#Ganon history

[zentendo]

Legacy of Villainy: Unveiling the Iconic Antagonists in Nintendo's Gaming Saga

In the rich tapestry of Nintendo’s illustrious gaming history, one cannot ignore the formidable presence of its iconic villains. From the menacing Bowser to the sinister Ganon and the cunning King K. Rool, these antagonists have become ingrained in the collective memory of gamers worldwide. In this exploration, we delve into the depths of their characters, motivations, and evolution over time,…

[sheikfangirl]

"Warrior Sorceress Sisters: Twinrova"

Something something, Totk Koume and Kotake's fusion is simple visually, just their badass look from the Masterworks book, but the good old fashion dual fire/ice colors.

Something something, they are not only sorceresses but Warrior sorceresses. They wield gerudo elemental swords instead of magic wands.

Something something, they are a boss fight where Link and Riju team up

Thanks for reading my random end of day rambling

Cheers

[phoenixcatch7]

The more I think about it the more confused I am by the very brief appearance the triforce makes in botw (and then nothing at all in totk?). Like, it should have evaporated calamity ganon on the spot, it should have overpowered him completely. If zelda had his triforce piece, if he didn't have the Power piece to resist like in tp. He should have gone poof.

Did she accidentally use her wish early? Pure hearted don't break the triforce by wishing on it, it didn't save link, it didn't defeat ganon. Did it break? Where did the pieces go? I can't remember if she actually had a triforce mark on her hand?

Totk having the triforce be in pieces above the clouds would have been so cool...

I'm not considering aoc canon for this but also?? What's zeldas magic and what's the triforce? Did -

Did she just wish for the power to save link? To defend him and protect the kingdom? Is THAT why she suddenly became so insanely strong??

Wait I think I'm onto something here. Zelda carrying the triforce without realising and only having the strength to wish upon it in her darkest hour, but being unaware and untrained, the triforce lost to faintest myth over eons, instead of wishing for ganon to be destroyed and the kingdom restored like every other purposeful use in other games, she instead simply wished to be able to save link, to not be powerless, not be helpless.

And the triforce granted it. Which is why that's the only time it appeared in botk.

[mirthfulmoonshine]

▲ Back with more of my LoZ au/original content. My first post on this can be found here !

In between suffering with my MA, I've been working on a lineup of the 'cast' for my LoZ original. This not exhaustive, as obviously we're still missing a Rito and a Goron. They'll be listed below from right to left :3

My Zelda story serves as a catalyst for the Hyrulean Civil War that precedes Ocarina of Time. It is a period referred to as the Era of Division and the great war at the end is the Tricenary War or the Queen's War.

Pashato & Dahri | Captain and Royal Scribe

Ganondorf's younger half-sisters, born of a different Hylian man. Their shared mother was Chieftain Rutimala. Dahri is the eldest, making her second in line to the Gerudo throne.

Pashato is the captain of the Gerudo guard and a valiant, recognized fighter. She oversees Ganondorf's armies directly and the training of Gerudo forces. She passes away in the final assault on Hyrule.

Dahri is the royal scribe and muralist, serving somewhat as a lady in waiting for Riar'svah. She would eventually become chieftain after Ganondorf's death and Riar'svah's short-lived role as chieftain. She would go on to become the Heroine of Gentleness/Compassion.

Kotake & Koume, Twinrova | Elder Witches

The elder witches to the Gerudo empire. They hold the seat of magic in the Gerudo governmental structure, intended to advise and aid the king but they specifically teach him magic in his youth. When they fuse, they form the Gerudo Twinrova.

Both are worshippers of the primordial evil, known simply to the Gerudo as Malice. (Mal'hice)

They endorsed the war with Hyrule, hoping it would bring the Triforce pieces together for Ganondorf's victory. When Ganondorf dies on the battlefield, the witches encourage the Gerudo to keep fighting and for Riar'svah to use her last resort.

Tatu | Steward of the Sword

Tatu tends to the Great Deku Tree and is privately understood as the keeper of the Master Sword. Though she is not a sage, she often sits on the council of sages as an advisory position.

She accompanies Link in his trials through the Lost Woods, searching for the Master Sword at Queen Zelda's behest.

As a Kokiri, her childish appearance can be deceptive but she is very wise and compassionate.

During the Tricenary War, she remains in the Lost Woods, protecting the Great Deku Tree and other Kokiri.

Parrane | Sage of Shadow

Parrane is a sibling of the royal advisor and defender, Impa. His work with the Hyrule royal family is mostly through his sister and his maintenance of the Shadow Temple.

As the sage of shadow, Parrane is gifted with the manipulation of shadows but this skill is highly tepid as he prefers to lean into the illusionary element of his sagely abilities. He can obscure both the physical and the mental upon touch and can create shadow apparitions to demonstrate events that have happened or visualize what he speaks of.

During the war, Parrane is the one who leads the Sheikah into battle alongside Queen Zelda.

After the war, he remains in the Hyrule royal court, outliving his queen and her hero into the next generation. There, he would be a main advocate for a unified Hyrule and would be the first to see the Shadow Temple be utilized as a torture institution.

Malan | Sage of Water

Hailing from the sea Zora, Malan holds the special place in Zora court life of Musician, playing for Jabu-Jabu to keep the patron god peaceful. However, his job is not just playing soothing harp music but to also defend the temple that protects the gardens and waters of Jabu-Jabu.

His king and queen, Inogo and Lala, believe their daughter, Ruti, to be the sage when Queen Zelda calls for the sages. Malan is recognized as the sage by Zelda on a diplomatic mission, visiting Jabu-Jabu's temple and upon hearing him play a certain tune.

Malan is awoken as sage manually by Zelda, who touches his hand.

His sagely abilities are hydrokinesis, manipulated through his trident or his hands. Often through song, he can cast powerful spells that can call on downpours, storms, and purge evil from someone.

While he survives the war, Malan returns to the Zora beaten. He is eventually exiled Jabu-Jabu's temple by the royals who align themselves completely with Hyrule.

Though he appears in some ancient reliefs, Malan's identify is lost to much of Zora history.

Ganondorf | Demon King & King of the Gerudo

Ganondorf is the relentless king of the Gerudo, his coming foretold by the 100 year cycle, preceded by the great King Naboris. He is raised by Kotake and Koume after his mother, Chieftain Rutimala is slain in battle by the Hylians. In his youth, he was taught dark magics and spells long passed down from one Gerudo leader to another. He is recognized as the Vessel of Malice.

Being the Vessel, he is regarded as the Demon King, able to transform into a large lion-like boar and wield immense magic. He suffers from bursts of unconsolable rage, destruction, and mania.

This Ganondorf is bestowed the Triforce of Power after the Triforce is shattered upon Zirda's death.

He wages war against Hyrule and her allies, a war passed down to him by his foremothers. He yearns for the land and resources of Hyrule, refusing all early diplomatic efforts by the young Queen Zelda.

Despite being highly prideful and arrogant, Ganondorf has a tender spot for that of his people, leaning on the advice of his mothers, Riar'svah, and his sisters Pashato and Dahri.

His final battle against Hyrule in the Tricenary War is an attempted and succeeded besiegement of Hyrule Castle. Unable to stop it, he transforms into a beast stronger, larger, and more animalistic than that of the form he could control. Malice's monster, he is slain by the Hero's sword and his spirit eradicated by the Queen's light.

After his death, he is immortalized in Gerudo facades and carvings. Some Gerudo historians and royals question who he is, his face lost to time like many other Gerudo kings until Ocarina of Time, when the name graces the history pages once more. He is the second to last king before Ganondorf proper, each 100 years apart from time of death.

Naboris -> Ganondorf -> ??? -> Ganondorf OOT

Riar'svah | Sage of Spirit

Born six months before the prince, Riar'svah was raised secluded in the Spirit Temple by her mother, the previous spiritual leader of the Gerudo, Palu. After taking on her mother's role, she enters the Gerudo Fortress proper. Her role is similar to that of an Ottoman Şeyhülislam.

Riar'svah and Kotake/Koume disagree and fight constantly, mostly due to Riar'svah finding Malice a dangerous force to be dealing with or encouraging.

Her role as a sage warranted some concern amongst her people, with many believing she would betray the Gerudo and Ganondorf to serve Hylia's agents. However, she remains steadfast in supporting the Gerudo above all else.

Her sagely gifts are specifically that of prophesying and channeling divine spirits into her body to grant her immense astral powers. She mostly prophesies and meditates on Ganondorf's behalf, communicating with deities for and declaring prophetic words to him.

After Ganondorf's death at the hands of the Hero and Queen, Riar'svah becomes Gerudo chieftain, waging brutal war against Hyrule. At the encouragement of Kotake and Koume, swarmed in grief, she makes a deal with Malice.

She dies atop the Gerudo Highlands, legend says she turned to stone, becoming one with the geography.

Zelda | Queen of Hyrule & Hylia's Descendant

Zelda becomes queen after the death of her father, Rhoam, who reigned as regent after Zirda's passing. From a young age, Zelda knew she was the savior of Hyrule, a burden she's carried with her.

Her Hyrule-first mentality grows only stronger after the murder of her mother and the death of her father, fueling her to rule Hyrule with an iron fist and determined hope.

She attempts many diplomatic missions and alliance reconstructions with the Gerudo and her failures pile atop one another.

She is close friends with the Hero and she views her sages as divine-inspired guardians. Impa is like a second mother to her.

Gifted by the Goddess, Zelda is proficient in light and time magic. She can prophesy at sacred locations, seal/subdue darkness, and can craft light weapons such as the light arrow.

The Triforce of Wisdom sits on her hand, appearing when her mother died.

With Ganondorf slain and Link injured, Zelda is torn. She returns to the battlefield to face a vengeful Riar'svah. Armed with the Master Sword and the power of the Goddesses, Zelda charges.

Her battle with the Gerudo sage was a pure demonstration of Hylia and Demise at odds. While she is in turmoil about creating such rage-filled sorrow, Zelda beats Riar'svah back to the Highlands.

Her only son would be four generations before the Hyrulean Civil War.

Link | Hero of Courage

From the depths of Faron, Link is a Lurelin Hylian. His parents were retired sea farers. When the Triforce of Courage appeared on his hand at a young age, he was surrendered to Hyrule Castle, destined to become the Hero.

Abandoned, Link trained ruthlessly under the royal guard, often isolated from much of everyone to preserve the courage and heroic purity of the Hero.

While he does not necessarily struggle with accepting he is the Hero of Courage, it is isolating and his village becomes that of strangers for they treat him with such reverence when their used to be friendship.

He becomes very close to Zelda during their youth and their friendship transcends mortal relationships.

When his training is deemed complete by the sages and Impa, Link is sent to the Lost Woods to unleash the Master Sword. When he does, he will carry this sword into the final battle with the Demon King. Upon his return, he is paraded throughout Hyrule Castle Town and Castle.

Link defeats Ganondorf in battle but is mortally wounded in the process. Rushed back to Hyrule Castle, he is tended to in fervent vain by the Queen and her surviving Sages. However, when Riar'svah violently storms Hyrule, he is left to suffer alone.

Though he survives, Link is mute from the damages suffered.

Zirda | Former Queen of Hyrule & Sage of Light

Deceased queen of Hyrule, Zirda reigned with a soft but iron fist, working towards unification of Hyrule under the Loftwing banner. Seated at the head of the council of sages, she urged unity but found it fell on deaf ears.

Zirda had tense relations with the previous Gerudo chieftain, Rutimala.

She is fatally wounded in battle, dying days after. This leaves the throne to her husband, Rhoam, with her early teenage daughter, Zelda, rushing to prepare for the throne. Her death was a shock to the Hylian geopolitical scene, encouraging the sages to rally their respective people to join, save for the Gerudo and Rito sages.

As sage, Zirda could manipulate and control sources of light and light itself, known to illuminate the dark and shine light on lies. Gifted by the Goddesses, she could also conjure powerful beams, shields, swords, and arrows of light.

She was the sole holder of the Triforce. Upon her death, the Triforce saw no befitting wielder and split, landing upon the Goddesses' divine players: Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf.

[windsofcourage]

HE HADN'T LET GO OF her hand save the few spare moments he had to — & . then only to ghost his palm against the back of her shoulder . first , guiding through the coda corridors / shifting past glowing ruins / squeezing through patterned corridors . then , OUT INTO THE TWILIGHT where the sun bleared . link squinted , raising his free hand to shield from the glaring horizon line . shadows cast long across the path , falling dizzyingly into focus . better THAT than the inside of that blasted tower at any rate .

STILL , HE MARCHED ONWARD , feeling the weight of her hand in his hand around a numb palm & . the prickling in his fingertips . the cityscape shifted — & . link was used to that by now . the way the roads twisted & . the back alleys turned — like stumbling over forgotten things / floors & . steel blade slick with the waters that dripped off the hovering blight's horned - helm . HE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING / where he was taking her / knew it didn't matter / circling back to ragtime way was E A S Y irregardless of whether he could feel his own feet ( were they his feet ? ) on the ground . as long as they were safe , he didn't care .

WHAT EXACTLY COUNTED AS "SAFE" , HERE ?

the best he could offer was familiar .

SO HE PRESSED ONWARD . at least long enough until the rising tomb tower was far behind them . taking the dead with it . until the familiar sights of ragtime way's pavilion sprawled around them . HERE , at least link knew where he was going . roughly speaking , anyways . it did not ease the rattling in his bones the way he'd have liked it to — but having slowed his step and swept his sights over the perimeter , he NODDED SLIGHT anyhow .

it would just have to suffice .

THE SILENCE BREAKS . link heard his own voice a beat delayed .

❝  — . . . you okay? ❞

@silentaura / omerta nostra

[that-one-loz-nerd]

I've been having Thoughts about Zelda being your companion in totk and mourning the fact it never happened so here's my thoughts on how Zelda would work as a companion (and if anyone else has any ideas feel free to add!!)

General

Zelda would follow you around similar to the spirits in totk but less annoying since there's not 4 of her

She'd keep the same pace as Link - if he's walking, she'll walk and if he's running, she'll run

She might occasionally point things out in the environment like "maybe we should go explore there" or "that looks interesting!" but not super often so it isn't too annoying

I think it would be cool if Zelda also had a sheikah slate but maybe one that's just for taking pictures since she seems like she'd be more interested in using it for research rather than for combat like Link

When you're idle she might wander off a bit and go look at stuff (maybe there could be animations of her taking photos with the slate, looking at a ruin etc)

When you start the game you'll automatically have the white horse from botw in the stable. There could be some dialogue about Zelda saying she's happy he's being taken care of and she's fine with Link riding him

Any horses you've got in the stable can either be assigned to you or Zelda. She'll only ride her horse if you ride yours so she can keep pace with you

When you whistle to call a nearby horse both horses will come regardless of which one was close to you

When you go directly up to Zelda there would be four button options: Stay here!, Forage, Talk and Camera

Stay here!: just what it says on the tin. If she's told to stay here and an enemy attack she'll automatically start fighting unless she doesn't have a weapon then she'll hide or run to you if she's close enough

Forage: Zelda will walk around the nearby area and collect any fruit, herbs, etc. and anything she collects will automatically go into your inventory. If there's nothing nearby to forage she'll tell you

Talk: She'll say something to do with the currently pinned quest or surrounding area

Camera: Zelda will randomly take photos of pretty areas, interesting things, landmarks etc and the camera option lets you see all her photos :)

Combat

Okay so it would be super cool if in an early game cutscene Zelda thanks Link again for teaching her some basic combat just to explain why she's suddenly good with a sword lol

In your weapon inventory you can press one button to assign yourself/Link a weapon and another button to assign a weapon to Zelda

She wouldn't be as good as the player at doing damage (just so she wouldn't be too op) but as the game goes on she'd become more involved in combat as she becomes more confident

It would be cool if by assigning her swords all the time she'd start doing more damage with them but then if you switched her to a spear she'd be back at base damage like she's having to learn how to properly use a new weapon

Maybe there could be a God of War-esque thing where she would shout to you if an enemy's behind you or about to attack (but definitely not as often cause that would be annoying)

I presume zelda still has her light powers from botw so maybe that could be implemented somehow like she could temporarily blind enemies or light up a room

OHHHH what if there was a mirror shield mechanic (like in totk but way less janky) with her light powers too but you can also set enemies on fire with it lmao

Health

Zelda would have set health and can lose it in battle or by taking damage from the environment (walking through fire, being too cold etc)

If she takes a bit of damage she might start walking a bit slower and won't be as helpful in combat, doing less damage and becoming less confident at fighting

She would also have some idle animations like a slight limp or holding her side or something

When she takes enough damage then she'll fall to the floor (sort of like ashley in re4 but less dramatic) and won't move unless she's healed

To heal Zelda you just have to press on any food (raw or cooked) and press the "give to Zelda" button to heal her

In the inventory menu there might be a smaller health bar below yours which shows Zelda's health

Clothing

Zelda is 100% not just staying in her royal outfit the whole time lol

That outfit is her default but you can change it

Each outfit in the game has a version for Zelda so all you have to do is assign one to her

You and Zelda can wear the same outfit at the same time so you don't have to buy two of the same armour each time

She's susceptible to the elements the same as you so she has to wear warm clothing in cold weather etc

It would be so cute if in the inventory she stands behind Link so you can see her trying on outfits, swinging a weapon around and maybe an eating animation too

[shannonsketches]

do you guys ever think about totk and skyward sword

Like how between the dragons being named for the golden goddesses, the master sword being both a piece of technology and also healed by said dragon magic, the dragons being the result of eating a zonai secret stone, and ganon's quip about how the people must have thought the zonai were gods when they first interacted, and how there is a strong implication that Hylia was just a Zonai the Hylians chose to worship because they didn't know any better.

And how Demise was said to be something that came from beneath the Earth (the depths) and its Imprisoned form looks kind of like a Frox, and how Skyward Sword might be a Zonai legend spread to justify taking sanction over the mines and how in the story we hear he has dark skin and red hair even though according to Fi its true appearance is different to everyone who looks at it (which is an awfully convenient form for Evil(tm) to take).

And how TotK gave context that says Skyward Sword can feasibly be stripped back into a story of ancient Zonai queen having beef with an ancient Gerudo king over control of literal power (zonaite)

and how demise's curse was just 'this will happen again' because a gerudo king is born every one hundred years

do you guys ever think about that

[helmarok]

just speaking my truth because a lot of people will ignore how lukas was actually a mean girl but get on petra's ass for self sabotaging

[nickysfacts]

All fear the Calamity Ganondorf, the true heir of the Gerudo throne!

🔥🐗🔥

[phoenixcatch7]

Love how every zelda has a special interest and that special interest saves the world.

[linked-history]

Was going to post Shade but then realized none of what I was going to say in their information was going to make sense without this context so here is the updated First Trio with the information under the cut. Sorry if it's kinda jumbled, I tried to include as much as I could without getting too long winded or giving too much away so this is what you get.

The life created by Faore was vast though most inhabited the surface; across the desert, hidden in the forests, or spread across the plains. There were other races though who inhabited the sky or dwelled deep underground.

THE BEGINNING

As the Golden Goddesses completed their work on the creation of the world they left behind two relics for the inhabitants that the youngest, Faore, created. Din, gathering the broken shards of their power that they left behind, created the Triforce. While Nayru, melding Golden Flesh from all three of them together created Hylia, who would protect the Triforce. Faore as a final act of love for the lives she created imbued the Triforce with a portion of her own power before the three departed from the world.

From their first meeting the two grew closer and Hylia warmed up to her self-appointed guard, with his help those who lived around the temple no longer shied away from her gaze and Hylia found herself learning more about the world she inhabited instead of what she was only able to see from her place at the temple.

THE MEETING

The inhabitants would frequent the temple erected around the resting place of the Triforce, viewed as a Holy Ground and the last place touched by the Golden Goddesses, though most were weary to remain due to the silent vigil of the Triforce's protector. One day a man from the desert appeared, one who did not shy away from Hylia's golden gaze and rather seemed to house a portion of gold in his own gaze.

The one day, someone new appeared, one with a strange appearance the likes of which no one on the surface had ever seen. They had fallen at the steps of the temple near death by the time Hylia and Ganon had found them. After they had regained some strength and woke up they explained to Hylia and Ganon that their name was Link of the Zonai and that they had fallen to the surface from their home far above the clouds. After learning a bit more about his home and telling him more about the surface Link was given one of the available rooms within the temple and later introduced to those who lived around the temple.

Time passed and the three grew closer, learning more about one another and Link learned more about the new world around him, unable, or unwilling, to return home

As the corruption spread and gained power it took longer to kill but corrupted to the point of control, and those who it controlled would begin attacking loved ones and it was around this time that the corruption took hold of Ganon completely.

CORRUPTION

About a year or two after Link had arrived at the surface a plague began spreading across the surface, corrupting and quickly killing any afflicted by it. The people of the surface, unsure of where else it may have originated from, grew weary and rumors began that it was due to Link's arrival. These rumors spread and Link was soon imprisoned by those who feared the spreading corruption. It was at this time that Ganon had become afflicted by it, though hid it from Hylia so as not to worry her.

In the end Link was freed from his imprisonment to help Hylia fight against the corrupted Ganon. Though they were unable to kill one they had grown so close to, so Link presented a solution. The Zonai were all born with latent abilities, his was one that would help for the time being, until they were able to find a better solution. So Link, with Hylia's help, was able to seal Ganon away in a prison the two made together, though his Soul was shattered in the process. Hylia then made a wish upon the Triforce for herself, so that she may be reborn when the time came that his soul was reformed and the two would one day be able to save their friend in the future.

[merlindotpdf]

I know that ganon/ganondorf always serves to be the villain, like that's his eternal role, but I wonder if he ever has sympathy for zelda and link. the big bad evil seeing the same faces again and again all throughout time no matter how many times he or they have died, does he pity them for not knowing? does he laugh, thinking it dramatic irony whenever they defeat him knowing he will see them again in another life?

[fragmentedlegends]

"Sayyyy, I know you’ve been itching to fight Link yourself buuuut…he’s been my personal nemesis for longer and, well, I’d reallllly like to be the one to finish him off for good. That cool with you, boss man?"

Submitted Inquiry

His answer comes bluntly, as though he were asked to confirm if the sky were blue.

"If he falls to you, then he is not worthy of fighting me."

[jellyfishvibes]

Thinking about Ganon with the lyrics of the Last Midnight from Into the Woods

Like

Nintendo would let him be this complex if they weren't cowards

[alphascorpiixx]

can’t believe there’s a possibility of totk confirming a timeline theory I had after botw’s release but it’s happening at a time where I have decided I don’t care about the timeline anymore

[lordzannis]

Exploring the pressures of being a princess and the expectations placed on her.

Breath of the Wild Master Works, Pages 64 and 65

Zelda dons this ceremonial clothing of pure white when she undergoes her training to unlock her sacred sealing power. Because Calamity Ganon is revived immediately after she returns from her pilgrimage to Mount Lanayru, she makes her way all the way to the castle in this clothing to confront the Calamity, so she is still wearing this outfit when she meets Link again after she releases the seal a hundred years later.

Designers’ Notes

When Zelda appears in the fragments of Link’s memories, we wanted to give the player a powerful sense of “I want to know more about her, and I want to save her.” The concept of “a princess who is unable to use her sealing power” was born from the background setting of a calamitous defeat that occurred one hundred years ago. We wanted to create an emotionally effective scenario precisely because this is such a long-running series.

- Naoki Mori, Cinematic Design

Zelda is a reigning princess, but she is also a young woman whom we wanted to be realistic and relatable. We incorporated both sides of her personality along with the idea that she had reached an age at which she would no longer want to be seen as a child. We aimed for three costume designs that would help the player appreciate how cute and admirable she is with the condition that she would choose her own outfits and accessories appropriate to the time, place, and occasion. 

- Hirohito Shinoda, Lead Artist: NPC