The Hardest Legend Of Zelda Boss Ever
The Hardest Zelda Boss Ever
The 20 HARDEST Zelda Bosses
Ever since Link entered "The Eagle" dungeon and faced off against Aquamentus in "The Legend of Zelda," bosses have been a staple part of Nintendo's iconic franchise and, by extension, all of gaming. "Zelda" games blend adventure, action, and puzzle elements, and that extends to the bosses. Over the years, Link has protected Hyrule from countless threatening foes, leading to some thrilling battles against the likes of Ganon and Stallord. While some encounters are certainly a challenge, especially in games like "Zelda II" and "Majora's Mask," difficulty has seldom been the goal of Nintendo's series. More often than not, boss encounters are only difficult until the trick behind them is figured out. Despite fully embracing the spirit of the series, "Breath of the Wild" is nevertheless quite a departure from "Zelda's" usual style. An open-world game that drops players into a massive map with little guidance beyond a general goal to defeat Calamity Ganon and, if so inclined, free the Divine Beasts, "Breath of the Wild" is the ultimate sandbox experience. Players can choose in which order to take on the Blights that have corrupted the Divine Beasts, which can make boss fights like that against Thunderblight Ganon far easier or harder depending on Link's status. This extends to Calamity Ganon, who is a moderate challenge if faced after the Divine Beasts are freed or a punishing one if Link decides to make a beeline for Hyrule Castle. Around nine months after "Breath of the Wild" dropped, Nintendo released "The Champions' Ballad" DLC that included a new quest culminating in a boss fight against Monk Maz Koshia. While the DLC is set after Link frees the Divine Beasts but before he takes on Calamity Ganon, Monk Maz Koshia is comfortably the hardest boss fight in not only "Breath of the Wild", but the entire "The Legend of Zelda" franchise. Throughout Link's journey in Hyrule, the hero comes across plenty of Sheikah artifacts, remnants of a civilization that once protected Hyrule. In fact, the first thing Link does in the game is pick up the Sheikah Slate. Within the hundred-plus Ancient Shrines spread throughout Hyrule, Sheikah Monks await to give Spirit Orbs to the hero capable of completing their challenges. Link is essentially being trained by these Monks to become the savior that Hyrule needs. Monk Maz Koshia designs a final trial for Link to overcome, one that signals the protagonist is ready to face Calamity Ganon. While other bosses in the game want to mostly kill Link, Maz Koshia wants the Hylian to surpass his limits. After overcoming a set of trials that involve refighting the Blight Ganons with a limited inventory, knowing when to use a one-hit kill weapon, and exploring a new Divine Beast, Link finally faces off against Maz Koshia. This is the boss battle to end all boss battles, one designed to test all of Link's acquired skills and the player's adaptability. It is "Breath of the Wild's" brilliance condensed into a single fight. It is challenging, prioritizes player agency, and there is no prevailing road to victory. "Zelda" helped popularize boss fights with multiple phases, and Maz Koshia is a perfect example of this formula done right. Along with being visually interesting, each phase sees Maz Koshia trying out different tactics against Hyrule's finest. Naturally, this means Link has to rise to the challenge and adjust accordingly. The battle goes through four phases, all of which can be tackled in multiple ways but can also be made easier using specific tactics. It is a hard boss fight that wants to ensure the player comes out stronger at the end. The first phase harbors back to speed-oriented fights like the one against Thunderblight Ganon or the teleport-happy Yiga Clan members scattered across Hyrule. This phase tests the player's reflexes and their mastery of the dodge mechanic. It can be a frantic fight, but one that is not too unusual. Once Link gets a few solid hits on Maz Koshia, the boss opts to test whether the hero can handle overwhelming numbers. After dividing into nine versions of himself, Maz Koshia and his copies surround Link, who has to avoid overhead attacks and elemental arrows while trying to find the real Monk. These two phases would have already made for a harder than average "Zelda" boss, but Maz Koshia is only getting started. When Link gets the Monk down to 50% health, Maz Koshia unleashes his inner giant and becomes supersized. This time around, The Divine Trial is more interested in testing Link's defenses than his reflexes. Along with shooting out the occasional Guardian beam, an attack that will see if parrying is a skill in the player's repertoire, Maz Koshia will try to spike Link with metal spheres. Unlike the previous phases, Maz Koshia's third stage is mostly a ranged battle. It is possible to defeat Maz Koshia during his third phase, although this generally requires wailing on the floored boss with a two-handed weapon and charged attacks. The player is rewarded for making the most of an opening with a quicker victory. If Maz Koshia survives, the boss will remain on the ground and summon two helpers, again testing the player's ability to control crowds. While the Monks focus on close-quarter attacks, Maz Koshia will fire off beams and try to turn Link into a pancake if he comes too close. Eventually, Maz Koshia will accept his defeat, a victory that comes with the boss's approval and a set of wheels for Link. When it comes to boss fights, Maz Koshia is "The Legend of Zelda" at its most difficult, a challenge made even harder in Master Mode due to HP regeneration. Even more so than Calamity Ganon, Maz Koshia feels like a culmination of an epic adventure. A worthy final challenge that seeks to test everything the player has learned over potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree. Which “The Legend of Zelda” boss gave you the most trouble? If you like this video, check out our “Top 10 Hardest Zelda Bosses” on WatchMojo.
