The 10 BEST Zelda Bosses Ever

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1992) Link has faced many giant dinosaurs and reptiles throughout his adventures. Though the one that always struck the best balance of challenging and fun is the Helmasaur King. Fought at the end of the Dark Palace, this massive beast’s mask must first be destroyed by bombs or the hammer before you can deal damage. That’s easier said than done considering it loves to swing its tail and shoot fireballs that break apart, covering a wide area of the arena. This is a boss that keeps you moving and engaging. You’ll be darting back and forth to avoid attacks, taking any advantage to deal out your own. This makes it all the more satisfying when you break its mask before decimating it.

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013) There are several reasons we named Thieves’ Hideout the best dungeon from “A Link Between Worlds.” And one of them is the lumbering, skeletal warrior, Stalblind. The first phase makes great use of Link’s painting mechanic; merging onto his shield will confuse the boss so that you can pop out and stab him in the back. But Stalblind will soon realize his defense is his weakness and cast the shield aside. Link will then have to dodge Stalblind’s heavy sword attacks, attacking during any openings. It won’t be long before he’s chasing you as a spinning tornado of death and detaching his head to attack you on two fronts. Each phase of the fight is fun, and Stalblind’s ability to switch things up makes it an entertaining battle.

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000) Several boss fights in “Majora’s Mask” feature arenas and gameplay suited for each of Link’s forms. And none of them succeed quite as well as Goht of Snowhead Temple. As soon as you thaw him out, Goht will begin stampeding through the circular room. Link must give chase as a Goron, ramming into him to deal damage, while Goht kicks up rocks and shoots electric, homing beams behind him. As the fight continues, Goht will toss bombs in your path and cause stalactites to drop and slow you down. The high speed chase is enhanced by multiple ramps; launching off one to come down on Goht as a large ball of spikes never gets old.

“The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap” (2005) The final boss of this GBA classic is a gauntlet of Link’s abilities that ends the game with an absolute bang. The first phase, Vaati Reborn, heavily relies on magical attacks and teleportation to keep you on your toes. The second phase, Vaati Transfigured, utilizes impressive defense while making the arena dangerous through various hazards. Figuring out his defense’s weak points and then using Link’s copy ability is supremely fun. Finally, Vaati’s Wrath features great gameplay that focuses on Link’s signature shrinking ability. All phases call on Link to use multiple weapons and abilities he’s gathered over the game, making for quite the varied fight.

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000) Another final boss with three wonderful phases. Regardless of whether you fight it as Link, or blast it to smithereens with the Fierce Deity Mask, the confrontation is a joy to behold. First is the mask itself, shooting blasts and diving on Link while the other masks help from the sidelines. It’s the second phase where things really heat up though. Sprouting a head and appendages, Majora’s Incarnation is one of the weirdest fights in “Zelda.” It dances around, taunting you and making strange noises before firing blasts from its hands. Then there’s Majora’s Wrath, which uses whips and quick-speed to overwhelm you. The arena is psychedelic and the bizarre nature of your opponent will definitely throw you for a loop the first time.

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998) For the most part, “Zelda” bosses are mindless monsters. So actually giving the twin witches that make up Twinrova personalities already sets them apart. But it helps that their fight is also a blast. Fought in the Spirit Temple, the fight begins with Koume and Kotake flying around and sending their respective elemental beams Link’s way. You must use the Mirror Shield to reflect one of the sister’s elements into the other. Once they merge as one, the Mirror Shield is used to charge one element while you avoid the other, letting it loose after 3 charges. It’s a really great use of the dungeon’s item and, unlike many other bosses, highlights the importance of defense over offense.

Ganondorf

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“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006) Ganondorf, or Ganon, has given us plenty of fantastic fights. But his four-phase battle in “Twilight Princess” is definitely the best. It begins with Possessed Zelda, whose use of Dead Man’s Volley harkens back to several classic fights. After that, it’s beast vs. beast as the boar-like Ganon tears through the room, requiring Wolf Link and Midna to knock him over, exposing his weak point. You’re finally able to face the man himself, chasing him on horseback with Zelda’s light arrows. The subsequent 1v1 duel is one of the best sword fights the series has ever seen. Link can use the various techniques he’s learned across the game, though the looming Ganondorf will attempt to overpower you.

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011) Hidden within the Ancient Cistern, Link encounters the golden, multi-armed automaton Koloktos. With its lower half hidden, Koloktos throws spinning blades if Link keeps his distance or brings them slamming down if he gets too close. One of the weapons that best uses the game’s motion controls, the Whip, is key in getting rid of Koloktos’ arms so you can get at its vulnerable core. It soon grows tired of sitting still, however, and will begin chasing Link around the room with gigantic swords. While the method of dealing with Koloktos doesn’t change, save for using one of its own swords against it, it’s a fight that we wish could go on longer. Everything from its visually unique, ornate appearance to its incredible gameplay makes it the best boss in “Skyward Sword.”

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006) No boss fight in the series better utilizes its dungeon’s respective item than Arbiter’s Ground’s Stallord. The first phase takes place in a pit of sand, of which Link circles while riding the Spinner. To damage the skeletal monstrosity, you propel yourself to the center. But Stallord will summon hordes of minions for you to ricochet off of instead. The second phase has Link bouncing between the wall and a giant pillar as Stallord’s head shoots fireballs his way. You’ll also have to avoid spinning blade traps attempting to knock you below. It’s definitely not the most complex fight and it’s difficulty certainly won’t stress you out. But we can’t overstate how purely sublime and unique this battle is.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) One fight that will stress you out, however, is the brawl against this Sheikah monk. Seemingly in response to the lukewarm reception of the base game’s bosses, Nintendo gave us what we really wanted in the Champions’ Ballad DLC. After completing a series of tasks, the monk will come at Link with an intense variety of attacks across several phases. These include teleportation, multiple elemental arrow types, copies of himself, a giant version of himself, weather-based attacks, and, a boss staple, lasers. Needless to say, it’s exceptionally challenging. But it’s also supremely well-balanced, leaving you with an enormous sense of satisfaction. We can only hope that the sequel also brings this caliber of boss fight.