Daily Debate: If You Could Give Mini-Bosses A Backstory, Who Would You Pick?
Posted on July 23 2018 by Michaela El-Ters
In most cases, the mini-bosses across the Zelda series really aren’t that interesting. Usually non-descript and boring at best, mini-bosses typically exist to introduce an important gameplay mechanic to defeating the main boss later on or give Link the item he needs to defeat said boss. There are, however, a handful of mini-bosses that do have interesting backstories, such as Igos du Ikana, the fallen king of Ikana Kingdom in Majora’s Mask. Simple but effective, his backstory is a tragic one that revolves around the destruction of his kingdom and his regrets that persisted in the afterlife. It’s a small detail, but having that history made the fight more meaningful and interesting. It’s a strategy that could be really effective for other mini-bosses as well, and for me, the first ones to come in mind are the Poe Sisters from Ocarina of Time.
The Poe Sisters are four uniquely designed Poes that haunt the Forest Temple. Perhaps the most interesting thing about them, outside of their expressive designs, are their names – Meg, Joelle, Beth, and Amy – all of which pay homage to the classic story Little Women. Of all the classic stories to reference, why are they named after the sisters in Little Women? What were their lives like when they were alive? Why do they haunt the Forest Temple? What makes the Poe Sisters different from the others? Giving them a backstory would be a great way to contextualize these battles while giving Nintendo an opportunity to explore world-building in a new way. What do you think? If you could pick any mini-boss to have a backstory, who would it be? Let us know in the comments!
Featured Artwork: Poe Sisters: Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg by Star-Dragon-Art
Michaela El-Ters is a Senior Editor for Zelda Dungeon. She is also an Senior Writer for Boss Rush Network, and writes blogs and streams games on Objection Network. Her favorite Zelda game changes with the seasons, but the series as a whole is near and dear to her heart.
