Dodongo

"DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE"

- Old Man

Dodongos (ドドンゴ) are large, lizard-like enemies that are usually found in caves and mountainous environments. In all its incarnations, Bombs are usually an effective weapon against them.

The Legend of Zelda
The second boss of the The Legend of Zelda is the earliest form of a Dodongo, the giant rhinoceros creature. It is vulnerable to what most Dodongos are: bombs. A bomb ingested by the creature will explode inside its stomach. Two bombs will kill the beast, giving Link the second piece of the Triforce of Wisdom.

In addition to feeding bombs to this behemoth, Link can also fell the beast with only one bomb. This comes in especially handy when Link is short on bombs, battling multiple Dodongos later in the game or both. It takes a bit of precision, but you can lay a single bomb near the foe, as close to its path as possible without causing it to swallow the explosive. If placed correctly, the bomb will stun the creature, freezing it in place. Sometimes Link can even stun multiple Dodongos with one bomb. Link must then stab the Dodongo in the belly with his sword while it is stunned to finish it off.

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask
In Ocarina of Time they are found in Dodongo's Cavern along with the Baby Dodongos. The Dodongo is a slow enemy that will try to damage Link by breathing fire. Link must swipe its tail with his sword at least two times, and it will explode. The boss of Dodongo's Cavern is King Dodongo, which marks his first appearance in the series.

In Majora's Mask they are found north of Clock Town. They are larger than their Ocarina of Time counterparts and consequently, take many more hits to kill. There are two types of Dodongos in the area: there are smaller versions of Dodongos in the North-East area and grow to larger sizes as it follows to the North-West. The size of the Dodongo reflects how much health it has, with the larger variation being more difficult to kill. This Dodongo is the type used to measure the strength of weapons in Majora's Mask. This is because they take a large number of hits to kill, are slow moving, and not particularly dangerous. They are also affected by every single weapon in the game, save for the Deku Spin Attack. This makes them perfect for comparing weapon strengths.

Baby Dodongo
These are found in Dodongo's Cavern in Ocarina of Time. The Baby Dodongo (ベビードドンゴ, Bebii Dodongo) is a fairly harmless but annoying foe which can be easily defeated by simply using the sword. It will burrow up underground, so be cautious as it is rather quick in its movements. After it has been defeated, it will explode. This explosion can be used strategically if Link does not possess bombs yet. These monsters only appear in the Dodongo's Cavern. There is also a Majora's Mask version of the Baby Dodongo that is considerably smaller and takes fewer hits to kill.

Oracle series
The Dodongo makes an appearance in the Game Boy Color game Oracle of Seasons. Like Dodongos from previous games, this one is vulnerable to bombs. However, just having the beast digest the bombs in this game is not enough. Once the Dodongo eats the bomb, swallows, and has a little indigestion, grab the Power Bracelets and toss the beast into the spiked floor in the middle of the room. Repeat this process four times, and the second Essence of Nature, the Gift of Time is Link's for the taking.

Also, a friendly Dodongo named Dimitri appears in both games.

Four Swords Adventures
Three Dodongos are the bosses of the Tower of Flames in Four Swords Adventures. Throw bombs into their mouths when they are about to breathe fire. After defeating them, Link must rescue the Green Maiden. There are also three more in the realm of the heavens as well as the infamous King Dodongo. To defeat King Dodongo, Link must open a chest around the arena and of course, toss a bomb down its maw three times.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Dodongos first appear in the Goron Mines and in other places throughout the game later on. These new incarnations of a common creature in the Zelda series are a bit more reminiscent of a real-world gecko as they are much smaller and slimmer than previous versions. They still breathe fire and the tail is still the weak spot, although an arrow directly aimed into their mouth will kill them instantly. A bomb placed placed in front of their mouths when they breathe in also takes care of them, keeping the tradition of killing them by bomb ingestion.

Trivia

 * The Dodongos in Twilight Princess are the only Dodongos that can walk on ceilings.