Ghirahim

Ghirahim is one of two main antagonists in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. His main goal throughout the game is to revive his ruler who he refers to as the The Demon King by using Zelda's spirit. He appears multiple times throughout the game as the boss of Skyview Temple and the Fire Sanctuary, and to call upon other bosses such as Scaldera and Koloktos.

Appearance

Ghirahim is a tall and slender fellow with pale gray skin and white hair. Diamonds are a common motif in his design as his attire and most of his attacks are decorated with diamonds.

Story

Ghirahim is a member of a Demon Tribe that attempted to take over The Surface but was stopped by The Goddess. What happened to him between then and the events of Skyward Sword are unknown.

Throughout the game, Ghirahim makes many attempts to revive the Demon King by sacrificing Zelda. His first attempt occurs when Link and Zelda are riding on their [Loftwing|Loftwings]. Ghirahim summons a tornado and knocks Zelda off of her bird into the Sealed Grounds below, but he fails to capture her.

Ghirahim appears again for a brief moment when Link enters the Skyview Temple. He nearly reaches Zelda at the end of the temple where he is stopped by Link. The boss fight with Demon Lord Ghirahim proceeds, and he states to have not used his full power.

In the next temple, the Earth Temple, Ghirahim appears again in the boss arena, but he will not be fought this time. Instead, he summons the boss of that temple, Scaldera.

Later in Lanayru Province, Ghirahim appears again after the Lanayru Mining Facility in the Temple of Time. He blows up the boulders blocking the way and attempts to yet again kidnap Zelda. Impa, the servant of the Goddess, blocks Ghirahim's attack with a large blue force field, giving Zelda time to go through the Gate of Time. Link then distracts Ghirahim long enough to allow Impa through the Gate of Time before she destroys it. Ghirahim, in frustration of losing Zelda again, promises in a fit of rage to kill Link, and Ghirahim teleports away.

Ghirahim makes a brief appearance in the end of the Ancient Cistern to summon another boss. He awakens a Shiva-like statue as the boss of the Ancient Cistern, Koloktos.

Ghirahim again reappears in the Fire Sanctuary for a fight similar to that of the Skyview Temple. He is much more powerful in this fight because his projectiles are much harder to dodge, and his arms are now hard and metallic. Ghirahim seems to be losing his calm persona in this appearance as he freaks out about losing Zelda yet again. It is now known that Ghirahim is searching for a Gate of Time, since the one in the Temple of Time was destroyed.

Ghirahim makes his final stand by arriving at the Sealed Grounds where Demise was just destroyed. He ambushes Link and captures the newly awakened Zelda. He escapes to the past to try to revive Demise in the past, since he was destroyed in the present. Ghirahim summons a horde of enemies to keep Link from approaching Zelda and himself. Link eventually fights through the horde, but Ghirahim has already begun Zelda's sacrifice, and Ghirahim reveals his true form. His entire body is almost entirely hard metal except for a gemstone in his chest. Link manages to defeat Ghirahim, but Demise had already awaken at this point. Ghirahim reveals himself to actually be Demise's equivalent to Link's Fi. Demise transforms Ghirahim into his true sword form while Ghirahim laughs hysterically. It can be assumed that Ghirahim has completely lost his calm attitude and gone completely insane.

Boss

Sky Temple Boss Strategy

Demon Lord Ghirahim is the first boss of Skyward Sword, fought in the Skyview Temple as both he and Link search for Zelda. He is an incredibly powerful foe and frightening enemy.

Phase 1

Ghirahim will slowly advance towards Link as the fight begins. As Link attempts to attack him, he will catch Link's sword between his fingers. If Link doesn't quickly shake his sword free, Ghirahim will take it away and use it against him. To get the sword back, Link must block one of his strikes with his shield and it will fly out of Ghirahim's hands so Link can retrieve it. Ghirahim will dodge or teleport away from Link frequently as Link attempts to hit him with his sword. A good strategy is to point your sword in one direction so that Ghirahim moves his hand there and then to strike from the opposite direction. Ghirahim will be vulnerable for a few seconds after this.

Ghirahim will periodically teleport behind Link with his sword at the ready. You must quickly turn around and slash where his sword is not. This will also leave him vulnerable.

Phase 2

Once Ghirahim sustains enough damage, a cut scene will show him licking his lips and materializing his sword. From this point on, Ghirahim will fight more seriously.

As you fight with Ghirahim, he will begin to teleport far more frequently and even swipe at Link from behind after doing so. He will also attack by dashing at Link and sweeping with his sword, kicking him to knock him over, and conjuring projectiles that fly at you in a row. These projectiles can be avoided by either dodging them, slashing them in the right direction, or using your shield.

When Ghirahim prepares for a charging attack, Link can rush up and strike first to throw him off guard. Alternatively, he can dodge the attack and strike back immediately afterward or block the attack with his shield to deflect the blow and create an opening. A well-timed spin attack can also be effective.

Fire Sanctuary Boss Strategy

Ghirahim will appear again in the Fire Sanctuary, but this time, he is in a much more powerful state.

Phase 1

Ghirahim is a lot more fierce in this battle. He will continue to summon projectiles, but these he holds close to himself in various arrangements. They can be shot at you, but they are generally defensive as they block your slashes. He will continue to block your sword with his hand, but as opposed to last time, the projectiles will hit you if you don't get your sword away quickly enough.

Phase 2

Once Ghirahim takes enogh damage, he will summon two swords which he uses. The battle continues similarly for the rest of the way. He uses his swords to make blocks that you must get around. He no longer grabs your sword as he no longer has a free hand. He does, however, have many vicious counters for if you accidentally hit his swords. These can be avoided by dodging out of the way or lifting your shield quickly. Either of these dodges will leave Ghirahim open to attack.

Ghirahim continues to use his teleport but in much more creative ways. He still teleports behind you, but he can also teleport above you. If he jumps upwards and disappears, begin to sprint in any direction. He will come down upon your previous location, and his swords will get stuck in the ground, leaving him open for attack.

Sealed Grounds Boss Strategy

Ghirahim appears as a boss yet again in the Sealed Grounds. He summons a horde of monsters to keep Link from approaching him, but this of course fails. Link approaches Ghirahim, and Ghirahim reveals his true form.

Phase 1

Ghirahim lifts himself and Link up on a platform which he created himself. Ghirahim carries no sword in this phase, so he uses physical attacks like punches and kicks. Since Ghirahim's metallic skin is invulnerable to attacks, the strategy of this fight involves knocking Ghirahim off of the platform. Once he is knocked off, he will summon another platform to catch himself with. You must now perform a fatal blow into the gemstone on his chest. Repeat this method again until Ghirahim is near the edge of the platform. Ghirahim will now have a purple aura around his hands. If you hit his hands, he will flip over you and push you near the edge. Avoid hitting his hands and knock him off of the edge again. Repeat this again to finish this phase.