ArtworkOfficial artwork provided by NintendoRenderOfficial models provided by NintendoModelIn-game modelsSpriteIn-game sprites or icons

TLoZThe Legend of Zelda

SSSkyward SwordEoWEchoes of Wisdom

LANSLink's Awakening (Nintendo Switch)OoTOcarina of TimeOoT3DOcarina of Time 3DMMMajora's MaskMM3DMajora's Mask 3DTWWThe Wind WakerTWWHDThe Wind Waker HDTPTwilight PrincessTPHDTwilight Princess HDPHPhantom HourglassSTSpirit TracksSSSkyward SwordSSHDSkyward Sword HDALBWA Link Between WorldsTFHTri Force HeroesBotWBreath of the WildTotKTears of the KingdomEoWEchoes of Wisdom

TLoZThe Legend of ZeldaALttPA Link to the PastLALink's AwakeningLADXLink's Awakening DXOoSOracle of SeasonsOoAOracle of AgesFSFour SwordsFSAFour Swords AdventuresTMCThe Minish CapEoWEchoes of Wisdom

Keese are recurringEnemies inThe Legend of Zelda series.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][name references needed][note 1]}

Characteristics

Keese are bat-like creatures that inhabitDungeons andCaves, similarly to their real-life counterparts. Following their debut inThe Legend of Zelda, they have since become a staple ofThe Legend of Zelda series and have appeared in the majority of games with the exception ofThe Adventure of Link, where Keese are absent and are instead replaced by the similarAches.

Keese often exist in clusters in the places where they are found. They fly around the screen erratically, not heading towards anything in particular, and stop to rest for a short amount of time on a neighboring wall or rock face. In some games, such asA Link to the Past andLink's Awakening, Keese move about the screen only whenLink is within close proximity, otherwise they remain still. Later games, such asThe Wind Waker andTwilight Princess, introduce Keese with a slightly more active attack strategy, targeting Link, but pausing above him before striking, providing an opportunity for him to strike.

As small and commonplace creatures, Keese are relatively weak and can be dispatched with a variety of weaponry, fromSwords andBoomerangs toArrows andBombs.

Keese are known to inhabit various forms in adapting to their surrounding environment. Notable variants includeFire Keese andIce Keese, which are enveloped in fiery and icy mist, respectively. Less common forms includeKeese Swarms,Shadow Keese,Electric Keese andDark Keese.Vires, when defeated, will also split into a pair of Keese, which may or may not be fought.^[11]

The Legend of Zelda

Descriptionshide ▲

The Legend of Zelda instruction booklet

Vire & Keese

Vire is a devil that controls the Keeses. When Link cuts it with his sword, it turns into two Keeses. Keeses have little attacking power, but Vire is a little stronger.

Keese inhabitDungeons inThe Legend of Zelda. They resemble blue bats, and commonly appear in small to medium-sized groups. Keese flutter through rooms in a random path, stopping only periodically to rest. They are also the only enemies that are encountered in the game's side-scrolling chambers, where they can be found resting against the walls before taking flight. Keese can be defeated by any weapon inLink's arsenal, including theSword,Bow andCandle. As they are very small enemies, theBoomerang will also defeat them as opposed to stunning them.Vires will split into two red Keese when defeated. These Keese are fought in the same manner as the common variety. Keese never drop any items when defeated.

A Link to the Past

Keese inhabitCaves and tunnels in theLight World ofHyrule inA Link to the Past. Unlike their previous incarnation, Keese remain still along Cave walls and crevices, but take flight whenLink draws close. Keese inA Link to the Past have a more direct flight pattern than previous appearances, soaring in a curving arc as opposed to random flight, before resting again on the next wall. They are also encountered less frequently in groups, though they can still occasionally be found huddled together. They are weak enemies and can be defeated by any means of attack. In theGame Boy Advance version ofA Link to the Past, Keese also appear as enemies in thePalace of the Four Sword.

TheDark World counterparts of Keese areChasupa, which behave identically but are significantly stronger.

Link's Awakening

Keese often appear in small groups inCaves andDungeons inLink's Awakening. They remain still untilLink approaches, whereupon they take to the air and fly in a curving arc before briefly stopping to rest. They are much smaller than past appearances, and their darker coloration provides camoflauge against pits and makes them difficult to see. Despite this, Keese are still weak enemies and can be defeated by any attack.

Battle Bats are a similar enemy summoned by theGrim Creeper, and are also referred to as Keese.^[13] WhenVires are defeated, they will turn into a pair of Keese with skull faces, attempting to dive at Link before flying away.

Ocarina of Time

Descriptionshide ▲

Navi

Ocarina of TimeOcarina of Time 3D

Keese
When you get close to it, use Targeting. Even if it flies away, you can still target it.

Keese
When you get close to it, use Targeting. Even if it flies away, you can still target it.

Keese are much more active than their previous appearances inOcarina of Time; most fly around rooms without ever stopping to rest. They can occasionally be found huddled against walls, but take flight when disturbed. Keese are also much more aggressive, and will attempt to dive atLink whenever they spot him. Their attacks can be blocked by holding up theShield. Keese can be defeated with any conventional weapon; however, due to the 3D environment and their high-altitude flight, Link may have to resort to using ranged weapons such as theFairy Slingshot,Boomerang,Fairy Bow orHookshot to reach these enemies. Yet as many are constantly in flight, they can be difficult to aim at withoutTargeting. Keese inOcarina of Time do not inhabitCaves, and are instead only encountered inDungeons, especially within dark corridors.

Ocarina of Time also introduces two variations:Fire Keese andIce Keese. They are Keese that are enveloped in fiery and icy mist, respectively. Fire Keese will set Link on fire if they hit him and have their flames extinguished by blocking their attacks with the Shield. Ice Keese freeze Link and retain their flame when blocked by Link's shield.

Majora's Mask

Descriptionshide ▲

Tatl

Majora's MaskMajora's Mask 3D

What?! Don't you know about theKeese? Use Z Targeting when it gets close. Even if it flies off, I'll follow it for you.

AKeese. Use L-Targeting when it gets close. Even if it flies off, I'll follow it for you.

InMajora's Mask, Keese appear identically as theirOcarina of Time incarnations inMajora's Mask. They fly through the space they inhabit, and dive atLink whenever they spot him. Long-range weapons, such as theBoomerang, theHero's Bow, and theHookshot, are effective against them. They can only be found in a few areas, includingBeneath the Well and theStone Tower Temple.

Fire andIce Keese reappear inMajora's Mask, identically to those fromOcarina of Time.Majora's Mask also introduces similar enemies calledBad Bats. These enemies behave similarly to Keese, but are much larger in size.

Oracle of Seasons

Keese closely resemble theirLink's Awakening incarnation inOracle of Seasons, appearing as small, dark-colored bats. They inhabit caverns andDungeons in large groups. Keese are easily disturbed, and will fly sporadically around their space. Like those fromLink's Awakening, their small size and dark coloration can make them difficult to see, especially over dark pits or against the walls of side-scrolling areas. They can be defeated by any means of attack.

Fire Keese also appear inOracle of Seasons. Fire Keese whose flames have been extinguished will revert back into ordinary Keese, though they retain their original flight pattern and can fly through fire to turn back into Fire Keese.

Vire will turn into a pair of Keese with skull faces when it is defeated.

Oracle of Ages

Keese closely resemble theirLink's Awakening incarnation inOracle of Ages, appearing as small, dark-colored bats. They inhabit caverns andDungeons in large groups. Keese are easily disturbed, and will fly sporadically around their space. Like those fromLink's Awakening, their small size and dark coloration can make them difficult to see, especially over dark pits or against the walls of side-scrolling areas. They can be defeated by any means of attack.

Fire Keese also appear inOracle of Ages. Fire Keese whose flames have been extinguished will revert back into ordinary Keese, though they retain their original flight pattern and can fly through fire to turn back into Fire Keese.

Vire will turn into a pair of Keese with skull faces when it is defeated.

Four Swords

This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki byexpanding it.

The Wind Waker

Descriptions

Nintendo Gallery

Keese & Fire Keese

Habitat: Dragon Roost Cavern
Least Favorite Thing: Projectiles

These bats fly around dark places and attack anything that moves. Great care should be taken around Fire Keeses that appear during times of volcanic activity.

Tingle Tuner

It's aKeese! Fighting them would be simple if you could attack them all at once!

Keese appear inCaves andDungeons inThe Wind Waker. They constantly fly around the areas they inhabit, and will fly over toLink when they notice him. Their attack strategy differs slightly from previous appearances, and they will pause just before striking Link. Any conventional weapons are effective against them, with long-ranged weapons, such as theBoomerang, theHero's Bow, and theHookshot, necessary to engage them from a distance.

Fire Keese also appear inThe Wind Waker. They can be turned into normal Keese by blowing out their flames with theDeku Leaf.

Four Swords Adventures

Keese inFour Swords Adventures are based on those fromA Link to the Past. They initially sit still, but fly in a curving path as they are approached by theLinks. They can be found inside caverns andDungeons. Unlike other appearances, Keese inFour Swords Adventures often appear alone or secluded from one another. They can be defeated with a single strike from theSword.

Four Swords Adventures also introduces a variant called aKeese Swarm. These enemies surround the Links in a trail of copies, and can only be defeated by striking the Swarm's red Keese.

The Minish Cap

Descriptionshide ▲

Figurine Gallery

Keese

Appears in various areas.
These bats live in dungeons and caves.
Their movement is unpredictable, so use ranged weapons from a safe distance.

Keese inThe Minish Cap appear and behave similarly to those fromOracle of Seasons andOracle of Ages. They are small enemies that are easily disturbed and flap about rooms in an unpredictable pattern, stopping only periodically to rest. Unlike other appearances, they have no way to camouflage themselves, and they inhabitCaves andDungeons acrossHyrule. Any conventional weapon can defeat them.

Twilight Princess

Keese inTwilight Princess more closely resemble real-world bats, but with ghastly features and tattered wings, as well as the addition of a curved hook on their tails. These enemies are constantly in flight as they patrol the space they occupy. Similarly to those ofThe Wind Waker, Keese fly atLink and pause before striking, giving him an opportunity to attack before they do. As small and lightweight enemies, any weapon in Link's arsenal is able to defeat them.

Fire andIce Keese reappear inTwilight Princess. TheGale Boomerang can be used to extinguish their flames and icy mist, turning them back into normal Keese.Shadow Keese are aTwilight version that only appear in theTwilight Realm.

Phantom Hourglass

Keese inPhantom Hourglass are common enemies that inhabitCaves andDungeons. Closer to their 3D console appearances, they are constantly in flight and fly in circular, random motions, and often appear in small groups. These enemies can be easily defeated merely by striking them with theSword, though many other weapons are also effective at dispatching them.

Fire andIce Keese reappear inPhantom Hourglass.

Spirit Tracks

Keese commonly appear in groups withinCaves andDungeons. They constantly fly in random circular motions, but can be quickly defeated with mostItems. Two additional varieties of Keese appear:Fire andIce Keese. Both of these varieties can be neutralized with theWhirlwind, turning them into regular Keese.

Skyward Sword

Descriptionshide ▲

Fi

Target lock:Keese

Found in many locations, these winged monsters are attracted to dark places, such as caves.

They often gather in colonies, are active at night, and sleep in the day. Those who come too close and awaken them often fall victim to attack.

Keese inSkyward Sword patrol the areas they reside in while in flight high above. When they noticeLink, they fly down to his level, and pause before attacking. Their distinctive yellow eyes will glow red just before they strike. Keese can defeated with simpleSword strikes, as well as shot down from the sky using long-range weapons such as theSlingshot,Beetle andBow.

Skyward Sword also features several other variations of Keese, includingFire Keese and two new forms:Thunder Keese andDark Keese. Thunder Keese are an electrified variant, whereas Dark Keese are a skeletal variant that are able toCurseLink.

A Link Between Worlds

Keese inA Link Between Worlds are closely based on theirA Link to the Past incarnation. They sit quietly, taking to the air only when approached. Keese will generally make forLink's direction as they fly. As before, any conventional weapon is able to dispel or otherwise stun them. If left alone, they will return to their original positions.

Tri Force Heroes

Keese inTri Force Heroes behave similarly to their 3D console appearances. They patrol their territory in short, circular paths, yet when they spot one of theLinks, they will back away before swiftly diving at them to attack. They can be defeated or stunned by any weapons in the Links' possession.

Fire andIce Keese both appear inTri Force Heroes. It is possible to use theGust Jar to turn them into regular Keese.

Breath of the Wild

Hyrule Compendium Entry

088 (088Master Mode) Keese	Description The unpredictable flight pattern of this nocturnal bat-like species can make fighting them a nuisance, but they're weak enough to fell with a single strike. Sometimes they'll attack in packs, but even then, a pack can be sent packing with a single attack.
	Common Locations Hyrule Field East Necluda
Recoverable Materials Keese Wing Keese Eyeball

Keese appear inBreath of the Wild as bat-likeEnemies with sharp teeth and a single, glowing eye. They can potentially dropKeese Eyeballs orKeese Wings when defeated. Keese are found during nighttime, and sometimes on the roofs ofCaves. They will often attack in swarms.Parrying a Keese when it charges at Link will instantly kill it.

Electric,Fire, andIce Keese also reappear inBreath of the Wild. These dropFire Keese Wings,Ice Keese Wings, andElectric Keese Wings, respectively, as well as Keese Eyeballs.

When blown away using aKorok Leaf, Keese will momentarily fall to the ground before they start flying again.

Drops

Drops of Keese

NormalSwarm

Keese can drop 1 of:

Drop Table

Item	Percentage
Keese Eyeball	30.0 %

As well as between 1 and 2 of:

Drop Table

Item	Percentage
Keese Wing	100.0 %

Keese can drop 1 of:

Drop Table

Item	Percentage
Keese Wing	70.0 %

Tears of the Kingdom

Hyrule Compendium Entry

97 Keese	Description The unpredictable flight pattern of this nocturnal, bat-like species can make fighting them a nuisance, but they're weak enough to fell with a single strike. Sometimes they like to form packs, and they have been seen swarming out of caves together.
	Common Locations Hyrule Field West Necluda
Recoverable Materials Keese Wing Keese Eyeball

Keese reappear inTears of the Kingdom, behaving similarly to those inBreath of the Wild. They can be found all throughoutHyrule, particularly inCaves and outside during nighttime. Keese attack by lunging atLink, dealing oneHeart of damage. During this attack, their eyes turn red.

Parrying a Keese when it charges will kill it instantly. Keese dropKeese Eyeballs andKeese Wings upon defeat.

Echoes of Wisdom

This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki byexpanding it.

Descriptionshide ▲

Notebook

Keese

A monster resembling a bat. If you hold one aloft and step off a ledge, you can glide a bit.

Keese appear throughoutHyrule. Upon sightingPrincess Zelda, they will swoop down at her, hurting her on contact. When summoned asEchoes, Zelda can grab onto them to use them as a glider. They have an Echo cost of one.

Other Appearances

The Legend of Zelda Game Watch

Non-Canon Information

The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.

InThe Legend of Zelda Game Watch, Keese are referred to asBats.^[14] They can only be defeated with theSword. They appear from the secondDungeon onward, and only once all of theIron Balls have been defeated. Once all of the Bats in a room are defeated, aSmall Key appears, whichLink can use to proceed to the next room.

The Faces of Evil

The Wand of Gamelon

BS The Legend of Zelda

Zelda's Adventure

Ancient Stone Tablets

Oracle of Ages (Wessel)

Oracle of Seasons (Himekawa)

Link's Crossbow Training

Zelda HD Experience

Nintendo Land

Non-Canon Information

The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.

Descriptionshide ▲

Monita

Keese

Keese are bat-like monsters usually found in dark places. They ram you if you get close and then fly out of reach when you finally manage to draw your sword. How rude!

Keese appear inNintendo Land. They appear in later stages withinCaves and dungeons, usually in large swarms on the ceiling. When the player draws near, they drop down and fly directly at them, one by one, and must be defended against or defeated before they strike. After attacking, they will pass by and not strike again. They are also summoned byWizzrobes when playing as an Archer, appearing as pairs or in groups of three. They are best shot down with charged shots as they appear.

Keese also appear as one of the 200 Prizes that can be won using the Coins in the main Plaza. Upon touching the Keese Prize in the Plaza, the Keese will become animated temporarily andMonita will comment on it.

Sonic Lost World

Mario Kart 8

Cadence of Hyrule

Non-Canon Information

The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.

Keese appear as enemies inCadence of Hyrule where they move to the beat of the music. They fly on every other beat, holding out their wings for one beat, facing the direction they want to fly in before moving on the second beat.

Age of Calamity

Nomenclature

Names in Other Regions
Language	Names	Meanings
Japanese	キース (Kīsu)(TLoZThe Legend of Zelda |ALttPA Link to the Past |OoTOcarina of Time |TWWThe Wind Waker |SSSkyward Sword |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[15][16][17][18][15][19][20]	Same as English.
ChineseTRTraditional	蝙蝠 (Biānfú)(BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom) 蝙蝠(EoWEchoes of Wisdom)
ChineseSISimplified	蝙蝠 (Biānfú)(TLoZThe Legend of Zelda |ALttPA Link to the Past |LALink's Awakening |LADXLink's Awakening DX |LANSLink's Awakening (Nintendo Switch) |OoTOcarina of Time |OoT3DOcarina of Time 3D |MMMajora's Mask |MM3DMajora's Mask 3D |OoSOracle of Seasons |OoAOracle of Ages |FSFour Swords |TWWThe Wind Waker |TWWHDThe Wind Waker HD |FSAFour Swords Adventures |TMCThe Minish Cap |TPTwilight Princess |TPHDTwilight Princess HD |SSSkyward Sword |SSHDSkyward Sword HD |ALBWA Link Between Worlds |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom)[21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21][21]	Bat
Dutch	Vleermuis(TLoZThe Legend of Zelda)[22] Keese(SSHDSkyward Sword HD |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom)[23][24][25]
FrenchEUEuropean	Keese(TLoZThe Legend of Zelda)[22] Chauve-souris(OoT3DOcarina of Time 3D |TWWThe Wind Waker |SSHDSkyward Sword HD |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[26][27][28][29][30][31]	Bat
FrenchCACanadian	Chauve-souris(BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[29][32]	Bat
German	Flederbeißer(TWWThe Wind Waker |SSHDSkyward Sword HD |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[33][34][35][36]
Italian	Pipistrello(TLoZThe Legend of Zelda |ALttPA Link to the Past |LALink's Awakening |LADXLink's Awakening DX |OoTOcarina of Time |OoT3DOcarina of Time 3D |MMMajora's Mask |MM3DMajora's Mask 3D |OoSOracle of Seasons |OoAOracle of Ages |FSFour Swords |TWWThe Wind Waker |FSAFour Swords Adventures |SSHDSkyward Sword HD |ALBWA Link Between Worlds |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[37][37][37][37][37][38][37][39][37][37][40][41][37][42][37][43][44]	Bat
Korean	키이스 (Kiiseu)(BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom) 키이스(EoWEchoes of Wisdom)
PortugueseBRBrazilian	Morci(EoWEchoes of Wisdom)
Russian	Кус (Kus)(BotWBreath of the Wild)[45]
SpanishLALatin American	Keese(SSHDSkyward Sword HD |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[46][24][47][48]
SpanishEUEuropean	Keese(TWWThe Wind Waker |SSHDSkyward Sword HD |BotWBreath of the Wild |TotKTears of the Kingdom |EoWEchoes of Wisdom |CoHCadence of Hyrule)[49][50][24][51][52]
This table was generated from Zelda Wiki'stranslation data.

Gallery

View Gallery

See Also

• Ache
• Acheman
• Bad Bat
• Chasupa
• Dark Keese
• Electric Keese
• Fire Keese
• Ice Keese
• Keese Swarm
• Shadow Keese
• Vire

Notes

References

• Enemies
• Bat-Like Enemies
• Echoes
• Eye Enemies
• Flying Enemies
• Keese
• Enemies in The Legend of Zelda
• Enemies in A Link to the Past
• Enemies in Link's Awakening
• Enemies in Link's Awakening DX
• Enemies in Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch)
• Enemies in Ocarina of Time
• Enemies in Ocarina of Time 3D
• Enemies in Majora's Mask
• Enemies in Majora's Mask 3D
• Enemies in Oracle of Seasons
• Enemies in Oracle of Ages
• Enemies in Four Swords
• Enemies in The Wind Waker
• Enemies in The Wind Waker HD
• Enemies in Four Swords Adventures
• Enemies in The Minish Cap
• Enemies in Twilight Princess
• Enemies in Twilight Princess HD
• Enemies in Phantom Hourglass
• Enemies in Spirit Tracks
• Enemies in Skyward Sword
• Enemies in A Link Between Worlds
• Enemies in Tri Force Heroes
• Enemies in Breath of the Wild
• Enemies in Tears of the Kingdom
• Enemies in Echoes of Wisdom
• Enemies in The Legend of Zelda Game Watch
• Enemies in The Faces of Evil
• Enemies in The Wand of Gamelon
• Enemies in BS The Legend of Zelda
• Enemies in Zelda's Adventure
• Enemies in Ancient Stone Tablets
• Enemies in Oracle of Ages (Wessel)
• Enemies in Link's Crossbow Training
• Enemies in Oracle of Seasons (Himekawa)
• Enemies in Zelda HD Experience
• Enemies in Nintendo Land
• Enemies in Sonic Lost World
• Enemies in Mario Kart 8
• Enemies in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• Enemies in Cadence of Hyrule
• Enemies in Age of Calamity
• Enemies in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

• Articles lacking files
• Articles lacking models
• Twilight Princess HD articles lacking files
• Articles with vague citations
• Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
• Articles lacking name references
• The Legend of Zelda Game Watch articles lacking name references
• The Faces of Evil articles lacking name references
• The Wand of Gamelon articles lacking name references
• BS The Legend of Zelda articles lacking name references
• Zelda's Adventure articles lacking name references
• Ancient Stone Tablets articles lacking name references
• Oracle of Seasons (Himekawa) articles lacking name references
• Zelda HD Experience articles lacking name references
• Sonic Lost World articles lacking name references
• Mario Kart 8 articles lacking name references
• Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition articles lacking name references
• Incomplete sections
• Incomplete Four Swords sections
• Incomplete Echoes of Wisdom sections
• Non-canon media
• Incomplete The Faces of Evil sections
• Incomplete The Wand of Gamelon sections
• Incomplete BS The Legend of Zelda sections
• Incomplete Zelda's Adventure sections
• Incomplete Ancient Stone Tablets sections
• Incomplete Oracle of Ages (Wessel) sections
• Incomplete Link's Crossbow Training sections
• Incomplete Cadence of Hyrule sections