Helmasaur King

The Helmasaur King is a boss featured in A Link to the Past. He guards the first crystal in the Palace of Darkness, found in the Dark World. He is a large quadruped creature with a large mask on his head, and a long tail with a deadly looking stinger on the end. He must be defeated before the first crystal can be acquired and the quest to advance.

Strategy
Before he can be damaged, his mask must be destroyed with the Magic Hammer or Bombs, though the magic hammer is preferred as it is much quicker. The monster fights by spitting fireballs that split into two each and then into four each. To avoid those, Link stays out of their way by memorizing their pattern. It will also attack by swinging its long tail like a whip.

After attacking the helmet on its face enough times, it will shatter to reveal the face of the monster, and a large green emerald on his forehead appears. This can be hit with the arrows or the sword. When struck enough times, he explodes. When defeated, he leaves behind a Heart Container and the first crystal in which one of the seven maidens is entombed. In the Game Boy Advance version, he returns in the Palace of the Four Sword, a secret dungeon only available after beating both A Link to the Past and Four Swords. In his secret form, his weak point must be attacked with arrows only. He also unleashes his Helmasaur minions from time to time.

Trivia
The Helmasaur King's Japanese name (ジークロック, Jiikurokku) is also the Japanese name for the Helmaroc King.