10 Best Boss Fights In The Legend Of Zelda Franchise
7. Gleeok
A simple but effective recurring boss from the original Zelda game, the Gleeok is a textbook example of the maxim: more is more. Midway through the game, Link encounters the beast - a two headed dragon guarding a piece of the triforce in Level 4. The hero and the monster do battle, and Link triumphs.
The Gleeok then resurfaces in three and four headed variations. More heads means more work for Link; it also means more fireballs, the main attack of the many-necked dragon. The shield provides no protection against the attacks - you can only dodge, which, when fighting in a small, locked off chamber, can be easier said than done.
Even with the limitations of the original game’s graphics, the Gleeok battle is an immersive affair, demanding increasingly nimble movement from the player as the game goes on. There’s not much more heroic an act than slaying a dragon, and the feat only becomes more heroic the more heads the designers stick on the thing.
Later games would reuse the Gleeok, adding extra twists like elemental attacks or its skeleton attacking you once the fight is over, but for pure heroism, sword vs dragon is about as good as it gets.