The King Gleeok boss battle found in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is considered the most difficult encounter in the game, particularly when facing the Gloom version in the Depths. However, the rewards obtained from defeating it are substantial each time. If you truly want to push your limits and explore Link’s capabilities, this is the ultimate challenge to undertake. But then again, have you ever wondered where exactly the King Gleeok can be located?
Interestingly, there are several instances of the King Gleeok boss fight scattered across Hyrule. Similar to the lesser encounters with Frost Gleeok in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, these battles are tied to specific locations rather than being connected to quests or pivotal moments in the story. It’s worth noting that all King Gleeok boss fights are optional, meaning it is entirely possible to complete the game without encountering any of these formidable creatures, let alone engaging in combat and defeating them. Nevertheless, for those who possess the determination to confront the most challenging adversaries in Ganon’s army, we have compiled a comprehensive guide below, providing the locations, weaknesses, strategies, and rewards for conquering the mighty King Gleeok. Remember, facing three heads is far more daunting than dealing with a single opponent.
King Gleeok Locations in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
There are four locations where you can encounter King Gleeok boss fights in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: three in the Sky Realm, one in the Depths.
- Circular sky island above the West Hebra Mountains (Cold weather)
- Circular sky island above Gerudo Desert (Desert weather)
- Circular sky island above Eventide Isle
- Gleeok Den in the Depths beneath Thyphlo Ruins Skyview Tower (Gloom Gleeok)
There are actually a few notable distinctions among these encounters. While the three King Gleeoks in the sky share similarities, the one located in the Depths is engulfed in Gloom, causing any damage it inflicts on you to be permanent. During the fight, you won’t be able to restore your health unless you consume meals prepared with Sundelions. Furthermore, the darkness prevailing in the depths adds an additional challenge by making it harder to discern your opponent. It might be wise to leave this particularly formidable Gleeok for last, allowing yourself ample practice on the others.
Another difference worth mentioning is the weather conditions. The arena in the Hebra Mountains experiences extremely low temperatures, making it crucial to take precautions against the cold mechanics unique to Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Failure to do so may result in freezing to death during the battle. Similarly, the Gleeok above Gerudo is influenced by the desert environment, becoming too cold at night and excessively hot during the day.
Although King Gleeoks do respawn, the process is not swift. They will reset every Blood Moon, but this aspect is hardly significant since these encounters are so secluded that stumbling upon them by chance is highly improbable. In fact, deliberately seeking them out can prove quite challenging.
How to Reach the King Gleeok Boss Fights
Reaching the King Gleeoks located in the Sky Realm proves to be challenging since none of them are situated near any Skyview Towers in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Moreover, these islands are positioned higher than almost all other islands in the Sky, making it impossible to glide from the less accessible ones as a means of transportation.
The most viable option to reach the higher islands is to utilize vehicles. While a hot air balloon may have limitations and could potentially break down midway, the popular flying machine that many players are employing is recommended. With a few battery upgrades specific to Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, you should be able to successfully reach those islands. For convenient return access, consider deploying one of the travel medallions obtainable from Robbie after unlocking the necessary Purah pad upgrade in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.
How to Defeat King Gleeok in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
To defeat King Gleeok in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom without resorting to constructing an orbital laser, you will need to excel in various aspects. This entails having an ample number of hearts, a considerable amount of stamina, and possessing both reliable armor and weapons. Failing to meet these requirements can be extremely perilous. Therefore, before delving into specific strategies, it is essential to go through a basic checklist to ensure you are adequately prepared.
- Have at least 12 hearts and two stamina wheels, ideally much more.
- Make use of the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom armor upgrades system so you have at least an armor rating of 30 total – and that’s a baseline “at least”.
- Have a variety of the best Zelda Tears of the Kingdom weapons – the King Gleeok has a lot of health, so some of them will break throughout the fight.
- On that note, you’ll want at least one fire weapon and one ice weapon, and make them as powerful as possible.
- Make sure you have at least 20 arrows and some Keese/Aerocuda eyeballs – they’ll be essential.
- Have two bows or more ready. If they have increased range or durability, all the better – the Zonai Bow is a good choice.
- Have at least three Zonai Springs in your inventory. They’re given out by device dispensers in the North Necluda Sky Archipelago,
- Use Hearty Truffles and Hearty Radishes to make some meals that fully restore and increase maximum health.
- Make food infused with Sundelions if you’re going up against the King Gleeok in the Depths.
- Save just before the fight! It’s such a pain to get up to those islands, you’ll want to save once you’ve made it up there so you don’t have to do it again if you’re killed.
Armed with the necessary preparations, you are now ready to engage in the actual brawl, which will likely consist of three distinct phases.
King Gleeok Phase 1
During this phase, Gleeok will soar above you, with each head unleashing beams of energy or large, sluggish projectiles. Some of these attacks may be directed towards your allies, while others will be aimed at you. Here are the fundamental strategies to navigate through this initial phase of the fight:
- When you are targeted by a beam, swiftly move to the left or right and continue running without slowing down, as pausing even momentarily will result in getting hit by the beam.
- When targeted by a slow projectile, prioritize putting distance between you and the projectile. Keep in mind that the blast radius of these projectiles is larger than it may initially appear.
- During intervals between its attacks, utilize a bow to aim for the eyes on each head. Once a head becomes limp, you no longer need to shoot at it.
- The Fire head is vulnerable to Ice attacks, whereas the Ice head is weak against Fire attacks. Enhance your arrows with the appropriate element using Chuchu Jelly or special fruit to exploit their weaknesses.
- Take advantage of pillars and the surrounding environment to shield yourself from attacks. The pillars will block incoming beams, granting you the opportunity to momentarily emerge from cover and retaliate with your own attacks.
- If you find it challenging to land hits, consider utilizing a Keese eye or Bomb Fruit. While these may not deal as much damage, homing arrows or area-of-effect attacks can prove highly effective in such situations.
Once you’ve knocked all three Gleeok heads limp, it’ll fall to the floor, stunned. This is your chance to do some real damage – equip a Frost or Fire weapon and start hitting the opposite element head as much as possible. Once it gets up, it’ll enter Phase 2.
King Gleeok Phase 2
During the second phase, KG remains stationary on the ground, utilizing its wings to generate air currents that exert force in the opposite direction, while also employing the same set of attacks as in the previous phase. Interestingly, this phase is slightly less challenging, possibly due to the fact that the ground resembles Link’s usual environment more closely.
Despite being grounded, you are unable to launch close-range attacks against King Gleeok at this point. The recurring gusts of wind repel you before you can get near it, and any loose weapons or items are forcefully pushed away.
The beam and projectile assaults remain unchanged, and surprisingly, they are somewhat easier to evade. The King’s stationary position reduces its maneuverability slightly, although the larger projectiles descend more quickly since they have a shorter distance to travel.
Apart from these adjustments, your strategy remains identical – focus on targeting the heads until they become lifeless.
Once all three heads have been incapacitated, an opportunity arises to approach and strike again. The subsequent course of action depends on the extent of damage inflicted up to this point: either reverting back to Phase 1 or progressing to Phase 3. Usually, Phase 3 is triggered when King Gleeok has approximately 30% health remaining.
King Gleeok Phase 3
Undoubtedly, the most challenging segment of the battle unfolds during Phase 3 when King Gleeok retreats high into the sky and commences a barrage of projectiles, with illuminated lines indicating their targets. The objective here is to devise a method to reach King Gleeok and shoot arrows at its heads, rendering them immobile for one final time. Various approaches exist to accomplish this task.
- Utilize an icicle as transportation. Although the ice projectiles have a limited duration, if you act swiftly, you can ascend them and then use Recall to propel yourself into the air and achieve the desired shot.
- Leverage the power of lightning. The King’s lightning bolts possess significant destructive potential, but upon impact, they generate a momentary updraft that can launch you skyward.
- Take advantage of springs. This method proves to be the most effective and straightforward approach. Retrieve two Zonai Springs from your inventory and swiftly stack them on top of each other using the Ultrahand technique. Subsequently, launch yourself into the air for slow-motion arrow shots.
- After reaching that elevated position, employ the Keese and Aerocuda eyeballs to launch homing arrow shots at Gleeok’s heads, causing it to plummet from the sky. The ensuing fall damage will either lead to its demise or bring it perilously close, requiring just a few sword strikes to finish it off.
King Gleeok Rewards
Typically, each Gleeok serves as a guardian for valuable treasures. For instance, the one found in the Depths safeguards the hat belonging to the Twilight Princess armor set. Additionally, defeating Gleeok may yield rare material drops.
- Gleeok Flame Horn
- Gleeok Frost Horn
- Gleeok Thunder Horn
- Gleeok Wing
- Gleeok Guts
With this accomplishment, you will essentially become the dominant force in Hyrule, or at the very least, someone who understands the destructive potential of strategically utilized springs.