The 10 Most DISTURBING Zelda Bosses

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

Thankfully, you don’t have to see this boss up close for most of the fight. Link gets to know the adorable Yeta, one half of a Yeti couple living in the Snowpeak Ruins, as he explores the dungeon. After he finally finds the key to their bedroom, and she lets him in to claim the Twilight Mirror shard, it possesses her. Which leads to one of the freakiest jump scares in the series. Yeta’s fanged mouth and glowing red eyes left a mark on a lot of players. While her possessed form is encased in ice most of the time and the fight is pretty easy, the thought of this sweet Yeti lady driven to such viciousness earns her a spot.

The Diabolical Cubus Sisters “The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007)

This handheld entry is pretty devoid of anything disturbing. But one surefire way to get the skin crawling is through creepy little ghost girls. As Link navigates the Ghost Ship in “Phantom Hourglass,” he rescues the four Cubus sisters. They cower in fear at enemies, and give Link poor advice. It’s all part of a show, and an attempt to get Link killed. Once they’re reunited, they reveal their true forms, which are far less innocent looking with horns, glowing eyes, and wide, teethy grins. As long as you can handle a bit of Dead Man’s Volley, it’s another fight that isn’t too hard. But ghostly children craving violence is still a tad unsettling in an otherwise whimsical series.

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

Koloktos may not seem disturbing at first; you might be distracted by how purely awesome the fight is. But when you think about what it actually is, what lies on the inside of that fine, gold armor…yeah, it’s a bit unsettling. The boss is an empty shell brought to life by Ghirahim, who fills it with cursed energy. Something about the automaton being forced to be Ghirahim’s puppet, with that vague, yet clearly evil goop controlling its every move, gives the boss a subtle layer of creepy. Plus, once you defeat Koloktos, and the armor starts to pulsate, and you hear the echoing laughter of children before the cursed energy is dispelled, it leaves you with an unnerving feeling.

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

Once you reach the end of the Forest Temple in “Ocarina of Time,” you may be surprised to find Ganondorf waiting for you. But this is not the big bad making an early boss appearance, but a phantom he created. The atmosphere of this fight does most of the work. The weird skull mask Phantom Ganon wears, the portraits of the same haunting castle that surround you, which he travels between during the first phase, and the way he floats around during the second. It’s all very classically spooky. But when Link claims victory, it gets set on fire before Ganondorf banishes it to the gap between dimensions, moaning in pain as it goes. We almost feel a little bad for it…

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

Who doesn’t love a massive creepy crawly bug with a bulging body that looks like it’s about to erupt some type of vile liquid all over you? Well, me, for one. Once Wolf Link finishes collecting the Tears of Light in the Lanayru region, he’ll have one more shadow insect to destroy. Naturally, defeating this mini-boss isn’t too challenging. But something about its bulbous form, its writhing movement, and its strange, fleshy limbs has always gotten under my skin. It’s just gross, plain and simple. And I can’t believe Link has put his mouth on it, biting to deal damage. Hasn’t the poor pup been through enough?

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

Bongo Bongo of the Shadow Temple is disturbing both in design and in backstory. The spirit escapes from below the well in Kakariko Village, a torture dungeon. There are also more than a few remnants of torture and execution within the Temple itself. Both places were seemingly used by Hyrule during the Civil War that occurs before the game. Whoever Bongo Bongo was, the design of severed hands, and a glowing red eye that stares out from the stump of a neck, is not only freaky, but paints the picture of a very violent end in life. The boss’ name, and the way he bounces Link upwards on a giant drum, may be silly. But nothing else about him is.

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

Phantom Ganon is such a creepy dude, he gets to be on our list twice. His appearance in “Tears of the Kingdom” is arguably more disturbing than in “Ocarina of Time,” for a few key factors. One, there’s his physicality, being born of the Gloom that infests multiple corners of Hyrule. He also looks like Gloom molded into the form of the mummified Ganondorf who appears at the beginning of the game. Secondly, there’s his entrance. Most of the time, he pops up after you’ve defeated a pack of Gloom Spawn, those horrifying hands that scared so many of us during our early hours of the game. The fake Zelda walking around Hyrule is also a Phantom Ganon. And although it was obvious before the reveal, that doesn’t make his entrance any less creepy.

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

The malevolent entity housed inside the titular Majora’s Mask proves it isn’t so dormant during the climax of the game. While the final fight’s first phase is simply against the mask, albeit with sinister tendrils, the disturbing factor is cranked up when it transforms into Majora’s Incarnation. It sprouts limbs and a strange, one-eyed head, cackling as it dances around the arena, which only serves to unnerve the player. The third phase is Majora’s Wrath. Its muscles begin to pulsate and distort, its head grows far more ferocious, and it gains whip-like tentacles to slash at you from afar. The very act of fighting this demonic deity is enough to earn its spot, but Majora’s theatrics are also enough to creep you out.

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

Within the Arbiter’s Grounds, already setting the mood by being an abandoned prison reclaimed by evil spirits, the mini-boss Death Sword awaits. Its weapon is held in place by ofuda, talismans that are meant to ward against misfortune and danger in Shinto and Buddhism. The fight shows why someone felt the need for such measures. First, it’s invisible unless you use Wolf Link’s sense ability. Second, after it turns visible, Death Sword emits chilling screeches while flying around the arena, trying to wallop you with its gigantic blade. The tense atmosphere and the alarming design of a goat-headed spectre have given Death Sword a reputation, even if he’s only the mini-boss of the dungeon.

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

Speaking of reputations, Dead Hand scarred just about every kid who played “Ocarina of Time.” It was scary enough, exploring the Bottom of the Well as Young Link for the first time, which leaned heavily into the spooky with bloodstained rooms, and enemies like ReDeads and Gibdos. Then you come to a room with several pale, gangly arms protruding from the ground, and this hideous thing emerges to try and eat the poor boy. The Dead Hand itself is also stained with blood, clashing against the pure white color of its skin. The way it fights, along with its wide, unsettling mouth it uses to chomp on Link’s head, has made this fight one of the most memorable moments of the game.

 Is there a disturbing “Zelda” boss that sticks in your memory that we left off? Share your horror stories with us in the comments! And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!