Tears of the Kingdom has a multitude of both familiar and brand-new enemies that pose varying levels of threat to Link in his adventures around Hyrule. The game cleverly uses the Blood Moon to respawn any defeated enemies in order to keep the world dangerous and exciting, and monster parts plentiful. Some of these monster parts, or the items monsters may drop after being beaten, can be some of the most useful in the game.
Most gamers who played Breath of the Wild will recognize enemies like Lynels and Moblins, but may not realize that lots of these foes have appeared in previous Legend of Zelda games. Nintendo has been producing Zelda games for over 35 years, and it's not uncommon for specific enemies, characters, and mechanics to be utilized in more than one game. Sometimes these things will change drastically and other times they remain almost entirely the same. However, it may surprise some newer fans to see just how many of these monsters have gone up against Link previously, and how different they look now.
8 Phantom Ganon
Many Legend of Zelda fans would be unsurprised to learn that Phantom Ganon has made several appearances throughout the franchise. Ganon, in some form, has been around since the very first game, and his evil spiritual lackey is no exception. The first appearance of Phantom Ganon was in Ocarina of Time as the Forest Temple boss, in which he has a skull mask and heavy sword.
He also appears in The Wind Waker in a drastically different form from his original one. This Phantom Ganon is a smokey, dark figure with blue swirl details. A similar iteration of him is also featured in Four Swords Adventures, with purple detailing instead of blue. Tears of the Kingdom acknowledges Phantom Ganon's heritage with the Evil Spirit armor set, which - some savvy players may have noticed - is designed after his Ocarina of Time form. While Phantom Ganon from The Wind Waker isn't featured, there are still plenty of references to the popular game.
7 Chuchu
Chuchu's are a classic enemy from The Legend of Zelda games that have remained relatively unchanged. First featured in Majora's Mask, Chuchu's have always been jelly-like creatures that roll around Hyrule waiting to attack Link. They are predominantly 3D enemies, appearing in The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword.
The sheer amount of titles they've been featured in over the last ten years easily solidifies them as one of the most recognizable and popular Zelda enemies around, and their existence in the two latest installments is proof of that. Many of the games Chuchus can be found in are claimed to be some of the more timeless games in the franchise.
6 Octorok
Octoroks are another Zelda enemy that most players will be familiar with. In Tears of the Kingdom, these pesky enemies will pop up from nowhere and pelt Link with various missiles. Their design and mechanics remain largely unchanged from their first appearance in the original game.
Including Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Octoroks have been featured in a whopping nineteen Zelda games, meaning they've appeared in all main titles apart from Twilight Princess. Anybody who has found themselves annoyed with the crafty mechanics of Octoroks can rest assured that millions of players have also been unsuspectingly struck by flying rocks for over three decades.
5 Wizzrobe
These tricky little magic enemies typically frolic around various sites in Hyrule, sending elemental projectiles at Link as soon as he comes into range. Newer players may be surprised to learn that Wizzrobes have also been around since the original game, and fourteen main titles since. They vary in appearance but are generally dressed in robes that conceal most of their body with only two spooky eyes peering out.
Wizzrobes have always been able to disappear and sneakily reappear in another space, making them particularly tough to battle. They have also appeared as bosses and mini-bosses in a few Zelda games, namely Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker. Aside from these, Wizzrobes can be found in the first three Zelda games, then all titles chronologically from Majora's Mask to The Minish Cap, then finally Phantom Hourglass and A Link Between Worlds.
4 Gibdo
Gibdos are another original Zelda enemy, although most players will likely remember them from Ocarina of Time - the first 3D iteration. These mummy-like enemies are usually wrapped in bandages and have glowing eyes - although Twilight Princess' Gibdos have a particularly terrifying appearance. They often have the ability to paralyze Link by touching him, although they are uniquely able to do so by screaming in Twilight Princess.
Overall, before their Tears of the Kingdom debut, Gibdos had been featured in thirteen Zelda games. The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords,Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, A Link Between Worlds, and Tri-Force Heroes.
3 Gleeok
To many Tears of the Kingdom players, Gleeoks are a brand-new monster of immense magnitude. These elemental dragons have three heads that spew flames, frost, or lightning at Link and are not to be underestimated. It may be harder for players to recognize these monsters from past games because not only are they much rarer, but they look somewhat different from their present form.
A Gleeok first appeared in The Legend of Zelda in 1986, and its three-headed sprite is actually the most similar to the current iteration. After that, Gleeoks were only featured in Oracle of Seasons and Phantom Hourglass right up until 2023. In both these games, the Gleeok is a boss with only two heads and looks far less menacing than Tears of the Kingdom's furious counterparts.
2 Lynel
Lynels are widely recognized as one of the most challenging and intimidating enemies to take on in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. While they've been through a few different designs to reach their current terrifying status, the concept of them has remained largely the same. In every appearance, they are aggressive centaur-style half-horse, half-lion creatures.
Lynels have been used sparingly throughout the franchise and can be found in only seven Zelda games. After being featured in The Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past, Lynels didn't appear again for another nine years until Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were released. Following that, Lynels can't be found in a Zelda game for a further twelve years until A Link Between Worlds, before next appearing in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in the form players are now familiar with.
1 Marbled Gohma
Although Tears of the Kingdom is the first game to feature a Marbled Gohma, simpler versions of Gohmas have been featured in Zelda since the beginning. They began as crab-like creatures with one large eye and often showed up as dungeon bosses. Compared to their earlier sprites, the more modern Gohmas are almost unrecognizable.
Tears of the Kingdom's Marbled Gohma looks most like The Wind Waker's boss Gohma, which is also lava-resistant but is found in the Rito area rather than Goron territory. Gohmas can be found in seven different Zelda games: The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Seasons, The Wind Waker, and Four Swords Adventure.