Daily Debate: What’s the Most Disappointing Final Battle in the Zelda Series?
Posted on March 05 2025 by Josh Wittmershaus
When we talk about “best of” lists, the journey from the bottom to the top is always a ride. So, naturally, talking about the best final battles of the Zelda series would make for a crescendo of crescendos in “best of” discussions. However, these lists are always a zero-sum game, and if we’re going to talk about our favorite final battles (Tears of the Kingdom is an example that comes to mind for many), then it naturally means that there must be a least favorite or most disappointing final battle that fans can point to.
While this isn’t necessarily a discussion on level of difficulty, a disappointing final boss can often be too easy (although, in some cases, a boss can be so difficult that it can limit one’s enjoyment.) A final boss can also lack the, well, crescendo that can make the build-up to it so satisfying. Lastly, creativity in a final battle can be important in making it satisfactory — so long as it doesn’t cross the boundary into becoming enigmatic.
A final battle that can be considered disappointing for a certain group of players is the ultimate showdown in Majora’s Mask. However, this perspective really only pertains to the select few who are able to complete the entire mask collection and get the Fierce Deity Mask, which makes the final boss tremendously easy. Another final battle that people point to as disappointing is the fight with Ganon in the 1986 Legend of Zelda, which many describe as simple and easy when compared to the obtuse and overall difficult main game. And there is of course the final confrontation with Dark Beast Ganon in Breath of the Wild, which has become a common target of criticism in the past eight years.
For me, though, I actually really disliked the final battle in Twilight Princess. The first phase was just another game of tennis similar to that in Ocarina of Time, and the second phase had me initially overly confused as to what to do (perhaps that says more about me than anything, but the point is made.) The final sequences with Ganondorf I just found to be monotonous. I will say, though, that the final plunge from the Master Sword is pretty epic and climatic.
What do you think? What’s the most disappointing final battle in the Zelda series? Let us know in the comments!
Josh Wittmershaus is a writer at Zelda Dungeon. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, he now resides in Northern California. Aside from Zelda, Josh enjoys playing music, seeing live music, music history, and all other things music. He also enjoys skating, hockey, and the occasional political or philosophical thought exercise.
