On the surface, Molgera seems like a pretty straightforward boss, and that’s because, well, it is. However, to me, it’s one of my absolute favorites. I don’t need an overly complicated battle to keep me entertained. You simply Hookshot the tongue of the enormous sandworm and slash away. Easy enough. Do this three times while avoiding its attacks and you’re golden. Explaining the fight makes it sound rather dull, but in actuality, there’s a lot more to it that makes it a fight to remember.
I can vividly remember the first time I encountered this great beast. I had just overcome the dreaded Wind Temple, my least favorite dungeon in Wind Waker and probably one of my least favorites of all time. All power to those who enjoy it, but for me, I’ve had some pretty serious struggles in more than just my first playthrough. Surely at the end of this great trial had to be a terror like I had never seen.
It was a sandworm. A giant sandworm. Now I might sound disappointed, but I actually thought this was a perfect design for a boss. When I used to work at my Dad’s old fishing shop, we used to have live sandworms as bait that we would have to box for the customers. I remember the first time I picked one up; I wasn’t grossed out by
Because of this, Molgera’s gaping maw and it’s demonic eyes stuck with me and made me actually frightened to battle it. This was one of the first boss battles that made me super aware of my surroundings, fighting to stave off the smaller Moldorms it spat out as well as making sure the sinking sand didn’t lead me right into the creature’s mouth. All of this along with that unmistakable soundtrack got my blood pumping and I was having a grand old time.
My favorite parts of the battle were (and still are) when Molgera would emerge from the sand and glide around the room, then come crashing down with its jaws opened wide. Though the attack itself is relatively easy to avoid, it was so thrilling having this monster chase after you, and the scale of it really made all the difference. I mean, sure, there have been other large bosses before, even in Wind Waker, but none of them gave me a sense of impending doom quite like Molgera.
I know my taste in boss battles get mixed opinions, but to me, what makes one great is how immersed you become in the experience. It’s when you get that feeling inside where you get scared but do whatever it takes to triumph. Molgera gave me this feeling the first time I fought it and every time after, which is why it will always be one of my favorite Zelda bosses.
