The Ocarina of Time remake has the same ten bosses as the original, in the same order, but several fight differently now. Here's how to beat each one and what changed.
Key takeaways
- There are eight dungeon bosses, then Ganondorf and Ganon at the end, the same ten as the original.
- Gohma now guards its weak spot with its arms whenever it can't be hurt, so you can see when to attack.
- The bosses are easier overall, with Phantom Ganon and Twinrova toned down the most.
- The final Ganon fight has extra stages, and the tower escape before it no longer has a timer.
- Every boss can be fought again in the Hall of Fallen Foes once you've beaten it.
What are all the bosses in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Here they are in order, with the item that does the work in each fight. Our full dungeon list has the dungeons in the same order.
| # | Boss | Dungeon | Key item |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gohma | The Great Deku Tree | Fairy Slingshot |
| 2 | King Dodongo | Dodongo's Cavern | Bombs |
| 3 | Barinade | Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly | Boomerang |
| 4 | Phantom Ganon | Forest Temple | Fairy Bow |
| 5 | Volvagia | Fire Temple | Megaton Hammer |
| 6 | Morpha | Water Temple | Longshot |
| 7 | Bongo Bongo | Shadow Temple | Fairy Bow, Lenses of Truth |
| 8 | Twinrova | Spirit Temple | Mirror Shield |
| 9 | Ganondorf | Ganondorf's Castle | Light Arrows |
| 10 | Ganon | Ganondorf's Castle | Light Arrows, then your sword |
I played all the original Zeldas, and this is the same line-up as the N64 game.
How do you beat Gohma?
Wait for Gohma to attack, then hit back. She covers her eye with her front limbs while she follows you around. When she raises both and slams them down, step back. She's stunned after she misses, and her eye turns green, so run in with your sword. When she climbs onto the ceiling, shoot her eye with the Fairy Slingshot to drop her, then attack again. Three rounds does it.
This is the biggest boss change Nintendo has talked about. In the original it was hard to tell when to attack Gohma, so the team made her guard her weak point with her two arms whenever she's immune.
How do you beat King Dodongo?
Bombs in his mouth. When he starts sucking in air, throw a bomb so he swallows it. He collapses, and you slash his tongue until he gets up. When he starts rolling, stand at the edge where the ground meets the lava and he'll miss you. He calls in more Baby Dodongos the second time he recovers.
How do you beat Barinade?
With the Boomerang, in stages. Keep moving, because Barinade fires lasers from the start. First, hit the white sections of the three tentacles on the ceiling. Then dodge the electrified jellyfish until their shields drop and destroy them. Once they're gone, Barinade pulls itself free and charges. Boomerang the main body to stun it, then use your sword.
How do you beat Phantom Ganon?
Arrows first, then a game of tennis. Phantom Ganon rides into the paintings around the room. Two show him riding at you, and only the real one comes out of the frame. Shoot him with the Fairy Bow as he comes through. On the third round he's in every painting, so keep turning the camera.
Once he's off his horse, hit his energy ball back with your sword until it hits him, then attack. The ball is now always slow, and Phantom Ganon no longer drifts around after throwing it. An Empty Bottle also sends the ball back. He adds a dash attack in the last phase, so dodge sideways when he lines up.
How do you beat Volvagia?
Megaton Hammer to the head. Volvagia is the most dangerous boss up to this point, so bring a Red Potion. Wait for a fire pit to bubble and for Volvagia to come out, then run in from the side and hit its head with the hammer. That stuns it, and you get a few sword hits.
Don't run to the first pit that bubbles. Volvagia fakes a few before it commits. When rocks start falling, watch the shadows on the floor rather than the dragon.
How do you beat Morpha?
Pull it out of the water with the Longshot. Stay on the outer ring and wait for the tentacle to slam down, then grab the nucleus and hit it with your sword. Mash A if it grabs you. We cover the fight and the rest of the dungeon in our Water Temple guide.
How do you beat Bongo Bongo?
Stun both hands, then shoot the eye. Bring the Lenses of Truth, the Hover Boots and the Fairy Bow. Wear the Hover Boots while he's drumming so you don't bounce around, then take them off to dodge. Shoot each hand with an arrow when it's still. With both hands stunned, put the Lenses on, shoot the red eye and attack it with your sword. If you get knocked off the drum, climb back up from the outer platforms.
How do you beat Twinrova?
Use the Mirror Shield against them. In the first phase, the two witches fly around you. When one fires her beam, Koume's fire or Kotake's ice, reflect it onto the other sister. Three hits merges them into Twinrova.
In the second phase, block her blasts with the Mirror Shield. Catch the same element three times in a row, because fire then ice cancels out. Watch which wand she waves over her head to see what's coming. The charged shield blasts her onto a platform, so run over and attack. Twinrova was toned down, like Phantom Ganon.
The boss that gave me the most trouble was one to do with the Boomerang or the bow. It was a pain. The Boomerang one is Barinade, in Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly, covered above.
How do you beat Ganondorf?
Hit his energy balls back, then use a Light Arrow. Navi can't target him, so you have to keep an eye on him yourself. Return his ball with your sword until it hits him, shoot him with a Light Arrow, then attack. When he throws several balls at once, time a Spin Attack to send them all back. He breaks up the floor as you go, so stay in the corners. Use the Hover Boots to cross once only the corners are left.
After that comes the escape down the tower with Zelda. There's no timer for it now, unlike the N64 version.
How do you beat Ganon?
This is where the remake changes the most. Ganon knocks the Master Sword away, so use the Biggoron Sword or the Megaton Hammer. A Light Arrow to the face stops his attacks. Get behind him and hit his tail.
That first half plays the same as the original fight. Then the remake adds more:
- You get the Master Sword back, and Ganon starts using lightning and ground slams.
- When he drags his blade along the floor, his arm stays low. Hit the glowing weak spots on his forearms.
- With both arms broken, he can't be hurt. Run until Zelda steps in.
- Zelda exposes a weak point on his forehead. Hit it with about four Light Arrows, then finish him with your sword. You press Y for the final blow.
Easier bosses but a longer Ganon fight is a good trade for me. It comes back to making the game playable for the way people play now. A lot of these changes are the kind of thing people complain about in new games, but my generation played this when it first came out, and we're just used to more jank.
Are there mini-bosses too?
Yes. The Hall of Fallen Foes lists 27 bosses, well past the ten main ones, and mini-bosses include Dark Link and Big Octo. Big Octo's arena lost its spinning spikes, and it no longer turns around at random. For Dark Link, see the Water Temple guide.
You can fight every boss again after the credits. Our Hall of Fallen Foes guide covers rematches and the boss gauntlets.
FAQ
How many bosses are in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Ten main bosses: eight dungeon bosses, then Ganondorf and Ganon. The Hall of Fallen Foes lists 27, counting mini-bosses.
Are there new bosses in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Not among the main bosses. It's the same ten as the original. Some have new attacks, but they're rarely used and easy to see coming.
Are the bosses easier in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Yes. The bosses are the most reduced part of the challenge, with Phantom Ganon and Twinrova nerfed.
Is there a timer on the Ganondorf's Castle escape?
No. The tower escape has no timer in the remake.
