Pols Voice

Pols Voice (ポルスボイス, Porusu Boisu) is the name given to a species of rabbit-like monsters that hop along the ground, seeking out intruders within their habitat, which is usually some sort of cave or dungeon. They made their debut in The Legend of Zelda for the NES and are found in most handheld Zelda games thereafter. Their head boasts two floppy ears and whiskers like that of a rabbit or hare, but the similarities end there. They have evil, black beady eyes and a lower torso that degenerates to a slime-like mass. For unknown reasons, the ears of a Pols Voice are hyper-sensitive to loud sound, and playing a melody from an instrument such as an Ocarina or the Harp of Ages will cause them to spontaneously explode. Originally, they were meant to be sensitive to input into a microphone peripheral for the NES, however that weakness was lost in translation. In some games, they are also quite vulnerable to arrows, as Link can easily eradicate several at once with one arrow if they are aligned in the arrow's path. Some Pols Voice are only vulnerable to explosives, such as bombs, while others can only be defeated using a type of sword.

The Legend of Zelda
Pols Voice make their first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda. Unlike the later games, Link's music instrument, the recorder, does not affect them. They can be defeated with a single arrow, or the sword.

Link's Awakening
Link's Awakening is the first game where sound can affect a Pols Voice and completely destroy them in that way. By playing the Ocarina, these rabbit-like monsters will explode at the sound of the instrument. They can also be defeated with a thrown object, like a pot, or if they get caught in a bomb's explosion.

Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages
Unlike its The Legend of Zelda counterpart, the Pols Voice in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages cannot be defeated using a sword. Therefore, Link will have to use the Harp of Ages or bombs to defeat these creatures. They can also be defeated with a thrown object, like a pot, or if they get caught in a bomb's explosion.

Phantom Hourglass
Pols Voices also appear in Phantom Hourglass, where they first appear in the Temple of Courage. They appear very large, and similar to previous concept art. As a nod to the microphone peripheral that was only released in Japan, (as stated above, their classic weakness) the only way to expose their weakness is to scream into the Nintendo DS Mic, which stuns them and makes them vulnerable to attack. That being the case, a player who doesn't know this secret will have a difficult time with them. In Phantom Hourglass, they attack by flipping forward and attempting to hit link with a large mouth, hidden under their bodies.

Trivia

 * The Bunny Hood bears a slight resemblance to the Pols Voice enemy, and when Link sells the mask to the Marathon Man, he says upon seeing the mask: "I bet with those long ears you can hear the voices..." suggesting a connection between the two.