Bubble

The Bubble is a spirit in the form of an animated skull with fire surrounding it in The Legend of Zelda series. The main purpose of the Bubble is to curse those that they touch, leaving the victim unable to wield or use a weapon or item for a brief period of time. This leaves the victim open to attack from any nearby enemies and monsters. The effects of touching a Bubble vary from game to game, sometimes they steal magic, others they will simply set Link on fire. They first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda and have appeared in numerous games since then, taking many different forms and often given alternate names such as Anti-Fairy or Whisp.

Characteristics
Bubbles in The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, were simply animated skulls with flames surrounding them. A larger version, referred to as King Bubble, was found in The Adventure of Link.

In the 3D Zelda games, the Bubbles with colored flames have little in common with the Bubbles of the previous games other than similarity in appearance. Their attack patterns do damage and are completely different in many regards. In Ocarina of Time, they had a surprising amount of diversity, with Blue, Green, Red and White Bubbles.

King Bubble
A larger version of the normal Bubbles,  can be found in the Great Palace in The Adventure of Link.

White Bubble
In Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, the White Bubbles bear no flames of any color. They are simply animated skulls with small wings resembling bats. In Ocarina of Time, the White Bubble only appears in the Spirit Temple. Similar to the Green Bubble, the White Bubble follows a set path, and only their paths are more confusing. They travel much faster, and they are often seen in groups, so it is a good tactic to pick them out one by one from a distance.

Fortunately, they will not begin to hop around like the other Bubbles the first time they are struck, and they don't have a flame surrounding their bodies to protect them from sword attacks. Interestingly, they do not appear in the Master Quest version, making them the only enemy from the original version to be excluded from Master Quest. In Twilight Princess, these Bubbles can usually be found in caves or dungeons. Several levels of the Cave of Ordeals contain White Bubbles.

Red Bubble
The Red Bubble is a disembodied skull with red flames surrounding it. They usually stalk places where heat is abundant and can ram into opponents, setting them on fire in the process. The best option is to use a shield of some sort to block their attacks. This will remove their red flames, leaving the skull vulnerable to attack. Slicing the skull with something like a sword will cause the death of the beast.

Red Bubbles have been spotted in all of the current 3D Zelda games: Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. Their overall appearance hasn't changed very much throughout the games, although the The Wind Waker incarnation has a distinct laugh that the other two versions do not have. In Twilight Princess, a nearly identical enemy called the "Fire Bubble" can be found, and just like its forebears, it will fly at Link to attack him. However in Twilight Princess, this bubble will latch onto Link and continually damage him. A simple touch will put Link up in flames.

In Twilight Princess, they are animated skulls with wings, surrounded by flame. When they attack Link, they can damage him and set him on fire. The flame can be extinguished with the Gale Boomerang, then they can be slashed with the Sword.

In Phantom Hourglass, they are called Fire Bubbles. This Bubble is easily defeated by stunning it with the Boomerang then attacking it with a Sword, Bomb, or Bombchu. Sword is most suggested, as the Bomb and Bombchu are too time-consuming. These Bubbles can also be destroyed instantly by a single arrow, though they are fairly hard to hit.

Blue Bubble
These cursed monsters are found in many dungeons. Defending with Link's shield this will knock its blue flame out. All other items will also accomplish this purpose, but defending is the safest method. They also seem to be attracted to bombs. When Link throws one near a Blue Bubble in Ocarina of Time, they circle it until the bomb explodes. When Bubbles drop to the floor, Link can simply attack it with his sword. Beware, because contact with its blue flames will cause curses in Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker, Link will be unable to use his sword for a few seconds (but instantly can be removed by the Song of Storms). If it touches the hero in the latter game, he will be unable to use any item at all.

It is worth noting that in The Wind Waker, rather than blocking with the shield to put out the flames, Link must use the Hookshot or Deku Leaf. Ice Arrows are also effective, but it costs arrows and magic.

In Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass, similar enemies called Ice Bubbles can be found, but instead of cursing Link, they freeze him in a small block of ice when upon contact.

Phantom Hourglass Ice Bubbles are defeated much the same way as the Fire Bubble. In Twilight Princess, this animated skulls with wings is coated in ice which can freeze Link momentarily. After he is unfrozen, he can attack the Ice Bubble in a normal manner, with a variety of weapons. It is best to attack these enemies from a distance using the Hero's Bow or the Gale Boomerang. The Clawshot is not advised. In Phantom Hourglass, the Bow, Boomerang, and Grappling Hook work best.

Green Bubble
The Green Bubble appears in various dungeons throughout Ocarina of Time. They float in a set pattern with their green flames acting as a barrier. To defeat them, simply wait until their flames die down or put them out with the shield, and then attack them. They won't attack directly and so can be considered easier than most. They often appear in groups of two.

One appears floating around the water way in the Kakariko Well mini-dungeon. This one is larger than usual but still as easy to kill.

Trivia
A similar creature named Bonehead appears in the Nintendo 64 game Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Both monsters share a few notable similarities including having wings and growing the wings when it is approached.