of The Legend of Zelda franchise is over 35 years old, and in that time has introduced many different mechanics, dungeons, items and enemies that have had a strong impact on the gaming world. Bosses are a particularly memorable element of the series, as these tough fights stick in players’ minds long after.
Zelda Bosses generally have a weak point that Link must exploit using one of the many items he’s picked up during his quest, but that doesn’t mean every boss feels the same or that they’re simple to defeat. On the contrary, Zelda franchise has provided players with unique boss fights that are known for their difficulty and the skill required to overcome them.
10 Demise (Sword to Heaven)
When Sword to the sky was released for the Wii in 2011, it took advantage of the keyboard’s motion controls to create a unique way for players to interact with combat. They had to swipe and slash with their controller for Link to execute those moves in the game, which added a layer of complexity to the combat.
The Wii’s motion controls are only part of the reason why the final battle against Demon King Demise is remembered as such a difficult encounter. It centers exclusively around swordplay, and players must skillfully dodge Demise’s strikes in order to hit him – including when he delivers his fearsome lightning strikes. Death is a crucial character in Zelda know as the original evil, whose hatred Ganondorf personifies, and the battle against him really lives up to its importance.
9 Dark Link (Ocarina Of Time)
The Water Temple in Ocarina of time it is notorious for its strange appearance and water mechanics. However, it also has one of the most interesting and difficult fights in the series. As Link makes his way through the Temple, he finds himself having to fight a reflection of himself: Dark Link.
Dark Link is not the final boss of the Water Temple, but the fight is so iconic that many players remember him even during the actual final fight. He mimics Link’s movement patterns, has the same speed and strength, and even the same amount of health as Link has hearts. That said, players have found that other weapons (such as the optional Biggoron Sword) make the fight much easier, since Dark Link can’t duplicate them. Regardless, it’s generally a fight that requires a lot of enemy skill and awareness.
8 Ganon doll (The Wind Waker)
The Ganon Puppet is a large, menacing marionette created by Ganon that Link confronts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. To defeat him, the player must go through three stages of battle, each of which requires targeting a particular weak point.
Link’s fight with Puppet Ganon is a lengthy encounter that players cannot win simply by slashing Link’s sword. Instead, they must demonstrate their skills and perform a series of actions, such as cutting the puppet’s strings or hitting the tail of its third worm-like form. It is one of the most memorable meetings in Wind Waker– and once the player is finally triumphant, one of the most satisfying.
7 Gyorg (Major’s Mask)
Water levels can be one of the most frustrating video game environments for a variety of reasons, from clunky mechanics to poor breath gauges. until Majora’s Mask doesn’t suffer from any of these, the Grand Temple of the Bay boss has long been a source of frustration for many players due to the difficulty of the battle.
When fighting the giant fish Gyorg, Link can’t just stand on solid ground and attack it. The only way to damage this boss is to stun him and then swim towards him to hit him while he’s in the water. Combined with his powerful attacks that can drain a good portion of Link’s health, facing Gyorg is truly a nerve-wracking endeavor.
6 Vaati (Little Chapel)
Vaati is one of the last recurring bosses in the Zelda franchise alongside Ganon, albeit much less well known. Minish’s cap shows Vaat’s origin as a sorcerer who desired absolute power and turned evil.
Upon reaching the end of Dark Hyrule Castle, the final dungeon, the player will have to persevere in a long fight against Vaat that has three different stages. Each stage requires completely different techniques and approaches, such as the game mechanics of shrinking Link or having him create copies of himself to attack in a pattern. The fight against Vaati puts everything Link has learned throughout the game to use, which makes it extremely demanding, but ultimately rewarding.
5 Thunderblight Ganon (Breath Of The Wild)
IN Wild spirit, Link is tasked with freeing the four Divine Beasts from the influence of the Ganon Calamity. To do this, he decides to defeat the four Blight Ganons that once killed the Champions and now control the Beasts.
Blight Ganon are all visually similar and some attacks are common to all four of them, but Thunderblight Ganon is a distinct cut above the rest in terms of difficulty. Vah Naboris’ shot is lightning fast, forcing the player to time the dodge and parry perfectly to even have the chance to hit. Without an upgraded Rubber Armor set to grant electrical immunity, the fight becomes even more difficult, as players try to scavenge for weapons that Link has dropped due to electrical shocks.
4 Moldorm (A Link to the Past)
Moldorm is an early boss A link to the past, the final Tower of Time challenge that the League must overcome to obtain the Pendant of Wisdom. This infamous boss is a large worm that moves erratically, knocking Link around when hit, and the player must repeatedly hit the vulnerable spot on its tail to defeat it.
The fight against Moldorm is made especially frustrating and difficult by the arena that takes place. If Link falls through the holes present in the floor, he will end up on one of the lower levels of the tower and will have to make his way back to the boss. Any progress the player has made in the fight will be reset and they will have to try again, making it one of the scariest fights in the series.
3 Onox (Oracle Of Seasons)
Onox is the final boss of the GameBoy Color game The oracle of the seasonswhich was released alongside The oracle of the ages as a pair of linked games that together tell a complete story. Fitting for a final boss, the battle with Onox is extremely demanding.
Avoiding falling rocks, vortexes and other hazards while only being able to damage the boss via charged spin attacks is challenging enough, but that’s only the first phase of the battle. Once Link takes enough damage, Onox transforms into a massive dragon and Link must stomp on his hands to reach the vulnerable crystal on his head. It makes for a frenetic, fast-paced battle that will have players screaming at the screen — and especially memorable, given that Onox was a former antagonist.
2 Gleeok (The Legend of Zelda)
With their involvement in Tears of the Kingdom as a boss of the world, the Gleeoks have come to the fore Zelda the conscience of the fans as a difficult punishing enemy. Although they had been absent from the games since then Ghost hourglassreleased in 2007, this multi-headed dragon was actually one of the hardest bosses in the original The Legend of Zelda.
In the classic game, Link faces Gleeok three times during his adventure. Each time she will have grown an additional head, making the fight more complex. Eventually, Gleeok’s heads will detach from his body, flying around the arena and shooting fireballs. The worst part about this is that they are impossible to get rid of except by defeating Gleeok himself. It’s extremely tough combat that makes players dodge and attack, and one of the reasons The Legend of Zelda it is considered a very difficult game.
1 Thunderbird (The Adventure Of Link)
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a controversial introduction to Zelda series. It was released before many of the features that are now Zelda the main pillars were codified, and modern fans might find its RPG elements and side-scrolling gameplay too disorienting. However, one thing that many can agree on is that it boasts some of the toughest boss fights in the entire franchise.
Thunderbird is the game’s penultimate boss, and in order to defeat him, Link must cast the Thunder spell to make him vulnerable to sword attacks. As Thunderbird continues to hover above Link’s head raining fireballs, the player must jump to attack the only vulnerable spot he has: his face. The precision required and the number of things happening on the screen at the same time perfectly demonstrate why The Adventure of the League it’s such a hard game.
