Sub-Boss

This article or section does not meet Zelda Wiki's quality standards.

Please improve it as you see fit. Editing help is available.

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 or non-player character often found in the middle section of a stage. 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 level but can still be dangerous. Some are simply stronger versions of a normal enemy, Generally, in terms of rank in the enemy force, they are at the intermediate level - between the line of basic enemies and true bosses. In some cases, an actual boss can later become a mini-boss or even a standard enemy when the protagonist becomes much more powerful or skillful later in the quest and are battled more than once in the main storyline.

A in The Wind Waker, an example of a Sub-Boss later encountered as a normal enemy — 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 are larger monsters that 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 bosses are later fought again as mini-bosses.

List of Sub-Bosses in Mainline Games[]

The Legend of Zelda[]

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[]

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

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[]

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[]

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[]

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[]

Oracle of Seasons[]

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[]

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 Mini-Bosses:

Four Swords Adventures[]

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Moldarach (Lanayru Shipyard)

Boss returning as Sub-Bosses:

Moldorm (Lorule Castle)
Arrghus (Lorule Castle)

Tri Force Heroes[]

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)

Echo Link
Echo Lord Jabu-Jabu
Manhandla
Slime Eye

Gallery[]

Patra, a mini-boss from The Legend of Zelda
Rebonack, a mini-boss from The Adventure of Link
Ball and Chain Trooper, a mini-boss from A Link to the Past
Master Stalfos, a mini-boss from Link's Awakening
An Iron Knuckle, a mini-boss from Ocarina of Time
The Garo Master, a mini-boss from Majora's Mask
Rover, a mini-boss from Oracle of Ages
Agunima, a mini-boss from Oracle of Seasons
A Wizzrobe, a mini-boss from The Wind Waker
Shadow Link, a mini-boss from Four Swords Adventures
The Black Knight, a mini-boss from The Minish Cap
King Bulblin/Lord Bullbo, a mini-boss from Twilight Princess
Massive Eye, a mini-boss from Phantom Hourglass
Geozard Chief, a mini-boss from Spirit Tracks
LD-002G Scervo, a mini-boss from Skyward Sword
Fire Gimos, a mini-boss from A Link Between Worlds
Grim Ropoe, a mini-boss from Tri Force Heroes
A Hinox, a mini-boss from Breath of the Wild
A Lynel, a mini-boss from Tears of the Kingdom
Echo Link, a mini-boss from Echoes of Wisdom
Gameplay, fighting Dark Link in Ocarina of Time
Gameplay, fighting Phantom Ganon in The Wind Waker

Trivia[]

Certian 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.