Here’s a breakdown of the main bosses in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, in the order they are encountered, along with descriptions of each:
Queen Gohma (Inside the Deku Tree)
A giant spider-like creature and the boss of the Deku Tree. Queen Gohma is the first major challenge Link faces as a child. She has a large, single eye that is her weak point. To defeat her, you must use the slingshot to hit her eye when it turns red and then slash her with your sword.
King Dodongo (Dodongo’s Cavern)
This massive, dinosaur-like boss is the ruler of Dodongo’s Cavern. King Dodongo rolls around the cavern and breathes fire. To defeat him, you must throw bombs into his mouth when he inhales, stunning him and allowing Link to land sword strikes.
Barinade (Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly)
A large bio-electric anemone inside Jabu-Jabu. Barinade attacks with electric jellyfish-like creatures and powerful electric shocks. Link must use the boomerang to disable Barinade’s defenses and then attack its core with the sword.
Phantom Ganon (Forest Temple)
This specter is the twisted doppelgänger of Ganondorf. Phantom Ganon rides a horse and jumps between paintings in the Forest Temple. Link must shoot him with arrows as he exits the paintings, and then engage in a volley of energy attacks, deflecting them back with the sword to deal damage.
Volvagia (Fire Temple)
A dragon that rules the Fire Temple, Volvagia flies through the air and dives in and out of lava pits. Link uses the Megaton Hammer to strike Volvagia when it emerges from the lava and the Master Sword to deal additional damage.
Morpha (Water Temple)
The boss of the Water Temple, Morpha is a watery creature that controls tendrils of water to attack. Link must use the Longshot to grab Morpha’s nucleus and pull it out of the water, where it becomes vulnerable to sword attacks.
Bongo Bongo (Shadow Temple)
A mysterious and grotesque, disembodied creature with two massive hands and a single eye. Bongo Bongo hovers above a giant drum, using its hands to attack. To defeat it, Link must use the Lens of Truth to see Bongo Bongo, shoot its hands with arrows, and then strike the eye when it’s stunned.
Twinrova (Spirit Temple)
Twinrova is a pair of sorceress sisters, Koume (fire) and Kotake (ice), who combine into a single, more powerful form. Link must use the Mirror Shield to absorb and reflect their elemental attacks back at them to damage and defeat them.
Ganon (Ganon’s Castle)
In the final showdown, Link faces Ganondorf, the King of Evil, in two forms. First, as Ganondorf in his castle, Link must deflect his energy attacks and eventually bring him down using arrows and the Master Sword. In his second form, Ganon transforms into a giant, monstrous beast. Link must weaken him by striking his tail with the Megaton Hammer or sword and then finish him off with the Master Sword.
These battles are some of the most memorable and iconic in the Zelda series, with each boss posing a unique challenge and requiring a variety of strategies to defeat.