Zelda: Link's Awakening: How To Defeat Slime Eel - Catfish's Maw Boss (Level 5)

Concluding part six of our Zelda: Link's Awakening walkthrough we'll need to learn how to defeat the Catfish’s Maw dungeon's boss: Slime Eel.

How To Defeat Slime Eel - Catfish's Maw Boss (Level 5)

You emerge into an empty arena and receive your standard-issue Nightmare taunt:

Ssso…you are the outsssider, come to wake the Wind Fisssh…
KEEE-HEE-HEEEH! I shall eat you!

A square area in the centre of the arena falls away and a spiked tail emerges.

This is the backend of the Slime Eel – its fanged maw suddenly bites into four corners of the arena and the battle commences.

The hookshot is critical once again – while avoiding/jumping the Eel’s tail, you need to fire the hookshot at its head. The further away you stand the better: the Eel gets pulled towards you, exposing a vulnerable weakspot at the top of its neck for you to hit with your sword.

Watch out for the fake eels that sometimes emerge – these short eels have white pupils in black eyes and will bounce around before self-destructing.

Do enough damage and the Slime Eel dies, berating you for your apparent ignorance:

TSSSK, TSSSK! You don’t ssseem to know what kind of island thisss iss…
KEEE-HEEE-HEEE! What a fool… KEE-HEE-HEH!

Head through the top exit to the treasure room.

Well, you’ve finally received instrument number five: the Wind Marimba. In the light that follows you hear the ominous and mysterious voice again:

...SHRINE…
The island’s secret in the shrine…

The instrument in the bag? Time to continue our Zelda: Link's Awakening walkthrough by locating the Face Key Location, Ancient Ruins and Boomerang which allows you to enter the Face Shrine before learning How To Defeat Face Shrine Boss (Level 6).