Ghirahim: Difference between revisions

==Boss==

===Skyview Temple Boss Strategy===

Demon Lord Ghirahim is the first boss of ''Skyward Sword''.  Link encounters him in Skyview Temple as both search for Zelda.  In battle, he prefers to toy with his enemy, initially opting to go weaponless and cunningly blocking attacks.

====Phase 1====

Ghirahim will slowly advance towards you as the fight begins.  If your [[Goddess Sword|sword]] isn't drawn, Ghirahim will slap you for one [[Heart Container|heart]] of damage. This can be blocked with a Shield Bash, causing Link to automatically draw his sword, but it's best to have your sword drawn before Ghirahim gets close enough.

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 your first strike lands.

====Phase 2====

Once Ghirahim sustains enough damage, a cutscene will show him licking his lips and materializing his sword. From this point on, Ghirahim will fight more seriously. Instead of heedlessly advancing towards you, he will try to keep his distance, often backing away, even jumping back to avoid your attacks.

Ghirahim launches most of his attacks from a distance.  He will conjure throwing knives arranged in a line and launch them at you.  A well-timed sword slash at the correct angle will reflect the knives back at Ghirahim, as will a shield bash.  Unfortunately, Ghirahim will block these and sustain no damage.  Simply raising your shield or dodging can also protect you from harm.

He will also attack by dashing at you and sweeping with his sword, signaled by crouching for a moment with his sword at his side.  Note which side he's holding his sword, as this will tell which side of you he'll attack from.  If he's holding it to his right, he'll attack you from your left, and vice-versa.  This is especially important in parrying and countering this attack.  A dodge will only succeed if you side-hop away from the direction of attack, or backflip.  Sword slashes must be directed toward him in order to be effective (''i.e.'' if he dashes to your right, swing to the right).  A [[Spin Attack]], however, should work from either side if timed well.  After his attack misses or is halted is your chance for a counterattack.

Blocking is another great option for dealing with Ghirahim's charge attack.  Simply blocking with your shield will protect you from damage, though Ghirahim will be ready to dodge any attempted counter-attack.  A shield bash will knock him off balance, leaving enough time for several sword hits.

Another tactic Ghirahim employs is to teleport directly in front of you, or more frequently directly behind you, with his sword raised, ready for an attack.  If you stand there too long, he'll attack you, but if you hastily strike without regard to his sword, he may block your attack and immediately counter it.  When he disappears, be prepared to look for the position of his sword, and make sure you attack his unguarded side.

At close range, he will either dodge your attacks or raise his sword the same as when he teleports.  Mind his sword or risk a block and counter-attack.

===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. Note that every time you knock him off, the stage gets slightly bigger.

====Phase 2====

After exposing his weak point (the red gem in his chest), Ghirahim will summon his black saber again. However, this fight is very different from the previous battles. Ghirahim will hold out his sword, allowing him to block attacks with ease, and will attack if you get too close (making it harder to attack his weak point). Instead of conjuring and shooting knives, he will attack with [[Sword Beam]]s if you're at a distance. These can be deflected with the shield, or returned with a sword slash in the same direction. He sends these horizontally or vertically, and you can stun him by returning these. Be careful, as he can still reflect the sword beams you return to him. Once he's stunned, run up to him and stab his chest. Another way to defeat him is to go sword-to-sword with him: shield-bash his attacks and stab at his chest to deal damage. He takes around 5 stabs to defeat, but it takes much longer than it seems, since he puts his guard back up every time he takes a hit. You can beat him very quickly if you charge up a [[Skyward Strike]], and stab at his chest after shield-bashing his attack. Provided you do this at a distance, the Skyward Strike will stun him long enough to deal 2 or 3 hits. Repeat until he's down.

====Phase 3====

{{Cat|Skyward Sword Bosses}}

{{Cat|Skyward Sword Characters}}