Keese

Keese are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They are bats, usually black-skinned, that attack Link by flying toward him. Keese are nimble creatures that prove to be more of a nuisance than a feared enemy. They are most often found in caves and dungeons, but they can sometimes be found in the Overworld as well.

Variations of standard Keese, namely Fire Keese and Ice Keese, appear in several games.

The Legend of Zelda
Keese appear in every dungeon in the game, and are often found in large numbers in otherwise empty rooms. They fly around the screen randomly before stopping for a short amount of time. Keese can be defeated with any weapon in Link's arsenal. When a Vire is harmed, it will shatter into two red Keese.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Similarly to Aches in Zelda II, Keese in this game only move when Link gets close. They stay dormant, and fly around when approached, stopping after a while. Keese mainly appear in the dark tunnels on Death Mountain.

Their Dark World counterpart is Chasupa.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Keese are heavily inspired by the original Keese from The Legend of Zelda. They are dark in color and move about randomly when approached. There are also larger, stronger Keese that only appear during the fight with the Grim Creeper, the mini-boss of Eagle's Tower. When defeated, the Vires in Turtle Rock break into two big Keese that fly toward Link and disappear once off-screen.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Keese return as black bats, found mostly in dungeons. The easiest way to kill one is to hit it with the Fairy Bow, which can penetrate multiple Keese, hitting targets beyond the first. Keese can also be defeated easily using the Hookshot. If there is a source of fire in the area, a Keese may fly through it to turn itself into a Fire Keese. If an immolated Keese touches Link, he will be set on fire, and if he has a Deku Shield equipped, it will burn up. There are also Ice Keese, which are surrounded by Blue Fire found in icy areas. If one of these hits Link, he will be frozen for a short period of time. Either type of Keese may be created by Link throught the use of Din's Fire, Fire Arrows or Ice Arrows.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Keese remain largely the same as their Ocarina of Time counterparts. A good way to avoid an attack by a swarm of Keese is to wear the Stone Mask, which makes Link invisible to certain enemies. Both Fire and Ice Keese appear, in addition to very similar enemies called Bad Bats, which act the same as regular Keese but deal more damage.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
The Keese in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are similar to the ones found in Link's Awakening. This is due to the fact that Flagship used certain data from Link's Awakening when programming these games. They do, however, move more erratically than those found in Link's Awakening. Fire Keese also appear in both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Big Keese sometimes accompany the Blue Stalfos located in the Ancient Tomb.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Keese appear in most areas, especially Talus Cave. They will persistently attempt to attack Link by flying into him. They are easily defeated by a slash from the Four Sword.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Keese take on a more Goblinesque form in this game and fly faster than most of their other incarnations. Usually found in dungeons, they will not head straight to their enemy, but will wait and strike once Link is within range. They appear in normal and fire varieties.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Keese attempt to attack the Four Links by flying into them. Link can easily kill them using any weapon.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Keese slowly fly around dark caves and dungeons, with no real strategy. They are easily defeated and pose little threat.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Keese abide in all dark places in this game, especially places where the Lantern is required. Without proper lighting, the only thing visible is their glowing eyes. They swoop from out of the darkness and attack Link without warning, but are only dangerous in large groups. Both Fire and Ice Keese appear in addition to the standard variety. Fire Keese will burn Link's Ordon Shield or Wooden Shield if it is equipped, and Ice Keese will freeze him in place for several seconds. Fire and Ice Keese are generally not found outside of obvious habitats (volcanoes and snowy mountains, respectively), although all forms of Keese are found in the Cave of Ordeals. These are thought to be the most common enmeies in the game, being found in all dungeons but Arbiter's Grounds.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Keese in Phantom Hourglass are similar in appearance to those from The Wind Waker, but they cannot fly above Link due to the game's lack of a real third dimension, making them easier to defeat. They are also easily blocked by Link's shield. Fire and Ice Keese again appear, but without power-ups to the sword, they can only be defeated with the Boomerang or the Grappling Hook. Regular Keese appear in many dungeons and tunnels throughout the game, while Fire and Ice Keese can only be found in their respective temples.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Keese are identical to their Phantom Hourglass counterparts. As in Phantom Hourglass, Fire and Ice Keese also appear.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Keese act similar to past games. However, their eyes are larger than those of their Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask counterparts, and require two hits from the starting sword to defeat, a first for their kind. They also sometimes drop Monster Claws. One of the most effective ways to take out these pests is with the Whip. Fire Keese appear in the Eldin Volcano region of the game. Like in other games, they burn up the Wooden Shield. Thunder Keese appear in the Lanyaru Desert region. When they strike your Iron Shield, it shatters. Dark Keese, which have the ability to jinx Link, start to appear in many areas by the later parts of the game.

The Legend of Zelda animated series
In the episode "The Ringer", Ganon sends a bat-like creature, presumably a Keese, to see if the Triforce of Wisdom is being guarded. This Keese, capable of speech, returns to to Ganon and tells him, "It's guarded by Link."

Etymology
The name "Keese" may come from the word Keres, she-monsters from Greek mythology that resembled bats.