Nightmares that guard the Instruments of the Sirens are:

• Moldorm guards the Full Moon Cello in Tail Cave.
• Genie guards the Conch Horn in Bottle Grotto. It attacks by shooting fireballs at Link and either by hopping at Link with its bottle or teleporting around the room. It is impervious to damage until its bottle is broken.
• Slime Eyes guards the Sea Lily Bell in Key Cavern. It attacks by jumping to create tremors (in its largest form) and by hopping around and trying to collide with Link (after it is separated).
• Angler Fish guards the Surf Harp in Angler's Tunnel.
• Slime Eel guards the Wind Marimba in Catfish's Maw. It attacks with a spiked tail that circles around the room or with exploding doppelgangers of itself. It has a weak spot which can be exposed with the hookshot.
• Facade guards the Coral Triangle in the northern Face Shrine. It is essentially a living face engraved on the room's floor, and it attacks by belching fireballs, summoning beetles, and opening up holes in the floor.
• Evil Eagle guards the Organ of Evening Calm in Eagle's Tower. It attacks by flying at or dive bombing Link, or by blowing wind and razor feathers at him. Notorious for having long battles as he completely recovers if he knocks Link off the top of his tower.
• Hot Head guards the Thunder Drum in Turtle Rock. It attacks by spewing fireballs as it hops around a pool of lava and by splashing lava when he lands. Strangely enough, his weakness is fire.

As a first in the series, these bosses speak to Link, warning him of the ephemeral nature of the island and decrying the loss of their world.

If playing the DX remake on a Game Boy Color, Link may explore an optional dungeon in which he can meet the Queen Fairy. She will reward Link with his choice of either a blue or red tunic; the former increases his defense while the latter his offense. Link may switch for the other tunic by revisiting the Queen Fairy, but cannot revert to his original green tunic.

Evil Orb guards the Queen Fairy in the Color Dungeon. It is a giant Hardhat Beetle that changes colors as Link attacks it. It has no attacks other than to knock Link away and prolong the battle.

[edit] Ocarina of Time/Master Quest

In Ocarina of Time, Great King of Evil Ganondorf enacts a plot to steal the Triforce that requires him to obtain the three Spiritual Stones held by the leaders of three races. Although Link manages to obtain the Spiritual Stones first, Ganondorf still manages to sneak into the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce, and soon conquers Hyrule. The dungeons differ between the original and Master Quest version of the game, though the bosses remain the same.

The first three bosses were created by Ganondorf to terrorize the three holders of the Spiritual Stones in order to force them to relinquish them:

• Parasitic Armored Arachnid Gohma, placed inside the Great Deku Tree to force it to relinquish the Kokiri's Emerald. The Deku Scrubs refer to her as Queenie.
• Infernal Dinosaur King Dodongo, placed in Dodongo's Cavern, along with a huge boulder to block the entrance, to force Darunia to relinquish the Goron's Ruby.^[1]
• Bio-Electrical Anemone Barinade, placed Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly to force King Zora XVI to relinquish the Zora's Sapphire. It resembles a huge, fleshy anemone covered in symbiotic jellyfish.

The next five bosses are curses placed upon the five temples by Ganondorf to transform Hyrule into a land of monsters and assist in its subjugation:

• Evil Spirit from Beyond, Phantom Ganon, who haunts the Forest Temple. It is responsible for plaguing the Lost Woods with monsters and preventing the Deku Tree from resprouting.^[2][3]
• Subterranean Lava Dragon, Volvagia, which haunts the Fire Temple. It was originally slain by a Goron hero, but was revived by Ganondorf in order to return Death Mountain to an active volcano, and to have it devour the Gorons as an example to the other races of Hyrule.^[4]
• Giant Aquatic Amoeba, Morpha, which haunts the Water Temple. It is the source of the curse that froze Zora's Domain, draining Lake Hylia.^[5] It resembles a huge amoeba made from water, and attacks with tentacles of water.
• Phantom Shadow Beast, Bongo Bongo, which haunts the Shadow Temple. It is responsible for raising the dead in Kakariko Village and using them to terrorize the populace. It is a huge cyclopean specter with detached hands, constantly beating a giant bongo. It attacks by beating its massive drum with its disembodied hands.
• Sorceress Sisters, Twinrova, who haunt the Spirit Temple. They are responsible for brainwashing Nabooru into becoming an Iron Knuckle, and through her using the Gerudo race to terrorize Hyrule.

[edit] Majora's Mask

In Majora's Mask, the Majora-possessed Skull Kid becomes infuriated with the Four Giants for seemingly abandoning him, and begins wreaking havoc and casting curses upon the land of Termina. The most devastating of these is the awakening and impending collision of the Moon, and the magical imprisonment of the Four Giants, who could stop it. Due to the repeating nature of the game, Link can fight previously defeated bosses again each time he restarts the three-day cycle.

Each of the four main bosses is the cursed form of one of the Four Giants, whom Link must free and awaken to save Termina:

• Masked Jungle Warrior, Odolwa, the cursed Southern Giant who resides in Woodfall Temple, poisoning the waters of Southern Swamp. It resembles a human but is far larger, and attacks by using its giant sword and summoning fire and insects.
• Masked Mechanical Monster, Goht, the cursed Northern Giant who resides in Snowhead Temple, perpetuating the wintry cold in the Northern Mountain. It resembles a mechanical bull with a human face, and attacks by trampling Link, dropping bombs, or shooting bolts of electricity.
• Gargantuan Masked Fish, Gyorg, the cursed Western Giant who resides in Great Bay Temple, polluting and heating the Western Ocean. It resembles a giant fish, and attacks by ramming the platform that Link is on, and attacking if he falls off.
• Giant Masked Insect, Twinmold, the cursed Eastern Giant who resides in Stone Tower Temple, agitating the dead to madness. They resemble two giant insects that attack by ramming into Link.

[edit] Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Twinrova, Gerudo Witches, enact a plot to revive Ganon, Evil Gerudo King, that requires kidnapping Princess Zelda, Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and Din, the Oracle of Seasons, while spreading sorrow, despair, and destruction across the lands. To this end, they send Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, to possess Nayru and erect the Black Tower, and Onox, General of Darkness, to imprison Din and submerge the Temple of Seasons. The bosses in each game are sent to guard the Eight Essences needed to restore the game's Maku Tree in order to defeat the main boss.

Veran sends her boss monsters to guard the Essences of Time which belong to the Maku Tree of Labrynna:

• Pumpkin Head, who guards the Eternal Spirit in the Spirit's Grave. It resembles a cloaked specter with a jack-o'-lantern head, though if its head is removed, its true form is revealed to be a small flame-like ghost. It attacks by jumping and spitting fireballs.
• Head Thwomp, who guards the Ancient Wood in the Wing Dungeon. It resembles a large, multi-colored stone block with a face, and attacks by spitting bombs and dropping on Link.
• Shadow Hag, who guards the Echoing Howl in the Moonlit Grotto. It resembles a shy, shadowy female specter with a straw hat, and can render itself invulnerable by sinking into a pool of shadows. It attacks by swiping its claw, gliding across the room as moving pools of shadows, and spawning black moths to get in the way of attackers.
• Eyesoar, who guards the Burning Flame in the Skull Dungeon. It resembles a large eyeball with wings, and attacks by spawning smaller eyeballs.
• Smog, who guards the Sacred Soil in the Crown Dungeon. It resembles a demonic cloud that attacks by colliding with Link and spitting lightning at him.
• Octogon, who guards the Lonely Peak in the Mermaid's Cave. It resembles a huge, shelled octopus, and attacks by shooting large rocks and bubbles.
• Plasmarine who guards the Rolling Sea in Jabu-Jabu's Belly. It resembles a huge jellyfish, and attacks by shooting large balls of magic that change color when rebounded.
• Ramrock, who guards the Falling Star in the Ancient Tomb. It resembles a stone golem with multiple sets of detachable hands, and attacks variously by throwing its fists, smashing them together, deflecting projectiles with shields, and throwing large iron balls on chains.

Veran also sends several sub-bosses to help guard the eight dungeons:

• Giant Ghini, who lurks in the Spirit's Grave. It resembles a large Ghini, and attacks by summoning smaller Ghini to encircle it.
• Swoop, who lurks in the Wing Dungeon. It resembles a feathered, winged demon, and attacks by dive-bombing Link.
• Subterror, who lurks in the Moonlit Grotto. It resembles a mole, and burrows underground, periodically surfacing to attack Link.
• Armos Warrior, who lurks in the Skull Dungeon. It resembles a giant Armos, and its sword attacks by charging at Link.
• Smasher, who lurks in the Crown Dungeon. It resembles a mysterious ball shaped creature, and attacks by throwing a giant, metal sphere at Link.
• Angler Fish, who lurks in Jabu-Jabu's Belly. It resembles an anglerfish, and attacks by jumping around and shooting slow-moving bubbles.
• Blue Stalfos, who lurks in Ancient Tomb. It resembles the Grim Reaper, and attacks by shooting age changing projectiles.

Onox sends his boss monsters to guard the Essences of Nature which belong to the Maku Tree of Holodrum:

• Aquamentus, who guards the Fertile Soil in the Gnarled Root Dungeon.
• Dodongo, who guards the Gift of Time in the Snake's Remains.
• Mothula, who guards the Bright Sun in the Poison Moth's Lair.
• Gohma, who guards the Soothing Rain in the Dancing Dragon Dungeon.
• Digdogger, who guards the Nurturing Warmth in the Unicorn's Cave.
• Manhandla, who guards the Blowing Wind in the Ancient Ruins.
• Gleeok, who guards the Seed of Life in the Explorer's Crypt.
• Medusa Head, who guards the Changing Seasons in the Sword and Shield Maze. It resembles the head of Medusa, and attacks by shooting laser beams out of its eyes.

Onox also sends several sub-bosses to help guard the eight dungeons:

• Goriya Bros., who lurk in the Gnarled Root Dungeon. They resemble red and blue moblins, and attack by throwing boomerangs.
• Facade, who lurks in the Snake's Remains. It resembles a large face in the ground, and attacks by throwing tiles and pots at you. It can also make holes in the floor.
• Calamareye, who lurk in the Poison Moth's Lair. They are a trio of squids, and attack by spitting fireballs.
• Agahnim, who lurks in the Dancing Dragon Dungeon.
• Syger, who lurks in the Unicorn's Cave. It resembles a saber-toothed tiger, and attacks by curling up in a ball, and charging at Link.
• Poe Sisters, who lurk in the Explorer's Crypt. They are two Poes, one of which attacks with a sword.
• Frypolar, who lurks in the Sword and Shield Maze. It resembles a vaporous entity that alternates between a fire and ice state. It attacks by summoning rings of fire and icicles in its respective forms.

Vire and The Great Moblin also appear as sub-bosses in both games.

[edit] Four Swords

In Four Swords, Vaati breaks the magical seal imprisoning him within the Four Sword and kidnaps Zelda; forcing Link to draw the Four Sword to save her. Because of the level-based setup of the game, the bosses don't technically guard dungeons: the boss of each area guards a Great Fairy who possesses a key to Vaati's Palace of Winds. Each key will cost Link a certain amount of rupees to purchase and, depending on the difficulty setting, the cost amount and the type of key he obtains (Silver Key, Gold Key, or Hero's Key), will vary. Furthermore, because the game is multi-player, a boss's attacks and the method for defeating it may change depending on how many players are fighting it.

The area bosses who guard the Great Fairies are:

• Sea of Trees Guardian, who guards the Great Fairy of the Sea of Trees. It is a huge, aggressive plant that attacks the Links with its vines.
• Talus Cave Guardian, who guards the Great Fairy of Talus Cave. It is a huge, green slug that is periodically frozen in ice.
• Death Mountain Guardian, who guards the Great Fairy of Death Mountain. It is a bat-like creature that wreathes itself in flame to attack the Links.

[edit] The Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, Ganondorf has been revived and attacks the Great Sea. He has begun to search for the Triforce in order to remove the sea which covers Hyrule, as well as endeavoring to weaken the Master Sword and its seal on him.

The first two bosses are curses cast against the three spirits who hold the Goddess Pearls, keys to the Tower of the Gods and the Master Sword:

• Gohma, who resides in the Dragon Roost Cavern beneath the Sky Spirit, Valoo, constantly hurting his tail and driving him to such a madness that he shakes the mountain.
• Kalle Demos, who has imprisoned Makar in the Forbidden Woods, thus preventing the annual ceremony which raises new forests and rejuvenates the Earth Spirit, The Deku Tree. It is a huge Boko Baba that attacks by whipping Link with its vines. It also occasionally tries to swallow Link.

Gohdan, The Great Arbiter, a mechanical creation of the gods that is meant to test the hero, guards the entrance into Hyrule hidden at The Tower of the Gods. It resembles a huge head and two disembodied hands.

The Monstrous Helmaroc King was sent by Ganondorf to kidnap blond, pointy-eared girls that may hold the Triforce of Wisdom. It imprisons them at the Forbidden Fortress, and its kidnapping of Aryll, Link's sister, is what begins the plot of the game.

The next two bosses are curses cast against the two sages who pray to the gods to bless the Master Sword:

• Jalhalla, Protector of the Seal, which stole the soul of the Earth sage, Laruto, who prayed in the Earth Temple.
• Molgera, Protector of the Seal, which stole the soul of the Wind sage, Fado, who prayed in the Wind Temple. It resembles a sandworm, and it is able to fly as well as continuously spawn its young. It attacks by creating sandtraps and jumping at Link in order to devour him.

The last two bosses are guardians of Ganon's Castle:

• Phantom Ganon, who guards the catacombs which contain the Light Arrows. He also helps guard the Forsaken Fortress while Ganondorf is still there.
• Puppet Ganon, who guards the tower leading to Ganondorf. It has three forms. The first one resembles a large, black, bi-pedal pig-like creature seemingly being controlled by Ganondorf with strings attached to its limbs (hence the name). After its first form is defeated it will change into a spider-like creature. After this form is defeated it takes on a snake-like appearance, and begins to rapidly move around the room.

[edit] Four Swords Adventures

In Four Swords Adventures, Ganon steals the Magic Trident and the Dark Mirror, which he uses to summon Shadow Link in order to imprison the seven Shrine Maidens and force Link to draw the Four Sword, releasing Vaati, all to distract Link while he steals the power of the Shrine Maidens. Because of the level-based setup of the game, not all bosses guard a dungeon: the first two bosses of each area guard the magical barrier to the next level, while the last boss of an area guards one of the imprisoned Shrine Maidens. In order to move on to the next level, Link must destroy each magic barrier blocking his path or imprisoning a Shrine Maiden in addition to defeating that area's boss. To do this Link must obtain a certain amount of force gems to temporarily restore the Four Sword's power to full strength. Furthermore, because the game can be played single- or multi-player, a boss's attacks and the method for defeating it may change depending on how many players are fighting it.

The area bosses who guard the Shrine Maidens are:

• Phantom Ganon, who guards the Blue Maiden in Hyrule Castle and the Red Maiden in the Temple of Darkness.
• Stone Arrghus, who guards the Yellow Maiden in the Eastern Temple.
• Dodongos, who guard the Green Maiden in the Tower of Flames.
• Big Poe, who guards the White Maiden in the Infiltration of Hyrule Castle..
• Big Moldorm, who guards the Purple Maiden in the Pyramid.
• Frostare who guards Princess Zelda in the Tower of Winds.

Also serving as bosses are the four Big Dark Stalfos, cursed Knights of Hyrule who guard the Royal Jewels which allow entrance into the Tower of Winds.

The various sub-bosses include:

• Chief Soldier, who guards Lake Hylia and the Death Mountain Foothills.
• Manhandla, who guards the Coast.
• Helmaroc King, who guards the Mountain Path.
• Big Poe, who guards the Swamp.
• Ball & Chain Soldiers, who guard the Ice Temple.
• Big Dodongo, who guards the Realm of the Heavens.

[edit] The Minish Cap

In The Minish Cap, Vaati has turned Princess Zelda to stone while searching for the Light Force, and the only way for Link to reverse the curse is to reforge the Picori Blade into the Four Sword by recovering the four Elements.

Each Element is hidden in a dungeon and guarded by a boss:

• Big Green ChuChu, who guards the Earth Element in the Deepwood Shrine.
• Gleerok, who guards the Fire Element in the Cave of Flames.

Mazaal, who guards the Ocarina of Wind in the Fortress of Winds. It is a mechanical creation of the Wind Tribe meant to guard their ancient home, and resembles a golden head in a Mayan crown and a pair of disembodied hands. It attacks by slamming the floor with its fist and grabbing Link. Prior to learning that the Wind Element was moved to the Palace of Winds, Link believed that Mazaal guarded it.

• Big Octorok, who guards the Water Element in the Temple of Droplets.
• Gyorg Pair, who guard the Wind Element in the Palace of Winds.

[edit] Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, Dark Lord, Ganondorf enacts a plot to return to the "World of Light" that requires spreading the twilight of the Twilight Realm to make darkness. To this end, he assists Usurper King, Zant in overthrowing the titular Twilight Princess and attacking Hyrule. In his attack, he fractures the Fused Shadows and Twilight Mirror each into four pieces, which are scattered around Hyrule. To save Hyrule, Link and Midna search for the three missing pieces of the Fused Shadows in a bid to rival Zant's power.

The first three bosses were created when the Fused Shadows infected Hyrulian beings with their darkness, reshaping them into twisted, evil forms:

• Twilit Parasite, Diababa, who lurks in the Forest Temple. It is a giant Deku Baba with 3 heads that attacks Link by spewing polluted water at him and trying to grab him with its fronds.
• Twilit Igniter, Fyrus, who is the Goron Darbus, imprisoned in the Goron Mines after being transformed by the Fused Shadows. It resembles a large, bipedal reptile, seemingly composed of lava, and attacks by swiping the ground with the chains attached to its wrists.
• Twilit Aquatic, Morpheel, who lurks in the Lakebed Temple. It is a giant eel with a Charybdis-like maw and one movable eye. It attacks Link by grabbing him with its tentacles and pulling him into its mouth.

Twilit Fossil, Stallord, a dragon skeleton that guards the Mirror Chamber in the Arbiter's Grounds.

The next three bosses were created when the Mirror Shards infected Hyrulian beings with their malice, reshaping them into twisted, evil forms:

• Twilit Ice Mass, Blizzeta, who appears when Yeta is possessed by the mirror shard in Snowpeak Ruins.
• Twilit Arachnid, Armogohma, who lurks in the Temple of Time. It attacks with jets of fire and swarms of baby Gohmas, while crawling on the ceiling from corner to corner.
• Twilit Dragon, Argorok, who has been attacking the City in the Sky. It is a black-armored wyvern that attacks Link by diving and spewing fire at him.

[edit] Phantom Hourglass

In Phantom Hourglass, the life-eating Bellum, Evil Phantom has imprisoned the Ocean King and the three Spirits who serve him, created the Ghost Ship to search out more lives to devour, and transformed much of the captured life-force into the monsters and bosses of the game. After each boss is defeated, the life-force they stole is relinquished to Link in the form of two minutes worth of "Sand of Hours", which temporarily allows Link to explore the Temple of the Ocean King without being affected by its curse.

The first three bosses of the game guard the captured Spirits:

• Blaaz, Master of Fire, who guards Leaf in the Temple of Fire. It is a demonic wizard that attacks by spitting fireballs. It is responsible for causing the Isle of Ember volcano to continuously erupt.
• Cyclok, Stirrer of Winds, who guards Neri in the Temple of Wind. It resembles a huge octopus riding a tornado, and attacks by shooting cyclones and trying to ram into Link. It is responsible for generating the cyclone in the middle of the Great Sea.
• Crayk, Bane of Courage, who guards Ciela's split self in the Temple of Courage. It resembles a huge shelled lobster, and can cloud itself in gas to make itself invisible. It attacks by grabbing Link and shaking him, and with claw swings.

The Diabolical Cubus Sisters guard the Ghost Ship, and with it, a captured Tetra. They are responsible for helping the Ghost Ship generate the unearthly fog covering the western passageway.

The next three bosses guard the three Pure Metals, which can be forged into the Phantom Sword, able to defeat Bellum:

• Dongorongo, Armored Lizard, who guards the Goron's Crimsonine in the Goron Temple.
• Gleeok, Two-headed Dragon, who guards the Anouki's Azurine in the Temple of Ice.
• Eox, Ancient Stone Soldier, who guards the Cobble Kingdom's Aquanine in Mutoh's Temple. It resembles a huge mechanical soldier made of bricks and wood, and attacks by shooting darts from the holes in its head and slamming its fist against the ground.

[edit] Spin-off games

[edit] Zelda wristwatch game

Aquamentus appears as a recurring boss in all four stages of the non-canon Zelda wristwatch game by Nelsonic. Each Aquamentus guards a Triforce fragment.

[edit] Zelda Game & Watch

Dragon is the recurring boss of all eight stages of Nintendo's LCD Zelda Game & Watch. Each Dragon guards a Triforce fragment. The final Dragon also holds Zelda hostage.

[edit] Phillips CD-i

Ganon is the primary antagonist and the final boss of Phillips CD-i's Link: Faces of Evil, Zelda: Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. He holds Zelda hostage in Faces of Evil, both King Harkinian and Link hostage in Wand of Gamelon, and Link hostage in Zelda's Adventure. His name is misspelled as "Gannon" in Zelda's Adventure.

Zelda: Wand of Gamelon and Link: Faces of Evil share the bosses Gleeok and Ganon.

Link: Faces of Evil features both bosses and enemies unique to the game, with Ganon being the only boss to appear in any other title in the series. Several of the bosses from Link: Faces of Evil are faced after their initial defeat as sub-bosses in later areas of Koridai. The bosses themselves are not centered around a particular primary objective (such as pieces of the Triforce), but instead appear in areas of interest in Koridai. The bosses encountered include:

• Gleeok, boss of Spearfish Falls.
• Goronu, boss of Fortress Centrum.
• Harlequin, boss of the Harlequin Bazaar.
• Militron, boss of Militron.
• Glutko, boss of the Shrine of Koridai.
• Lupay, boss of Hermit Flat.

Zelda: Wand of Gamelon features bosses that are mainstays of the franchise, although three of them appear as regular enemies in other entries of the series. As with the first CD-i title, the bosses do not guard related items of interest, but instead stand as barriers to progressing to different areas of Gamelon. The bosses encountered include:

• Gibdo, mummy boss of Sakado.
• Ironknuckle, knight boss of Tykogi Tower.
• Gleeok, dragon boss of Dordung Cave.
• Wizzrobe, wizard boss of Shutoy Lake.
• Hectan, boss of Dodomai Palace.
• Onfac, werewolf boss of the Shrine of Gamelon.

Zelda's Adventure has a more traditional boss layout with each acting as a guardian for a different shrine Zelda must enter in order to obtain the seven celestial signs needed to restore the kingdom of Tolemac to an "Age of Light". The bosses for this entry are:

• Lort, guardian of the Shrine of Earth. Lort is a large stone golem that wields a number of small throwing axes.
• Pasquinade, guardian of the Shrine of Illusion. Pasquinade resembles a wolf and is dressed somewhat akin to a jester.
• Aviana, guardian of the Shrine of Air. Aviana is a bird-like creature whose feather serves as a game item upon its defeat.
• Moldorm, guardian of the Shrine of Destiny. Unlike Moldorm's other appearances, here Moldorm is a female sorceress capable of shape-shifting.
• Agwanda, guardian of the Shrine of Water. Agwanda is a large gelatinous blob that can split itself apart to attack.
• Ursala, guardian of the Shrine of Strength. Ursala is a sentient bear and commands a mini-boss called the Red Knight.
• Warbane, guardian of the Shrine of Fire. Warbane is a dragon capable of breathing fire and flight.

[edit] Link's Crossbow Training

Link's Crossbow Training is a title bundled with the Wii Zapper in the vein of a light gun shooter. Two bosses appear:

• Darknut, appears as the boss of level eight.
• Twilit Fossil, Stallord, appears as the final boss.

[edit] Recurring bosses

[edit] Angler Fish

The Angler Fish is a boss that guards the Surf Harp in Link's Awakening. True to its name, it resembles a large blue anglerfish.

In Oracle of Ages, a smaller Angler Fish appears as a sub-boss inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly. This version has the ability to hop onto dry land, inflate itself like a pufferfish, and shoot bubbles.

[edit] Aquamentus

Aquamentus is a green, draconic unicorn that attacks by spitting three fireballs at once.

After it is defeated in The Legend of Zelda, Link obtains a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, and in Oracle of Seasons, Link receives the Fertile Soil, the first Essence of Nature.

Aquamentus also appears as a recurring boss in all four stages of the non-canon Zelda wristwatch game by Nelsonic.

In the Zelda TV series, Aquamentus is a servant of Ganon, and resembles the mythological Hippocampus.

[edit] Arrghus

Arrghus is a large red octopus/jellyfish-like creature with a single large eye, surrounded by small blobs.

In the Game Boy Advance re-release of A Link to the Past, Arrghus makes a second appearance, surrounded by Biri, as a sub-boss in the Palace of Four Swords bonus dungeon.

Stone Arrghus is the boss of the Eastern Temple in Four Swords Adventures. A stone version of Arrghus from A Link to the Past, Stone Arrghus uses similar tactics, but with boulders circling its body, instead of blobs. Defeating Stone Arrghus frees the Yellow Maiden, who transports the party to her Death Mountain realm.

[edit] Ball & Chain Soldier

Ball & Chain Soldiers are cursed knights that will attack Link with a large ball and chain which they spin in circles above their heads. Some have the ability to create a ring of fire while doing this.

[edit] Digdogger

Digdogger is an urchin-like creature that attacks by tackling and impaling foes. It is invulnerable to damage, but can be split into several vulnerable miniatures if it is attacked correctly. In its first appearance in The Legend of Zelda, this weakness is the music of the recorder, while in Oracle of Seasons it was a huge iron ball.

[edit] Dodongo

Dodongos are a race of Archosauromorphic creatures, normally four-legged and red or green, that appear in The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess, and Phantom Hourglass. They often serve as sub-bosses, and usually require the player to feed them bombs to defeat them,^[6] though they can sometimes be defeated by using conventional attacks on their tail, which they vigorously guard. They are also known to explode when defeated, and can sometimes be used in place of bombs.

Dodongos are usually found in mountainous or lava-filled areas,^[7] and can grow to be very large, attaining a size similar to that of the Goron race.^[8] Dodongos are apparently hunted by Gorons, as many Dodongo skins are found inside the Elders' rooms in the Goron Mines in Twilight Princess. Bomb Bags are sometimes made from Dodongo stomachs.

Dodongos sometimes differ greatly from their most common form — in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, all Dodongos except King Dodongo only have two legs, in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Dimitri is an amphibious Dodongo that helps Link, and in Twilight Princess, Dodongos resemble alligator-sized geckos. The series also includes Dodongos in different stages of their growth, as well as a related sub-species.

• Baby Dodongos, minor enemies in Ocarina of Time, are small, legless Dodongos that burrow into and out of the ground, wriggling towards their prey to attack. If struck, they jump around spastically and ultimately explode.
• Big Dodongo is a Dodongo that is twice as large as normal Dodongos, and requires larger bombs to be defeated.
• Infernal Dinosaur, King Dodongo is the giant king of all Dodongos. It resides in a chamber dominated by a lava pit, but it is unable to survive in the lava. Its scales act as heavy armor, but it can be addled if it ingests bombs. It attacks by spitting fire and by attempting to roll over Link.
• Dodongo Snakes are large black snakes that crawl around the room. Like most Dodongos, they are vulnerable to ingested bombs.
• Dongorongo, Armored Lizard, is a Dodongo that has a large crystalline growth to protect a weak point on its back.

[edit] Facade

Facade is a animated face emblazoned on the floor of its arena. It can only be damaged with explosives, and only then when its face is visible. It first appears in Link's Awakening, where it tries to convince Link not to wake the Wind Fish.

[edit] Gerudo Guards

Gerudo Guards are the elite female warriors of the Gerudo. They have been well trained in the art of swordfighting combat with a pair of scimitars. In Ocarina of Time they are put in charge of guarding the Hylian carpenters who become prisoners after expressing their desire to join the all-female group, having run away from their boss because they think carpentry is too much work.

Gerudo Guards also appear in Majora's Mask with Aveil and the Gerudo pirates. They are in charge of guarding the aquariums that hold the stolen Zora eggs that Mikau the Zora vainly tried to recover.

[edit] Gleeok

Gleeok first appear in The Legend of Zelda, but do not appear in its remake, BS Zelda. It is a multi-headed dragon, and is usually four-legged. Gleeok are usually found deep in subterranean environments, though its exact nature may greatly differ.^[9] Gleeok attack by spitting out balls of fire or ice, and usually require attacks to their head to be defeated.^[10] If a head is severed, it will continue to attack while floating around, and may reattach if given long enough.

The series also includes two subspecies of Gleeok:

• Gleerok is a lava-dwelling Gleeok with a shell of igneous rock which hides a vulnerable spike on its back. It tends to hide in its lava pool, but if it sees something it will spew fire at it.^[11]
• Gleeok, Two-headed Dragon is a sea Gleeok wearing bony masks. Its red-shaded head spits fire, while the blue spits ice.

[edit] Gohma

Gohma is a species of cyclopean arthropod whose exact form varies greatly between appearances. It is described as an arachnid in Ocarina of Time, though its appearance throughout the games more commonly resembles a giant crab. It rarely appears alone, and in most games it spawns young that attack Link during the boss battle, and sometimes during his trek through the dungeon itself.

[edit] Goriya

Goriya are a canine or porcine race that are natural experts in the art of boomerangs, and thus boomerangs are their weapon of choice. They have appeared in The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening and Oracle of Seasons. While normally portrayed as standard enemies in most of their appearances they have sometimes filled boss roles. In the Second Quest of The Legend of Zelda, a group of red Goriya share the boss role by guarding a Triforce shard in the L Dungeon while a group of three Dodongos in a different room in the dungeon guard the Heart Container, both of which are usually obtained by defeating a standard boss.

In Oracle of Seasons, two Goriya known as the Goriya Bros. serve as a sub-boss, attacking by passing a boomerang back and forth. Defeating either one will defeat the pair together.

[edit] Gyorg

Gargantuan Masked Fish: Gyorg is the boss of Great Bay Temple in Majora's Mask. It resides within a large tank of water with a central pedestal. It will ram the pedestal if Link is on it, knocking him into the water, as well as spawning a small swarm of miniature copies. Defeating Gyorg releases the Great Bay Guardian and cools Great Bay's waters.

Gyorg returns in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, but as a smaller shark that attacks Link as he sails across the Great Sea.

Two Gyorg appear in The Minish Cap as the Gyorg Pair, the bosses of the Palace of Winds and the guardians of the Wind Element. This time, they are giant manta rays, capable of flight. The pair consists of the larger, red, female Gyorg and a smaller, blue, male Gyorg. The female does very little to defend itself beyond spawning baby Gyorg that fly past Link, but its mate will divebomb Link and swipe at him with its barbed tail.

[edit] Jalhalla

Jalhalla, Protector of the Seal is the boss of the Earth Temple in The Wind Waker. It is a haunted mask infused with many Poes.

Jalhalla (also known as Big Poe) returns as the boss of the Swamp and the Infiltration of Hyrule Castle in Four Swords Adventures. It appears to be similar in design to its The Wind Waker incarnation.

[edit] Lanmola

Lanmolas are segmented centipede or worm-like creatures much like Moldorms, but the two types of monsters were differentiated from each other as early as the first game. In The Legend of Zelda, Lanmolas appeared only in the final dungeon of each quest as very quick one-eyed centipedes that would crawl along the floor in random directions. They came in red and blue varieties, with the blue ones being much speedier than the red ones.

In A Link to the Past, three Lanmolas appear as the boss of the Desert Palace, and another three as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower. They attack by popping up from under the sand.

Lanmolas behave exactly like Moldorms in A Link to the Past. This is due in part to a translation error in which "Moldorm" from the Japanese version of the game was dubbed "Lanmola" in the English translation (the Moldorm in the English version is known as a "Tail" in the Japanese version). Given their fundamental differences, it seems both Moldorms and Lanmolas have easily-interchangeable roles from game to game. A creature similar in name and appearance called the "Swamola" appears in the Misery Mire dungeon in A Link to the Past. This is also a result of the error in translating "Tails" as "Moldorms" in the English version. In the Japanese version of the game, the Swamola is called Lanmola.

[edit] Manhandla

Manhandla first appears in The Legend of Zelda. It resembles a large Buzz Blob with four Piranha Plant-like maws that spit out beams. If a maw is severed, the whole body moves faster.

Very similar Manhandlas appear in Oracle of Seasons and four Sword Adventures. In Oracle of Seasons, its only variation is that it will electrocute anything that touches it, and it cannot fully die until not only its maws but its central pit is destroyed. In Four Swords Adventures, each of its four maws is shaded to correspond with one of the four Links, and if the incorrect Link attacks it, any severed maws will grow back.

[edit] Moldorm

Moldorm is a regular enemy (known as Mini-Moldorm), but a giant Moldorm appears as bosses in several games. They are generally depicted as segmented worm-like creatures large heads and gradually smaller body-segments reaching back to their small tails, and often inhabit deserts. They are very similar to Lanmolas which are often found in the same games.

Moldorm first appears in The Legend of Zelda.

Another slightly different incarnation of Moldorm appears as a boss in A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Four Swords Adventures. It attacks by moving around erratically on a platform surrounded by pits. In the Japanese version of those games listed above these large-headed worms are known as "Tails".

In the Japanese version of A Link to the Past, the three sand-dwelling worms that dive in and out of the sand as the boss of the second dungeon and as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower are known as Moldorms. These Moldorms appear much closer to their The Legend of Zelda incarnation, but in the English version of the game these monsters are instead called "Lanmolas".

In Zelda's Adventure Moldorm is a female sorceress capable of shape-shifting who is the guardian of the Shrine of Destiny. In her first encounter with Zelda, she fights with a scythe and by transforming into a dark pool. In her second encounter with Zelda, she transforms into multiple insects to fight.

[edit] Mothula

Mothula first appearanced as the boss of the Skull Woods dungeon in the Dark World in A Link to the Past. She attacks by firing triple blasts of large energy rings. Killing her frees the third crystal maiden.

In the Game Boy Advance re-release of A Link to the Past Mothula makes a second appearance as a sub-boss in the Palace of Four Swords bonus dungeon. This reincarnation has the ability to create weak clones of herself.

Mothula also appears as the boss of the Poison Moth's Lair in Oracle of Seasons. She attacks by shooting fireballs and has the ability to spawn smaller moths to attack Link. Defeating this boss gives link the third Essence of Nature, the Bright Sun.

A winged Mothula appears as a sub-boss in The Wind Waker, guarding the Boomerang, but later Mothulas in the game (both with and without wings) appear as regular enemies.

[edit] Smasher

Smasher is a strange, round creature that attacks by throwing a large iron ball at Link. It appears as a sub-boss in Link's Awakening and Oracle of Ages.

[edit] See also

• Enemies in The Legend of Zelda series

[edit] References

v • d • e The Legend of Zelda series Main series The Legend of Zelda · Zelda II: The Adventure of Link · A Link to the Past  · Link's Awakening  · Ocarina of Time (Characters) · Majora's Mask (Characters) · Oracle of Seasons & Ages (Characters) · The Wind Waker (Characters) · Four Swords Adventures · The Minish Cap (Characters) · Twilight Princess (Characters) · Phantom Hourglass (Characters) Spin-offs Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland · Tingle's Balloon Fight · Link's Crossbow Training Other games LCD games · CD-i games · BS Zelda no Densetsu · BS Zelda no Densetsu Kodai no Sekiban · Collector's Edition Characters Link · Princess Zelda · Ganon · Tingle Other Enemies · Bosses · Races · Hyrule · Master Sword · Triforce · Manga · TV series Nintendo · Portal:Zelda