The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a classic title from the Nintendo Wii that has been remastered in HD for the Nintendo Switch. Many longtime fans of the series will be intimately familiar with the style of dungeon exploration present in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, as it revisits many design sensibilities that have been present since Ocarina of Time. The boss encounters in Skyward Sword will feel comfortably familiar as well. For those who want to get an overview, this guide lists all bosses in Skyward Sword.
Fans who were introduced to The Legend of Zelda via Breath of the Wild might wonder if Skyward Sword is open-world. In actuality, Skyward Sword is a more linear experience. Players will not have the option to challenge dungeons and bosses in an order of their choosing. Rather, the narrative will guide them down a specific path towards each boss encounter in the same order listed below.
All Bosses in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
While Link will do battle against many lesser enemies and mini-bosses throughout Skyward Sword, there are actually only ten major boss encounters throughout the game. These trials are spread evenly throughout a grand adventure, though, meaning that Skyward Sword takes a long time to beat. All major bosses and where they're fought are as follows.
Ghirahim - First Encounter
Ghirahim can be considered Link's main rival in Skyward Sword. Players will first encounter him early on in the Skyview Temple. As this is the first major boss of the game, the first fight against Ghirahim is more of an advanced tutorial than a real challenge. Since other tutorials can be skipped in Skyward Sword HD, this fight is a good opportunity to master the gameplay.
Scaldera
Pyroclastic Fiend Scaldera is the boss encounter that players must overcome to clear the Earth Temple dungeon. In typical Zelda fashion, this boss sports a giant eyeball that serves as an obvious weak point. However, the weak point will only be revealed by making skilled use of the recently-obtained Bomb items.
Moldarach
Thousand-Year Arachnid Moldarach is the boss of the Lanayru Mining Facility. This fight will test the player's ability to react quickly with the right kind of sword swing - horizontal or vertical. The Gust Jar item will also come in handy.
The Imprisoned
Players will get their first glimpse at true evil when they encounter The Imprisoned at the Sealed Grounds. As Skyward Sword is the first game chronologically in The Legend of Zelda, this ominous threat can be considered the precursor to all villains that exist in the rest of the series.
When players encounter it as the fourth boss fight in Skyward Sword, they will have to use the environment and some siege weapons to stop it before it's too late.
Koloktos
Ancient Automato Koloktos is the boss fight within the Ancient Cistern.
Victory in this fight depends on skillful dodging and quick use of the Whip item to expose the boss's weakness. Later in the fight, Link will have to use the statue's own giant weapons to cut it down to size.
Tentalus
Abysmal Leviathan Tentalus is the Sandship boss. This is another boss enemy with a conspicuous eye as its weak point. Players will have to master the use of Skyward Strike to attain victory against this giant foe.
Ghirahim - Second Encounter
Ghirahim will finally dirty his own hands against Link when he is encountered in the Fire Sanctuary.
This time around, Ghirahim will aggressively punish the player's mistakes by using his projectiles. When he starts using teleportation abilities, players will have to be quick to react and launch a counterattack.
Bilocyte
Ocular Parasite Bilocyte is the boss encounter at the Thunderhead. The parasitic menace has taken control of Levias, and players will get to play part of this fight from astride their Loftwing.
This can be a frustrating segment of the fight, but actually, the controls in Skyward Sword HD make it much more manageable.
Ghirahim - Final Encounter
Ghirahim will stand in Link's way one last time at the Sealed Grounds. He's more intimidating than ever before and has some new tricks to bring to bear. Players who can effectively volley Ghirahim's sword beams back at him will eventually defeat this antagonist once and for all.
Demise
Demise is the final boss of Skyward Sword and the predecessor to series villains Ganon and Ganondorf.
In the battle, Demise will punish players who try to be overly aggressive. As expected, the Skyward Strike is the key to victory. Players will eventually be able to defeat Demise by knocking him down over and over until a finishing blow can finally be delivered. Doing so will put an end to the story of the Master Sword's origin, leading into the tales of all Legend of Zelda games that exist later on the series timeline.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is available now on Wii and releases on July 16th for Nintendo Switch.