Dodongo

A Dodongo from Majora's Mask.
Dodongo
Type	Dinosaur
Debut	The Legend of Zelda

The Dodongo is a rare and powerful creature that often resemble a dinosaur (generally a triceratops). It can breathe jets of flame, and when they die, their corpses flash and explode as one last laugh.

Information

Dodongos start their lives as small, armless, legless creatures. They burrow underground and pop out to attack any foreigners. They eventually grow arms and legs to become fearsome beasts of varying sizes. A Dodongo's greatest defense is its thick skin, which can repel nearly any attack (although some Dodongos can be harmed by attacking their tails). The best strategy to use against these creatures is an internal attack- by tossing Bombs into their mouths. That is the method Link has used to extinguish many a Dodongo.

Dodongos are usually rare creatures, but they seem to be capable of surviving in nearly any habitat- from volcanic caves to frozen icelands. Dodongos of Hyrule tend to appear on or around Death Mountain- like in Dodongo's Cavern, where they faced off against their ancient foes the Gorons several times.

Dodongos are often used for dungeon guardians due to their great power. Single Dodongos guarded the Moon Labyrinth in The Legend of Zelda and the Snake's Remains of Oracle of Seasons. The massive King Dodongo lorded over Dodongo's Cavern in Ocarina of Time, and a trio of them also guarded the Tower of Flames in Four Swords Adventures.

Aside from being dungeon bosses, Dodongos have made frequent appearances as normal enemies. In Ocarina of Time, infantile and adult Dodongos were found throughout Dodongo's Cavern. For their first timein Majora's Mask, Dodongos were found in the overworld roaming around beneath Snowhead Mountain. In Twilight Princess. Dodongos are found in the Goron Mines and are unique due to their ability to walk on ceilings.

Despite all the vicious Dodongos over the ages- there has been one good dino- Dimitri, a helper character from Oracle of Seasons and Ages. An unusual trait that Dimitri possessed was the ability to swim up waterfalls, even though other dodongos have never been shown to be able to swim.

Trivia

• Link and Gongoron teamed up again Dongorongo, a variation of Dodongos, in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
• Bomb Bags are made from Dodongo stomachs.
• Similar creatures called Dodongo Snakes appear in Link's Awakening.