Summary
The Legend of Zeldaseries is renowned for its inventive and memorable boss encounters. Since the inception of the critically acclaimed franchise in 1987, players have had to face a plethora of powerful opponents as the iconic green-clad hero, Link. However, even a series as celebrated asThe Legend of Zeldahas its shortcomingsin the boss battle department.
Whether it be due to dull, uninspired gameplay,or simply bad design, there are some truly weakZeldabosses that fail to match the magnificence of the series' very best. Leaving players underwhelmed and wanting more, these bosses comprise the weakest in the franchise.
10The Imprisoned
Despite The Imprisoned’s significance in the narrative ofSkyward Sword, all three of its alternating encounters are underwhelming and extremely tedious. Established in the large, spiraling pit of the Sealed Grounds, players must drive away this scaly behemoth by slashing at its oddly gelatinous toes. In doing so, The Imprisoned collapses, allowing Link to drive the sealing spike into its head, eventually sealing the monster away.
However, this seal acts only as a temporary measure, as The Imprisoned escapes its bonds two more times, gaining the ability to send out irritating shockwaves that knock the player down continuously, as well as the ability to fly out of the pit. Though these evolutions of The Imprisoned are all different, they remain all too repetitive.Zeldafans the world over agree that, although memorable,this boss is remembered for all the wrong reasons.
9Gyorg
This boss of the Great Bay Temple inMajora’s Maskis unnerving, to say the least. Intimidating design aside, this giant fish is one of the most infuriating bosses in 3DZeldahistory. Gyorg’s main attack is simply crashing into the center platform, which will knock the player into a large arena filled with water. If caught in the water, Gyorg will attempt to eat the player, causing damage.
to damage this fishy foe, Link must use either his Zora boomerangs or his bow, following up this attack with a charged Zora barrier will stun the enemy. The rinse-and-repeat nature of this boss is ultimately what makes it so uninspired, paired with the lack of visual and audial aids to inform the player that their attacks are actually effective.
8Tentalus
Perhaps the most frustrating thingabout thisSkyward Swordboss is that it takes place in one of the best dungeons in that game, The Sandship. The phase leading up to this boss is also incredible. Huge tentacles start erupting in front of the player as the water level rises, forcing them upwards to the upper deck. Upon reaching it, the player finds the dungeon they had just explored shattered in half, revealing the comically designed cyclops, Tentalus as the culprit of its destruction.
This design alone is enough to immediately dispel the sense of mystery leading up to this reveal.The battle itself is just as underwhelming, requiring the player to avoid a few tentacles, shoot Tentalus with an arrow in its huge eye, and then follow up with a few strikes from Link’s sword.
7Morpheel
Bosses with attack patterns that are easily avoidable are one of the most disappointing to find in aZeldagame, andTwilight Princess’Morpheel is, unfortunately, a victim of this. Similar toOcarina of Time’sMorpha, the player must use the hookshot in phase one in order to pull Morpheel’s eye close to them, then attack with Link’s sword.
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If this phase wasn’t easy enough, the second phase is even easier. With no significant attacks besides an easily avoidable charge, the player is left to simply swim after the eel-like creature, hookshot onto its back, and finish it off with a few more sword strikes.Lazy and uninspired, this boss barely feels like a battle at all.
6Morpha
Ocarina of Time’sWater Temple has been notorious for dividing theZeldafan base due to its complex design. One thing fans can agree on, however, is that the boss of the temple, Morpha, is simply too weak. An amoeba with the power to control water, Morpha resides in an arena filled with water, which it uses to attack the player.
Surprisingly, this is as interesting as the boss gets, as it only has one main attack: to grab the player with a large watery tentacle and then throw them across the arena. If this wasn’t simple enough, the player need only use the hookshot to pull the amoeba towards them, slash a few times with their sword, and Morpha will be defeated.
5Giant Green ChuChu
Shrinking down to miniature size and matching the perspective of the eponymous Minish was the highlight of this 2004 entry in the Zelda series. This is what makes the first boss of the game such a disappointment. Rather than an innovative, imposing boss, players enter the first boss chamber to discover the green ChuChu: simply a larger version of the common overworld enemy.
Using their recently acquired gust jar, players must suck up Chu jelly to topple the giant ChuChu, making it vulnerable to sword attacks. With no unique appearance or attack patterns to distinguish it from its common enemy counterpart, this boss battle is a far cry from the series' greatest.
4Dark Beast Ganon
For a game as critically acclaimed asBreath of the Wild, it seems implausible that its final boss fight is potentially one of the very worst in the series. Dark Beast Ganon is the form that the Calamity assumes after his defeat by the player in the depths of Hyrule Castle. Aided by Princess Zelda and the elusive Bow of Light, the player must circle around the beast on horseback, firing at targets as they appear on Ganon’s body.
Aside from a laser-like fire attack, this boss poses little threat to the player and, ultimately, diminishes the world-ending threat that the player is supposed to feel when in the presence of a villain as iconic as Ganon. WhilstBreath of the Wildremains a great game, this battle was simply a sour sting to end it on.
3Thunderblight Ganon
Perhaps one of the most irksome bosses in the entire series comes in the form of Thunderblight Ganon. Responsible for the death of Gerudo Champion, Urbosa, this blight sent by Ganon moves rapidly, making it highly difficult to strike. As well as this, the blight will send out balls of electricity which will cause Link to seize up, making it more difficult to avoid its follow-up attacks.
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The only way to avoid these attacks is by parrying or by completing a flurry rush dodge, both of which can be fairly difficult to pull off effectively. Similar to the other blights withinBreath of the Wild, Thunderblight Ganon is uninspired, irritating, and simply just not very fun to fight against.
2Moldorm
Moldorm is a recurring enemy throughoutThe Legend of Zeldaseries, appearing inA Link to the Past,Link’s Awakening,andA Link Between Worlds.While this worm-like enemy is universally disliked across the Zelda fanbase due to its annoying tendency to slide across the boss arena, the Moldorm found withinA Link to the Pastis undoubtedly the most frustrating to encounter.
If the player is hit by this slippery foe, they will be bounced backwards, and, if bounced hard enough, will be sent plummeting to the room below. If this happens, the player will have to climb back up and restart the entire encounter from scratch. This design choice means that, no matter how many times the player hits Moldorm, if they fall down, the boss will regain its entire health.
1Angler Fish
Remembered for its heartbreaking story and memorable cast,Link’s Awakeningis one of the series' greatest entries. The same cannot be said for the boss of Angler’s Tunnel, Angler Fish. Unlike the fun mechanics integrated intoLink’s Awakening’sother bosses, Angler Fish falls remarkably short.
Boasting an obvious weak point, the player is free to spam their sword and defeat this fishy foe before it can even send out a single attack. While certainly a boss fans cannot forget,it remains unforgettablefor all the wrong reasons.
