Zelda Wiki

Want to contribute to this wiki?
Sign up for an account, and get started!

Come join the Zelda Wiki community Discord server!

READ MORE

Zelda Wiki
Advertisement

Template:Sources Template:Enemy The Gibdo are flesh-eating, undead, mummified corpses that have been around since the very first Template:LOZ game and have since appeared in several other games, like Template:ALTTP, Template:OOT and Majora's Mask. In many games, they have unique attacks such as grabbing hold of Link, and sometimes their bandages can be burned away by fire-based attacks to reveal a ReDead (in Majora's Mask) or a Stalfos underneath (in certain 2D games).[1] Template:TLoZManual Template:ALttPManual

Characteristics

The Gibdo is one of the most resilient enemies in the Zelda universe, as it is weak to few weapons and stringent when it comes down to attacking, in most games, they don't get knocked back when hit with a sword.[2][1] These tall undead creatures walk stockily and unhindered, reminiscent of Frankenstein with their hands outstretched, and commonly exist in packs. The Gibdo is frequently compared to the ReDead, the undead zombie of Template:OOT fame, primarily because of the way they walk, the fact that they freeze Link in near proximity, similar general posture and stature, and their overall risen-from-the-dead appearance, however, they tend to be stronger than ReDead when comparing the amount of damage they deal per attack. In paying homage to their appearance, Gibdo are always and only found within crypt or graveyard-like locations, including the Bottom of the Well in Ocarina of Time, the Palace of Winds in The Minish Cap, and Beneath the Well in Majora's Mask, specifically. Sentient Gibdos are found Beneath the Well in Majora's Mask, requesting Link to bring them certain items,[3][4] when he wears the Gibdo Mask, in order to earn passage into other chambers of the well. They also appear in Ikana Canyon, and have an intense dislike for the song Farewell to Gibdos, composed by Pamela's Father, and will retreat into the ground when they hear it.

Such characteristics are deprived of Gibdos in certain games: in The Minish Cap, Gibdos cannot freeze Link when he is nearby, and interestingly, in Majora's Mask, both ReDeads and Gibdos are unable to harm Link's Goron or Deku Scrub forms, as the former is too large and the latter is too small (though both forms are still vulnerable to paralysis). Wearing the Gibdo Mask in Majora's Mask will make all nearby Gibdo indifferent to Link's presence.

Weaknesses

Besides a normal weakness to blunt-force weapons, like Swords, Gibdo have certain vulnerabilities unique to their species.

Fire

Because Gibdos are wrapped in thin, white cloth similar to their real-life mummified counterparts, they are extremely susceptible to fire, and fire-like attacks.[1] Although they were first introduced as strong, virulent enemies in Template:LOZ, their weakness to fire was exploited in A Link to the Past, Four Swords and even into the console titles of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, via the use of weapons such as the Fire Rod, Din's Fire, Flame Lantern, and the Fire Arrow. In A Link to the Past, fire completely destroys Gibdo. In other games where Gibdo are weak to fire, once their wrap has completely burned away, Gibdo sometimes reveal their true forms, such as a Stalfos in Template:OOA, Template:OOS, and The Minish Cap, and a ReDead in Majora's Mask.

In the non-canonical book The Crystal Trap, one shot from the Magic Arrows sets a Gibdo on fire, instantly killing it.[5]

"Sun's Song"

Ocarina of Time adds another weakness to the Gibdo: sunlight. Playing the "Sun's Song", which is the ocarina tune that quickly changes night into day and vice versa, paralyzes Gibdo so that Link can walk straight up to them and attack, without worry of freezing or counterattack. Like the ReDead, however, once Link starts to attack them in their paralyzed state, they will immediately snap out of it and go after Link if he does not finish them off during his strike.

Non-canon Appearances

Animated series

Gibdo (Underworld Connections)

A Gibdo from the animated series

Gibdos appear in three episodes of the animated series. In "Kiss'n Tell", a Gibdo disguises itself as a beautiful maiden who is pretending to be under attack by a Gleeok in order to draw Link into the scene. Although Princess Zelda arrives first, Link eventually appears and defeats the Gleeok. The maiden then rewards Link with a kiss, and as their lips meet, Link turns into a frog while the maiden turns to her true form.[6] When Link reaches for his sword, he realizes that his hands have turned frog-like and is too distracted to see that the Gibdo is about to attack him.[7] However, Zelda pushes him out of the way and easily defeats the Gibdo by spinning it until it disappears back to Ganon's Evil Jar.[8] Ganon congratulates the Gleeok and Gibdo for their success and leaves the Underworld to proceed with his plan to obtain the Triforce of Wisdom.[9]

In "Underworld Connections", a Gibdo briefly appears out of the darkness while Link and Zelda are trying to recover the missing shards of the Triforce of Wisdom. The Gibdo attempts to grab the Triforce from Zelda's hands, but the young hero easily zaps it away. Lastly, in "The Moblins Are Revolting", the Gibdos join the struggle formed by the Brotherhood of Underworld Monsters, where they try to attack North Castle; however, they accomplish nothing meaningful and eventually return to Ganon.

The Crystal Trap

In The Crystal Trap, Princess Zelda encounters various Gibdos while inside a cavern. As Zelda is traveling through the cavern, she hears the sound of Gibdos approaching her from behind, and although she says she can outrun these enemies, more Gibdos appear on the other side. Zelda realizes that neither a dagger nor a normal arrows can pierce through the Gibdos, commenting to herself that she'd need Magic Arrows to defeat these foes.

If Zelda picked up the Magic Arrows in Midoro Palace, the princess will shoot one of them at a Gibdo, causing it to burst into flames and thus scare the other Gibdos away. This will free a Blue Fairy, who will thank Zelda by healing her and providing her the help she needs by giving her the Fairy's Scroll. More Gibdos will then begin to approach her, but the princess enters a nearby door to escape the foes.

Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

File:Gamelon Gibdo.jpg

Gibdo in The Wand of Gamelon

A single Gibdo appears as the first boss in Template:WOG. He terrorizes the town of Sakado by commanding the monsters in that area, and has his base of operations set up in the abandoned church. Zelda encounters him and defeats him by using a shroud given to her by the Knitting Woman in Aru Ainu, which apparently could "scare the wraps [off of him]".

Strategy

The only way to defeat Gibdo is to use the Shroud, which can defeat him in a single strike. However Zelda must be careful to not be touched by him or she'll die instantly.

Trivia

  • In Majora's Mask, burning a Gibdo's bandages away with a Fire Arrow will reveal a normal ReDead underneath. This also works on the NPC Gibdos beneath the well, meaning that the player can still communicate with them while wearing the Gibdo Mask.
  • Also in Majora's Mask, they never moan, except in rare cases (like in the cutscene where the Farewell to Gibdos is being played).
  • The ReDead Knights of Twilight Princess are actually known as Gibdos in the original Japanese version of the game.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "This bandage swathed menace is indeed powerful. It can withstand repeated blows from the sword without even slowing down. However, it is rumored that it cannot stand fire..." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 44)
  2. "The mummy man. He's got some strange powers, and some pretty powerful attacking force." (LOZ manual, pg. 37)
  3. "Leeeave me something delicious to chomp on. Something that sprouts when it's watered. Preferably five of them..." — Gibdo beneath the Well (Majora's Mask)
  4. "Leeeaave me something deliciously fresh!" — Gibdo beneath the Well (Majora's Mask)
  5. Template:Cite book
  6. Template:Cite episode
  7. Template:Cite episode
  8. Template:Cite episode
  9. Template:Cite episode


TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese Template:Japanese Gibdo
French-speaking countries French Gibdo
Momie
Gibdo
Mummy
Federal Republic of Germany German Gibdo
Wickel-ZombieTriforce piece
Gibdo
Coil Zombie
Italian Republic Italian Ghibdo
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States SpanishLA Gibdo Triforce piece
Advertisement