Poe

Poes are recurring enemies in. A Poe is a spirit of concentrated hatred that freely roams graveyards and other haunted locales about Hyrule and other lands. They always carry some sort of lantern with them that serves as the container for that specific Poe Soul.

Characteristics
Poes are wandering spirits that frequently inhabit haunted or decaying areas, such as graveyards and tombs. They appear as cloaked specters and are nearly always seen carrying lanterns with them, which serves as a container for their Poe Souls. When a Poe is defeated, its physical body disappears and its lantern is dropped and breaks, sometimes releasing its Poe Soul, which may be collected in certain games. As ghosts, Poes can disappear and reappear, and can easily move through walls. Most Poes are known for being wicked, vengeful ghosts, however some Poes are helpful and serve as guides, although not without their deceitful trickery. Poes first appeared in, where they would fly sporadically around grave sites and emerge from beneath disturbed tombstones, identically to Ghinis of the first game. Much like the Ghini, they also have high endurance and health, and tend to take many hits before they can be defeated. Poes are not common in the 2D games, and Ghinis otherwise take their place in those games.

In and, Poes appear as hooded wraiths with glowing eyes, and faces shrouded under their oversized cloaks. Their distinctive lanterns immediately identifies them, and is the only part of them that will not turn invisible, and the Poe will come into view as Link approaches. Targeting Poes in these games will cause them to temporarily vanish, although they will reappear in even, predictable intervals. These Poes appear predominately in the Kakariko Graveyard in Ocarina of Time, and in the Stone Tower Temple in Majora's Mask. In Ocarina of Time, a second kind of Poe with a square-shaped head will also appear around Hyrule Field when Link is an adult, and appears in the same spawn spots as Big Poes, except that they will appear when Link is not riding Epona. These Poes do not disappear when Z-Targeted, and instead circle around Link and drop flames around him. All Poes in these games will leave Poe Souls when defeated. Poe Souls can be collected inside Bottles in these games, which can then be sold to either the Poe Collector in Ocarina of Time, or to the Curiosity Shop in Majora's Mask. The Poe Soul is a purple-flamed face with melancholy, which will disappear after a short while of inactivity.

Several notable Poes also appear in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. The four Poe Sisters are a group of Poe siblings encountered in the Forest Temple and Spirit House. They are Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg. In the Forest Temple, they are the mini-bosses of the temple and must be defeated to retrieve the torches they stole. Flat and Sharp are the Poe ghosts of the royal Composer Brothers that also appear in both games. They can be encountered in the Kakariko Graveyard in Ocarina of Time, while in Majora's Mask, Flat is found beneath the Ikana Graveyard and Sharp is found in the Spring Water Cave. The Phantom Guide is another notable Poe that only appears in Ocarina of Time. It is a helpful spirit that guides Link to the Spirit Temple through the Haunted Wasteland, and is necessary to follow to avoid getting lost and starting over. It can only be seen with the Lens of Truth.

In, Poes take on a much different appearance and attack strategy, appearing as multicolored spirits wearing masks. They harass Link by throwing and burning him with their lanterns. They can also jump into Link's body, possessing him and temporarily reversing his movement controls. After the possession is over with, they leave and disappear, as if they had been defeated. These Poes are permanently translucent, until a light source is shone onto them, making them vulnerable to Link's attacks. They appear predominately in the Earth Temple and in the Ghost Ship. The boss of the temple, Jalhalla is composed entirely of Poes, and is said to rule over all Poes.

In, Poes are part of a sidequest and take on a role similar to that of Gold Skulltulas in Ocarina of Time. A man in Castle Town named Jovani was cursed for his greed and had his soul stolen by "Imp Poes," of which there are a total of 60 throughout Hyrule. Imp Poes only come out at night and can only be defeated using Wolf Link's heightened senses. Once a Poe has been damaged, it will fall to the ground and its soul will become visible, which can be ripped out and collected by performing the Ending Blow on it while still in wolf form. Collecting 20 souls will break part of the curse on Jovani, and he will give Link a Bottle full of Great Fairy's Tears as thanks. After all 60 souls have been collected, the curse will lift completely, and Jovani's cat Gengle will give Link 200 Rupees every time he enters the room thereafter, similarly to father of the family in the House of Skulltula.

In, Poes appear radically difference, and resemble puffer fish with purple body markings, having floating tadpoles for arms. They appear aboard the Ghost Ship and attack by teleporting back and forth, periodically spitting a ball of blue fire at Link.

In, a group of nine Poes appear in the Lost Woods. They help guide Link to the resting place of the Master Sword, however, they also try to mislead him by moving in tricky formations and having Link follow the correct Poe through the woods. If Link fails and makes a wrong turn, he will have to start over from the beginning.

Although while most Poes hold a reputation as being wicked ghosts, not all Poes are known for malice. In, a lone friendly Poe appears in the Yoll Graveyard, and is part of the first step in the game's Trading Sequence. On his way to the Spirit's Grave, Link overhears a group of young boys speaking in fear of the ghost. With the Power Bracelet obtained in the dungeon nearby, Link can lift the rock blocking the entrance to the tomb to find the Poe. The Poe is harmless and simply wishes to have its headstone moved, as its actual self is trapped within the grave. After Link helps it, the Poe is free to move on to the afterlife, and gives Link its Poe Clock as thanks.

As enemies, Poes can be defeated with merely the Sword in most games, however often they will have high health or defense mechanisms in place to hinder Link. Invisible Poes cannot be touched until they become visible. The Bow can also be an effective weapon. Other Poes require different strategies to defeat. The Poes of The Wind Waker are permanently translucent until light is shone onto them, using either the Mirror Shield or Medli's Harp in the Earth Temple. Shining light on them will fully reveal their bodies, and the Poes will try to run to avoid Link's now-effective attacks. The Poes in Twilight Princess can only be seen while using Wolf Link's senses, and likewise can only be attacked while in that form.

Big Poe
The Big Poe is a variation of the Poe that appears in certain games. It is typically a much bigger and stronger version of the Poe, hence its name. In Ocarina of Time, they were the subject of a sidequest that involves collecting their Big Poe Souls for the Poe Collector. These Poes only appear if Link is riding on Epona, and can only be killed using the Bow.

Etymology
Poe may be derived from the name of the famous poet, who is known for his dark, gloomy works. It could also come from the Chinese word "po", meaning spirit.

Trivia

 * In Majora's Mask, the ghostly aliens that invade Romani's Ranch bear a resemblance to Poes. The balloons Romani practices on bare a much stronger resemblance to Poes than to the invaders.
 * If Link uses his Grappling Hook on a solidified Poe in The Wind Waker, it will float motionlessly in the air for several seconds, in a different stance than if it had been stunned with the Boomerang.
 * The Cubus Sisters from Phantom Hourglass bare a resemblance to previous incarnations of Poes, and are often thought as similar to the Poe Sisters of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
 * In SS undefined, the Watchers, patrolling the trials of the Silent Realm, bear a striking resemblance to Poes, even holding lanterns. However, their function is completely different and may merely be meant as a reference by the designers.