- "That's the Garo Master... You can't fight him like an ordinary Garo. Just dodge those swords..."
- — Tatl
The Garo Master is a mini-boss from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. He is larger, quicker, and more skilled than Garo Robes. The Garo Master carries fiery blades in battle. The Garo Master may be encountered three times during a three-day cycle, only the first of which is mandatory to complete the game. The Garo Master appears as a mini-boss of the Stone Tower Temple, in the Secret Shrine, and in the Moon Dungeon in the Moon. His title of "master" may suggest that he is considered a leader of the Garo or be a reference to his skillful swordsmanship.
Story[]
When defeated in Stone Tower Temple, the Garo Master will reveal to Link that Stone Tower can be inverted by shooting a Light Arrow into the Red Emblem outside the temple. After giving the information to Link, he destroys himself with a Bomb, declaring it to be the law of the Garo. Link can later fight the Garo Master again in the Secret Shrine and on the moon. It is unclear whether all three encounters are the same Garo Master, or whether multiple Garo Masters exist.
Battle[]
The Garo Master will hold out his blades and charge at Link, just like a regular Garo, except that the Garo Master will not drop his weapons or become vulnerable when Link blocks the attack. The Garo Master will often dodge or block attacks, including projectiles like arrows. Sometimes, when the Garo Master begins charging Link from a distance, he leaps upwards and falls back down, attacking Link from behind. If Link avoids one of the Garo Master's attacks instead of blocking it, the Garo Master will stand still, looking around for Link, allowing Link to attack him. The Garo Master can also be stunned with Deku Nuts, or, if timed correctly, the Hookshot, an Ice Arrow, or Deku Link's Spin Attack. After being hit, the Garo Master will quickly attack by spinning with both of his blades. Link must immediately raise his shield to avoid damage.
The Goron Mask is very useful in battle against the Garo Master, as Goron Link's "shell" (shield) can be used to block attacks from any direction. Also, Goron Link's blows will often hit harder than regular Link's strikes, depending on Link's sword. The Deku and Zora masks are dangerous to use in this battle, as the Garo Master's fiery blades will defeat both forms instantly if they connect, causing the battle to restart. Unlike other fire based attacks, the Garo Master's blades can be blocked by Link's Deku and Zora forms without Link being affected.
In various rematches, after being defeated by Link, he will take out a bomb. If Link does not get far away from the Garo Master before he detonates the bomb, he will get damaged.