Link must face many formidable foes during his time saving the Kingdom of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. He'll have to fight hordes of enemies that will just respawn the next time a Blood Moon happens. Sometimes, the Blood Moon will cause these enemies to spawn at an even harder level, and this can make traveling around Hyrule even harder.
There are a lot of enemies that you cannot defeat without understanding how they work. If you're worried about which enemies you come across will be the hardest to face, look no further. This guide will show the 15 hardest enemies to fight, where you can find them, and how you can defeat them.
Updated by Erin Rice on July 7, 2023: This update added links to relevant guides on how to kill the enemies. It also added 5 additional enemies that players may find challenging to defeat during their playthrough.
20 Yiga Clan Members
Yiga Clan Members are scattered all around Hyrule. Once belonging to the Sheikah Tribe, these members broke off and created their own group. You can find them anywhere in Hyrule where a Yiga Clan Hideout is located.
What makes these enemies so difficult is that they are fast. Considering they are Hyrule's version of ninjas, it can be hard to get a hit on them. The best strategy is to wait until they disappear and follow the light that signals their reappearance.
19 Moblins
Moblins are a common type of Monster in Hyrule. They can be found around Monster Camps and out in the open at times. They are usually the harder Monster in the group unless a Boss Bokoblin is among them.
What makes these guys so difficult is that they carry around large clubs that do a lot of damage. Thankfully, due to their large stature, Moblins are extremely slow at times. This makes it easy for Link to dodge them.
18 Captain Constructs
Captain Constructs are the harder versions of regular Zonai Constructs. They are usually found in Zonai ruins, Shrines, and in the Sky Islands. They were created during a time when the Zonai ruled Hyrule. However, now they are mostly an aggressive enemy.
These enemies are difficult because they can use a whole host of weapons and attacks. Some Captain Constructs may even have bows and swords, meaning they can switch between long-range and close-range. You'll need to know how to deal with them going into the fight.
17 Wizzrobes
Wizzrobes are a returning enemy that can be pretty annoying. They are wizard-like beings that float through the sky and use elemental attacks. They can be found in random places around Hyrule, usually deep in the wilderness.
Wizzrobes can be hard to deal with due to their speed. Like the Yiga Clan members, Wizzrobes can move quickly and disappear, making for a tough fight. Your best bet is to use an arrow fused with a Keese Eyeball to follow the enemy and hit it.
16 Phantom Ganon (From Gloom Spawn)
Phantom Ganon can spawn after killing Gloom Spawn. Surprisingly, he is arguably easier than the Gloom Spawn. This is a much easier version of the Phantom Ganon you will need to face in Hyrule Castle during the game.
These enemies are so difficult just due to their sheer defense and attack power. Anytime one hits you, you lose Hearts to Gloom, making the fight even harder. However, they aren't as difficult as Gloom Spawn just because if you can kill the Gloom Spawn, you should understand how to kill Phantom Ganon.
15 Silver Bokoblin
The Silver Bokoblin may not seem like something difficult to kill, after all, regular Bokoblins are a walk in the park. However, these guys are no joke. They can be super difficult. As you progress through the story, Bokoblins will be replaced by higher-level ones, and the Silver Bokoblins are the hardest.
These guys are found all over Hyrule. They will be fast and can potentially have longer-range weapons than most monsters you come across. This can make them deadly. If you want to avoid this, use a bow and shoot toward their horns. That is their weak spot.
14 Silver Horriblin
The Silver Horriblin, like all Silver monsters, is the highest level the Horriblin can become. As you progress, Blood Moons will replace regular Horriblins with these Silver Horriblin. They are found throughout the many caves in Hyrule. They are the main bosses in the Desert Coliseum in The Depths.
What makes these monsters so hard is that they are able to crawl on ceilings. If you want to knock a Horriblin down, you will need to shoot it with an arrow or counterattack it. This will cause it to fall to the floor. This will allow Link to easily attack the monster and destroy it.
13 Stone Talus
The Stone Talus is a well-known enemy in the Zelda Franchise at this point. These are giant rock-like monsters that will lure unsuspecting people into their grasps by pretending to be a pile of rocks located near an ore deposit. Once you get close, it will turn into a huge monster.
They can be found all over Hyrule. If you are trying to figure out how to destroy these monsters, stop trying to attack them outright. Considering they are made of rocks, the only way to injure them regularly is with weapons that can be used to break rocks. For an easier way, climb on its back and hit the Ore Deposits. That is its weakness.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
12 Flux Constructs
The Flux Constructs are mini-bosses found throughout the Sky Islands. They are large monsters made of blocks from the Zonai. Some of these monsters can have Sage's Wills located within chests attached to them. There are three different types you can find.
The three different types have the same basic weakness. There is a different colored block located somewhere on the Flux Construct. You will want to hit this in order to kill the monster. You can use monster eyes fused with arrows if you need help hitting the spot.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
11 Frox
The Frox is a beast that resembles a giant mutated frog. It is located throughout The Depths. The enemy is a much larger version of the small Frox that roam The Depths, attacking Link any chance they get. There are different versions of the Frox.
- Frox
- Obsidian Frox
- Blue-White Frox
Thankfully, no matter which Frox you run into, the way to defeat it is the same. The Frox will suck in air while Link is running around. You want to shoot a Flower Bomb into the Frox's mouth. It will then swallow the Flower Bomb and be stunned, giving Link the chance to attack. Just repeat this until you are finished.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
10 Silver Lizalfos
Silver Lizalfos are like other Lizalfos; only this is the highest level they can get. Enemies come in a variety of colors, and silver is the hardest of all of them. These enemies can be found anywhere. As you progress through the story, Lizalfos that originally were red or blue (lower-level colors) will change into silver. This ensures that while you're playing the game, you won't find everything too easy.
Lizalfos have harder-hitting attacks and faster reflexes than the other monster enemies that you may come across during your time adventuring around Hyrule. They also can have elemental powers such as fire or electricity. This makes their silver variant to be even harder. If you want to kill these guys, you'll need to hit their horns. Hitting them in the horn is the best place if you want to do some critical damage to them.
9 Gibdos
Gibdos are returning enemies from the original Legend of Zelda game that can be super difficult to kill. They have an extremely high defense and can hit Link pretty hard. They are found throughout the Gerudo region. When you first enter the region, it has been taken over by Gibdos. You'll have to save Gerudo Town from an attack the Gibdos are forming against the town. They cannot be stopped unless you kill their hive and then them. Only after defeating the Lightning Temple will you see some reprieve in how many there are.
The only easy way to defeat Gibdos is to use their weakness against them. If you hit them with any type of elemental attack (Shock Fruit, Splash Fruit, Fire Fruit, or any of the Gemstones fused to a weapon), you're able to strip away their outer shell. This makes them vulnerable and easy to kill. Without doing that, it can take a lot of time attacking them before you will see any actual damage being done.
8 Hinox
The Hinox is a monster that works almost as an overworld boss. They can be extremely difficult to kill, especially if you don't understand their weaknesses. Just like other monsters, the Hinox can come in a variety of colors. Thankfully, these guys can usually be found sleeping. If you sneak up on them rather than charging headfirst at them, you have a good chance of getting in a great sneak attack before the real battle begins.
You can find them throughout Hyrule. Some will be sleeping in forests, while others can be found sleeping on the many different bridges in the Kingdom. While you are fighting a Hinox, be sure to shoot arrows at its eye. This will allow maximum damage while staying out of reach of the Monster. Once you shoot their eyes, they will grab them, creating an opening for Link to attack. This makes the fight a lot easier.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
7 Silver Boss Bokoblins
Boss Bokoblins can be found at some of the different Monster encampments around the map. While you may think Bokoblins are nothing, their boss counterparts are pretty difficult to take out. Just like all other monsters, Boss Bokoblins come in a variety of colors, and silver is the worst. These guys can be found leading Bokoblins around whatever camp, cave, or area they are in. You can even find them in The Depths covered in Gloom. That will allow them to remove Hearts from Link until he finds a Lightroot, returns to the surface, or eats a sunny meal.
Their groups of Bokoblins means that not only will you need to take on the Boss Bokoblin, but he will also have lots of regular Bokoblins running around protecting him. If you want to kill this enemy, take out the regular Bokoblins and then shoot the Boss Bokoblin in the face.
6 Battle Talus
The Battle Talus is a type of Stone Talus. It is actually just like its regular counterpart, except it will have a Monster camp on its back. This can make killing it extra difficult since you will be fighting more than just the Talus here. Depending on how far you are in the game, the monsters on the Talus' back can be some pretty tough opponents.
Usually, these monsters will mainly consist of different colored Bokoblins. You may find a Moblin on there as well. You'll want to kill the monsters on the Talus' back and then attack the Talus like you would any other. You can find an ore deposit on the back. Use your best weapons and hit it as hard as you can and as often as you can. This Talus will try to get you off its back more aggressively than the others. Just keep going for the ore deposit.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
5 Molduga
The Molduga is a giant Monster you can find roaming underneath the sands of the Gerudo Desert. They act as miniature bosses within the area. These bosses can be extremely difficult due to the fact that they can one-hit Link if you don't have enhanced armor or a good deal of Hearts. The Molduga can only be killed by having it swallow bombs and then attacking it while it is down.
The only problem is that it can sense where Link is based on vibrations in the ground. This means that this Monster has no trouble at all knowing where you are at all times and being able to race through the sands to kill you. You'll have to either get it to swallow a Zonai Time Bomb or use Zonai Devices to get into the air and shoot a Flower Bomb down the Molduga's throat while it is trying to jump up to eat Link.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
4 Gloom Spawn
The Gloom Hands are an absolute terror, especially when you're first starting out. They look similar to Gloom and can be mistaken for the mist that surrounds Link during the Blood Moon. This means that you can easily fall prey to these Monsters before you even know what has happened. These hands can be found all over the place. They are most prevalent in caves, areas with Gloom, and The Depths. What makes them so difficult is that they are so quick. They can easily grab ahold of Link and kill him.
You can defeat them by shooting them with different elemental items, though the easiest item to use by far is a Flower Bomb. You can also gain the high ground and attack them from above, making the fight easier. However, if you do manage to kill these horrible things, something even worse will take its place. After they have been defeated, a Phantom Ganon will attack Link. The easiest way to kill Phantom Ganon is to block all his attacks (though you cannot block his spinning attack) and use a heavy weapon to finish him off.
3 Gleeok
The Gleeok is another returning monster from the original Legend of Zelda game (and many others throughout the series). These monsters can be extremely difficult to take on, especially if you are not equipped to fight one. They come in different varieties. You may find a Thunder Gleeok, Flame Gleeok, or Frost Gleeok. These dragon-like enemies have three heads each. These heads act as sort of miniature bosses of sorts and are called Gleeok Heads. Here is a guide to finding them.
On each head, you will find a single eye. If you want to be able to defeat the Gleeok, you'll need to take out each of the Gleeok's Heads. Shooting them in the eye on each head works very well. You will then need to attack the creature while it is recovering from you, defeating the different eyes on the monster. If you want to easily kill the Gleeok, be sure you're using the elemental attack that hurts that specific type of Gleeok.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
2 King Gleeok
This enemy is the King Gleeok. This is the first game this specific monster has made an appearance in, and that's a good thing. These guys are the most formidable foe you'll find. Thankfully, there are only 4 King Gleeoks throughout the game. You can find 3 of them in the Sky Islands, and the last one is in the Gleeok Den in The Depths. What makes these Gleeoks so difficult is that they are stronger than the regular Gleeoks. Here is a guide to finding them.
The three Gleeok Heads are each devoted to a different elemental rather than all the same one. They will also fly much higher than regular ones when they are attacking you. This means you'll probably need Zonai Devices to help you reach the same height as them. However, they are defeated just like the regular ones. You'll want to take out the Gleeok Heads, and then you'll have a chance to strike.
This monster is one of the ones that can be hunted for the Monster Medals.
1 Lynel
Lynels were by far the hardest enemies to fight in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and they aren't any easier in this game, either. Like all monsters, Lynels come in different colors. Lynels have a few static locations throughout the Kingdom of Hyrule. You can find them in large open spaces. They are also found roaming around in The Depths. These Lynels are covered in Gloom and can take your Hearts.
You'll have to return to the surface, find a Lightroot, or eat a Sunny meal if you want to recover from that. There is a coliseum in The Depths known as the Floating Coliseum. In this area, you will need to face off against 5 different types of Lynels. The hardest of these Lynels will be a Silver Lynel that has armor. This specific Lynel is easily the most difficult enemy in the game. If you want to kill these enemies, you'll need to be good a Fury Rushing or parrying. These are the easiest ways to kill Lynels. You can also mount a Lynel like you would any other mount. This will allow you to attack it from behind.