Twinrova

Koume and Kotake, collectively known as Twinrova, are a recurring pair of Gerudo twin witches in. They are also known as the Sorceress of Flame and the Sorceress of Ice, respectively. They are among the more devoted servants of Ganon.

Biography
In, Koume and Kotake are a pair of 400 years old twin witches, and are the surrogate mothers of Ganondorf. They both have green, wrinkled skin and dress in black robes with white Gerudo patterns near the hems, with an obi-like belt around their waists. Kotake's association with ice is noted by a blue jewel on her forehead and blue slippers. The markings on her headband are in red with a blue border, whereas these distinctions are red on Koume to highlight her association with fire.

They first appear outside the Spirit Temple just after child Link obtains the Silver Gauntlets. They kidnap Nabooru, who is brainwashed and dressed in an Iron Knuckle armor. After adult Link defeats her, he fights Koume and Kotake inside the boss room of the Spirit Temple. After been defeated, a halo appears on their heads and are then taken away by a column of light, presumably the afterlife.

Koume tends to be leader of the two, usually appearing first and deciding what their course of action should be. She is the first to introduce herself during the boss battle, and is also the one who comes up with the idea to combine with Kotake to form Twinrova.

Strategy
The boss room where Twinrova is fought has four small platforms surrounding a larger central platform. Link must climb the central platform in order to trigger the battle. Koume and Kotake emerge from the smaller platforms before circling above him, then flying off in different directions.

Koume and Kotake fight using magic bolts of the elements from which their power comes. Using the Mirror Shield, Link is able to redirect the attacks of one sister against the other. After taking a total of four hits, the pair will use their "Double Dynamite Attack" and merge into Twinrova, a single being with the combined powers of both witches.

Once merged into Twinrova, the Mirror Shield remains essential in winning the battle. Link is able to use it to absorb the power of both the fire and ice spells. He is required to collect three consecutive charges of one type of spell, which then allows him to release the spell back at Twinrova. However, since Twinrova frequently alternates between fire and ice attacks, care must be taken to only block attacks of one type at a time. Blocking a fire attack followed by an ice attack, or vice versa, will cause all power currently stored in the Mirror Shield to dissipate.

Once Twinrova is injured by the reflected attack, she collapses on one of the four outlying platforms, allowing Link to attack with his Sword. After enough damage is dealt, Twinrova will be defeated, at which point splits back into Koume and Kotake. The two witches then say they are going to get serious, but realize that they are already dead.

Kotake
In, Kotake is the owner of the Magic Hags' Potion Shop, where she sells Red, Green, and Blue Potions. However, she does not sell Blue Potions immediately, as she requires a Magic Mushroom in order to make them. If Link offers her one, she will make a free Blue Potion for him. The Blue Potion becomes available for purchase for the remainder of the three days.

When Kotake hears that Koume was attacked by the Skull Kid in the Woods of Mystery, she gives Link a Bottle of Red Potion to deliver to Koume. If Link does not help after the First Day, Kotake will leave her shop and proceed to the Woods of Mystery to search for Koume herself.

Koume
Koume is the guide of the Swamp Tour. She occasionally goes into the Woods of Mystery to look for mushrooms for Kotake to use in her Potion Shop. However, one day she ran into the Skull Kid and was injured. Link is sent by her sister to find her in the nearby woods. Upon discovering her, she asks for Red Potion to heal her. If Link tries to give her a Potion in any form other than his human one, she calls him a "weirdo" and tries to avoid his attention by playing dead. Once Link gives her the Potion, she returns to her post at the Swamp Tour, where she gives Link one free tour in return for healing her.

Biography
In and, Koume and Kotake send Veran and Onox to cause chaos and light two of the three flames needed to resurrect Ganon; the Flame of Sorrow and the Flame of Destruction. Once the flames are lit, the two kidnap Princess Zelda to light the final flame, the Flame of Despair, by sacrificing her. In a Linked Game, Link fights the sisters both individually and as Twinrova. After Link defeats Twinrova, she chooses to become the vessel for the ritual herself instead of Zelda, so that Ganon can return. Unfortunately for the pair, their sacrifice is in vain as it only allows a mindless, raging Ganon to come forth.

Strategy
Twinrova casts magical projectiles at Link that he must deflect back at them. However, Link must use his Sword to deflect them rather than his Shield. The Mirror Shield, an upgrade that can only be attained in a Linked Game, can only protect him from their magic attacks. After the sisters have taken three hits, they fuse together and become Twinrova.

Twinrova alternates between two phases of attack, which affect the room around her and Link. In her cold phase, the room's floor is covered with slippery ice and Twinrova materializes spiked ice crystals that she launches at Link and which ricochet off the walls. In her fire phase, parts of the floor become lava pits and Twinrova launches fireballs. Link must strike Twinrova with his Sword several times to stun her, and once stunned, he must use a Mystery Seed to actually damage her.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
In, Koume and Kotake appear in the Gerudo Valley stage. They appear as a stage hazard, with Koume attacking the left side with flames, and Kotake attacking the right side with ice. Twinrova also appears as a Trophy.

Theory
Koume and Kotake's reappearance in the Oracle games has not been explained in-game, as they were also killed in the Decline Timeline by the hands of the Hero of Time. Ganondorf was able to bring Volvagia back to life, so it is not farfetched that he resurrected them at one point between their deaths and his own demise at the end of.

Their appearance in Majora's Mask may suggest that after the events of Ocarina of Time, Kotake and Koume may have decided to leave the area, moving to Termina. The fact that they do not appear to recognize Link may suggest that once he went back to the past in Ocarina of Time, he never afterward encountered them.

Etymology
Koume and Kotake are named after the old twin sisters in Japanese mystery novel. "Koume" is a Japanese pickled plum and "Kotake" is a type of bamboo. Kotake and Koume's names are written in Japanese on their headbands.

"Twinrova" may a portmanteau of the English word "twin" and the Japanese word, meaning "old woman."

Trivia

 * In Ocarina of Time, the magic seals out of which Koume and Kotake rise in the boss room display the Fire Medallion and Water Medallion symbols, respectively. The design for the Water Medallion was originally intended for the Ice Medallion, which was removed from the final product but is still found in the game's code.
 * Despite being evil, the twins' souls are surrounded in angelic halos and they ascend in a column of light, a Western depiction of rising to Heaven.
 * In Majora's Mask, Koume is certain that the potion given to her is Kotake's, even if it was purchased from the Trading Post in Clock Town. Therefore, Kotake may be supplying the Trading Post with its potions. As an alternative, it may simply be an oversight of the developers.