Sub-Boss

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Sub-Bosses,^{(SS | BotW)}^[1]^[2] also known as Guardians,^(LA)^[3]^{[name reference needed]} Middle Bosses,^{(OoT | MM | TP)}^[4]^[5]^[6] Minibosses,^{(TWW | CoH)}^[7]^[8] and Mini-Bosses,^(TFH)^[9]^[10] are more difficult variants of enemies usually encountered in Dungeons.

Characteristics[]

In most video games, Mini-Bosses are a special type of enemy often found in the middle section of a level. Although boss-like in nature, as they share a unique battle theme song like their upper counterparts, they are not as powerful as the main boss found in the same area or level. Some are simply stronger versions of a normal enemy, In rare cases, an actual boss can later become a mini-boss or even a standard enemy when the protagonist became much more powerful or skillful later in the quest.

TWW Stalfos Model — A Stalfos in *The Wind Waker*, an example of a Sub-Boss later encountered as a normal enemy

In The Legend of Zelda series, Sub-Bosses usually protect an important item within a Dungeon or other locations. Most of the time, they must be defeated to proceed within a Dungeon or area. A common characteristic that distinguishes a Sub-Boss from a regular enemy is a particular battle theme played during the encounter, which is different from the usual enemy theme. They may return later as common enemies, likely because Link (or other playable protagonists) will have new tools and weapons to defeat them more easily. They may come in groups, as in the case of common enemies. If they are fought in a room, the doors usually lock until they are defeated. In the early 2D games of the franchise, some genuine bosses are later fought again as mini-bosses.

List of Sub-Bosses[]

The Legend of Zelda[]

Patras

Almost every Boss is eventually fought again as a Sub-Boss, as they no longer guard Heart Containers or Triforce fragments in their later appearances.

The Adventure of Link[]

Rebonack

Iron Knuckle (Palace on the Sea)

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Rebonack (Three-Eye Rock Palace)
Horsehead (Palace on the Sea )

A Link to the Past[]

Ball and Chain Trooper

Ball and Chain Trooper

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Armos Knights (Ganon's Tower)
Lanmolas (Ganon's Tower)
Moldorm (Ganon's Tower)
A Link to the Past & Four Swords:
- Helmasaur King (Palace of the Four Sword)
- Arrghus (Palace of the Four Sword)
- Mothula (Palace of the Four Sword)
- Blind the Thief (Palace of the Four Sword)

Link's Awakening[]

Grim Creeper and Battle Bat

Rolling Bones (Tail Cave, Turtle Rock)
King Moblin (Moblin Cave)
Hinox (Bottle Grotto, Eagle's Tower, Turtle Rock)
Dodongo Snakes (Key Cavern, Face Shrine, Turtle Rock)
Lanmola (Yarna Desert)
Cue Ball (Angler's Tunnel, Turtle Rock)
Master Stalfos (Catfish's Maw)
Gohmas (Catfish's Maw)
Armos Knight (Southern Face Shrine)
Smasher (Face Shrine, Turtle Rock)
Grim Creeper (Eagle's Tower)
Turtle Rock (Tal Tal Mountain Range)
Blaino (Turtle Rock)
Link's Awakening DX:
- Avalaunch (Color Dungeon)
- Giant Buzz Blob (Color Dungeon)

Ocarina of Time[]

Big Octo

Lizalfos (Dodongo's Cavern)
Big Octo (Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly)
Stalfos (Forest Temple)
Meg (Forest Temple)
Flare Dancer (Fire Temple)
White Wolfos (Ice Cavern)
Dark Link (Water Temple)
Dead Hand (Bottom of the Well, Shadow Temple)
Gerudo Thieves (Gerudo's Fortress)
Iron Knuckle (Spirit Temple, Gerudo Training Ground, Ganon's Castle)

Majora's Mask[]

Igos du Ikana

Dinolfos (Woodfall Temple, Secret Shrine)
Gekko & Snapper (Woodfall Temple)
Wizzrobe (Snowhead Temple, Ancient Castle of Ikana, Stone Tower Temple, Secret Shrine)
Gerudo Pirate (Miniboss) (Pirates' Fortress)
Wart (Great Bay Temple, Secret Shrine)
Gekko & Mad Jelly (Great Bay Temple)
Captain Keeta (Ikana Graveyard)
Iron Knuckle (Ikana Graveyard)
Big Poe (Ikana Graveyard, Secret Shrine)
King's Lackeys (Ancient Castle of Ikana)
Igos du Ikana (Ancient Castle of Ikana)
Garo Master (Stone Tower Temple, Secret Shrine)
Gomess (Stone Tower Temple)
Poe Sisters (Ikana Canyon)

Oracle of Ages[]

Smasher

Oracle of Seasons[]

Agunima

Brother Goriyas (Gnarled Root Dungeon)
Facade (Snake's Remains)
Omuai (Poison Moth's Lair)
Agunima (Dancing Dragon Dungeon)
Great Moblin (Moblin's Keep)
Syger (Unicorn's Cave)
Vire (Ancient Ruins)
Poe Sisters (Explorer's Crypt)
Frypolar (Sword & Shield Maze)

The Wind Waker[]

Darknut

Bokoblin (Forsaken Fortress)
Bokoblins & Moblin (Dragon Roost Cavern)
Mothula (Forbidden Woods)
Darknut (Tower of the Gods)
Phantom Ganon (Forsaken Fortress, Ganon's Tower (The Wind Waker))
Stalfos (Earth Temple (The Wind Waker))
Wizzrobe (Wind Temple)
Mighty Darknut (Hyrule Castle)
Cyclos (Great Sea)
Big Octo (Great Sea)

Boss returning as Minibosses:

Four Swords Adventures[]

Big Dark Stalfos

The Minish Cap[]

Spiny Chuchu

Madderpillar (Deepwood Shrine, Temple of Droplets)
Spiny Chuchus (Cave of Flames)
Darknut (Fortress of Winds)
Big Blue Chuchu (Temple of Droplets)
Red Darknut (Palace of Winds, Dark Hyrule Castle)
Black Knight (Dark Hyrule Castle)

Twilight Princess[]

Ook

Ook (Forest Temple)
King Bulblin & Lord Bullbo (Bridge of Eldin, Great Hylian Bridge)
Dangoro (Goron Mines)
Twilit Carrier Kargarok (Lake Hylia)
Twilit Bloat (Lake Hylia)
Deku Toad (Lakebed Temple)
Skull Kid & Puppets (Sacred Grove)
King Bulblin (Gerudo Desert, Hyrule Castle)
Death Sword (Arbiter's Grounds)
Darkhammer (Snowpeak Ruins)
Darknut (Temple of Time)
Aeralfos (City in the Sky)
Phantom Zant (Palace of Twilight)

Phantom Hourglass[]

Massive Eye

Giant Eye Plant (Near Molida Island, Near Bannan Island)
Massive Eye (Near Goron Island)
Jolene (Sea)
Phantoms (Temple of the Ocean King)

Spirit Tracks[]

Geozard Chief

Mothula (Forest Temple)
Rocktite (Forest Realm, Fire Realm, Sand Realm)
Ice Keese (Snow Temple)
Geozard Chief (Tower of Spirits)
Big Blin (Ocean Realm)
Snapper (Ocean Temple)
Heatoise (Fire Temple)
Stalfos Warriors (Sand Temple)
Dark Link (Take 'Em All On!)

Skyward Sword[]

LD-002G Scervo

Stalfos (Skyview Temple)
Lizalfos (Earth Temple)
Stalmaster (Ancient Cistern, Sky Keep)
LD-002G Scervo (Sandship)
Dark Lizalfos (Fire Sanctuary)
Magmanos (Fire Sanctuary)
Moldorm (Fire Sanctuary, Sky Keep)
LD-003D Dreadfuse (Sky Keep)
Metal Shield Moblin (Sky Keep)

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Moldarach (Lanayru Shipyard)

A Link Between Worlds[]

Armos

Armos (Eastern Palace)
Red Stalfos (Tower of Hera)
Heedles (House of Gales)
Green Goriyas & Red Goriya (Dark Palace)
Gigabari (Swamp Palace, Lorule Castle)
Gibdos & Purple Mini-Moldorms (Skull Woods)
Eyegores (Thieves' Hideout)
Flying Tiles & Devalants (Desert Palace)
Big Pengator & Pengators (Ice Ruins)
Fire Gimos (Turtle Rock)
Fire Ball and Chain Soldier (Lorule Castle)

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Moldorm (Lorule Castle)
Arrghus (Lorule Castle)

Tri Force Heroes[]

Hinox Brother

Electric Blob King (Buzz Blob Cave)
Electric Blob Queen (Abyss of Agony)
Hinox Brothers (Hinox Mine, Bomb Storage)
Freezlord (Snowball Ravine)
Vulture Vizier (Stone Corridors)
Grim Repoe (Palace Noir)
Gigaleon (Deception Castle)

Trivia[]

Some Mini-Bosses in the series are infamous among fans for having powerful abilities that can make themselves more difficult to defeat than even the main boss of the Dungeon. Examples include Dark Link and Iron Knuckles from Ocarina of Time. Ironically, the former was introduced as a Final Boss in The Adventure of Link as Link's Shadow.
Link's Awakening is the first game in The Legend of Zelda series to introduce the battle theme for Sub-Bosses. However, it wasn't until The Wind Waker when unique themes occur.
In The Wind Waker, when Link is low on health, the music theme of the Sub-Boss begins to play faster until he recovers.
The Mini-Boss theme of The Minish Cap is a remix of the regular enemy battle theme from the original Japanese version of The Adventure of Link released on the Family Computer Disk System.

Sub-Boss battle theme samples[]

Link's Awakening (debut)

Ocarina of Time

Majora's Mask

The Wind Waker

The Wind Waker (Phantom Ganon variant)

The Minish Cap

Twilight Princess (King Bulblin/Lord Bullbo)

Spirit Tracks

Nomenclature[]

Names in other regions
Language		Name
	English^BR	Mini-boss ^(LANS)
	Dutch	Mini-eindbaas ^(LANS)
	French^EU	Miniboss ^(LANS)
	German	Miniboss ^(LANS)
	Italian	Miniboss ^(LANS)
	Portuguese^EU	Miniboss ^(LANS)
	Russian	Мини-босс (Mini-boss) ^(LANS)
	Spanish^EU	Minijefe ^(LANS)
This table was generated using translation pages.