Characters / The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Twilight Realm

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Main Character Index
Heroes | Twilight Realm | Light World

A page for the villainous commanders of the Twilight Realm and their vassals.

Beware of spoilers!

Forces of Twilight

Leaders

Zant

Usurper King

Voiced by: Junji Kitajima

"Are you implying that my power is…our old magic? Now THAT is a joke!"

The central antagonist of Twilight Princess. Zant was a servant of the Twili Royal Family and was next in line to be king of the Twilight Realm, but was passed over in favor of Midna due to his apparent lust for power. Enraged by the rejection, Zant turned to the heavens for an answer and encountered Ganondorf, who was banished to the Twilight Realm by the sages. Ganondorf offered Zant the power to take over the Twilight Realm in exchange for his freedom. With his newfound powers, Zant usurped the throne from Midna and turned the Twili into creatures called Shadow Beasts. He now seeks to spread Twilight all over Hyrule and create a world of total darkness.

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• 0% Approval Rating: No one who actually likes him by word is ever seen, and he's turned his entire realm's population into monsters that have to obey him.
• Abhorrent Admirer: Implied to be one to Midna, whom he calls "my Midna". When they meet in Lanayru's spring, he gets uncomfortably close to her, and in the Japanese version outright tells her, "I want you". When Midna refuses his advances, he spitefully exposes her to "the light world [she] covet[s]" like a spurned lover.
• Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: As shown in the cutscene before his boss fight, Zant has an unnerving amount of flexibility, able to twist and bend his body in various poses.
• All of the Other Reindeer: It's implied that Zant's strong displays of emotion made him an outcast amongst the Twili, but given that the implication comes from Zant himself, it's difficult to tell how true that assumption really is.
• Ambiguous Situation:
  • Zant stays mum on his backstory for the most part, with the only known detail being that he was rejected as a candidate for the throne of the Twilight monarch. It’s not stated for sure whether he was born into the royal family, and is thereby related to Midna, or if he was a retainer who somehow had enough clout to put himself in the line of succession. The Japanese version implies the latter, stating that he served the royal family for many years even though he hated them because he believed he would be chosen to rule.
  • In the last few seconds Ganondorf has before he dies, he sees an image of Zant snapping his own neck. While it is possible that it was just a hallucination or that Zant was (or still is) alive in some capacity and personally ensured his master's demise, it has never been confirmed either way.
• Ambition Is Evil: Midna states his naked greed was the reason why he was initially passed over for power.
  Midna: Traitors, ha! You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils... Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?
• Amusing Injuries: Link inflicts these on him in the fourth and fifth rounds of the fight. In the fourth round, knocking him off the totem pole results in him getting his head stuck in the ground. In the fifth round, hitting his foot with the Ball and Chain results in him hopping around and clutching his foot, shrinking to mouse size as he does.
• Animal Motifs: Snakes and reptiles, as seen in his clothing. The chameleon helmet in particular is rather fitting, given his facade and his true nature. Given that he imitates creatures and how his phantom form(s) have them aiding in battle as mini-bosses, he might have an affinity for them.
• Arch-Enemy: Between turning her into an imp, usurping her throne, and turning the Twili into Shadow Beasts, Zant has more than earned Midna's hatred.
• Asshole Victim: Zant is beaten to a pulp by Link, then popped like a balloon by Midna, with Ganondorf not even bothering to bring him back. However, after enslaving his people and wreaking havoc across Hyrule, his fate comes across as well-deserved.
• Ax-Crazy: Underneath Zant's Mask of Sanity is a deeply resentful, entitled, and childish psychopath who believes the Twili are a Master Race that deserves to blot out all the light in Hyrule. The madness is best shown in the Palace of Twilight, where he goes on a deranged Motive Rant while twisting his body every which way. His insanity is even implied to be the reason he had no chance at the throne.
• Badass on Paper: Zant is established early on as a powerful sorcerer who effortlessly conquered Midna's realm and Hyrule. In reality, a lot of his power comes from Ganondorf, while Zant himself is a barely-functioning Psychopathic Manchild who turns out to be spectacularly unskilled and uncoordinated in his fight with Link.
• Bad Powers, Bad People: A megalomaniacal Twili who gained powerful dark magic from an evil sorcerer posing as a god.
• Beam Spam: His main attack during the boss fight with him is to fire bolts of Twilight magic like a machine gun.
• Belief Makes You Stupid: His blind following of Ganondorf. Granted, he was very, very desperate and willing to do just about anything for power, so it's not like blindly following anyone willing to so much as throw him a bone was out of character for him to begin with.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: While Ganondorf directly enables his attempted conquest of Hyrule, Zant is the one actively causing the conflict until the end when Ganondorf takes over and becomes the Final Boss.
• Bond Villain Stupidity: Zigzagged. Though he was smart enough to take the Fused Shadows from Midna and Link, he merely curses Link to stay as a wolf permanently rather than killing him outright when he had once knocked him out. When he meets them again at Arbiter's Grounds and sees that Link is still alive, he shatters the Mirror of Twilight and scatters its pieces across Hyrule, but he doesn't actively stop them from reclaiming them. Before that, he animates Stallord to kill or even just defeat Link, and then promptly leaves without even bothering to make sure that Stallord actually beat him.
• Born in the Wrong Century: He is an ambitious sorceror who wants to conquer the world of light just like his ancestors tried to do centuries prior. Unfortunately, his people have largely disavowed their old ways and prefer to live a peaceful existence in their current home. In his speech before his boss fight, Zant laments how much the Twili have regressed from their interloper ancestors, angrily blaming the royal family for resigning their tribe to their current ways.
• Boss Remix: His battle theme combines the Twilit Hyrule theme with remixes of each boss arena you fight him in. The last phase, which isn't based on any particular boss, mashes them all together.
• Boss Subtitles: Usurper King: Zant
• Broken Pedestal: Zant is fanatically loyal to Ganondorf and believes that he will revive him to no end, though after Midna kills him with only a fraction of her power, the Demon King never does so, since the Usurper King had served his purpose in helping him regain his strength to return to Hyrule. After Ganondorf is defeated by Link and loses the Triforce of Power, Zant snaps his neck, killing Ganon as payback for lying to him. It would take until Hyrule Warriors (Non-canon, mind you) for Zant's admiration of the Demon King to be restored.
• The Caligula: After coming to power, he used his magic to transform the Twili into Shadow Beasts for his army to conquer Hyrule. He’s also very much insane, though he hides it well until his boss fight.
• Can't Live Without You: When Ganondorf gave Zant his powers, he also tied his life force to the Usurper King, making him the reason he came back alive afterwards: when Zant decides to snap his own neck, he kills Ganondorf in the process.
• Casting a Shadow: Comes with being a Twili. Though as stated by Midna, his magic is far different than the normal shadow magic used by Twili due to gaining his magic from Ganondorf.
• Characterization Marches On: The reason for his change in personality when he's confronted; as the story was being developed, Zant was given more characterization in the end.
  Yoshiyuki Oyama: This is kind of a tangent, but Zant received a lot more characterization in the end, and that's why we had the last boss battle against Zant end on a bit of comical note.
• Classic Villain: Represents Ambition, Greed, Pride, Wrath, and arguably Lust. Outside of representing various sins, Zant succeeds in blanketing Hyrule in twilight and stealing away the Fused Shadows from Link at first, is the well-bred Psychopathic Manchild to Link's mature-for-his-age Farm Boy, has a long and impressive Final-Exam Boss battle, and dies at Midna's hands when his spiteful taunts cause her to lash out and attack him with the Fused Shadows he dismissed as worthless.
• Combat Pragmatist: To ambush Link in Lanayru's spring, Zant simply waits for him to teleport out of the temple, teleports himself behind right before he turns around, and throws a force field that knocks out both Link and Lanayru. To not bring too much attention on himself, he comes alone, without his two bodyguards of the castle cutscene.
• Confusion Fu: His swordplay is heavily erratic, even more so the more hits you deal to him.
• Coat, Hat, Mask: He wears a longcoat, a balaclava, and his iconic helmet.
• Collapsible Helmet: His helmet can collapse by mental command to reveal his face, or if he doesn't want to completely remove the helmet, he can just open the mouthguard.
• Cool Helmet: One that resembles a chameleon's head, mixed somewhat with that of a fish. And apparently he knows just how cool it is, as he creates sentient copies of his helmet to guard the Palace of Twilight and creates giant copies of his helmet during the third round of the boss fight. His helmet also has a triangular shape, and were it not for the motifs and such, it approaches Sinister Geometry.
• Cool Sword: He has a rather large magical sword (known as the Scimitar of Twilight in Hyrule Warriors) that he drives into Stallord's head, reanimating the monster.
• Creepily Long Arms: Like all Twili, his arms and some fingers are quite long and reach to his knees.
• Creepy High-Pitched Voice: Once he drops the Baritone of Strength, Zant's Voice Grunting is a high-pitched, shrieking whine that fits his Psychopathic Manchild personality very well.
• Creepy Long Fingers: Like the Shadow Beasts and the Zant Hands, his index and pinky fingers are longer than his two middle fingers.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: His first meeting with Link has him knocking Link around like a ragdoll and nearly killing Midna by manipulating a Light Spirit all without even waving his arms.
• Dark Is Evil: While the Twili race as a whole is a clear-cut example of Dark Is Not Evil, he stands out as the sole exception thanks to his violent insanity, lust for power, and willingness to twist his own people into mindless shadow beasts so he can force them to obey.
• Deal with the Devil: Ganondorf makes one with him. Ganon would give him the power to take over the Twilight Realm and in exchange, Zant would help him return to the world of light. In reality, Ganon just needed to bond with Zant to feed on his hatred.
• Death by Irony: Earlier, he mocked the Fused Shadows as ancient and withered magic. In the end, Midna finishes him off with only a fraction of the Fused Shadows's power.
• Despotism Justifies the Means: Near the end of the game, Midna outright spells it out to Zant that this is why he was passed over for the throne of the Twilight Realm in favor of her: because everyone could tell he only wanted the throne for the power.
• Dimension Lord: Subverted. Midna is the true ruler of the Twilight Realm. Zant took the throne from her.
• Disc-One Final Boss: He serves as The Heavy of the game and a Final-Exam Boss in the penultimate dungeon, with his defeat marking the downfall of one half of the Big Bad Duumvirate.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Zant's breakdown at the end of the game— where he suddenly snaps and begins raving about his delusions of grandeur, contorting his body, shrieking, and stating how he feels emotions and perceives the world much more strongly than the rest of the Twili— is disturbingly reminiscent of real-life mental illness, and the fits of psychosis that can result if it goes untreated.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: After losing to Link, Zant uses the last of his strength to taunt Midna that her curse will never be broken. Midna shuts his jeers and lunacy up... permanently.
• The Dragon: Downplayed. Even though he's bonded to Ganon, he's largely free to do whatever he wants, though Ganondorf takes advantage of his diversion to take over Hyrule himself.
• Dual Wielding: Uses twin scimitars in the sword fight with him.
• Dub Name Change: He's called Xanto in French.
• The Emperor: He takes over Hyrule after conquering the Twilight Realm.
• Entitled Bastard: A recurring theme with Zant's character.
  • In contrast to the other Twili, who were content with life in the Twilight Realm, Zant felt that his people were oppressed and imprisoned there "like insects in a cage". He felt entitled to live in the Light Realm, as the Twili rightfully deserved, and longed to take it back. Ganondorf gives him the chance to do so.
  • On a more personal level, Zant clearly felt entitled to become the King of Twilight, enduring a career of service in the royal family's household despite holding a very low opinion of them purely because he thought he had a claim to the throne. When he was passed over, he threw a tantrum, and after obtaining Ganondorf's power decided to take the title by force. Downplayed Trope, as Midna implies the royal family really did consider Zant as a ruler and that he was passed over due to his ambition.
  • Immediately before Midna kills him, Zant makes the borderline-delirious claim that Ganondorf will revive him over and over again, showing that he feels entitled to unlimited favours from Ganon even though he is little more than a powerful lackey.
• Entitled to Have You: Displays a very creepy and possessive attitude towards Midna, invades her personal space, and drools in her ear to tell her, "I need you", which gives his otherwise fairly standard We Can Rule Together speech much more disturbing undertones.
• Evil Chancellor: The game is vague on whatever position he had, only revealing that he served in the royal house, and was initially next in line for the throne.
• Evil Counterpart: To Midna. Both are Twili that were once next in line to rule the Twilight Realm, want what's best for their people, and ally themselves with a wielder of the Triforce (Link for Midna, Ganondorf for Zant). While Midna was already ruler of the Twilight Realm due to remembering her ancestors losing thier king to his greed, Zant hasn't forgotten his people's desires to rule over Hyrule and usurps Midna with new power granted to him by Ganondorf after he was denied the throne.
• Evil Is Bigger: Is the second-most prominent villain after Ganondorf, and towers over every other main character aside from the aforementioned Ganondorf. He's about One Head Taller than Midna's true form, who, in turn, is about a head taller than Link and Zelda.
• Evil Is Petty:
  • His entire reason for taking over the Twilight Realm and oppressing the Light World hinges on a grudge over the Twili's banishment centuries prior, something that he not only wasn't alive for, but was also completely justified since the founders of the Twili were attempting to steal the Triforce and wage war against Hyrule. It’s particularly telling that all the other Twili are perfectly content with their lives in the Twilight Realm; Zant just refuses to accept anyone else's viewpoints and believes himself to be 100% correct at all times.
  • Him transforming Midna into an imp and trapping Link in his wolf form was blatantly unnecessary and only served as a way to humiliate the duo for defying him.
• Evil Overlord: Rules over both the Twilight Realm and Hyrule as this.
• Evil Redhead: Somewhat. As shown in this image◊, he does have red hair, but most of it is obscured by the balaclava he wears.
• Evil Sorcerer: Wields powerful dark magic granted to him by Ganon.
• Evil Wears Black: Wears black clothing decorated in turquoise Twilight markings.
• The Faceless: For the most part of the game, until he removes his helmet during his Motive Rant in the Palace Of Twilight.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Downplayed due to Bloodless Carnage, but still pretty gruesome. In a rage, Midna, using the Fused Shadow, impales him with three tendrils of hair, causing him to swell up and pop like a balloon-like zit.
• Fatal Flaw: Lust. Zant is so overcome by his lust for power that he both willingly and blindly makes a Deal with the Devil in a desperate bid to obtain it. Additionally, it's heavily implied (and outright demonstrated in the manga) that he has perverted crush on Midna; one that's so intense that he lashes out when she rejects his advances. All of this culminates in him being killed by Midna in retaliation for his crimes and left to die by Ganondorf, who only ever saw him as a means to an end.
• Faux Affably Evil: He presents himself with an air of control at first glance, but it is all an act, one that falls apart at the seams when he's provoked. Though, he does not really pretend to me more corteous than he is, just controlled.
• Final-Exam Boss: His boss fight involves him creating copies of different areas from certain dungeons from earlier in the game along with the movements of each of the bosses fought in said areas, requiring the player to both recall the dungeons and how to use the associated item — for instance, using the Gale Boomerang in the copy of Diababa's fight or the Iron Boots to avoid being knocked off the magnetic platform from the Fire Temple.
• Fog of Doom: Zant's Twilight curse manifests as a black fog composed of shadow crystals that absorb light.
• Foil: He's Link's opposite in every way. While Link is a rancher from Ordon (which isn't considered Hyrule proper), Zant was on speaking terms with the royal family of the Twilight Realm. While Link wears the obviously patched and resewn hero's clothes with chainmail, Zant wears a fancy robe and helmet. Link invariably uses a longsword and is a Master Swordsman, while Zant has two small scimitars and proves himself hilariously awkward with them, though still deadly. While Link relies on himself despite having the Triforce of Courage, Zant is almost totally dependent on Ganondorf's power to pose any kind of threat. Both have a sense for helping others - with Link it was clear and true given his interactions with the children around him for instance, while with Zant, he claimed to want to keep his people free of oppression - only to enforce his will on them, mad with power. Finally, while Link has an equal partnership with Midna and Zelda, Zant's never more than a junior partner to Ganondorf.
• Foreshadowing:
  • After Link beats the Lakebed Temple, Midna tells him that Zant's power is a false one, and shortly after, Zant himself tells them that he received his power from his "god".
  • In the very same scene, when he tries to sway Midna to his side, Zant leans in close to her ear and says "I need you" while visibly drooling. This is an early sign that Zant isn't nearly as sane as he initially appears to be.
• Forgot About His Powers:
  • In Morpheel's stage of the fight, after being pulled out of the giant replica of his helmet, he'll attempt to swim back inside, apparently forgetting he could just teleport. Especially hilarious considering he spends a good 90% of the fight teleporting around.
  • Zant has telekinesis and the ability to emit powerful shockwaves from his body when he shows up in Lanayru's spring, but he never uses either one in his boss battle.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Zant grew up in a world where he seemed to be the only person capable of strong emotions, and worked his entire life to serve the Twilight Royal Family in the hopes of becoming king… hopes which were promptly crushed when he was passed over in favor of Midna. However, as Midna herself points out, the reason Zant was rejected as king was due to his blatant madness and lust for power, which would make him unfit to rule. The state of the Twilight Realm after his takeover only proves her point.
  Midna: Traitors, ha! You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils… Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?
• From Nobody to Nightmare: He was just an ordinary, but insane Twili until Ganondorf gave him his power. It got worse from there… a lot worse. Downplayed Trope, given the story implies Zant was on speaking the royal family and that the latter really considered him as a potential candidate for the throne.
  Zant: With the Fused Shadow, I'll become one with the powerful, ancient magic. I will obtain it. I will merge shadow and light to make "darkness" and become the king that rules over it all!
• Glasgow Grin: His Lips appear to have been carved in the shape of an X.
• Green-Eyed Monster: His envy of both the royal family of the Twili and those who dwelt in the light of Hyrule led to him becoming a conquering warlord.
• Headdesk: He's shown repeatedly smashing his face into the floor, seemingly right after he was rejected for the position of the Twili ruler.
• The Heavy: Zant is responsible for the game's events, even after he's revealed to be working for Ganondorf.
• Hidden Depths: Zant's criticism of the Twili for lacking "the faintest bloom of desire" implies that one of the reasons he wasn't seen as trustworthy was his bombastic temperament. This puts his motives under a different lens: Zant's obsessive desire to save the Twili from the shadows is what led to his corruption via Ganondorf, not any sort of For the Evulz tripe... though power-hungry he still was.
• Hijacked by Ganon: It's revealed that it was Ganondorf who gave him enough power to invade the Twilight Realm, and eventually Hyrule.
• History Repeats: A power-mad, ambitious Twili seeking to use the Fused Shadow's power to seize dominion over the world of light, much like his ancestors before him who were banished to the Twilight Realm in the first place for it. The royal family recognized the similarities enough to attempt to defy this by denying him the throne, but Ganondorf taking an interest in him ensured it happened anyways.
• Hurt Foot Hop: In the Snowpeak Ruins stage of his battle, he turns himself giant and starts stomping around the stage. Link must use the ball and chain on his feet, which will cause him to shrink back down while clutching his hurt foot and yelling in pain. It's also one of his Overheating for using his giant form to stomp enemies into submission during Hyrule Warrior.
• Hypocrite: After he's defeated in the boss fight, he calls Link and Midna traitors, yet he is the one who usurped the throne from Midna and turned his own people into monsters in the service of a Light Dweller, the very species he despises so much.
• An Ice Person: He encases Zora Domain in ice. Offscreen, of course.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How he meets his end at Midna's hand.
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: Implied. Zant seems to be driven by a pathological need to prove himself as superior to Midna after being passed over for the throne in favor of her, along with a desire to be seen as superior to Light Worlders after the Twili were banished centuries before. When combined, these two factors explain why being outwitted and confronted by a seemingly random Hylian and the former princess he resented so badly cause him to suddenly snap.
• In the Hood: Wears a yellow balaclava under his helmet.
• Irony: He hates light-dwellers for imprisoning the Twili in the Twilight Realm, but he's working for one, Ganondorf.
• It's All About Me: Ultimately, despite his claims about trying to help the Twili, Zant is nothing more than a Narcissist trying to impose his own twisted ideals onto others against their will, to the point that he's willing to enslave his own people just to settle his petty grudge against the Light World and stroke his enormous ego.
• Jerkass: He is deeply unstable, vindictive, and an Entitled Bastard who looks down upon Link and goes out of his way to humiliate Midna.
• Junior Counterpart: Although they are both adults, Zant is one to Ganondorf. Zant envied the prosperity of the Light World much like how Ganondorf envied the prosperity of Hyrule, and like Ganondorf, Zant's desire for this other land concealed a hidden desire for power for its own sake. In this timeline, both characters even chance upon a source of power that allows them to make their desires come to fruition (Triforce of Power for Ganondorf, Ganondorf himself for Zant). But while Zant ultimately breaks down and reveals his true nature as an entitled, spoiled manchild, Ganondorf remains collected and mature to the very end.
• Kick the Dog:
  • Turning Midna into an imp might have been in retaliation for being a servant and having likely had to deal with her superior attitude at the time, but him transforming the Twili into Shadow Beasts was a ruthless show of power and that Ganondorf's influence might have made him worse.
  • Executing Queen Rutela in front of the Zoras for resisting his rule and freezing the Zoras in ice.
  • If nearly killing Midna by exposing her to a Light Spirit wasn’t cruel enough, he also curses Link to remain a wolf permanently. And said curse required the Master Sword to break.
  • Mocks Midna that her curse will never be broken as long as Ganondorf lives.
• The Kingslayer: Has Queen Rutela of the Zoras executed as an example to her people.
• Large and in Charge: Is the leader of the Shadow Beasts and stands as one of the tallest characters in the game (barring Ganon), towering over other characters. It helps that the helmet adds a bit to his height.
• Large Ham: He uses a lot of exclamation marks in his speech.
• Laughably Evil: His completely erratic and maniacal behavior during his boss fight truly must be seen to be believed.
• Laughing Mad: Let's just say that during the final battle against Zant, he seems to laugh a lot of the time, and that it is one seriously disturbed laugh.
• Lean and Mean: Though his clothing obscures this.
• Leitmotif: Has a very subtle one. In his theme music, at the beginning, after the Scare Chord, there is a very weird sequence of six notes played on what sounds like a very discordant stringed instrument. When you are in Twilight-covered areas of Hyrule, you hear the same six notes on a flute in the BGM. He has another one titled Light and Darkness that plays during his first confrontation with Link and their final encounter in the Palace of Twilight.
• Made of Iron: While not at Ganon's level, this is a villain that can take a beat down and won't stay down. He endures a grueling six-round fight with Link that involved falling on his head, getting hit in the foot repeatedly, and a copious amount of sword swings, and still clung to life long enough to taunt Midna about how her curse can never be broken. And even when Midna impales him using the Fused Shadows, Ganon's death scene reveals he might still be alive in some capacity, although perhaps it was his spirit. What ultimately finishes him off, one may interpret? Him snap-cracking his own neck.
• Magic Knight: Though he leans more towards magic than swordplay.
• Make an Example of Them: Executes Queen Rutela and encases Zora Domain in ice to serve as a warning for those who would defy his rule.
• Master Swordsman: Inverted. He's hilariously inept by the standards of the franchise's swordsmen, wildly hacking at Link with his swords and getting tired after just a few moments of action. It's not for nothing that he only resorts to a sword fight with Link after literally everything else has failed.
• Mask of Sanity: A very literal example — how much of Zant's iconic helmet he is wearing is roughly proportional to how controlled he acts in any given scene. The immediate impression he gives, when he wears the full helmet, is that of a calm, controlled Evil Overlord. Once he removes his mouth guard, the way he drools in Midna's ear is the first clue to his real personality. The mask comes off entirely in the Palace of Twilight, where he sheds his previously cool and calm demeanor and reveals the madman he is underneath.
• Meaningful Name: "Zanto" (ザント), Zant's Japanese name, could derive from the Japanese word zantou (残党), which means "remnant" (i.e. the remaining members of some group that has lost power or been incompletely defeated). It fits because he's essentially a "remnant" of ideology left over from the power-hungry interlopers who tried to take over Hyrule before they were sealed away and became the Twili.
• The Mentally Disturbed: More so than any other villain in the series, Zant is revealed to be legitimately insane during his Motive Rant, implied to be due to being the only Twili able to feel strong emotions, causing him to become psychologically detached from the rest of his people.
• Mind over Matter: Has powerful telekinesis.
• Mind Screw:
  • During his boss fight, he warps reality to put himself and Link in various different arenas with and creates numerous, increasingly surreal obstacles to give himself an advantage. Whether he's literally creating everything or if it’s all just an illusion is left unclear.
  • In his last moments after losing the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf sees a vision of Zant snapping his own neck, with Ganondorf himself dying immediately after. What any of that means is never explained.
• Mood-Swinger: He presents a veneer of control for the most part, but he is easily provoked, and when backed into a corner, his true colors appear.
• Motive Rant: Gives one during the final confrontation with Midna and Link in the Palace of Twilight.
  Zant: You speak of magic? Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages... The people of our tribe... a tribe that mastered the arts of magic... were locked away in this world like insects in a cage. In the shadows we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred... nor even the faintest bloom of desire. And all of it was the fault of a useless, do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence! I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess. And why, you ask? Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why! But would they acknowledge me as their king? No! And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler. It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens... and found a god. My god had only one wish... To merge shadow and light... and make darkness!
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much: The other Twili are peaceful and content with their life in the Twilight Realm. Zant is not.
• Narcissist: Horrifyingly so. Zant is an egotistical, self-centered brat who believes that he is entitled to be the King of Twilight to the point that he's willing to betray and enslave all of them in order to achieve it. Worse, he deflects all responsibility for his atrocities by claiming that he was chosen by a "god" for a higher purpose and that his goals are for the greater good of his people, even though all evidence points to the contrary.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: He believes that the Twili are the true inhabitants of Hyrule and wishes to conquer it. To that end, he wants to take the Humans and Hylians out of the equation by reducing them to "spirits" trapped in Twilight. He also has a very low opinion of Midna's friendship with Link, and says she "cannot consort with their kind" (possibly out of jealousy). The Japanese version ups the Nazi rhetoric in his Motive Rant by having him dismiss the peaceful Twili royals as "degenerate" because they were content to live in the Twilight Realm rather than enjoy the magic powers their "great race" had mastered.
• Near-Villain Victory: By the time Link got involved in the plot, Zant had already conquered most of Hyrule, with the only province remaining being the Ordona province, and that was only thwarted because Link just happened to be there at the exact moment a Shadow Beast appeared to steal Ordona's light.
• Neck Snap: He does one in Ganon's death scene for some reason. By doing this... to himself, he is striking the final blow and getting rid of his former master. Apparently their life-forces were tied together somehow.
• Necromancer: Zant uses a Twilight Sword to bring Stallord, the boss of Arbiter Grounds, to life.
• Negatives as a Positive: In his Motive Rant, Zant resents that the Twili did not show traditionally negative emotions, like anger, hatred, and desire (lust in the Japanese version).
• Never My Fault: He just can't accept that his lust for power is what caused Midna to be chosen over him, blaming it rather on the Royal Family's lack of ambition like a typical sociopath. Midna all but spells it out for him.
• Nerd in Evil's Helmet: At first he appears to be a powerful, ruthless and competent Evil Overlord, with a literal creepy-looking helmet to match. However, his imposing air rapidly unravels completely by the endgame as it turns out that his power is not really his own, he is not actually the mastermind behind the attack but a puppet to a greater evil, and he is actually childish, bratty and hilariously unprepared for things to not go his way, a far cry from the first impression he projects. Oh, and underneath that helmet, his face is actually not really threatening-looking in the slightest and is even somewhat goofy.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He curses Link to stay in wolf form with a Shadow crystal. This ultimately bites him in the ass later, as the power of the Master Sword not only allows Link to return to human form, but also become a Voluntary Shapeshifter by keeping the crystal. This is lampshaded by Midna when she and Link confront him.
  Midna: Isn't this ironic? Here we are, all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!
• The Night That Never Ends: His ultimate goal is to spread Twilight all over Hyrule.
• Noodle People: It's not really noticeable because of his clothes, but he's quite skinny, lanky, and has disturbingly long arms.
• No-Sell: When he catches Link and Midna off-guard in Lanayru Spring, the Light Spirit Lanayru tries to attack him with its light, but Zant isn't fazed in the slightest, due to being bonded with Ganon.
• No Sense of Personal Space: When he gives Midna a We Can Rule Together speech in Lanayru's spring, he gets very uncomfortably close to her, and even removes part of his mask so that he can drool in her ear, "I need you".
• Not-So-Badass Longcoat: He's a sorcerer with a stylish black longcoat, but between the lengthy sleeves, his small feet poking out from the bottom, and his pouty, psychotic demeanor, it actually has the effect of making him look less badass.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He claims his invasion of Hyrule is for the good of his people, the Twili. Given Zant forcibly turned all the Twili into monsters that have to obey him, turned it's clear any good intentions he ever had have long been abandoned, and he's now an insane megalomaniacal psychopath out for his own personal vengeance.
• Nothing Up My Sleeve: Hides his scimitars in his sleeves when not fighting or when using his magic.
• One Head Taller: Zant towers over other characters in the game. Link, in particular, barely reaches his chest.
• Orcus on His Throne: Zigzagged. He personally leads the coup to overthrow Midna, is on the front lines with the invasion of Hyrule, and even takes care of Link personally when he begins to become a problem, but after shattering the Mirror of Twilight and preventing Link and Midna from entering the Twilight Realm, he believes he's taken care of all obstacles and spends the rest of the game at the Palace of Twilight, which is the dungeon where the player fights him (it's the semifinal dungeon of the game).
• Pay Evil unto Evil:
  • Is on the receiving end of it. He survives the fight with Link and is rendered helpless, but he manages to provoke Midna into killing him anyways, and he had done enough wrong to have earned it.
  • After Ganondorf goes back on his word and doesn't revive Zant after the latter's death, Zant seemingly returns the favor by delivering the finishing blow to Ganondorf via a Neck Snap from beyond the grave.
• Phlegmings: When giving his We Can Rule Together speech to Midna, he drops his mask's mouth guard so he can tell her "I need you", visibly drooling. The strings of drool are so thick that you might think he has a Mouth Stitched Shut.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: He harbors a violent grudge against the people of the Light for what they did to the Twili in the distant past, and when he sees Midna allied with Link, a Hylian, he tells her "you cannot consort with their kind". More of his bigotry is detailed under A Nazi by Any Other Name. Ironically, his "god", Ganondorf, is from the Light himself.
• Psychopathic Manchild: While initially appearing as a calm, collected, and ruthless ruler, he ultimately reveals himself to be an immature, egotistic, and psychotic madman. After he was rejected by the Twili people, his response was rather infantile. He acted like a child who didn't get something he wanted. Midna even gives a "Reason You Suck" Speech, calling him out on his lust for power.
• Psycho Supporter: To Ganondorf, whom he views as a god that grants him power, and the Interlopers, due to him sharing their obsession with power and (supposedly) seeking to avenge them.
• Puppet King: He even admits his rise to power was thanks to Ganondorf's influence, even though he has an equal amount of control on the resurrected Dark lord.
• Reality Warper: Thanks to Ganondorf's power, Zant can do virtually anything. He can change size at will, levitate, teleport, travel between the Twilight Realm and Hyrule without the Mirror of Twilight, conjure objects out of Twilight matter, turn others into Shadow Beasts, defeat the powerful Light Spirits with a wave of a hand, create holograms of himself, and replicate or perhaps travel to past locations of previous bosses, among other magical feats. What makes this terrifying is that there doesn't seem to be any known limit to his powers. If it wasn't for his lack of actual refined combat skill, he would probably be nigh-unstoppable.
• Reptiles Are Abhorrent: His helmet is shaped like a chameleon's head, his shoulder guards are decorated with snakes, and his shoes resemble crocodile heads as shown in his concept art◊.
• Revenge: His motive from the beginning was revenge against the Light Dwellers for sealing his ancestors in the Twilight realm, and he later included the Twili after he was rejected as ruler.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Zant betrays his people and usurps the throne in exchange for Ganondorf's power, and believes that Ganondorf will instantly revive him if he dies. In reality, after Zant's death, Ganondorf doesn't bother resurrecting him or even mention him by name.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Downplayed, as he is not the true King of the Twilight, and only fights when cornered.That said, he does fight well when cornered.
• Sadistic Choice: Offers one to Zelda, forcing her to surrender so he would spare her people.
• Sanity Slippage: Downplayed and zigzagged; he was insane from the very beginning, and he just drops his facade. He becomes even more insane as the battle against him goes on, though.
• Scare Chord: His musical theme begins with some strange shrieking noise.
• Sequential Boss: When Midna and Link finally engage Zant in a boss fight towards the end of the game, the battleground shifts throughout the fight, and so do Zant's techniques.
• Sinister Scimitar: In his last bout with Link, he uses two curved swords as his weapons.
• Sizeshifter: During the fifth round of the fight, Zant grows to giant size and tries to crush Link underfoot. Hilariously, when struck by the Ball and Chain, he'll jump around clutching his foot while shrinking to tiny size.
• Smug Snake: He is nowhere near as powerful as he thinks he is despite gaining Ganondorf's power.
• The Sociopath: Despite claiming to have the Twili's best interests at heart, it's pretty clear that he cares much for himself and will do whatever it takes to secure his rule. His lust for power was always apparent, but Ganondorf's presence of evil may have made him worse.
• Spin Attack: During the Castle Town stage of his boss fight, he starts spinning across the stage like a top with his scimitars held out. He cannot be safely approached in this state, so Link must wait for him to tire out before attacking.
• Stealth Pun: His wooden shoes are carved in the shape of crocodile heads. He's wearing Crocs, or something.
• Subpar Supremacist: He believes that the Twili are the only ones worthy of living and ruling Hyrule, and reacts poorly to any implication that he isn't the undisputed leader of such a tribe. Near the end of the game, he's revealed to be a witless, cringing Psychopathic Manchild who took all of his power from a light-dweller.
• Sucksessor: A two-fold example.
  • As the King of Twilight after usurping Midna, Zant's leadership skills leave much to be desired. In his short reign, he completely runs the kingdom into the ground by turning all of his citizens into mindless monsters that he uses as Cannon Fodder for Link (effectively killing off large portions of his own population), the Twilight Realm is in a state of disrepair thanks to Zant misusing the Sols and not leaving any of the Twili sapient enough to act as servants, and his sheer cruelty towards the Light World regions that he conquers leads to a Resistance rising up against him.
  • To Ganondorf, since he obtains some of the Demon King's power. While Zant is indeed powerful and dangerous, he also lacks any sort of training in combat or sense of self-control when carrying out his plans, contrasting heavily with Ganondorf's high skills in sorcery, combat, and manipulation.
• Tantrum Throwing: He does this A LOT after taking off his mask. Heck, in Hyrule Warriors it states that his fighting style is even reminiscent to throwing a tantrum.
• Tattooed Crook: Has the Twilight Emblem on his forehead.
• Teleport Spam: Especially in his boss fight, Zant seems to constantly teleport from place to place.
• Terms of Endangerment: He keeps referring to Midna as "my Midna", with some rather stalker vibes. His outright telling her "I want you" in the Japanese version doesn't help one bit.
• The Usurper: To Midna, the eponymous Twilight Princess. It's literally in his title: "Usurper King Zant".
• Unreliable Narrator: The way he explains his backstory makes it seem like he was unfairly passed over for the throne after years of hard work simply because the Twili thought he was different and were too cowardly to avenge the injustices against their ancestors. In reality, according to Midna, the Twili rejected Zant as their ruler because he is clearly a complete and utter lunatic unsuited to rule a kingdom, and his refusal to acknowledge how the Interlopers' own actions led to their banishment prove how much of a delusional megalomaniac he really is.
• Unskilled, but Strong: As his boss fight shows, he tends to rely on his magical prowess more than actual skill. When forced to fight with swords, his fighting style is childish and unpredictable and boils down to a mix of Teleport Spam and wild flailing, and the fact that he gets winded easily while fighting that way suggests that it's probably his first time ever actually having to fight like that. His extra power comes from the one who wielded the very Triforce of Power.
• Unwitting Pawn: To Ganon. If his speech during the endgame is any indication, Ganon only bonded to Zant to feed off of his hatred to restore his power.
• Villain Ball: For most of the game, Zant zigzags between being smart and bouts of Bond Villain Stupidity, but halfway through the game, he ends up holding this as he curses Link to remain as a wolf instead of killing him, and shatters the Mirror of Twilight to stop them from reaching him, but doesn't actively stop them from reclaiming the fragments - probably on the grounds that he reckons that since he's got the other half of the Fused Shadow, they're not even remotely a proper threat to him. Needless to say, he was wrong.
• Villainous Breakdown: Though he wasn't exactly sane from the start, only keeping a calm facade. He loses this facade once Link reaches his throne room, and he breaks down even more when their fight goes on, as his attacks get even more unpredictable as he is on his last hits. While he could be considered as giving a Motive Rant before the boss fight, his reaction after it is definitely a breakdown.
  Zant: Y-You… TRAITORS!
• Villainous Crush: When he shows up at Lanayru's spring, he shows a very creepy fixation on Midna, calling her "my Midna". Then he drops the mouth guard on his mask, and drools right in her ear. It's even worse in the Japanese version, where he outright tells her, "I want you", and commands her not to "mingle" with light-dwellers like Link.
• Villain Teleportation: Can teleport in a flash of Twilight particles. In battle, this is Zant's most dangerous trait as he is incredibly hard to hit.
• Weakened by the Light: Averted. Despite being a Twili, broad day-light doesn't seem to have any effect on him. It's most likely because of Ganondorf's power.
• We Can Rule Together: Offers this to Midna. When she refuses, he nearly kills her in response.
  Zant: My Midna... Did you forget? That beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people. No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind! But if we can make their world ours, Midna... light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm... and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why... I need you.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He states that as long as Ganondorf lives, he will resurrect him without cease. He doesn't, and it's later implied that Ganondorf had no notable intention to revive Zant, as he believed the Twili race to be foolish, and they had already fulfilled their purpose.

Ganondorf

Dark Lord

^{Click to see Ganon} Dark Beast

Voiced by: Hironori Miyata

"He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don’t you think?"

After falsely swearing allegiance to the king, Ganondorf was exposed as a traitor by the Hero of Time, having just come back from a Bad Future where he'd taken over Hyrule. His plans to get the Triforce were foiled, and he was condemned to execution by the Sages themselves. However, even though he got his heart pierced, it didn't quite kill him, as the mark of the Triforce of Power somehow appeared in his hand, and reanimated his body. In a fit of Unstoppable Rage, he broke free of his chains, killed the Sage of Water, and took the very sword meant to execute him for his own. In a desperate move, the Sages sent Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm, in the hopes of keeping him trapped there. After wandering there for who-knows-how-long, he met Zant, and the events of the game were set in motion.

---

• Alas, Poor Villain: His death is portrayed rather somberly and no real fanfare. After the final battle, when the impaling Master Sword severs his connection to the Triforce of Power, he suffers a slow death as the old wound from the Ancient Sages catches up to him. After his passing, Zelda prays for him.
• All for Nothing: His original reason for invading Hyrule, as established in The Wind Waker, was to provide a better life for the Gerudo away from the harshness of the desert. By the time he returns to the Light World, the Gerudo have long since disappeared and their desert is nothing but a barren wasteland.
• Amazing Technicolor Population: His skin is somewhere between green and gray this time around.
• Anthropomorphic Shift: Inverted by his Ganon form. In previous games, Ganon was a trident-wielding sorcerer Pig Man, but in this game, Ganon runs on all fours and only attacks by charging around the room like an animal. This is likely due to it being portrayed as a counterpart to Link's wolf form.
• Arch-Enemy:
  • Averted this time in regards to Link, as he doesn't really know who the hero is in this game. Especially in contrast to the equivalent moment in the Wind Waker Timeline. There he faces The Hero of Time Reborn, who overthrew his kingdom after his successful grand master plan and stabbed him in the face at the end of an epic duel. Here he faces the Hero of Time Reborn who called the cops on him during the early stages of his grand master plan. Likewise, Link himself has far more personal enmity with King Bulblin, who kidnapped his friends and directly antagonizes him for most of the game.
  • Played straight with Princess Zelda. Ganondorf is the mastermind behind Zant's coup against her and has a personal grudge against the Royal Family, even going out of his way to humiliate her by pinning her against a Triforce statue in her own throne room and possessing her during his battle against Link.
• Armor Is Useless: Averted. The black armor he wears can deflect all of Link's sword attacks, forcing him to target the glowing scar on his chest.
• Attack the Injury: He still has the glowing scar he received from his failed execution, which serves as his primary weak point.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Can be distracted in the final battle by your fishing rod. It's a long-standing series tradition (dating back to A Link to the Past) for a single non-combat item to have an inexplicable combat usage like this.
• Ax-Crazy: As soon as he gains the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf breaks through his chains, murders a Sage in one hit, and begins to growl like an animal as fangs grow within his mouth, establishing that Ganondorf is more openly ruthless this time around.
• Badass Boast: Practically every line that comes out of his mouth once Link and Midna confront him qualifies as one.
  Ganondorf: Would you hear my desire? To take this foul blade… and use it to blot out the light forever!
• Badass Cape: He has a large and extravagant cape just like his Ocarina of Time counterpart. Just watch how it flows during his battle.
• BFS: The Sword of the Six Sages, which he pulled out of his own chest. He uses it during the last two phases of his boss battle.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: While Zant is the one causing the main conflict for most of the game, Ganondorf was directly enabling his conquest and steps up as the main villain and Final Boss after Zant’s death.
• Bishōnen Line: He possesses Zelda, turns into a giant boar-monster, then attacks you on horseback, and then ends it all in a one-on-one swordfight.
• Black Eyes of Crazy: After receiving the Triforce of Power and killing the Sage of Water, he's shown with yellow, pupil-less irises and black sclera.
• Black Knight: Has a hefty black armor, huge sword, and a slow, stoic, and imposing nature, and he also fights similarly to the Darknuts that play this trope straight. However, Ganondorf is a manipulative evil king rather than an actual knight.
• Blade Lock: For the first time in the series. Slash or Jump Attack at him when he comes running at you with his sword raised and you'll lock blades. Lose, and you'll get stabbed (and a brief Dark Reprise of his already dark theme). Win, and he'll be left wide open for a devastating combo (and accompanying Triumphant Reprise of his theme).
• Boss-Altering Consequence: If you take out the Fishing Rod during the fight, he'll be so distracted by it that he won't be able to act.
• Boss Subtitles: He has a number, one for each stage of his fight:
  • Ganon's Puppet: Zelda
  • Dark Beast: Ganon
  • Dark Lord: Ganondorf
• Bring It: His reply to Midna's threat to deny him reign over Hyrule.
  Ganondorf: Very well... deny me, then! Yes, try to deny me... you and your little friend...
• Card-Carrying Villain: At one point, he talks about how hatred fuels his power. (Skyward Sword makes this a combination of Foreshadowing and Call-Back!)
• The Chessmaster: Ganondorf spends one hundred years biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to break free from the Twilight Realm. When he finally seizes said opportunity, it doesn't take long for him to manipulate everyone in his path and take over two entire kingdoms undetected.
• Cold Ham: Contrasting his usual boisterous demeanor, this version Ganondorf is much calmer and more subdued. Nevertheless, his actual lines and behavior are just as hammy as ever.
• Cool Sword: He wields an intricate blade made of Hard Light, in fact, the very sword used in his botched execution.
• Death Is Cheap: He actually dies at the end of the game. But he is reborn as a second Ganondorf prior to the events of Four Swords Adventures. Considering that he's the product of Demise's curse as the end of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, it makes sense that he would reincarnate the same way Link and Zelda do if it became necessary.
• Defiant to the End: Even when facing certain death after being skewered by the Master Sword, Ganondorf spends his final moments vowing to continue the war for Hyrule between himself, Link, and Zelda. Then he dies… and his lifeless body continues standing, refusing to bow down to the kingdom that took everything from him.
• Demonic Possession: He uses this on Zelda for the first phase of the final battle, although it's just her empty body and Zelda's soul is keeping Midna alive. Likely because of this, the resulting Puppet Zelda only has his own voice and not hers.
• Demon of Human Origin: He was once a (seemingly) normal, albeit magically-gifted Gerudo. After receiving the Triforce of Power, however, he gained the ability to transform into the demonic Ganon at will.
• Desert Bandits: He was the leader of a notorious tribe of thieves (the Gerudo) prior to his arrest.
• Determinator: Even when he's impaled with the Master Sword, he refuses to give up.
• Died Standing Up: After the final battle and especially noticeable since the finishing blow was done while he was on his back, meaning he managed to stand up with a sword through his chest before the Triforce of Power left him and he finally died from the injury.
• Dimension Lord: By virtue of being the one empowering Zant.
• The Dreaded: Even prior to gaining the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf was a ruthless, notorious thief feared by all of Hyrule. A century later, even the Sages hesitate to speak his name.
  Sage: His name is… Ganondorf. […] He was known as a demon thief, an evil magic-user renowned for his ruthlessness…
• Duel Boss: The final stage of the Ganondorf face-off is a sword duel between him and Link; neither Midna nor Zelda can help for this round.
• Dying as Yourself: When the Triforce of Power fades from his hand, Ganondorf suddenly becomes mortal and the glow on his wound disappears. He dies not as Ganon, the dark god that granted Zant the power to invade Hyrule, but as Ganondorf, the mortal Gerudo criminal with an overdue execution.
• Dying Curse: Before he dies, he warns Link and Zelda that this bloody conflict between light and shadow will not end here. Dialogue cut from the final release would have him state that when the chosen ones appear in this world, so too will their anthesis from his bloodline to renew the conflict over again. Much of this speech would be later reused for Demon King Demise and it foreshadows Ganon's reincarnation in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
• Emotion Eater: He states that he regained his power by feeding on the hatred of the Twili, implying that the reason he bonded to Zant was to feed on his hatred.
  Ganondorf: Pathetic as [the Twili] were though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and became strong again.
• Evil Counterpart: As always, to Link. Much like the Hero of Twilight, Ganondorf is a powerful magic user and a skilled swordsman that was chosen by a goddess to wield a piece of the Triforce, only to be trapped in the Twilight Realm and forced to make his way out by striking a deal with one of the Twili. However, while Link is motivated by his desire to save his loved ones and eventually forms a genuine bond with Midna, Ganondorf is motivated only by his lust for power and hatred of Hyrule, and he sees Zant as nothing more than a puppet to get what he wants.
• Evil Is Bigger: As usual, he towers over Link. His Ganon form is also at its largest until Calamity Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
• Evil Is Hammy: Generally a Cold Ham this time around. Yet when he allows the ham to come out, he does so with as much enthusiasm as one would expect.
  Ganondorf: Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow… So you choose! And so you shall feel my wrath!
• Evil Laugh: Toned down considerably from the previous games. More like an Evil Chuckle.
• Evil Learns of Outside Context: Ganondorf seemingly had no idea that the Twilight Realm even existed… until he was banished there by the Sages, at which point he was able to hijack their kingdom, use them to break free, and return more powerful than ever.
• Evil Overlord: By the climax, he has taken control of both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm.
• Evil Sorcerer: He is a dangerous dark magic-user who gave Zant his powers.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Toned down slightly from previous games; his voice sounds deep when it's quieter but is higher-pitched and raspy when he's shouting.
• Fair-Play Villain: During the final phase of his battle, Ganondorf forsakes using magic in favor solely wielding a sword, creating an isolated area for a one-on-one duel between himself and Link.
• Fangs Are Evil: After killing the Sage of Water, he's shown with protruding canine teeth on his lower jaw.
• Faux Affably Evil: As per usual, Ganondorf is suave and gentlemanly when Link and Midna confront him, even welcoming them to "his" castle. Of course, this is nary an attempt to mask the manipulative, arrogant, and megalomaniacal tyrant beneath the surface.
• Final Boss: The hidden Big Bad and boss of Hyrule Castle, the final dungeon at the end of the game.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The Hero's Shade repeatedly alludes to an even greater threat than Zant, referring to it as Link's "true enemy". Of course, said enemy turns out to be none other than the spirit's old nemesis, Ganondorf.
  • After the Lakebed Temple, Zant reveals that his powers don't come from the Twilight Realm, but rather, his "god". After the Arbiter's Grounds, the Sages reveal that this "god" is actually Ganondorf.
• Four Is Death: The Ganondorf battle at the end of Twilight Princess has four phases to it.
• Full-Boar Action: Ganon. Instead of being a sorcerous Pig Man, he instead runs on all fours like a beast.
• Game Face: After the Triforce of Power revives him from his execution and he breaks from his restraints, he gains yellow eyes and tusk-like fangs, gnashing his teeth like a rabid dog as he murders the Sage of Water with his bare hands. The other Sages banish him to the Twilight Realm before he can carry out his rage further.
• Genius Bruiser: He's an extremely strong eight-foot-tall armored giant who masterminded the game's entire plot.
• God Guise: He poses as a god to manipulate Zant. However, this played with somewhat, as he is somewhat of a god due to possessing the Triforce of Power. Additionally, Skyward Sword reveals that he is the reincarnation of Demise.
• God Is Displeased: Implied. It's never stated exactly how Ganondorf came into possession of the Triforce of Power, but the sages suggest that it was a "divine prank" for which the goddess Din was responsible. In the end of the game, he loses the Triforce piece after Link stabs him through the chest (again, the exact reason why isn't stated). Stripped of its divine protection, he succumbs to his wounds and Dies Standing Up.
• Godzilla Threshold: The Sword of the Six Sages was used in his botched execution and he calls it a "foul blade," but he resorts to using it after being purged from Zelda's body and losing to Link in his Ganon form.
• Go Mad from the Isolation: Downplayed. Ganondorf is still pretty sane (especially compared to Zant), but he's become noticeably more ruthless and barbaric since his time in the Twilight Realm, likely due to him being alone in a forgotten world with nothing but his sheer hatred for Hyrule to keep him going.
• Heart Light: He has a white, glowing scar in the middle of his chest. His permanent reminder of the Sages' failed attempt at executing him.
• Hellish Horse: With glowing red eyes.
• Hijacked by Ganon: Of course. It's revealed that it was him who gave Zant enough power to invade the Twilight Realm, and eventually Hyrule. After Zant's death, he becomes the Final Boss.
• Huge Holographic Head: He appeared before Zant as a giant spectral version of his head made of flames and Twilight. He takes on this form after his Ganon form is subdued, forcing Midna to confront him with the Fused Shadows.
• Humanoid Abomination: He was human (or very close to it) to start with, but after getting the Triforce of Power, he became something much, much worse.
• Hypocrite: Ganondorf considers the Twili's magic petty, but during his fights, he uses the same type of magic against the Hero and Midna, including twilight portals. He also sees Midna's race as pathetic, but still, the reason why he was released was due to such a 'pathetic' race.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: The Sages do this to him with a BFS made to execute prisoners... which doesn't work. Then Link does it. Since it's with the Master Sword, it works.
• Improbable Hairstyle: His hair is arranged around his crown in some elaborate cross between dreadlocks, cornrows, and Regal Ringlets, with the Hot Blooded Sideburns he had since OoT. And it connects to his eyebrows and beard, too.
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite the previous Link going back in time and preventing Ganondorf's coup, Ganondorf ends up gaining the Triforce of Power and conquering Hyrule anyway, Because Destiny Says So.
• It's All About Me: Ultimately, despite the circumstances that drove him to villainy, Ganondorf's primary motive in this game is to get revenge against Hyrule purely for his own sake, not caring about the deaths of anyone (even his greatest supporter, Zant) that come as a result.
• Kick the Dog:
  • When Link and Midna arrive at Hyrule Castle, they find that not only is Ganondorf holding Zelda captive, he also has her plastered against the center of a Triforce symbol right above her throne, like some kind of sick trophy to taunt the duo.
  • After seemingly killing Midna in the game's climax and destroying Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf looks straight at Link and Zelda, holds up Midna's crown… and crushes it.
• Large and in Charge: In this game, measurements place him at slightly over nine feet tall.
• Larynx Dissonance: Invoked, when he possesses Zelda's body. Puppet Zelda only uses Ganondorf's own voice clips.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: When the game initially came out in 2006, Ganondorf was the biggest and best-kept secret in the game, as he was absent from all marketing and Zant was built up to be the Big Bad of the story. However, Nintendo decided to just spoil the reveal by including the King of Evil's face on the front cover of the Twilight Princess HD port for Wii U.
• Leitmotif: Remixed with Hyrule Castle's while you progress through it. And with Zelda's for the first phase of the final battle.
• Light Is Not Good: Light was good when the Sages tried to off him with a Cool Sword made of the stuff, but in his hands, not so much. He also shoots balls of electricity and summons Triforce-shaped fields of light when possessing Zelda.
• Lightning Bruiser: His Ganon form is extremely fast in spite of its size and can ram through the stone pillars in the throne room you fight it in like they aren't even there.
• Lodged-Blade Recycling: Exaggerated: he takes an entire longsword stabbed through his heart as his own.
• Magic Knight: He not only possesses powerful magic, but is also unbelievably strong and skilled with a sword.
• The Man Behind the Man: Much like in A Link to the Past, Zant first alludes to it when he confronts Link and Midna after they've returned from the Lakebed Temple. He tells Midna that their "Old Magic"^note i.e. the Fused Shadows was no match for the power that's been bestowed upon him by his Lord. The Sages fill in the rest, once Link reaches the Mirror Chamber atop the Arbiter's Grounds, where they recount having banished Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm after a failed attempt to execute him. They explain that he was amassing power there, in preparation for his eventual return to Hyrule.
• Manipulative Bastard: Manipulates Zant in order to escape the Twilight Realm.
• Marathon Boss: The final confrontation with Ganondorf consists of four separate boss fights done one after the other.
• Might Makes Right: He claims that having been blessed with the power of the Gods grants him the right to rule.
• Mighty Glacier: Despite his occasional sprinting and jumping in his final boss fight, he mostly moves around with a menacing slow gait. He's also generally much slower than Link, who can easily roll around him and repeatedly use Back Slice on his scar during the final duel.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: His Ganon form in this game resembles a boar on a wolf's body, with a mane resembling a lion's.
• Narcissist: As always, Ganondorf is arrogantly secure in his own power, completely self-absorbed, and will do anything to achieve his goals, regardless of the consequences they may have on others.
• Nigh-Invulnerable: Ganondorf just refuses to die. First he gets exposed as a traitor, which probably nets him very harsh treatment in a prison (Arbiter's Grounds, and if they're anything to go by...). Then he gets Impaled with Extreme Prejudice by a sword made of Hard Light specially made for executing deranged madmen like him. Then he gets thrown into the Twilight Realm (and it really looks like it hurt him when he got disintegrated into the portal). Then when Link confronts him, he gets hit by his own powerful light magic spells, which should be his antithesis, then gets his still-very open scar and weak spot brutally abused, then gets hit by Midna's One-Winged Angel form's BFS of a spear (which was enough to trigger an explosion strong enough to level Hyrule Castle), then gets turned into a Light Arrow pincushion, then gets repeatedly slashed in his scar by the Master Sword, is stabbed one last time in the chest, right where his glowing scar is, and finally succumbs to the pain once the Triforce of Power abandons him, bringing this Overly Long Gag to a subverted close.
• No-Sell: In the climax, Midna unleashes the full power of the Fused Shadow onto Ganondorf. Up to that point, the Fused Shadow was known to be one of the most powerful and dangerous artifacts in the world, having almost corrupted Link and popped Zant like a balloon. When the dust settles, Midna's attack has devastated Hyrule Castle and wiped out all enemies in the area… only for Ganondorf to reappear without so much as a scratch on him and crush the Fused Shadow with his bare hands.
• Not Quite Dead: You try to execute him with a magical sword? Too bad, he immediately gets the Triforce of Power and becomes immortal. You expel him from Zelda? Good, but then he transforms into his beastly Ganon form. But we slice open his old wound, and he's dead... and becomes some kind of spirit thing, Midna then proceeds to sacrifice herself to blow him up with magic. But it doesn't work. He becomes humanoid again, only this time on a demon horse. But even after various slashes and Light Arrow shots, plus receiving a Sword Plant in the chest during a swordfight, he's still able to stand up. Only when the Triforce of Power abandons him does he finally die.
• Older Than They Look: While he's noticeably older and stockier looking, he has still aged remarkably well considering he's centuries older than he was in Ocarina of Time.
• Ominous Latin Chanting: Continuing the trend started in Ocarina of Time, the cutscene and battle themes have some choral chanting. Though in the case of the Dark Beast Ganon and sword duel fights, it sounds more like strange tribal chanting.
• One-Handed Zweihänder: The Sword of the Six Sages is a heavy greatsword that the Sage of Water had to levitate and Link, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, can only flail about with using both hands. Ganondorf can easily swing or thrust with one hand, and only uses two for his charge attack.
• One-Winged Angel: Ganon, as always. He turns back into his human form for the very last fight, though.
• Opportunistic Bastard: While wandering in the Twilight Realm as a spirit, he waited for about a century for the opportunity to escape. Eventually, he found the perfect opportunity in Zant.
• Ornamental Weapon: Subverted. While he carries the Sword of the Six Sages around as a trophy, he finally resorts to drawing it after losing to Link in his Ganon form.
• Our Liches Are Different: Ganondorf exists somewhere between life and death, having barely survived his execution thanks to the Triforce of Power reanimating him. In addition to his considerable magic power, he can switch between his "mortal" Gerudo form and a giant ghostly head. When the Triforce of Power finally leaves him, he goes with it.
• Out of Focus: While presented as the ultimate Big Bad of the story, having made a bargain to lend Zant his power in exchange for his loyalty (in reality just to feed on his hatred), the story focuses very little on his character unlike his Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker appearances. The story instead focuses more on Zant and, to a lesser extent, King Bulblin, primarily because of Midna and Link's respective personal enmities with both.
• Partial Transformation: When he breaks free from his failed execution, he's shown with protruding canines on his lower jaw and Black Eyes of Crazy.
• Physical God: Almost literally, considering what powers him. He also pretends to be an actual god to Zant.
• The Power of Hate: According to his speech during the endgame, the hatred of the Twili (Zant in this case) "awakened" him while he was dormant in the Twilight Realm, which he states he absorbed to restore his power. Later games would expand on this by characterizing him as "hatred and malice incarnate", with Skyward Sword in particular implying that he is the heir of the original demon king Demise's hatred.
• Pure Is Not Good: The Sages describe him as possessing "the purest malice". If you play Skyward Sword, you'll know why.
• Precrime Arrest: How he was captured and brought to the Arbiter's Grounds to begin with; the Hero of Time traveled back to his childhood and warned the King of Hyrule of Ganondorf's treachery, leading to Ganondorf's arrest and botched execution.
• Rage Against the Heavens: He destroys a statue of the Golden Godesses and has Zelda— the mortal form of the Goddess Hylia— pinned up against its remains in their place, successfully mocking the four most powerful deities in Hyrule all at once.
• Rasputinian Death: It takes a lot to put him down for good. In his final boss fight, he is exorcised from Zelda with his own reflected magic, mauled by Wolf Link in his Ganon form, blown up by Midna's use of the Fused Shadows, shot by Zelda with Light Arrows causing him to fall off his horse and crash, and finally impaled in a duel with Link.
• Running Gag: Obeying the tradition of the most mundane item being most effective against the final boss, the fishing rod can distract him.
• Sanity Slippage: Downplayed, as he's just as intelligent and calculating as ever, but it's clear that his time in the Twilight Realm has made him more openly ruthless and violent when pursuing his goals.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: What the Sages did to him after they failed to kill him. He got out.
• Sequential Boss: Link and Midna don't meet Ganondorf until the end of the game, and when they do, Link has to deal with four stages of Ganon.
• Sinister Schnoz: Toned down from previous games, but it's still fairly wide compared to other characters.
• Slouch of Villainy: When you meet him in Hyrule Castle's throne room.
• Staying Alive: Although he seems to be Deader than Dead at the end, with the Triforce of Power abandoning him, he ends up reincarnating just in time to hijack The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
• Smug Super: As always, Ganondorf is completely confident in his power and ability to conquer, especially since he has a piece of the Triforce to further enhance himself.
• The Stoic: Ganondorf is usually a grade-A Large Ham, but this particular incarnation is very much the opposite.
• Stout Strength: He isn't nearly as hefty as he looked in Wind Waker, but he isn't as trim as he was in Ocarina of Time and is no less imposing or powerful.
• Tennis Boss: When he's possessing Zelda.
• Throw the Sheath Away: Ganondorf drops the scabbard for the Sword of the Six Sages as he prepares for his duel with Link.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Downplayed. Ganondorf was never a Nice Guy, but in the past, he was capable of some Villain Respect, which only became more genuine in the other timelines presented in A Link to the Past and The Wind Waker. However, since this Ganondorf was defeated before his plans even got off the ground and then spent the next century in a strange dimension, by the time he returns, he's even more arrogant and downright disrespectful than before, on top of being prone to blatant Kick the Dog moments thanks to his sheer hatred for Hyrule being all that he has left.
• Too Powerful to Live: The reason the Sages chose to execute Ganondorf following his Precrime Arrest was due to the Gerudo king being far too much of a potential threat for Hyrule to be left alive, even when imprisoned. Of course, their attempt at execution is exactly what leads to Ganondorf breaking free and taking over the Twilight Realm.
• Tragic Villain: Once a desperate thief seeking a better life for his people, Ganondorf was Driven to Villainy by a curse from ages long past. He plotted to take over Hyrule and gain their resources, only to be arrested and sentenced to death before he even had the opportunity to carry out his crimes. After being banished and spending a century wandering an unknown realm, during which the Gerudo fell apart and disbanded, Ganondorf returns with only one goal: revenge against the kingdom that took everything from him.
• Ungrateful Bastard: It was thanks to Zant and the Twili that Ganondorf was capable of being freed from his banishment; but while talking to Midna, he slanders them for defying the gods with their 'petty' magic and calls them pathetic. He doesn't even refer to Zant by name, seeing him as insignificant and pathetic as any of the other Twili.
• The Usurper: A century prior, Ganondorf was plotting a coup against the Royal Family, only to be caught and arrested before he could make the first move. When he breaks out of the Twilight Realm, however, he immediately takes over Hyrule Castle and imprisons Zelda, finally usurping the throne.
• Vocal Dissonance: Ganondorf has a slightly higher-pitched and raspy voice in this game, similar to the original Megatron. While the voice isn't completely unfitting for the character and it emphasizes how bestial he's become, it can be a bit jarring after the near-operatic baritone he had in Ocarina of Time.
• Voices Are Mental: He keeps his voice when possessing Zelda's empty body.
• Was Once a Man: He was once a mortal thief will dreams of power. Upon receiving said power, he becomes a demonic, god-like entity capable of subjugating entire kingdoms… and Hyrule is at the top of his checklist.
• Wicked Cultured: Ganondorf fancies the power of the Golden Goddesses and their holy artifacts over Twili magic, despite using both to his advantage. He believes the Triforce of Power makes him a worthy king for Hyrule, and loves the irony of using the holy blade meant to execute him. He also had time to braid his hair for his fancy head brooch.
• Wound That Will Not Heal: The glowing wound on his chest is the result of the Sages' failed attempt to execute him. It's remained there for decades, and serves as his weak point.
• You Can't Fight Fate: Despite being exposed by the Hero of Time and sentenced to death by the Sages before he could even begin his conquest of Hyrule, Ganondorf winds up receiving the Triforce of Power and conquering Hyrule anyway… it just takes him an extra 100 years to do so.

King Bulblin

"I have come to play!"

The chief of the Bulblin tribe in Twilight Princess, who raids Link's village at the beginning of the game. He and his minions serve as recurring enemies throughout the game, with Link fighting him four times, two on horseback, two on foot.

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• Affably Evil: Despite remaining mostly silent for the majority of the game, by the time King Bulblin speaks after being defeated by Link, he hands over a key, voices his respect for the hero, and then rides off into the sunset.
• Always Chaotic Evil: Subverted. While he and his army sided with Zant and Ganondorf, it's because he follows whomever he believes to be the strongest. After being bested by him four times, he decides that this is Link.
• Amazing Technicolor Population: Like all Bulblins, he has green skin. Also extends to his mount, King Bulbo, which is the only Bulbo to have blue fur.
• Ambiguous Situation: Why exactly did King Bulblin kidnap the children of Ordon Village? It's never explained in-game, and theories about his motives have run rampant for years.
• Anti-Villain: Ultimately a type I (Noble Demon). While he is firmly a villain in the game, it was clear that he was Just Following Orders due to his philosophy of fighting for the strongest side and bore no actual malice toward Link, eventually surrendering when he realized that Link was the strongest side.
• Arch-Enemy: For the Link of this game, who otherwise has little connection to Zant or Ganondorf. He earns Link's ire at the beginning of the game, being the one who led his army to raid Ordon Village, and the two duel repeatedly throughout the game.
• Barbarian Tribe: He leads a wide army of Bulblins.
• Barbaric Battleaxe: As a more imposing and vicious Bulbin, he wields a two-handed axe during the confrontations at the Bulblin Compound and at Hyrule Castle.
• Blow That Horn: He has a war horn that he blows during his raid on Ordon Village to signal a Shadow Beast attack on Ordona's Spring, and during his first mini-boss fight to summon more of his Bulblins.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: King Bulblin seems to care less about right and wrong, and more about whoever is the strongest, to the point that he willingly surrenders the key to Ganondorf's lair once Link proves to be a Worthy Opponent.
• Determinator: This guy battles and gets beaten up by Link no less than four occasions before finally calling it quits.
• The Dragon: To Ganondorf and Zant, being their main enforcer in the Light World.
• Establishing Character Moment: King Bulblin and his army are introduced during the attack on Ordon Village. They storm into the spring, where one of his raiders knocks Link unconscious, while another of them shoots Ilia in the back with a poisoned arrow. Once the kids have been rounded up, King Bulblin sounds his trumpet to open the first Twilight Portal and signal his men to withdraw.
• Fat Bastard: He's got quite a large gut, and is one of the villains of the game. Subverted in the game, where he's one of the only villains to redeem himself.
• Full-Boar Action: He rides a blue boar.
• "Get Back Here!" Boss: The first phase of his first fight has him constantly running away from Link as he is hounded by hordes of Bulbo-mounted Bulblins.
• Graceful Loser: Bulblin finally calls it quits and acknowledges Link's strength after being bested by him for the fourth time.
• The Heavy: Bulblin is established as Zant's chief flunky for 3/4 of the game, during which, Link has to face him in battle 3 times. By the time of their 4th (and final) confrontation at Hyrule Castle, King Bulblin has become a part of Ganondorf's army.
• Heel–Face Turn: He finally realizes that Link is too powerful to be defeated and stops fighting him after their last encounter, saluting him as 'the strongest'.
• Hidden Depths: After being defeated by Link for the fourth time, he finally speaks Hylian for the first time, revealing that he has always fought for those stronger than himself. Even Midna is surprised that he's not just some mindless brute.
• Horns of Villainy: As seen in his character image, he wears a helmet with giant horns and his war beast has massive horns and tusks to match. He loses one after the Eldin bridge duel, then the second after the Hylia bridge duel.
• I Fight for the Strongest Side!: The Trope Namer, and said almost verbatim. King Bulblin is of the Proud Warrior Race Guy variety — after losing several matches against Link, during the final dungeon, he finally declares a draw and just hands over a key to proceed, running off after citing this philosophy is all he's ever known.
• Incoming Ham: As he drops in for his final battle:
  King Bulblin: I have come to play!
• It Can Think: Despite initially appearing to be nothing more than a mindless brute like most other monsters, King Bulblin eventually reveals that he is not only capable of speech, but also his own sense of honor.
• It's Personal with the Dragon: This guy raided Link's village, kidnapped the kids there (though they escaped to Kakariko Village), raided Kakariko and took away Colin by force, and then becomes a Recurring Boss. Is it any wonder this Link takes a bigger issue with him than he does with Zant or Ganondorf?
• Kick the Dog: He waves around a kidnapped child like a flag. Particularly bad is that the kid is Colin.
• King Mook: Of the Bulblins. And because of his size, both his life energy and his attack power are stronger.
• Knight of Cerebus: His arrival in Ordon Village and kidnapping of its children is what shifts the game from a quaint little farm simulator to a dark and brooding adventure.
• Large and in Charge: Unlike regular Bulblins, he's HUGE and strong enough to heft a giant battle axe. Plus, it takes a significant amount of damage to make him surrender and retreat each time.
• Made of Iron: He gets slashed repeteadly, is shot like a pincushion, loses both horns, gets knocked into a vast gorge twice... and yet he manages to make it to the endgame to fight Link.
• Mighty Glacier: When wielding his axe. Because the thing is so heavy, it takes quite a while for him to wind up a swing, giving Link time to gets some hits in before he attacks. Getting hit by that axe, however, takes away three Hearts.
• Noble Demon: For all his misdeeds, King Bulblin isn't without a sense of integrity. After their final duel, he concedes defeat and hands Link the key to the Castle's inner sanctum, then withdraws.
• Our Goblins Are Different: As a militaristic green-skinned monster that's about roughly person-sized, he's somewhere on the verge between Goblin and Orc.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: Lampshaded by his parting words to Link:
  King Bulblin: I follow the strongest side! ...That is all I have ever known.
• Recurring Boss: He's fought four times over the course of the game: the Bridge of Eldin, the Great Bridge of Hylia, the Bulblin Compound, and Hyrule Castle.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Like all Bulblins, he has red eyes and is the most dangerous of them all.
• Starter Villain Stays: He is the first major villain to appear in the game and an early boss, yet he manages to survive his first battle with Link and return no less than three times, with the final confrontation being right outside Hyrule Castle itself.
• Suddenly Speaking: For the majority of the game, Bulblin remained silent and only spoke before and after the final battle with him in Hyrule Castle. This is lampshaded by Midna, who evidently finds him speaking to be more remarkable than the guy surrendering.
• Villain Respect: His entire philosophy is built on this. He will follow or surrender to whoever is powerful enough to earn his respect, whether it be Zant, Ganondorf, or even Link.
• Worthy Opponent: Implied by the grin he shoots Link after being defeated for the last time, right before surrendering his key.

Bosses

In General

Twilit Beasts

A group of monsters corrupted by Zant using the power of the Twilight.

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• Brainwashed and Crazy: Some of them, like Fyrus and Blizzeta, are innocent creatures that were corrupted by the Twilight, and the others are implied to have been normal enemies who've been both empowered and made crazier by the artifact they're keeping away from the hero (or responsible of their resurrection, in Stallord's case).
• Evil Is Bigger: All of them are bigger than Link to various degrees: this goes from Blizzeta, a tame example when she's not protected by ice, to Morpheel, who's long and massive, and Stallord who's implied to be even bigger, but who's kept from causing more havoc by the sand, and he's still bigger than Link as a floating head.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: Each of them has a monstrous eye in a strange part of their body, indicating their corruption from Zant.
• Fisher King: All of them (with the exception of Stallord) negatively impact their dungeons and the regions surrounding them.
• Go for the Eye: Most of them have weird-looking eyes that serve as convenient weak points for Link to plunge his sword into.
• King Mook: Almost all of them are giant versions of regular enemies.
  • Diababa is the result of a Deku Baba influenced by a fragment of the Fused Shadow. As such, it mutated into a giant Baba with three heads.
  • Fyrus is an odd one, as he's just a mutated Goron; however, the Gorons are initially hostile to Link on the way up to Death Mountain, with one of them even being fought as a mini-boss. He's also a giant Torch Slug.
  • Morpheel is even weirder: its appearance and strategy bring to mind a giant Chu Worm, although it’s also able to release Bombfish from its mouth. The Encyclopedia reads that it’s instead a mutated Octorok, which are otherwise absent from Twilight Princess.
  • Stallord is a colossal, draconic Stalfos.
  • Although Yeta retains her physical form when she becomes Blizzeta, the monstrous ice formation she uses to attack Link takes the form of a Freezard, while also moving and attacking like one.
  • Armogohmas spawn, both diminutive Baby Gohma and larger Young Gohma, are found all over the Temple of Time where she resides.
  • In the English dub, Argorok's name presents it as a giant, boss-level variant of the common Kargaroks, although it has an ability that they don't have (fire breath). In Japanese, however, they have unrelated names.
• Made of Evil: Being the products of Zant's Twilight corruption, all of them are essentially this in their current forms.

Diababa

Twilit Parasite

A three-headed baba large enough to dwarf a monster truck, dwelling in poison water. Diababa is the boss of the Forest Temple and the holder of the first Fused Shadow fragment.

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• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Parasite: Diababa
• Dub Name Change: It's called Barbarant in the original Japanese, and further renamed Dionéa in French, Plantainferna in German, Nefentyax in Italian and Babalant in Spanish.
• Go for the Eye: The eye is located inside the central maw, which only appears after Link dispatches the first two in the first phase.
• Poisonous Person: When the central head emerges from the water, it spits some kind of purple goo on the ground.
• Starter Villain: The first boss of the first dungeon of the game, along with being one of the more easy to defeat bosses.
• Stationary Boss: Due to being a rooted plant, it cannot leave its spot in the arena during its battle.
• Warm-Up Boss: It only has to be hit four times (the two side mouths and the central one twice), and it barely attacks Link.

Fyrus

Twilit Igniter

The Goron chief Darbus cursed and mutated by the second Fused Shadow fragment, locked deep within the Goron Mines.

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• Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Fyrus' true form is a Goron named Darbus. When the Fused Shadow corrupts him, he is transformed into the gigantic flame monster.
• Beat the Curse Out of Him: Link must defeat him in battle in order for him to turn back into Darbus.
• Boss Subtitles: Twilight Igniter: Fyrus
• Brainwashed and Crazy: The Fused Shadow twists his mind, turning him into a ferocious demon. He gets better once Link defeats him.
• Chained by Fashion: Which Link can actually use to his advantage against Fyrus.
• Dub Name Change: He's called Magdoflamoth in the original, Magmaudit in French, Flammatron in German, Pyrus in Spanish and Italian, and Magpyrus in Korean.
• Hobbling the Giant: When the floor is magnetized, you need to put the Iron Boots on, grab one of the chains on his feet and pull hard. This causes him to fall down and allow you to more easily attack the jewel on his forehead.
• Human All Along: He was a Goron all along, more specifically the patriarch, Darbus.
• Mascot Mook: He was the first boss depicted when the game was first shown off at E3 2004, and he was featured prominently in later promotional materials as well.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: His Japanese version, Magdoflamoth, if latinized.
• Playing with Fire: He occasionally attacks with a wave that expands from his surrounding fire.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: He was sealed deep within the Goron Mines by his fellow Gorons to prevent him from escaping and laying waste to the outside world.

Morpheel

Twilit Aquatic

The boss of the Lakebed Temple who holds the third Fused Shadow fragment, and the only boss that actually bleeds. A giant leech/eel with an eye that swims between its tentacles.

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• Alien Blood: It produces purplish blood when its eye is attacked.
• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Aquatic: Morpheel
• Dub Name Change: It's called Octaeel in the original, Octolacanthe in French, Oktapesco in German, Octoguilla in Italian, and Octópulo in Spanish.
• Eye Scream: Its eye is very sensitive, and it happens to be its weak point.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: Its only eye is not on its face, but on its back.
• Fiendish Fish: The boss of the Lakebed Temple and a hideous mix of eel and coelacanth with anemone-like tentacles around its maw.
• Go for the Eye: In the first phase, the eye navigates through the transparent tentacles and Link has to attract it with a Clawshot (similar to the nucleus of Morpha in Ocarina of Time). In the second phase, it's located above the monster's forehead.
• Mythology Gag: Its name and how it's fought in its first phase reference Morpha from Ocarina of Time.
• Nested Mouths: Like real-life eels, it has a smaller mouth inside its main one.
• Post-Defeat Explosion Chain: After being slain, Morpheel explodes body segment by body segment into clouds of Twilight particles.
• Stationary Boss: It's stationary in its short first phase, where it's half-buried in lake-bottom mud, but afterwards digs itself out and actively chases after Link.
• The Voiceless: Being an aquatic creature, Morpheel doesn't vocalize like the other game's bosses.

Stallord

Twilit Fossil

A giant draconic skeleton brought to life by Zant, Stallord is the boss of the Arbiter's Grounds.

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• Attack Its Weak Point: In the first phase, it's his spine that must be destroyed. In the second phase it's the Scimitar of Twilight in his skull that be destroyed since it's the force that revived him.
• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Fossil: Stallord
• Cool Sword: He's revived with one Zant stabbed into his skull, and he's finished off by Link destroying the sword.
• Dem Bones: It's a skeletal creature brought back to life by the magic of Zant's sword.
• Deader than Dead: Killed when he was alive, he's obliterated again as an undead monster.
• Dub Name Change: He's called Horror-Gigant in the original, and further reamed Humbaba in French and Skeletulor in German.
• Mesopotamian Monstrosity: He's called Humbaba in the French dub, after a monstrous giant slain by Gilgamesh and Enkidu in Mesopotamian myth.
• Mook Maker: He summons humanoid skeleton enemies called Staltroops to protect his first phase's weak point.
• Not Quite Dead: Stallord appears to be done for after only its skull remains. But once Link makes his way up to attempt to reach the top of Arbiter's Grounds, that skull pushes him back down and the battle is resumed.
• Off with His Head!: The first phase takes out the rest of his body, while the second has you chasing after his head.
• Our Dragons Are Different: It's unclear what exactly Stallord was supposed to be when he was alive, but his skull suggests that he was some sort of draconic beast.
• Pivotal Boss: Link navigates the edge of the circular arena with the Spinner while waiting for an opening to hit Stallord.
• Posthumous Character: You're fighting the giant skeleton of a creature that has perished long ago.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The second phase of his boss fight is similar to that of the Gleeok Heads, heads of the Gleeoks themselves that detach from the body to fight Link.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: Stallord can be considered the first real challenging boss for newcomers, especially on his first phase: you have to use the Spinner on a circular way (which gets filled with traps as the fight goes on) to hit his spine which is guarded by undead soldiers and not reach the limit of your item to not fall in the quicksand. The second phase, where you must reach his head while ascending the central pillar and the walls around, is a bit easier in comparison, but still requires a good coordination and to avoid traps on the way.

Blizzeta

Twilit Ice Mass

Yeta transformed into a ice demon by a shard of the Mirror of Twilight, Blizzeta is the boss of the Snowpeak Ruins.

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• Attack Its Weak Point: Notably, it's the only boss in the game who can't be damaged during Critical Points (by stunning her and then using the sword to inflict damage), so the only way to defeat it is by repeatedly hitting it with the Ball and Chain.
• Beat the Curse Out of Him: Can only be brought back to normal by defeating her in battle.
• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Ice Mass: Blizzeta
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Much like Darbus with the Fused Shadow, Blizzeta is Yeta under the influence of the Mirror Shard.
• Dark Action Girl: Involuntarily as she’s possessed by the corrupted Twilight mirror shard. She surrounds herself with a block of ice and fights Link with her ice powers.
• Demonic Possession: Just looking at the Twilight Mirror in her bedroom (which becomes the boss room) caused Yeta to turn into a monster.
• Dub Name Change: She's called Freezernia in the original, and further renamed Blizzernia in French and Matronia in German. The Spanish dub refers to her simply as Yeta.
• Exorcist Head: When Yeta turns into Blizzeta, she turns towards the camera before rotating her head, revealing her Nightmare Face.
• Hell Is That Noise: Blizzeta makes horrible noises between her two main phases and when defeated.
• An Ice Person: The power of the Mirror gives it the form of a larger-than-usual Freezard.
• Jump Scare: The moment Yeta turns into Blizetta, no less. Complete with a Nightmare Face.
  Blizzeta: NOT TAKE MIRROR!
• Tragic Monster: Yeta is a sweet, gentle yeti that was forcibly transformed into a monstrosity by the Mirror of Twilight.
• Walking Spoiler: The Yetis are dealing with something quite worse than a cold and some beasts.

Armogohma

Twilit Arachnid

A spider made giant by a shard of the Mirror of Twilight (or more specifically, a variant of the recurring Gohma boss) with a weak point on her eye, Armogohma is the boss of the Temple of Time.

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• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Arachnid: Armogohma.
• Extra Eyes: She has normal spider eyes in both her forms, but also the bigger one on her back.
• Eye Beams: Armogohma's primary attack is a fiery beam shot from the eye on her thorax, which she uses to chase Link around while clinging to the ceiling. However, she needs to open her eye to do this, which leaves it vulnerable to Link's arrows.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: She has a giant eye in the middle of her back.
• Feet of Clay: Without her skin, she's even weaker than Baby Gohmas.
• Flipping Helpless: Armogohma lands on her back when you shoot her in the eye with an arrow. This gives you an opportunity to control the nearest statue to go towards her and deal a damaging blow by smashing her in the belly with its hammer.
• Giant Spider: Her size surpasses that of Queen Gohma from her appearances in other games (except The Wind Waker, as there she's a Magtail creature instead). That said, her name in Japanese implies she could be a crustacean (she has ten legs instead of eight). She also loses her size at the very end of the fight.
• Go for the Eye: As is tradition for the Gohma family of bosses, she needs to be struck in her eye — in this case the giant eye on her thorax — to be defeated, as this will cause her to lose her grip and fall to the ground, where Link can get to her.
• Mook Maker: Much like Gohma in Ocarina of Time, she releases eggs that, when hatched, have the Gohma swarm chase Link.
• Not Quite Dead: When Link crushes her enough times to reduce her health to zero, only her exoskeleton explodes. What's left underneath is a large amount of Baby Gohma, with a large one with Armogohma's eye on her back. Link's reaction upon seeing her true form is absolutely amusing.
• Video Game Cruelty Potential: Once her second form tries to escape with her brood, all offensive weapons you have at your disposal can off her, from a single sword strike, to three arrows, to a bomb/bomb arrow, or two Spinner attacks... or better yet, squashing her flat with one of the statues controlled by the Dominion Rod.

Argorok

Twilit Dragon

An armored dragon functioning as the boss of the City in the Sky, and who holds the last Mirror of Twilight shard.

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• Battle in the Rain: Only in the second phase (during the first, the sky is just cloudy).
• Breath Weapon: It is a dragon, so its primary attack is fire breath.
• Broken Armor Boss Battle: In order to defeat Argorok, Link must grab its tail and use the Iron Boots to pull it to the ground three times. Each time he does so, some of its armor falls off, and the third time, the last of the armor is removed. The dragon can then be attacked with Link's sword.
• Boss Subtitles: Twilit Dragon: Argorok
• Dinosaurs Are Dragons: Or Pterosaurs Are Dragons, in this case — its Boss Subtitles refer to it as pterosaur in the Japanese (Awakened Flame Pterosaur) and French (Twilit Pyrogen Pterosaur: Pyrodactilus) dubs.
• Dragons Are Demonic: Argorok is a wyvern who possesses a shard of the Mirror of Twilight, and a malevolent being who terrorizes the Oocca of the City in the Sky.
• Dub Name Change: It's called Gnarledblare in the original Japanese and Pyrodactilus in French.
• Eyeless Face: Argorok's helmet lacks eye slits, and once broken off reveals only flat scales where its eyes would be.
• High-Altitude Battle: Arogork is fought at the top of the tallest tower in the City in the Sky, At the top, Link finds several pillars, which he climbs up on using the Clawshots. From the top of those, he must hook onto flying peahats to get even higher, and from there use the clawshot again to get to the flying dragon.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: It destroys a bridge in the City of the Sky in an attempt to kill Link, and it observes him from the distance.
• Our Dragons Are Different: An armored wyvern-like creature that's actually a fragment of the Twilight Mirror, and looks more like a larger-than-usual Kargarok than an actual dragon.
• Recurring Element: It’s the second boss-level Kargarok fought in the series, although it has a different fighting strategy and a more dragon-like appearance than the avian Helmaroc King seen in The Wind Waker.
• Wind from Beneath My Wings: In the first phase of its battle, Arogorok beats its wings to create a powerful wind that will sweep Link off the edge of the arena unless he wears the iron boots.

Minibosses

Ook

The miniboss of the Forest Temple. A baboon who is the leader of the monkeys of Faron Woods. At some point before the events of the game, he was infected by a Twilit Parasite that caused him to become hostile, imprisoning some of his own subjects. After Link defeats him and frees him from the parasite's influence (gaining his Gale Boomerang in the process), he returns the favor by helping Link defeat Diababa.

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• Androcles' Lion: After he's freed from his corruption, he brings bombs in the Temple's Boss Battle.
• Assist Character: In the Diababa battle, Ook shows up to provide Bomblings for Link to use.
• Attack Its Weakpoint: He must be struck on his big red butt to be damaged.
• Bad Boss: When he's under the parasite's influene, he leads some of the monkeys to imprison their own.
• Bare-Bottomed Monkey: Ook has a big bare red behind that even jiggles slightly, and he loves to show it off as a taunt. It's also his weak spot.
• Battle Boomerang: He wields the Gale Boomerang during his fight.
• Blow You Away: Subverted. Despite wielding the Gale Boomerang, he never uses it to create tornadoes.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: A Twilight insect entered his head and turned him into an ill-intentioned animal.
• Casting a Shadow: The Gale Boomerang glows with dark energy when he attacks with it, likely due to the Twilit Parasite controlling him.
• Cool Crown: His concept art depicts him with a wooden crown.
• Defeat Means Friendship: He comes back for the boss battle to help Link as thanks for freeing him from the Twilight insect.
• Dub Name Change: He's called Alpha^note as he is the monkeys' alpha male in French and Uku in Spanish.
• Flunky Boss: He uses the Gale Boomerang to cut down Baba Serpents and sic them on Link.
• Heel–Face Turn: After his defeat, he returns to his previous self and helps Link defeat Diababa.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Link must ram into the totem pole he's standing on to stun him and cause him to hit himself with the Gale Boomerang.
• I Shall Taunt You: While brainwashed, he enjoys taunting Link by spanking his bum at him.
• Mini-Boss: Ook is the mini-boss of the Forest Temple and returns at the end of it to help against the main boss.
• Pain to the Ass: His weak point is his red behind, and Link has to knock him off his totem poles to get it in range.
• Puppeteer Parasite: The Twilight Parasite on Ook's head made him evil, and when he knocks himself at the end of the fight, it dies instantly.
• Puzzle Boss: Whereas all enemies up to this point were defeated by just running up and slashing away, Ook instead stays out of range and tries to attack with his boomerang. Link instead has to get him to hit himself with his boomerang by rolling into the totem pole he stands on, itself requiring that he release his L-Target.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: He's the leader of the monkeys and the strongest of their number.
• Visual Pun: His vulnerable point is his butt, and, to attack him, you must knock him to the floor and then smack his butt repeatedly with your sword. That's right, the game requires you to literally spank the monkey to defeat him.
• Warm-Up Boss: As the first miniboss of the game, he's not hard to defeat as you only need to push yourself on pillars to make him fall and kill some Deku Babas falling from the ceiling.

Twilit Bloat

A non-dungeon miniboss fought in Lake Hylia during the third Twilight segment in the game.

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• Attack Its Weak Point: First the face, then the legs when it's almost dead.
• Big Creepy-Crawlies: It's huge and pretty damn gross Shadow Insect — much to Midna's dismay, as she hates those things.
• Flipping Helpless: It lands on it back once you've gotten it twice, allowing you to jump on it and use the area attack on its legs, thus dealing the finishing blow.
• Insect Queen: Implied to be the spawner of the Shadow Insects, if its resemblance to termite queens is any indication. Its German name outright means "Queen of the Shadow Insects".
• King Mook: It's a giant version of the Shadow Insects fought as a miniboss. Like them, it guards a Tear of Light.
• Light Is Not Good: It glows with light, but it's certainly not good.
• Mini-Boss: Link has to confront the Twilit Bloat for the last Tear of Light at Lake Hylia.
• No Mouth: Downplayed. It has a mouth, but it's incredibly small for its size and very difficult to see.
• Shock and Awe: It possesses the same electric abilities as its younger counterparts.
• Waterfront Boss Battle: It's fought in Lake Hylia, where it alternates between flying and rapidly swimming in the water while trying to ram into the floating raft on which Wolf Link is standing, and can only be attacked in the moment where it rises above the raft.

Deku Toad

The miniboss of Lakebed Temple that grants you the Clawshot. Technically a frog because it has teeth, but it is mainly referred to as a toad.

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• Acrofatic: Even if it's slow, it can make impressive jumps and usse its size to crush Link.
• Amphibian Assault: Attacks Link as soon as he enters its domain.
• Amphibian at Large: A gigantic scary toad.
• Attack Its Weak Point: Its tongue is its weak point, and it tends to show it often.
• "Blind Idiot" Translation: Its name is likely a mistranslation of Degu (big/ large) Toad/Frog, since the prefix "Deku" in the Legend of Zelda series is typically associated with plant life.
• King Mook: The grown-up version of the aquatic Toadpoli enemies.
• Mighty Glacier: Incredibly slow, but also incredibly strong.
• Mini-Boss: The halfway boss of the Lakebed Temple and guarding the Clawshot.
• Mook Maker: Creates Toados as one of its moves.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Midna is so repulsed by it that she refuses to give you advice.

Death Sword

Arbiter's Grounds' resident miniboss. Apparently a ghost shaman with an ox skull for a head and a monk-like physique. He gives up the Spinner after his defeat.

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• BFS: His cleaver-like sword is as large as the miniboss is tall. And he is tall.
• Dub Name Change: In Japanese, he's named Gobera no Ken, meaning "Sword of Gobera".
• Invisibility: The ghost himself begins the fight invisible, leaving only his sword visible. Only Wolf Link's senses are able to detect him, rendering him vulnerable.
• King Mook: He's essentially a boss version of the Poes, and his big sword can be considered a bigger version of their scythes.
• Mini-Boss: Fought as the mini-boss of Arbiter's Grounds.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Though named after the sword he uses, it’s still an indication that he's a dangerous entity.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: Like all the other ghost enemies, he’s invisible unless you use Wolf Link's senses. Unlike the other ghost enemies (Poes) in the game, Death Sword doesn't host a soul fragment that can be extracted, and it disintegrates into flies when he’s defeated.
• Our Liches Are Different: Death Sword appears as an undead Magic Knight who wields a giant sword. Notably, he disintegrates into flies when defeated; it is actually the sword itself that goes through the standard monster death animation, hinting that it was a phylactery of sorts.
• Paper Talisman: His sword is initially found imprisoned with a large number of these. Link is forced to cut one to proceed, weakening the seal enough that the others are burned away.
• Puzzle Boss: He’s the only boss in the game that requires Link to jointly use his two forms (human and wolf) to weaken him.
• Riddle for the Ages: What is he? How did he get there? Who is "Gobera", the person — or thing — after whom the sword is apparently named in the Japanese version? The game provides no answers, and unless we get some kind of direct sequel or prequel to Twilight Princess, it's unlikely we'll ever find out.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: His sword is found planted in the ground with various ropes adorned with paper seals. Initiating the fight requires Link to cut the ropes and unseal it.

Darkhammer

A bulky Lizalfos in a suit of armor, which appears a third of the way through the Snowpeak Ruins. His preferred weapon is the Ball and Chain Link needs to progress in the dungeon.

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• Attack the Tail: His tail is his weak point. Using the Mortal Draw or Jump Strike will kill it in one hit.
• Dub Name Change: His Japanese name is Hanmānakku, which uses the same -nakku suffix used for Darknuts (Tātonakku) and Iron Knuckles (Aiannakku), implying that he's part of the same family of enemies.
• Epic Flail: He uses the Ball and Chain before Link kills him and takes it.
• The Faceless: Unlike Darknuts, the helmet cannot be removed.
• He Was Right There All Along: He initially appears as just one of two suits of armor in a narrow hallway that Link passes through. Once Link passes him and is just pass the second armor, it triggers the cutscene where he comes alive and destroys the other armor while Link dodges out of the way.
• Lizard Folk: He's a Lizalfos underneath that armor.
• Mini-Boss: He's fought in the Snowpeak Ruins and ups the game's difficulty.
• Muscles Are Meaningful: He's the most muscled Lizalfos in the whole game and proves it by being able to swing around that heavy flail.
• One-Hit Kill: He is the only boss that can succumb to Mortal Draw. Using that technique or the Jump Strike will defeat him instantly.
• The Voiceless: He doesn't even scream when hit by Link.
• Wake-Up Call Boss: He’s the first opponent that can cause major trouble to players due to his strong flail attack, which can shave off multiple hearts with each hit. The tight quarters in which he is constantly swinging certainly add to this.

Darknut

A raven-like man covered in a suit of armor. A unique Darknut resides in the Temple of Time, where he grants Link the Dominion Rod when he dies. Later, common Darknuts appear as powerful enemies.

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• Ambiguously Evil: Some of them are unquestionably serving Ganondorf, as they can be found guarding seized locations like Hyrule Castle. Some of them, however, appear to be guarding more benevolent locations like the top floor of the Temple of Time, guarding the sacred Dominion Rod. Combine that with much of the armor in the Snowpeak Ruins appearing to fit them perfectly, and it calls into question which of the Darknuts are actually evil or Just Following Orders on behalf of the forces of good.
• BFS: Some carry big swords, some carry maces, though the difference is only cosmetic.
• Black Knight: The Darknut miniboss in the Temple of Time wears unique all-black armor.
• Blocking Stops All Damage: Even when the damage comes from an explosion, it doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter if the attack hits them from behind when blocking; when they're blocking, they can't be damaged.
• Broken Armor Boss Battle: He starts his battle in heavy plate armor, and landing hits on the armored knight causes parts of it to fly off, rendering him more vulnerable to attack as the fight progresses. However, after being reduced to light armor and chain mail, he casts aside his BFS and switches to a lightweight rapier, going from a Mighty Glacier to a Lightning Bruiser.
• Degraded Boss: This isn't the last place you see him, but all subsequent encounters except the first battle in Hyrule Castle are treated as mook encounters instead of miniboss ones. The Temple of Time Darknut's appearance remains unique, though.
• The Faceless: While their helmets can be knocked off, their whole face is still covered completely in chainmail.
• Final-Exam Boss: The first one in the Temple of Time is one for the many sword techniques learnt from the Hero's Spirit. If you call upon Midna for help, she'll tell you to try your sword techniques (after admitting that she has no idea how to deal with it), and indeed, you'll find yourself using virtually all of them to chip away at his armor and open holes in his defenses.
• Lightning Bruiser: When he loses his armor. Despite his size, he's actually faster than Link.
• Mighty Glacier: When he has his armor, he moves slowly, but he carries a BFS (or mace) and knows how to use it.
• Mini-Boss: A unique Darknut is first fought in the Temple of Time, then different Darknuts appear for several other duels, including one last fight before the Final Boss, Ganondorf.
• Shed Armor, Gain Speed: After Link tears away the last pieces of his armor, he chucks his bulky sword at Link, brings out a rapier, and becomes much faster and harder to hit.
• Sword Fight: This is one of the few minibosses that challenge Link to an 1-on-1 swordfight, due to his humanoid appearance. And as proof of his formidable defense, it's also one of the few enemies in the game that won't die with a Mortal Draw (which only disarms the parts of his armor).
• Took a Level in Badass: These are by far the most powerful incarnations of Darknuts in the series, being able to single-handedly wield massive claymores, covered in heaps of armor, and having an extra sword for close-quarters combat.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Subverted, that attack is actually pretty easy to dodge.
• Turns Red: As your attacks progressively rid him of his armor, the Darknut eventually shifts to a faster, more aggressive fighting style and more easily blocks/evades your attacks.
• The Voiceless: Aside from a few grunts, they barely utter any sound, let alone sentences.
• Wolfpack Boss: A trio of Darknuts serve as the final fight of the Cave of Ordeals. Do a second run and they become a quartet.

Aeralfos

A flying dragon/Lizalfos with clawgripped shields. After his first defeat in the City in the Sky, he grants you a second Clawshot.

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• Degraded Boss: Two of them guard the final room before Argorok, two other are Boss in Mook Clothing in Hyrule Castle, and another pair is settled in the Cave of Ordeals. The Japanese name changes to "Lizalnarg" as well.
• Dub Name Change: He’s called Garnyle in the original Japanese.
• Elite Mook: The strongest, most elite version of Lizalfos, above even the Dinolfos which are also in this game.
• Lizard Folk: A Lizalfos, but now with wings!
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: When he’s not attacking, he’s got his shield up to defend himself. Too bad Link can grab it with the clawshot and pull it out of the sky.
• Mini-Boss: The mini-boss of the City in the Sky.

Phantom Zant

A holographic Zant that is the miniboss of the Twilight Palace. Fought in each of the two towers, it grants the Sols after defeat, giving you the Light Sword once you put them in their original position.

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• "Get Back Here!" Boss: He's constantly teleporting away from Link and keeping his distance, only stopping for brief periods.
• Hologram: Despite being called a "phantom", he appears to be more of a projected Hard Light image of Zant, presumably with Twili technology.
• Hologram Projection Imperfection: He constantly glitches and emits static to indicate that he's a Magitek hologram.
• Mini-Boss: The halfway boss of the Twilight Palace.
• Outside-Genre Foe: Resembles something sci-fi and futuristic, despite the series being almost always set in high fantasy. He fits the temple he's fought in, though.
• Puzzle Boss: You have to defeat him twice. Then you have stop the Zant Hands from getting the Sols that create the light sword.
• Summon Magic: He constantly summons hordes of Twilit enemies to wear Link down while he tries to Teleport Spam away.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To his master's Phantom Ganon, as both are phantoms of their masters that Link must defeat to progress in the game.
• Teleport Spam: Repeatedly teleports both to confuse Link and get away from him.

Associated Races

Blins

A Bulblin.

^{A Bokoblin:}

The basic enemies in the game. Typically the underlings of Ganon, in this game they seem to be subordinate to King Bulblin, who serves whomever he deems strongest. Rather than the Moblins seen in most games, in Twilight Princess you will encounter two varieties: Bulblins, weak enemies armed with clubs or bows, and Bokoblins, swordarms that come in two colours, blue and purple, with the latter being stronger.

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• Annoying Arrows: Bulblin arrows deal minimal damage and can be swatted out of the air with your sword.
• Armor Is Useless: Bulblins wear chainmail but are less durable than the half-naked Bokoblins.
• Arrows on Fire: Bulblin Archers use ignited arrows with their bows, but this is mainly done to make their arrows more visible.
• Barbarian Tribe: They're a savage band of warriors that only follow the strong, live in a crude encampment in the desert, and venture out into the world for raiding and pillaging.
• Enemy Chatter: Near the beginning of the game, you can see two Bokoblins conversing. You can't understand what they're saying, of course.
• Full-Boar Action: Bulblins ride giant, aggressive boars called Bullbos. Bullbos are pretty stupid, and can run right into walls or off the edge of cliffs (Epona always stops before doing either of these), but when charging can also smash down walls, allowing access to new areas, or break archer towers. They're also completely unkillable — after taking damage they just collapse and get back up again after a while.
• Groin Attack: Link appears to be doing this whenever he uses a finishing stab on a Bokoblin, as his sword will end up right where their legs meet.
• Horse Archer: Mounted Bulblins only attack by shooting their bow. They ride their Bullbos in pairs: one takes the reins, and one does the shooting.
• Horse of a Different Color: Some Bulblins ride giant boars called Bullbos. Link can ride one should he knock its riders off, and in Gerudo Desert, Bullbos serve as Link's only mount since Epona cannot access said area.
• Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: The archers are exceedingly poor shots with a bow. It's possible to run circles around them without being shot.
• Incredibly Durable Enemies: The Red Bokoblins that start appearing around the southern regions of Hyrule Field can take many sword slashes before expiring. This isn't much of a problem in Hyrule Field, where an Ending Blow can dispatch them like with any enemy, but then Hyrule Castle decides to swarm Link with them...
• Invasion of the Baby Snatchers: The children of Link's hometown are stolen by Bulblins, and much of the first half of the game is about Link tracking them down.
• Mooks: They're the most basic foot soldiers of Zant and Ganon's army.
• Mounted Mook: Bulblins often appear riding on aggressive boar-like beasts called Bulbos, giving them increased mobility as they pepper Link with arrows. Link often fights against them while he's himself mounted on Epona.
• Our Goblins Are Different: Bokoblins are essentially goblins, being large-eared, impish, and smaller and weaker relatives of the game's orc stand-ins.
• Our Orcs Are Different: Bulblins are essentially orcs, being green-skinned humanoids with almost apelike builds, a warlike culture and an affinity for boars and service as underlings of Zant and Ganondorf.
• Railing Kill: Before you get the bow, archer Bulblins can be struck with the slingshot to make them fall off ledges.
• Rape, Pillage, and Burn: Minus the rape, with the games T-rating and all, they're a culture of raiders and marauders implied to get by mostly through sacking and banditry. Their raid on Ordon Village is what sets Link off on his quest.

Lizalfos

A Lizalfos

^{A Dinolfos:}

A semi-common enemy race consisting of humanoid lizards with more battle competence than the Blins.

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• Beware My Stinger Tail: Both Lizalfos and Dinolfos have axes attached to their tails, using it to hack at Link in addition to their daggers.
• Elite Mook:
  • Dinolfos are rarely-encountered but larger, heavily armored variatnts of Lizalfos. Not only are they much stronger than their lesser kin, they can easily block Link's attacks and get up almost immediately from a knockdown, rendering them nearly immune to the Ending Blow ("nearly" because they can still be attacked with it if only for a split second).
  • Aeralfos are one step up from Dinolfos, being even stronger and usually putting themselves out of reach with their wings.
• Lizard Folk: A race of monstrous lizards characterized by agility and cleverness with weapons.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Regular Lizalfos carry small buckler shields that they can use to block attacks, though they don't do so too often. On the other hand, Dinolfos are very good at blocking Link's attacks, giving you very little opportunity to get past their guard to attack.
• Mooks: Notably, Lizalfos in previous games were considered mini-boss-tier Elite Mooks, but from this point forward in the Zelda series, they are instead treated as common enemies. That said, more powerful variants such as the Dinolfos and Aeralfos pick up the slack for thm.
• Serrated Blade of Pain: Lizalfos carry daggers with a blade serrated into three-parts, presumably to increase its ripping power.
• Skeletons in the Coat Closet: Some Lizalfos wear goat skulls as helms.

Twilit Messengers/Shadow Beasts

Zant's basic minions, appearing mostly in areas of Twilight and operating in small strike forces which usually drop from a portal into a force-fielded area (defeating them gives Link a handy portal for his own use later). As long as one survives, it can revive the rest, forcing Link to kill multiples in one strike.

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• Ambiguous Gender: While they are male-looking, it's heavily implied that one of the three who was watching for Eldin Spring was Kakariko's female shopkeeper, but she ended up looking like all the others.
• Body Horror: Their round-plated masks are no clothing, but their face after Zant's corruption, as corrupted Twili in Twilight Realm can show.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: They were peaceful Twili before Zant transformed them into bestial mercenaries.
• Creepily Long Arms: Their arms are disproportionnaly long compared to the rest of their body to the point they actually use them to walk and run.
• Creepy Long Fingers: Even for their arm size, their fingers seem a bit too long.
• Cutscene Power to the Max: In their introductory cutscene, they show speed and agility that isn't seen elsewhere in the game, and they effortlessly defeat Hyrule soldiers.
• Elite Mooks: Gameplay-wise, they are bigger and stronger versions of Shadow Vermins: like them, they crawl on the ground to move, and their attacks consist of dashing on Link and hitting him. Story-wise, they are the only characters who can use portals alongside Midna and Zant, they have their own enemy theme, and defeating them is mandatory to progress in some places as they erect barriers and form portals in strategic places.
• Faceless Goons: Played with, as it's heavily implied that their masks actually are their actual faces after their corruption.
• Gemini Destruction Law: To win against them, Link must defeat at least the last two at the same time, or the last survivor will revive the others.
• Heartbeat Soundtrack: Alongside the bass of twilight enemies, their enemy theme has drums (accompanied by synths), a combination which sounds like a stressed-out heartbeat.
• Humanoid Abomination: The Shadow Beasts' shield-like face, their long arms and fingers, and their way to run on four like gorillas makes them monstruous, but their vaguely human shape coupled with all of these makes them all the more unsettling.
• Inescapable Ambush: Twilit Messengers always erect Twilight Barriers to prevent their prey from escaping.
• Lightning Bruiser: While the cutscenes show them doing big jumps, they still apply this trope in actual gameplay: they are pretty resistant, take one heart per hit (making them the most dangerous enemies in the first hours of the game), and once they see Link, they reach him almost instantly.
• Mascot Mook: They are used in one of the main promotional art (the same as the main page◊) as well as◊ its other◊ iterations.◊
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
  • The Shadow Beast who grabbed Link across the Faron wall gave Midna the opportunity to ally with him and compromise Zant's plan.
  • Defeating them gives Midna the power to create portals where they were supposed to ambush Link, making their progression in Hyrule much simpler.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Twilit Messengers have black skin with red markings on their chest and back, and they teleport from black portals with red lines on them.
• Running on All Fours: Their Creepily Long Arms force them to move this way.
• Super-Scream: If Link leaves one alive, it will revive its fallen comrades with an unearthly howl.
• Top-Heavy Guy: While they have long arms, their legs seem tiny in comparison.
• Tragic Monster: All of them were either peaceful Twili or innocent Hylians before being mutated and twisted into obedient slaves by Zant.
• Tron Lines: All Twili have these and they are no exception.
• The Unfought: The scene of Hyrule's surrender shows two different-looking Shadow Beasts flanking Zant◊. Link never fights these as they are only seen in that one cutscene.
• Was Once a Man: The Shadow Beasts are Twili who have been transformed by the Twilight under Zant's power. It's also mentioned by Barnes that another Twilit Messenger appeared in Kakariko Village immediately after the disappearance of the town's shopkeeper, implying they're capable of turning spirits into them as well.

Dark Interlopers

Lanayru's depiction of the Interlopers, represented as Dark Link

A long-forgotten tribe of sorcerers who arose during a period of civil war in Hyrule, attempting to invade the Sacred Realm and steal the Triforce. They were the creators of the Fused Shadow and the ancestors of the Twili tribe.

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• Allegorical Character: In-universe, Lanayru uses Dark Link and his copies to help convey the Twili's past and how the hunt for power can corrupt people.
• Artifact of Doom: They created the Fused Shadow to focus and enhance their dark power. It is very dangerous and corruptive to Light Worlders, mutating ordinary people and monsters alike into giant abominations, and even their descendant Midna has trouble controlling it.
• Drunk with Power: It's heavily implied that their obsession with power is what drove the Interlopers to rebel against Hyrule.
• Evil Sorcerer: The Interlopers are explicitly described as "wielding powerful sorcery" and trying to conquer the Sacred Realm.
• Godzilla Threshold: Lanayru states that the Light Spirits were called by the gods to deal with them, and the Interlopers themselves had to be sealed in the Twilight Realm by the goddesses personally. Given that divine beings throughout the series are shown to generally avoid interfering in mortals' lives, this means that they were so powerful that they attracted the gods' attention.
• Greater-Scope Villain: The Interlopers, whom Dark Link represents, are the creators of the Fused Shadow who are responsible for their people being banished to the Twilight Realm. Centuries later, their megalomaniacal goals inspire Zant to take the throne, thus causing him to form a partnership with Ganondorf and restore the latter's power.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: The Interlopers were once normal Hylians before discovering the secrets of dark magic and becoming the power-hungry sorcerers that Lanayru describes.
• Left-Handed Mirror: In contrast to most portrayals, their representation as Dark Link is shown as right-handed to contrast Link's left-handedness.
• Predecessor Villain: To Zant as his ancestors who sought to conquer the Sacred Realm and then all of existence. Zant himself laments how much the Twili regressed from their powerful predecessors.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Lanayru's depiction of them as Dark Link is a black shadow with red eyes.
• Sealed Evil in Another World: They were sealed into the Twilight Realm by the goddesses for attempting to steal the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. Here, their descendants gradually adapted to this dimension while developing advanced Magitek, becoming the Twili tribe.
• The Unfought: Unlike most other titles out there, although you get to see them represented as Dark Link in a cutscene, you never actually fight him/them later on.
• The Usurper: The Interlopers attempted to steal the Triforce and take over Hyrule by force. Their actions eventually inspired Zant, the aptly titled "Usurper King".
• Villainous Legacy: The actions and ideas of the Interlopers are what ultimately paved the way for Zant's rebellion.

Twili

Residents of the Twilight Realm, and descendants of the interlopers banished from the Sacred Realm by the Golden Goddesses. They are ruled by Zant, but the rightful heir of their royal family is Midna. The Twili do not seem to willingly serve Zant, though, and only follow him if they have been transformed into Shadow Beasts. According to Midna, they are actually a very peaceful people.

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• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Aside from Zant and Midna, they don't wear any clothes.
• Creepily Long Arms: Even in their uncorrupted forms, they still display these.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Generations ago, interlopers attempted to take the Triforce using the Fused Shadows, but were banished to the Twilight Realm; at that point they ultimately became this trope, with the sole known exception being Zant.
• Full-Frontal Assault: The Twili shown in the Palace of Twilight are all completely nude.
• Heel–Race Turn: They were once a tribe of evil sorcerers, who were banished to the Twilight Realm after trying to steal the Triforce. Over time, they accepted their punishment and built their own society within the realm, gradually transforming into the Twili. Unfortunately, one of them wasn't quite content with their peaceful existence…
• Human All Along: Encyclopedia states that their ancestors were Hylians.
• How the Mighty Have Fallen: Their ancestors were a group of sorcerers powerful enough to potentially seize the Triforce, and had to be sealed away by the goddesses themselves. In the present, they are largely powerless beings who eke out a life in the twilight. Only Zant and Midna come close to matching the original interlopers, and not without help.
• The Imp: Their natural forms, but Zant's curse has turned them into hulking brutes.
• Living Shadow: Though solid, their coloration makes them appear this way. In full sunlight, they become true Living Shadows.
• Magitek: They have developed a number of machines powered by the Sols.
• The Quiet One: The Twili in the Palace of Twilight don't talk to Link at all, save for a weird moaning noise they make when he passes them. Hacking reveals that they were meant to have dialogue, mostly pleading for help to save their princess.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted. Twili have red eyes, but are described as a peaceful people.
• Tron Lines: All Twili have strange green markings on them.
• Weakened by the Light: Full exposure to the Light World's light is harmful to them; otherwise, they must hide in the shadows. Zant and Midna only develop resistance by bonding with the Triforce holders in the Light World.

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