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Ganondorf is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. Technically, he made his debut in The Legend of Zelda where he appears as the Demon King Ganon, but it is not until The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past that the existence of someone named "Ganondorf" who eventually became Ganon was revealed. Ganondorf himself makes his first in game appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
He is well-known for being the wielder of the Triforce of Power and for being the King of the Gerudos. Because he is the incarnation of Demise's undying hatred, his energy form cannot die, so although his body can, he can always reform his body if it is destroyed. His body is however generally protected by the Triforce of Power and really hard to destroy as a result. Ganondorf is also playable in the Super Smash Bros. series since Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Characteristics[]
Personality[]
Commonly portrayed as the incarnation of evil, power, and greed, Ganondorf is ruthless, cold, unscrupulous, cunning, resourceful, arrogant, and manipulative. His most defining trait is his lust for power. His lack of wisdom and courage is what causes the Triforce to split into three pieces when he touches it.
Ganondorf's evil nature is most likely because of him being a reincarnation of the Demon King Demise and a product of his curse. Ganondorf is also very strategic, as shown in Ocarina of Time, when he tricks Link and Zelda into opening the Door of Time, and allows Link to interfere with his plans, as he knows it will draw Zelda out of hiding, and in The Wind Waker, where he attacks the Earth and Wind Temples to disable the Master Sword.
It is presumed that Ganondorf intended to conquer Hyrule out of jealousy, because he and his people lived a life of suffering in the desert. In addition, he also seems to follow a code of honor; he is amused when, in Ocarina of Time, a child Link attempts to fight him, and shows some respect for his bravery. In Wind Waker, after getting annoyed by Zelda firing Light Arrows at him during the final battle, Ganondorf heads towards her and knocks her out by backhanding her. In each of his appearances, Ganondorf is also shown to have a sense of humor, but is serious when necessary. He also shows some respect towards anyone he considers worthy opponents.
Skyward Sword establish Ganondorf as a being formed of Demise's hatred and malice toward Zelda and Link. His desire for the conquest of Hyrule comes from Demise's original desire for the land that would later be known as Hyrule as well as the power of the Triforce, which are two things that Ganondorf is always seen desiring.
Powers and abilities[]
With or without the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf is very powerful, as he can use dark magic with little effort, and he is efficient with punching and kicking. He is also a formidable swordsman. In one instance, he can read minds, as shown in Wind Waker, when he looks into Zelda's dreams while she is sleeping. In addition, the Triforce of Power seems to give Ganondorf immortality, as shown when he dies shortly after losing the Triforce of Power at the end of Twilight Princess. Ganondorf's most significant ability is being able to turn into his beast form, Ganon. According to Skyward Sword, Ganondorf cannot be killed; even if he is physically killed like in Twilight Princess, he will always came back like he did in Four Sword Adventures or the countless other times where he came back as Ganon. Even as Ganon, Ganondorf has shown to possess the ability to eventually regain his Gerudo body like he tried to do in Breath of the Wild. Breath of the Wild also establishes him as having an incredible corrupting power that can take over any machine and create an endless flow of monsters, which is fitting since Demise is described as the source of all monsters by Fi.
History[]
The Unified Timeline[]
Skyward Sword[]
Ganondorf himself does not appear in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but his original form, Demise, is shown. It is also in this game that Demise's curse is mentioned, establishing Ganon(dorf) as the incarnation of Demise's undying malice and hatred toward Link and Zelda. This also explains why Ganondorf, Link and Zelda will always reincarnate to face each other in an eternal cycle of death.
Ocarina of Time[]
Link vs. Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf uses dark magic that he has acquired to attack The Great Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu and Dodongo's Cavern in order to try to sway the inhabits, the Kokiri, Gorons, and Zoras, that looked up to and lived around these areas to give up their Spiritual Stone. Eventually, Ganondorf figures out that Link, along with the aid of Princess Zelda, had helped these civilizations and acquired the spiritual stones. He knew that if they got to the Triforce first that he could never acquire it. In a last-ditch effort, Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle to try and get the last piece of the puzzle needed to open the Door of Time.
He chases Princess Zelda and Impa, who held the Ocarina of Time, out of the castle where he met up with Link. Link stands in his way while Impa and Princess Zelda gallop out of sight. Ganondorf pushes him out of the way only to see that they had gotten away. Ganondorf, knowing Link had the spiritual stones, follows him into the Temple of Time where he sneaks into the Sacred Realm where he takes the Triforce. But upon grabbing the Triforce, it splits into three pieces, leaving him with only one: the Triforce of Power.
Ganondorf, knowing that to truly rule the land he will need all three pieces, waits 7 years for Princess Zelda and Link to reappear. Taking his chance he captures Princess Zelda once she takes her Sheik disguise off. Using her, Ganondorf gets Link to come to the top of his tower where they have an enormous battle. Ganondorf is defeated by the power of the Master Sword, but uses his last ounce of breath to destroy his castle hoping to kill Link and Zelda in the aftermath of the destruction. But they manage to escape and the power of the Triforce of Power keeps Ganondorf alive and using the full power of the Triforce he turns himself into the beast, Ganon. After a ferocious battle, Ganon is defeated and the sages seal Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm.
From this point on in the series, the timeline splits, creating separate accounts of what happened. The first (the Adult timeline) shows Ganondorf's attempts at taking the Triforce and shows his true motives through his escape from the Sacred Realm. The other (the Child Timeline) shows Ganondorf's actions once his original scheme was stopped and once by a "Divine Intervention" Ganondorf gained the Triforce. Another timeline shows that if Ganondorf wins the final battle against Link, he reassembles the Triforce and becomes the new demon king: Ganon. Eventually he is sealed in the Evil Realm (once the Sacred Realm) by the Sages and the people of Hyrule which leads to the events of A Link To The Past, Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: Adventure of Link.
The Adult Timeline[]
Wind Waker[]
Ganondorf fights Link in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
A long time prior to the events of the game, Ganondorf somehow manages to break the seal that was placed on him, and attempted to establish dominion over the land of Hyrule once again. The people of Hyrule believed that the Hero of Time would stop him again, but he did not return. So to stop his nefarious plot, the people of Hyrule prayed to the Golden Goddesses, which made them flood the land which created the Great Sea, impeding Ganondorf's plans. After some time had passed, Ganondorf somehow broke out of his underwater imprisonment, though his power was somewhat diminished due to the Master Sword's influence. He was referred to in ancient texts referring to this event as the "emperor of the dark realm."
To find the direct descendant of Princess Zelda, who held the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganondorf sent his loyal minion, the Helmaroc King, to kidnap all young, pointy-eared girls living on the islands of the Great Sea. After being captured, the young girls were imprisoned within Ganondorf's new lair, the Forsaken Fortress. In addition to that, Ganondorf sent monsters to islands all around the Great Sea to prevent a successor to the Hero of Time who had sealed him away from interfering with his plans. To further secure himself against the coming of the hero's descendant, Ganondorf ordered two of his minions, Jalhalla and Molgera, to kill the Sages of the Wind Temple and the Earth Temple, whose prayers gave the power to repel evil to the Master Sword.
Eventually, the Helmaroc King came to Outset Island, where the young boy, Link, lived, who came of the age when young boys were given green garments in memory of the Hero of Time. The Helmaroc King had kidnapped the young pirate leader, Tetra, and Link travels into the forest to save her, and successfully does so. However, as they leave the forest, Link's sister, Aryll, is taken by the Helmaroc King in Tetra's place. Link travels with Tetra and her pirates to the Forsaken Fortress. Link manages to sneak his way into the dungeon cells, but is discovered. Link catches a brief glimpse of Ganondorf, just before he is thrown far away from the island by the Helmaroc King at Ganondorf's command. Floating in the ocean while unconscious, Link is discovered by the King of Red Lions, a talking boat who becomes his ally and companion.
The King of Red Lions and Link work together to obtain the three Pearls of the Goddesses, which when gathered, raises the fabled Tower of the Gods from the depths of the Great Sea. After Link collects the pearls of Din and Farore, Ganondorf uses his evil magic to destroy Greatfish Isle, where the spirit Jabun, holder of Nayru's Pearl, resided. Jabun escapes to a cave on Outset Island, which is later found by Link and the King of Red Lions. Despite this drawback though, Link successfully obtains the final pearl. By doing so, Link gains access to the Tower of the Gods, leading him to the Master Sword. Taking the Master Sword, Link travels once more to the Forsaken Fortress with some indirect aid from Tetra's Pirates, and takes out the Helmaroc King once and for all. Ganondorf then meets the hero face to face and, after he commending him for making it as far as he did, reveals that removing the Master Sword's seal also returned his full powers, and cites how time resuming and his forces reactivating as proof; however, Ganondorf's safeguards proved useful when it is revealed that the Master Sword held no power over Ganondorf without the prayers of the Wind and Earth Sages. Tetra arrives to aid Link, and distracts Ganondorf, but is promptly overwhelmed. Just as when Ganondorf is about to squeeze the life out of her, Ganondorf's Triforce of Power resonates, and reveals Tetra's true identity to be that of Zelda's descendant and (partial) holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. Before Ganondorf has the chance to take the Triforce fragment, Link and Zelda are rescued by Valoo, a great dragon whom Link befriended earlier. Valoo sets Ganondorf's Lair on fire, but Ganondorf escapes, and retreats to his tower in the sunken land of Hyrule.
Link leaves Zelda safe in the chamber beneath Hyrule Castle, awakens the descendants of the sages, and restores the Master Sword to its former glory. However, Ganondorf, anticipating Link's actions and presumably deducing where Zelda was being hidden, proceeds to call all of his monsters back to his tower from the Forsaken Fortress. The now abandoned fortress is noticed by the fishmen and later relayed to the King of Red Lions. To make his way back into sunken Hyrule, Link gathers the shards of the Triforce of Courage at the behest of the King of Red Lions, as the latter anticipates that Ganondorf was at his endgame. However, Zelda is taken away by Ganondorf to his domain. Link destroys the barrier that Ganondorf placed around the entrance to Hyrule Castle, and defeats the evil monsters that lurked there. Inside his tower, Ganondorf reveals to Link part of his motives for conquering Hyrule.
After the destruction of his puppet form, Ganondorf retreats to the top of his tower. When Link re-confronts him on the roof, Ganondorf fully explains the reasons for his ambition to conquer Hyrule: his homeland, the Gerudo Desert, was a harsh, barren place, with its winds often bringing nothing but misery and death to his people, either hot searing winds by the day or piercing cold gales at night. When he learned of Hyrule's lush nature, Ganondorf coveted the friendlier winds that blew across Hyrule. Ganondorf's personal quest had been born of a desire to bring his people to lush Hyrule.
Ganondorf forcibly reassembles the Triforce. However, before Ganondorf gets the chance to make his wish, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the former King of Hyrule who had taken residence within the King of Red Lions, touches the Triforce before him, and wishes that Hyrule be flooded, preventing Ganondorf from ever attaining his true wish as well as bringing a future to Link and Zelda. After a fit of hysterical laughter at his failure, Ganondorf attacks Link and Zelda as water begins to cover Hyrule. Zelda attempts to use the Light Arrows to attack Ganondorf, but is knocked out. Link defends himself against Ganondorf's attack until Zelda reawakens. Working as a team, Link and Zelda use the Master Sword and Light Arrows to weaken Ganondorf. Once Ganondorf is severely weakened, Link plunges the Master Sword deep into Ganondorf's forehead, turning the madman into stone. Immediately prior to his petrification, however, Ganondorf briefly references the wind that often plagued the Gerudo with some amusement. Link and Zelda escape to the surface while Ganondorf and Hyrule are flooded once and for all. Oddly, even though the Triforce of Power was explicitly shown leaving Ganondorf to reform the Triforce, the final battle showed Ganondorf having the Triforce of Power mark on his hand. This was later retained in Wind Waker HD. This hints each Triforce piece returned to its host after Daphnes stated his wish, which could explain why he was able to take blows from both the Master Sword and Light Arrows without immediately perishing.
Phantom Hourglass[]
While Ganondorf never directly appears in the game, he is mentioned by Niko. When Niko gives the synopsis of The Wind Waker, Ganondorf is shown in two slides, one when he kidnaps Tetra, and in another battling Link. Additionally, when Niko describes Ganondorf, his theme can be heard.
The Child Timeline[]
Twilight Princess[]
Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
After Link tells Zelda of what happens, the sages lock Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. The Sages attempt to kill him by stabbing his chest with the Sword of the Six Sages, but the Triforce of Power keeps him alive, and he rushes forward, killing the Sage of Water. They all make a last attempt to defeat the evil king by summong the Twilight Portal, which sucks him inside. Some generations later, Ganondorf breaks free into the Twilight Realm where he uses Zant to take over the realm. He then uses the Twilight forces to take over Hyrule Castle, forcing Zelda to surrender. He then encompasses the land of Hyrule in Twilight. Ganondorf takes a mostly backseat role in this game, not actually appearing until the final battle. In this game, he first uses Zelda as a puppet and then, takes on a Beast form to take on Link. Then, Ganondorf flees to Hyrule Field where Link must chase on horseback, with Zelda firing Light arrows. The final segment of this battle has Link and Ganondorf finish it off with a duel.
Four Swords Adventures[]
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures does contain Ganondorf, but not the same Ganondorf as in the previous games. Due to another 100 years passing and the death of the original Ganondorf on either side of the timeline, a new Ganondorf was born. This Ganondorf is said by the Gerudos to have shown many signs of evil similar to the original Ganondorf. Ganondorf, before the game begins, goes to the temple within the Lost Forest where he takes the Dark Mirror and with it, creates many Dark Links that let Vaati free and cause havoc which creates a good distraction so Ganondorf can start his plan.
The first known thing that he did after this is his arrival to the Pyramid lost within the Gerudo Desert where he acquires the Trident of Power. He isn't seen again though until the very end where it is shown that with the Triforce of Power and Trident of Power he had turned himself into Ganon. Trying to take the other pieces of the Triforce yet again he traps Link and Princess Zelda atop the Tower of Winds where he fights them. In the end, though he is defeated by them and sealed away into Vaati's prison where he is known to rest. This game could happen on either side of the timeline but is most often seen as happening on the child timeline due to its ties to other games that happen on this timeline such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
The Decline Timeline[]
A Link to the Past[]
Ganondorf is mentioned in the back story of the game and by one of the Seven Maidens. He is depicted as the King of Thieves who managed to break into the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce. The power of the Triforce changed Ganondorf into a beast and from that point on, he became known as Ganon. Aside from his beast form that Link defeats at the end of the game, Agahnim is also described as Ganon's alter ego. It is as Agahnim that Ganon manages to take over Hyrule, kidnap the maiden, and free his beast form from the Sacred Realm.
Link's Awakening[]
Ganondorf never appears in person in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening but the Shadow Nightmare briefly takes the form of Ganon as seen in A Link to the Past during the final fight.
Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons[]
In The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, Ganondorf is still dead since Ganon's defeat during A Link to the Past. Koume and Kotake, his adoptive mothers, starts a plot to revive their son. To do this, they need to lit three flames, the Flamenof Despair, the Flame of Destruction, and the Flame of Sorrow. To do so they sent their minions to Holodrum and Labrynna in order to light the first two flames. Onox was sent to Holodrum to capture Din and throw the seasons into chaos. The destruction caused to the land was enough to light the Flame of Destruction despite Onox's defeat at the hands of the same Link that defeated Ganon once in the past. Likewise, Veran was sent to Holodrum to capture Nayru and travel 400 years into the past to create a dark age by having Queen Ambi's subjects forced to work endlessly on her tower. Despite Link being victorious once again, Veran's actions still managed to lit the Flame of Sorrow.
In order to lit the third flame, the flame of Despair, and bring back Ganondorf, the twin witches needed to capture Zelda and then sacrifice her. They managed to capture her and thus lighting the last flame but they were stopped by Link before they were able to sacrifice her. Having no other choice, the witches sacrifice themselves instead to revive Ganondorf. Due to the botched last step of the ritual, Ganondorf returns as a mindless Ganon instead.
Ganon himself appears in many following games of the decline timeline but his human form is never really mentioned beyond A Link to the Past since he loses his mind due to an incomplete resurrection in the Oracles.
A Link Between Worlds[]
Ganon appears to Link in a nightmare in the beginning of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. This is interpreted as a warning of his immediate return. Once Yuga has gathered the new Sages, he uses their powers in Lorule Castle to break Ganon out of the prison he was left in the last time he was defeated. Ganon is still a mindless beast in this game so Yuga fuses with him and becomes his mind and adds to his power. Before he is able to kill Link, Yuga is stopped by Princess Hilda who teleports Link out of Lorule Castle and tasks him with saving the Sages and obtaining the Triforce of Courage. This is actually staged by Hilda and Yuga as they plan to betray Link to obtain the full Triforce and save Lorule.
When Hilda finally betrays Link, she frees Yuga and send him after Link. Even with Ganon's power, Yuga is unable to defeat Link and turns on Hilda to obtain the Triforce of Wisdom. Yuga is still defeated and is ultimately destroyed. Yuga dies here but Ganon is seemingly returned to his prison as the mindless beast he was at the start of the game. It should also be noted that he loses his Triforce of Power.
The Legend of Zelda[]
Ganon returns to Hyrule some time before The Legend of Zelda. Still a mindless beast, he launches an invasion of Hyrule, which at that point was greatly weakened by an entire era of decline due to the Triforce being sealed away by the good king in the past. He manages to reclaim the Triforce of Power that he lost at the end of A Link Between Worlds. Before he can obtain the Triforce of Wisdom, Princess Zelda is able to break it into eight pieces and scatters it throughout Hyrule, then sends her attendant Impa away to search for help. Impa is saved by Link who after learning of the Kingdom's situation, decide to help them. Link gathers the fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, defeats Ganon's minions and finally destroys the mindless beast for good.
Adventure of Link[]
Ganon, as he is known to Link in The Legend of Zelda, is dead during Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. His influence is what influences the monsters going after Link while on his quest to wake the sleeping Zelda. The monsters know that by spilling Link's blood on Ganon's ash, they would be able to revive their dark master. If Link dies in that game, the player is greeted by a revived Ganon on the Game Over screen.
Wild Timeline[]
Breath of the Wild[]
Calamity Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ganondorf is referred to indirectly as the man who became Calamity Ganon. After being revived and sealed again countless times, Ganondorf's anger transformed him into Calamity Ganon, and he held a personal grudge against Hyrule. According to legend, he was once a Gerudo, which is a factor that motivates Urbosa to fight against the Calamity. In the time since Ganondorf's transformation, there have been no records of another male being leader to the Gerudo.
Tears of the Kingdom[]
Ganondorf appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which he is voiced by Matthew Mercer. The game's cutscenes reveal that he is present thousands of years in the past when the first King Rauru founded Hyrule. King Rauru sacrifices himself to seal Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle where his corpse rots for thousands of years. He is re-awakened in the present when Link and Zelda investigate the depths of Hyrule Castle. In the following confrontation, Ganondorf's power breaks the Master Sword. At the end of the game, Ganondorf appears in the final boss fight deep in the chasm beneath Hyrule Castle in his regenerated Demon King form. After Link defeats him, he uses his Secret Stone to transform into a dragon, pulling Link into the sky but is destroyed with the help of the Light Dragon.
Echoes of Wisdom[]
In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Ganon kidnaps Zelda and confronts Link in a decisive battle, only to lose to the young hero. However, the Trident he left behind forms a Rift that swallows Link whole, transporting him to the Still World.
Despite this, Ganon later reappears in Hyrule Castle. When Zelda confronts him, Tri reveals that this is not actually the real Ganon, but rather an Echo that serves Null, the true creator of the Rifts. His defeat frees Hyrule Castle and Hyrule Castle Town from the Still World.
Hyrule Warriors series[]
Hyrule Warriors[]
Ganondorf as seen in Hyrule Warriors.
Ganondorf appears in all three games of the series and serves as the main antagonist of Hyrule Warriors, being the force behind Cia's insanity. After her defeat, Ganondorf is fully resurrected and becomes the protagonist of his own chapter where the player controls Ganondorf and must claim the full Triforce with the help of Ghirahim and Zant. He is then defeated during the following chapter after the player regains control of Link and the Hyrulean army. In Hyrule Warriors Legends and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, Ganondorf is no longer the final boss and is replaced by Phantom Ganon, who becomes the main antagonist of a chapter taking place after Ganondorf's defeat. In Hyrule Warriors, Ganondorf's weapon of choice is the Great Swords, which is a pair of gigantic two-handed swords that he wields with one hand thanks to his huge size and strength. In the two other games, Ganondorf has access to a Trident, which is considered an alternate weapon.
Materials drops[]
- Silver Material - Ganondorf's Gauntlet
- Gold Material - Ganondorf's Jewel
Age of Calamity[]
Ganon appears in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. His Malice pass through the portal opened by Terrako to stop it from changing history, and tries to prematurely recruit a Guardian to assassinate Zelda before she can awaken her power. Ganon later possesses the Terrako of this timeline, turning it into Harbinger Ganon, and watches Link, Zelda, and Impa travel to the Ancient Tech Lab to analyze Terrako. Ganon later has his army attack Rito Village, thus making Revali paranoid, while he shows Astor, Master Kohga, and Sooga his eventual victory and what they must do to ensure it is left unchanged. Despite the Divine Beasts and the Sheikah Towers being ready much earlier than in Breath of the Wild's timeline, Ganon still awakens on Zelda's 17th birthday and sends the Blight Ganons to kill the Champions while he recruits the Guardians to his army once more and shuts down the Sheikah Towers. When the Blight Ganons are killed too early, Astor sacrifices Yiga Clan members to revive them, thus alienating the rival Sheikah clan from his forces. Ganon is later fought at Hyrule Castle in his Harbinger form and retreats after half of his health is depleted. When Astor commands the Demon King to eliminate Link and Zelda, Ganon consumes his body for failing him one too many and driving the Yiga Clan away from him, assuming this body as his final form. Despite the new body, Ganon is sealed again by Zelda's power, thus restoring peace to Hyrule.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Ganondorf in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ganondorf first appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a secret character. He has been a secret character in all future installments of the series, excluding the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, where he was a starting character. In Melee, he was a perfect clone of Captain Falcon; most of his moves were slower but more powerful similar to Captain Falcon's. He slowly gained properties that made him a completely different character as new games were released.
Attacks[]
- Neutral Special: Warlock Punch
- Side Special: Gerudo Dragon (in Melee)/Flame Choke (Brawl onwards)
- Up Special: Dark Dive
- Down Special: Wizard's Foot
- Final Smash: Beast Ganon/Ganon, The Demon King (Ultimate)
Super Smash Bros.[]
Ganon(dorf) is mentioned in Link's profile in Super Smash Bros..
In an official poll held on Smabura-Ken (the game's official Japanese website) regarding characters for a potential sequel, Ganondorf placed fifth with 36 votes.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ganondorf acts as an almost perfect clone of Captain Falcon with lower speed and greater damage.
Trophy Description[]
Regular[]
- "Said to be the sole man born to the Gerudo tribe in a hundred years, Ganondorf aspired to conquer the world. He plundered a piece of the sacred Triforce from the Temple of Time when Link pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. With the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's possession, Hyrule was plunged into darkness until Link and Zelda defeated the fiend."
Smash (Red)[]
- "Since he's slow and can't jump very high, Ganondorf relies mainly on his immense physical strength to overwhelm his enemies. His great weight also makes him a difficult foe to send offscreen. Ganondorf's Warlock Punch is slow but absurdly powerful, and when he strikes with his Gerudo Dragon, enemies rise skyward enveloped in dark flames."
Smash (Blue)[]
- "Ganondorf's slow speed works against him in single combat, but in melees, his crazy power lets him earn his keep with innumerable KOs. Ganondorf can't strike quickly, but each blow he lands adds up. Ganondorf is at his quickest when he uses the Wizard's Foot, and his Dark Dive blasts foes in a burst of dark energy."
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
Ganondorf is now based on his Twilight Princess appearance. His Gerudo Dragon move, which was basically a stronger and slower version of Captain Falcon's Raptor Boost is now replaced by the Flame Choke, a move that starts in a similar manner to the Raptor Boost but it makes Ganondorf hold his target above the ground before blasting them with a blast of energy emanating from his hand. Some of his regular moves now have different animations that help with differentiating Ganondorf from Captain Falcon. Ganondorf is the game's worst character according to the current Brawl Tier list (fellow Zelda character Zelda ranked the second worst after him).
The Subspace Emissary[]
Ganondorf plays the role of the secondary antagonist (under Tabuu) alongside Bowser in the Subspace Emissary. Ganondorf first appears in a control room on the Isle of the Ancients, where Zero Suit Samus was inside to find her Power Suit, giving Bowser the coordinates to find King Dedede, who had stolen Wario's trophies.
Later, in the same control room, he receives orders from Master Hand to destroy the Isle of the Ancients. Appearing in their island base as a hologram, he consequently orders the R.O.B. Squad to activate all of the Subspace Bombs on the Isle. When the Ancient Minister objects, Ganondorf presses an override button that forces the R.O.B.s to ignore the Minister and continues. When he continues to intervene, Ganondorf goes further and forces the R.O.B.s to attack the Ancient Minister, setting him aflame while sending a flock of Auroros to distract an approaching group of heroes. Suddenly, the burning Ancient Minister fires beams from his eyes, destroying the Auroros and shedding the remnants of his robes to show that he himself is a R.O.B., and proceeds to help the others fight the advancing Subspace troops.
After the Isle of the Ancients is engulfed in Subspace, Ganondorf appears on the Subspace Gunship as its co-commander, with Bowser, but they are forced to retreat into Subspace when the Gunship is destroyed by Kirby and his Dragoon. Ganondorf then decides it is time to betray Master Hand, so he takes out the last remaining Dark Cannon and fires it at Bowser. Kicking the Bowser trophy out of the way, Ganondorf proceeds to present himself to Master Hand. However, as he prepares to betray Master Hand for complete control of the Subspace Army, he sees that Master Hand was literally a puppet of Tabuu, the supreme ruler of Subspace. Ganondorf tries to attack him, but is quickly defeated and turned into a trophy. As he falls, however, he bumps into the chains of light which puppeteer Master Hand, freeing him from Tabuu's control. Master Hand then attempts to attack Tabuu, but is also defeated with ease.
Later, after the main group of heroes had been defeated by Tabuu and rescued by Luigi, Ness, and King Dedede, Kirby finds Ganondorf's trophy - leading the resurrected Bowser to appear and brutally attack the trophy as an act of revenge for shooting him with a dark cannon before tossing it aside. If both Link and Zelda were rescued, a cutscene will show Ganondorf being ironically revived by them (with a headache from his trophification and Bowser's retaliation). After the Hyrulian heroes walk away, he clenches his fist in anger and prepares to attack, but reluctantly decides to help the heroes travel through The Great Maze in order to defeat Tabuu.
Trophy Description[]
Regular[]
- "A man who wants to use the power of the Triforce to conquer the world. In Twilight Princess, he gives strength to the Twilight King, Zant, and tries to change the land into a world of darkness. He possesses Zelda, transforms into a magical beast, and attacks Link. In the end, however, Link deals him a finishing blow and defeats him."
Beast Ganon[]
- "Ganondorf's Final Smash. When he grabs a Smash Ball, he transforms into a repulsive, evil beast. He'll vanish momentarily from the screen, then rampage from one side to the other in a straight, headlong rush. When he begins the move, any character before his eyes will flinch, so try to start the move near other characters."
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[]
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Ganondorf gains 'armor' protection when he is performing the Warlock Punch, which allows him to resist the knockback of most incoming attacks during the animation. Some of his regular moves are also slightly modified, which helps him stand out as more than just Captain Falcon's clone. Besides reusing his design from Twilight Princess, Ganondorf now has his glowing wound he received from the Sword of the Six Sages. Ganondorf is tied with Zelda as the second worst character in the Smash 4 tier list, after Jigglypuff.
Trophy Description[]
Regular[]
- NA: "The King of Evil that awaits Link at the end of most of his adventures. Ganondorf possesses the Triforce of Power. In Smash Bros., he makes up for his low speed with devastating power. The strength of his blows can knock back most opponents. Get close with a dash attack, and pummel your foes!"
- EU: "The King of Evil is Link's arch-nemesis in most games in the Legend of Zelda series. With the Triforce of Power at his disposal, he's a fearsome opponent. In this game, his mighty attacks have so much impact, they easily make up for his slow speed, and his launching ability is extra impressive! Rush in when the enemy's open and strike hard."
Alt.[]
- NA: "Being the powerhouse that he is, the King of Evil is a great choice for free-for-alls. His Warlock Punch delivers a thunderous, dark-energy-fueled blow from his left hand. Unfortunately, left-handed dark-energy-fueled blows take some time to charge. You can turn to face someone as they cowardly try to hit you from behind."
- EU: "Being the powerhouse that he is, the King of Evil is a great choice for free-for-alls. His Warlock Punch focuses dark energy into his left hand to deliver a thunderous back-hander. Unfortunately, focusing all that energy takes time. If someone sneaks behind you just as you start the move, quickly try to turn around."
Beast Ganon[]
- NA: "For Ganondorf's Final Smash, he morphs into a beast and attacks. As soon as he's transformed, he buries nearby fighters in the ground and then stuns them with his roar. Finally, he charges forward, dealing heavy damage and launching anyone in his way. Any foes buried by the first strike are doomed to be hit by the rest."
- EU: "For Ganondorf's Final Smash, he morphs into a beast and attacks. As soon as he's transformed, he buries fighters nearby in the ground, then stuns them with his roar. Finally, he charges forward, dealing heavy damage and launching anyone in his way. Any foes who are buried by the first strike are guaranteed to be hit by the rest."
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Ganondorf returns in his Ocarina of Time design but now uses his sword for all Smash attacks, giving him more range and completely different hitboxes, and he uses his red cape from the time skip, only with his short hair. In some scripted fights, Ganondorf will transform into Ganon and also serve as a boss under his demon form in Classic Mode and Adventure Mode: World of Light. Ganon is similar to his Ocarina of Time appearance and fittingly only attacks aimed at his tail will damage him. Ganon will in turn use his gigantic swords and various magical projectiles to attack. Both Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess iterations) and Ganon (OoT and TP), as well as Calamity Ganon also appear as Spirits.
Ganondorf has a brief appearance in Kazuya Mishima's debut trailer, where he appears in the beginning yelling and struggling to get free as someone is carrying him over to a cliffside that has a molten lava flow below. He is ultimately unable to break himself free before being thrown down there and presumably killed, with the mysterious figure being revealed to be Kazuya. He also briefly appears in the gameplay where he is taken down by Kazuya.
Appearance in other games[]
Diablo III[]
An image of Ganondorf as he appears in Diablo III.
An armor set in the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III allows the player to play as Ganondorf. His appearance is roughly based on what he looked like in Twilight Princess.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer feat. The Legend of Zelda[]
A Young Ganondorf playing his Organ.
Ganondorf makes a quick appearance as a Gerudo child seen in Gerudo Village. He is referred to only as the "prince" by Barriara and the other Gerudos. When the playable characters meets him, the kingdom is upside down due to Octavio's musical curse. Octavio originally casted the curse to find heroes who would prevent Ganondorf from defeating him in the future like the Fate predicted. This however only encourages Ganondorf to pursue the power of musical magic and eventually becomes Ganon sometime in the future now having mastered the organ as his instrument of choice. After Octavio's defeat, he deems Link, Zelda, Cadence and Yves worthy capable of defeating Ganon and opens a portal to the future where the young Ganondorf, now fully matured and transformed into Ganon, reigns supreme over Hyrule with his musical magic. Octavio goes ahead and is eventually defeated by Ganon before the heroes can even join him in his fight against Ganon, fulfilling the Fate's prophecy. Ganon is ultimately defeated by the heroes and the future of Hyrule is secured. Link and Zelda seemingly stay in the future and Cadence is warped into another world thanks to the Triforce.
Animal Crossing series[]
Ganon in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
Welcome amiibo[]
Ganon was introduced as a special villager in the Welcome Amiibo update of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. He is a cranky villager that will appear in the Campground if a Ganondorf or a 8 bit Link Amiibo is scanned. Like any other special villagers, he can be invited to live in the town. Ganon is made to look like his bipedal design with a "blue pig" aestethic he has in most 2D Zelda games.
Splatoon 3[]
Though he does not appear directly, Ganondorf's silhouette is used to represent Power in Splatoon × The Legend of Zelda Splatfest.
Other media[]
The Legend of Zelda Cartoon[]
Ganon was also featured as the main antagonist in The Legend of Zelda TV series, voiced by Len Carlson. Ganon is a brown-skinned anthropomorphic boar and wizard with a squeally voice. He is in possession of the Triforce of Power and spends each episode plotting to steal the Triforce of Wisdom and take over Hyrule. His plan is usually thwarted by Link and Zelda by the end of the episode.
Captain N: The Game Master[]
Ganon also appears in Captain N: The Game Master, in which he is defeated by Link using a mirror shield.
South Park[]
In the South Park episode Imaginationland Episode III, Ganondorf makes an appearance in his Ocarina of Time incarnation as one of many evil characters battling the good characters.
There Will Be Brawl[]
Ganondorf appeared in There Will Be Brawl, portrayed by Matthew Mercer. Mercer would later voice the character in Tears of the Kingdom.
Death Battle[]
In Death Battle, Ganondorf fought fellow Nintendo antagonist Bowser and won. He lost to Castlevania's Dracula in his second appearance.
Trivia[]
- Ganondorf is referred to using masculine pronouns, but his Calamity Ganon form is referred to using neutral pronouns. This may be an error.
- Ganondorf's last name was confirmed to be Dragmire in April 2017 via the official site. Previously, this name was only seen in the Western manual for A Link to the Past.
| Characters in Hyrule Warriors | |
|---|---|
| Base game | Link • Princess Zelda • Impa • Lana • Princess Ruto • Darunia • Midna • Agitha • Fi • Zant • Ghirahim • Ganondorf • Cia (DLC) • Volga (DLC) • Wizzro (DLC) • Twili Midna (DLC) • Tingle (DLC) • Young Link (DLC) |
| Boss Mode | Ganon • Cucco |
| Legends | Linkle • Toon Link • Tetra • King of Hyrule • Skull Kid • Medli (DLC) • Marin (DLC) • Toon Zelda (DLC) • Ravio (DLC) • Yuga (DLC) |
| Age of Calamity | Link • Princess Zelda • Revali • Princess Mipha • Daruk • Urbosa • Impa • Hestu • Teba • Makeela Riju • Prince Sidon • Yunobo • Master Kohga • King Rhoam • Great Fairy • Monk Maz Koshia • Terrako • Calamity Ganon • Battle-Tested Guardian (DLC) • Purah & Robbie (DLC) • Sooga (DLC) |