Boss Guide

Strong enemies show a Weak-Point Gauge after an attack that leaves them open. Anything that hurts it counts: a rune prompt (the red circle shows which rune to use), a Perfect Dodge followed by a Flurry Rush, a Perfect Guard, an element the enemy is weak to, or a Special Attack. Once the gauge is empty, move in and press X when the Weak-Point Smash prompt appears for a heavy hit and a stagger. Higher difficulties give bosses longer gauges. The full controls are on Combat and Controls.

Fire and Ice beat each other: use the Fire Rod on ice enemies and the Ice Rod on fire enemies. The Lightning Rod hits hard against anything standing in water or next to a metal crate. A rod of the enemy’s own element does little. Defeating Wizzrobes refills your rod meters, so clear them before a boss if you are running low.

A group of three Moblins is the last fight of The Battle of Hyrule Field, once you have retaken the three outposts. They are the gentlest boss fight in the game. When one charges, Cryonis (R+A) freezes it in place and exposes its gauge. An explosive barrel stands near the southernmost Moblin, so shooting it with Link’s bow or a Remote Bomb damages the whole group.

The Guardian in Road to the Ancient Lab is driven by Ganon’s Malice and sent after Zelda. Wake the Unearthed Guardians first, which staggers it. Its beam fires after the eye lights up: Link can parry it by holding ZL and pressing Y, but Zelda and Impa cannot, so sidestep instead. When it coils its legs, use Stasis (R+X) at the prompt. If you miss the prompt, Perfect Dodge the spin and Flurry Rush.

The Lynel is the last enemy of Mipha, the Zora Princess. It roars before a fire blast and the roar shows the area it will cover. A Remote Bomb counters the fire breath and Cryonis counters the charge. Rods stun it: the Fire Rod on grass, the Ice or Lightning Rod when it stands in water, the Lightning Rod near a metal crate. Special Attacks always stun Lynels.

Two Igneo Taluses block the climb in Daruk, the Goron Hero. Each has a weak point, an ore deposit on its back, which you smash after its body slam. The slam and the rock throw are melee attacks, so a Perfect Dodge works. Use the Ice Rod, since it is a fire enemy, and do not ride it, because the heat burns you.

Revali stays in the air during Revali, the Rito Warrior. Keep him locked on and attack from the side instead of head-on, and back away when he gathers wind for a gust.

Master Kohga appears in Urbosa, the Gerudo Chief and again in Destroy the Yiga Clan!. He duplicates himself and throws metal weapons, which Magnesis turns against him. Wait for the rune prompt, then stagger him. In the second fight Sooga joins when Kohga is about half health. Do not lock on, and defeat Sooga first.

A Hinox is the Yiga trap in The Yiga Clan Attacks!, meant to keep your Champions busy. It uses a fist slam, a log swing, a thrown damaged metal box and a belly flop. The last three can be countered with Stasis, Magnesis and Cryonis. Stasis it when it bounces up after rolling. Hitting its eye makes it cover the eye and fall, which exposes the gauge.

Sooga fights you in The Yiga Clan Attacks!, Akkala Tower and Destroy the Yiga Clan!. He summons Yiga symbols, and attacking him head-on draws a counterattack, so time your dodges and strike after his moves.

Astor is fought in Freeing Korok Forest and again in The Future of Hyrule. In the first fight he hides behind a shield and summons hollow Champions: defeat the hollows to break the barrier, then hit his gauge quickly. In the second fight Hollow Link fights beside him and Astor has no shield or summons. Defeat Hollow Link first, do not lock on, and dodge the orb attack markers. Astor also returns as a Challenge duel.

Two Stone Taluses attack in a cramped arena in The Road Home, Besieged. Remote Bombs destroy their arms and stop their attacks, and the bomb’s invulnerability protects you. Do not lock on in the tight space.

The Blue Hinox in When Courage Fails has more health and more gauges than a plain Hinox. Break its gauge and use Flurry Rush when the prompt appears.

The White-Maned Lynel in Calamity Strikes follows the Lynel plan: Remote Bomb against the fireball breath, Cryonis against the charge, and rods to break the gauge.

Waterblight Ganon is met in Water and Fire with Mipha and Sidon, and fought again at half health in Each Step Like Thunder and The Future of Hyrule. It is weak to fire, so use the Fire Rod. Watch for the large white markers on the ground. It also returns in the Expansion Pass battle EX The Yiga Clan’s Retreat.

Fireblight Ganon is paired with Daruk and Yunobo in Water and Fire and returns in the same later battles. It is weak to ice, so use the Ice Rod. Its attacks are slow, which makes it the easier of the two.

Thunderblight Ganon is fought with Urbosa and Riju in Air and Lightning, and at full health in Each Step Like Thunder. It dashes, then throws orbs and spins. Perfect Dodge the spins and follow with a Flurry Rush. When it splits into three, dodge and spam Remote Bombs.

Windblight Ganon is fought with Revali and Teba in Air and Lightning, and at full health in Each Step Like Thunder. At range, run sideways. Up close, Perfect Dodge and Flurry Rush. Leave the circle marker at once, since it is where the bullet rain lands.

The Malice Guardians in Relentless as a Waterfall have more health and more gauges than a plain Guardian. Dodge their beams and use Stasis whenever a prompt appears.

A Silver Lynel waits in The Great Plateau, after the two central Hinoxes. It uses the same pattern as the normal Lynel, so reuse the Remote Bomb and Cryonis counters.

In All Hyrule, United Malice Igneo and Frost Taluses, a Malice Hinox and a Malice Lynel appear. Some respawn after you defeat at least two Malice Taluses or the Malice Hinox. The Malice Lynel has the most health and the longest gauge of the group. Remote Bombs destroy Talus arms and expose the ore.

Harbinger Ganon is fought in The Future of Hyrule. Its Guardian weapons glow before a strike: dodge sideways and Flurry Rush. A beam barrage rains down and tracks you, so keep moving. It also appears in the Expansion Pass battle EX To Zelda’s Side and as a Challenge duel.

The last boss of The Future of Hyrule is invulnerable at first, so save your Special Attacks until the dialogue ends, then follow the rune prompts. At critical health it grows wings and uses an attack that is hard to dodge: Perfect Dodge it or take cover with a Remote Bomb’s invulnerability. Empty the last gauge, then complete the seal prompt.

Terrako, the little Guardian that Zelda befriends, is an ally in the story and never a boss. You meet it as a companion in cutscenes, so there is nothing to prepare for; keep it apart from the hostile Guardians described above.

The Molduga lives under the sand near Gerudo Town. In Urbosa, the Gerudo Chief, lure it out with Remote Bomb explosions and fight it when it surfaces.

Yiga Blademasters turn up in pairs in Urbosa, the Gerudo Chief, Akkala Tower, The Yiga Clan Attacks! and Destroy the Yiga Clan!. They are sub-bosses with their own gauge, so treat each one like a Lynel-sized duel and use rune prompts to stagger them.

Besides the story bosses, the game uses families of tougher enemies as sub-bosses: Taluses (Stone, Igneo, Frost and their Malice versions), Hinoxes (Hinox, Blue, Black, Stalnox, Fire, Ice, Electric, Malice), Lynels (Lynel, Blue-Maned, White-Maned, Silver, Fire, Ice, Electric, Malice), Moblins (Moblin, Blue, Black, Silver, Stalmoblin, Fire, Ice, Electric), Guardians (Scout I, Scout III, Skywatcher, Turret, Fire, Ice, Electric, Malice) and Captains of the five races. They are described on Enemies. Weapons drop mostly from Moblins, Lynels and Guardians, and a chest with a weapon can appear after a Hinox falls.

Mutated Ganon is the boss of EX Guardian of Remembrance on Mount Daphnes, part of the Expansion Pass. It has two phases. In the first, its eye at ground level is the weak point. In the second, its weapons get their own gauges and become lock-on targets.

The Challenges include boss rematches: Versus Astor (Lv. 70), Versus Harbinger Ganon (Lv. 70) and Versus Calamity Ganon (Lv. 74). Bring a strong, fully fused weapon from the weapon list.