Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Phantom Ganon Boss Guide

Clear the Phantom Ganon encounter in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Phantom Ganon boss fight takes place during the later portion of the campaign. You'll meet Link's old rival in a challenging and chaotic battle. Here's our guide to help you beat the Phantom Ganon boss fight in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

How to beat Phantom Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

For the sake of clarity, the Zelda: Phantom Ganon boss fight we detail here is the one that occurs in Hyrule Castle. Although you take him on in the Deku Tree Chasm, that's just but one opponent. The one in Hyrule Castle pits you against five specters.

It can be a hassle since, apart from numerous foes, your own companions don't do a good job handling aggro either. Worse, since they're engaged in melee, you'll end up wading into the thick of the fray if ever you plan on activating their abilities, likely risking a brutal hit. Moreover, since Phantom Ganon is corrupted by the Gloom, any damage you take will also afflict you with the debuff, lowering your max HP by locking down your hearts.

Don't risk activating your Sage companion abilities since that would usually lead to you getting hit hard.
Don't risk activating your Sage companion abilities since that would usually lead to you getting hit hard.

To be fair, though, the encounter itself should be easy enough if you play your cards right. For instance, a shield with a Spring or Time Bomb as the Fuse material lets you leap into the air quickly, which makes for slow-time charged shots with your bow. Likewise, if you can manage to dodge one shade, you can follow up with a Flurry Rush. With a strong weapon, a single sequence can burst down its HP.

If you're having trouble, we did come up with a cheese for the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Phantom Ganon boss. The idea is to run all the way to the top floor of the sanctum. There, hop on top of the ledge beside the steps. While you're positioned there, there's a possibility that the following can happen:

  • Specters that follow you will sometimes go on the opposite ledge. Due to the distance, they'll only shoot bows, which you can sidestep.
  • Some will teleport on the ledge that you're camping on. If this happens, you can block their initial strike, then hop off to make them teleport, then hop back on.
Standing on the ledge can make teleporting shades end up on the opposite side, forcing them to only fire arrows. Anyone that gets too close will sometimes charge, which you can block. Alternatively, they might just shimmy around and do nothing.
Standing on the ledge can make teleporting shades end up on the opposite side, forcing them to only fire arrows. Anyone that gets too close will sometimes charge, which you can block. Alternatively, they might just shimmy around and do nothing.

The idea is to mess with their AI, forcing them to only shoot with arrows that can be sidestepped. You may then just snipe them with headshots. This should, hopefully, let you clear the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Phantom Ganon encounter in Hyrule Castle.

After this, Link and company find out that they need more aid. That leads to The Fifth Sage quest.

There are numerous mechanics and facets to learn in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. For more information, you can visit our guides hub.

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