Patra

Patra (パタラ, Patara), also known as Eyesoar, is a recurring boss in The Legend of Zelda games. It is named "Patra" in The Legend of Zelda, and "Eyesoar" in Oracle of Ages.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, Patra is mini-boss of sorts, although not typically considered in that status. It appears in Level 9 (Death Mountain Labyrinth), composed of a single flying eye surrounded by several smaller flying eyes, this foe can easily impede Link's progress. Patra comes in two varieties, denoted by the pattern in which the outer ring of eyes behaves. While both types spin their smaller Patra around the center eye, one variety has the outer circle expand and contract, while the other variety's smaller Patra rotate like a gyroscope. Both are equally menacing and in many cases Link is required to defeat Patra before moving on. Before Link can kill the main eye, he has to attack the smaller Patra first. Then he can kill the main Patra.

Patra has also made an appearance in BS The Legend of Zelda as a boss of one of the dungeons, and as a mini-boss in several other dungeons. It used the same attack patterns as in the original game, but it featured updated graphics.

Oracle of Ages
In Oracle of Ages, Eyesoar (simply known as Patra in Japan) is the boss of Skull Dungeon. To rid Skull Dungeon of this monster, Link had to destroy the smaller eyes that orbit around Eyesoar, then use the Switch Hook to switch places with the main eye. This temporarily stunned the monster, allowing Link to run over and hit it with his sword. As he did this, the smaller eyes became far more aggressive. Despite its best efforts, Link emerged victorious in the battle between them, and moved to take the Burning Flame.

The Eyesoar is capable of dealing damage very fast simply in the way its smaller eyes spin around it, each causing a quarter heart of damage upon contact. However, if Link attacks the smaller eyes, the Eyesoar will very quickly regenerate new ones. The way to defeat it is for Link to grab the Eyesoar with the Switch Hook, then to attack it while it is vulnerable. To penetrate the smaller eyes, Link may either perform a spin attack to get rid of some of the smaller eyes temporarily, then press his advantage and use the Switch Hook while the eyes are regenerating, or he may try simply try to grab the Eyesoar itself, ignoring the smaller eyes. This method is more suicidal, keep in mind, because of the damage the eyes inflict.

Trivia

 * Eyesoar's name comes from the words 'eye' and 'soar', but together, they sound like 'eye sore'.
 * The Eye Keese, a common enemy from the Dark World of A Link to the Past, resembles Patra. As well as the Eyeball Monster, a common enemy on the sea that flies from the air in the eastern sea from Phantom Hourglass, also resembles Patra.