Who is Gleeok and Is He in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

Gleeok might not be a familiar name for players of 3D games in The Legend of Zelda as a series enemy. But for those who saw the final trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, they knew this might be the chance to see a recurring boss make their first appearance in roughly 16 years. Gleeok appears to be this boss, as noted by fans anticipating the arrival of Tears of the Kingdom in May. If so, this could truly be a massive improvement on the otherwise same-ish offering of bosses in Breath of the Wild.

Who is Gleeok in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It appears the 3-headed dragon noted among the other boss enemies gracing the most recent Tears of the Kingdom trailer is Gleeok. It appears to be a variant of the boss-scale species of monsters in the Zelda franchise dating back to the very first The Legend of Zelda on the NES, guarding a piece of the Triforce in the 4th dungeon in Quest 1.

What Other Legend of Zelda Games Has Gleeok Appeared in?

In The Legend of Zelda (1986), it only had 2 heads, but was very similar in concept (dragons with more than one head.) But later, you encounter variants with 3 and even 4 heads, as a recurring boss. You must cut off each of the heads while dodging attacks it hurls at you, even from heads you recently severed.

Related: All Confirmed Bosses in Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

But Gleeok wasn’t a one-off enemy, even. There was a notable variant of this creature in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001) as well, where you fought it similarly to in the first game, however, it had a second phase. Beyond simply cutting off its heads in this fight, you must destroy the heads before they reattach, and after doing that, Gleeok will turn to skeletal form, which you must then destroy.

Gleeok was not done yet, though. Much like Facade, Gleeok had a bit of a recurring home in 2D Zelda but got an Isometric treatment in later years. In 2007’s Phantom Hourglass, you must fight “Two-Headed Dragon Gleeok” which sprays fire or ice, depending on which head launches the attack.

It’s clear that Gleeok was a fun enemy to put into The Legend of Zelda games, and if this is the case for Tears of the Kingdom, it might finally get that full 3D glory we didn’t know we needed/deserved. While it certainly smacks of King Ghidorah vibes with a heavy dose of Ganon/Demise, we’re down for it, much like the rest of this incredible-looking game.