It shouldn’t come as a shock that a franchise as long lasting as The Legend of Zelda has some of the best boss fights in gaming. The series has always done a good job balancing genuine skill with exciting set pieces that play up the classically epic quality flowing through every Zelda game’s veins. Skyward Sword may not be most fans’ favorite Zelda, but it arguably has the best design bosses of the 3D games.
The Sandship is a standout dungeon in Skyward Sword that ends in an unforgettable boss fight that has you fleeing the ship in hot pursuit. Tentalus isn’t a particularly difficult boss compared to everything else Skyward Sword has to offer, but you’re going to need to think outside the box in order to actually defeat him – let alone get out of the Sandship to fight him.
The Escape
Unlike other boss fights where entering the arena triggers the battle, you actually need to escape from the Sandship the moment you trigger Tentalus. Tentalus’ tentacles will pierce out from underneath the ship, spurring Link to flee to the deck. Exit the boss arena and turn into the hallway where two more tentacles will come out of the walls.
Raise your sword directly into the sky to charge up a Skyward Strike and release it to cut the tentacle. Once both tentacles are cut, run up ahead but be mindful of the barrels rolling down the stairs. Run up once it’s safe and the water level will rise, locking you out of the ship’s lower level.
Run up the stairs and kite across the barrels as you make your way up the sloped corridor. Once you reach the large center room, even more tentacles will pop out of the walls. Charge up your Skyward Strike to slice both and then run ahead to another set of stairs. The water level will rise one last time, leaving you right outside the real boss arena.
Phase 1
It’ll be storming when you make your way back on deck, where Tentatlus will ambush Link and the fight will begin. For the first phase of the battle, you’ll be staying mainly on the defensive. Tentalus will shoot out tentacles from underneath the boss arena that you’ll need to slice with a Skyward Strike.
Make sure to always have a Skyward Strike charged and to position your sword so the strikes are horizontal, not vertical (otherwise the tentacles won’t cut). After you’ve cut enough tentacles, Tentalus will rise up from the water. Quickly pull out your Bow and shoot Tentalus in the eye to drop him. Once he falls to the deck, attack his eye with your sword as many times as you can.
Phase 2
After dealing enough damage to Tentalus’ eye, he’ll break apart the arena to make it smaller and keep you too close for comfort. During this phase of the fight, you’ll need to fight off Tentalus’ Medusa-like hair as you try to find an opening to shoot him in the eye. Whenever Tentalus shoots its tentacles at you, rapidly swing your sword back and forth in a flurry.
Once all the snakes have been cut down, immediately ready your bow and shoot Tentalus in the eye. Keep in mind that Tentalus’ tentacles will attack for a while, so it’s better to keep cutting for an extra second than to drop your guard early. Repeat this process one or two more times to kill Tentalus.