Notably, Keese tend to stay towards the older parts of Hyrule suggesting they are the spies and informants of Ganondorf. However, these creatures aren’t just scouts. They’re guardians of the treasures Link can find throughout the game. Keese are like any other flying eye creature in fantasy lore, except they don’t shoot eye beams. Instead, the Keese use up close and personal swoop attacks, gliding down before soaring out of reach. Because of this, Keese can be a very annoying enemy type to encounter especially if you’re limited on arrows.
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Creature description
There are many types of kese, including small flocks as well as massive flocks of these bat-like creatures. It is essentially an eyeball with two wings found in caves and ruins all over Hyrule. Multiple varieties of these creatures exist and are generally similar to Chuchus in terms of their variation. The standard Keese uses swooping attacks and sheer numbers to try and swarm threats away similar to some species of bats in the real world. In Tears of the Kingdom, Keese are one of the weaker enemy types however their loot can prove valuable for any situation. They are a result of Ganondorf’s creations and prefers to be in places of corruption or ancient merit.
Keese Types
There are four different types of Keese that you can find around the lands of Hyrule. Flying and swooping at their enemies, the basic Keese is simple to maneuver. Elemental versions such as fire, ice, and electricity are far more difficult as they hold an aura of their perspective element that does damage within a certain radius. These variations of Keese are notable by the coloration they have as well as their elemental auras. It’s important to note that, unlike some creature variations, Keese don’t gain durability or agility, rather increasing their base damage depending on type. The basic Keese acts as the weakest of the group, while electric Keese are by far the most dangerous to encounter.
Basic Keese
The basic Keese species appears as a dark-colored bat with a red and orange eye in its center. These creatures prefer large flocks and are generally found in most ruins and caves throughout Hyrule. They are a notable addition to the Hylian ecosystem due to the fact they are capable of high-altitude flight, though nowhere on par with dragons. These basic Keese are incredibly potent in their flocks and are best avoided until you have crowd control options. Basic Keese are one of the weakest enemies in the game, having hit points comparable with Chuchus or red Bokoblins.
Basic Keese
Fire Keese
Fire Keese are a special variation of their species which have a red appearance. They have a fiery aura surrounding them which allows the Keese to deal passive fire damage when you get close to one. In addition to their fiery abilities, they do more damage in melee than their basic counterparts and can generally be a hassle to deal with. Their fire attacks allow them to break wooden items quickly through the incineration mechanic. They act in essence like a flying version of a red Chuchu, and can burn Link with their basic attacks. Fire Keese can be found in hot environments or in caves near volcanic vents.
Ice Keese
Ice Keese are a blue version of the standard species and are notable for their frosty aura. They are slower than most Keese and are designed for colder climates. These Keese are notable for their ability to freeze Link upon contact and are generally a great annoyance early on. Due to the fact that they cause consistent cold temperatures, they are dangerous to interact with in cold environments. While ice Keese is one of the many variations that you’ll find, they are far from the deadliest. Instead, their abilities make them quite the annoyance to deal with, especially if you are unprepared. Freezing temperatures around them make melee combat difficult without the correct armor and weapon combinations.
Electric Keese
By far the most deadly variant of Keese, the electric species is notable for its yellow coloration and aura of static electricity. If a player is equipped with metal equipment including clothing or weapons, these Keese are able to deal bonus damage. Additionally, this electrical damage is potent enough to break weapons and shields on contact; making ranged combat essential for dealing with these winged menaces. They are not faster or tougher than other Keese, however, are notable for being the most likely to form large flocks. Their electrical aura is slightly larger than other Keese, and can cause a temporary paralysis effect when damaged by them.
Fire Keese
Locations
Keese are active in caves, ruins, and around mountain ranges in Tears of the Kingdom. It’s notable that they generally are found in the morning times or at dusk as these tend to be their periods of migration. Every cave you enter has a chance of having a Keese swarm inside of them and can prove quite difficult to challenge and deal with early on. Generally the more important the ruins are to the main story, the more likely you are to find these outrageous flying monsters. Their limited durability and speed make them ideal for early-game item collection, and their loot is quite potent.
Basic Keese
Hyrule is home to a variety of basic Keese, including those that inhabit wells, caves, ruins, and mountains. In very rare cases, they are able to hide in trees, indicating that these trees are Evermeans. If snuck past, they tend to remain on the ceiling of the surface and can prevent the player from ascending. While waiting for their next order from the demon king, Keese prefers dark, quiet places where they can rest. Another place you can often find them is in the sky during the night, where they will come in flocks of dozens in order to rove over the landscape. You can commonly find basic keese throughout the regions of the Hyrule field, and west Necluda.
Fire Keese
Keese under the fire variation are notable for being in warmer climates such as near volcanoes or in the desert. Here, they can often be in the warmth of these volcanic areas, where they traditionally like it. Despite the fact that fire keese are often afraid of sunlight, fire keese are notable for coming out during the day. In that respect, fire keese are far more aggressive than basic ones, and prefer to attack anything that moves. A flock of fire keese will constantly try to attack something during migrations, being one of two types to openly act hostile without instigation. You can find a large amount of fire keese concentrated around the eldin mountain and in the eldin mountain depths.
Ice Keese
Ice Keese
Keese of the icy variety is notable for the fact that they enjoy colder environments. These creatures can generally be found in the Hebra mountains and Mount Lanayru, preferring higher elevations and snowy weather. Here they will keep themselves within the many cave networks and ruins dotted around these locations. Ice keese are more deadly than most variants because of their ability to freeze combatants upon contact. Despite this, ice keese are more docile than other variations of keese due to the fact that they tend to stay away from travelers. They travel in flocks during the early hours of the day and late at night when the weather in these regions is the coldest.
Electric Keese
By far, the most fascinating of their species is the Electric Keese, which can be found in the gerudo desert and in their perspective depths. Due to the fact that they can only be seen during thunderstorms, or near lightning temples, they are the rarest of the keese species. Keese travel in smaller flocks than others of their kind and are also highly aggressive. These creatures will go out of their way to attack travelers and centralize themselves in the cave networks around the desert. Importantly, they fly higher than most keese flocks and thus can be more difficult to shoot down because of this.
Creature Loot
It is well known that Keese drop two items that have major significance; their eyeballs and wings. Archery and these items work well together as they each add unique benefits. By fusing their eyeballs to an arrow, they create a heat-seeking effect that will guarantee a headshot. In contrast, wings allow the arrow to travel straight without entering an arch, much like a bullet. As well as creating a minor wand and axe with these items, you can also place them on melee weapons. In addition to their base fusion bonus, these items have elemental variations that can increase their elemental effects.
Electric Keese
Keese Eyeball
Keese eyeballs are capable of providing the before-mentioned heat-seeking effect on arrows; making them increasingly useful against creatures such as the Hinox. They are capable of traveling any distance so long as the creature is at a visual distance. These eyeballs must be aimed in the direction of the creature itself. On shields and melee weapons, they provide an elemental effect that has less durability than standard ores. Standard keese eyeballs will provide a wind elemental attack on said melee weapons which can blow enemies back. These are incredibly useful items to pick up early on as keese are easy to kill, and their drops are highly rewarding for sniper builds.
Keese Wings
Wings of the keese species can provide the previously mentioned sniper effect to any arrow they are attached to. Furthermore, they can be applied to melee weapons, creating a ranged attack when a power attack is used. This will create a wind scythe effect similar to Tamari from Naruto. These air cutters can knock enemies back while dealing a fair amount of damage to them. Like eyeballs, they can have an elemental effect added to them. These elemental effects vary based on the type of Keese wings you attach to your weapons.
Creature tactics
Most keese travel in flocks, which gives them a numerical advantage over other creatures. They make up for their lack of solo ability with sheer volume and mobility. Elemental auras make swarming incredibly deadly, especially if you’re not prepared. If they’re in caves or ruins, they usually use their ariel advantage to avoid strikes and swoop down to cause damage. Due to their swooping attacks, shields are relatively ineffective against them early on, which can cause problems.
Keese Swarm (Blood Moon)
Player Strategies
When dealing with these winged eyeballs, it’s better to use archery and explosive effects in order to take out the entire group. Remember that they are particularly weak to physical damage, so using a bomb flower or ores can dispatch swarms quickly. One of the main ways you can do this without arrows is to attach an explosive barrel to a stick and simply throw it up at the incoming horde. The resulting explosion should effortlessly dispatch the entire flock before they can get close enough to harass you. Otherwise using wands, or two-handed cleaving weapons, you can easily take out multiple in a single swing.
-source: ArekkzGaming
Flying Eyes, Oh My!
While Kesse is one of the simple enemy types of Tears of the Kingdom, they are not without difficulty. Early on, a flock of these majestic optical creatures can easily dispatch Link in overwhelming numbers and with elemental status effects. In particular, the ice and electric keese can prove quite menacing due to the fact that they have stun-lock potential. Being based on the mythological entity known as flying eyes, they are undoubtedly a wonderful homage to a creature that so often goes left unnoticed. So whether you’re exploring a deep dark cave, or traveling through the open deserts of Gerudo territory, keep your eyes on the sky for the winged Keese of Ganondorf’s army!
