bean analyticsIn data we trust

Zelda · Analysis · 20 games, 1986–2024

Which Zelda monsters keep coming back?

The first Zelda had 28 kinds of monster. We tracked every one of them through all 20 main games: which keep coming back, which vanished, and how differently the 2D and 3D games treat them.

Key findings

16.3 vs 9.6originals in an average 2D game vs a 3D one
19 of 20games with Keese, and with Octorok
0 of 3recent games with Stalfos, after 17 in a row
Watch the video54 s · TikTok

01 · Game by game

The 2D games bring back 70% more of the originals.

A 2D Zelda brings back 16.3 of the 28 original monsters on average. A 3D Zelda brings back 9.6. Oracle of Seasons kept 25; Breath of the Wild kept 5. Hover or tap a bar to see which ones.

Original monsters back in each main game

Of the 28 enemy species in The Legend of Zelda (1986)

The Legend of Zelda 1986 28
Zelda II 1987 7
A Link to the Past 1991 19
Link's Awakening 1993 22
Ocarina of Time 1998 13
Majora's Mask 2000 11
Oracle of Seasons 2001 25
Oracle of Ages 2001 22
The Wind Waker 2002 11
Four Swords Adventures 2004 16
The Minish Cap 2004 18
Twilight Princess 2006 11
Phantom Hourglass 2007 13
Spirit Tracks 2009 8
Skyward Sword 2011 7
A Link Between Worlds 2013 18
Tri Force Heroes 2015 12
Breath of the Wild 2017 5
Tears of the Kingdom 2023 9
Echoes of Wisdom 2024 16

02 · Every monster, every game

Keese and Octorok never really left. Stalfos did.

Each row is one of the 28 originals, each column a main game in release order. Keese and Octorok are in 19 of 20 games. Stalfos was in 17, then missed all 3 games since Breath of the Wild.

Sort
2D games 3D games Missing
Keese 19
Octorok 19
Armos 17
Stalfos 17
Tektite 16
Moblin 15
Bubble 14
Leever 14
Wizzrobe 14
Gibdo 13
Like Like 12
Peahat 12
Rope 11
Wallmaster 10
Ghini 9
Gohma 9
Stone Statue 9
Darknut 8
Lynel 8
Zol 7
Goriya 6
Moldorm 6
Gleeok 5
Pols Voice 5
Gel 4
Geldman 4
Lanmola 4
Vire 4

03 · Comebacks and disappearances

Some monsters skip a decade. Some haven't come back.

The comeback

Lynel

Missing from every main game released 2002 to 2011. Since then it's in 4 of the last 5, including both open-air games.

19862024

The disappearance

Stalfos

In all of the first 17 main games, 1986 to 2015. Not in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom or Echoes of Wisdom.

19862024

The regular

Moblin

Skipped a few in the middle, but it's in each of the last 6 games, 2011 to 2024, 3D and 2D alike.

19862024

About this data

Download CSV ↓

The 28 originals are the enemy and boss species in The Legend of Zelda (1986). Colour variants count as their species (a Blue Moblin is a Moblin); traps, objects and animals don't count. The 20 main games are the same ones as in our Zelda sales analysis, with the two Oracle games counted separately.

Sources: the Zelda API (zelda.fanapis.com, built from Zelda Wiki), plus Zelda Wiki for Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom, which the API doesn't cover. Data as of October 15, 2026.

More Zelda analysis

All Zelda →
% of attack kept · the 20 strongest weapons ZeldaOct 14, 2026 How much weaker are your weapons in Tears of the Kingdom? 41 of 51 returning weapons hit for less. A pristine copy gets back 78% of the old attack. Lifetime copies, release order ZeldaOct 13, 2026 Which Zelda sold the most? Breath of the Wild alone is 22% of every main Zelda sold. A console game sells 2.4 times a handheld one.