Zelda franchise strategy guide/Enemies/Moblin

Moblins (モリブリン, Moriburin) are fictional pig or bulldog-like monsters in The Legend of Zelda series of video games. They often reside in forests, where the player battles them as Link, the games' main character and protagonist. Moblins commonly carry spears, but some carry swords and clubs as well. Moblins can usually be found wandering the overworld of each game in which they appear.

For the piggish brutes, food and Rupees are all that matters. As long as there is pay, nothing is too low for the selfish swines; if there is a reward, Moblins won't hesitate to act. Ganon, the games' main antagonist, has been known to frequently utilize their greedy natures by hiring Moblin mercenaries to seek out and destroy Link.

There are few individual Moblins—the only Moblins that are part of their game's storyline are the Moblin King (Link's Awakening), the Great Moblin (Oracle of Ages and Seasons), Moe (The Wind Waker), and the Monster Lady (The Minish Cap).

Etymology

In Japan, where The Legend of Zelda games are developed, Moblins are known as モリブリン, written in romaji as "Moriburin". The word "Moblin" is likely a portmanteau of the words "mori" meaning "forest", and "goblin". In the English releases of The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, this name was first translated into "Molblin", sparking debates over the true origins of the name of the species. Nintendo of America translated it to "Moblin" in A Link to the Past, and the name has been consistent in all games since. Other similar changed translations have been "Gannon" to "Ganon" and "Zola" to "Zora".

Appearances

Games

The Legend of Zelda

Moblins first appeared in The Legend of Zelda as spear-throwing bulldog monsters. Their spears can be blocked by Link's Shield, and they had two key varieties, orange and blue; blue are stronger than orange, as they require more hits to kill. They are most commonly found in forest areas. A few orange Moblins hiding in secret hideouts across Hyrule give the player Rupees and deliver the famous quote, "ITS A SECRET TO EVERYBODY".

Notably, there is a Goron in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that states "It's a secret to everybody." when spoken to after the Hyrule Castle has been encased in a barrier. Though he says it in a different context, it is likely a tribute to the original Moblin.

The Adventure of Link

In The Adventure of Link, Moblins come in many new forms. The top-down view of the original Zelda made them seem short and squat, while the side-scrolling view makes them look tall and quite thin. The Moblins in this game are after Link's blood, which would have been used to resurrect Ganon, who was previously vanquished by the "original" Link. Usually, they will come at Link with defenses up, throwing Spears, while others continue regenerating and coming at Link from both sides of the screen, stealing EXP from Link whenever their spear points touch him. Link can block their spears with his shield. The different varieties of Moblins in The Adventure of Link include red Moblins, blue Moblins, and orange Moblins. Orange Moblins simply throw their Spears at Link. Red Moblins cannot throw their spear, but they can stab high or low with it. Blue Moblins can throw their spears and stab low with them.

A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, Moblins can only be found in the Dark World, taking the place of the variously-colored soldiers in the Light World. While the Pig Soldiers appear to be Moblins, they are never referred to as such. The ones who are Moblins are the spear-throwing ones, whose spears can be blocked by Link's shield. The ending added to the remake of this game implies that Moblins and Pig Soldiers are actually Ganon's only true soldiers, and that the other enemies are not on his side, but influenced by Agahnim's guise as the king of Hyrule. In its Satellaview direct sequel, BS The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets, there are no Moblins, on account of the fact that the Dark World is not present.

Link's Awakening

Link's Awakening marks the first time a Moblin ever used a sword. Moblins only appear in the Mysterious Forest and the Moblin Hideout, as Sword Moblins (always with shields as well). The Moblins with swords do not wander around aimlessly throwing spears like most of their race, but instead home in on intruders (Link in this case) like the guards in A Link to the Past. Some Moblins in this game, however, do maintain the tactic of wandering and firing arrows. The Moblin King, who kidnapped Madam Meow-Meow's Bow-Wow (a Chain Chomp from the Mario games) resides in the Moblin Hideout, and serves as a boss in this game. Since Link's Awakening has nothing to do with Ganon directly, it is unknown whether these Moblins are under his control (but not likely, as Koholint Island is a foreign land, as well as merely a dream of the Wind Fish).

Link's Awakening seems to also mark the transition in appearance of Moblins. In older games they resemble bulldogs, but in later installments of the series, they resemble pigs instead. Interestingly, in addition to bulldog-like Moblins, there are enemies that move and attack exactly like them (both with swords and shields, and bows) that are pig-like (called Butablin in the Japanese version, buta meaning pig). These enemies are found mostly in the area of Tal Tal Heights, near the Wind Fish's Egg.

Ocarina of Time

In Ocarina of Time, Moblins only appear in the Sacred Forest Meadow when Link is an adult. All but one of them will charge at Link with a spear when they spot him; the last one guards the corridor leading to the entrance of the Forest Temple, and when Link approaches it, it will hit the ground releasing shock-waves from its club that will harm Link if they make contact. Both the regular Moblins and the guardian are much larger than any previous Moblins. Although these Moblins are also pig-like in form, they have a somewhat bulldog-like face and a bull-like scream when they charge. Those found in the maze area can be defeated using a large variety of weapons, although the large Moblin wielding a club is best countered with arrows because of its range, or with the Hookshot, Longshot, or sword from behind. Unlike other enemies in this game, Navi is unable to lock on to or provide information about the Moblins here.

In the Master Quest version of Ocarina of Time, a Club Moblin that causes shock-waves like the one guarding the Forest Temple entrance can be found in the Spirit Temple.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Moblins are one of the most common enemies. They act exactly as they did in Link's Awakening. They come in red and blue varieties, and Oracle of Seasons features a one-of-a-kind gold Moblin; the blue ones are usually more difficult to find and to defeat.

The Great Moblin

The Great Moblin terrorizes the populace in Holodrum and Labrynna — however he is never in two places at once; he is always in the land of the game played first, and then when Link drives him out of that land he goes into the other land, where the player can further humiliate him if they follow him by playing a linked game using a password from the first. He will also recognize Link in that second land, whereas in the non-linked game he has never seen him before.

In Labrynna he builds his Moblin Keep (with warning signs all around it) and rules over the mountain and its inhabitants, preventing the Gorons from growing their famous Bomb Flowers — he makes the more traditional sort of bombs (by hand), so it is to be assumed that he wants to drive them out of business.

In Holodrum he builds another Moblin Keep, but this one is very different and has cannons all around the walls. He stands on the wall, waiting to take out anyone who comes near. However, his cannons fire bombs rather than cannonballs, so he is more an annoyance to Link rather than a real threat.

The Great Moblin and his henchmen are greedy, and always out to make a profit. In Holodrum (depending on the story strand) the player will find his minions surrounding Dimitri. They intend to sell him ("Bwee! I found somethin' weird! If we catch it and sell it, we'll be rich!!! And the Great Moblin will be very pleased!!!"). If Link wants to rescue Dimitri from this fate he has to pay them a total of 80 Rupees in exchange for him.

If the player is in Holodrum while playing a linked game, the Great Moblin kidnaps Princess Zelda, once again hoping to make a profit ("Such fine clothes... You must be a high-class girl! Rupees, jewels, everything! Give me your valuables!"). After a brief skirmish, though, he retreats back to the Moblin Keep.

After Link destroys the Holodrum Moblin Keep, he will not leave the land (like he does when his Keep in Labrynna is destroyed) but will instead move into an abandoned house in the south-eastern corner of Sunken City. There he and his minions make bombs, apparently to sell to get the funds to rebuild the Keep. If Link drops a bomb or an Ember Seed on this pile and then runs out the door, the house explodes, and the Great Moblin and his henchmen narrowly escape the smoldering ruins. They soon return again to rebuild the house (which is a much shabbier version of the building) and continue making bombs once more. Link can blow up this second house too, and they will flee yet again. The next time they rebuild, however, the moment Link ignites their pile of bombs the Great Moblin says, "Bwee-hee! So it was you! You'll pay!!! An eye for an eye!". They throw Link into the house and run away, and it explodes with Link still inside, killing him (and giving the player the save/continue menu as with any death).

Moblin Ring

In both Ages and Seasons, Link can acquire a magical Ring that transforms him into a Moblin. He cannot use any attacks in this form, but he is ignored by any Moblins (with the exception of the Great Moblin), and also cannot be eaten by Like Likes. The ring can only be found in Maple's possession, or inside of a Gasha Nut.

The Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, Moblins are large, gray-brown or blue pig monsters who carry glaives. They do not appear as often here as in previous Zelda installments, on account of them being much more powerful than most types of Moblins. If they catch Link inside the Forsaken Fortress while he is unable to defend himself, they will set him alight with their lanterns and throw him back into his cell. They can use their glaives to thrust at Link, which they usually do 2-3 times before unleashing a very wide swipe. They are one of the first enemies that are introduced in this game. Link can disarm a Moblin and use the glaives they wield as a weapon, albeit a rather cumbersome one. Link can also use the Grappling Hook to steal a Moblin's Skull Necklace—a valuable treasure that can be given to a certain character in the game to earn rewards.

The Wind Waker Moblins are fairly comical. When their Skull Necklaces are stolen, they cry out in surprise with a shocked expression on their face. Also, when they are cut from behind (stabbing attacks are most effective for this), they start hopping around in pain, holding their rear end. Sometimes, they also panic and run away from bombs thrown at them, and will not start fighting until the bombs explode. If a Moblin is lured to run over a high ledge, it will hang suspended in the air Looney Tunes style until it looks down and flails wildly before falling to its death.

The Wind Waker saw the introduction of the first Moblin with a specific name: "Moe". Apparently, he worked at the Forsaken Fortress and developed a relationship with Maggie, the daughter of the rags-to-riches villager on Windfall Island (Moe is supposedly the source of the man's new-found wealth, as Maggie's father sold the Skull Necklaces that Moe gave to Maggie for a high price). The father forbids the relationship, but Link can help her by delivering a letter to Moe. As it turns out, Moe has mail for Maggie as well (which Maggie interprets to be romantic, when in fact Moe writes that he likes her so much that he would like to eat her for dinner). For helping Maggie and Moe, Link receives a Piece of Heart. Although Moe is crucial to this side quest, the player never sees him. But, this shows that Moblins can read and write, probably in the same language as post-Great Flood Hyruleans, and that perhaps Moblins are capable of love.

Furthermore, the first form of the final sub-boss of Ganon's Castle, Puppet Ganon, seems to be based on the Moblin, though it may be based on Ganondorf's pig-like form, which the Moblin may in turn be based on.

Bokoblins

Relatives of Moblins are the smarter, but less powerful Bokoblins, little pig-imp creatures with a speared tail, who are often found in dungeons and all over the Great Sea, often on rafts and lookout towers and in submarines. They come in blue, green and pink colors, and often carry telescopes, machetes, or Boko Sticks. Some also wield small wooden shields that bear the post office marker of the Forsaken Fortress. Their attack style is straight-on, weaving left and right until an opportune moment to strike, and they often perform jump attacks. They are also capable of operating machinery, such as the giant search lights at the Forsaken Fortress. Skills such as the ability to operate machinery and use various tools may render the Bokoblin much more intelligent than their relatives, the Moblins. They also carry Joy Pendants as spoils which is the first item that is stolen when a Grappling Hook is used on one or when they are killed. The Joy Pendants can be surrendered to the schoolteacher on Windfall Island, which will yield Link great rewards.

Miniblins

Even smaller than Bokoblins, Miniblins are a type of pygmy side species. They repeatedly spawn and attack in masses until the player leaves the area. They appear mostly in caves, but also appear in certain sections of the Great Sea. They also appear to be less intelligent than Moblins, in that they can be easily distracted if Link throws some bait in their direction, to the point where they fight each other for it. Miniblins also appear in Phantom Hourglass.

The Minish Cap

Moblins in The Minish Cap are virtually identical in appearance and actions to their The Wind Waker counterparts, except they never carry torches. They are equipped with either bows or spears. The bowmen will shoot Link on sight, while the spearmen charge at him in a straight line (they have no slashing attack). They come in "flesh" and gray varieties, and often drop large amounts of Rupees when slain.

The first Moblins appear when Link leaves the Sanctuary. Link is confronted by Vaati, who then locks him in a pen with two Moblins.

Interestingly, there is a woman who appears in another person's house at some point in the game, the lights are turned off, but if Link lights the torches, she will turn into a Moblin, but will not attack him. This is likely a reference to the first Zelda game, in which non-violent Moblins can be found.

It should also be noted that one book in the library is titled: Married to the Moblin. While this could be a reference to Maggie and Moe's relationship in The Wind Waker, it is more likely a play on the title of the 1988 film "Married to the Mob".

Twilight Princess

Although Moblins appeared in the 2004 trailer of Twilight Princess, they do not show up in the final release. Instead, Bokoblins return from The Wind Waker, along with a new Moblin relative called Bulblins, which are humanoid orc-like creatures with bull-like horns. [1] Bulblins are armed with maces or bows, and can ride in pairs on boars known as "Bullbos". The Bulblins are led by King Bulblin.

Bokoblins in Twilight Princess can be found in various areas. Their endurance and difficulty is dependent on their colors; blue or red (wielding wooden and steel swords respectively), the latter being the more powerful enemy. Unlike their The Wind Waker versions, these Bokoblins have whitish hair, and look much more human having lost their pig-snouts and tails.

Other media

Moblins in the cartoon series

The Moblins in the DiC cartoon series had red eyes (like those in the original Zelda game) and a bulldog-like appearance. Their trademark stupidity led them to constantly foul up their master Ganon's plans. However they could still think for themselves, and at one point decided Ganon was so hopeless (Link always thwarted his schemes) that they were better off without him; they overthrew him and formed "The Brotherhood of Underworld Monsters" with the other liberated monsters that were previously under Ganon's rule (such as the Stalfos, Mobys and Wolfos), but in the end they weren't much more effective without their leader.

Moblins in the comics

As in the animated series, the comic book Moblins are not intelligent, but they do have individual personalities and are able to speak. Moblins in The Wind Waker are known to speak and understand Hylian.