Bosses

How to beat every boss in The Wind Waker HD, from Gohma in Dragon Roost Cavern to the final duel with Ganondorf. The six dungeon bosses each leave a Heart Container. The fights are the same as on the GameCube, with two small changes noted below, but if you are playing in Hero Mode you take double damage and the pots and bushes in boss rooms give no hearts, so bring full bottles.

Gohma (Dragon Roost Cavern)

Gohma sits in a lava pit and can't be hurt while its armor is whole. Stay off the wooden ledges, which it can burn. Swing on Valoo's tail with the Grappling Hook; when you let go, rocks fall from the ceiling onto Gohma's back. Do this three times to shatter the armor. Gohma slams its pincers, stabs at you, and can trap you between both pincers and breathe fire, so keep moving. Once the armor is gone, grab its eye with the Grappling Hook to pull its head down and slash it.

Kalle Demos (Forbidden Woods)

This giant plant hangs from the ceiling by vines. Lock the Boomerang onto as many vines as you can and cut them all before they grow back; when the last one goes, the flower drops and opens, and you can slash the core inside. Keep moving to avoid its tentacles, which also burrow underground and chase you (look for the puffs of smoke). If it catches you it chews you up and spits you out.

Changed In HD the Boomerang no longer hits the core on its way back to you, so you have to cut the vines and use your sword.

Gohdan (Tower of the Gods)

Gohdan is a giant floating head with two hands. Each hand has an eye in its palm: shoot each eye with arrows until the hand goes dark, then shoot both eyes on the head before the hands recover. When the head falls with its mouth open, throw a bomb in. The hands try to sweep you off the platform onto the electrified floor and slap you; the head fires a stream of fireballs that you can dodge by running in a curve. If you run out of arrows or bombs, Gohdan blows more out of its nose. Repeat until it is destroyed.

Phantom Ganon (Forsaken Fortress, second visit)

Phantom Ganon throws energy balls at you. Hit them back with your sword; the rally speeds up, and when the ball finally hits him he is stunned for a moment. Run in and attack. He can also split into copies that surround you; the real one is the one that attacks, so roll away or spin attack.

Helmaroc King (Forsaken Fortress)

First, race up the tower as the Helmaroc King smashes the platforms behind you, and use the Skull Hammer to knock it away when it blocks your path. At the top, stay near the middle of the arena, away from the spiked walls. When the bird lands and pecks, its beak gets stuck in the floor; hit its mask with the Skull Hammer. After the mask breaks, it also dives at you and beats its wings to blow you toward the spikes. Keep hammering its head whenever it gets stuck.

Jalhalla (Earth Temple)

Jalhalla is a giant ghost made of many small Poes. Reflect the beam of light with the Mirror Shield onto it to make it solid, then lift it and throw it into one of the spiked pillars around the room. It bursts into small Poes; cut down as many as you can with spin attacks before they regroup. Its fireballs are big and easy to see, and if it lands on you your controls are reversed for a while. Repeat until every Poe is gone.

Molgera (Wind Temple)

Molgera lives in a sand pit and pulls you toward its open mouth. First clear out the small worms it sends after you: Hookshot them out of the sand and slash them. Then, when Molgera rises with its mouth open, Hookshot its tongue to pull it in and slash it. It dives under the sand and bursts out somewhere else, and now and then flies around before diving back in.

Changed In HD you can no longer Hookshot its tongue while it flies at you; wait for it to open its mouth in the sand.

Puppet Ganon (Ganon's Tower)

Puppet Ganon has three forms, and each has a glowing blue weak spot at the end of its tail. You need the Light Arrows.

• Puppet: cut the blue strings holding it up with the Boomerang. When it collapses, shoot the blue ball on its tail with a Light Arrow. Three hits.
• Spider: it jumps up out of sight and crashes down. Watch its reflection in the floor to see where it will land, then shoot the blue ball on its tail. Three hits.
• Snake: it races around the room. Stun it by hitting its head with your sword, or wait for a clear shot, and hit the blue ball on its tail with Light Arrows.

Ganondorf (Ganon's Tower)

The final battle is a sword duel on top of the tower, and Princess Zelda fights with you. Ganondorf blocks ordinary attacks, so use the parry attack (press the action button when the prompt appears) to get past his guard, then hit him while he is stunned. When Zelda shoots Light Arrows at him, hold up the Mirror Shield and turn so her arrows bounce off it into Ganondorf. Once he is stunned by a Light Arrow, finish him with a parry attack.