Daily Debate: What Makes A Great Zelda Boss?

Like tricky dungeons and the powerful Master Sword, The Legend of Zelda just wouldn’t be the same without a good boss fight to sink your teeth in to. After figuring out the puzzles and building up the suspense, who knows what big, bad boss could be on the other side of that final door? But what actually makes a great Zelda boss? Everyone has an opinion, and while some boss fights might stick with you, they might be instantly forgettable for others.

Personally, my favorite and most memorable boss was fighting Ganondorf at the end of Ocarina of Time. I loved hearing the dramatic organ music as I climbed the steps inside the castle and then facing off with the man himself. The fight has a few different stages and includes a frantic race to lead Princess Zelda out of danger, before the true showdown with Ganon. I’ve heard fans say that this boss battle is far too easy and I would agree, once you know what you’re doing of course! There is a point when Navi admits that she doesn’t know where Ganon’s weak point is and that puts pressure on the player to find it before they run out of hearts. I think having this sense of the unknown in a boss fight is really important.

My most frustrating boss fight was with Moldorm in A Link to the Past. Even though I knew exactly what to do, hitting that tail and trying not to fall off the platform was a nightmare. This leads me to believe that boss fights need to be fair, with an appropriate degree of difficulty but no cheap shots. I cannot stand a boss that should be dead, but by some freak of programming is holding on and kills you off at the last minute.

So, what do you think makes a great Zelda boss? Do you want a boss with several different attack patterns? Maybe you prefer a boss that you meet several times before the ultimate showdown? Or is originality more important? Share your thoughts in the comments below or join the debate on our Discord server.

This Daily Debate was inspired by Discord User @Luckman