When talking about the biggest Nintendo flagship titles, Zelda will always be in the top five. The most prominent reason for that is the fact that it was one of the first few action-adventure video games that were genuinely good. The Legend of Zelda video game debuted in 1986, and soon became one of the best titles on the NES and Famicom. The Zelda series is the right mix of a couple of genres, which makes it a unique game in comparison to others.
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Things like details, gameplay, story, and boss fights define this series for many gamers. But if there’s one aspect that is particularly memorable to a lot of people, it would be the boss battles. So let’s take a look back at some of the most significant and hardest fights in the series and rank them.
10 Gyorg – The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
The year 2000 was famous for a lot of cult classic releases. This included songs, movies, shows, and video games, and Majora’s Mask was one of those games. It was easily one of the top best action-adventure games on N64. What made it even better was the fact that it was 3D, which was pretty hot back in the 2000s. The boss fights were just as cool too, from which Gyorg has to be one of the hardest ones. Just look at the concept of this abomination, it looks deadly and is dangerous.
9 Demise – The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was released on Nintendo Wii in late 2011. This was the first big Zelda title on Wii and implemented a lot of new gameplay features. Some people like that about it, while some people dislike the motion controls. MotionPlus controls add another layer of difficulty to the game, making every fight a bit more challenging. When all of that is combined with the final boss battle, there’s no hope for survival. However, Demise isn’t as hard as another boss from the same game.
8 Koloktos – The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Koloktos has to be another one of the most memorable bosses in the whole series. Anyone who has played the Skyward Sword, will remember this boss battle and the boss for the unique design and physical attributes. However, another thing for which the players will remember this is the sheer effort and difficulty of this boss fight. As if motion controls aren’t enough, this requires excellent timing, whipping, and accurate dodging. Making it a really fresh looking yet scarily tricky encounter.
7 Puppet Ganon – The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Initially released for GameCube in late 2002, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was one of a kind experiences of the time. The game added so much to the core formula of the Zelda series, becoming one of the must-play games on the system. This popularity is the reason the game was relaunched on Wii U years later.
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The core reason for the popularity is the fun gameplay and story with Puppet Gannon being one of the most memorable and difficult bosses of the game. The size of this boss is probably a hundred times the size of Link. And if that’s not scary, the fact that this boss needs to be beaten in a particular way will leave players trying different things until they finally get it.
6 Onox – The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were two of the most popular games on Nintendo GameBoy Color. Released in 2001, this game follows a similar design to that of Link’s Awakening from 1993. This meant that they were top-down 2D action-adventure games with a really different gameplay style from current Zelda games. Onox is the final boss in Oracle of Seasons, so, naturally, the boss will be demanding. But no one would expect him to be as tricky as he is in the game, especially with his chained morning star kind of weapon.
5 Dark Link – The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Everybody knows The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has to be one of the top five best Zelda games ever made. There are so many different concepts in this one that it shines even though it is an N64 original. The visuals are outdated for current standards, but the game has seen a re-release as a Nintendo 3DS remake. The game is known for many feats, but one thing has to be the most memorable one. And that would be the fight with Dark Link. This boss copies the players, from appearance to combat, making him one of the most annoying bosses in the game.
4 Vaati Reborn – The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is a 2004 GameBoy Advance original. The game retains many of the critical elements from the original Zelda titles. Including the 2D approach, beautiful art style, and a top-down perspective. GBA games have always been pretty epic even in the 2D form, and that is what Minish Cap is, except this one boss fight. Vaati Reborn has to be the single most challenging part of this whole game. This boss can spawn projectiles, teleport, and take multiple different forms.
3 Monk Maz Koshia – The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
It is terrific to see that even with the latest release in the Zelda series, the games are still very challenging. Especially this one fight from the DLC against Monk Maz Koshia. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is everybody’s new favorite Zelda title and the most recent one till 2020.
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Monk Maz has to be a creative and modern boss design, not at all threatening, but it is the gameplay part that makes his troublesome. This boss can float, hit players with different combos, and clone himself, making the fight super challenging for players.
2 Moldorm – The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a Super Nintendo original from 1991. It is the only major Zelda game on SNES, which made it a must-own for everyone at the time. Little did they know what awaits them on the roof of Tower of Hera. Moldorm is probably the most annoying boss in the series. Nothing can beat this little fellow. Visually he looks super hilarious with two eyes, but do not let the looks deceive you. This boss is made to irritate players into quitting, as the only way to hit him is on the rear end, but before players can do that, it will push them on lowers floors. Essentially restarting the boss fight and making players climb back up again. What a sicko.
1 Helmethead – Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has to be the most controversial Zelda games from a faraway perspective. This is because the game ditches its traditional top-down view for a side-scrolling adventure, much like many other popular games of the time. This is what makes the entire game not much fun for a lot of players. And if that is not enough, the boss fights will really push them to the limits. And Helmethead is the worst of those fights. This guy is a bit of a tosser, as beating him would mean precisely hitting the head, after which another head pops up. Keep doing this until the real head pops up while dodging an unbearable amount of projectiles and other floating helmets.
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