Tears of the Kingdomhas a multitude of both familiar and brand-new enemies that pose varying levels of threat to Link in his adventures around Hyrule. The game cleverly uses the Blood Moon to respawn any defeated enemies to keep the world dangerous and exciting, and monster parts plentiful. Some of these monster parts, or the items monsters may drop after being beaten, can be some of themost useful in the game.
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Most gamers who playedBreath of the Wildwill recognize enemies like Lynels and Moblins, but may not realize that lots of these foes have appeared in previousLegend of Zeldagames. Nintendo has been producingZeldagames for over 35 years, and it’s not uncommon for specific enemies, characters, and mechanics to be utilized in more than one game. Sometimes these things will change drastically and other times they remain almost entirely the same. However, it may surprise some newer fans to see just how many of these monsters have gone upagainst Link previously, and how different they look now.
8Phantom Ganon
ManyLegend of Zeldafans would be unsurprised to learn that Phantom Ganon has made several appearances throughout the franchise. Ganon, in some form, has been around since the very first game, and his evil spiritual lackey is no exception. The first appearance of Phantom Ganon was inOcarina of Timeas the Forest Temple boss, in which he has a skull mask and heavy sword.
He also appears inThe Wind Wakerin a drastically different form from his original one. This Phantom Ganon is a smokey, dark figure with blue swirl details. A similar iteration of him is also featured inFour Swords Adventures, with purple detailing instead of blue.Tears of the Kingdomacknowledges Phantom Ganon’s heritage with theEvil Spirit Armorset, which - some savvy players may have noticed - is designed after hisOcarina of Timeform. While Phantom Ganon fromThe Wind Wakerisn’t featured, there are stillplenty of referencesto the popular game.
7Chuchu
Chuchu’s are a classic enemy fromThe Legend of Zeldagames that have remained relatively unchanged. First featured inMajora’s Mask, Chuchu’s have always been jelly-like creatures that roll around Hyrule waiting to attack Link. They are predominantly 3D enemies, appearing inThe Wind Waker,The Minish Cap,Twilight Princess,Phantom Hourglass,Spirit Tracks,andSkyward Sword.
The sheer amount of titles they’ve been featured in over the last ten years easily solidifies them as one of the most recognizable and popularZeldaenemies around, and their existence in the two latest installments is proof of that. Many of the games Chuchus can be found in are claimed to be some of themore timeless gamesin the franchise.
6Octorok
Octoroks are anotherZeldaenemy that most players will be familiar with. InTears of the Kingdom, these pesky enemies will pop up from nowhere and pelt Link with various missiles. Their design and mechanics remain largely unchanged from their first appearance in the original game.
IncludingBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Octoroks have been featured in a whopping nineteenZeldagames, meaning they’ve appeared in all main titles apart fromTwilight Princess.Anybody who has found themselvesannoyed with the crafty mechanicsof Octoroks can rest assured that millions of players have also been unsuspectingly struck by flying rocks for over three decades.
5Wizzrobe
These tricky little magic enemies typically frolic around various sites in Hyrule, sending elemental projectiles at Link as soon as he comes into range. Newer players may be surprised to learn that Wizzrobes have also been around since the original game, and fourteen main titles since. They vary in appearance but are generally dressed in robes that conceal most of their body with only two spooky eyes peering out.
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Wizzrobes have always been able to disappear and sneakily reappear in another space, making them particularly tough to battle. They have also appeared as bosses and mini-bosses in a fewZeldagames, namelyMajora’s MaskandThe Wind Waker. Aside from these, Wizzrobes can be found in the first threeZeldagames, then all titles chronologically fromMajora’s MasktoThe Minish Cap,then finallyPhantom HourglassandA Link Between Worlds.
4Gibdo
Gibdos are another originalZeldaenemy, although most players will likely remember them fromOcarina of Time -the first 3D iteration. These mummy-like enemies are usually wrapped in bandages and have glowing eyes - althoughTwilight Princess’Gibdos have a particularly terrifying appearance. They often have the ability to paralyze Link by touching him, although they are uniquely able to do so by screaming inTwilight Princess.
Overall, before theirTears of the Kingdomdebut, Gibdos had been featured in thirteenZeldagames.The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask,Oracle of Seasons,Oracle ofAges,Four Swords,Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess,A Link Between Worlds,andTri-Force Heroes.
3Gleeok
To manyTears of the Kingdomplayers, Gleeoks are a brand-new monster of immense magnitude. These elemental dragons have three heads that spew flames, frost, or lightning at Link and are not to be underestimated. It may be harder for players to recognize these monsters from past games because not only arethey much rarer, but they look somewhat different from their present form.
A Gleeok first appeared inThe Legend of Zeldain 1986, and its three-headed sprite is actually the most similar to the current iteration. After that, Gleeoks were only featured inOracle of SeasonsandPhantom Hourglassright up until 2023. In both these games, the Gleeok is a boss with only two heads and looks far less menacing thanTears of the Kingdom’sfurious counterparts.
2Lynel
Lynels are widely recognized as one of the mostchallenging and intimidating enemiesto take on in bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. While they’ve been through a few different designs to reach their current terrifying status, the concept of them has remained largely the same. In every appearance, they are aggressive centaur-style half-horse, half-lion creatures.
Lynels have been used sparingly throughout the franchise and can be found in only sevenZeldagames. After being featured inThe Legend of ZeldaandA Link to the Past,Lynels didn’t appear again for another nine years untilOracle of SeasonsandOracle of Ageswere released. Following that, Lynels can’t be found in aZeldagame for a further twelve years untilA Link Between Worlds,before next appearing inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomin the form players are now familiar with.
1Marbled Gohma
AlthoughTears of the Kingdomis the first game to feature a Marbled Gohma, simpler versions of Gohmas have been featured inZeldasince the beginning. They began as crab-like creatures with one large eye and often showed up as dungeon bosses. Compared to their earlier sprites, the more modern Gohmas are almost unrecognizable.
Tears of the Kingdom’sMarbled Gohma looks most likeThe Wind Waker’sboss Gohma, which is also lava-resistant but is found in the Rito area rather than Goron territory. Gohmas can be found in seven differentZeldagames:The Legend of Zelda,Link’s Awakening,Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Seasons, The Wind Waker, and Four Swords Adventure.
