Bad Guys Anonymous

Octorok

Welcome to yet another edition of Bad Guys Anonymous, where we single out the first villains we all so easily murdered in video games of yore. These are the opponents we stomp, slice or blast and forget.

Much like we did when we settled on Met as the first baddy in Mega Man, we had to use logic to pick the first anonymous villain in The Legend of Zelda. As the game opens up, players can go in one of three directions (aside from entering the cave). You can go left, right or up. Two of those directions bit you against a pack of Octoroks, while the third sets you near the annoying Tektites.

Ugh, the Tektite. With their seemingly random jumps, these guys are one of the most annoying villains in classic gaming history, as far as I’m concerned. But, alas, that’s not why we’re here today.

OctorokMajority has it, and the Octoroks are now dubbed the first bad guys in The Legend of Zelda because of, well, probability and math stuff.

Typically bound to both water and land in later efforts, the Octorok makes his first appearance on Hyrule’s surface. They come in either blue or red varieties in the original Zelda, but they later take on more widely varied appearances.

These baddies, like most in the world of first evil doers, are easy to beat. Any weapon that casts damage from Link’s hands can hurt them. Watch out, though, as they will fire rocks directly at your pixelated face.

In later entries in the Zelda series, starting with Ocarina of Time, featured a different mechanic when it came to battling Octoroks. Players had to use their shields to deflect the rocks back at these foes. Much like land bound Deku Scrubs, the rocks hit the Octoroks in their stupid domes, they pop above the surface, stunned, and find Link’s sword in their faces.

Ever since his (her?) first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda on the NES, the Octorok has become an absolute staple in the Zelda franchise. This character has been in every single major Zelda game aside from Twilight Princess. That’s a whole lot of limbs to fight against.

The Octorok has certainly gone on to lead a great virtual life of hassling Hyrule’s greatest heroes. Anonymous, sure, but never forgotten.