The final trailer forThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas chock-full of new tidbits of gameplay and lore including the first look at the new design for Ganondorf. While there was a lot shown in this trailer for fans to unpack, eagle-eyed fans may have spotted an enemy famous for its appearance in the originalLegend of Zeldafor NES. What appears to be a Gleeok can be seen briefly towards the end of the trailer, suggesting thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcould be digging deep into the series' past for returning enemies.
AlthoughGanondorf as voiced by Matthew Mercerwas the real star of the trailer, the return of other beloved characters from the previous title such as Sidon and Riju was great to see as well. However, getting to see the enemies Link will face in action really set the stage for what players can expect in the upcoming game, and it appears thatTears of the Kingdomis upping the ante on the types of baddies players will have to defeat. Out of all the new enemies shown, the Gleeok was the most intimidating, signaling that a modern game may finally do this classicZeldaboss justice.
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Gleeoks Make Their Triumphant Return in Tears of the Kingdom
The Gleeok is a recurring enemy that first appears in 1986’sThe Legend of Zeldafor NES, where several variations of it serve as bosses within the game’s dungeons. Gleeoks are multi-headed dragons that typically require Link to defeat each individual head to defeat the creature as a whole. Although this monstrosity is iconic in the originalZeldatitle, it has had sparse appearances in the franchise since, which is surprising given the gameplay potential and notability of the Gleeok.
Aside from the original title, Gleeoks have only appeared in two otherZeldagames thus far, neither of which are among franchise’s more popular entries. A two-headed Gleeok can be fought as the boss of the Explorer’s Crypt inThe Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasonson the Game Boy Color, and another two-headed variant serves as the boss of the Temple of Ice in theNintendo DS’The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Neither of these appearances really capture the threat Gleeoks posed in the originalLegend of Zelda, begging a modern entry likeTears of the Kingdomto finally give the beast its due.
While the Gleeok is only shown briefly during the recent trailer forTears of the Kingdom, it appears to be covered in fire or even Malice, suggesting there could be multiple variants of this boss in the game. These different Gleeoks seem to act like overworld bosses similar to theHinox inBreath of the Wild, perhaps functioning as sources for rare materials and weapons like their counterparts from the previous title. WithTears of the Kingdom’s focus on air traversal, it makes sense that field bosses would become airborne, opening up unique new combat scenarios.
It’s clear thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis more than just asequel toBreath of the Wild, but a celebration of theZeldaseries as a whole. Even among the returning fan-favorite and series staple characters, it’s nice to see Nintendo hasn’t forgotten about one of the most terrifying enemies from the original game. With Gleeoks potentially opening the door to some interesting new battles,Tears of the Kingdomis shaping up to be both an evolution of the series, and a return to the roots of the classic entries in the franchise.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomreleases July 25, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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