The Epic Saga Unveiled: Zelda's Tear-Inducing Bosses will Shape the Future of Gaming

The bosses in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were greatly improved compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Additionally, the game introduced a new layer of difficulty by relocating the boss rematches to the Depths. This added challenge should be replicated in future Zelda games. Due to criticisms of the "dungeons" and their bosses in Breath of the Wild, the sequel featured more traditional temples and unique bosses. As a result, the DLC-exclusive Blight Ganons rematches from Breath of the Wild needed to be revamped for Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom took boss rematches to new depths, quite literally. Hidden within the depths beneath Hyrule, players can discover areas where they can encounter and battle each temple's boss again. However, this opportunity is only available to those who have already defeated the boss and completed the corresponding dungeons. While the battles may not have changed much, the change in location provided a fresh challenge for players. This clever misdirection is something that other Zelda games should take note of.

The Depths Provides New Terrain For Boss Fights

The bosses in the Depths have become stronger since their initial encounters in their respective temples. However, the progression of these fights remains largely the same. Unlike other enemies in the Depths, the bosses do not inflict Gloom damage. Nevertheless, the new environments where the bosses are fought present unique challenges that limit the player's resources, maneuverability, and visibility. While defeating these bosses is not necessary to complete the game, these high-risk battles offer valuable rewards in the form of Huge Crystallized Charges, which can be used to upgrade Link's Zonai battery.

To illustrate, the rematch with Colgera introduces new difficulties as players must navigate the Depths' narrow spaces while paragliding in near-total darkness. Marbled Gohma, on the other hand, now appears in more open areas, surprising players who were expecting its second phase. In contrast, unprepared players may struggle with the rematch against Mucktorok, as they will need to rely on Tears of the Kingdom's Sage abilities without access to splash fruit or opals. Similarly, Queen Gibdo can only be damaged after sustaining elemental damage, but her rematch poses additional challenges. Destroying Gibdo nests no longer produces sunbeams, and the Gibdos themselves now inflict Gloom damage.

Zelda Should Enhance Boss Rematches With Its Environments

While previous Zelda games allowed players to revisit bosses, these encounters often remained unchanged from the initial fight. The setting, attack patterns, and other conditions would stay the same. Although this approach may have pleased players who enjoyed the original boss fight or wanted to share the experience with others, there is a more enticing way to offer replayability and challenge experienced players.

Instead of simply repeating the same boss fight, future Zelda bosses could adopt the approach used in Tears of the Kingdom. This would give players the freedom to encounter and battle bosses in different parts of the game, with each fight playing out uniquely based on its new environment. The bosses in the Depths are a prime example of this dynamic, where low visibility and the risk of Gloom damage elevate the difficulty. For instance, Shadow Link, in addition to recurring bosses like Gohma, could take advantage of an environment like the Depths. This would force players to engage in blind combat, with glowing red eyes attacking them from the darkness.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.