Barba

Barba is the boss of the Three-Eye Rock Palace in.

Characteristics and Weaknesses
Barba is the guardian of Three-Eye Rock Palace, where Link must place the last of the six Crystal shards in the temple's statue in order to dispel the barrier on the Great Palace. Its room is unique among bosses in the game in that it contains three pits filled with lava. It rises from the depths of the lava and directly into the air, keeping its head away from the range of Link's Sword. It breathes a stream of fire at him. Its attacks will often knock Link into the lava if he is hit, so Link must time his jumps to avoid the flames. Barba can be beaten if Link uses the Jump Magic to leap into the air and strike the dragon on its head. It is also possible to defeat it by using the Up Thrust, though this method is more risky, as it is easier to fall into the lava.

Trivia

 * Barba received an updated sprite for the international release of The Adventure of Link for the NES. Barba's original sprite was entirely lacking in animation, and gave it an appearance much more like a traditional eastern dragon. Its updated sprite made it larger but shorter in length, and gave it a fully animated body and head, with an appearance closer to a western dragon. The battle itself is slightly different as well, with a modified layout, removing an exploit that allowed Link to defeat it easily when it appears on the left side of the screen. Barba also roars constantly throughout the battle in the Japanese version. Barba's official artwork is based on its original appearance, rather than the updated version.

Nomenclature
Barba is likely a shortening of "Barubajia," Barba's Japanese name.