Keese

Template:Enemy Keese are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They are bats, usually black-skinned, that attack Link by flying toward him. Keese are nimble creatures that prove to be more of a nuisance than a feared enemy. They are most often found in caves and dungeons, but they can sometimes be found in the Overworld as well.

Variations of standard Keese, namely Fire Keese and Ice Keese, appear in several games.

Variations

The Legend of Zelda

If you have played this game you will be very familiar with these enemies, as Keese are featured in every dungeon in the game. In fact, some dungeons have rooms with nothing in them besides large numbers of Keese. When a Vire is signifantly damaged, it will split into two Keese.

A Link to the Past

In this game, until Link moves close to a Keese, it will remain dormant and just leave Link alone. Keese mainly appear in the dark tunnels on Death Mountain. The Dark World counterpart to a Keese is a Chasupa.

Ocarina of Time

Keese are found mostly in dungeons. In this game, they can be killed with a variety of weapons, but the two most often recommended is the Fairy Bow (as it can kill multiple Keese if they are lined up correctly) or the Hookshot (in case one is running low on arrows, etc). If there is a source of fire in the area, a Keese may fly through it to turn itself into a Fire Keese. If an immolated Keese touches Link, he will be set on fire, and if he has a Deku Shield equipped, it will burn up. There are also Ice Keese, which are surrounded by Blue Fire found in icy areas, which will freeze Link for a short time.

An example of a Keese from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

Majora’s Mask

Majora’s Mask’s Keese are almost exactly the same as its predecessor, Ocarina of Time’s. Following the trend, both Fire Keese and Ice Keese appear. They can be found in Ikana Well, the Stone Tower, and the Stone Tower Temple. If Link wears the Stone Mask, he is invisible to Keese, making it handy for avoiding large groups of them. In addition, Majora’s Mask features Bad Bats – pretty much big bat creatures that can be found pretty much everywhere and deal a bit more damage than their smaller counterparts.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

The Keese in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are similar to the ones found in Link's Awakening. This is due to the fact that Flagship used certain data from Link's Awakening when programming these games. They do, however, move more erratically than those found in Link's Awakening. Fire Keese also appear in both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Big Keese sometimes accompany the Blue Stalfos located in the Ancient Tomb.

Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, Keese are mostly found in dark places – caves, dungeons, or generally any place where the lantern is needed, and the Cave of Ordeals. Just like their role in other Zelda titles, Keese are more annoying than any actual danger (the exception being large groups of them, of course). Fire Keese – who will burn Link’s shield if he has the Ordon Shield or the Wooden Shield equipped - and Ice Keese – who will freeze Link, if contact is made - are also featured. If Link uses the Hidden Skill ‘Shield Attack’, a Keese will fall to the ground and be vulnerable.

Skyward Sword

Keese (and in turn, Fire Keese) reside in the overworld and within dungeons. When they swoop low enough to be within reach, Link can use a sword slash to defeat them, though Keese can be defeated with almost weapon in the player’s arsenal. For example, Link can defeat multiple Keese at once with a single crack of the whip. Following the game’s art style, Keese have a somewhat cartoonish and very colorful appearance.

A Fire Keese from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.