Looking back on The Legend of Zelda’s villains and enemies

Over the past 35 years, players of The Legend of Zelda series have faced countless villains and enemies. From slow-moving ChuChus all the way up to Dark Lord Ganondorf himself, Link and the Master Sword have struck evil down again and again. Across the franchise’s history and each incarnation of the Triforce-wielding trio, enemies have come in all shapes and sizes while ranging in power, personality, and overall vibe.

Antagonists have all sorts of different goals, and they also have different methods of achieving them. Some attack as a wild animal would; others stalk you with malicious intent. It is not only those who pose a direct threat to you that you need to worry about, either. As the Hero of Hyrule, you’re also responsible for keeping an eye out for innocent people. Take The Wind Waker for example, where Link leaves the tranquil safety of Outset Island to bring his sister home. Or Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity, in which Link’s entire role was to protect the Princess as her appointed knight. So, no pressure, right?

Of course, there are far too many Zelda enemies to fit into one feature, so just a handful of them will have to do. Let’s look back at some of the different types of monsters and beings we’ve faced, how they differ from one another, and what separates the mild annoyances from the major threats.

The ones that put up a fight

Anything that goes down in a couple of hits won’t pose much of a threat to you. It’s the enemies that make you struggle a little (or a lot) to overcome them that earn a more formidable status. Fair warning, this part will be a little subjective — what might be an easy victory for some will be rage quit material for others.

While viral videos of Breath of the Wild players pulling off impressive Guardian trick shots may make this enemy seem less intimidating, many players would rather avoid them completely. Unless you have Ancient Arrows at your disposal or you’ve mastered the Perfect Guard technique, you’re under a pretty considerable threat. If you don’t have either of those things, those opening piano notes of the Guardian theme are enough to send anyone into a panic. Similarly, accidentally finding yourself in the path of a Golden Lynel will get your heart rate up nicely. Maybe it would have been safer to stay in the Shrine of Resurrection.

Breath of the Wild also introduced the Yiga Clan. While the Footsoliders aren’t too difficult, they’re certainly persistent. Any seasoned player can spot their shape-shifting tells from a mile away, but we were all newbies who fell for their disguises at least once. More threatening are the Yiga Blademasters, first encountered in the Yiga Hideout. If these warriors land even one hit within the Hideout, not even Mipha’s Grace can save you. However, once Master Kohga is defeated and the Blademasters begin spawning elsewhere, they no longer hold the same one-hit-kill power. Still tough, but worth it for that Windcleaver weapon drop.

In terms of difficulty, Skyward Sword hits both ends of the scale, with enemies ranging from completely non-threatening to panic-inducing. Most deadly of all are the game’s Earth and Sky Guardians — invincible warriors that stand against you in each of the Goddess’ trials and can take you out in one hit. While these ones technically serve the Goddess, that doesn’t provide much comfort while they’re chasing you through the Silent Realm.

Skyward Sword also brought in some questionable boss battles, such as three separate fights against The Imprisoned. This boss was met with mixed responses, to say the least, and while its design had potential to be intimidating, its long arms, stubby feet, and weak-spot toes meant it came out looking a little dopey, for lack of a better word. It can’t be denied, however, that The Imprisoned made for one of the most resilient bosses, refusing to remain defeated for long until it was finally revived as the game’s final boss, Demise. This made for a pretty sharp turnaround from a relatively easy (though frustrating) boss to one that many people struggled to overcome the first time around.

The most frustrating enemies are those that are not necessarily tough themselves but agile enough that you can only land a blow with perfectly accurate aiming and timing. Thunderblight Ganon from Breath of the Wild is the first culprit that comes to mind. Close behind are the Demon Train from Spirit Tracks, Stallord from Twilight Princess, and Bongo Bongo from Ocarina of Time. If you’re adept at well-timed attacks, you’ll have little issue with them; if not, you’re in for a long fight. It’s also equally as important to work on your defense strategy with fast-moving bosses. If you can’t parry or dodge an attack in time, your own assault will mean nothing.

The creepy ones

When you think of scary games, Zelda probably isn’t what springs to mind. That doesn’t mean, however, that it hasn’t upped the creepy levels on occasion in the past. As the somewhat darker games in the series, Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess claim most of the more chilling enemies. In the former, Majora’s possession of Skull Kid earns the game a bunch of sinister points, not to mention the menacing face of the Moon glaring down at you throughout. Even the less prominent enemies keep the theme going, most notably Gibdos and ReDeads. Majora’s Mask is widely regarded as one of the darkest games in the series, if not the darkest. Its villains and enemies certainly play an important part in its reputation.

Twilight Princess introduced several of its own new, darker enemies. Shadow Beasts lurk in Twilight-covered areas while their winged counterparts, Shadow Kargaroks, attack from above. As products of the Twilight Realm under Zant’s reign, their features are peculiar and unsettling. Most eerily, it is hinted in the game that Shadow Beasts are even able to convert humans. Fighting a creepy enemy is one thing, but the threat of losing your humanity and becoming one yourself is something entirely different.

Yeta, the sweet-natured yeti whom Link meets in Snowpeak Ruins, also goes through an unfortunate transformation after an encounter with a shard from the Mirror of Twilight. With glowing red eyes, elongated fangs, and a piercing shriek, she makes quite the unnerving boss battle. Luckily, defeating her reverses the corruption and leaves her alive and well. Perhaps, then, there is hope for those who lose themselves to Twilight. This is especially good news, as even Zelda herself falls victim to possession, becoming Ganondorf’s puppet for a short while. Though her appearance does not change too drastically, what’s most disturbing is watching someone familiar, someone you trusted to always be good, be turned against you.

Finally, Zant himself lives up to all the darkness he’s cast over Hyrule. His movements and voice lend him an air of derangement. This, paired with the unthinkable power Ganondorf has housed in him, makes him a serious threat with no chance of reasoning or rehabilitation. When his time was truly up following Ganondorf’s defeat, he could only be disposed of in one of Nintendo’s most chilling Zelda deaths — the sudden, clear breaking of his own neck.

While Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess have a reputation for their dark themes, that’s not to say the occasional creepy enemy hasn’t appeared in other games. Ocarina of Time had ReDeads too, as well as its own Dead Hands. In fact, the entire Shadow Temple deserves its own honorable mention in this part, with its bloodied history and eerie music.

Dark Link is another enemy who appears in a number of Zelda games. Unlike most monsters, a battle against Dark Link means facing a malicious power that seeks to use Link’s own fighting prowess against him. If that’s not unsettling enough, let’s not forget that infamous Twilight Princess cutscene that left most players feeling seriously uneasy.

For a game series that retains low age ratings, Zelda has definitely had its share of creepy enemies. What’s more, it’s suspected that Breath of the Wild 2 may well be joining the club of darker-than-most Zelda games. Though only one trailer has been released for the hugely anticipated sequel, many believe that it will carry a more sinister vibe than its predecessor. Further news on that, though, will have to wait.

The familiar ones

Certain enemies have been resurrected and redesigned time and time again to make Link’s life more difficult. Octoroks, Lizalfos, Keese, Bokoblins — there’s a long list of familiar faces. While Link’s battles against these may not be as memorable as the bigger, flashier boss fights, the games would feel very empty without their presence. If any title were to drop all its traditional enemies, it would lose its quintessential Zelda feel.

These enemies are responsible for bringing the threat to everyday Hyrulean life. Ganon usually hides away until the final showdown, while other bosses limit their skulking grounds to their respective dungeons. It’s the lesser villains who wreak havoc for regular folk. They are the ones who get their hands dirtied with innocent lives, patrol Hyrule Field, and chase down travelers. Though Link can usually clear out a hoard with no issue, they serve as a reminder of an ongoing battle that spreads beyond him, Ganon, and Princess Zelda.

Having these quick fights scattered across a map is also a good way to keep track of your fighting prowess as it improves. In the early stages of gameplay, even low-level enemies can one-shot you. However, as you make your way between bigger battles, these scuffles serve as excellent training that will sculpt you into a better fighter. Get involved in enough of them, and you’ll go from a branch-wielding weakling to a legendary hero in no time. Unless it’s a Wizzrobe, in which case, keep walking and pretend you don’t see them. Not worth it.

The ultimate one

The Legend of Zelda’s main antagonist falls under many names, from the Prince of Darkness to the King of Thieves. Most commonly, though, he is known simply as Ganon. It was only after 25 years of Zelda games that Ganon’s true origins were revealed with the release of Skyward Sword in 2011. Once the Demon King Demise is struck down in the final boss battle, he proclaims that his hatred will be resurrected endlessly to torment every iteration of the Hero and the Princess. Thus, the cycle of Ganon, Link, and Zelda began.

Throughout the rest of the timeline, Ganon acts as the ultimate enemy in most of the games. In some, his name is dropped into conversation right from the get-go. In others, he doesn’t appear until the very last moments. Even in games where he doesn’t officially appear, such as Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, there is still plenty of fan speculation as to his whereabouts. For now, though, let’s not pull that very complex thread.

When it comes down to it, whatever trouble the lower-level enemies are causing, Ganon and his quest for power are almost always behind it. Though the final confrontation is usually left up to Link alone, his destructive nature sends ripples across the world. He manipulates those who can be useful to him and seeks to eradicate those who are not, whether by his own hand or through his minions.

Ganon’s hatred-fuelled pursuit of world domination, paired with his unimaginable strength granted by the Triforce of Power, makes him the ultimate villain. Every time Link and Zelda are reincarnated, Ganon is surely lurking nearby. However, if you look at it from a different angle, no matter when or where Ganon renews his cycle of destruction, the Hero and the Princess will always rise again to seal him away.

Since 1986, Nintendo has placed all kinds of enemies in Link’s path, whether they’re fresh designs of familiar faces or innovative, new foes. Each one serves a purpose, reminding the player of evil’s tight grasp on the kingdom (as well as being some pretty handy target practice). The nature of the Zelda timeline, with almost every game having a different incarnation of its main characters, means that the enemies are adjusted accordingly for each new environment. As such, even the staple monsters never become stale or repetitive.

With the next new installment in the series set to be a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, we can almost certainly count on a return of enemies we had thought to be vanquished. But if what we’ve seen so far is anything to go by, there will be some ominous new figures rising to the surface, too.

Here’s to many more years of sealing the darkness — Happy 35th Birthday, Zelda!