Manhandla

Manhandla is a recurring boss in The Legend of Zelda series.

Characteristics
The defining characteristic of the Mandhandla is its four symmetrical "hands", which are, in fact, its weak points. Though different weapons are effective against this fiend between different games, the trusty sword always comes through as a pertinent damage inflicter. As with all incarnations of Manhandlas, as each "hand" is dispelled, the entire form picks up speed, reaching its maximum velocity upon destruction of the third "hand"; after defeating all four "hands", the Manhandla will submit to defeat.

The Legend of Zelda
Manhandla is the third boss of The Legend of Zelda. It is a large, spinning, man-eating flower with the ability to spit fireballs. The flower will try to devour Link with its four "hands" as Link tries to dispose of it. The "hands" weigh the boss down, causing it to move slowly and allowing Link to either slash at them with his sword or explode them with bombs. As each hand is destroyed, the beast gains more speed. A cleverly placed bomb at the center of the flower will rid the boss of all four hands in a single blow. Killing Manhandla will earn Link he third piece of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Manhandla appears again as a mini-boss in the Snake Labyrinth and the Lion Labyrinth.

BS The Legend of Zelda
Manhandla also makes an appearance in the BS The Legend of Zelda title. The first time it shows up is in the third dungeon, as the boss, and it also returns in the seventh dungeon as a mini-boss. The battles play out in a similar manner to that in The Legend of Zelda, minus the fact that Manhandla is much faster, and requires fewer blows to defeat.

Oracle of Seasons
In Oracle of Seasons, Manhandla is the boss of the Ancient Ruins, the sixth dungeon. Manhandla starts out by spitting four fireballs at Link. The flowers can only be damaged by the Magical Boomerang when they are open. When Manhandla loses all four flowers, it runs around the room very fast in a "figure 8" motion. Link has to continually hit Manhandla with the Magical Boomerang to expose its core. At that point, Link has a small amount of time to use his Sword to destroy Manhandla's core and defeat it. Link receives a Heart Container and the Blowing Wind, the sixth Essence of Nature, for destroying Manhandla.

Note that the body is now a large Buzz Blob, very similar to the Giant Buzz Blob mini-boss from Link's Awakening's Color Dungeon and to the Big Green Chuchu boss of the Deepwood Shrine in The Minish Cap. Also note that the four plant heads now look and act very similar to the Mario series's Piranha Plant.

Four Swords
A big Manhandla (デグチタート, Degu Chitaato) is the boss of the Sea of Trees in Four Swords. It is a large multi-headed plant that slightly resembles Diababa from Twilight Princess. The number of heads and their colors vary depending on the number of players. The creature attacks mainly by circling its heads around the battlefield and shooting small stones. By pulling on the Pull Lever like appendages, the necks length decreases. When the head is pulled all the way to the body the flower will open. The same colored Link must then strike the flower to damage it.

Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventures, Manhandla appears in the first stage in Eastern Hyrule as well as in several other locations across the overworld of Hyrule as the game progresses. The strategy is the same, but the claws are different colors, and the Link of the corresponding color must strike the claw to destroy it. If one of the Links get struck by it, he will have to re-do the process over again, until all the claws have become smaller.

Trivia

 * Manhandla's name is similar to man-handler; this similarity could be attributed to his brutal attack methods.