Top 5 Underwhelming Zelda Bosses 

What Zelda boss disappointed you the most?

I agree with your list, except for master kohga. I’m not defending him, per say, but I thought his stupidity was on par with the rest of the yiga and their inability to succeed.

People call the Imprisoned 'the avacado' WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD THIS YET

Kohga was honestly a relief after that forced stealth, I was scared his fight would be ridiculously hard 😅

Kohga was definitely silly as hell, but I think the banana-crazed underlings prepared me for the goofy miniboss. Would've loved a more developed story on them, though, yeah.

The disdain in your voice as you say "but.... it's a ball in a tube" is one of the funniest things I've heard all day 😂

Fi, the omniscient spirit being created by the goddess herself: *that boss must be big if these tentacles are any indication lol*

The Tentalus reveal in this video honestly hurt just as much as when playing the original game. The narrative build up resurfaced all of the original experience’s emotions perfectly lmao

9:45 I am glad to confirm that, as of Tears of the Kingdom, Master Kohga has more than redeemed himself. He's still utterly hilarious, but at least he is a decent boss.

i really appreciate the focus on the buildups for the underwhelming bosses giving more weight to the disappointment, especially with the tentacle boss and its very unique temple

The build up for Tentalus was so incredible. It made up for the design of the face for me.

I didn’t mind the final boss in BotW. I know it was a more cinematic ending rather than difficult, but I thought it was beautifully done and honestly after the frustration of Thunderblight, I didn’t mind the break lmaooo

Honestly, I kinda liked Kohga. His battle was so much different than all the other bosses, and he is just a joy to watch fumble around

I never quite understood why Mike Wasowski's mom was a boss in Skyward Sword..

For me, dark beast ganon was a cinematic finale rather than a dynamic fight.

I like how Morpheel from Twilight Princess kinda redeemed the idea of Morpha, and delivered on the great beast with jaws of terrors we expected. Morpheel: I am Morpha. Or rather, Morpha as he should have been

I've been playing Skyward Sword lately and the most disappointing boss for me (besides Tentalus) is Scaldera. I saw the boss back when the original came out and I never really liked it. But this is the first time I've seen the Earth Temple and it is gorgeous in its design. I love all of the serpent/dragon motifs. The dungeon design makes you expect some kind of awesome feathered serpent dragon as a boss. But you get a gooey meatball spider. The boss fight isn't too bad but it's a bit too repetitive without too much variation in stages. It's like the OoT water temple with sea serpent designs followed up with Morpha.

Tentalus does look like something straight outta Monster's Inc.

I always thought Tentalus looked like a cut Mario Galaxy boss that Nintendo already had the model for so they decided to just throw it in SS.

I think Nintendo realised the wasted potential that they had for the Yiga clan, so in Age Of Calamity they revived the Yiga clan with the help of Sooga and Astor.

Master Kogua being revealed to have survived in Tears of the Kingdom and at least this time he’s a bit more challenging since he uses devices to constantly move around the battle field. I had some trouble accurately aiming my bows at him during the first fight since he moved around so much.

The imprisoned is Demise trapped in the body of a muppet. The goddess made him like that to throw more salt in his wound. Lol

I really wish they had Dark Beast Ganon just go rampaging across Hyrule, with the player on a time limit to save the various cities and towns they have grown to love

Okay I'm not gonna lie I loved that you used Groose's theme for Tentalus... somehow it really, REALLY fit

Thoughts on Kohga: They likely didn’t want him to overshadow Vah Naboris, as he’s an obstacle needed to unlock that dungeon. He’s more like a miniboss. Would have been cool if they made him Bombmaster Kohga or something and had a real terrifying Yiga clan leader as an optional boss that you had to unlock.

Honestly, I found the Yiga Clan, whole, just... Funny. Their obsession with mighty bananas, their... Funny things. Made kinda sense their boss would be like that. And for me? The fight was awesome. It was very fun, honestly.

Ever since my first run through Skyward Sword, we always refered to the imprisioned as Pineapple Godzilla

I feel like Dark Beast gets too much hate. Don’t get me wrong, it deals no damage and is pretty easy to avoid, but I kind of enjoyed the feeling of “You killed Ganon, now he’s entering his final phase, here’s the bow of the gods for a climactic ending.” Especially when you bullet time in the air for the final part, that’s pretty cool. Obviously, this is my opinion, but I kinda liked this battle.

To be fair about the Water Temple, you JUST fought a dragon in Volvagia, so it's probably for the best that all of the temple's dragon imagery be a mere aesthetic. Also, I hear that Morpha's core was especially hard to render at the time, so you could probably take the boss to be a technical presentation more than anything. You are right, though, in that it really should've been a mini-boss. In fact, the entire premise of extracting a core seems barely different from the Flare Dancers in the previous dungeon. I guess the fact that its body consists of the entire pool of water could be a little bit intimidating, and a giant amoeba monster isn't a bad concept on its own, but the execution is horribly botched when the entire fight boils down to "Don't go into the water, stupid!", staying from a safe distance, and fairly easily extracting the utterly helpless core with the dungeon's item. There were plenty of ways they could've made this seem more worthy of being the boss fight for the Water Temple (one of Zelda's more infamous dungeons), be it by giving Morpha more options to attack Link from outside the pool, making the lone core be at least somewhat capable of defending itself (or at least making the core not be so braindead simple to extract in the first place), or like you said, giving it a second phase. Also, when it comes to the first Zelda, the "bosses" barely feel like bosses to begin with. There is no boss music (though I guess they do get a roaring sound effect), and several of them can just randomly show up in the middle of later dungeons all willy-nilly. They come across less as the partly-cinematic showdowns to cap off the end of the area you just explored, and more just regular enemies that require a few more hits to take down. And that's fine. Early NES games were extremely simplistic, but they managed to work with what they got (as an aside, Link To The Past's Ganon fight seems to be a straight-up refinement of its NES counterpart). In the case of the first Zelda, most of the game's emphasis was on discovery and secrets in a pre-internet age, and Gohma and Digdogger were still liable to give you problems if you didn't know the secret to defeating them (either because you didn't notice the old man's advice, or you couldn't even figure out who the hell Gohma or Digdogger were because you picked up a second-hand copy of the game with no instruction manual).

I was expecting a dragon with freezing breath that cause Zora's Domain to be turned into an Ice Prison hiding withing the Water Temple. But nope we get a blob.

The Imprisoned's cute little baby fingers and toes ruin that design so hard.

I think what would have made the Dark Beast Ganon fight better, is if bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, and all different types of monsters tried attacking while Ganon readied his laser attacks. It would have been cool if Ganon summoned the monsters as a last ditch effort to distract you in order to win...kind of like what Ghirahim did at the end of Skyward Sword.

I actually really enjoy Morpha’s design and fight. It is a very unique little beastie.

Master Khoga felt perfect to me, of course my expectations were that the Yiga clan itself had a lot of team rocket like feel to me. I liked them though. Felt like an instance where you had a bunch of incompetent people getting a reputation of being a lot more terrifying than they actually were.

I honestly found Kohga to be reasonable, lore wise. He’s one of those lazy heirs you see in novels and manga a lot. He’s simply riding of the magnificence of his family being the leaders of the clan as well as being a talented individual in their arts since young and let his grandmother’s praise get to his head. That let to him relying on his talent only and not making any effort to improve at all and just take it easy and grow fat. 100 years of continuous success can bring about such a well used trope. But they used fantastically.

Morpha absolutely needed a second phase. Kind of amazing how Forest Temple is the first dungeon you face as an adult, and has a much better and more difficult boss fight than two dungeons later.

Tbf Kohga was meant to be more of a mini boss really given that he's the stepping stone to the pacification of Naboris and his defeat yields you the item needed for it. His fight was probably made easy intentionally given how difficult Thunderblight can be.

Tentalus be out there lookin like a character from Monsters inc.

I also thought Dark Beast Gannon was attacking the land instead of me! And, actually, I think that's what *should* be happening, adding a countdown before Gannon destroys the land. That would ad at least a *little* urgency to the final battle...

10:40 That didn’t age very well

12:42 I literally just called The Imprisoned, The Mogus. Because he literally looks like an Among Us character in his first form. The internet has ruined me.

Every boss in skyward sword looks like something out of monsters inc

i was partially hoping that koga being a joke was a subversion for a really dangerous yiga clan member to take the mantle and challenge link to a proper rematch.

I 100% used to feel the same way about tentalus too, until i thought about how some of the zelda enemies looked like in old zelda games (like the cyclops in link’s awakening) and i saw what they were going for. Skyward sword is, in my opinion, a combination of twilight princess style and windwaker style so it has goofy looking enemies and scary looking enemies.

Speaking of Morpha, one thing I love about Gyorg from the N64 version of Majora's Mask is that, after you fall into the boss room, you get the same 1st-person perspective of the boss swimming around the boss room, which can make someone who has played Ocarina of Time go "Oh, no; not another eyeball boss", only for it to dramatically leap out of the water and reveal itself to actually be a giant fish that blends into the boss room's darkness; while not a sea serpent, it is certainly a far more fitting foe than an eyeball... …And then the 3DS version had to ruin it by making Gyorg an eyeball (an eyeball encased in a fish's mouth, but an eyeball nonetheless).

I feel like, rather than the egg esque toes, the imprisoned with claws would look FAR more menacing.

in my first playthrough of Skyward Sword, when i fought this thing, i was like "oh look, it's Bootleg Ursula"

12:58 *AMOGUS*

Would've been cool if in Master Mode they added a handful of guardians around Dark Beast Ganon to chase you around and keep you on your toes as you gallop around him. Would've added some challenge without fundamentally changing the boss itself.

Wait wait wait wait Dark Beast Ganon ISN'T attacking the land around you?

The Imprisoned lowkey feels like Demise ran out of ideas trying to escape.

11:50 I was about to get mad if you said demise was underwhelming

morpha was a very memorable boss. not all bosses have to be about scary, great beasts. at the time, the technology for programming such a boss as morpha hadnt really been done before. as the player, we didnt know what to expect from the water it's self, which you often ended up in while trying to avoid his attacks and look for an opening to return damage. theres also something intimidating about a creature that slips thru the water like jelly and attacks from your blind spots while you're struggling to climb out of the water

Tentalus doesn’t look like he belongs in Skyward Sword, he’s just too cartoonish.

So the evil creature that drained Lake Hylia, froze Zora's Domain killing (nearly) all the Zoras, and lurked at the most infamous of the Hylian temples... is nothing more than a hyperactive piece of chewing gum!

As someone who loved the movie The Abyss as a kid, Morpha always felt cooler to me because I had a much cooler image to think of it as. I guess I never considered it in a way that it could be boring to someone because a shape shifting water thing, in a building full of water under a lake, feels so dang terrifying. And while at the time N64 graphics were good, movie CGI was way ahead of games at the time.

When I fought the Awakened for the first time, my thought was "oh dang, some powerful being so early?" My thoughts during the 2nd fight was "ok?" And the third time was "again, really? Why?"

Yeah when I got done with BOTW, I was like “oh, that last fight was more of a victory lap. The real fight was back in that large chamber. Feels like an opportunity missed 😕”

Why do I find “the Imprisoned” cute 🥺 I low key want a plushie of him

In my first time fighting dark beast ganon, my horse died (rip Tomato) and I clipped through the ground, finding myself below the actual map. Not sure how I made it back to finish the fight but I managed to do it even without my horse. It completely took me out of the immersion and did not leave me feeling very accomplished when I beat him 😂

Tentalus really killed me. Not for a lack of first time difficulty but the appearance after the build up. I'm really puzzled still why they made it look so childish like a cuddly stuffed animal. Such a great level and build up. Everything but the appearance of the boss was incredible. The Ancient Cistern and that boss fight make up for this though I think.

I died when you added the sploosh sound effect to Tentalus

Imagine if the BOTW sequel revealed that Master Kohga was just a foil in order to keep the real Yiga clan leader's identity and existence hidden from Link.

To me the pirate ( the mid-boss) is the true boss of the sand ship! It was unexpected, yet expected, fun and thrilling

i have always loved the imprisoned fight. it was kinda scary for me as kid to imagine if i dont defeat before he reaches the temple and wins

Stallord is my favorite boss so it was a sigh of relief when it turns out you were using it as an example of a good boss lol

Groose’s theme during the tentacle fight was brilliant.

Would of been cool if the tentacle boss on its second phase morphs from the cute look to something terrifying.

I share the same disappointment with Tentalus. I had a ton of fun on this ship and the battle with the captain was great. The build up to the final boss was tense and here I was expecting some Pirates of the Caribbean kraken fight. Instead I got this thing.

I think Dark Beast was more supposed to be a conclusion to breath of the wild than an actual boss. Calamity Ganon more seems to be the final test of strength. And when you think about it, Dark Beast really isn’t trying to kill you. He more seems to know he’s lost, and is trying to cause as much damage to hyrule before he leaves. Sorta like a last ditch effort. That’s just my opinion tho

I just think it’s hilarious that when a Yiga blademaster spots you, all the blademasters and foot soldiers readily ambush Link and it’s near impossible to defeat them all, yet Master Kohga doesn’t think to send any of them for assistance?

I agree it would be so cool to make a giant intimidating squid/octopus or a badass yiga but honestly I really liked those moments as they gave a good laugh.

I thought Dark Beast Ganon in BotW would playout like a Shadow of the Colossus fight or something. Having this giant beast rampaging the land while Link rode around looking for a weak spot to hit. Instead, we got an unmoving creature who did little to stop you and Zelda going "Here! Shoot these MASSIVE targets with equally large hit-boxes." and you can just shoot them at your leisure because Ganon is literally not doing much to kill you.

"Some just leave you with a feeling of, hu" that got me

19:51 "I genuinely don't think I've ever taken damage from Dark Beast Ganon" _Shows footage of himself taking damage from Dark Beast Ganon_

I appreciate your emphasis and respect of other players' experience and feelings and the putting the context into perspective. Demise's imprisoned form was so overwhelming to me that I can't play my favourite pre-botw entry. The others are to me a (± comic) relief of the built-up tension. Tentacula is a good example, so is the last phase of BOTW's final battle. It was rewarding to me, honnestly!

While watching the first boss covered here, my thoughts immediately went to master kohga. Not surprised he ended up on the list. But I can't tell if I love the humor of him being an old, clumsy man, or wish that he was super imposing. I feel like it's one of those things that could go either way, especially after the job of sneaking around the hideout to get to him. I'm still undecided lol

For a sec i thought you were having demise as an underwhelming boss and i was disappointed. Then it was the imprisoned and i was like "oooh right, that thing looks bizarre"

I can just imagine Link being super tense when about to confront a boss, only to see their appearance and be like "Bruh".

The miniboss for the sandship dungeon was *much* more harder for me, then the actual boss tentalus 🤨

I got told that dark beast ganon was basically a freebie the game gives you sort of as a reward for beating all the other ganons, so when I got to that fight, I was expecting it to be a bit more relaxed which I think is why I wasn't so disappointed and actually enjoyed it quite a lot

Some boss have too much flare, not enough or don’t have the fire power to back it up.

The best recommendation I heard for the Imprisoned was to keep most everything the same, but make it one fight. As in, start the fight with the slow, two-legged avocado, then have him grow arms once you've done some damage, and have a third phase where he flies. It would massively add to the feeling of desperation, like this thing just won't die, and he's only getting more powerful

me: watches a bunch of spoilers from a game i just bought also me: dissepointed that i watched spoilers cus now i know all the fun parts and designs

Tentalus was one of the harder bosses for me, I kept getting my timing wrong and it would shake off my shot to the eye before I could attack. I hated the final boss fight in Skyward Sword, it was insanely easy. Even Ghirahim at that point was easier than his earlier forms. And side note, Groose has one of the best redemption stories out there.

I have an exciting feeling that next year we’ll be getting more Zelda games on Switch. If Mario had one, Link will too. I think ALTTP have some of the best bosses in the whole series.

Ok but that "Splish" sound clip had me laughing way too hard

I've never played Skyward Sword, so I've never seen Tentalus, so it's probably not a good sign my reaction to seeing it was "Awww it's so cute!" Fun design, not intimidating at all

I got nervous at 2 when you started to talk about Demise. I thought you would say Demise was underwhelming!! But I can agree about the Imprisoned.

My mom used to watch me play the Zelda games and she says that the imprisoned toe's are marshmallows. Now every time I see it I can't think of anything else lmao.

I’ve always felt the “fight” with Dark Beast Ganon in Breath of the Wild was definitely more of an interactive cutscene; the main battle was in the chamber with Calamity Ganon. It never bothered me that the Dark Beast Ganon fight was so easy; it was all so epic: the music, Zelda’s words, the scale of the beast, the use of bow on horseback, and the final shot to the eye. That cutscene was icing on the cake of a solid fight against Calamity Ganon. The only thing I was disappointed by was that we didn’t get to fight Ganondorf, but it looks like we’ll get that in the sequel. I have a good feeling Nintendo have been listening to fan feedback and they’ll give us a great final battle in the sequel.

This video is hilarious, Zeltik going to town and roasting these bosses XD

If you ever feel like it, I would love to see more of your "classic Zelda monsters re-imagined for BOTW2" series using this list. I feel like Tentalus would be easy, something more like a real cephalopod, with some Lovecraftian elements. Replacing the double-chin with a massive beak would help. I think the Morpha could be easily improved, too. Maybe like its name implies, it could morph between different monstrous forms that each require different techniques. Maybe if it also had more... stuff... floating in it. Something that evokes a level of body horror: wriggling flagellum, pulsating innards, etc. Maybe it drags Link into itself if he gets caught, and you have to desperately thrash your way out while taking damage. I like how you talked about the misleading build-up to all the battles, but I particularly wonder what a proper build-up would be for this. As for Khoga, the Yiga can't be leaderless for long, can they? I was fine with him being more comedic, but with BOTW2 most likely being darker in tone overall, maybe his successor will be more threatening. Their new leader could give something like the Maz Koshia battle, but with the added threat of calling in Yiga members throughout the battle for support. And fitting with their goofier moments, it would be cool/creepy if they had maybe a Joker-like vibe. Disappear into the shadows and your only warning before they strike is a sinister giggling from their direction... I do hope we'll get to go under water in BOTW2, and it would be a great chance for the angler fish. Maybe its lure looks like an item you want to collect, so it's actually alluring. Then it could rush Link, charging with its teeth barred, or inhale him into itself. I guess that's a bit like the treasure octorocks, but I feel like if it's big enough eat Link and involves a more three-dimensional aquatic battle, it would still feel unique and threatening. It could look diseased by malice, oozing an oil-spill like substance through the water as it moves. I'm a relatively new Zelda fan, and I'm really enjoying your work! Thank you!

Honestly, I think there was one easy solution to the Dark Beast Ganon fight, Guardians. They could have made it seem like Ganon was turning his entire army of Guardians against you and it would’ve not only given the final boss more challenge but also more of an epic feel.

For a hot second, I thought you were about to put demise on the list and I was ready to get mad...then I saw what you actually put on the list and I wasnt

I love tentalus I think that just because the boss may look derpy asf, its still a unique boss and I love the way it’s introduced

I was disapointed by the Temple of Time boss in Twlilight Princess. You get one of the coolest items in the series the Dominion Rod and you just smush a spider with it?

19:50 “I genuinely don’t think I have never taken damage from dark beast Ganon.” *Proceeds to get blasted by Ganon’s dark spit energy*

y'know, when i played skyward sword for the first time and got to the end of the sand ship, my phobia of the ocean kicked in when it started sinking and i was legit hyperventilating but damn when i got to the boss.. all that fear washed away with that Celia lookin'

DB Ganon might be one of the more underwhelming bosses in Zelda history, but holy shit, it’s theme is my absolute favorite one of the entire franchise.