Morpheel
Morpheel is a Boss in Twilight Princess.[1]
Characteristics
Physical Appearance
The keeper of the Fused Shadow's third piece, Morpheel is a large, eel-like, aquatic Octorok corrupted by a Shadow Crystal.[1][2] It has a slender body that is covered in red and green scales. Its body is segmented into vertebrae-like sections that are largest near the head and taper towards the tail. Each of these sections have a set of longer fins that come out of its back and underbelly. The tail has a large fan-like fin. Two other similar fins are located on opposite sides of the head. On its head, Morpheel has a mouth-like opening with twelve sharp, white barbs. This protects a smaller, sphincter-like mouth that has finer barbs on its surface. This inner mouth can produce Bombfish. Morpheel has eight long, iridescent tentacles around its head. A ring-like light occasionally flows through them, but the tentacles are not electrified. Morpheel has a single eyeball that is free to move throughout each tentacle. This eyeball can rest in a socket on Morpheel's back near its head, too.
Mannerisms and Weaknesses
Morpheel is not as aggressive in its battle with Link, in contrast to Diababa and Fyrus. Morpheel is defensive and protective of its eyeball. Morpheel shields its eyeball inside its tentacles and tries to repel Link with Bombfish while its body is buried in the Sand. When swimming freely in the chamber, Morpheel puts its eyeball into the socket on its back. The tentacles on the top side of the head drag behind and cover the eyeball as it swims. The tentacles may occasionally reach out at Link to grab him, but only if he is close. If they do, the tentacle brings Link to Morpheel's mouth. Morpheel swallows and damages him, and spits him back out after a moment.
Encounter

Link enters from the top of Morpheel's water chamber and sinks to the bottom, where he finds a single tentacle waving back and forth in the water. When Link touches the sand, an eyeball rises up through the tentacle, looks at him, and returns below the sand. The ground shakes and seven other tentacles emerge from the sand. Between them, Morpheel's mouth appears.
To defeat Morpheel's first form, Link equips the Iron Boots and avoids Bombfish that are released from its mouth. The eyeball moves between the different tentacles. Link uses the Clawshot to grab and bring the eyeball close for Sword attacks. After enough damage is dealt, the eye returns to the mouth.
After two rounds of close attacks, Morpheel swallows the eyeball and rises into the chamber. The eyeball now sits in a small socket near the head on its backside.[3] Link latches onto the eyeball using the Clawshot[4]. This queues a Critical Point and Link attacks the eyeball with his sword while standing on Morpheel's back. After some time, Morpheel shakes Link off, and he repeats this process until Morpheel is defeated. In its last moments, Morpheel wails, swims around the chamber, and levels several pillars. Morpheel eventually crashes into and punctures the outer wall, which drains the water in the chamber.
Upon defeating Morpheel, Link receives the third and final Fused Shadow and a Heart Container.
Nomenclature
Morpheel's name is a combination of morph- and eel, sharing the prefix with Morpha, a similar boss in Ocarina of Time.
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Language | Name | Meaning | |
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Japanese | 覚醒多触類オクタイール (Kakusei Tashoku Rui Okutaīru) | Awoken Many-Tentacled Creature: Octaeel |
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FrenchCA | Octolacanthe | |
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FrenchEU | Octolacanthe, poisson fossile du Crépuscule | Octolacanthe, fish fossil of Twilight |
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German | Urzeitfisch: Oktapesco | Prehistoric Fish: Oktapesco |
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Italian | Octoguilla, l'acquatico del crepuscolo | Octoguilla, the Aquatic of the Twilight Octoguilla is a portmanteau of the English term octopus and the Italian term anguilla (eel). |
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Korean | 각성다촉류 옥타일 (Gakseong Dachokryu Oktail) | Awakened Multiple-Tentacled Species: Octaeel |
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SpanishEU | Octópulo, Branquiosaurio de las Sombras | Octópulo, Brachisaurus of the Shadows |
Gallery
Trivia
There are several notable similarities between Morpheel and Morpha.
- Both are the boss of the Water dungeon in their respective games.
- Both have an eye-like weakness that is protected by and removed from a membrane-like object during the fight.
- Both are defeated using a retractable device (i.e. Hookshot or Clawshot).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 194
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Morpheel
Though it has eight tentacles like some Octos, the Morpheel also resembles an eel." (Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 104) - ↑ "Did you see its back? It's got an eyeball there, too!" — Midna (Twilight Princess)
- ↑ "So, it's eyeball really is the key! Good! Keep aiming for that eye!" — Midna (Twilight Princess)