You just cleared a pool of Gloom Hands, you’re feeling pretty proud of yourself… and then a red health bar fades in with Phantom Ganon floating over it. Honestly? That moment gets everybody, even the people who pretend it doesn’t.
Good news: this fight looks way scarier than it is. Phantom Ganon has a small moveset, a very readable rhythm and a big weak spot right on his forehead. Let’s walk through this together, from the hands to the sword swings to the big multi Phantom fight inside Hyrule Castle.
What Phantom Ganon Actually Is
Phantom Ganon in Tears of the Kingdom is a Gloom phantom shaped like Ganondorf, and you meet him in two very different ways:
- Mini-boss version: he appears after you defeat a full group of five Gloom Hands at certain spots around Hyrule. One Phantom, one weapon, one health bar.
- Main quest version: during the Crisis at Hyrule Castle quest, you face five Phantoms at once inside the castle. This one is mandatory and much busier.
The overworld pattern is almost always the same: Gloom Hands first, Phantom Ganon second. A few story encounters skip the hands and drop Phantom Ganon on you directly. Knowing that ahead of time makes the whole thing feel a lot less like a jump scare.
Every Variant and What It Drops
The mini-boss Phantom carries one Gloom weapon, and whatever he holds is what he drops. Each spot spawns a fixed variant, so if you want a specific weapon, learn which spot gives it and go back there.
| Variant | Drop | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Sword | Gloom Sword | One-handed swings with quick recoveries, the easiest to counter |
| Spear | Gloom Spear | Longer reach and thrusts, so keep a little extra distance |
| Club | Gloom Club | Slower, heavier swings with the biggest hits of the three |
| Any variant | Dark Clumps and a Demon King’s Bow, every time | The Demon King’s Bow is a guaranteed drop, and its attack grows with your heart count (2 per heart, capped at 60) |
| Hyrule Castle (5 Phantoms) | Dark Clumps | Main quest fight with two waves of five and a Heart Container at the end. You can skip it at the castle, but then you face them on the way to Ganondorf |
No Stress: the Gloom weapons hurt you a little every time you swing them (that’s the Gloom Toll effect). Fusing one onto another weapon is the usual way to use that big damage without draining your hearts. Our Fuse beginner’s guide explains how.
Where to Find Gloom Hands
Gloom Hands spawn at fixed spots on the Surface and in the Depths, and only some of them lead to Phantom Ganon. Places players run into him include:
- Hyrule Castle Town Ruins: a pool a short way southeast of Kyononis Shrine.
- Great Hyrule Forest: the chasm area around the Great Deku Tree.
- Lindor’s Brow Cave: a cave encounter, which gets cramped fast.
- Central Hyrule plains: spots such as the north end of Taobab Grassland.
If you’d rather plan your route than stumble into these, our Tears of the Kingdom interactive map is a comfy way to scout ahead.
Before the Fight: Gear and Food
- Bomb Flowers and arrows: fusing Bomb Flowers to arrows is the easiest way to hit several hands at once.
- Ice materials: White Chuchu Jelly or frost fruit on arrows also works well against the hands.
- Sundelion dishes: they restore hearts lost to Gloom, which is exactly the damage this fight deals. Our best recipes guide covers what to cook.
- A strong melee weapon and shield: for the Flurry Rush and Perfect Guard windows.
- A bow you trust: headshots are your best tool once Phantom Ganon shows up.
Step by Step: How to Beat Phantom Ganon
Here’s the chill version. Take your time with each step.
- Stay on the edge. The hands rise from the middle of the Gloom pool, so keep your distance and don’t let them surround you.
- Wipe all five fast. Fire Bomb Flower arrows into the cluster. If you leave stragglers for too long, the hands start coming back, and the Phantom only appears once all five are gone.
- Use the breather. There’s a short pause before his health bar shows up. Swap to your best weapon and shield and eat if your hearts look sad.
- Let him come to you. He drifts in and teleports around, so camping on high ground doesn’t really help.
- Dodge or Perfect Guard, then punish. His charge and regular swings can be dodged, blocked or parried. A well timed backflip or side hop opens a Flurry Rush.
- Shoot him in the head. An arrow to the head staggers him, which gives you free hits and a much calmer fight.
- Back off from the Gloom. Standing close to the Gloom around him slowly eats your max hearts, so hit, dodge and reset.
Don’t stress if your first few dodges are mistimed. Everybody whiffs a couple before the rhythm clicks.
The Hyrule Castle Fight: Five Phantoms at Once
Okay but… this part is so good. During Crisis at Hyrule Castle, Phantom Ganon shows up as a pack of five that share one health pool. If you have the Sages’ avatars with you, each one can tie up a Phantom while you focus on yours.
Phase 1
All five attack with horizontal slashes, downward strikes and a spinning attack that leaves them stunned for a moment afterward. Dodge, counter with Flurry Rush and punish that post spin recovery.
Phase 2
One Phantom starts spreading Gloom across the floor while the others keep attacking, and they can switch weapons, which changes their timing. Shoot the Gloom spreader in the head to stop the Gloom, then finish him. If he dies, another Phantom takes over the job, so stay alert. The Sages’ avatars get knocked out if the Gloom touches them, which is one more reason to deal with it quickly.
Respawns and Farming
The Gloom Hands themselves can keep returning, so their Dark Clumps are farmable. Phantom Ganon is stingier: once beaten, he shouldn’t reappear at that spot until the world resets, and guides disagree a bit on exactly when that is. Most agree a Blood Moon is the reset to wait for if you want another shot at a specific weapon.
Dark Clumps are worth keeping, by the way. Our cooking and elixirs guide explains how they fit into your recipes.
Phantom Ganon FAQ
How do you make Phantom Ganon appear in Tears of the Kingdom?
Defeat all five Gloom Hands at a spot that spawns him. He appears a few seconds after the last hand falls.
What does Phantom Ganon drop?
The Gloom weapon he carries (sword, spear or club), plus Dark Clumps. He also drops a Demon King’s Bow every time.
Does Phantom Ganon respawn?
Not right away. Beat the Gloom Hands again and he usually won’t return until the world resets, most commonly after a Blood Moon.
What is Phantom Ganon weak to?
Headshots. An arrow to the head staggers him, and counters after a Perfect Guard or a perfect dodge deal big damage.
Is the Hyrule Castle Phantom Ganon fight optional?
Not completely. It’s part of the Crisis at Hyrule Castle main quest, and you can leave it at the castle, but then the same Phantom Ganons wait for you on the way down to Ganondorf.
The Payoff: once the dodge and headshot rhythm clicks, Phantom Ganon goes from horror movie to free Gloom weapons. Stock up on Bomb Flowers, cook a Sundelion dish and go get him. You’ve got this.
