BotW Thunderblight Ganon: How to Beat It, HP, Parries, Stakes

Thunderblight Ganon is the phantom of Ganon inside Divine Beast Vah Naboris, the one that killed the Champion Urbosa a hundred years ago. In Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule Compendium it “specializes in quick, lightning-based attacks.” It is the fastest of the four and the most eager to fight up close, and many players call it the hardest. This page covers how the fight starts, its HP, both phases, the rewards, and the rematches in Hyrule Castle and the DLC. For all four side by side, see the Blight Ganon overview.

Where is Thunderblight Ganon and how does the fight start?

In Divine Beast Vah Naboris, activate the five terminals to unlock the Main Control Unit. It is in the middle section of the Beast’s body; touching it starts the fight, with “Scourge of Divine Beast Vah Naboris — Thunderblight Ganon” on the health bar.

How much HP does Thunderblight Ganon have?

The game’s actor data gives it a base of 800 HP, the same as the other three Blights. What it actually has depends on where you fight it and how many Blights you have already beaten:

Many players leave Vah Naboris for last, which gives Thunderblight the full 2,000 HP. If you are good at blocking and countering, coming here earlier keeps its HP lower; see the Divine Beast order guide.

We found no data that gives the Blights different HP in Master Mode, and the game files have no Master Mode version of them. Master Mode enemies slowly recover health during a fight, and the Blights are said to do the same, so try to land your damage in bursts. More on the difficulty in the Master Mode guide.

What is Thunderblight Ganon’s weakness?

While its shield is up, arrows do not get through. Aim for the eye when it is exposed, as with a Guardian. The more reliable way is melee: land every counter on it until its shield breaks, which stuns it for a while; hit it as many times as you can. In phase 2 its weakness is the metal stakes it plants itself. If you have the Master Sword, its attack rises from 30 to 60 near a Blight.

How do you beat phase 1?

It teleports toward you in a zigzag and slashes. It is also said to swing its blade to send a few balls of electricity at you, which you can simply walk away from. It is fast enough to break your lock-on, so re-target before it rushes you and make sure you are facing it.

• Block: the safest option. A blocked hit knocks it back; counter at once.
• Perfect Guard: with the right timing it deflects the blow; counter at once.
• Last-moment dodge: triggers a Flurry Rush for the most damage, but it is fast and the timing is tight.

Two-handed weapons are too slow; it will not wait for you. Use a fast sword or spear with a sturdy shield, and switch quickly between attacking and defending.

How do you beat phase 2?

At half health it floats up out of reach behind a barrier. It plants metal stakes all over the arena and strikes them with lightning.

1. Standing near an electrified stake shocks you, so move away first.
2. Select Magnesis and grab one of the stakes. Staying fairly close to Thunderblight as the phase starts makes the next step easier.
3. Move the stake next to Thunderblight Ganon. Its lightning runs through the stake into itself, its barrier breaks and it crashes down.

Once the barrier is gone it comes back down and fights harder than in phase 1, slashing several times in a row with an electrified blade. Without shock resistance, blocking the charged blade is said to shock you, so dodge more at this point. Like a Guardian it also locks on and fires a laser: hide behind a pillar or jump aside just before it fires. A well-timed Perfect Guard is said to send the laser back.

Video walkthrough

Breath of the Wild - ThunderBlight Ganon in 6 Minutes Guide — YouTube

What should you bring for Thunderblight Ganon?

What do you get for beating Thunderblight Ganon?

When you use the Main Control Unit, Urbosa’s spirit is freed and gives you her ability. Urbosa’s Fury is great for clearing groups of enemies; see the Champion abilities page. Once Vah Naboris is free, it fires on Calamity Ganon at the start of the final battle, taking 1,000 HP off him.

Do you fight Thunderblight Ganon again in Hyrule Castle?

Only if you enter the Sanctum without freeing Vah Naboris. Any Blights you have not beaten appear before Calamity Ganon in the order Windblight, Waterblight, Fireblight, Thunderblight, so Thunderblight comes last, right before Calamity Ganon. There it always has 2,000 HP and fights the same way; the battles run back to back, you cannot save in between, and you should keep your Electro food for this one. Beating it in the castle does not free Vah Naboris, so you do not get Urbosa’s Fury. The route is in the Hyrule Castle walkthrough.

Thunderblight Ganon in The Champions’ Ballad (DLC)

In the quest “EX Champion Urbosa’s Song”, after the three Champion shrines, go back to where Divine Beast Vah Naboris stands. The monk’s voice takes you into a realm built from your memories, where the health bar reads “Illusory Realm — Thunderblight Ganon” and it has a fixed 1,500 HP. The Adventure Log tells you to “complete the trial using only the tools provided”: your gear is swapped for a fixed set.

There are also a few ingredients, and no bow. All three Desert Voe pieces are at two stars, which activates the set bonus Shock Damage Resist (Level 2 shock resistance); see the Desert Voe set. The plan is the same: block or dodge and counter, then carry a stake over with Magnesis in phase 2. Reportedly you get a Fairy after three failed attempts, and an extra meal and Electro Elixir after six. Winning upgrades your ability to Urbosa’s Fury +, which recharges three times as fast. The whole quest line is in the Champions’ Ballad guide.

See also

The other three: Waterblight Ganon, Fireblight Ganon, Windblight Ganon.