Bubble

The Bubble (バブル, Baburu) is an animated skull with fire surrounding it, seeking out prey for its master. The main purpose of the Bubble is to induce fear in their victim by touch, leaving the victim trembling and unable to wield or use a weapon/item for a brief period of time. This leaves the victim open to attack from any nearby enemies and monsters. They first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda and have appeared in numerous games since then, taking many different forms.

In the 3D Zelda games, the Bubbles with colored flames (i.e. Red Bubble, Blue Bubble) 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 became a more diverse race containing White, Green, Blue, and Red Bubbles.

Bubble
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 was found in The Adventure of Link.

In Twilight Princess, however, the Bubbles bear no flames of any color. They are simply animated skulls with small wings resembling bats. These can usually be found in caves or dungeons. Several levels of the Cave of Ordeals contain 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 3-D 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 don't 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 you and continually damage you. A simple touch will put Link up in flames.

Blue Bubble
These cursed monsters are found in many dungeons. Defend yourself with your shield, and 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 simply attack it with your sword. Beware, because contact with its blue flames will cause curses in Majora's Mask, and The Wind Waker, and you will be unable to use your sword for a few seconds (but instantly can be removed by the Song of Storms); if it touches you in the latter game, you'll be unable to use any item at all! Also note that in The Wind Waker rather then using your shield to put out the flames, you must use your 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 you, they freeze you in a small block of ice when they touch you. 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 your 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.

White Bubble
The White Bubble is the fourth and final variety of the 'Bubble family' seen in Ocarina of Time. It only appears in this game as well and only 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 annoyingly 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.

Fire Bubble
In Phantom Hourglass, there are Fire Bubbbles. 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.

The Fire Bubbles of Twilight Princess, 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.

Ice Bubble
Phantom Hourglass also brought Ice Bubbles, defeated much the same way as the Fire Bubble.

In Twilight Princess, Ice Bubbles are animated skulls with wings, coated in ice. This ice can freeze Link momentarily. After he is unfrozen, he can attack the Ice Bubble in a normal manner, with a variety of weapons.

Whisp
In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, there is a variation of the Bubble called the Whisp. It moves in diagonal patterns and can be defeated with a single hit from Link's Boomerang.

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.