Dodongo

Dodongos are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. Sometimes appearing as a boss enemy, the general appearance of Dodongos is that of a giant dinosaur-like creature, with two or four legs. They are extremely vulnerable to bombs, and often times must be tricked into swallowing one while they inhale to breathe fire.

The Legend of Zelda
Closely resembling a Triceratops, Dodongo appears as the boss of Level 2. It can be defeated by throwing two bombs into its mouth.

Dodongos appear as mini-bossesque enemies in later dungeons.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Dodongos are described by the Gorons as extinct creatures which Ganondorf brought back using magic. They inhabit Dodongo's Cavern on Death Mountain, where they are ruled by the giant King Dodongo. Dodongos have two legs rather than the four legs seen in The Legend of Zelda. Similarly to other games, Dodongos can eat bombs, but one must be quick and the bomb has to be placed directly in front of its mouth in between fire blasts, making it extremely difficult to get right. It is simply easier just to attack the tail with a sword, but it only takes one bomb to kill a Dodongo. This incarnation will explode upon defeat, which can be exploited to open certain areas before the Bomb Bag is obtained.

The game also features Baby Dodongos, small Dodongos that burrow through the ground.

The Bomb Bag in this game is made of a Dodongo's stomach, and the Goron Tunic is made from Dodongo hide.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Dodongos are found north of Clock Town. They are larger than the ones that appear in The Ocarina of Time and therefore take many more sword strikes to kill. If a larger one is defeated, it will drop a Purple Rupee, worth 50 Rupees. There is one regular-sized Dodongo, though. Strangely enough, Dodongos will not attack unless they are fought in their own territory. If Goron Link rolls into them at the right angle he can push them out of the snowy portion of the field. The Dodongos will then attempt to make their way back to the snowy area of Termina Field. They will attack if Link hurts them, however.

If Link falls through a grotto in the snowy portion of Termina Field, he can fight two Dodongos at once, in very close quarters. The reward for this is a Piece of Heart, or, if the Heart Piece was received, a Blue Rupee will appear instead. The two defeated Dodongos drop Purple Rupees as usual.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
No generic Dodongos appear, but one of Link's possible companions, Dimitri, is a Dodongo.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Dodongo appears as the boss of Snake's Remains, the second dungeon in the game. It acts very similarly to its The Legend of Zelda counterpart.

Dimitri appears as a possible companion of Link's.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Dodongos appear as mini-bosses. They are tan in color and are significantly faster than other Dodongos in the series. As in other games, Dodongos can be defeated by throwing Bombs into their mouths while they inhale to breathe fire. After three Bombs have been thrown into a Dodongo, it explodes.

A giant, blue Dodongo known as Big Dodongo appears as the boss of Realm of the Heavens. It takes Level 2 Bombs to kill it as normal bombs are ineffective.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Unlike in other incarnations, Dodongos appear less dinosaur-like and more like fire-breathing geckos. They are found mainly in the Goron Mines.

Several sword swipes or arrows to their glowing red tails will eliminate them. However, Link can also shoot them in the mouth with an arrow to kill them instantly. The best way to get at their tails is to wait until they attempt to shoot flames at Link, then sidestep and rush around to their back-end and attack their undefended tail. Similar to previous games, these Dodongos can also be defeated by feeding them a bomb.