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So, how well do you know your enemies? Hmm? Probably not as well as you think. But don't
worry. I'm here to help by providing the origins, history, and even trivia of some of your favorite
enemies. They can be from well-known titles or absolute bombs. But they are memorable,
and that's what matters. And while this next enemy is certainly memorable, it also has
a bit of an identity crisis. It's time to shine the spotlight on the many incarnations
of the Moblins from The Legend of Zelda series. Most anyone who has played Zelda will recognize
the Moblins as they've appeared in almost every game and can essentially be viewed as
the common muscle of Ganon's army. Though there are a lot of them, they're generally
not very threatening. Throughout the entire series only a handful has ever shown intelligence;
usually they're just mindless brutes out to kill Link. And who can forget their iconic
bulldog appearance? Or, wait, their pig-like appearance? They are the minions of Ganon
after all. Huh. So what's up with the bulldog Moblins?
Well, just as Link's appearance often changes from game to game, so too does the Moblins.
Sometimes they look like bulldogs while other times they appear as pigs. And there doesn't
seem to be a rhyme or reason for the change in design, as they swap back and forth throughout
the series. But despite these differences, there are several things that are common amongst
all of the various versions of Moblins. For one, their design is meant to be reminiscent
of a goblin. And that's actually the origin of their name. In Japan, Moblins are called
Moriburin which is a combination of the words Mori, or forest, and Goburin, or goblin. The
Moblins are quite literally forest goblins. So when The Legend of Zelda was being localized
for the United States, the translators Romanized it to Molblins making the common mistake of
mixing up the Ls and Rs in Japanese. Eventually, by the time of A Link to the Past, the first
L was dropped and the name stuck. Another common element among Moblins is that
they're almost always equipped with a spear as a weapon, which they'll sometimes throw.
Moblins are also part of an entire Blin family to which they are the main member. Others
include the faster and smarter but less powerful Bokoblins, the swarming Miniblins, and the
militaristic Bulblins. But let's save them for another time.
Instead, let's focus on how the Moblins evolved and changed as the Zelda mythos took shape.
Their first appearance was in the original Legend of Zelda. True to their name, they
mainly appeared in wooded areas where they would hurl spears at Link. Their original
design was also modeled after bulldogs, setting the would-be standard for them. Like many
of the other enemies in the game, there were two types of Moblins, red and blue. Although
blue was the stronger of the two, taking three hits from the wooden sword instead of the
red one's two, the Moblins didn't put up much of a fight either way. Though interestingly,
the blue ones were coded to drop bombs more frequently than most of the other enemies
in the game. Famously, not all of the Moblins were evil
in this game. Many hid themselves away in secret caves and would give Link Rupees if
they were found. This hiding spot was of course, a secret to everybody. But this memorable
line of NES dialogue could be interpreted as the Moblins deserting Ganon's forces, hiding
themselves in caves because of their fear of their former master. This would explain
why they pay Link off when he discovers them—they're bribing the hero to not tell Ganon of their
whereabouts. As for why they thought this kid would even be able to talk to Ganon...I've
got nothing. Following their debut in The Legend of Zelda,
Moblins returned for Link's second outing on the NES, but their look was slightly overhauled.
Whereas in the original game they looked squat and pudgy, they took on a much leaner and
muscular bulldog look for Zelda 2. Though oddly, in the game's manual, the Moblins are
clearly seen towering over villagers and even their homes. Yet in the game, they're still
only about as tall as Link. Despite the redesign, Moblins acted pretty
much like they did before though they were a little more challenging thanks to the side-scrolling
perspective. Players had to adjust the placement of their shield in order to deflect their
thrown spears. However, there's a little more variety with the kind of Moblins that are
fought in this game. Instead of just two colors, there are now three: orange, red, and blue.
Orange is the weakest and Blue is the strongest. However, there's a fourth type that is also
orange. These are the weakest as they only charge Link, and never throw their spears.
They also grant no experience points. The Moblins also expanded their territory slightly
as they appear not only in forests but caves and bridges too.
It's with A Link to the Past that the Moblins begin their identity crisis. It also marks
the first time that players began linking them directly with Ganon. That's because the
Moblins only ever appear in the Dark World and their appearance is more like a pig. When
looking at these two facts, it became apparent that Moblins were more than just random monsters
that Ganon took control of but actually a key part of his forces. Despite all this,
Moblins actually acted the same as they always did: quickly moving and throwing spears. What's
different about this time is that they actually cause more damage if they touch Link directly,
up to two hearts if Link has no defensive upgrades.
Perhaps the most intriguing Zelda game when it comes to Moblins is Link's Awakening. This
is the only game where both the bulldog-like ones and pig-like ones appear together though
they're separated into different parts of the island. The forest-dwelling kind that
you first meet are based on the bulldog design, but there are two different kinds based on
their equipment. Spear Moblins act like they have in previous games while the new Sword
Moblins behave just like the Soldiers from A Link to the Past, charging at Link whenever
he's in view. These Moblins actually have a leader in King Moblin, who acts as a mini-boss.
He's certainly tougher than the rest with tactics that include throwing spears while
jumping around and occasionally trying to ram Link. He's also the first talking Moblin
since the original game. The pig-like Moblins are found in the mountainous
or prairie areas of the island. Strangely, they're not referred to as Moblins in Link's
Awakening. Their official name is Pig Warriors or Pigblins. Despite this, they act just like
their bulldog counterparts. One might even assume that Pig Moblins prefer a different
environment than the bulldog variety, though the reality of Link's Awakening's world puts
this all in doubt. After all, this could be just another excuse to change up the enemies
for the game since they even included Mario enemies.
In Ocarina of Time, Moblins are quite rare and only appear in a single area: the Sacred
Forest Meadow when Link is an adult. Despite this limited appearance, there are two varieties.
The first kind patrols the hedge maze before the Forest Temple and will immediately charge
Link with their spears if they spot him. The other kind is known as the Club Moblin, and
it is much bigger than the standard kind. Perhaps even as big as the artwork from Zelda
2's manual suggests. This lone Moblin guards the entrance to the Forest Temple and is the
only one found in the game. That is unless you play the Master Quest version of Ocarina
of Time where a second one can be found inside the Spirit Temple.
It's also worth noting that Link cannot Z-target either type of Moblin making it smarter to
take them on from a distance or getting behind them to slash away with your sword. What comes
across as truly strange though is the Moblin's appearance once again. They look just like
bulldogs despite the fact that they act as guards for one of Ganon's dungeons. It's truly
unfortunate that there's nothing out there that helps clarify why Nintendo sometimes
designs them as bulldogs and other times as pigs. However, this is the second to last
time they appear in their bulldog form with every game after this taking inspiration from
their pig design. Moblins never actually appear in Majora's
Mask and are instead next seen in Oracle of Ages and Seasons. They haven't changed much
from their previous incarnations though there is the unique Golden Moblin that can be found
in Oracle of Seasons. It's much stronger than its normal incarnation and is necessary to
defeat in order to obtain the Magic Ring. Another ring that can be found is the Moblin
Ring which allows Link to transform into a Moblin. This ensures that they'll never attack
him, but he also can't attack back. And speaking of things that resemble Moblins, but really
aren't, the boomerang-throwing Goriya actually shares the exact same sprite as the Moblins.
Which is odd considering Goriya's had a very distinct appearance in past games, resembling
wolves instead. It's possible the Moblin sprite was simply re-used to save on memory usage.
Despite their limited presence in Ocarina of Time, Moblins came back in a big way for
the Wind Waker. They were positioned as Ganondorf's primary soldiers and would often be dropped
into situations by Kargarocs to deal directly with Link. Often joined by Bokoblins and Miniblins,
they're mainly seen on patrol in areas where Ganondorf has control. And rather than the
typical spear, these Moblins are equipped with polearms and much more capable of a fight.
They'll often block Link's frontal assaults, and if they're disarmed, they'll keep fighting
with just a flurry of fast punches until they can retrieve it. Brown Moblins will even carry
lamps that they'll throw at Link in an attempt to burn him. That's not to say the Moblins
are the greatest fighters though. Their swings with the polearm are often so wide that they'll
knock out other enemies around them. The Hyrule Historia also gives a little detail
on their creation, stating that they were the first enemy designed for the game and
as such became the basis for which the rest of the enemies were designed. The Moblins
were also given a lot more personality as they can be seen sniffing around for anyone
hidden during sneaking sections and even flee if Link pulls out a bomb, only returning once
the bomb has safely exploded. Amusingly, if Link gets behind them and performs a thrust
they will cry out and jump around. I mean, wouldn't you if you got a sword stuck up there?
One of the Moblins in the game is actually named as well, Moe. He begins a long-distance
relationship with Maggie of Windfall Island once she's rescued. They mainly communicate
through letters delivered by Link, but this doesn't seem to be the healthiest of relationships.
Moe often talks about his hunger to see Maggie, which doesn't exactly sound right. But Maggie
is so obliviously in love that she takes this as a sign that he wants to get married. Love
is weird. Moblins also appeared in The Minish Cap though
it's doubtful that they actually serve the villain Vaati. More than likely it's just
a partnership to get in Link's way. These Moblins can either be equipped with a polearm
or a bow. If it's the polearm then they'll charge at Link like the Soldiers from A Link
to the Past. If they have the bow, then they will try to keep their distance while firing
arrows. Oddly, perhaps as a reference to The Wind Waker, one of the books listed under
the Royal Hyrule Library's weekly top titles is Married to the Moblin. Unfortunately, Link
cannot read this book. It's a shame too because I'd be curious to see how Maggie fared with
Moe. For Twilight Princess, Moblins never actually
appeared in that game. Instead they were replaced by the Bulblins. But that's not to say they
were never in the game. In one of the early trailers, there is a creature that appears
that never shows up in the final game. It's not hard to place it as a Moblin since it
wields their iconic spear. But just looking at that design is intimidating. Imagine what
it would have been like to actually face one. Another game where Moblins didn't quite make
an appearance was Spirit Tracks. But there is one enemy in it who is all but a Moblin.
That would be the Big Blin which, to date, is the last appearance of a bulldog Moblin.
It's also reminiscent to Ocarina of Time's Moblins in that its main weapon was a club.
The Big Blin's main appearance is as a mini-boss, but they also showed up as enemies in the
gauntlet challenges. While they aren't officially called a Moblin, their Japanese name, Oyaburin,
is the same name that King Moblin had in the Japanese version of Link's Awakening. The
name is actually a combination of the Japanese words for boss, Oyabun, and goblin. But what's
strange is that the word Oya can mean parent. This makes sense for King Moblin, who could
be viewed as a kind of parent to the other Moblins, but how does this fit for the Big
Blins? It's just further evidence that they are Moblins in everything but name.
Skyward Sword brought Moblins back into the fold and made them absolutely huge, easily
twice the size of Link. They're equipped with immense wooden, square-shaped shields as well
as their traditional spear. In close combat, Link has two options. Either get behind them
to slice at their back or cut their shields to pieces. However, when their shields are
gone, Moblins will fly into a rage and use both hands to swing its spear as well as charge
Link. It's safer to just get behind them, which is necessary when fighting the Moblins
equipped with metal shields. Since they cannot be cut, Link must climb over them to get behind
and cut down the stronger brutes. The Moblins were given no such upgrade for
their appearance in A Link Between Worlds. They act exactly as they did in A Link to
the Past and only ever appeared in Lorule. Perhaps it was the downfall of that kingdom
that led to their prevalence. And that would be all of the many appearances of the Moblin,
in canon games at least, if it weren't for one little thing: Game & Watch Zelda. Yes,
there was one of these and it's not to be confused with the Legend of Zelda Game Watch.
This Game & Watch was actually one of the dual screen models that would serve as inspiration
for the DS and 3DS's design. Nintendo's not one to let a good idea go to waste. Like most
Game & Watch games, the gameplay was very basic and only contained a few enemies, one
of which was the Moblin. It may even be the most important enemy in the game, though they're
referred to as Goblins in the manual. Link traveled from chamber to chamber fighting
monsters, but he couldn't move on to the next one until the Moblin was defeated.
The fighting system was very reminiscent of Zelda 2. They would throw their spears and
step back. Link could block them by standing still and then move forward and attack. He
could also launch sword beams if he had full health. The Moblins were so important because
their defeat would actually cause the other monsters to immediately disappear.
There's precious little information on the creation of the Moblin. There aren't even
many specific mythical creatures to which it could be based on. By all accounts, Shigeru
Miyamoto could have looked at traditional goblin designs and created his own based around
bulldogs. As the series progressed, and Moblins became known as true followers of Ganon, they
incorporated his pig design. And from there the design switched back and forth based on
the desires of the design team. Either way, Moblins are a constant threat in the world
of Zelda. Whether following the orders of Ganon or merely trying to get in Link's way,
they are there to stop that era's hero. And that, my friends, is why you should know your
enemy. It just may save your virtual life.