Many viewers were able to glimpse the zombie-like creature among the Bokoblins in one of the trailers for Tears of the Kingdom. There was much speculation that this new monster was actually a classic Legend of Zelda monster, specifically the ReDead. It turned out this wasn't a ReDead but rather its mummified counterpart: the Gibdo.
Gibdos can be spotted in very specific regions of Hyrule. Their appearance this time around looks like a more 'rounded' version of the ReDead Knight from Twilight Princess, which were classified as Gibdos in the original version. Just as with their previous appearances, Gibdos in Tears of the Kingdom can be very dangerous if players don't know how to defeat them.
What to Know About Gibdos
There are three types of Gibdo in Tears of the Kingdom: regular Gibdos, Moth Gibdos, and the Queen Gibdo. The latter serves as the boss of the Lightning Temple while the other two species can be found in the Gerudo Region, including Gerudo Town. Those that venture into The Depths will also find gloom-infested Gibdos and Moth Gibdos.
Gibdos in general are slow-moving, and unlike previous Zelda games, the regular ones can't paralyze Link with their screech. Despite this, they can hit pretty hard and are capable of taking out two and a half hearts with one strike of their claws. Moth Gibdos are even trickier because they're airborne, meaning they're much quicker and thus more difficult to fight.
If they're not up and walking, Gibdos will be lying completely still. Players may not even realize they're close to one until it starts rising from the ground. However, one trick is to keep an eye out for any white arrows that indicate Focus/Lock-On. If players see this over what seems to be a dead monster, then it's likely a Gibdo waiting for Link to get close.
How Can You Beat Gibdos?
Trying to attack a Gibdo with just a melee weapon or arrows is pointless. These guys have impenetrable defense and will only take 1 point of damage from regular attacks/arrows. Thankfully, they're weak to elements, such as fire and lightning. Even bomb arrows (bomb flower + arrow) can knock them off their feet.
Once a Gibdo has been struck with an element, it'll collapse onto the ground and lose its coloring. When it's like this, it can take damage from melee attacks/arrows. Hurry and attack it with Y-button before it gets back up.
Here's a step-by-step how to defeat a Gibdo:
- Target the Gibdo with ZL-button.
- Hold down ZR-button to use the bow.
- While holding down ZR-button, hold up on the directional pad.
-
Select a fire/lightning-elemental item (ex:
Yellow Chuchu Jelly,
Fire Fruit
) or a
Bomb Flower
with the R-stick.
- Aim for the Gibdo (lock on), and fire the arrow.
- While its down and its bones are white, hurry over and use a regular melee weapon for the killing blow.
Those that have Riju or Riju's Spirit can use her Lightning Ability to strike down Gibdos and potentially kill them in one hit. Simply approach Riju and press A-button to summon a lightning dome. Then, fire an arrow at the Gibdo when it's under the dome and highlighted in yellow.
A defeated Gibdo will drop a Gibdo Bone. This can be sold, but it's better to Fuse them to weapons. They'll increase the damage output of a weapon by an incredible amount (ex: +80). However, such power comes at a price, and the Gibdo Bone is likely to break after a single hit depending on what monster players are up against.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.