The 20 Most Disturbing Zelda Enemies

20 Most Disturbing Zelda Enemies

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at the creepiest, most disturbing enemies and bosses in “The Legend of Zelda” series! Since some of these deal with bosses, be on the lookout for some spoilers.

Them

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

After meeting the young Romani, Link learns of an invasion by beings she refers to only as ‘Them.’ They come every year around the Carnival of Time, attempting to abduct cows from her sister’s ranch. Essentially aliens, that’s already eerie. But knowing that the design was seemingly inspired by the Flatwoods monster, a figure in West Virginia folklore, makes them a little more creepy. What also disturbs us about them is what happens should you fail to fight them off until Dawn. Romani is abducted, along with some cows, and visiting her later once she’s been returned without her memories is more than a little unsettling.

Like Like

Various

Honestly, we’d find Like Likes a little more creepy if the most common emotion they caused wasn’t extreme annoyance. For most of their appearances, the Like Likes have squelched and slid across the floor towards Link, like upright slugs, threatening to suck him into their giant mouths and steal his equipment. Although they can be quickly dealt with, the way they move about, specifically in the N64 games, is still a bit unnerving. They’ve evolved a bit over the years, growing Rupee tendrils to lure people in, or in the case of “Tears of the Kingdom,” gained elemental abilities. But that actually made them far less disturbing than they were in the older games.

Cursed Bokoblin

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

There are a variety of Bokoblins across the “Zelda” series, though only one has seen them return as brain-hungry corpses. The Ancient Cistern shines elegantly on the surface, but things get darker when you go deeper into the dungeon. One section sees undead Bokoblin continuously rise no matter how many Link puts down. No big deal, just some light, unexpected heebie jeebies. But then you have to climb out, with the zombies climbing up the rope after you. All you have to do if one catches you is shake them off. But in the moment, when no one is expecting zombies from this particular “Zelda,” it’s enough to put you a little on edge.

Silent Realm Guardians

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

The Guardians of “Breath of the Wild” became well-known for stressing players out, but that’s honestly nothing compared to what we felt during “Skyward Sword’s” Silent Realms. Designed as tests for the prophesied hero, Silent Realms take away all items & weapons and task you with collecting 15 Tears. However, if you’re spotted by a Watcher, touch Waking Water, or too much time passes in between each Tear, the Guardians will give chase. One hit will make you start over, and they don’t need line of sight to find you. While their overall design is intimidating, is isn’t necessarily scary. Still, having nothing to defend yourself with, and the fact that flying Guardians can move through physical objects, makes these some of the most terrifying encounters in “Zelda.”

Seahat

“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

Peahats are a common enemy seen in multiple installments that are not in the least bit scary. Seahats, on the other hand, look like they could devour us in moments and not give it a second thought. These variants only appear in “Wind Waker,” sticking in groups and ramming you off your boat if you get too close. While Peahats are more plant-like, Seahats have developed giant, gaping mouths full of sharp teeth and wide eyes. And the speed in which they charge you is certainly alarming. Thankfully, once you get an item with a bit of range, they aren’t as much of a problem. But if you get spotted by a group of them, they’ll swarm you like a school of Piranhas.

Skulltula

Various

Our hearts go out to any arachnophobic “Zelda” fans, because Skulltulas must be a constant source of fear. Giant spiders are classic monsters used throughout the history of Fantasy, and so these enemies have appeared in a ton of entries across the series. Beyond spiders just being great creepy-crawly enemies, the Skulltulas have a handful of additional spooky features. In some appearances, their names are taken literally, with their bodies being designed to look like skulls. Regular Skulltulas will often drop down on Link while smaller ones will cling to walls, charging if he gets too close. Those in “Twilight Princess” and “Skyward Sword” are even worse, skittering across the ground to fight you head on. Needless to say, we love killing these things.

Stal Enemies

Various

Another classic Fantasy monster type is the Skeleton warrior. Yeah, doesn’t seem that original, but we guarantee if sword-wielding skeletons came stampeding in our direction, we’d run the other way in terror. The “Zelda” series has seen a variety of skeleton-type enemies given the Stal prefix. Maybe you’ll get used to Stalchildren popping up in Hyrule Field at night, or to seeing skeletal versions of regular enemies in “Breath of the Wild.” But what about a Stalhorse or a Stalhound, both of which still have patches of fur clinging to their bones? Or the brutish Stalfos Knights, Warriors, or other oversized, overpowered skeletal monstrosities? We’re not sure where all these remains come from, but we’re happy to put them back in the ground.

Gohma

Various

Gohma is one of the most frequently occurring bosses in the “Zelda” series. She is almost always a giant arachnid. And while most of her appearances aren’t all that disturbing, there are a couple that stand out. One is her opening fight of “Ocarina of Time,” an intimidating creepy crawler to encounter as a kid. Something about the combination of three legs, a flashing eye, and using her children as fodder makes that one stand out. Another is her appearance in “Twilight Princess,” as a gargantuan tarantula; again, sorry to the arachnophobes. Although neither fight is particularly tough, they still leave strong impressions.

Skull Kid

Various

The Skull Kids of “Ocarina of Time” aren’t too disturbing. But their background of being what happens to little kids who wander into the Lost Woods sure is. Nintendo found other ways to make them more unsettling in other games. The antagonist of “Majora’s Mask” has a lot of twisted ways in which he toys with the citizens of Clock Town, making him one of the most memorable villains in the franchise. The Skull Kid of “Twilight Princess” is a fiendish little imp with a wide smile who produces puppet minions with a toot of his horn. The childlike quality of these enemies certainly plays a big part in dialing up the creep factor.

Diabolical Cubus Sisters

“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007)

Another entry into the creepy little kid category, the Diabolical Cubus Sisters are encountered in the Ghost Ship dungeon of “Phantom Hourglass.” First appearing as normal little girls, it isn’t long before you notice that they are definitely evil. After bringing all four together, they reveal themselves as the bosses, turning into haunting specters with wide grins and piercing, red-yellow eyes. Like others, the Sisters are more bark than bite; as long as you can handle Dead Man’s Volley, they won’t pose too much of a threat. But in terms of spine tingles, they’re the most alarming thing “Phantom Hourglass” has to offer.

Blizzeta

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

The Snowpeak Ruins dungeon is one of the most memorable places in “Twilight Princess.” It’s a massive, albeit slightly run-down and enemy-infested manor, home to a nice Yeti couple. Once Link finally finds the key to the couple’s bedroom, where a shard of the Mirror of Twilight lies, the adorable Yeta leads him to it. Alarm bells start ringing when Yeta approaches the shard, and starts talking about how pretty it is and twitching. Then comes the biggest jump scare in “Zelda history. Thankfully, she encases herself in ice and the fight starts so we don’t have to look at her horrifying new face anymore. Though brief, this undeniably shocks a lot of players on a first playthrough.

Majora’s Incarnation

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

There are three phases to the final boss in “Majora’s Mask,” but the second probably left the biggest impression on most of us. The first is the Mask, which floats around ominously with tendrils that have grown out of every edge. However, once you’ve defeated that phase, it sprouts thin, gangly appendages and a new head, a weirdly unsettling transformation in what is already a bizarre game. It then proceeds to fight in the strangest manner of any “Zelda” boss, sprinting at high speeds, shrieking like a maniac, and performing different dances in between attacks. It’s all very unusual and upsetting. The third phase, Majora’s Wrath, is meant to be more serious and imposing. But the chaotic middle section almost outshines it.

Shadow Beast

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

When Zant invades Hyrule from the Twilight Realm, he brings with him a host of Shadow Beasts: hulking, black figures who emit petrifying screeches and crush Zelda’s forces. Their design has always made them a bit daunting, even after you figure out how to handle them. But the way in which they are created is even worse. They were once Twili, peaceful members of Midna’s race, before they were corrupted and transformed by magic. When Zant’s forces invaded Kakariko Village, some of its townsfolk were also turned into Shadow Beasts. There’s never any way to turn them back, Link must simply kill them when they appear, giving this enemy a much sadder undertone.

Poes

Various

If you find the concept of ghosts creepy in the real world, wait til you get a load of these. In older games, Poes would often be found haunting graveyards. Coming across these evil phantoms in the N64 entries, where they turn invisible and cackle at you, was certainly disturbing. However, Poes reached peak creep factor in “Twilight Princess.” Those found in Arbiter’s Grounds are gangly specters who wear long cloaks and have unsettling, gaunt faces. Then there are the Imp Poes, which Link must defeat in order to save Jovani’s soul. These appear as stitched-together rag dolls that carry a scythe twice their size. Yeah…sorry, Jovani, you’re on your own.

Gloom Spawn

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

It’s highly unlikely that any of us will forget our first encounters with one of “Tears of the Kingdom’s” new enemies. You might be exploring, looking for secrets, minding your own business, when suddenly, a swarm of mummified-looking hands from Hell in a pool of Gloom would rush you, and suck the life force of poor Link before you had time to react. The Gloom Spawn quickly gained an imposing reputation for horrifying experiences in the early-game, especially since a Phantom Ganon would be summoned after killing all the hands. Like all enemies in the open-world era, building up Link’s strength and learning a proper strategy made them easier. But before that, it was best to just run the other way.

Deathsword

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

Arbiter’s Grounds were once a prison used for the deadliest criminals residing in Hyrule. We have no idea what this mini-boss did to earn residence, but we can safely say he deserved his imprisonment. Upon entering the arena, Link will need to cut the ropes clad with Ofuda cards to start the fight. Once the evil-warding magic is removed, a demonic apparition with a skeletal goat head will try to cleave Link in two. Death Sword’s design genuinely looks like something you’d see in an occult Horror movie, which is more than enough to make us want to finish this fight quickly. But he’ll also fly around like a gigantic bat, screeching at you. No wonder he was imprisoned both physically and magically.

Floormaster & Wallmaster

Various

Floormasters and Wallmasters are some of the most obnoxious enemies Link can face, though they’re also incredibly creepy. Looking like a cross between Thing from “The Addams Family” and a zombie, these giant hands have been causing us grief ever since the original game. Wallmasters will drop down on Link, transporting him back to a dungeon’s entrance. If that happened to us in real life, we’d take that as a sign to get the Hell out. Though they don’t drop from the ceiling, Floormasters are just as annoying and horrifying. In “Ocarina of Time,” they’ll fly forward and break apart into smaller hands when you deal damage. In “Wind Waker,” they’ll stay hidden in their shadow before grabbing you by the head.

Bongo Bongo

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

Don’t let the silly name fool you; Bongo Bongo is the stuff of nightmares. Once Link reaches the end of the Shadow Temple, he’ll be confronted by this horrific beast. The creature’s design makes it look like his hands have been chopped off and that his head has been decapitated. Link has to shoot the glowing neck hole where his head should be; the faster, the better we say. Paired with the alarming design is the lore surrounding it. The spirit of Bongo Bongo escapes from the Bottom of the Well to reside in the Shadow Temple, both of which were torture chambers used by the Hyrulean Royal Family. The separated hands and neck stump show he definitely didn’t meet a happy end.

ReDead

Various

Video games have run zombies into the ground, making them far less terrifying than they should be, but ReDeads can still give us goosebumps. First introduced in “Ocarina of Time,” ReDeads will emit a spine-chilling shriek that literally freezes Link in his tracks. If they happen to then shamble over to him, they’ll start munching on his head. They’ve only grown more disturbing with subsequent appearances. The piercing red eyes of their “Wind Waker” variant can burrow into your very soul. The ReDead Knight of “Twilight Princess” has a massive sword to smack you with after it freezes you in fear. While the similar, mummified Gibdo has appeared in more games, the ReDead is the definitive scary enemy.

Dead Hand

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

More often than not, when we think of the most disturbing element from the “Zelda” series, it’s this dreadful mini-boss that comes to mind. Dead Hand is fought twice in “Ocarina of Time,” once in the Bottom of the Well and again in the Shadow Temple. The first fight has a reputation for being one of the most disheartening encounters in a Nintendo game. The terror players felt in this moment has transcended the game, leading to a ton of creatively chilling artwork and the creation of an even more horrifying D&D homebrew monster, the False Hydra. The long, pale arms that protrude from the ground, Dead Hand’s bloodstained body, and the nature in which it deals damage all prove it deserves that legacy.

What enemy from “The Legend of Zelda” gives you the creeps? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!