Demise (boss)

 Demise  is the final boss of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. He is fought in a strange realm of water and smoke found beyond a portal in Hylia's Realm; in this realm, the Skyward Strike technique cannot be used.

Battle
The battle against Demise is divided into two phases; both are fought as one-on-one duels. In the first phase, when attacked Demise will parry the first two to three sword strikes before suffering damage, at which point he will attempt to counter-attack Link. Demise also attacks by punching Link, and will charge at Link if he's far away. Demise's charge attack is most dangerous as it can take out two hearts. The Shield Bash technique is useful for warding off his sword attacks, often leaving a small chance for an attack as a result of the recoil incurred on him. One useful tactic is to wait until Demise attacks, use Shield Bash to repel it, and strike quickly for some damage. If his parry is broken, and the Shield Bash is quickly used to stop his counter-attack, he can be damaged as well. After suffering several strikes in a row, he will be momentarily stunned, allowing more chance for attacks. After Demise suffers enough damage, the second phase of the battle begins.

After falling to the ground, Demise will use his power to summon forth a mighty thunderstorm. Demise is able to store thunder and lightning in his sword by holding it aloft, making close combat risky, as any contact made between blades is going to electrify and damage Link. Offensively, Demise delivers both electrified strikes, and round discs of electric energy; after a few such attacks, Demise's sword will lose its electrical charge, at which point he must recharge. Approaching him while this occurs causes Link to suffer extensive damage. Although it is possible to defeat Demise with close combat, this will inevitably result in massive damage being dealt to Link; if this strategy is to be used, it is advised that he has healing items at his disposal. Humorously, continuining the tradition of using a lesser item against a boss, If Link pulls out his Bug-Catching Net Demise will stop attacking.

The most prudent technique, however, is to beat Demise at his own game by holding Link's sword above his head, as he would if were to charge a Skyward Strike. This will cause Link to absorb some of the thunder and lightning into his sword, which can be unleashed to momentarily stun Demise, leaving him vulnerable to multiple sword strikes. Once he has sustained enough damage, Demise will be knocked onto his back, allowing for a chance to land a Fatal Blow; if Link misses, Demise will recover, forcing Link to damage him some more. If the Fatal Blow connects, however, the battle is won.