Close Menu
GamerBolt – The Home of GamingGamerBolt – The Home of Gaming
    What's Hot

    Block Drop Game – The Modern Tetris Alternative You Need to Try

    May 21, 2025

    Jungle Bounce – Bounce Your Way Through the Jungle!?

    May 19, 2025

    This Week in Gaming News: May 12th – May 18th, 2025

    May 19, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    GamerBolt – The Home of GamingGamerBolt – The Home of Gaming
    Facebook X (Twitter)
    • Game News
    • Trivia
    • Gamertag Generator
    • Discover
        1. Best Games
        2. Past & Retro
        3. VR
        4. Next-Gen
        5. PC
        6. Tech
        7. PlayStation
        8. Xbox
        9. Nintendo
        10. Mac
        11. Cross Platform
        12. Live Streaming
        13. eSports
        14. View All

        The Best Games for May 2025

        April 28, 2025

        The Best Games for April 2025

        March 31, 2025

        The Best Games for March 2025

        March 2, 2025

        The Best Games for February 2025

        January 28, 2025

        The 10 Best Rockstar Games of All Time [2024]

        January 14, 2024

        25 Worst PS2 Games Of All Time

        December 1, 2023

        Top 10 Batman Games

        November 26, 2023

        Top 10 Video Game Remakes/Remasters

        November 25, 2023

        Future Gaming Trends To Keep An Eye On

        December 16, 2023

        The 20 Best Games To Play On Meta Quest 3

        November 23, 2023

        Meta Quest 3 VR Headset: Release Date, Price, And Impressive Specs Revealed

        November 8, 2023

        The Best VR Games For Kids

        November 2, 2023

        Silent Hill 2 Remake Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

        January 16, 2024

        The 20 Best Games To Play On Meta Quest 3

        November 23, 2023

        Next-Gen: 12 Things We Want To See From GTA 6

        October 20, 2023

        15 Things You Should Know About Next-Gen Gaming

        October 13, 2023

        Zula Casino: A Comprehensive Review of Games and Services

        October 27, 2024

        Call of Duty Ray Gun: Evolution and Impact on Zombie Mode Gameplay

        October 27, 2024

        Will GTA 6 Be on PC? Exploring Release Possibilities and Expectations

        October 23, 2024

        The 50 Best Games of 2023

        March 1, 2024

        +”:8080″ +”:3128″ +”:80″ – Common Proxy Server Ports Explained

        October 23, 2024

        iStorage diskAshur Pro 3: Introduction, Specs, Features, and More!

        October 21, 2024

        Nacon RIG 600 Pro HS Headset – Release Date, Price, Features, And More

        January 3, 2024

        Future Gaming Trends To Keep An Eye On

        December 16, 2023

        The 50 Best Games of 2023

        March 1, 2024

        Alien: Isolation – A Gem Worth Revisiting

        February 14, 2024

        Son and Bone – A New Dinosaur Themed IP Coming To PS5

        February 1, 2024

        Silent Hill 2 Remake Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

        January 16, 2024

        How to Change Xbox Gamertag: Quick and Easy Steps for 2025

        December 28, 2024

        Is Helldivers 2 on Xbox? PlayStation Exclusive Status Explained

        December 28, 2024

        How to Cancel Xbox Game Pass: A Quick Guide

        October 13, 2024

        The 50 Best Games of 2023

        March 1, 2024

        The Top 30 Wii Games

        March 11, 2024

        This Week in Gaming News – February 26th – March 3rd

        March 4, 2024

        The 50 Best Games of 2023

        March 1, 2024

        Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Ultimate Mystery Gift Codes Guide

        February 1, 2024

        Best Tycoon Games for Mac 2023

        October 20, 2023

        Parallels: A Comprehensive Overview

        October 6, 2023

        Nintendo Switch 2: Release Date, Features, Rumours, And More

        October 3, 2023

        The Best Xbox Series X/S Games For October 2023

        October 3, 2023

        Alien: Isolation – A Gem Worth Revisiting

        February 14, 2024

        Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed- DLC Rumors for 2024

        January 13, 2024

        The Finals – Tips On How to Win a Match

        January 11, 2024

        Is Overwatch 2 Cross Platform?

        October 12, 2023

        NickMercs’ Net Worth

        February 29, 2024

        Sodapoppin’s Net Worth

        February 22, 2024

        TheGrefg’s Net Worth

        February 16, 2024

        AuronPlay Net Worth

        February 14, 2024

        Why More and More Brands Are Attracted to Sponsoring Esports?

        November 17, 2023

        How do eSports Teams Make Money – The World of Competitive Gaming

        November 3, 2023

        The Best Games for May 2025

        April 28, 2025

        The Best Games for April 2025

        March 31, 2025

        The Best Games for March 2025

        March 2, 2025

        The Best Games for February 2025

        January 28, 2025
    GamerBolt – The Home of GamingGamerBolt – The Home of Gaming
    Editorials

    Dead Man’s Volley- The Legend of Zelda

    KaosukageBy KaosukageMay 25, 2017Updated:May 25, 2017No Comments9 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Like many long running video game series, Legend of Zelda has staples that gamers would come to expect, like the general nature of the game, running around, investigating dungeons, collecting items, and so on. Today, I will be looking at one of these staples, which pertains to boss battles, and usually the final boss: The Dead Man’s Volley.

    Simply put, the Dead Man’s Volley is where the boss(usually Ganon in some form or another) fires an energy blast at you, and you have to knock it back at them with your weapon. They will usually knock it back again, and it gets faster until either you or they slip up. If they screw up first, then they are stunned or damaged, and the battle goes on. Exactly how it goes and the end result varies from fight to fight, so I’ll be looking at some examples. Not every example, but most.

    The first instance of this was from A Link to the Past, where Link has to face the evil wizard Agahnim. The wizard had used his magic to effectively take over Hyrule, brainwash the castle guard, made Link a wanted criminal, and he needs to retrieve the Master Sword to battle him properly, so the entire game has been building up to the fight. Though he isn’t the final boss, he is in fact Ganon’s alter ego, so in a way you are fighting Ganon the whole time.

    Even with the Master Sword, Link cannot harm him directly, and trying will just electrocute Link. Not even the blasts your sword can fire at full health will do anything. But Agahnim will attack you, naturally, and fire off magical blasts which the sword can deflect at the wizard to damage him. The Bug Net can also be used for this, probably as a joke.

    blank

    However, the wizard does seem to use some misdirection; all of his attacks look the same when he charges them up, where two orbs of energy flow from his hands to in front of him, then he fires. This means you have plenty of time to know he is attacking, but you also cannot tell which attack he is using, or if you should deflect or dodge.

    His second attack fires what looks like four small orbs flying together. If you try to slash these, they will break off and fire in various directions, likely hitting you. The best thing to do is to dodge it and get some distance so you can avoid the shots when they break off. His final attack is a bit easier to predict, as he only uses it when he is facing the door where you came in, and unlike the others he will not turn to face you, but instead face the door every time. Sometimes when standing at that spot, instead of orbs of any kind he will fire off a blast of lightning. The lightning itself is instantaneous, and there’s pretty much nothing you can do but dodge.

    In any case, that was the first time this sort of boss fight appeared, but certainly not the last. The next example was not so much its own fight as a copy- the final boss of Link’s Awakening is a powerful Nightmare that transforms into shadows resembling past encounters from the game and Link to the Past, including Agahnim. This copy is actually easier, as he does not fire lightning and Link won’t get hurt from slashing him, though it still won’t accomplish anything.

    Moving onto Ocarina of Time, we have two bosses that do this, Phantom Ganon and Ganondorf himself. Phaontom Ganon at first has to be shot off his horse, but afterwards he will float in front of you and fire off shots for you to reflect. Unlike Agahnim, the spirit will be able to use his staff to reflect the blast back at you faster once his health lowers a bit, and the blast does not harm him, only stuns him, forcing him to the ground so you can hack him up with your sword. Oddly, an empty bottle can also be used to deflect the attack- it’s become something of a running gag.

    blank

    Ganondorf uses the same trick himself, but he spices things up with shock waves that destroy tiles you are to stand on, meaning you could get knocked to the ground below if you aren’t careful. Once he uses the energy blast attack it works much the same as with Phantom Ganon, with the addition that this only stuns him a little, and you need to use a Light Arrow while he is frozen in place to actually force him down for a beating.

    He also has a third move where he fires a large wave of smaller blasts at you. This is best dealt with via a spin attack, and if enough of them are deflected back at Ganondorf, it will stun him like his normal shots, with the bonus that he cannot deflect them this time. He is much better at this than his copy, however, and is harder to actually bring down, and has more health.

    An interesting variation of the Dead Man’s Volley appears in Oracle of Ages; one of the mini-bosses is a Blue Stalfos(basically a undead skeleton) that can use magic and wields a scythe. It can fire a large energy blast at you which, rather than actually damaging either of you, transforms the victim into something weaker. Link will be turned into a defenseless baby, after which the Stalfos will chase him with its scythe, and if it is hit, it will turn into a bat, letting Link slash at it in turn.

    The semi-final boss of Twilight Princess also uses this- it is basically Ganon controlling Zelda’s unconscious body, hence Puppet Zelda. Much like the battles from Ocarina of Time, she will be floating around, and like Ganondorf she has some other moves to work with. First she can simply dive at you with her sword extended for a stab, second she can make a triangle of light appear below you. You need to get off that spot before the energy comes up to avoid damage.

    blank

    Third, she will fire a ball of energy at you from her sword, which you must deflect. Unlike the previous examples, getting hit by the orbs is all you need to beat her- though that makes sense, as she’s possessed rather than fighting of her own volition. The light she’s firing at you is basically purging Ganon from her.

    Phantom Ganon makes another appearance in The Wind Waker. Though he looks very different, he basically works the same. Sometimes he will appear behind you and perform a spin slash, but normally he will stay back and fire shots for you to reflect. Stun then slash. Notably though, it does not explode or seem to die when beaten, it simply laughs and vanishes.

    blank

    He does appear again much later, in Ganon’s Tower. This time he only takes one hit before vanishing, but he will reappear in every room of a maze, and summons copies of himself as he closes in to slash you. If not that, he will use the usual energy ball, or a new trick. This new attack is a variation of the barrage of shots Ganondorf used in Ocarina of Time that you have to use a spin attack to deflect. Once he is stunned by either sort of energy blast, you can hit him, or just slash the real one as he closes in on you. Either way, he will flee and leave behind his sword. It will fall on its side, and the hilt will tell you which door you should enter. The last room will contain the Light Arrows, which can destroy the phantom in one shot.

    One last example to end things. In Phantom Hourglass, we have the Cubus Sisters. At first they pretended to be trapped maidens who you must rescue, but once they are all together they challenge you to a game of Dead Man’s Volley. In fact, they were the ones who coined the term in the first place. In any case, the battle starts with three of the sisters firing lasers that pin you in, while the red one shoots an energy ball. If you manage to deflect it, she will be hurt and the other sisters will stop to look at her in possible concern before they move around and she fires again. After the second hit, the red sister is destroyed.

    blank

    The yellow one will start firing at you instead, mixing in splitting shots like Agahnim used as well. When you deflect an attack, this time the sister will knock it towards the others and they will bounce it among themselves to try and disorient you before one of them fires it back. If you miss it, it will hit the back of the arena and split into smaller shots that can’t be deflected.

    The one you hit will fire at you next, and since they all take two hits, this means you’ll be stuck with the three of them a lot longer than otherwise. As they take damage they will start bouncing the ball around more quickly and more often, but once they are down to two they are more predictable. When you are down to one, the last sister will fire out three blasts, only one of which you can deflect, meaning you have to be sure to dodge that and the smaller shots that will be going in all directions. She will also take three hits to beat rather than two, making things a little more difficult.

    In any case, that’s all the examples I have, and surely plenty to give a very good idea of the concept behind the Dead Man’s volley and the many variations it has had. I hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you next time.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWhat’s it like to be a lifecaster? We Interview Jane, a Twitch Caster
    Next Article The Best PS4 Steering Wheels for Racing Car Fanatics
    blank
    Kaosukage

    My name is Andrew Robinson, though I prefer to go by Annie. I am a retro game writer, and my blog can be found here: https://myriadpostings.wordpress.com/

    Related Posts

    +”:8080″ +”:3128″ +”:80″ – Common Proxy Server Ports Explained

    October 23, 2024

    iStorage diskAshur Pro 3: Introduction, Specs, Features, and More!

    October 21, 2024

    The Week in Gaming News: June 10th – June 16th

    June 17, 2024

    The Best Games for June 2024

    May 30, 2024

    The Top 10 Fighting Games on Xbox Game Pass [2024]

    April 27, 2024

    This Week in Gaming News – April 8th – April 14th

    April 26, 2024
    Subscribe
    Connect with
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    Connect with
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Please login to comment
    0 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Don't Miss
    1 Min ReadUpdated:May 21, 2025

    Block Drop Game – The Modern Tetris Alternative You Need to Try

    By Jessica ThompsonMay 21, 20251 Min Read

    Jungle Bounce – Bounce Your Way Through the Jungle!?

    May 19, 2025

    This Week in Gaming News: May 12th – May 18th, 2025

    May 19, 2025

    This Week in Gaming News: May 5th – May 11th, 2025

    May 12, 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from SmartMag about art & design.

    GamerBolt – The Home of Gaming
    Facebook X (Twitter)
    • Home
    • About
    • Advertising
    • Our Authors
    © 2025 GamerBolt.com by iNet Ventures LTD.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    wpDiscuz