If you are a fan, you know that everyThe Legend of Zeldahas its epic moments, whether it is fetching a quest for a giant Goron, playing with a Zora band, or beating the hell out of a masked creep – and the latter always has a special flavor, doesn’t it?
Since the series took its first steps into tridimensional worlds with the all-time classic Ocarina of Time, I feel that bosses have started to become true spectacles, combining creativity, challenge, atmosphere, and a theatrical touch that only my favorite franchise knows how to deliver.
Every 3D Zelda Game, Ranked
One list to (Hy)rule them all.
For this nostalgic article, I decided to revisit each 3D title in the Zelda saga to choose the boss that best represents everything that makes this franchise so special: striking design, unique strategies, and that sweet taste of reward after drinking some fairies from the bottle (okay, that got a little weird, it definitely sounded better in my head).
To keep things even more interesting, let’s try to avoid final bosses (otherwise, it would be kind of a predictable ranking). So, from classic battles to innovative ones, here are the evil faces that defined each Zelda generation and have written their names in the history of Hyrule.
7Thunderblight Ganon
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
If you have already playedZelda: Breath of the Wild, you know that there are very few enemies that are more challenging than Calamity Ganon - and one of them is Thunderblight Ganon.
He is a phantom specialized in lightning-based attacks and known for his speed and agility, who serves as the boss of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris in the Gerudo region.
That means his attacks are very dangerous because they are quick and can be electric, so you need to stay on your toes from beginning to end. Also, he has a sword and a shield, so expect him to defend himself and counter-attack quite a lot.
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I personally spent several minutes (or maybe an hour) learning how toperfectly parryhis rush attacks with a backflip – which is incredibly stylish when you do it right –, allowing you to engage the Furry Rush.
Another fun detail is that you can reflect his long-ranged attacks (electric orbs and the Guardian laser beam) with Link’s shield in a way that reminded me a lot of the classic final battle against Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Fextralife Wiki
The Zelda franchise already has several games, so it is quite common to feel that some bosses may resemble others, or that these fights may not be as impressive as in the past.
But I must confess that the fight against Colgera inZelda: Tears of the Kingdomis something I have never experienced before in any 3D Zelda game.
Despite being a little easy in terms of finding and hitting weak spots, it compensates by also being insanely fun and cinematic, withepic skydivingthrough cyclones and ice spikes, where you literally use gravity and Link’s body as a weapon.
Created by Ganondorf, Colgera is a monstrous, worm-like creature that serves as the boss of the Wind Temple – which matches perfectly with your strategies to defeat it.
It is a visually stunning battle, and its music theme is peak. Also, a little bonus: his version in the Depths is terrifying when you first put your eyes on him!
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Gyorg is one of the few Zelda bosses that actually makes my heart pound out of nervousness because I am the type of player that hateswater levels– and bosses, apparently.
That said, my decision for the best evil face fromZelda: Majora’s Maskwas quite easy: the terrifying, masked fish from the Great Bay Temple.
His lore is simple. He is one of the beasts that are imprisoning the Four Giants, while polluting the waters and causing an abnormal climate in the Great Bay area. What makes him special, though, is his battle.
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Notoriously hellish and oh-so annoying.
You face this giant creature in a very limited space, since the battle takes place on a platform surrounded by water, and he constantly tries to knock you down – or even bite you while jumping over the platform.
If he manages to make you fall, you will feel a few seconds of pure despair until you manage to climb back onto the platform. Seriously, this was the moment I felt most afraid of in my life.
Amid all these attacks, you need to stay calm (the hardest part) and try to use arrows or Zora Link’s electric barrier to stun Gyorg, making him vulnerable to basic attacks (with Link or Zora Link, your call).
Due to the scenario, the boss’s aggressiveness, and the importance of having a good aim, it is one of the most challenging boss fights in Zelda history, by far.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda franchise simply excels at having bosses that are so, so large they do not even fit on the screen – and my favorite of them all is Molgera, fromZelda: The Wind Waker.
This was not an easy pick, though, since this game has many other great bosses, such as the ingenious Gohdan and the wacky Jalhalla. What ultimately led to my final decision was the battle’s feeling and symbolism.
When you finally reach Molgera, you are at the very end of the penultimate main dungeon (the Wind Temple), thinking that you have already seen everything the game could offer – but you could not be more wrong.
He is an enormous Moldorm (another worm-esque creature) with a creepy manta ray-shaped head, who hides in the sand to try to attack you when you least expect it. I remember how dizzy I felt when the sand was quickly caving in, and I needed to run as fast as I could to not be swallowed by it.
And also how fun it was to pay attention when he was about to emerge from the sand to use the Hookshot to grab his tongue and bring it close enough to slash it with Link’s Master Sword.
It was in his “second phase” when he started flying in the sky that I noticed how Molgera could perfectly represent The Wind Waker’s greatness – who would have thought of so many epic fights, dungeons, puzzles, secrets, enemies in a Zelda with a cartoonish look?
I was once again impressed with my favorite franchise, and this thought was even accompanied by the epic music of the fight, which was the icing on the cake.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
If you ask anyZelda: Twilight Princessfan around, he or she will definitely remember the epic fight against Stallord – since we are avoiding final battles, I had no trouble choosing him as the best in the franchise’s darkest chapter.
He is the boss of the Arbiter’s Grounds, and what makes him so special is how he makes the player use aspecific mechanicin a very creative and dynamic way to beat him.
Stallord is a colossal, skeletal form of a dragon-like, ancient creature that was a lifeless fossil until it was reanimated by Zant (one of the main, final bosses of the game).
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His fight is truly unique, requiring Link to use the Spinner – a cool gadget that resembles a skateboard – to move between tracks in the scenario to strike its spine. And yes, it is as extremely fun and epic as it sounds!
Also, knowing so little about him and having such a striking design made fans (such as myself) come up with the craziest theories about who he is.
For instance, the most popular one (and my favorite) defends that he is actually Volgagia from the children’s timeline in Ocarina of Time, which is pretty wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Another boss that I didn’t have much trouble choosing for this article was Koloktos. Not because Zelda: Skyward Sword doesn’t have other amazing bosses (far from it), but because it is one of the most creative, challenging, and fun battles in the entire franchise.
For a long time, it was actually my favorite boss fight in any 3D Zelda, since it represents such a refreshing change when you are playing Skyward Sword – it even made me feel like I accidentally stepped into a different game.
Koloktos is an ancient, multiple-armed, golden mechanical statue that serves as the boss of the Ancient Cistern. He is brought to life by Ghirahim (one of the main villains of the game), and his design reflects the Buddhist themes of the dungeon, which is a pretty nice touch.
His battle isdivided into multiple phases, each with interesting attack patterns. First, you need to use the whip to detach its arms and reveal its weak point – which is very satisfying to do. Then, you need to avoid all of his sword-wielding arms (six of them) and find an opening to counterattack, forcing him to drop his weapon.
And now we get to the most entertaining part: you need to grab his giant sword and finish the job with it. So basically, this boss fight has everything: a cool design, fun strategy, kick-ass music, and an extremely rewarding feeling at the end.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
I must confess that I wrote and deleted this entry several times becauseZelda: Ocarina of Timeabsolutely delivers in terms of bosses – and every other element for that matter, but that is content for another list.
Anyway, I thought a lot about putting Dark Link, Phantom Ganon, or Bongo Bongo, since they all shine in terms of creativity, challenge, and design. However, the fight against Twinrova also delivers all of that, but has one tiny, yet important detail that made me choose these two crazy sisters: their lore and personality.
“Twinrova” is the collective name of the Gerudo twins – Koume and Kotake –, who are 400-year-old sorceresses obsessed with the idea of reviving the evil king Ganon.
Together, they are the main bosses of the Spirit Temple, where they manipulated and brainwashed Nabooru, a Gerudo leader, into serving them. Oh, and they are also the ones who raised Ganondorf, the game’s main villain.
That alone made me fear Koume and Kotake before facing them, building this very mystic, dangerous atmosphere as you progress through the Spirit Temple. And when you finally meet them… they make you laugh!
After all, they are sisters, so it is obvious that they pinch each other, even in front of visitors who want to kill them to save Hyrule.
When you finally get the chance to face them, it is extremely fun. Each twin specializes in a different element (fire or ice), so you need to charge the mirror shield and literally turn the spell against the sorcerer, as if they were attacking each other, reflecting the clashes between the sisters. Truly a marvel.
Best Order To Play All Mainline Zelda Games
This series has gotten so convoluted, it’s almost looped back to being simple.
