Skyward Sword Ghirahim First Fight: How to Beat

The Skyward Sword Ghirahim first fight goes down in Skyview Temple and is the first boss battle in the game.

Once you force Ghirahim to draw out his sword, the battle is a breeze even after 10 years. Here's how to counter and beat the self-proclaimed demon lord in Link's first fight with him in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

Skyward Sword Ghirahim First Fight: How to Beat

As is the case in all three of the boss fights with Ghirahim in the new Skyward Ward HD Switch remake, defeating the demon lord in Skyview Temple requires players to figure out and counter his moves across two phases.

In the first phase, Ghirahim will confidently grin and walk towards Link while tracking the hero's sword with his glowing red right hand. His main objective is to grab the player's sword and establish his dominance by taking it attack you with it.

This is where, as Nintendo says, the remapped Joy-Con motion controls really come to play in this HD remake.

To attack Ghirahim during this phase, players will need to stop flailing their sword sporadically. Instead, allow him to come near while keeping your sword steady in one position. Once Ghirahim is in attacking range, quickly maneuver your sword from side-to-side (e.g. diagonal to horizontal for example) and attack.

In the case that Ghirahim grabs Link's sword, quickly slash upwards while the demon lord holds it in his hand.

Furthermore, if Ghirahim manages to take the sword from you altogether, he'll either slash or throw it at you depending on how far you are. To get your sword back, either shield bash Ghirahim if he slashes, or simply dodge out of the way when he throws it and pick it up.

Repeat this process until a cutscene plays. Once the demon lord is finished with awkwardly licking his chops and drawing his own sword, the second phase has begun.

At this point, Ghirahim is firmly choosing violence as in the form of three aggressive attacks—(1) throwing a bunch of daggers at you, (2) a charged sword dash that covers a lot of ground and (3) a teleporting bait move.

When the daggers fly, they will be lined up either horizontally or diagonally for you to knock them away. For his charged sword attack, your best bet is to either sprint away or dodge it by backflipping and side-jumping. When he teleports right beside or behind you, he will hold his sword either horizontally or vertically. Don't panic, simply strike parallel to his guard.

Eventually, a cutscene will play where Ghirahim will call it quits and a full Heart Container is awarded.

For more on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, feel free to check out our guide on how to dive.