If there is one thing that is always a tough decision in a Zelda video game, it would be what enemies should the game have. The Legend of Zelda has a large category of enemies from its numerous games. Enemies such as the Octorok, which made its debut in the very first Legend of Zelda game, to the Lynel, a more challenging enemy that got its origins from the same game but has only appeared in a handful of titles since then. One of the trickier parts of designing a new Zelda is deciding which enemy should reappear if any, and how will it be utilized in said game. Does the enemy fit this game’s world design, does it need tweaking, or should they simply design a new enemy and add to the already expansive bestiary that the Legend of Zelda contains? These are just some of the questions that the Zelda team deals with whenever designing the next Zelda.
In a recent interview with Tears of the Kingdom director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, he was asked about the decision process when it comes to what enemies or monsters are chosen for the current Zelda they are working on. When asked here is what he said:
“For monsters, we prioritized gameplay when creating them. To match the sky, caves, underground and other new areas, we considered what monsters would be able to do well in them. For example, we wanted a monster that could rival the Lynel from Breath of the Wild in strength for the new sky areas, so it’d need wings to fly, be large and look strong… and as we thought about that, we remembered the Gleeok. While thinking about gameplay, we looked back to see if there were any monsters that fit what we needed from older games, and if something matched, we adjusted them to be implemented into Tears of the Kingdom.”
“For the caves, to match the terrain, we wanted a monster that could latch onto the ceiling; since there wasn’t a monster that had that characteristic in previous games, we created the new monster Horriblin. Gameplay-wise, it’s possible to make weapons with long reach using the ‘Fuse’ ability, and monsters like Horriblins let that feature shine.”
One of the most interesting things to take from this is how much they really pay attention to all of the previous enemies and monsters the series contains. Bringing back an old enemy is always a nostalgic thing for fans, but making it work from a developing standpoint must be all the more challenging. It’s good to know that the Zelda team considers older monsters and enemies first when developing a new game but it’s even more exciting when they decide to make new ones. That initial excitement for a returning player when they encounter a monster they have never seen before is something that really makes a game stand out. But it is also just as exciting to see old enemies return, especially when they are ones that are nostalgic. You never forget your first encounter with an old enemy, and when you see them again that excitement returns ten fold… or the terror. Just make sure you have enough hearts and healing items with you, those Gleeoks are no joke.
