The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Fire Temple boss is great, but represents a missed opportunity to revive another classic Zelda enemy. At the end of the Fire Temple underneath Death Mountain, players will face a boss called a Marbled Gohma. The scaly arthropod Gohma is perfectly on theme for the volcanic dungeon. It's made up entirely of layered rock, and shoots exploding boulders at Link. Players will need to make ample use of companion Yunobo's rock-smashing attack to destroy Gohma's legs, and occasionally hazard a climb up the monster's body to strike at its glowing eye. In the second phase, Gohma crawls along the ceiling instead, slightly changing the required timing of Yunobo's attacks.

Gohmas have made many appearances throughout the Zelda series, each time in a slightly different form. The first Gohma appeared in the series debut, with variations to follow in Link's Awakening, Oracle of Seasons, Ocarina of Time, and The Wind Waker, with Twilight Princess' extra special version being named Armogohma. Each Gohma is somewhat distinct, but they all follow the same basic formula: players must attack its obvious, glowing weak point. TOTK's Marbled Gohma may actually be the most novel, since the fight can be won efficiently by taking out its legs before going for its weak point. However, another Zelda boss would've made more sense in Gohma's slot.

TOTK's Fire Temple Boss Should've Been Volvagia

Link facing Volvagia while holding a hammer in the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time.

Volvagia, the Fire Temple boss from Ocarina of Time, would've been the perfect choice for TOTK's Fire Temple boss. Volvagia is something of an underused Zelda boss; while most boss monsters recur multiple times throughout the series, Volvagia only appears in a single game, Ocarina of Time. The battle plays out as a game of Whack-A-Mole, in which Volvagia will rear its ugly head from one of nine gaps spaced throughout the boss arena. Players must dodge its attacks and strike it with the Megaton Hammer before Volvagia slinks back underneath the platform. It's a simple battle, but a fun one, and would've fit right in with several aspects of TOTK.

TOTK's New Mechanics Would've Made Volvagia A Perfect Fit

Link stands before a cracked, rocky wall holding a giant hammer in Tears of the Kingdom. The hammer is comprised of a giant boulder fused to a rusty sword.

Besides TOTK's greater focus on dragons relative to other titles in the series, some of its new features would've set the stage for Volvagia's return. Players could've struck the reticent boss with a hammer of their own making, with some long sticks and heavy boulders scattered around the arena to create opportunities for fusing. Yunobo's spinning attack would've also worked as an alternative way to hit the boss within brief attack windows, and would've been more challenging than hitting Marbled Gohma's legs. Plus, the second phase of a Volvagia boss fight could've used the same concept, with the dragon flying around the outside of the arena and peeking its head through holes in the ceiling instead.

Post-BOTW, the series has departed from the traditional Zelda formula, leaving many of its trappings on the cutting room floor. Still, recurring bosses are very much a part of the Zelda series, and with so many still present in TOTK, the possibility of Volvagia's return is still on the table. Many old-school Zelda players would be delighted to see Volvagia reappear in a sequel - or perhaps as part of DLC. Volvagia may not have made it into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but there's still a chance that this near-forgotten boss could pop back up in a future installment.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube