Who is Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Classic villain explained
NintendoThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has brought a new storyline for players to check out, and the Demon King Ganondorf plays a major role in it. Here’s what you need to know about the iconic villain.
With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally here, fans of the franchise are eagerly hopping into the long-awaited Breath of the Wild sequel to check out all the new features and locations in the game.
There is also a brand-new storyline in which the iconic Zelda villain Ganondorf is a major player. Those who played Breath of the Wild won’t want to confuse Ganondorf with Ganon, who was the main antagonist of the prequel.
We’ll break down who Ganondorf is in the Zelda franchise as well as how the Demon King differs from Calamity Ganon, to clear up any confusion before you dive into Tears of the Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf villain explained
The Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom is not the same antagonist that was in Breath of the Wild. In fact, Breath of the Wild did not feature Ganondorf, and this is the character’s first appearance since The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, almost 17 years ago.
In Zelda games, Ganondorf and Ganon are two terms that are used to refer to the villain’s forms. When Ganondorf is used, it refers to the humanoid form. Meanwhile, Ganon is used when the villain takes on a beast-like appearance.
NintendoThe Ganon form often sees the villain take the appearance of a hog as he grows to a colossal size. Some Zelda games include Ganondorf and Ganon as the former transforms into the latter, while other games feature only one form at a time.
The villain that Link fought in Breath of the Wild was Ganon, or in this case, Calamity Ganon. So while they’re technically the same entity, it’s correct to say that Ganondorf did not feature in Breath of the Wild.
Ganondorf has appeared as Ganon in multiple The Legend of Zelda entries, and the original Ganondorf that was fused with the Demon King is featured in Tears of the Kingdom. Link faces off against this enemy in the new title.
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