Few things in gaming are more satisfying than finally obtaining the Boss Key at the end of a dungeon in one of the many The Legend of Zelda games. And few things in gaming pump up one's adrenaline more than finally going toe-to-toe with a Zelda boss. These bosses are designed to test everything the player has learned up until this point, most notably the use of the item the player gained during the boss' respective dungeon.
Not many Zelda games have bosses that have left a bigger impression on players than the ones from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time was an incredibly new experience for Zelda fans, new and old alike, due to the series' transition into 3D. Bosses were bigger and more terrifying than ever before. There are exactly ten main bosses in Ocarina of Time spanning a variety of difficulties. Which boss is the toughest of them all?
10 King Dodongo Has a Very Basic Strategy To Defeat It
The first two bosses of the game are both extremely easy to beat, but King Dodongo takes the cake for being the easiest. This massive beast is found at the end of Dodongo's Cavern, and is the second boss Link will go up against.
The strategy behind King Dodongo is a simple one: When he opens his mouth to breathe fire, throw a bomb down his gullet. The bomb will explode, leaving him vulnerable to a few strikes. He'll recover, curl up into a ball, and roll. Simply crouch and Link's Hylian Shield will protect him. Repeat the process twice more for an easy victory.
9 Queen Gohma Is An Easy First Boss
What makes Queen Gohma more difficult to beat than King Dodongo? There's slightly less room for error. Queen Gohma is the very first boss Link encounters and can be found in the Great Deku Tree. Link will need to fire his slingshot right in the giant arachnid's eye to stun it.
The catch with Queen Gohma is that she will climb across the room, and spawn Gohma Larva that can overwhelm Link. A well-timed slingshot could prevent this. However, this is boss is encountered at a time when the player is still getting acclimated with the game.
8 Morpha Is The Easiest Part Of The Dreaded Water Temple
Not many things can strike dread in heart of Zelda fans like "Water Dungeon." Players can have Ocarina of Time's infamous Water Temple to thank for that. At the end of this frustrating and convoluted dungeon is Morpha, an orb that can control water and is the sixth boss.
Morpha is thankfully the easiest part of the Water Temple. Morpha can summon water tentacles that can grab and harm Link. The key to defeating Morpha is to simply stand in a corner of the room, where Morpha can't hit Link, and use the hook shot on the Morpha to pull the orb out of the water. This leaves it vulnerable to attack for a short while as it tries to hop back into the water. That's all there is to it.
7 Volvagia Turns A Cool Looking Dragon Into A Carnival Game
How about a game of Whac-A-Mole? Because that's essentially what the Volvagia boss fight is at the end of the Fire Temple. Volvagia looks way more intimidating than it is. Link will be on a platform that has holes from which Volvagia will spawn. When it does, hit it with the Megaton Hammer. Volvagia will fly out around the map, allowing Link to hit it a few times with an arrow. Repeat the process. The second time it flies around, rocks will fall from the ceiling, which can be avoided by hanging on the edge of the platform.
6 Barinade Is Nothing More Than A Mild Stomach Ache
Barinade is the third and final boss child Link goes up against and is found at the end of Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly. The first thing the player wants to do is to cut the tentacles attached to the ceiling with the boomerang to detach the boss from Jabu-Jabu.
The boss will summon multiple jellyfish-like Biri enemies that Link should destroy (this can be easy with slingshotting them). The key to defeating Barinade is to throw the boomerang at the boss' midsection to stun it. Barinade's electric attacks can be difficult to avoid, and the Biri can be overwhelming, but shouldn't pose much of a problem.
5 Phantom Ganon Teaches Link The Game Of Tennis
Phantom Ganon is found at the end of the Forest Temple and is the fourth boss. The boss room is surrounded by multiple of the same paintings. Several Phantom Ganons on their trusty steeds will gallop through the painting and the player will have to decipher which Phantom Ganon is the real one (it'll be the one that's a different color from the rest) and shoot it with an arrow. This can be tricky at first.
After hitting Phantom Ganon three times with an arrow, he will emerge from the painting to shoot electric balls at Link. This is perfect training for the Ganondorf battle later on, which utilizes a similar approach. Hit the electric ball back and forth and it will eventually hit and stun Phantom Ganon. Repeat this volley process until victory.
4 Ganondorf Challenges Link To A More Extreme Game Of Tennis
It's easy to get déjà vu when fighting Ganondorf because the name of the game is volleying electric balls back and forth. Timing is of the essence and there are multiple ways to volley the electric ball back at Ganondorf. Link could volley with his sword, use the Megaton Hammer, or an empty bottle. Eventually, Ganondorf will mess up and get hit with his own attack, electrocuting him. Link must then shoot him with a light arrow to fully stun him, opening him up for attacks.
3 Ganon Is A Visually Epic End To Ocarina Of Time
Ganon comes off incredibly daunting thanks to the glorious lighting effects that make this fight look as epic as possible. Overall, the strategy to defeat him is a matter of hitting his weak point – his tail. Link can shoot his light arrows to briefly stun Ganon, giving him enough time to reach his tail. The easier way is to simply roll between his legs. From there, just try to stay behind him and slash his tail. There are two phases to this fight. At the end of the first phase, Link will need to grab the Master Sword. The second phase is more of the same.
2 Link Must Brave The Elements To Defeat Twinrova
Twinrova is a lengthy boss fight found at the end of the Spirit Temple. These Gerudo twins make up the eighth boss and are fought in two phases. The key to defeating both phases is by using the Mirror Shield to reflect fire and ice attacks. Each twin has a different element, and Link must hit one sister with the opposing element. The second phase begins when the sisters merge together to form a singular being.
To defeat this phase, Link must absorb the same element three times with his Mirror Shield. At first, she'll only throw a single element, but she'll start to mix things up toward the end of the fight. Absorbing the opposing element will damage Link and force him to begin the process again, so dodging is necessary. Once Link has absorbed three tiers of the same element, he'll launch an attack to towards Twinrova, stunning her. This, naturally, must be repeated multiple times.
1 Bongo Bongo Marches To The Beat Of His Own Drum
Bongo Bongo is the kind of boss that fans have horror stories about. Mostly because of how many things the player needs to juggle all while trying to avoid the boss' powerful attacks (including one where he can swipe Link off of the platform). Bongo Bongo is the seventh boss and fought at the end of the spooky Shadow Temple.
To see Bongo Bongo, Link will need the Lens of Truth equipped. Link must then shoot arrows at both of Bongo Bongo's hands. Afterward, his eye will be exposed. Shooting his eye will stun him, leaving him vulnerable to attacks. In the process, the Hover Boots can help mitigate any frustrations caused by Bongo Bongo's drumming.