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About a month ago I made a post about classic enemies I'd like to see return in TotK and just like the Zelda team I'm releasing some DLC for it. This time I'm only focusing on enemies from BotW and how I'd bring them back in TotK. We've already seen some new takes, including new variants like the Boss Bokoblin or the Talus that acts like a moving base for the Blins. I tried to come up with ideas for some the other types that aren't just "X but big":
I've already posted about the Yiga before and thought I'd expound my thoughts and ideas for them. From what I can gather a lot of people aren't huge fans but I actually like hostile Sheikah ambushing you in the overworld. That doesn't mean they can't be improved though. I have mainly two issues with the Yiga Clan encounters. One, they are rather one note and two they become more of an annoyance rather than an actual threat the longer you play. My "simple" solution is basically a simplified version of the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor. After the end of Kohga most of the Yiga clan has been scattered except for 8 (unique and named) loyal members that are hiding out in each of the big regions, plotting for revenge. As you fight off their ambushes, they grow in power. All of them start out as lowly footsoldiers and gradually upgrade their weapon, armour and skills, becoming more and more distinct from each other. One could become an expert with shuriken, another could focus on hand to hand combat, one of them would don a heavy armour and attack with an iron club, maybe one Yiga would succumb to malice etc. And once they have reached their "maximum" level, they set up a base where they try to rebuild their own Yiga clan so you have to take them down for good.
Love Wizzrobes but I think they could stand to get stronger forms. I actually really like what the Second Wind modders did with the (scrapped?) Grand Minister Wizzrobe that can summon elemental Keese. It would be cool if they could also summon traps that activate if link steps onto them. More than anything, though, I think they should add more elemental variations. I know that magic in Zelda usually comes in three flavours but it'd make sense to add green Wizzrobes with wind magic to complete them. And then a fifth one, maybe inspired by the purple Wizzrobes from ALttP. I'd give them dark or malice powers and skull masks to set them apart from the others. Also, instead of teleporting the same way the others do, they'd teleport via shadows. Technically feasible? Perhaps not, would be nice though.
In previous post I already mentioned some ideas to bring back Aeralfos but I think there's room for stronger land-based variants. OoT and MM had the Dinolfos (or Dynalfos in TP) and those seem like a perfect fit. The same way Lizalfos in BotW are inspired by chameleons, I'd look towards a real-life animal, namely the komodo dragon. It basically designs itself: A big, hulking saurian that can spew poison. You'd usually face it by itself but if it's in a group with Lizalfos, it can eat the smaller enemies to recover itself the same way komodo dragons eat their younglings. And if it eats an elemental variant, it absorbs its powers.
Ironically, Lynels feel like the most difficult ones to bring back in TotK without it feeling a little bit too "been there, done that". In BotW they're the most fleshed out and most impactful enemies and there's little they can do to expand on that unless they change them significantly. Age of Calamity had some new elemental variants which were fun for that type of game but would also feel a little bit out of place. Malice Lynels on the other are a pretty cool idea, I think, and probably consistent with what happens at the beginning of TotK. They could have become so corrupted by malice that they've lost their minds and fight in a more feral Dark Beast Ganon like way without weapons. On top of that, it'd be cool to see different body types, like slimmer Lynels that are faster than the regular ones and prefer to attack from a distance.
I've already posted about the Yiga before and thought I'd expound my thoughts and ideas for them. From what I can gather a lot of people aren't huge fans but I actually like hostile Sheikah ambushing you in the overworld. That doesn't mean they can't be improved though. I have mainly two issues with the Yiga Clan encounters. One, they are rather one note and two they become more of an annoyance rather than an actual threat the longer you play. My "simple" solution is basically a simplified version of the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor. After the end of Kohga most of the Yiga clan has been scattered except for 8 (unique and named) loyal members that are hiding out in each of the big regions, plotting for revenge. As you fight off their ambushes, they grow in power. All of them start out as lowly footsoldiers and gradually upgrade their weapon, armour and skills, becoming more and more distinct from each other. One could become an expert with shuriken, another could focus on hand to hand combat, one of them would don a heavy armour and attack with an iron club, maybe one Yiga would succumb to malice etc. And once they have reached their "maximum" level, they set up a base where they try to rebuild their own Yiga clan so you have to take them down for good.
Love Wizzrobes but I think they could stand to get stronger forms. I actually really like what the Second Wind modders did with the (scrapped?) Grand Minister Wizzrobe that can summon elemental Keese. It would be cool if they could also summon traps that activate if link steps onto them. More than anything, though, I think they should add more elemental variations. I know that magic in Zelda usually comes in three flavours but it'd make sense to add green Wizzrobes with wind magic to complete them. And then a fifth one, maybe inspired by the purple Wizzrobes from ALttP. I'd give them dark or malice powers and skull masks to set them apart from the others. Also, instead of teleporting the same way the others do, they'd teleport via shadows. Technically feasible? Perhaps not, would be nice though.
In previous post I already mentioned some ideas to bring back Aeralfos but I think there's room for stronger land-based variants. OoT and MM had the Dinolfos (or Dynalfos in TP) and those seem like a perfect fit. The same way Lizalfos in BotW are inspired by chameleons, I'd look towards a real-life animal, namely the komodo dragon. It basically designs itself: A big, hulking saurian that can spew poison. You'd usually face it by itself but if it's in a group with Lizalfos, it can eat the smaller enemies to recover itself the same way komodo dragons eat their younglings. And if it eats an elemental variant, it absorbs its powers.
Ironically, Lynels feel like the most difficult ones to bring back in TotK without it feeling a little bit too "been there, done that". In BotW they're the most fleshed out and most impactful enemies and there's little they can do to expand on that unless they change them significantly. Age of Calamity had some new elemental variants which were fun for that type of game but would also feel a little bit out of place. Malice Lynels on the other are a pretty cool idea, I think, and probably consistent with what happens at the beginning of TotK. They could have become so corrupted by malice that they've lost their minds and fight in a more feral Dark Beast Ganon like way without weapons. On top of that, it'd be cool to see different body types, like slimmer Lynels that are faster than the regular ones and prefer to attack from a distance.
