Like Like

The Like Like is a voracious and gelatinous tube-like creature that usually resides in wet and dark places, but can be occasionally found in dry areas. It is present in nearly every The Legend of Zelda game. This creature will suck victims into its wide, round mouth, often robbing them of their Shields before it spits them out.

Characteristics
Like Likes range from being yellow to a pinkish color. Their bodies consist of circular, gelatinous layers. The most notable feature of these creatures is that they have a taste for Shields, a trait similar to that of the Pickit Plant. Unique to Ocarina of Time, Like Likes may also steal Goron and Zora Tunics if Link happens to be wearing whichever one when ingested. To consume a shield or other equipment, Like Likes will suck in and engulf Link, constricting him inside of their gelatinous "mouths" until they can remove Link’s equipment, after which they'll spit him out without his equipment and avoid him until they finish eating. In some cases, Link must struggle to get free. Like Likes from Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks will literally suck in Link like vacuums. Even if Link has no Shield, Like Likes will continue to attack Link, dealing minimal damage in the process. In fact, Like Likes will only cause physical harm to Link in the A Link to the Past GBA rerelease and their 3D appearances.

In The Legend of Zelda and later games in the series, Like Likes cannot take certain Shields, especially if that Shield has only one of its type, for obvious reasons. These include Link’s original shield from The Legend of Zelda (which Link will revert to when his Magical Shield is eaten), some incarnations of the Mirror Shield, and the Shield of Antiquity. In some games, including The Legend of Zelda, the Oracle series, and the DS titles, once a Like Like swallows a Shield, the item is gone for good, necessitating the purchase a new one. Contrarily, in every other game, the same Like Like that swallows one of Link’s shields will drop it if slain quickly enough.

Like Likes seem to be one of the most versatile creatures in the Zelda universe. They have been known to appear in a number of places, from caves, to forests, to dungeons. In Majora’s Mask, they are even seen moving across the ocean floor. In their most recent appearances, from The Minish Cap and on, they will even burrow underground, waiting for prey to be in close proximity. Some Like Likes in Spirit Track hide in barrels, jars, and chests, the perfect trap for unsuspecting adventurers.

Weaknesses
Link can always use his Sword, Bow, and other weapons when facing a Like Like, but he can also stun it with Boomerangs and the Hookshot. An effective method of dealing with these foes introduced in Phantom Hourglass and seen in Spirit Tracks was to toss a Bomb into the Like Like's mouth as it tried to vacuum Link in.

Trivia

 * The Like Like Ring from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages tranforms Link into a Like Like when worn, but it serves no other purpose.
 * According to the Like Like trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the name "Like Like" is derived from an ancient Hylian proverb, "Shield-eaters and world leaders have many likes alike".