Because of the upheaval and the revival of Ganondorf, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is teeming with horrifying monsters that will attack you on sight using strong weapons, elemental abilities, or sometimes even throwing their own comrades.
Link has to contend with threats in the Sky Islands, on the surface, and in the Depths, and many of them have terrifying designs. Although common monsters like Bokoblins won't frighten you as you roam Hyrule, there are certain enemies that will elicit fear in anyone who comes across them, whether that’s because of their sinister appearances, brute strength, or enormous size. You wouldn’t be judged for running from these enemies.
8 Toadally Scary: Frox
Colossal, frog-like monsters, Froxes are new additions to the series in Tears of the Kingdom and they can be encountered in the Gloom-infested depths. Seeing the Frox’s hulking form in the Depths is sure to be a scary experience, especially when it’s shrouded in darkness and all you can see is its gigantic silhouette.
In battle, Froxes use their size to their advantage, attempting to crush you beneath their humungous frame. They also inhale using their gaping mouth, gobbling you up if you don’t run away fast enough. Luckily, Frox can be easily handled by using an arrow to stun them, but you’ll never forget the first time you saw one lurking in the darkness.
7 As Horrible As Its Name: Horriblin
Horriblins are enemies unique to Tears of the Kingdom that reside in caves scattered across Hyrule. When entering a cave, you might hear the eerie sound of monkey-like laughter, which is the tell-tale sign that these creatures are hidden somewhere.
Using their long claws, they cling to the ceilings of caves, throwing rocks at you if they spot you. They’re reminiscent of the proboscis monkey, which has a similar large nose - something that makes sense considering their agile movements and the sounds they make. Horriblins can be shot down using a well-aimed arrow, which levels the playing field and allows you to attack them without fear of them dropping on you from above.
6 Nature Fights Back: Evermean Trees
Evermean Trees certainly live up to their name. Even when you’re having a nice walk through Hyrule’s forests, you can’t let your guard down, as any tree could be an Evermean Tree. Your first encounter with one of these enemies is sure to be a startling one, as they look just like normal trees until you get into their vicinity.
At this point, they’ll uproot from the ground and try to hit you with their branches. Although Evermean Trees don’t look as horrifying as other monsters such as the Gibdo or Gloom Hands, the shock of one attacking you out of nowhere is enough to make you wary of every tree in Hyrule.
5 Back For Blood: Lynel
In Breath of the Wild, Lynels were infamous for their difficulty, and they’re just as formidable in Tears of the Kingdom. These centaur monsters will attack Link with everything they have if they spot you, using powerful weapons to take you down.
Unless you’re specifically looking to get some Lynel loot, avoiding these monsters is the safest option. They’re incredibly territorial monsters and will draw their bow at you even if they see you from a distance. To obtain Majora’s Mask, you’ll have to defeat five Lynels in a row, which is an intimidating task when just one is challenging.
4 Undead Bugs: Gibdo
Gibdos are undead monsters characterized by their skeletal bodies and glowing eyes. In Tears of the Kingdom, Gibdos are made even scarier by the fact that they share similarities with bugs - they have beetle-like mouths and some of them can even fly with moth wings.
They can only be found in the Gerudo region, spawning from lotus-pod-like hives, which are nightmarish in themselves if you have trypophobia. To make things even worse, they can run incredibly quickly when on all fours. They’re resistant to normal attacks, and you’ll need to use elemental damage to take them down. Tears of the Kingdom’s Gibdos managed to be as scary as other depictions of them in the series, while offering a twist on the monster.
3 The Return Of The King: Gleeok
Having not appeared in a mainline Zelda game for many years, Gleeoks made a return in Tears of the Kingdom to many fans’ delight, but the fearsome appearance of these three-headed creatures soon replaced that feeling with one of fear. They’re one of the more imposing enemies in the game simply because of their sheer size.
Across Hyrule, you’ll encounter Gleeoks with fire, ice, and lightning powers, as well as King Gleeoks that have a head for each element. Fighting any of these dragons is an intense experience, as they’ll come at you with their respective elemental attacks that you’ll have to avoid while shooting each of the three heads with arrows. Battling one isn’t for the faint-hearted.
2 Hands Off: Gloom Hands
Gloom Hands are enemies that can be incredibly difficult to deal with if they creep up on you, as they can spawn without warning and grab you, depleting lots of your hearts in the process. Even if you decide not to engage with them, they’ll constantly pursue you until they despawn, crushing Link if they manage to catch up.
If you try to attack them close up, they’ll easily overwhelm you because there are so many hands at once, meaning your only option is to find higher ground. The game’s music and environment also change when they appear, bathing the area in a red glow similar to the blood moon.
1 The Ghost Of The Demon King: Phantom Ganon
If you thought the Gloom Hands were terrifying, just wait until you see what happens after you finally kill them. Phantom Ganon will appear once the last hand is dead, and he is a shadowy representation of Tears of the Kingdom’s antagonist, Ganondorf, brought to existence through the dangerous Gloom.
Thematically, Phantom Ganon is one of the game’s scariest enemies, as it makes it seem as though Ganon is lurking in every corner of Hyrule. He’s dripping in Gloom, which can make fighting him difficult, and he has a devastating attack where he flies at you with his weapon. He towers over Link and will make you regret killing the Gloom Hands in the first place.