Quick Links
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduced many classic elements into the continuity started with Breath of the Wild. Poes, Like Likes, Temples, Sages... And namely, Phantom Ganon. The spectral avatar of evil makes its return in perhaps its most terrifying appearance yet — as a roaming encounter that will ambush Link seemingly at random. Phantom Ganon can appear at any time, so being prepared is a must. This guide will outline information you'll need so Phantom Ganon doesn't put a swift end to Link's adventure.
You'll know you're in for it when the Gloom Spawn spawns, a group of ghostly hands each with a malicious eye in their palm. First things first: don't panic! Make a save. Don't worry — you'll have a few seconds to prepare upon reloading the save before the Gloom spawns back in. The Gloom Hands are arguably the hardest part of the encounter — and yes, this is a multiple phase encounter. The Gloom Hands are fast, and their attacks can, seemingly, bypass your shield. Defeating the Gloom Hands will then cause the big man himself to spawn in — Phantom Ganon. Phantom Ganon is a much simpler fight. Once you make it to Phantom Ganon, you've got the rest of the fight in the bag.
Update by Devin Amlen, 6/9/2023: Much more information on Phantom Ganon and the Gloom Spawn has been discovered since this article's initial publication.
What Is Gloom
If you've been to the Depths, you'll probably be experienced with Gloom. If not, Gloom is Tears of the Kingdom's equivalent of Malice, coating the ground and walls like a slime. Touching the Gloom will reduce your maximum heart count. The Gloom Hands cover the ground they slither on in gloom, and there's a lot of them, so there's going to be a lot of gloom on the ground.
It's important to make a Gloom-resistant meal and keep it in your inventory in case you run into the Gloom Hands — you can make Gloom-resistant meals by cooking Dark Clumps, which can be acquired through defeating Phantom Ganon or, more easily, acquiring and trading in Poes. It's also a good idea to make meals with Sundelion - Sunny meals will restore hearts lost to Gloom, letting you recover your health.
Find Higher Ground
The Gloom Hands are fast and cannot be outrun on foot. Unless you have a Horse or a Speedy Elixir, you're going to be swarmed and have the life choked out of you quick. It's recommended you try and abuse the Gloom Hand's pathing and get onto a higher-up place so the Gloom Hands can't reach you. This makes the fight almost trivial — the Gloom Hands will be helpless as you take potshots at them. Bomb Flowers are recommended, being able to hit the lot of them all at once. Alternatively, you can also freeze them with a Sapphire Rod or Ice Fruit, then attack them with a charged attack.
Just make sure to finish them off with an area attack — the Gloom Hands will keep respawning until they are all killed.
Summon Phantom Ganon
Mentioned before, defeating the Gloom Hands is not the end of the encounter. After defeating the Gloom Hands, Phantom Ganon will spawn in. Phantom Ganon is much simpler to fight, as he is just one much less mobile enemy. Phantom Ganon can wield multiple different Gloom weapons, from a bow to a spear. Ganon will drop one of these weapons when slain, and the weapons are quite strong — at the cost of draining Link's health while used. Time your dodges carefully and wear down Phantom Ganon's health. If you're in a bind, just run — Phantom Ganon will eventually disappear if you flee.
Spoils of War
When defeated, Phantom Ganon will drop several items; the weapon it was carrying, some Dark Clumps, and a Demon King's Bow. The Gloom Weapons, being the Gloom Sword, Gloom Spear, and Gloom Club, are all very powerful weapons that have the Gloom Toll attribute. Using these weapons deals Gloom damage to Link with each hit - it's recommended you either use them on the surface, where Gloom damage will naturally heal, or fuse the weapons onto another, nullifying the Gloom Toll while capitalizing on the weapons' high damage.
The Demon King's Bow, however, is the real prize. The Demon King's Bow is perhaps one of the best bows in the game, having fantastic range, durability, and damage. In particular, the Demon King's Bow's damage scales based on your max hearts - increasing by 2 per heart and maxing out at a whopping 60. That being said, it does consider hearts lost to Gloom as missing, and the Bow's damage may be reduced. The Demon King's Bow does not have the Gloom Toll attribute, so make good use of it while you can!
Where Does Phantom Ganon Spawn
Though it may appear random, Phantom Ganon and the Gloom Spawn do have scripted spawn locations. The following locations are confirmed to be locations where Gloom Spawn will emerge:
- Korok Grove - The Depths
- Mount Lanayru Peak
- Castle Town, on the West and East sides
- Top of Crenel Hills
- Nearby Darunia Lake
- Tempest Gulch near Skull Lake
- Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower
- Ordorac Quarry
- Akkala Citadel Ruins
- Tabahl Woods
- Gerudo Highlands Great Cliffs
- Lanayru Road, by the East Gate
- North and South Lomei Labyrinths
...And many more. Phantom Ganon also appears to spawn near major landmarks in Hyrule — the Lost Woods, the Goddess Springs, et cetera. If you're walking around near such a location, be on guard — you may be ambushed by the Gloom Hands. Phantom Ganon will also likely respawn after a Blood Moon, so keep that in mind. If you'd like an interactive map that can show you the locations where Gloom Spawn can appear, please refer to this interactive map courtesy of Zeldadungeon.com.
Story Locations
There are some points in the game where you must fight Phantom Ganon. In particular, two stand out - one encounter at Korok Forest, and one at Hyrule Castle. When you first enter Korok Forest, it will be cursed and empty. By diving into the Deku Tree Chasm, you'll enter a small arena where Gloom Spawn will appear. After dealing with them and defeating Phantom Ganon, Korok Forest will be restored. The Deku Tree will give you some story quests involving the Master Sword if you haven't gotten it already.
Secondly, and most importantly, you will encounter Phantom Ganon during the skirmish at Hyrule Castle after recruiting the four Sages. After chasing the evil spirit around Hyrule Castle, you'll eventually fight in the Sanctum - thankfully without having to deal with Gloom Spawn this time. However, Phantom Ganon has back up in the form of duplicate Phantom Ganons. Just keep calm and time your dodges carefully - when you win, you'll even receive a free Heart Container!