Thunderbird (The Legend of Zelda)

Evil-doer
Full Name	Thunderbird (International) ボルバ (Meaning: Boruba; Japan only)
Alias	None
Origin	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Occupation	Guardian of the Triforce of Courage
Powers / Skills	Invulnerability Flight Talons Projectiles High Endurance Immortality
Hobby	Waiting for the hero of Hyrule.
Goals	Protect the Triforce of Courage until a hero worthy of obtaining it comes (succeeded).
Crimes	Attempted Murder
Type of Villain	Feral Guardian

The Thunderbird is a major antagonist in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. He is the penultimate boss of the game fought right before Link's Shadow. He resides in the Great Palace, which is the seventh and final palace, in the bottom west area of Hyrule.

It is a powerful creature created by the King of Hyrule to protect the Triforce of Courage till a hero worthy of it appears to challenge it. It is one of the hardest bosses in the game.

Biography

Creation and Past

The King of Hyrule was a benevolent king wielding all three pieces of the Triforce. However, he knew that his death was coming due to his old age. Having found no successor to worthy of the full Triforce, he gave the Triforce of Power to his son. And the Triforce of Wisdom to his daughter. He hid the Triforce of Courage away in the Great Palace, which was protected with a force field that would only dissipate once six crystals were placed into statues at the end of each palace, each palace had a guardian of their own. The King made the Thunderbird as the second last guardian of the Great Palace. And wrote a scroll on how to go to the great palace. The scroll could only be read by those he deemed worthy of the Triforce.

Once Link sets places gems into the six palace statues, the great palace's binding force is removed from the gate. Link navigates through the Great Palace and eventually fights the Thunderbird, however, due to it's invulnerability shield. Link uses the Thunder Spell, and defeats it. Allowing Link to travel to the next room to meet the ancient sage who summons the final boss of the game.

Media

Fight Theme

Gallery

The Thunderbird is protected

The Thunderbird after the "Thunder" magic is used

Katsuya Terada's image

The Thunderbird in the Valiant Comics

Thunderbird in the Zelda 2 official playable gamebook

Trivia

• The Thunderbird exists only in the Fallen Hero timeline.
• Due to its projectiles spawning and falling in different directions, the Thunderbird could arguably considered harder than Link's Shadow. Since Link's Shadow is less random in its AI. Not to mention that when Zelda II was brought to North America, the AI of Link's Shadow was simplified to the point where staying in the corner allows you to defeat it easily.
• When fighting the Thunderbird, the music doesn't change from the Great Temple theme to the Boss theme.
  • However, fighting Link's Shadow changes the theme to the final boss music.