The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wilddid a lot of great things for the franchise’s combat. It put a major emphasis on diversifying the list of weapons that both Link and his adversaries wield, meaning players get more fighting styles to choose from and more types of threats. However,Breath of the Wildalso dropped a lot of classicZeldaenemies, opting to instead focus on a short list of monsters with a lot of variants like Bokoblins and Lizalfos. The monster variants did a decent job of keeping combat variety high, but it’s still a shame that lots of enemies did not appear.
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That’s why it’s exciting to knowThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill have a fresh batch of enemies for players to scrap with. The sequel will seemingly emphasizeGanondorf’s return from the deadand a potentially more dangerous tide of Calamity Ganon’s Malice, so with those factors in play, the timing seems perfect for several classicZeldamonsters to return.
Updated on June 11, 2025 by Renri Seong:Breath of the Wildwas a new take on the Legend of Zelda games featuring open world and breaking tradition. It also featured new enemies such as the Guardians and the Blights.Tears of the Kingdomis an anticipated installment in the Zelda franchise, opening up a brand-new world above the vast lands of Hyrule. Early trailers revealed Bokoblins teamed up with Stone Taluses from Breath of the Wild. However, a new game means a chance to bring back some of the classics.
11Darknuts
Darknuts seem like a solid addition toTears of the Kingdomas a new heavyweight threat. These dark knights are mainstays inThe Legend of Zelda,making their debut in the first game and appearing as powerful enemies in multiple entries since. Darknuts are particularly well known forthe versions fromThe Wind WakerandTwilight Princess,in which they’re too durable for Link to fight head-on, forcing him to test his swordsmanship until he can cut off their armor.
Breath of the Wildlets Link collect armor, but it doesn’t have many humanoid enemies with significant armor plating.Mobility and parrying are crucial skillsinBreath of the Wild,and Nintendo can design a new line of Darknuts focused on testing those skills as they mount a heavy offense that Link must evade until he can get through the armor. IfTears of the Kingdomblends the sturdy black armor ofTwilight PrincessDarknuts with their jackal-like appearance inWind Waker,the result could be a great new version of a classic enemy.
10Poes
Darknuts appear in quite a fewZeldagames, butPoes are even more prolific. As mischievous ghosts that appear and disappear in the midst of combat, Poes fill the role of a classic fantasy foe inThe Legend of Zelda.Poe Souls also traditionally serve as valuable collectibles that earn Link special rewards, or at the very least a fistful of Rupees. Despite these valuable contributions, there are no Poes inBreath of the Wild; the teleporting elemental Wizzrobes are the closest thing the game offers.
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Tears of the Kingdomseems like it might put an emphasis on dark magic and necromancy, asthe E3 2021 trailerappears to show Ganondorf rising from his grave in a lich-like form. If that’s the case, the sequel could use some undead enemies like Poes to support the theme. The plush, baglike Poes might be too cartoony for this version of Hyrule, but Nintendo could take inspiration from more stylized variants like inTwilight PrincessandWind Waker.It’d also be great to see Poe Souls become a collectible of value inTears of the Kingdom,potentially for the monster part merchant Kilton.
9ReDeads
A lot ofZeldaenemies have variants that can be cute, especially in more cartoonish entries likeA Link Between Worlds.Nevertheless, ReDeads manage to be consistently terrifying creatures. Between their zombie-like designs and their ability to paralyze and grapple Link, trapping him in dangerous situations, ReDeads have becomeZeldaicons, causing fans to move carefully whentraversing the depths ofZeldadungeons.
It’s unclear ifTears of the Kingdomhas traditional dungeons that ReDeads can haunt, but it’ll doubtless have dark tunnels and enemy strongholds worth guarding. Considering howBreath of the Wild’s Blood Moonreanimates every dead monster in Hyrule, it wouldn’t be strange if the undead Ganondorf also conjured some ReDeads to reinforce his army. By introducing ReDeads, the sequel could also include the flammable mummy-like Gibdos as a ReDead variant. It’d be satisfying to toast a Gibdo with Link’s new flamethrower.
Some eagle-eyed viewersnoticed a zombie-like monsterinTears of the Kingdom’s second teaser trailer. It manifests beneath the light of the Blood Moon, appearing next to a Lizalfos. These monsters weren’t seen inBreath of the Wild, so the theory that theyareReDeads is very plausible. IfTears of the Kingdomkeeps the Noise Indicator fromBreath of the Wild, then players would need to rely on it when near ReDeads or Gibdos.
8Wallmasters
Most ofBreath of the Wild’s enemies do little more than attack Link, there aren’t many focused on protecting their allies or making Link more vulnerable. Wallmasters could fix this if they got updated inTears of the Kingdom.While Wallmasters usually appear as disembodied monster hands that attempt to drag Link to earlier parts of dungeons, the sequel’s Wallmasters couldspawn from pools of Maliceand try to grapple Link in more combat-oriented ways, either throwing him into crowds of enemies or pulling him away from vulnerable monsters. They’d simultaneously add a new element toZeldacombat while giving Malice another means to threaten Link.
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Within the lore of the franchise, it’s not surprising thatBreath of the Wildhas such a different cast of monsters from its predecessors. It takes place more than 10,000 years after the next most recentZeldagames, so there’s been a lot of time for change. Still, whiletheBreath of the Wildfamily of gamescelebrate change,it’d be nice to get more nods toward the franchise’s history. If Ganondorf will have a renewed role inZelda, then at least some of his recognizable minions deserve a place in the spotlight too.
7Deku Baba
Another common enemy is the Deku Baba. These plantlike creatures are commonly seen in the earlier dungeons ofZeldagames. It goes without saying that they’reextremely weak to Fire Arrows. Just like any other monster in theZeldafranchise, their weak offense/defense doesn’t mean they can’t be a threat for those that are too careless.
It’s unlikely a Deku Baba would be on the Sky Islands inTears of the Kingdom, but what’s stopping them from growing around Hyrule? These monsters would have been perfect to deal with in the Korok Trials Shrine Quest inBreath of the Wild. If Deku Babas were to appear inTears of the Kingdom, there’s no doubt they’d be one of the game’s weaker monsters.
6Stalfos
Stalfos have consistently appeared in a majority ofZeldagames. WhileBreath of the Wildhad Stalkoblins and the like, the Stalfos didn’t seem to make the cut. The method of defeating these enemies differs from title to title, but they could be dangerous and hard-hitting if Link wasn’t careful.
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Since it seems the Blood Moon will play a larger role inTears of the Kingdom, it’s the perfect excuse to bring back Stalfos. WithBotW/TotK’s gameplay, there could be plenty of creative methods to defeat these skeletal enemies. Unlike Shadow Beasts, Stalfosaren’t bound by any specific lore, so they don’t need a major plot reason to make their return.
5Armos
Armos are enemies that disguise themselves as harmless statues, springing to life the minute Link tried to move them or got too close. Their stone body makes them immune to sword slashes, so Link needs to strike the core at their back to defeat them. Armos would then self-destruct and could potentially damage Link if he’s within range.
One of the trailers forTears of the Kingdomreveals mechanical-based enemies like the small Guardians inBreath of the Wild. Since Link will be taking to the Sky Islands, it’s not unlikely that there could be Armos or even Beamos. Most enemies inBreath of the Wildcould be attacked head-on, but taking on an Armos could be similar to Stone Taluses.
4Skulltula
The large Skulltula are one of the first monsters players would run into on their quest. InOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask, players would have to wait for the Skulltula to turn around so that they could strike at its soft underbelly. InTwilight Princess, Link could only damage them when they raised their front legs to attack.
Compared to other monsters, Skulltulas aren’t nearly as threatening. However, with their habit of dropping from the ceiling onto unsuspecting players, they can be quite troublesome. There weren’t any spider-like monsters inBreath of the Wild, butthey’d be right at homein the forests or dark caves inTears of the Kingdom.
3Shadow Beast
Shadow Beasts were beings of the Twilight Realm inTwilight Princess. They took on this grotesque form when corrupted by the power of the Usurper King, Zant. At the beginning ofTwilight Princess, Link would fight them mostly in the Twilight Realm. Shadow Beasts would drop from a Twilight Portal and prevent Link from escaping. He would then need to defeat all of them at the same time in order to escape and unlock a Warp Spot. If one Shadow Beast was left alive, they would revive their fallen allies, and Link would have to start the process all over.
While it’s unlikely the Shadow Beasts will return inTears of the Kingdom, they could add a bit of challenge to the gameplay. If Shadow Beastsdidreturn, it’s unlikely they’d be linked to warp spots. The Twilight is one of the many placesthat players want to revisitinBotW’s sequel, but including them would add another layer to the already-established lore.
2Dodongo
Dodongos are giant, fire-breathing lizards that could only be defeated by striking their tail. The Dodongos ofOoTalsoserved as a hindrance to the Goronsin the past. They’re not nearly as important to the story inMajora’s Mask, but they would drop 50 rupees upon defeat.
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They don’t appear inBreath of the Wild,and it would seem they were replaced by the Fire-Breath Lizalfos. However, Dodongos with their impenetrable armor could bring a challenge toTotKplayers. There are very few enemies that only have one hit-spot, so having a Dodongo or something similar would shake things up.
