Ganon

Ganon
File:Ganon OoT artwork.jpg Ganon's artwork for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
First appearance	The Legend of Zelda
Latest appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Species	Demon
Other form(s)	Agahnim Calamity Ganon (Malice) Ganondorf Yuga Ganon
Counterpart(s)	The Imprisoned

Ganon, sometimes spelled Gannon in the intros of earlier titles, is the alternate beast form of Ganondorf and the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda. He is the King of Evil and holder of the Triforce of Power. Ganon has repeatedly sought the whole Triforce and threatened balance in Hyrule, sometimes shown transforming from the basic form of the Gerudo Ganondorf, and other times being depicted as Ganon throughout the game. Ganon's size, design, and overall intelligence varies drastically, sometimes sharing Ganondorf's calculating mind, and sometimes being a mindless force of destruction.

Ganon's main weakness are Light Arrows, Silver Arrows, and the Master Sword when it is fully-powered.

History

The Legend of Zelda series

The Legend of Zelda

Ganon, Prince of Darkness is introduced as a large cyan pig creature. He pursues Princess Zelda and Impa as they flee with the Triforce of Wisdom. After Zelda splits the piece into eight Triforce Fragments and scatters them, he takes her hostage in Death Mountain behind Spectacle Rock. He is found lounging around in one of the "eyes" on the skull-shaped map, waiting for Link. When confronted, he warps around the room while invisible, shooting fireballs. After he is hit enough with the sword, he will appear and turn brown and petrified, at which point he becomes vulnerable to the Silver Arrows. After he is hit with one of these, he crumbles into a pile of ashes with the Triforce of Power on top.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Some time after the previous game, Ganon's minions go on a rampage throughout Hyrule, attempting to find Link in order to resurrect Ganon by spilling his blood onto Ganon's ashes. Getting a Game Over will result in Ganon being allowed to be resurrected. In the original Japanese version, this is accompanied by a black screen and a roar, while in overseas versions Ganon is instead visible in silhouette and can be heard laughing.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Some time prior to the game, Ganon, formerly Ganondorf, was sealed within the Sacred Realm by the Seven Wise Men due to his obtaining the Triforce. However, his power corrupts it, twisting it into the sinister Dark World, changing its inhabitants into twisted reflections of their souls, and filling the land with evil monsters. He still plots to take over the Light World, and uses his alter-ego of the wizard Agahnim to open the gateways between fully. After Agahnim is defeated in Ganon's Tower, he turns into a bat and flies to the Pyramid of Power, before then becoming Ganon. Ganon is capable of many new attacks due to the addition of a Trident, such as conjuring up swarms of Blazing Bats, throwing it like a boomerang, and destroying parts of the floor by stomping. However, after hitting him enough times, he will become petrified and weak to the Silver Arrows, though now he takes more hits from these.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Ganon himself does not appear in Link's Awakening. However, one of the forms the Shadow Nightmares take is a silhouetted version of him, likely based off Link's own experience. It is capable of most of the attacks he can do in A Link to the Past.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ganon appears at the end of the game, after Link and Zelda escape the crumbling Ganon's Castle. Ganondorf rises from the rubble and allows the power of the Triforce of Power to consume him completely, transforming him into Ganon, before he knocks away the Master Sword. Here, he is depicted much taller and leaner than previously, and is green with large tusks. He also wields two giant swords capable of destroying pillars and other remaining pieces of the castle. His weak point is his glowing, crystalline tail. He can be stunned by hitting him in the face with Light Arrows, allowing Link to circle behind and hit his tail. Any other sort of arrow will simply make him shake his head confusedly. Link is also capable of rolling between his legs, also making his look around in confusion. After enough hits, he will be stunned, and Link can retrieve the Master Sword. After several more hits, Zelda uses her power to hold him in place, allowing Link to strike the finishing blow to the head.

Originally, Ganon was intended to be even larger, and be climbed atop to fight. However, the developers ran into problems when trying to implement this. The imagined battle would later be used for the Super Mario Galaxy boss Megaleg.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Ages

Throughout both games, Twinrova attempts to revive him by sowing discord across Holodrum and Labrynna through General Onox and Veran tampering with the powers of the oracles Din and Nayru, causing magical flames to light. However, the last stage of the plan, sacrificing Princess Zelda's pure soul, was thwarted by Link, so they sacrifice themselves instead. This revives him, but renders him simply a mindless destructive beast. He is capable of most of his moves from A Link to the Past. After he is attacked enough, he briefly regains his mind before dying again.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

A stylized Ganon appears in the backstory of the game, and his Ocarina of Time design appears on a stained glass window. However, Ganondorf does not ever turn into Ganon in gameplay, although either Ganondorf or a duplicate turns into Puppet Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

A reborn Ganondorf steals the Trident from the Pyramid in the Desert of Doubt and becomes Ganon, using a reawakened Vaati as a cover.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Ganondorf becomes Dark Beast Ganon after Midna removes him from Zelda's body after fighting Puppet Zelda. Here, he is a quadruped with no anthropomorphic qualities, and several of his boar-like traits are combined with lion-like traits. He charges around and warps between various portals he conjures. Wolf Link must meet him head-on, allowing Midna to use her hair to throw him, and allowing Link to attack his underside, which still has the wound from the Sages' Sword. After he is defeated, Zelda summons the power of the four Spirits of Light to create the Light Arrows, and a horseback battle with Ganondorf commences.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Ganon briefly appears in one scene, after being summoned by the Lorulean sorcerer Yuga (himself indicated to be Ganondorf's counterpart) after capturing the seven Sages. However, he is then fused with Yuga into Yuga Ganon, with the latter taking control, and then trapped by Princess Hilda. It is somewhat indicated that before he is battled at the end, Ganon starts to take control or at least influence of the fusion.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Some amount of centuries before the game, Ganon fully became one with his hatred and became pure physical Malice, taking a giant ghastly form known as Calamity Ganon, which is treated as more of a sentient natural disaster than a sapient villain. Eventually, Calamity Ganon manages to lay waste to Hyrule by turning their various ancient automated weapons against them.

The Legend of Zelda animated series

Ganon appears initially as a somewhat-generic cloaked sorcerer, but later is depicted as a beige pig sorcerer. He is capable of summoning monsters from a magical jar.

CDi games

Link: The Faces of Evil

“In the darkest nightmare hour, when not moon nor sun has risen, I take Zelda in my power! I shall keep her in my prison!”

– Ganon, Link: The Faces of Evil

Ganon (here depicted as a green bulldog-like monster) and his minions seize the island of Koridai, building huge monuments of their faces across it to act as strongholds, known as the Faces of Evil. Midway through the game, Ganon kidnaps Zelda in her sleep. Once Link confronts Ganon, Ganon offers to hav Link join him, promising that his resulting Face of Evil would be the greatest in Koridai, and promising to kill him if he refuses. However, Link throws the Book of Koridai at him, sealing him into a burning pit.

Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

Ganon pretends to attack Duke Onkled (who was actually working with him) in order to draw out King Harkinian and Link. Once Zelda confronts him, he gets angry that she brought light into his lair, and attempts to kill her with lightning magic. Zelda then seals Ganon away with the Wand of Gamelon.

Zelda's Adventure

Ganon appears as the final boss, having captured Link and attacked Tolemac. Here, he resembles a beige ogre-like monster. After he is defeated, he turns into a tornado and then dissipates.

Super Smash Bros. series

Ganon appears as Ganondorf's Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards. After he transforms, he charges across the screen. Initially, the "Dark Beast" Ganon design from Twilight Princess was used, but in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the design from Ocarina of Time is used. Ganon also appears as a boss in the latter. Much like in Ocarina of Time, his tail is his weak point. However, he is much more nimble, able to quickly leap around the player, and has many heavily-damaging attacks.

Hyrule Warriors

Ganon is the final boss, and has all of Ganondorf's intelligence. He is huge and has a gorilla-like stance, and is capable of using many of the same attacks the game's other bosses use, with the same weaknesses to each. Once each has been exploited, he becomes vulnerable to the Light Arrows whenever his forehead gem glows, stunning him and allowing stronger attacks to be performed on him. The Boss DLC pack for the original version contains a bonus mode where the player controls Ganon with the Trident as he destroys hordes of smaller monsters. This mode is not present in Hyrule Warriors Legends, but it is in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition.