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The Legend of Zelda series is known for introducing unique and challenging bosses. One of the most commonly recurring bosses in these games is Gohma. Typically, these creatures are huge arthropods with one eye. If you’ve played your fair share of Legend of Zelda games, there’s a good chance you’ve fought a Gohma.
Our Gohma guide will tell you all about Gohmas, where you’ll find them, and how to defeat them.
Key Details Up Front
Gohmas are among the most common enemies and bosses you’ll encounter in the Legend of Zelda series. These challenging creatures are often found in dungeons, but in some games, they’re just regular enemies. Regardless, it’s good to know how to handle these pesky critters.
Appearances
Here’s a rundown of all the Legend of Zelda games in which Gohma makes an appearance.
The Legend of Zelda
Link first encounters Gohma in The Legend of Zelda. In this game, Gohma has a hard shell that counters any of Link’s attacks. However, its eye is susceptible to attacks from Link’s bow and arrow. The problem is that Gohma knows its weakness and often attacks with its eye closed. Keep your distance, take your time, and you’ll have it beat before you know it.
In Legend of Zelda, there are two types of Gohma Link fights: red and blue. A single shot from Link’s bow and arrow will take out a red Gohma, however, you’ll need three shots to take out a blue one.
During Link’s First Quest, he’ll encounter a Red Gohma on Level 6 and one as a mini-boss on Level 8. He’ll also come across a Red Gohma on Levels 5 and 7 of his Second Quest, as well as a Blue Gohma boss on Level 6.
Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Next up on our list of Gohma appearances is Link’s Awakening. Lucky for Link, there are two Gohmas in this game. They show up as the guardians of Catfish’s Maw, which is the fifth dungeon Link has to complete.
These critters move like crabs, back and forth from side to side. They keep their eyes closed and will rush Link in an attempt to ram into him. However, it’s always the closest Gohma that attacks.
Eventually, their eyes will open, giving Link the perfect opportunity to attack with his Hookshot. Another way to get them to open their eyes is to play the Ballad of the Wind Fish. With their eyes open, Link can use his bow and arrows to deal significant damage to the Gohmas until they’re defeated.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The first boss young Link has to defeat in Ocarina of Time is the Parasitic Armored Arachnid: Gohma. This creature was used as a curse on the Great Deku Tree by Ganondorf when it refused to give him the Spiritual Stone of the Forest.
Gohma went to work on the Great Deku Tree, scattering her webs and sending her offspring to leech the life from the tree. As a result, the Great Deku Gree turns to Link for help removing this beast from within. Link encounters Queen Gohma deep within the depths of the Great Deku Tree. She’s in her lair, waiting on the ceiling for him.
With the help of Navi – a fairy – Link finds Queen Gohma’s weakness: when her eye turns red, she is vulnerable to Link’s attacks. To hit her while she’s crawling across the ceiling, wait for her eye to turn red, then pull out your Fairy Slingshot and launch a Deku Seed. She’ll fall to the ground, stunned. Grab your sword and slash away at her eye.
When she recovers, she’ll make her way back up to the ceiling and start dropping Gohma Larva on Link if he doesn’t hit her fast enough. Take care of these mini-Gohmas with one swing of your sword, then return your focus back to Queen Gohma.
Repeat the process. Hit her in the eye when it turns red, then start slashing with your sword once she hits the ground. After enough hits, Link will defeat Queen Gohma, lifting the curse on the Great Deku Tree.
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
In Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, Link finds Gohma in the Dancing Dragon Dungeon. The challenge with this version of Gohma is that she has a deadly claw that deals extensive damage if she hits Link with it.
Should Link choose to run in front of Gohma, she’ll snatch him up and throw him down, dealing more damage. To mitigate the claw and even things up a little, slash away at it with your sword. Or, you can use the Roc Feather to jump over it. Once the claw is gone, Gohma’s vulnerability is her eye.
Pull out your Slingshot and start shooting her in the eye when it’s open. Avoid the larvae and keep alternating between shooting her eye and slashing her. Eventually, Link will defeat her and receive Soothing Rain, which is the fourth Essence of Nature in Oracle of Seasons.
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Fighting Gohma in The Wind Waker is different than previous iterations. Link runs into Gohma under Valoo, the Spirit of the Sky. Valoo resides on the peak of Dragon Roost Island, however, the Sky Spirit isn’t aware of it.
With Gohma constantly tormenting him, Valoo becomes angry, unpredictable, and violent. As a result, the Rito are subject to confusion and panic, which is not something those tasked with protecting Din’s Pearl can afford to be.
The Rito need help and Link is there to give it. Upon reaching the boss room of the Dragon Roost Cavern, Link encounters a huge, lava-covered scarab. To defeat this version of Gohma, Link has to use his grappling hook to swing back and forth on Valoo’s tail. He has to do this while avoiding Gohma’s massive pincers.
After swinging back and forth on Valoo’s tail, Link jumps off, causing a portion of the ceiling to drop down onto Gohma. Repeat this task several times to crack Gohma’s hard outer shell. At this point, Link can use his grapple to pull Gohma’s eye toward him. When it’s in range, slash at it repeatedly.
Continue grabbing and slashing Gohma’s eye until the boss is defeated. She’ll harden and explode, rewarding Link with a Heart Container. Link will also receive Din’s Pearl, as well as an apology from Prince Komali, the son of the Rito Chief.
Unfortunately for Link, he must defeat Gohma again in Ganon’s Tower. He can also make Gohma into a figurine if he captures a picture of her with his Picto Box. Upon doing so, he’ll find that Gohma’s armor is really white with purple marking.
Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Link will encounter two types of Gohmas in Four Swords Adventures. The first type of Gohma he’ll find wandering aimlessly in the Hyrule fields. The second type is mini-bosses that attack Link with fireballs. Either of these types of Gohma is defeated by shooting an arrow at the creature’s eye when it’s open.
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Armogohma in Twilight Princess is among the toughest Gohma battles in the Legend of Zelda series. As Twilight Princess is among the darkest Legend of Zelda games out there, it makes sense that this boss fight is among the creepiest. That said, this version of Gohma is just one huge spider. If you feel like burning down the entire dungeon, we don’t blame you.
Armogohma is unique in that she seems to be the natural progression of Gohmas. Basically, it’s like taking all the previous iterations of this boss and putting them all into one big, bad Goha. For example, she can fire at Link from long distances or she can create smaller versions of herself, much like the Gohma from Ocarina of Time.
Armogohma will use every weapon in her arsenal to take Link out, which makes the fight both challenging and satisfying. That is, until you get to the second phase of the battle. There’s significant disagreement among Zelda fans about this phase.
Once Link hits Gohma enough times, her body disintegrates. The only thing remaining is a tiny spider connected to her eye. Some people enjoy this phase because it injects some lightheartedness into an otherwise serious game. Link chases the small spider around, attempting to slash at it while it only wants to escape.
Others feel cheated since the second part of most boss battles are more difficult than the first, which is certainly not the case with Armogohma. Overall, Armogohma is tough but probably doesn’t offer a challenge representative of how far into the game she is.
Hyrule Warriors
Another Gohma appearance takes place in Hyrule Warriors. She’s a boss in multiple stages if you’re playing Adventure Mode or Legend Mode. If you’re paying in Legend Mode, she’ll appear in Ganondorf’s Return, The Sorceress of the Woods, and The Darkness Falls stages.
Gohma is no slouch in Hyrule Warriors. She’ll block attacks with her forelegs, which she uses to protect her eye. She’ll jump into the air, spin around, and swipe aggressively against her enemies. Gohma may also fire a laser beam both horizontally and vertically.
She’s most vulnerable when she’s charging up an attack or immediately after firing off a laser beam. Her iris will change from red to bright blue. At this point, Link can shoot her in the eye with an arrow, which will cause Gohma to turn over and expose her weak area.
Once she’s defeated, Gohma will reward Link with Gohma’s Lens Material or Gohma’s Acid Material.
FAQs
As a recurring boss in the Legend of Zelda series, there’s lots to know about Gohma. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:
Question: How do I Defeat Gohma?
Answer: In most cases, you shoot an arrow into her eye when it’s open.
Question: What are Some of the Different Types of Gohma?
Answer: There are several different types of Gohma throughout the series, including Armogohma from Twilight Princess and the mini-bosses from Four Swords Adventures.
Question: What is Gohma’s Weakness?
Answer: Her weak spot is usually her eye, which is why attacking with arrows is often effective.
Question: Where Does Gohma Come From?
Answer: It’s unknown exactly where Gohma comes from, but she’s appeared as a boss in several different games.
Question: What Does Gohma Represent?
Answer: Gohma is often seen as a representation of Ganon or other evil forces in the Legend of Zelda series.
Attack of the Arachnid
Gohma regularly appears as a boss throughout the Legend of Zelda series. She’s usually some large version of a spider or crab. Her vulnerable spot is her eye, which Link can shoot with an arrow. She’s not always the most difficult boss to defeat, but she does her best to put up a good fight.
No matter the game, Gohma always represents some incarnation of evil that Link must defeat in order to save the day. She’s a difficult foe but one that can be defeated with the right strategy.
Further readings: