Ganondorf_(Hyrule_Warriors)I think that it is fair to say that Zelda is o stranger to having fights with larger-than-life, hulking monsters for bosses at the end of its dungeons. It is almost always expected that you will find a great, big monster to take down for the next magic artifact or whatever. What is not expected, and actually a nice chage of pace, is normal-sized, human-like villains that challenge you to a duel to the death. They have a certain something to them that makes for, often, a much cooler fight.

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170px-Ghirahim_OfficialWhen first going into Skyward Sword, I remember being quite excited about, among certain other things, the boss of the first dungeon. Ghirahim was, of course, teased heavily throughout the game’s pre-release footage, so he would be the natural first point of hype, but what I liked so much about him as a boss what his, shall we say, simplicity. Now, I know that Ghirahim is not a “simple” character, but, again, as a boss, he is not some big, elaborate monster that towers over you and that you have to take down in some elaborate way. He was a regular-sized guy that you just get in a one-on-one battle with; one that, because of his design, was able to be fleshed out as a great character before, during, and after the fight. Being normal-sized actually make a villain more ominous, in my opinion. Sure a giant creature seems real powerful and all, but put that same power into a regular guy and fight with him, and he seems much more dangerous and unexpectedly scary.

The best way that I can think to put this idea is that the larger bosses of the series often seem like puzzles all there own. You must discover how to beat them, and then use the right maneuvers to take them down. Now, look at someone like Ganondorf at the end of Twilight Princess, or Demise. They may have certain techniques required to beat them, but essentially, they require skill of the sword more than drawn-out planning, and therefor feel much more down-to-earth and impressive, seeming more like they rival your own power as their opponent, rather than simply flaunting their own power like a hulking monster would.

What do you guys think? Should there be more human-like, or at least more average-sized, bosses in future games? What could some pros and cons if this were the case? Drop a comment below with your opinions!

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