Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Boss Guide: Every Major Boss Weakness, Strategy, and Loot Table

I died to Queen Gibdo six times before I figured out what I was doing wrong. Six. Times. And honestly, the solution was embarrassingly simple once I stumbled onto it. That's kind of the story of Tears of the Kingdom boss fights, tbh. They feel impossible until you notice the one thing the game is trying to tell you.

Let's talk about Colgera first, because it's probably the first major boss you'll face if you head to Rito Village early, which you should. Colgera is this massive skeletal sky creature that looks like something out of a nightmare, and it has three glowing blue weak spots running along its segmented body. The fight takes place in the sky above the Wind Temple, and the whole arena is built around vertical movement and updrafts.

Phase one is the simplest. Colgera flies straight at you in passes, and you shoot bomb arrows at the weak spots. Each hit stuns it for a few seconds. You can get in some melee hits during the stun window if you're feeling aggressive, but honestly, the bow is the main damage dealer here. Tulin's gust ability creates horizontal wind bursts that help you stay airborne between attacks. I wasted way too many arrows on my first attempt by trying to snipe it from the ground. Don't do that. The arena has constant updrafts. Ride them and you'll have clean shots at the weak spots without any effort.

Phase two shifts things up. Colgera starts dropping ice pillars from above while continuing its flight pattern. This is where Tulin's gust becomes essential. Use it to launch yourself above the boss, then aim down at the weak spots. Bow shots from above have a much easier time connecting. Ignore melee entirely in this phase. The hitboxes are weird when you're standing on the boss, and you'll fall off more often than you'll land hits. I know because I tried about six times before accepting that arrows are the answer.

Phase three is the most chaotic. Colgera starts charging at you more aggressively and spawns small ice bats that swarm around the arena. The bats are annoying but they don't do much damage individually. Unless they're literally surrounding you, keep your focus on the weak spots. Each one you destroy removes a segment of Colgera's body and reduces the number of attacks it can throw at you. Clear all three weak spots and the fight ends. The reward is Colgera's Jaw, a material that reduces cold damage when used in armor upgrades, plus a Sage's Will that strengthens Tulin's ability.

Gohma in the Fire Temple is a totally different kind of fight. It's this giant spider creature with a single glowing eye, and it loves clinging to walls and ceilings while pelting you with fireballs. If you don't have Yunobo's charge ability unlocked yet, don't even attempt it. You need it.

The core loop is simple: wait for Gohma to climb a wall or the ceiling, then use Yunobo's charge to knock it down. When it crashes to the ground, its eye is exposed. That's your window. A bow shot to the eye stuns it for longer, and during that stun you can unload with melee. Keese eyeballs fused to arrows home in on the eye automatically. You don't even need to aim. Just point in the general direction and let the arrow curve to the weak point. It feels like cheating but the game gives you these tools for a reason.

Phase two gets messier. Gohma burrows underground and erupts with lava pools all over the arena. Stay on elevated platforms and don't stand still for too long. When it surfaces, the eye is exposed for maybe three seconds. A multi-shot bow like the Great Eagle Bow maximizes damage in that tiny window. Phase three spawns fire-breathing mini-Gohmas. These are distractions. Ignore them. Focus fire on the main boss and it'll go down. A Zonai hydrant or fire-proof armor handles the lava if it's giving you trouble. Reward is Gohma's Leg, which fuses into a heat-proof weapon, and a Hearty Radish.

Mucktorok at the Water Temple is more annoying than difficult. The arena gets completely coated in mud that slows your movement to a crawl. The boss itself is a squid creature that shoots mud balls and retreats. Sidon's water shield is the answer. Activate it and the mud around you clears instantly, letting you move normally. Attack the glowing tentacles with a two-handed weapon. A fused Royal Claymore hits hard enough to end each phase quickly.

In phase two, it splits into three smaller Mucktoroks. Only the one with a red aura is the real boss. The fakes dissolve in one hit. Phase three adds a whirlpool in the center of the arena. Stay at the edges and use bomb arrows when it surfaces. The reward is Mucktorok's Tentacle for fusing and a Zora Spear blueprint.

Queen Gibdo at the Lightning Temple is the hardest regional boss, and I'm not alone in saying this. Bring full heat-resistant armor or you'll die to the environment before the boss even touches you. Phase one has her flying and shooting lightning. Riju's ability reflects those bolts back and each successful reflect knocks her down for about five seconds. Phase two adds six Gibdo swarms. A two-handed weapon fused with a shock emitter clears them in one or two swings. Shock damage spreads between Gibdos and the chain reaction wipes the whole group.

Phase three is the wall. She burrows and erupts with a ground shockwave that you have to parry. The timing is tight. Practice it on weaker enemies before this fight. After a successful parry, her glowing abdomen is vulnerable. Hit it with your strongest fused weapon. I used a Gerudo Scimitar with a Silver Lynel Saber Horn and each opening took out about a third of her remaining health. Reward is Queen Gibdo's Wing and a Hearty Salmon.

Then there's Ganondorf, and he has four phases. Phase one is humanoid with a sword and three combos: slash, thrust, spinning attack. Learn the parry timing on each. Phase two he becomes a giant beast. Target the legs to trip him, then bomb arrows on the chest. Phase three adds a phantom horse. Use a spear with reach to knock him off. Phase four is the final form, a swirling ball of darkness. DPS race. Ancient arrows if you saved any from Depths chests, otherwise fused keese eyes for guaranteed hits. Bring sundelion meals. The gloom damage in this fight is brutal and it stacks fast. Demon King's Bow drops as the reward and it's the highest damage bow in the game.