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If you’ve ever played any Legend of Zelda games, you know that the Bokoblins are recurring enemies in many forms. Although most of the time they are not a high-priority threat, there are some points in the games where Bokoblins can be very deadly.
In many Zelda games, they come in different shapes and sizes with different weapons or magic abilities. In this review, we’ll look at some generic Bokoblin traits and then talk about how they behave in each of the games and how you can best defeat them.
Key Details Up Front
Bokoblins appear in most Zelda games as an enemy that is not too hard to defeat. They usually have low HP and do not fight very well. However, they will gang up on you in large numbers so if you are not careful, you can be overwhelmed.
About Bokoblins
Bokoblins aren’t the smartest creatures in any game. Bokoblins aren’t very bright, and this low intelligence causes them to charge at you with their weapons instead of using projectiles or magic. You can use this to your advantage, because the close proximity of the enemy means you can strike more easily.
They also have a relatively weak melee attack. They wield spears, clubs, arrows, and bombs but all of these deal low damage (even though the bombs can be pretty hazardous). The exception is when they use a Darknut Sword in Twilight Princess.
In some games, Bokoblins can use special abilities or enhanced strength. In Wind Waker, for example, they have the ability to steal your shield and weapon with a swipe of their hand. In Skyward Sword, they can possess your sword as you attack them as well as pick it up after you throw it.
Behavior
As I mentioned earlier, Bokoblins aren’t very bright. They will run at you in melee range and attack with their weapons. However, they are not too difficult to defeat if you can get the first few strikes in.
There are usually anywhere between one hundred to several hundred Bokoblins in any given fight. Most of the time, they are scattered around an area and it is often possible to avoid fighting all of them. However, there are some areas (like Eldin Volcano in Skyward Sword) where you absolutely need to defeat all enemies or face grave consequences later on.
A typical Bokoblin fight consists of killing fifty to one hundred Bokoblins in a matter of minutes. You can do it in five minutes if you are skilled enough to kill every Bokoblin in only one or two strikes.
Sometimes, larger enemies will need to be defeated before killing all the normal enemies is possible. If this is the case, it’s usually best to focus on taking out the larger enemy first.
In most games, other monsters are placed in an area with Bokoblins. These can range from other weaker enemies to stronger ones that require different tactics to defeat. In Twilight Princess, for example, Link must defeat a giant Magtail before he can kill all of the Bokoblins in Snowpeak Ruins.
Recommended Equipment
Link can defeat most Bokoblin hordes with just the Hero’s Bow. However, some battles are too difficult to do this against, especially if they have Darknut Swords or stronger weapons.
At these points in the game, it’s usually best to use melee weapons like swords or axes instead of using projectiles. You should also consider using stronger armors (like the Hylian Shield in Twilight Princess) if you want to negate damage from Bokoblin weapons.
When fighting a horde of enemies, it is usually best to try and get the first strike. This makes it much easier to defeat them before they can attack you. However, this isn’t always easy to do against Bokoblins. Sometimes it can be difficult to get the first strike, especially if you’re using a weaker weapon.
In these cases, you should use melee weapons that deal heavy damage with one swing (like the Master Sword). These will kill most Bokoblins before they have a chance to attack you. You should also wear armor that will reduce the damage from Bokoblin weapons.
In any case, you should try to avoid being surrounded by an entire horde of Bokoblins if possible. If this does happen, it’s best to either escape or use a special ability like the Great Spin Attack found in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
Defeating Bokoblins
Even though Bokoblins aren’t too difficult to defeat in most cases, you should remember that there are usually a lot of them. For this reason, defeating an entire horde is somewhat difficult and takes practice.
In most situations, it’s best to try and get the first strike by surprise (especially in Twilight Princess when you can use Midna’s help). From there, you should try to defeat them in one or two strikes.
If this is too difficult for some reason, it’s generally best to fight on land instead of water (to avoid being knocked off your feet by the waves created by their swimming) and wait for an opening. Bokoblins are generally easy to defeat if you can get the first strike and avoid being surrounded (which is often easier said than done).
Breath of the Wild
The Bokoblins in the most recent Zelda release, Breath of the Wild, are somewhat different from the typical Bokoblins in previous games. First of all, there are several tribes that each present their own challenges.
These include the regular Red Bokoblin Tribe, which still wields relatively weak Boko Spears and clubs; the Blue Bokoblin Tribe, which uses weaponry made out of ice (a new addition to the series); the Black Bokoblin Tribe, which uses ancient technology to fight (including ancient versions of the Boko Bow and Boko Club); and the Silver Bokoblin Tribe, which uses metallic weapons instead of wooden ones.
Despite these differences, Bokoblins in Breath of the Wild are extremely similar to their counterparts in other games. They attack with melee weapons and can be defeated with either melee attacks or projectiles (arrows, bombs, the bow).
In addition, they appear in large hordes which makes defeating them difficult. For this reason, it’s best to attack from a distance if possible and try to use ranged weapons like the bow and arrows whenever you can.
Skyward Sword
Bokoblins in Skyward Sword are very similar to Bokoblins in the other games. They are still very weak enemies that are relatively easy to defeat, especially if you can take them out one or two at a time.
They use the same weapons as their Twilight Princess counterparts (the Boko Stick and Boko Shield). However, they wear a different type of armor which makes them slightly harder to defeat. In some ways, they’re similar to the Bokoblins from The Wind Waker as you can’t use your sword on their shield.
However, this is rectified in Skyward Sword as you can use your beetle to grab their weapons and throw them away with simple button commands. After this, you can defeat them with one or two melee attacks depending on your weapon (though it’s generally best to use the sword).
Twilight Princess
The Bokoblins in Twilight Princess are among the easiest enemies you’ll encounter. For this reason, it’s best to try and take them out one at a time with melee weapons like the sword or axe (which deal heavy damage).
If they ever begin to surround you, you can use your spin attack (acquired early on in the game) to defeat them all at once (this is especially useful when they’re in water).
Another strategy (which works for other enemies as well) is to shoot them with arrows or use the clawshot to stun them before attacking. If your weapons are too weak, you can also try luring them near a wall and using the Back Slice or Helm Splitter.
The Wind Waker
In The Wind Waker, Bokoblins are generally weaker than other enemies and can be defeated relatively easily. For this reason, it’s best to defeat them with one or two strikes of your sword if possible.
If you see a group of Bokoblins, you can use an attack like the spin attack or Hurricane Spin to defeat them all at once.
If you want to use ranged weapons, it’s best to use items like the bow, boomerang, or the grappling hook (in conjunction with targets). You can also try reflecting their projectile back at them using your shield or Iron Boots.
It is very difficult to outrun Bokoblins in The Wind Waker as they will continue to chase after you until they lose sight of you or you defeat them.
Hyrule Warriors
Bokoblins in Hyrule Warriors are similar to other Bokoblins in the series, but they do have some differences. Firstly, unlike their Twilight Princess counterparts which used wooden weaponry and wore wooden armor, these Bokoblins use metal weapons and wear metallic armor (which makes them considerably harder to defeat).
These Bokoblins also have a higher range of movement and can jump both high and far. However, they’re still not that difficult to defeat. Like the Bokoblins in other games, you should take them out one at a time and focus on ranged weapons whenever possible (using bombs and arrows from afar).
Generally speaking, the Bokoblins in Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword are by far the weakest (and easiest to defeat). Hyrule Warriors has stronger Bokoblin variants that will give you more trouble, but you’ll still be able to defeat them effectively with ranged weapons.
In addition, it’s best to try and kill them one at a time whenever possible (and take them out with ranged weapons if you can). While they’re easy to defeat, the Bokoblins in Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword spawn in large numbers which makes defeating them an arduous task.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the different types of Bokoblin tribes all have their own abilities and powers which you’ll need to be aware of. It’s best to take them out with ranged weapons whenever possible and don’t try attacking too many at once (as they can overwhelm you).
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Bokoblins in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity are more dangerous than their counterparts in most other games. For example, the Blue Bokoblins have the ability to teleport (which means they’ll constantly try to surround you) and they can also breathe fire.
The Red Bokoblins carry bomb bags which they will use to try and blow you up. This means that even if you manage to kill them, their bomb bag will explode (in addition to any bombs they’ve already thrown) which can be dangerous for Link (and anyone else nearby).
The Black Bokoblins are the most powerful of all except for the Oni variant. They use heavy weapons like swords and spears and they can deal a large amount of damage (which means you’ll need to defeat them as quickly as possible).
The Green Bokoblins are also fairly dangerous. Like the Blue Bokoblins, they have the ability to teleport. However, if Link comes too close to them, they will use an electric shock attack which can tear away his shield.
The Oni variant of Bokoblin is the most powerful in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Like Black Bokoblins, they can deal a lot of damage and they also have more health than regular Bokoblins (making them difficult to defeat). In addition, like Black Bokoblins, Oni Bokoblins also carry heavy weapons.
The Golden Bokoblin has more health than other Bokoblins and is extra dangerous because it carries a golden sword. This allows it to deal even more damage than the Oni variant of Bokoblin (and defeat you very quickly). Finally, like Oni variants, Golden Bokoblins are immune to elemental rods and have a decent resistance to bombs.
Cadence of Hyrule
In Cadence of Hyrule, the Bokoblin is a very common enemy that can be found throughout a multitude of levels. They’re not particularly strong, but some do have stronger variations which will give you more trouble (like those with swords and blue hair).
For the most part, though, it’s best to try and take them out one at a time with melee weapons like the sword or spear (which deal heavy damage).
If you ever see them in groups, you can use an attack like spin attack or Hurricane Spin to defeat all of them.
Like other Bokoblins in the series, it is very difficult to outrun them in Cadence of Hyrule as they’ll continue to chase you until you lose them or defeat them.
It’s also worth noting that Bokoblins in Cadence of Hyrule are much easier than other Bokoblins in the series simply because they’re not particularly strong. Some varieties do have more health, but it’s still easy enough to take them out with melee weapons (and they don’t have any abilities that make them particularly powerful).
Super Smash Bros
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Bokoblins appear in Super Smash Bros. as well, but they’re significantly different from the Bokoblins in the Legend of Zelda series since it’s a take on their Ocarina of Time 3D design.
In Super Smash Bros., Bokoblins are red-skinned humanoids with horns and long ears which are characteristic of their design in Ocarina of Time. They’ll utilize weapons like clubs and shields (which can be picked up) throughout the fight, but they’re also skilled at hand-to-hand combat.
As far as Super Smash Bros., it’s best to take them out with ranged attacks when you get the chance to do so. Items are often useful in Super Smash Bros., but they can also be utilized to deal with Bokoblins.
For example, if you happen to have a bow or other item that will stun enemies, you can stun them temporarily and then use the opportunity to attack them directly (that goes for melee weapons as well). It’s best to try and defeat them one at a time when possible, but you shouldn’t have much trouble with them regardless.
Your best bet is to take out ranged attackers whenever you get the chance and then beat them down with melee weapons if they happen to be near you. This should provide effective enough for Super Smash Bros., even though it may take some time (and patience).
FAQ
If you’re interested in Zelda enemies like Bokoblins, these frequently asked questions should help you understand more.
Question: When are Bokoblins Found?
Answer: Bokoblins are found throughout the Zelda series, but they’re generally most common in more recent games. Hyrule Warriors has more types of Bokoblin than other Zelda games which makes it easier to find them anywhere (in addition to their increased range of movement).
Question: What Weapons do Bokoblins Use?
Answer: Bokoblins use spears, swords, axes, whips and bombs depending on the game. They generally use whatever weapons are more common in that specific game (they tend to favor bombs in Hyrule Warriors). Bokoblins also occasionally ride horses which makes them difficult to dodge at first glance.
Question: What Armor do Bokoblins Wear?
Answer: Most Bokoblins wear little to no armor. They only tend to wear armor when they’re in battle (which makes them extra dangerous). However, it’s worth noting that the different types of Bokoblin all have their own preferred types of armor (so you’ll need to be extra careful with certain variants like Black and Golden Bokoblins).
Question: Can Bokoblins Swim?
Answer: Bokoblins can swim, but they tend to avoid water (and any other place that isn’t solid ground which makes them difficult to fight in Cadence of Hyrule. Luckily, most Bokoblin locations are on land which is where you should focus your attention when possible.
Question: Where do Bokoblins Live?
Answer: Bokoblins tend to live in strongholds (like the Forsaken Fortress) but they also typically make their homes in smaller camps like those found in Skyward Sword. They generally occupy areas that are harder to access (with more dangerous enemies), but it’s worth noting that Bokoblins can make their homes anywhere. There are also varieties who can adapt to colder climates, so you’ll generally need to be aware of the environment wherever you are.
Conclusion
Bokoblins aren’t very intelligent creatures, but they usually come in hordes. Defeating them all will take some patience and effort on your part, but it’s definitely possible. They shouldn’t be too difficult to defeat, even when they have backup from other monsters.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by Bokoblins, it is usually best to retreat. If this isn’t an option (as with the Bokoblin blocking the pathway in Eldin Volcano), consider using ranged attacks and melee weapons that can kill them quickly. As long as you keep your wits about you, Bokoblins won’t be too much trouble.
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