Gibdo
A Gibdo as seen in A Link to the Past. | |
Gibdo | |
Type | Undead |
Debut | The Legend of Zelda |
Gibdo are mummies that have returned from the dead. They are commonly found in dungeons and crypts.
Traits
As undead creatures, Gibdos are strong enemies found mainly in dark places. By virtue of being dead they are extremely resilient to damage, even more so than others (perhaps a virtue of their preservation). In general they have little variation in their attack pattern, but are often shown to have a weakness to fire, which is often enough to kill them in one hit.
Gibdo are closely associated with the Stalfos, and in some games burning off the bandages will reveal a Stalfos underneath. Gibdo are also closely associated with Redead (being simply stronger versions of them) and in games they coexist, burning off the bandages will reveal a Redead underneath.
Game Information
Gibdo make their debut appearance in The Legend of Zelda. They first show up in the fifth dungeon as recurring enemies that usually appear in large groups. Though they (like most enemies) don't try to attack Link, they are capable of taking several hits and are among the strongest of the enemies in the game.
In A Link to the Past', Gibdo appears in the Skull Dungeon in the Dark World. They are even stronger than in their previous appearance, but will now also follow Link as well. Despite being so strong (taking over 10 hits with the Master Sword), they can be killed instantly with the Fire Rod or Bombos Medallion.
Gibdo also appear in Link's Awakening where they remain powerful enemies. Making them even more dangerous is the fact that attacking them does not cause them to repel backwards. They reappear in Oracle of Ages and Seasons behaving in the same manner, but hitting them with an Ember Seed will turn them into a Stalfos.
For The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Gibdo are essentially stronger Redeads. They appear in the Spirit Temple and the Bottom of the Well and can use their ability to screech to freeze the opponent, then latch onto them to begin gnawing on their foe. They can be paralyzed by the Sun's Song.
Gibdo reappear in Four Swords and The Minish Cap. As in the Oracles games, using fire on them will turn them into a Stalfos. In The Minish Cap the show up in the Palace of the Wind and will aggressively attack Link.
Majora's Mask
They remain unchanged in Majora's Mask, but play a more significant role in the story. Pamela's Father is turned into a Gibdo and has to be cured by the Song of Healing. This earns Link a Gibdo Mask he can use to talk to Gibdo with. In the Ikana well, Link has to give Gibdos a variety of items in order to convince them to stop guarding doors. Whenever Link wears one of the undead masks, Gibdos won't attack him.
Pamela's Dad comes up with a special song known as Farewell to Gibdos that drives the Gibdos away. It was a result of his long research into their kind, which ultimately led to him becoming a half-formed Gibdos that his daughter kept in containment. While he was mummified, his house was surrounded by the Gibdo who were desperate to get him to come out and join them. Only after Link got the watermill going again and thus started the song once more were they driven away. According to the research, the Gibdo were greedy people who entered the well looking for the treasure hidden inside.
Trivia
- In the instruction manual for A Link to the Past, they are called Gibdos (though other enemies are not listed in plural). This was likely an oversight due to the similarity in the prefix to Stalfos, another undead enemy.