User:KrytenKoro/Bosses in The Legend of Zelda series

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Contents

[edit] Creation and influence

[edit] Reception and criticism

[edit] Games

[edit] The Legend of Zelda

In The Legend of Zelda, each of the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, which Princess Zelda has left in each of the eight dungeons, is guarded by a boss. The dungeons differ between the First and Second Quests, though the bosses are the same. The dungeon bosses 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 specific rooms. Each dungeon boss reappears at least once as a sub-boss.

[edit] Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link must return six crystals to matching palace monuments in order to enter the Great Palace and retrieve the Triforce of Courage. 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 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. Link learns of this plot when Princess Zelda telepathically contacts him to ask for rescue from her impending imprisonment.

The Ball & Chain Trooper guards Princess Zelda in the Castle Dungeon. Once Link takes her to the Sanctuary, he learns that to stop Agahnim he must retrieve the Master Sword from the Lost Woods, which requires the prior retrieval of the three Pendants.

The first three bosses guard the Pendants:

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

Link retrieves the Master Sword, but is too late to prevent the Shrine Maidens from being sent to the Dark World. He defeats Agahnim, but is also sent to the Dark World, where he must rescue the seven Shrine Maidens to break into Ganon's Tower and defeat Agahnim once and for all.

The next seven bosses guard the Shrine Maidens:

  • Helmasaur King, who guards the ??? Maiden in the Dark Palace. It ....
  • Arrghus, who guards the ??? Maiden in the Swamp Palace.
  • Mothula, who guards the ??? Maiden in Skull Woods.
  • Blind, who guards the ??? Maiden in Thieves' Town.
  • Kholdstare, who guards the ??? Maiden in the Ice Palace. It...
  • Vitreous, who guards the ??? Maiden in Misery Mire. It...
  • Trinexx, who guards Princess Zelda in Turtle Rock. It...

[edit] Link's Awakening

In Link's Awakening, the Shadow Nightmares have taken over the Wind Fish's dreamworld, Koholint Island. In order to prevent the Wind Fish from waking and destroying their domain, they have hidden the eight Instruments of the Sirens needed to awaken him, leaving one of the eight Nightmares to guard it:

  • Moldorm, who guards the Full Moon Cello in Tail Cave.
  • Genie, who guards the Conch Horn in Bottle Grotto.
  • Slime Eyes, who guards the Sea Lily Bell in Key Cavern.
  • Angler Fish, who guards the Surf Harp in Angler's Tunnel.
  • Slime Eel, who guards the Wind Marimba in Catfish's Maw.
  • Facade, who guards the Coral Triangle in the northern Face Shrine.
  • Evil Eagle, who guards the Organ of Evening Calm in Eagle's Tower.
  • Hot Head, who guards the Thunder Drum in Turtle Rock.

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.

[edit] Ocarina of Time

In The 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. Though 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 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 Deku Tree to force it to relinquish the Kokiri's Emerald.
  • 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, and attacks by...

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 being 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 spectre with detached hands, constantly beating a giant bongo. It attacks by...
  • 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, the player can fight previously defeated bosses again each time they restart 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..., and attacks by...
  • Masked Mechanical Monster, Goht, the cursed Northern Giant who resides in Snowhead Temple, perpetuating the wintry cold at Northern Mountain. It resembles a..., and attacks by...
  • Gargantuan Masked Fish, Gyorg, the cursed Western Giant who resides in Great Bay Temple, polluting and heating the Western Ocean.
  • Giant Masked Insect, Twinmold, the cursed Eastern Giant who resides in Stone Tower Temple, agitating the dead to madness.

[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 Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and Din, the Oracle of Seasons, while spreading 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 spectre 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.
  • 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.

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.
  • 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

[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...

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, and attacks by...

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. It is a huge, masked Kargaroc, and attacks by...

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 ..., and attacks by...

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

  • Phantom Ganon, who guards the catacombs which contain the Light Arrows.
  • Puppet Ganon, who guards the tower leading to Ganondorf.

[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. 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. It resembles...
  • 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. It resembles a...

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:

[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 home, and resembles a golden head in an Mayan crown and a pair of disembodied hands. It attacks by slamming the floor with its fist and grabbing Link.

  • 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...
  • Twilit Igniter, Fyrus, who is imprisoned in the Goron Mines.
  • Twilit Aquatic, Morhpeel, who lurks in the Lakebed Temple. It...

Twilit Fossil, Stallord 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:

[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/can....
  • Cyclok, Stirrer of Winds, who guards Neri in the Temple of Wind. It resembles a huge octopus riding a tornado, and attacks by/can...
  • 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...

The Diabolical Cubus Sisters guard the Ghost Ship, and with it, Tetra.

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

[edit] Side games

[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 hand-to-hand combat with a pair of swords. 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 Aviel and the Gerudo pirates. They are in charge of guarding the aquariums that hold the stolen Zora eggs.

[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]
  • Gleerok, Two-headed Dragon is a sea Gleeok wearing bony masks. Its red-shaded head spits fire, while the blue spits ice.

[edit] Gohma

Gohma appears as a giant fiddler crab in Oracle of Seasons, and guards the fourth Essence of Nature, Soothing Rain.

[edit] Goriya

Goriyas 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 Goriyas 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 Goriyas 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 pedastal. 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 Gyorgs 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, as well as many tiny green Gyorgs. The female does very little to defend itself beyond spawning baby Gyorgs that fly past Link, but its mate will divebomb Link, as well as swiping 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. As a Poe, it is vulnerable to light, and will split into its component poes when struck. After all of the mask's Poes are destroyed, the mask attempts to flee the arena, but is hit by a beam of light and evaporates.

Jalhalla (also known as Big Poe) returns as the boss of The Swamp and Infiltration of Hyrule Castle in Four Swords Adventures. During the party's first encounter with it, it appears to be similar in design to its The Wind Waker incarnation, but instead of separating the Poes from the mask, Link must destroy the mask itself (revealing its inner ghost). During its second appearance Link must enter the body of the Big Poe itself and attack the inner ghost that previously escaped.

[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. Like the Moldorms in the same game, their individual segments could be destroyed to gradually reduce the creatures to only their heads before finally finishing them off. They came in red and blue varieties, with the blue ones being much speedier than the red ones.

A total of six Lanmolas appear in A Link to the Past. Link encounters the first trio as boss creatures in the Desert Temple, and the second as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower. The Lanmolas here move quickly, popping up from under the sand (sending dirt clods flying in all directions) and make a large jump across the room, where they burrow back underground on impact. Only the head of the Lanmola is vulnerable to attack. Aside from its sole weak point, the Lanmolas in A Link to the Past behave exactly like the Moldorm in the first game. 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) throughout the Zelda series, but a Giant Moldorm appears as a boss in the Tower of Hera and as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower in A Link to the Past, and makes additional boss appearances in the first dungeon of Link's Awakening and in Four Swords Adventures. Moldorms are generally depicted as segmented worm-like creatures which often inhabit deserts. They are very similar to the Lanmolas which are often found in the same game.

Moldorms first appeared in The Legend of Zelda as a sub-boss creature. The individual segments could be attacked and destroyed, gradually reducing the creature in size, finally killing it by attacking the head.

Moldorms next appeared in A Link to the Past, although the form it takes depends on the translation. In the English version, Mini-Moldorms are segmented worm-like enemies with large heads and gradually smaller body-segments reaching back to their small tails. They are mostly encountered on Death Mountain. These Mini-Moldorms do not travel in straight lines, but travel in arcs, switching directions often. A rare large Moldorm appears as a boss in the Tower of Hera (and as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower) in A Link to the Past, in the Tail Cave of Link's Awakening, and in the Pyramid of Four Swords Adventures. In the Japanese version, these large-headed worms are instead known as "Tails", and three Moldorms serve as a sand-dwelling worm boss that dives in and out of the sand in the second dungeon (and again, as a sub-boss in Ganon's Tower). In the English version that monster is called "Lanmola".

Only the tail segment is vulnerable on the large "Tail" version of Moldorms (unlike the Lanmola, whose vulnerability is its head). The small size of the tail segment, combined with its erratic movement and the fact that Link fights the monster on a platform surrounded by pits, make the Moldorm a very challenging enemy. The boss behaves this way in all incarnations, though in Four Swords Adventures there is an added twist: only the Link whose tunic matches the tail segment's changing color can damage it.

Moldorms also make an appearance in Twilight Princess, where they lunge at Link out of the sand of the Gerudo Desert. These variants do not have any armor, and are vulnerable to attack anywhere on their body. If ten of the smaller ones are destroyed, then bigger versions of the creatures lunge at Link, and these take twice the amount of damage to kill. The larger variants can be found in Arbiter's Grounds as well. They are smaller, less worm-like, and resemble the Triclops in Metroid Prime.

[edit] Mothula

Mothula's first appearance is as a boss in A Link to the Past. It is the boss of the Skull Woods dungeon in the Dark World. It attacks by moving around firing triple blasts of large energy rings; the floor of the chamber floor moves around and blade traps are constantly shooting around. Killing it frees the third crystal maiden.

In the GBA 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 Mothula has the ability to create weak clones of itself.

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

A winged Mothula also 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 Oracle of Ages.


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Darunia: "I can't believe that the Dodongos suddenly appeared in such great numbers! And that big rock blocking the cave...All this trouble must have been caused by that Gerudo thief, Ganondorf! He said, "Give me the Spiritual Stone! Only then will I open the cave for you!"
  2. ^ Kokiri: "Since the Great Deku Tree withered...more meanies have been appearing in the forest...I'm scared!"
  3. ^ Deku Tree Sprout: "Hi there! I'm the Deku Tree sprout! Because you and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can grow and flourish!"
  4. ^ Darunia: "Ganondorf is causing trouble on Death Mountain again! He has revived the evil, ancient dragon Volvagia! On top of that, he is going to feed my people to that evil dragon as a warning to other races that might resist him...If that fire-breathing dragon escapes from the mountain, all of Hyrule will become a burning wasteland!"
  5. ^ Sheik: "This ice is created by an evil curse... The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt...."
  6. ^ Old Man: "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE"
  7. ^ Dodongos appear in Maze Island (The Adventure of Link), Mountain Tower (A Link to the Past), Dodongo's Cavern (Ocarina of Time), Snowhead Temple (Majora's Mask), Tower of Flames (Four Swords Adventures), and Goron Mines (Twilight Princess).
  8. ^ Infernal Dinosaur King Dodongo is nearly as large as a house, and Dodongo's Cavern houses what appears to be the skull and ribcage of an even larger specimen. Another Dodongo, the guardian of the Gift of Time in Oracle of Seasons, resides in Snake's Remains, a cavern formed inside the skeleton of a gigantic serpent which may be a Dodongo Snake.
  9. ^ Gleeoks appear at the bottom of a cavernous crypt(Oracle of Seasons), in a lava pool at the bottom of a mine (The Minish Cap), and in a subterranean lake (Phantom Hourglass).
  10. ^ In Oracle of Seasons, the body would skeletonize and continue to attack after the heads were severed, and in The Minish Cap, Gleerok's only vulnerability is a spike hidden under its shell
  11. ^ Figurine: "A Gleeok with a hard, rocky shell found in Mount Crenel. Hiding in lava, this beast spews fire on everything it sees."
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The Legend of Zelda series
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v • d • e
The Legend of Zelda series
Main series
Spin-offs
Other games
Characters
Other
Nintendo · Portal:Zelda