Editing Moldorm (boss)

|variant_of=[[Moldorm (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)|Moldorm (''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'')]]

|comparable=[[Lanmola]]<br>[[Moldorm (The Legend of Zelda)|Moldorm (''The Legend of Zelda'')]]<br>[[Puppet Ganon]]<br>[[Twinmold]]

'''Moldorms''' are large versions of [[Moldorm (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)|Mini-Moldorms]] that debut in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]''. Like their smaller counterparts, they move around erratically. They generally try to push [[Link]] off platforms to lower floors, and have a weak spot on the end of the tail.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'', a Moldorm debuts as the boss of the [[Tower of Hera|Mountain Tower]], where it is on a small platform with a hole on the left side on the highest floor. When its tail end is hit, it flashes and temporarily stops as its eyes roll around. If Link hits its head, however, his sword will ricochet off it and he will be pushed back a large distance. The more damage it takes, the faster it moves, though Link can use a [[Spin Attack]] to deal even more damage. If Link is knocked into the pit, he goes down to the previous floor, and returning starts the battle from the beginning. After six normal sword strike's worth of damage, the Moldorm is defeated and Link gains the [[Pendants of Virtue#Pendant of Wisdom|Pendant of Wisdom]].

 

One later appears on a larger, vaguely bat-shaped platform on the 6th floor of [[Ganon's Tower]], and tries to push Link into a pit with patches of [[spiked floor]], an [[Bubble|Anti-Faery]], and a [[Wizzrobe]]. However, since Link has better equipment at this point, the battle can be completed quicker. Once this Moldorm is destroyed, a [[Treasure Chest]] containing a red [[Rupee]] appears on a nearby platform as a [[Hookshot]] target, allowing Link to continue to [[Agahnim]] on the 7th floor.

[[File:Moldorm LA Switch battle.jpg|thumb|Link battling Moldorm in the Nintendo Switch remake of ''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'']]

[[File:Moldorm LA sprite.png|frame|left]]

A Moldorm is the first boss in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]'', appearing in the [[Tail Cave]] as the guardian of the [[Full Moon Cello]]. It has a different appearance from the Moldorm boss in ''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'', as shown from its angrier and spikier look. This Moldorm is green, and it has a large pair of mandibles just like those of an insect.

When [[Link]] enters the room, the Moldorm buzzes, acknowledges Link as an "outsider," and moves around in random directions. Like the previous game, Link can attack Moldorm by striking its tail with his [[sword]]. With each hit, Moldorm moves around faster and more erratically. Link can avoid Moldorm by using the [[Roc's Feather]] to jump over it, or by holding out his [[shield]], which deflects Moldorm. There are two pits on both sides, which Link must avoid falling or being pushed into by Moldorm. If this happens, Link falls into in a side-scrolling dark area and must climb out of it from a ladder to return into the main area. Link can return to fight Moldorm, although this restarts the battle. By using the [[Spin Attack|Whirling Blade]] technique, Link can defeat Moldorm after four hits. When Moldorm is defeated, Link is rewarded with a [[Heart Container]], and he can then enter into the room with the Full Moon Cello.

During the final boss fight against the [[Shadow (The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening)|Shadow]]s, one of the forms they take is that of a Moldorm, also known as [[Moldorm's Shadow]], with the Shadows' angry eyes on its tail end.

 

In the [[Nintendo Switch]] remake, Moldorm and its fight are changed a bit. It looks like the Moldorm in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds|A Link Between Worlds]]'', but has a group of petal-like protrusions around its tail end, which it can close to protect it. Before the battle begins, it falls from the ceiling with only its head visible before saying its line. It also turns more and more red the more it is hit. Finally, the pits to the sides have, aside from the corners, been replaced with collapsing floors.

 

====''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker''====

Moldorms do not appear in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]''. However, the third and final form taken by [[Puppet Ganon]] is both visually and behaviorally based on one.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'', a Moldorm appears in the [[pyramid]] and is called '''Big Moldorm'''.<ref>''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures'' The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, page 77.</ref> It is gray and its tail end changes color depending on which Link needs to hit it. After each hit, it cycles through the possible colors like a roulette before eventually stopping on another. If it takes too long for a Link to hit it, it may do this by itself. After four hits, it splits in two. One of the two can be defeated in two hits, while the other takes six Upon having only one hit left, each will become much faster and more aggressive. When they are both defeated, the Links are able to free the final maiden. Ordinary [[Moldorm (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)|Moldorm]]s resemble the boss's appearance from ''A Link to the Past''.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds]]'', a Moldorm again is the boss of the [[Tower of Hera]], where it is yellow with several lumps on its top and a green fuzz around the rim along its underside. It now has the [[Pendants of Virtue#Pendant of Power|Pendant of Power]] and is fought on a similar platform to in ''A Link to the Past'', albeit made of metal grating and over the roof. If Link is knocked down to the roof, he can return to the arena using a [[mole]] and does not need to start over. This Moldorm takes seven normal hits to defeat, and turns more red as it speeds up, turning orange after three hits and red after two more. If Link uses the [[hammer]] near it, it is bounced into the air one segment at a time and and momentarily stunned.

 

A stronger, purple one with undulating yellow and purple eyes can be found in [[Lorule Castle]]. This one is fought at the end of the [[bomb]] challenge through the lower left boss fight door, and instead of pits in its arena, it has walls that push closer together, thus shrinking the arena. Both appear in the [[Treacherous Tower]], with the Hyrule version being the final opponent in the intermediate mode and the [[Lorule]] version being the final opponent of the advanced mode. Both are surrounded by pits here.

In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes]]'', a Moldorm appears as the boss of the [[Fire Temple]] with a design uncharacteristically resembling a ''Trilobyte'' or a horseshoe crab. Its arena is over a large bit of lava, and lava geysers erupt from three marked circles on the mesh floor. The glow from its large red headlight-like eyes indicate which Link needs to attack it, depending on their color. In single player mode, it also indicates which Link it will attack and will always be the color of the Link being controlled, though if the controlled Link is off the battlefield, the eyes will glow yellow and it will wander aimlessly. As it moves, it slowly unfurls its segments, ending with the weak tail end, the last of which will only appear if it is actively pursuing a Link.. Hitting a Link or switching between [[Doppel]]s in the arena will cause it to withdraw its segments, thus starting the process over. Its tail end can be hit by throwing the [[boomerang]], luring it away from it while holding the boomerang in place, and then letting it return while Moldorm's tail is between the boomerang and Link. After it takes three hits worth of damage, it will raise its weak tail, necessitating either a [[totem]] position or a ranged attack from one of the raised platforms to the side of the battlefield. After three more hits of damage, it will begin moving faster while blinking red.

===''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'' (comic)===

In the [[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (comic)|comic adaptation]] of ''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'' by [[Shotaro Ishinomori]], Moldorm appears in Chapter 4. It is depicted as a giant black spider with an image resembling a distorted black skull on its back and several hexagonal yellow eyes at the front. Link stabs the second eye, but then receives a telepathic message that the [[Pendants of Virtue#Pendant of Wisdom|Pendant of Wisdom]] is behind the creature's third eye. He reaches through as though it were a liquid and pulls it out, after which Moldorm rapidly descends down its thread back to the entrance, allowing Link to leave. In Chapter 11, the Moldorm, along with [[Agahnim]] and the [[Lanmola]], are shown as ghostly apparitions in [[Ganon's Tower|Ganon's Castle]]. Link and [[Roam]] destroy them all.

 

In ''[[BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban]]'', Moldorm is the boss of the second dungeon, the [[Waterfall of Wishing]]. It looks and acts like it does in ''A Link to the Past'', except falling in the pit resets Link to the boss room's door, making the fight significantly easier than normal as falling does not start the whole fight over.

In the [[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (manga)|manga adaptation]] to the [[Game Boy Advance]] version of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Game Boy Advance)|The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' by [[Akira Himekawa]], Moldorm appears as a giant centipede.

ALttP BBII Big Moldorm.jpg|''[[Barcode Battler II]]'' artwork

Moldorm LADX sprite.png|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX]]'' sprite

Moldorm LADX battle.png|Link battling Moldorm in ''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX''