The Legend of Zelda series is memorable not just for the cast of characters and storylines, but its enemies that Link must face through each of his adventures. With the technological advances that came with each new title release, these baddies got more and more terrifying as time went on. Some were a walk in the park to defeat while others may have scared you silly, especially if you played them as a young child. Throughout the franchise, there have been countless creepy factors included.
Of course, there were also those enemies that had designs so silly and almost "cute" such as in Windwaker, they weren't at all spooky to encounter. Whichever enemies were the bane of your playthrough, the fear would make you want to take them out as fast as possible no matter what. Breath of the Wild gave us new classes of enemies that were more fierce than scary such as Lynels.
10 Big Skulluta
The giant version of this creepy spider is one of the first enemies Child Link encounters inside the Deku Tree. Much more menacing than its smaller counterpart, Big Skulluta is just as much of a threat. This particular enemy makes other appearances around Hyrule besides just hanging around inside the Great Deku Tree. What makes it way more creepy is how much more pronounced its skull design is in giant form. The smaller versions are much easily avoidable and can be defeated by the use of the slingshot as a child.
Although it may behave similarly to the regular Skulluta it can deal more damage and be a general pain sometimes. Menacing in design for sure, it is no truly no match for Adult Link using the Hookshot or Fairy Bow. If you choose to avoid it altogether, simply stun it with a well-timed Deku Nut before it can strike you.
9 Stalchild
You would not want to run into this at night, especially when it pops up out of nowhere. When Child Link first leaves Kokiri Forrest and enters Hyrule Field, if he isn't quick enough night will fall and Stalchildren will emerge from the ground and start following and attacking him. If their creepy red eyes don't scare, you the sheer randomness of their spawns will.
Interestingly enough, if you stay on the dirt path in Hyrule Field or wear the Bunny Hood, they will not appear. These Walking Dead-like skeletons will continue to attack even if their head is chopped off. This does make them blind, however, so it gives Link an advantage. They make a massive return in Majoras Mask and play an important role in part of the story. Other games they appear in include Four Sword Adventures and Twilight Princess. Another creepy fact from Zelda Wiki about them is that their laugh is a sped-up version of Phantom Ganon's laugh.
8 Peahat
Pehat and their offspring Pehat Larvae are no pushovers. They are littered throughout Hyrule Field as a child and can be extremely annoying and quite menacing to deal with. Appearing as harmless you see their truly horrifying underside, literal whirling blades that chase you should you get too close to their territory. Even if Link isn't directly in their line of sight they deploy out their "kids" to come and deal with you who, although much smaller can deal damage as well.
Encountering the main version can be daunting at first but right smack in the middle of those menacing blades of death is its weak spot. Most players tend to avoid them rather than face them head-on. At night time they burrow into the ground and will only send their larvae rather than emerge fully. Thankfully in Majora's Mask, only one of these enemies exists in a grotto, and upon defeating it rewards you with a heart piece.
7 Wolfos
Nobody wants to run into these guys in a dark alley. Wolfos and White Wolfos were probably designed with references to werewolves in mind. Their creepy howls and eyes leave players a tad creeped out but they are really pushovers once you get over their haunting appearance. Wolfos also can appear out of nowhere emerging literally out of the ground in front of you. Child Link first encounters one guarding the entrance to the Sacred Meadow.
They seem to prefer mostly forest-like environments such as The Forrest Temple but also appear in Spirit Temple, Gerudo Training Grounds, and Ganon's Castle. Wolfos are one of the more intelligent enemies in the game, defending themselves quite easily against Links' attacks but are also able to be taken out quite quickly.
6 Poe
Nintendo sure loved including lots of undead enemies as well as spirits, especially in Ocarina of Time. Poes mostly resided in Kakariko Graveyard but their design made them how much more than just a usual ghost. Fast forward to the Adult section of Ocarina of Time and Big Poes now roam Hyrule Field netting you rupees and eventually the last hidden bottle for turning in ten of them. They appear at first to be a sort of guiding helpful spirit carrying a lantern as if to light your way, but soon turn menacing, casting flames at you. The only helpful Poe is the Spirit Gude in the Haunted Wasteland who leads you to the Spirit Temple.
Poes also play a huge role in the Forrest Tempe with the famous four Poe Sisters (Amy, Beth, Meg, and Joelle), stealing all the flames and locking you out from getting to the boss. Their design is a little less creepy compared to the average Poe encounter with each having a unique design element, The whole hiding in paintings was very ominous, however, making you feel as if you were being watched. Makes you wonder why Nintendo had to add the creepiness factor to a temple that didn't have a lot to do with the undead.
5 Dead Hand
From truly horrifying regular enemies to terrifying mini-bosses, Deadhand is at the top of the list. This bizarre creature appears in both the Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple and if you aren't anticipating his appearance, you are in for a shock. When first entering his chambers you see a bunch of weird disembodied hands sticking out of the ground. If one of them grabs you, then he appears to come and take a bite out of Link.
His main body is truly grotesque, covered in what seems to be multiple blood spots. Don't forget the blank eye sockets and a large jaw full of teeth too. Dead Hand is the most fearsome zombie-like creature to reside in Ocarina of Time. In Master Quest, there is even more of him to contend with. The only way to defeat him is to let his hands capture you then quickly escape and attack him before he buries himself underground.
4 Moblin
Moblins have been a staple enemy encounter since The Legend of Zelda first made its debut. In Ocarina of Time, they got an upgrade, patrolling the Sacred Forrest Meadow as Adult Link tries to make his way to the Forrest Temple. The game makes you go stealthy here, or else these guys will get the jump on you, bashing Link spear first into the nearest puddle.
Outfitted with armor, these pig-like creatures are no joke with their speed, but can be easily taken out with a well-timed Hookshot to the back. A much more menacing Moblin awaits you at the entrance to The Forrest Temple, The Club Moblin. It's not his sheer massive size that will make you want to get past him quickly, but his blows which are even more deadly. In Ocarina of Time 3D, a scene was added showing the Club Moblin laughing at LInk when you encounter him for the first time. Talk about nerve-wracking.
3 Stalfos
From Stalchildren to Stalfos, a lot of skeleton enemies to contend with in this specific entry, Stalfos are 100 percent the more creepy of the two, considering they are more of a fearsome warrior ready to attack and defend against both Child and Adult Link. It almost doesn't seem fair to pit a helpless little kid against this giant eerie Skeleton in Spirit Temple.
Their origins are also extremely terrifying - according to Fado the Kokiri Girl, those who become lost will turn into Stalfos. Stalfos also seem to laugh menacingly at Link each time they attack or wound him. They can also appear out of nowhere, getting the jump on Link. There is a way to get the jump on them instead - just spam Deku Nuts and take them out one by one. Interestingly enough, they also appear as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U.
2 Wallmaster
If there is one enemy that will truly send shivers down your spine and make you check your surroundings carefully, it's the Wallmaster. This disembodied hand casts a shadow over Link before snapping him up from the ceiling and pulling him up and back to the start of the dungeon. If the shadow it emits doesn't make you want to get the heck out of there, the noise it makes just before it appears will.
Luckily, Navi warns you whenever one is lurking in the room so taking it out quickly is your best bet, buying you some time to clear whatever puzzle you are trying to accomplish. Only one ever appears in the room. Even its non-teleporting cousin, Floormaster is just as equally scary. Attacking it will simply cause it to spawn into three mini hands that can jump on Link and choke him. Floormasters can also be invisible, adding another element of surprise. Wallmaster is another enemy that appears in odd places such as Forrest Temple, Spirit Temple, and Gerudo Training Grounds.
1 ReDead/Gibdo
Ocarina of Time is most certainly not a horror game but by encountering numerous ReDeads and Gibdos, you would think it was. Both of these will stun you with their gaze before sucking the life out of you by literally attaching themselves to Link. Gibdos would be the more resilient of the two but both can be taken out with fire. To avoid both of them just play the Sun's Song and sneak by. Funnily enough, in Majora's Mask, we got some humor with these guys because certain masks let you speak to them or even make them dance.
If you remove the bandages from a Gibdo it becomes a ReDead, and ReDeads are definitely more terrifying in their design compared to the mummy-like Gibdos. If the developers wanted us to have nightmares about these guys, they certainly succeeded.