Mothula

Mothula is a recurring enemy in the Zelda series. It made its first appearance in as the Boss of the Skull Woods. It would later take on a smaller role as a mini-boss, and afterwards as a common enemy.

A Link to the Past
In, Mothula is the guardian of Skull Woods, the third dungeon of the Dark World, and the third Crystal.

Mothula resides in a room with a moving mechanical floor, which is surrounded by deadly Traps. Once the fight begins, the floor starts moving. The Traps also begin to slide across the floor, causing damage if they come in contact with Link. Mothula attacks by flying around and spewing a series of three energy beams at Link at regular intervals.

The most effective method of attack is the Fire Rod. It drains magic power quickly, though, so it might be wise to keep a Green or Blue Potion handy before starting the battle. Despite common belief, the Master Sword is just as effective as the Fire Rod in dealing damage, but it is harder to hit the boss with the sword due to its erratic movement.

It is possible to skip the Skull Woods and enter other dungeons first and because of this, there a several other items and weapons that are useful against Mothula, including the Cane of Byrna (which creates a protective barrier around Link that damages enemies), the Magic Cape, and the Tempered Sword.

Another useful method is for Link to take a Bee or Golden Bee with him into the boss room. Mothula is the only boss that can be hurt by bees. After the Bee flies away, Link can finish Mothula off using more conventional means.

Palace of the Four Sword
Mothula is fought again in the additional dungeon Palace of the Four Sword in the GBA remake of the game. Although the battle arena is now more lenient, the boss itself isn't. Mothula multiplies itself by three, but the extra replicas are killed after the first hit when they get attacked by Link. Each killed replica splits into four bees that chase Link for a short time. The surviving replicas attack Link with single shots of energy beam, which suggests that the boss's power is divided when it splits; when the two fake replicas die, the true one multiplies itself by three once more. After Link depletes the true Mothula's life energy, any remaining clone automatically dies and the young hero claims victory.

Oracle of Seasons
In, Mothula guards the Bright Sun in the Poison Moth's Lair. It fights by circling around the room and spitting fire at Link. It also releases larvae from time to time to defend itself. After a short period of time, it settles on one of the two platforms in the middle of the room, leaving itself open for attack. The Roc's Feather can be used to jump across the two platforms and dodge attacks. If Link falls through the gap in the floor, any damage Mothula sustained is undone and Link must restart the battle.

The Wind Waker
In, Mothula appear in various caves and dungeons in two varieties: Winged and wingless. Both attack by ramming Link and occasionally release Morths to slow his movement, however the wingless variety is much faster and more aggressive. Those with wings can have them clipped off with the Boomerang, Hookshot, or normal arrows, though Fire, Ice, or Light Arrows can kill them in one shot.

A winged Mothula appears in the Forbidden Woods as a mini-boss. Since Link does not have any of the aforementioned equipment at the time, it must be stunned with the Deku Leaf and attacked with the sword. After it loses all its wings, a few more sword strikes will finish it off and Link will earn the Boomerang.

Spirit Tracks
A Mothula appears as a mini-boss in inside the Forest Temple. It attacks Link by launching Bubbles at him. Link must use the Whirlwind to launch the Bubbles back and stun it, allowing him to attack. If Link tries to attack them while they're not stunned, they disappear and reappear in another place. If Link blows the Whirlwind at them, they return the attack at him, stunning him. Two other Mothulas can be fought in the mini-game at Castle Town, Take 'Em All On. Although they resemble The Wind Waker incarnation, they are far smaller. One arrow shot kills them instantly.

Trivia

 * The name "Mothula" is said to be a reference of Mothra from the Godzilla movies.
 * Strangely, several Mothulas appear in the Earth Temple enemy floors in the Savage Labyrinth on Outset Island, despite the fact that they do not appear in the Earth Temple itself.
 * The heads of the Mothulas in Spirt Tracks resemble Morths.