The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the latest entry in the long-running The Legend of Zelda series. The main protagonist, Link, has to overcome a number of challenges before he can save Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf. But before he can stand against his mighty adversary, Link will have to defeat a plethora of other enemies to get to him. Some of these enemies have returned from older games while others are new entries to the franchise.
For returning players of the series, the older enemies might seem familiar to you already. But the newer ones can be more troublesome than they let on, especially if you don’t know what you’re getting into. To make it easier, we have listed out all of the new enemies that you will encounter in Tears of the Kingdom and how best to take them down.
All new enemies in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The enemies you encounter in the Zelda series as a whole are varied with their own unique mechanics, and that is no different in Tears of the Kingdom. The new enemies introduced in this game bring new challenges with them and these are what eventually await you. They also fall into one of two categories: common enemies and bosses.
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Aerocuda
The Aerocuda is a new common enemy that, as the name implies, enjoys taking to the air. In fact, that’s where you will find most of them, flying high above the skies of Greater Hyrule. Encountering them with lead to a head-to-head battle, so be especially careful if they catch you while you’re on your paraglider. An air encounter will lead to them spinning toward you and knocking you to the ground.
The best way to tackle these flying annoyances is to avoid an air battle completely. When you see them flying around, land your paraglider and get their attention from the ground before you attack them. Another strategy that seems to work is using Bullet Time (the slow-mo arrow) during your descent after dropping off the paraglider mid-flight.
Boss Bokoblin
While Bokoblins may be familiar to returning players of the franchise, Boss Bokoblins make their first appearance in Tears of the Kingdom. These super-powerful versions of Bokoblins exert enough authority over other Bokoblins that they can lead whole packs to assault Link. It is not uncommon to see more powerful variants such as Blue Bokoblins included in that army as well.
The Boss Bokoblins use their fellow Bokoblins as their line of defense. Getting through so many of them at once can be quite the task. The ideal solution here is a ranged battle against the Boss Bokoblin himself, with your shots aimed at his nose. Landing a critical hit here will deal heavy damage and take them down quickly.
Bubbulfrog
Bubbulfrogs are cave dwellers that prefer staying away from the creatures you would normally fight in the open field. When you first encounter them, you will notice that they resemble frogs, although with some minor differences. First off, Bubbulfrogs are much bigger than normal frogs and they have markings all over their body.
You should be able to know when a Bubbulfrog is nearby since their whiskers will glow in a golden hue. Since they will mostly crawl across the cave walls, it’s best to shoot them down. Defeating Bubbulfrogs is also essential if you want to collect the key item Bubbul Gems.
Captain Construct
Captain Constructs are one of the three different Construct enemies you will encounter in your journey across Hyrule. Developed by the Zonai tribe, an ancient tribe possessing advanced technology, these enemies are no joke. Of the three Constructs, the Captain Constructs fall in the middle of the pack in terms of damage and durability. They are stronger than their Soldier variants but are still much weaker than their mini-boss version, the Flux variant.
While they may seem powerful at first glance, deconstructing these technological marvels can be done quite easily. Landing an attack on their eye in the middle of their head while they’re charging up an attack will leave them open to more damage, allowing you to make short work of them.
Evermean
You are never truly safe in Tears of the Kingdom. If you come across some inconspicuous yet scary-looking trees, you would be right to fear them because these are Evermean Trees. When you first encounter them, it might come as quite a surprise since they like hiding in wait. Their heavy attacks are nothing to scoff at either.
But. in the end, they are still basically trees. They might be stronger than normal trees but they still go down with a well-placed axe shot or two, AKA the old-fashioned way. If you’re looking for a fancier way of taking them out, setting them ablaze with fire of any kind will turn them to ashes in no time.
Flux Construct
The Flux Construct is the most powerful of the three Construct enemies you will face. Unlike the other two Constructs, the Flux Construct is a mini-boss that will impede your progress if you can’t manage to take it down. You will find three different types of Flux Constructs on different Sky Archipelagos and each of them get progressively stronger.
The trick to beating them is to find their weak spot. All the Flux Constructs have a weak spot that is symbolized by a glowing block. The location of these glowing blocks differs depending on which Flux Construct you are fighting. The strategy is still the same for all of them, however, shoot the block to stun the Flux Construct and then proceed to dismantle it with melee attacks. Rinse and repeat.
Related: How to fuse items with arrows in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Gibdo
Just when you thought you’ve seen all the different types of enemies there are to see in Hyrule, you come across the Gibdo. These mummy-like enemies are wrapped in bandages and seem quite intimidating at first glance, but there are simple ways to defeat them. You will find them hanging around Gerudo Town, making trouble for its inhabitants.
If you have decided to focus on elemental attacks, a couple of them would come in handy here. Gibdos do not like fighting against fire or lightning, so if you have access to any one of the two elements, you should be able to make short work of these mummies. These enemies made their return to Hyrule after not being present in Breath of the Wild.
Gleeok
Gleeoks are nothing to be messed with. These powerful creatures serve as mini-bosses in the same vein as the Flux Constructs do. Simply put, Gleeoks are three-headed dragons that serve as overworld bosses in Tears of the Kingdom. These dragons come in three variations: The Flame Gleeok, the Frost Gleeok, and the Thunder Gleeok.
Each of the three Gleeok variants focuses on a different element, as their namesake. The King Gleeok is a special Gleeok that combines the power of all three elements using his heads. The fastest way to take down these formidable beasts is to focus your attacks on their heads. When you hit all three heads, they will be stunned, opening them up to a prolonged assault.
Gloom Hands
Gloom Hands, or Gloom Spawn, are ethereal enemies that are quite powerful if you encounter them earlier in the game. At first, they may seem unbeatable, but there is a simple way to take them down if you encounter them early. Simply run away from them and get onto a platform where they cannot reach you. After a while, they will disappear and leave behind Dark Clumps.
If running away isn’t your style and you want to fight it, focus on using explosions to quickly whittle away its HP. Another approach would be to freeze the hands one by one and shatter them. Regardless of which method you choose, you will gain Dark Clumps.
Horriblin
These enemies can be a pain to deal with mostly because they are just hard to spot. Horriblins love to haunt dark areas like caves and can be spotted on the ceiling if you pinpoint their sounds. Once you spot them, make sure to keep your distance and fire arrows at them. If you fire at their head, you’ll land a critical hit and they will fall down.
After they fall down, simply run over to them and deal the finishing blow to get rid of these annoying creatures.
Like Like
Like Likes are tube-like creatures that make their return after several games. They will stick to ceilings and lie in wait for you to approach. If you are within range, they will grab you and attempt to swallow you whole. If you spot them, make sure to attack immediately before they get a chance to grab you.
The outer shell of the Like Like is immune to damage, but constant attacks will reveal a vulnerable inner mouth. This mouth can be attacked, causing the Like Like to be stunned. Once they can’t move, attack them with your strongest blows to finish them off.
Soldier Construct
The Soldier Construct is the weakest of the three Construct enemies. They lack a lot of functionality compared to their more advanced variants. To make up for their apparent lack of power, you will encounter them in larger numbers compared to the other two Constructs. Since they are the weapons of the Zonai tribe, they are fiercely protective of their creators’ spaces.
Unlike the other two Constructs, the Soldier Constructs aren’t too difficult to take down. Since they are some of the first enemies you encounter in the game, you should be familiar with how to fight them. They are simple enough to take down but if you need a tip on the best way to do so, follow the Construct destruction methods from the previous two entries and aim for the head.
