The 20 Most STRESSFUL Moments in Zelda Games

20 Most Stressful Moments in Zelda Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at moments in “The Legend of Zelda” where it stops being a breathtaking adventure and makes our heart rates skyrocket with stress.

Extending the Health Bar

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

There’s a certain tension in the air as you head towards the climax in “Tears of the Kingdom,” something that tells you that this confrontation with Ganondorf will be special. And it is an incredible fight. But there’s one moment, small but impactful, that almost makes you feel like you aren’t prepared for what’s coming, even if you probably are. As the second phase begins, Ganondorf transforms and naturally refills his health bar. But as it reaches the end, the bar itself extends all the way to the other side of the screen, essentially doubling in size. It’s a great trick on the player, a fun unexpected way to signal Ganondorf’s power.

Moldorm

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1992)

“A Link to the Past” introduced a lot of great elements to the series. But one of the worst things it gave us is Moldorm. The boss of the third dungeon is a giant worm whose weak point is its tail. It slithers around its arena, bumping into you. And while it can be tricky to land your hits, the worst part is the lack of barriers, and the hole in the middle of the floor. Too many of us have been knocked right off this platform, forced to reclimb our way up the tower to face Moldorm again, where all of its health will have returned. That moment when you’re right along the edge, about to fall, is both memorable and terrible.

Level 9

“The Legend of Zelda” (1987)

This might be cheating, since it’s a whole dungeon instead of a moment. But it’s also true that the first time you encounter the final dungeon in the original game, you feel stressed out up until the very end. There are nearly 60 rooms to move through, which is both insane and impressive for an NES game. Plus, every single one of them is packed with strong enemies, in some really annoying combinations too. Level 9 is a true test of skill, specifically designed to overwhelm you. And while plenty of diehard fans have mastered it multiple times, there’s nothing like trying to overcome it for your first time.

The Great Palace

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

In a similar vein to the original game’s Level 9, you have the Great Palace of “Zelda II.” And since it’s probably the hardest dungeon in the entire series, it most certainly deserves to be here. Extremely tough enemies, a confusing design that causes a lot of backtracking, and two bosses for the price of one. It was a major endeavor at release, and that has only grown more true over the years as we’ve all been softened by quality-of-life advancements. And if you’d really like us to single out a specific moment, we’ll go with getting cornered by a Fokka. These are some of the most intimidating enemies in the franchise, and they only appear here.

Hyrule Castle Descent

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

After you defeat Ganondorf in “Ocarina of Time,” his tower begins to collapse. You’re given a timer of three minutes, and told to flee as everything comes crashing down. As it turns out, three minutes is plenty of time. But it still creates this definite sense of urgency, which is especially palpable whenever Zelda becomes trapped and enemies jump out to fight you. Nintendo even put a ReDead on a bridge close to the exit to really make you sweat. This was a standout stressful moment for anyone who played this as a kid, as anything with a timer will naturally make failure a much more real threat.

The Imprisoned, Round Three

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

Pretty much everyone who has played “Skyward Sword” has complained about the fights against the Imprisoned. Only natural: they’re not fun. But the third time you face it does come with a moment of significant anxiety. At a certain point, the Imprisoned will start to fly up towards the Sealed Temple rather than walk, and you have to swap to Groose so he can knock it down by catapulting a bomb towards it. But when it starts flying again, Groose finds his bomb stash is blocked, and Link must make it up to him so he can be catapulted onto the Imprisoned’s back. If you don’t do it fast enough, that’s Game Over. As the boss continues to rise, and you struggle with making it to Groose in time, you’ll definitely feel the pressure.

Wallmasters & Floormasters

Some of the most commonly occurring enemies, and therefore sources of stress, in the series are the Wallmasters and Floormasters. Their appearance may change slightly between games, but they’re always big, disembodied hands that’ll grab hold of Link and teleport him back to the beginning of a section, or the entire dungeon. Seeing a shadow appear above Link is sure to set off alarm bells in your head. No matter what it is you’re doing, avoiding these creatures becomes a top priority. Even when you see them walking around a room, you’re still instantly put on edge. Because being forced to backtrack after failing to dodge them is truly terrible.

Dead Hand

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

Just at the mention of its name, you can send an entire playerbase back to the terrifying moment of being confronted by this thing beneath Kakariko Village. The Bottom of the Well is already…let’s say, alarming. But then you face its boss, a pale, gangly, bloodstained monstrosity with a giant, disturbing smile. Even though it’s horror-themed, the mini-dungeon does nothing to prepare you for something like this. Its multitude of arms latch on to Link, keeping him immobile as the Dead Hand slowly drifts towards him to take a bite out of him. The stress we felt during this moment left a huge impression, a major one in a game full of them.

The Aliens

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

On the first night of “Majora’s Mask,” Link can attempt to save Romani Ranch from a group of what appear to be aliens. While you can slow their movement using the Inverted Song of Time, that doesn’t completely take away the tension. On replays, this moment isn’t too bad. But when you do it the first time, it’s one of the most stressful moments in the game. The fact that you need to refill your quiver of arrows, and that the aliens approach the barn from multiple directions, including behind it, makes this a tense mission. Failing to stop them leads to Romani being abducted, and to you feeling really badly about it.

Chased by Zant’s Hands

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

Any enemy that can’t be killed and slowly creeps towards you is bound to cause some unease. In the Palace of Twilight, you have Zant’s Hands. These large, stone appendages will start pursuing Link as soon as he picks up a Sol, a light-giving orb he needs to progress through the dungeon. You have to put the Sol down at certain points to get through obstacles. And while you can stun Zant’s Hands, they solely exist to get the Sol back from you and will only stop once you’ve made it out of their area. With Zant’s Hands, it’s a very classic sense of dread, amplified by the incredibly unsettling music that accompanies them.

Being Spotted by a ReDead

This one’s a downright classic, one that longtime players can absolutely relate to. Introduced in “Ocarina of Time,” ReDeads are essentially zombies with the very aggravating ability to freeze Link in place with their horrifying shriek. For a few moments, there’s nothing you can do but watch as they slowly lumber towards you. And should they reach you before Link snaps out of it, they’ll grab hold and start chomping on his head. The scariest version of ReDeads, surprisingly, is found in “The Wind Waker,” with gigantic heads and glowing red eyes. But no matter what game you’re playing, not being able to move or react as the risk of damage creeps your way is bound to stress you out.

Chased by Phantoms

“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007) & “Spirit Tracks” (2009)

There are many reasons most of us don't enjoy the Temple of the Ocean King from “Phantom Hourglass.” The Phantoms play a big part in that. These enemies are immune to most types of damage and can knock Link out in a single hit, making you start a room over. There are certain safe spots where they can’t attack Link. So every time one spots you and gives chase, you have to run for your dear life, which is naturally stressful. Worse, if they hit you, they steal some of your precious time from the Hourglass, which is keeping you alive while you’re inside. Thankfully, there is no Hourglass mechanic in “Spirit Tracks.” Still, getting chased by a Phantom with no way to defend yourself is harrowing.

The Escort Mission

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

After Link reconnects with a temporarily amnesiac Ilia and meets resistance leader Telma, he volunteers to escort them and a sick Zora prince to Kakariko Village. Now, escort missions have come a long way in video games. But this is one of the worst parts of “Twilight Princess” due to how aggravating it can be. Because, of course, it isn’t a simple ride through Hyrule Field. The King Bulbin mini-boss fight isn’t too bad. But afterwards, their wagon is swarmed by an endless supply of fire-arrow-shooting enemies and Kargaroks, massive birds that can be hard to lock onto. It’s a pretty lengthy ride, and Link must use the Gale Boomerang to put out fires on the wagon, which does have a health bar. If the wagon is attacked at specific spots, it will go off the set path before it circles back, making the whole process take longer and putting you at greater risk of failing.

Running Out of Time

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

One of the more intimidating aspects of “Majora’s Mask” is its three-day time loop. Normally, I’d say it isn’t that bad. You gain the ability to slow down time early on, and so long as you take certain precautions, like only starting dungeons at the beginning of a loop, you’ll probably be safe from running out of time and losing progress. However, I’ve also played this game dozens of times. I can still remember what it was like being in a dungeon or in the middle of a quest as the clock ticked down on the final day, and feeling the tension set in as I was lost on what to do. While restarting the loop means you keep certain marks of progression, like items, you have to renavigate certain areas if you don’t complete your task. It’s better than the alternative, though. If the moon crashes down, all of your progress on that loop is erased, even items.

Your First Guardian Stalker

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Although they were shown in pre-release marketing, there’s nothing quite like coming across your first Guardian Stalker in “Breath of the Wild.” Hell, make that your first several, because it takes a while before Link has the materials necessary to defeat them. These laser-shooting spider tanks are absolute power-houses, able to deplete your health immediately. And because they’re so fast, they have no issue chasing you across the landscape before delivering a humiliating Game Over. Naturally, they’re accompanied by some of the most stressful music in the series as well. And God forbid you come across a pair of them early on; you may as well just warp to safety then and there.

The Gloom Spawn

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

While the Guardian Stalkers were shown in the trailers, these groups of nightmarish hands in “Tears of the Kingdom” were not. We all shared that same ‘Oh Dear God’ feeling during our first encounter with them, watching them swiftly glide across the ground towards us before grabbing hold of Link and sucking the life from him. Once they have hold of you, it’s incredibly hard to break free. And as you watch Link’s health disappear, it’s hard not to get stressed. Just like the Guardians, once we knew how to deal with the Gloom Spawn, they weren’t so bad. Still, I’m sure we were all discouraged to learn after killing them for the first time that they spawn a Phantom Ganon, a nasty little surprise and source for more stress.

Sakon’s Hideout

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

Anju and Kafei’s side quest is one of the most rewarding in the entire series. But it can also make you incredibly anxious since, due to the aforementioned time loop, if you miss an important moment, you have to start the whole thing over. This reaches peak tension during one of its final moments, when Link must help Kafei navigate the hideout of the thief, Sakon. This happens late on the third day, so there’s already some stress there. Kafei’s mask is placed on a conveyor belt leading to a hole, and the duo works through different rooms to reach the end before it falls. Where Link faces enemies, Kafei pushes blocks onto switches to open the doors. However, yellow switches slow down the conveyor belt and red ones speed it up. Obviously, this place is built to stress you out, and failing means Kafei is trapped and the questline is doomed. It was and will always be a horrible sense of failure to experience.

The Trial of the Sword

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

There have been several combat trials across the series, but none of them have been as challenging or stressful as the Trial of the Sword. Added in “Breath of the Wild’s” DLC, it tasks you with making it through three groups of combat encounters, each ranging in difficulty and number of rooms. The only thing is, Link only has access to his Sheikah Slate and however many hearts you’ve gained. No Champion abilities, no armor, no food, and no weapons, though you will collect things as you go. The Beginning Trials aren’t too bad. But every player will reach a point where it becomes too much for them to handle. And once you die, you’ll have to start whatever set of trials you’re on over. The threat of imminent defeat as your collected supplies run out is agonizing to say the least.

Getting a Game Over

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

No one ever wants to get a Game Over in any game. And as that threat looms closer, it’s bound to cause you a bit of stress. However, in “Zelda II,” losing your health and all of your lives is utterly demoralizing. Doing so restarts Link at the North Castle. Depending on where you were, this can make backtracking across a famously hard game even more of a chore. The exception is if you get a Game Over in the final level, the Great Palace, which just places you at its entrance. However, the bigger issue is that it also resets your experience bar to zero, forcing you to refill it. So, being surrounded by enemies on your last life obviously causes some emotional strain. It’s even worse in the Japanese version, which lowers two of Link’s three stats to the level of his lowest one. Ugh.

The Silent Realms

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

There’s something special about the stress caused by the Silent Realms in “Skyward Sword.” And by special, I mean absolutely hellish. There are four of these in the game, each of which takes away all of Link’s items. He must collect 15 sacred tears scattered around each area before he’s allowed to leave. But if he’s spotted by a Watcher’s lantern, dips even a toe into waking water, or runs out of time between collecting another tear, the realm’s Guardians awake. These will hunt Link down as you scramble to find another tear to put them back to sleep. But if they hit you before you do, the whole thing starts over. Everyone who has played “Skyward Sword” has been scarred by the Silent Realms. They more than serve their purpose, though. There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing than being chased by these behemoths as you desperately search for salvation.

Is there a stressful “Zelda” moment that still sticks out in your mind? Are there any we left off? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!