Ganon

Ganon, (Pronounced, ) also known as Ganondorf, (Pronounced , ) is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. He has been present since the first game, The Legend of Zelda, and until Majora's Mask, he was at least referred to in each. It is generally assumed that, unlike his archenemies Link and Princess Zelda, he is the same person who recurrently surfaces as the primary antagonist, although he has had several deaths, both confirmed, like in The Legend of Zelda, and unconfirmed, such as in Twilight Princess, and has also been resurrected in the past, as well, so the subject of Ganon's consistent or inconsistent identity as the same man throughout nearly 25 years of games poses many questions to fans. He is the possessor of the Triforce of Power, imbued with the essence of the Goddess Din. This divine relic makes Ganon unimaginably strong and grants him boundless mystical power, making him a grave threat to the land of Hyrule and the world. As stated in prophecy, the only one capable of defeating Ganon is the Hero who is chosen by the Goddesses.

Backstory
Ganon was first given a (meager) back story in A Link to the Past. It was revealed that Ganon had not always been the boar-like demon introduced in The Legend of Zelda. He was revealed to once have been a human by the name of Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ, Ganondorofu) and leader of a group of thieves. With the help of his followers, he became the first to enter the Sacred Realm in ages. He claimed the Triforce, turning the Sacred Realm into the Dark World and himself into a vastly powerful being. However, he was trapped within the Sacred Realm by the combined efforts of the Knights of Hyrule and the Sages. This story has been expanded on in Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf was born a Gerudo, one of the human races of the realm of Hyrule. The Gerudo are a race of mostly female warriors and thieves, to whom only one male is born every century. The male is by birthright the King of the Gerudo.

Ganondorf used his position, the trust of the King of Hyrule, as well as a great deal of cunning, manipulation, and mystical power to gain entrance to the Sacred Realm, the abode of the Triforce. However, he did not obtain the full Triforce but was left with only the Triforce of Power, which he used to great effect in his conquest of Hyrule. In The Wind Waker, Ganondorf's character was given greater depth; a timeline was established, and Ganon was given a clearer background and motive for his villainy. It is made clear that his desire to conquer Hyrule stems from the arduous life he and his people are subjected to living in the harsh Gerudo Desert, a wasteland plagued by sandstorms and an unstable climate, which he compares to the verdant landscape of Hyrule Field, and the amenable life lived by the Hylians.

He is also given an alternate backstory in Four Swords Adventures. In this backstory, Ganondorf is a Gerudo, but he is not the king. He begins his transformation into the King of Darkness by violating the Gerudo taboo on the Dark Pyramid and seeking out the Trident of Power.

Characteristics
Ganon is a villain of pure evil. A cruel and ruthless warlord, Ganon's only ambition in life is to obtain the Triforce and dominate the world. Despite his undeniable lust for power, Ganon is a mastermind; he is an adept tactician and a master of manipulation and deceit. It is not unusual for Ganon to manipulate the events of a story behind the scenes (as he did in A Link to the Past, Four Swords Adventures, and Twilight Princess), only to be revealed as the orchestrator in a plot twist. Ganon usually presents himself within the facade of a cynical, yet calm and civil man, although he is known to very quickly become enraged, ensuing in a murderous rampage. Ganon does not have a strong sense of morality or honor, and committing murder to achieve his goal is not beyond him. In his conquest of the Sacred Realm, once he reached the Temple of the Triforce, he single-handedly killed all of his followers who had aided him in his expedition, so that he could claim the Triforce uncontested. He is also culturally inclined, playing the organ with great skill, as seen in Ocarina of Time where he plays his own theme throughout Link's attack on his tower. Ganon also possess an arrogant sense of entitlement, he believes himself to be the only one worthy of ruling the kingdom. His pride is also shown when fighting enemies. Despite being more than capable of defeating most enemies in personal combat, Ganon instead relies on his minions to defeat them. Apparently, he only chooses to fight opponents he deems worthy, such as Link.

Even before gaining the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf was arguably one of the most powerful men in the entire land of Hyrule. He was an immensely powerful sorcerer with vast mystical resources, and as the King of the Gerudo, he also possessed political power. Once Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Power, however, his abilities, both physical and mystical, were augmented to god-like proportions, his power unrivaled by any mortal. Ganondorf became utterly unstoppable, conquering Hyrule with ease. As seen in the events of Twilight Princess, the Triforce of Power also grants Ganondorf immortality. Using its power, he has endured mortal wounds (such as having his heart pierced by a sword), only to remain alive and unrelenting. In addition to his incredible strength, invulnerability, and magical abilities, Ganondorf has proven himself to be a very talented swordsman, as seen in the final battles between Ganondorf and Link in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Ganondorf also has an unnaturally long lifespan, if not indefinite; he has lived through ages of Hyrulean chronology.

Name issue
Since the release of the original game, Ganon has had different names which were and are often used interchangeably. In the first game, Ganon's name was misspelled Gannon. Note that this was only the case in the game and that the manual did use the correct name. As of today, some people still call him Gannon, which has inspired the site/term Gannon-Banned. Later, when A Link to the Past was released, Ganon's human form Ganondorf was introduced. However, because Nintendo of America decided to give their own twist to the story in the translation, "Ganondorf" ended up with a last name: Ganondorf Dragmire. This name has only been used in the Western manuals of A Link to the Past for the SNES. Similarly, "Ganon" was given the name Mandrag Ganon, which supposedly means "Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves". These names do not appear in later games or re-releases of A Link to the Past.

In almost all cases, the character is referred to either by the name Ganon or Ganondorf. More often than not, "Ganon" has been used as the name of his boar-like demon form, while "Ganondorf" has been used to refer to the Gerudo man. However, there have been several cases, even in more recent games, in which characters, such as the King of Red Lions or Zant, refer to the form more commonly known as Ganon or Ganondorf with what has been more firmly established as the other form's name. For more information, see Ganon Conflicts.

The Legend of Zelda
Ganon, who had stolen the Triforce of Power attacked Hyrule in an attempt to steal the Triforce of Wisdom. He made his base of operations in Death Mountain under Spectacle Rock. Princess Zelda split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight shards to prevent Ganon from laying his hands on it. Link assembled them and fought and defeated Ganon, using the Silver Arrows to defeat him.

Strategy
Ganon will attack while invisible. Avoid his fireballs and swing the Magical Sword at where he appears to be. After he is hit a few times, he will turn red and be paralyzed. Shoot him with a Silver Arrow to finish him off.

BS Legend of Zelda
In BS Zelda (a remake of the first Legend of Zelda title, re-released for the BS-X broadcasting system addition for the Super Famicom), Ganon used a variation of his A Link to the Past look. He wore a red coat, skull necklace, and wielded the Trident.

The Adventure of Link
Years later, in The Adventure of Link, Ganon's army made an attempt to revive him by spilling Link's blood onto Ganon's ashes but failed. As such, Ganon only appeared on the "Game Over"-screen.

A Link to the Past
Prior to this game, Ganondorf was the first to enter the Sacred Realm in a long time. There, he killed his minions in order to be the only one able to claim the Triforce. When he laid his hands upon it, the Sacred Realm changed into the Dark World and he changed into a boar-like demon, Ganon. However, he was not able to enjoy his new powers for very long as the Knights of Hyrule and the Sages locked him up in the Dark World. Many years later, Ganon used the (guise of the) wizard Agahnim to break free from the Dark World. Agahnim managed to win the trust of the King of Hyrule and eventually managed to take control of Hyrule himself. He tried to break the seal by sending the Maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, into the Dark World. He was temporarily stopped when Link helped the final maiden, Princess Zelda, to escape. However, Agahnim managed to find her while Link was trying to acquire the Master Sword and immediately send her to the Dark World. This broke the seal and allowed Ganon's influence to spread across the Light World too. After suffering a defeat by Link, Agahnim draws him into the Dark World. Link had to face Agahnim again in the Dark World, where he destroyed him. After the battle with Agahnim, a shadow, Ganon, arose from his body and flew to the Pyramid of Power. There, Link finally was able to put him down. Even though Ganon wielded the might of the united Triforce and the Trident, Link managed to kill him with the Silver Arrows and the Golden Sword.

Strategy
Link must be careful of Ganon's flying Trident and his fire bats. When Link has a chance, he must hit Ganon with his sword. After some time, the borders of the floor will disappear, and if he falls, he will have to start the fight again. When the lights go out, Link must light the torches with the Fire Rod or Lantern and strike Ganon with the sword. In order to hurt Ganon with the Tempered Sword, Link must hit him with a Spin Attack. When he becomes blue, Link must shoot him with a Silver Arrow. After four arrows, Ganon will succumb.

Link's Awakening
Ganon did not appear in Link's Awakening, though Nightmare's fourth form resembled him.

Ocarina of Time
By the time of the events of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf was striving to conquer the lands of Hyrule and obtain the Triforce. In order to access the Triforce within the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf sought the three Spiritual Stones from the Kokiri, Gorons, and Zoras. When they refused to hand them over, he placed a death-curse upon the Great Deku Tree and Lord Jabu-Jabu and blocked off Dodongo's Cavern with a gigantic boulder. At the same time, he pledged false allegiance to the King of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda sensed the evil within Ganondorf and along with Link, strove to prevent Ganondorf from obtaining the Triforce. Ganondorf betrayed and assaulted Hyrule Castle while Link gathered the three Spiritual Stones. He only came in time to see Zelda and Impa flee, pursued by Ganondorf. Ganondorf demanded Link to tell him where the two had fled to, but Link did not tell him. When Link, shortly after, opened the gate to the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf followed him and seized the opportunity to obtain the Triforce, with partial success. As he touched the Triforce, it split into three pieces, leaving Ganondorf with only the Triforce of Power.

During the seven years Link was asleep, Ganondorf conquered the kingdom of Hyrule. When Link was ten years old, talks of the Gerudo were not that commonplace. During the seven years of Ganondorf's reign, he had made his presence felt and acknowledged all throughout Hyrule proper. It was all too rare if there were people in Hyrule not affected by Ganondorf directly or indirectly in some way. He transformed the feudal-style Hyrule Castle into Ganon's Castle, a tiered near-cylindrical skyscraper resting on a floating island hovering above a large lake of lava. Ganondorf's red hair had grown into a full mane, giving him the appearance of a regal figure. He had the Market Town totally decimated, left in ruins, and populated by the ReDead, causing many Hylians to flee to Kakariko Village.

As Hyrule's new king, Ganondorf gained even more knowledge regarding the Triforce. Because his heart was not in balance, he was only bestowed one third of the element: the Triforce of Power. With all the luxury and power at his disposal, the Evil King had all the time to wait patiently yet alertly for the moment when the two remaining Triforce keepers would reveal themselves. Eventually, he found them in the Temple of Time wherefore he kidnapped Princess Zelda and challenged Link to come rescue her. The three Triforce possessors finally met again in Ganon's Tower where the final battle was yet to ensue. Link reaches the top of the Tower discovering that the music heard radiating from throughout was Ganondorf playing on a massive organ adorned with grotesque statuary, while Zelda was confined in a pink crystalline enclosure floating above Ganondorf's organ. Upon the arrival of Link, Ganondorf taunts the Hylian, whom possesses the Triforce of Courage, engaging him in battle. Link is able to defeat the tyrant with Light Arrows, spinning sword attacks, and strikes from the Master Sword. Ganondorf, in his corporeal human form, is defeated and weakened. After rescuing Zelda from the Tower, the revived and now-enraged Ganondorf uses the essence of the Triforce of Power to transform into a bestial monstrosity now named Ganon. Despite his behemoth height and clever tactics, Link manages to defeat him by using the Master Sword and assistance from the power of the Seven Sages. Ganon was sealed into the void of the Evil Realm where he could not harm Hyrule or lay his hands on the remaining pieces of the Triforce. As he is sealed in the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf claims that when he breaks the seal, he will terrorize Link's descendants. This appears to come true in other games such as The Wind Waker.

Strategy
After beckoning Link into battle, the Evil King's throne room metamorphoses into a spacious, open room. Ganondorf drives Navi the Fairy away with strong, dark waves. Ganondorf then creates a shock wave that will damage Link if he is too close. This wave knocks much of the floor blocks away, creating an open square cavity around the main pillar. If Link falls into this pit, he can climb back up or use the Longshot to reach the top again.

Ganondorf will cause shock waves if Link gets close and will unleash two types of ranged magic attacks if he is at a distance. Link can reflect the first type by slashing at it with either the Master Sword (or an Empty Bottle), but the second type consists of many different orbs, so only a well-timed Great Spin Attack will reflect it. However, while charging this attack Ganondorf is highly vulnerable to the Light Arrow.

Once Link reflects Ganondorf's magic upon him, he will be stunned. Shoot him with a Light Arrow, and he will fall to the ground. Now Link can target him and attack with the Master Sword.

After Link defeats Ganondorf, the castle will start falling apart and he will have to escape with Princess Zelda. When he reaches the bottom, the tower will completely collapse. The young hero will then approach the pile of rubble, and Ganondorf will erupt from it and use the Triforce of Power to become Ganon, knocking the Master Sword away from Link's hands. In this battle, Ganon's only vulnerable spot is his tail, but he guards it well, so the only way to get to it is to stun him with a Light Arrow to the face, or have Link roll between his legs while he raises his swords to attack. If Link gets low on health, magic, or arrows, he can lure Ganon into destroying a pile of rubble to reveal a few refills.

After Link causes enough damage to him, Ganon will kneel down, stunned, and the wall of flames separating Link from the Master Sword will temporarily disappear. Link must use this opportunity to grab it and then repeat the earlier attack pattern to get Zelda to pin Ganon down so Link can finish him off. Only the Master Sword can deliver the final blow to Ganon.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
In the linked ending of the Oracle subseries of Zelda games, it is revealed that the events of the two games were started by Twinrova in an attempt to resurrect Ganon. The ritual required that three flames were lit: the Flame of Destruction, the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair. The Flame of Destruction was lit when Link defeated General Onox. The Flame of Sorrow was lit when Link defeated Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows. With two flames lit, the Twinrova sisters capture Princess Zelda and intend to sacrifice her to light the final flame. Because Link managed to save her, the Twinrova sisters are forced to sacrifice themselves to awaken Ganon. Because of this, the ritual was incomplete and Ganon became a mindless beast, although he did demonstrate limited thought just as he was defeated (or banished) by Link.

The Wind Waker
"My name is Ganondorf... And I am the master of Forsaken Fortress."

- Ganondorf

Long before the events in The Wind Waker, Ganon managed to escape and wreak havoc in Hyrule once more. No hero appeared this time and the Gods were forced to flood Hyrule in order to stop Ganon.

However, he managed to free himself and subsequently rebuild his army. Still wanting to obtain the Triforce, he sent one of his minions, the Helmaroc King, on a search for "young girls with pointy ears" hoping to find Princess Zelda, the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. Among the girls kidnapped is Link's sister, Aryll, and this sets Link off on his adventure to rescue her. Link finds Ganondorf's hideout, the Forsaken Fortress, where Ganondorf had Link thrown far away into the ocean after being caught by the Helmaroc King. Later, it is revealed that Ganondorf has limited magic strength, for his powers were sealed away by the gods with the aid of the Master Sword. However, without this knowledge, Link himself takes the Master Sword, and thus removed the only barrier restraining Ganondorf's power.

Soon afterwards atop the Forsaken Fortress, Ganondorf reveals that the Master Sword is dull; its power to banish evil gone. Link and the pirate captain Tetra narrowly escape safely with the help of the Sky Spirit Valoo and the Rito before Ganondorf can seize Tetra, who he finds is actually Princess Zelda and the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom. After this, Zelda is hidden inside the underwater castle in Hyrule and Link begins his quest to reawaken the Master Sword. Once Link achieves his goals of finding the Triforce of Courage and restoring the Master Sword, Ganondorf locates their haven and consequently captures Zelda, whom he takes to his underwater tower. Link finds Zelda unharmed, lying in a bed, sleeping, with Ganondorf watching over her and her dreams. However, before Link has any chance to approach, Ganondorf unleashes a bewitched, giant puppet, which Link defeats. Ganondorf finally reappears to challenge Link, and with Zelda in his arm, he rises to the rooftop of the tower.

Soon after Link reached the rooftop, Ganondorf speaks to him about his reasons for desperately searching for the Triforce pieces, revealing a little of his origins from the harsh Gerudo Desert and his desire to take over the green landscapes of Hyrule. When he declares that he already has in his possession the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganondorf suddenly rushes against Link and delivers swift, hard blows that leave Link half-conscious and the Master Sword out of reach. Ganondorf, using his Triforce of Power, summons the two missing Triforce pieces from Link and Zelda and reforms the Triforce. Nevertheless, right before Ganondorf is able to touch the Triforce and make his wish come true, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the last King of Hyrule, appears to touch the Triforce first and makes the wish of washing away the ancient land of Hyrule. The Triforce disappears and water starts pouring through the protective barrier into the land of Hyrule as Ganondorf laughs scornfully. Link wakes up at that point and Zelda approaches him holding the Master Sword for Link to engage Ganondorf in a last battle. Ultimately with Zelda's aid, Ganondorf is defeated when Link deals the final blow by plunging the Master Sword straight into Ganondorf's forehead, turning him into stone. He remains atop the tower under the Great Sea with the Master Sword in his head, and the ocean finally drowns Hyrule under the Great Sea.

Strategy
Just when the battle begins Zelda will talk to Link, telling him she will take care of the Arrows of Light to cover him. Immediately, Ganondorf will approach Link with his two blades. The young hero must target him, dodge or shield his blows and wait for the Parry attack to numb Ganon so Link can slash him. Link can also get away from him at a safe distance, making Ganon follow him until Zelda shoots an arrow to numb Ganon, allowing Link to freely strike Ganondorf with the Master Sword. After some blows from the Light Arrows, a cinema display will be shown where Ganondorf will knock down Zelda, leaving her unconscious for some time. Meanwhile, Link will have to attack Ganondorf with the Parry strategy. The more damage Link does to Ganon, the more difficult it will be to Parry, until it will be just impossible to do so. When that happens, Zelda will wake up. Link must get near her at this point and use the shield and get away from Ganondorf while targeting him and being aligned with Zelda until she fires an arrow. Ganondorf will dodge it but if Link was using the shield, the magic will be reflected unto Ganondorf. Otherwise, Zelda will hit Link, taking away life from him. If Link is not aligned with Zelda, the arrow will be lost. Once Ganondorf is hit, Link must quickly get near him until he can Parry him for the last blow. Thus, the battle will come to an end.

Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventures, Ganon stole the Trident and the Dark Mirror which he used to summon Dark Link. He used him to trick Link into releasing Vaati from the Four Sword. While Vaati distracted Link and imprisoned the Shrine Maidens, Ganon absorbed the power of the Maidens. At the end of the game, Ganon appears as the final boss as a twist ending, fought in the Dark World underneath the Tower of Winds, where he is defeated after Link fires a Light Arrow into Zelda's energy bomb that pierces him. He is then sealed away in the Four Sword. In this game, Ganon is referred to as a desert nomad, recently expelled from the Gerudo Tribe by breaking their taboo and exploring the Desert Pyramid.

Twilight Princess
Between the events of Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, Ganondorf was captured, put on trial, and sentenced to execution by the Sages. While they managed to severely wound him, they could not kill him. It was revealed that he possessed the Triforce of Power, and with it, he managed to free himself from his chains, and well as kill the Sage of Water. Knowing no better solution, the Sages opened the gate to the Twilight Realm and sent Ganondorf through it. There he influenced Zant, who had been denied the throne of the Twilight Realm, to seize control and access Hyrule again. Ganondorf granted Zant a fraction of his power in return for the opportunity to escape the Twilight Realm.

Ganondorf and Link met in Hyrule Castle after Link had defeated Zant. Ganondorf was sitting on Princess Zelda's throne and Zelda's body lie in a niche in the same room. During the final battle, Ganondorf possessed Zelda by turning into Twilight. Using Zelda as a puppet, he attacks Link relentlessly, until Link forces his spirit out of Zelda's body. Ganondorf then takes his bestial form, Ganon, becoming an immensely powerful boar. Taking advantage of Ganon's blind rage, Link outwits him, and defeats Ganon by striking the wound left by the Sages with the Master Sword.

Ganondorf then took on the form an immense veil of fire in the shape of his disembodied head. Midna valiantly resolved to fight Ganondorf using the Twilight magic housed within the Fused Shadow, teleporting Link and Zelda to the safety of Hyrule Field. Midna transformed into an enormous Twilit arachnoid and attacked Ganondorf. The ensuing battle destroyed Hyrule Castle. Ultimately, Midna was no match for Ganondorf, and he made short work of her. He emerged from the ruins of Hyrule Castle on horseback, triumphantly holding aloft the Fused Shadow fragment that Midna wore, and after crushing it in his hand, he charged Link and Zelda.

Zelda entreats the Light Spirits of the realm to lend her their power in the form of the Arrows of Light. Mounting Epona, Link and Zelda pursue, assailing Ganondorf with a hail of arrows. Ganondorf is momentarily staggered, falling from his steed. Link dismounts Epona to examine further, but Ganondorf recovers surprisingly quickly, and confines himself and Link in a makeshift arena. Ganondorf challenges Link to a sword duel to the death.

After besting him in a sword to sword struggle, Link plunges the Master Sword into Ganondorf's open wound. He survives the death blow for a few moments. Only when the Triforce of Power fades completely from his hand, does he succumb. Now dying, Ganondorf sees a vision of Zant. Zant's neck breaks, and immediately Ganondorf's eyes gloss over and he dies.

Strategy
Because Ganondorf takes over Zelda's body, Link must fight Ganon as Puppet Zelda first. Puppet Zelda attacks similarly to Phantom Ganon in Ocarina of Time. Her first attack will likely be the electricity ball. When she throws it at Link with his sword, try to hit it back at her, taking both Link and Zelda into a volley. Link is also capable of using an empty bottle instead of his sword in this sequence. As soon Zelda gets hit by the energy ball, Puppet Zelda will try a new attack. She'll try to charge Link with her sword, forcing Link out of the way or she will make a glowing Triforce under Link's feet, which Link must step out of to avoid damage. Following this, Puppet Zelda will eventually revert to tossing her signature energy ball at Link.

Once Puppet Zelda is defeated, Ganon transforms into his beast form. Ganon has only one attack here; he will ram into Link and stomp on him. It does a lot of damage, but he is easy to get away from. As soon as Ganon warps, Link must wait until he reappears, then immediately shoot him with an arrow. He'll slide on the floor, and Link will get a chance to attack. His weak spot is the glowing spot on his chest. Now, when Link tries to hit him with an arrow he'll disappear. So, Link will have to turn into wolf form and stop him with Midna's huge hand, tripping him over. When he's tipped over, Link must attack as quickly as he can, repeating this until Ganon is defeated.

After the cut-scene, Link will be fighting Ganondorf on horseback. When Ganondorf is hit by a Light Arrow, Link must catch up and attack him. If Link is too slow, Ganondorf will knock Link off of Epona. To do this easier, Ganondorf will also summon ghostly henchmen to charge Link.

Now Link is face to face with the Dark Lord himself. Although his attacks are not as strong as Ganon's, it is much harder to avoid them. His first often used attack is a stab. Once again, this can not be avoided with Link's sword. The best way for Link to avoid this attack is to do a back flip. His second most used attack is a slash. This attack has the same amount of strength as the previous one, but it has a larger range. His strongest attack is one that is taken from Link: he'll bash the young hero, and then he'll do a spin attack. If Link gets hit by the bash, the spin attack is almost impossible to avoid, but he will delay the spin attack if he hits Link into the electricity wall with the bash. Unlike previous forms, Ganondorf will block almost all of Link's sword attacks.

Most of Link's attacks will have no effect on Ganondorf (with the exception of the Back Slice, which give Link an opening after the ending sword-strike), either because he'll avoid them with his sword, or his armor will protect him. Link will have a chance to hit him when he finishes an attack, and he is behind him. He must hit him with a jump attack, and then attack the glowing crack on his chest. If Ganondorf misses Link with his attack, he can jump behind Link and try again.

Eventually, Ganondorf will jump away from all of Link's attacks, so he must have perfect timing. As an alternative, Link can pull out his fishing rod. Ganondorf will follow the hook with his eyes, thereby dropping his guard, and allowing Link to attack. When he knocks him down after numerous hits, Link will have to stab him.

Another easier and more preferable way to defeat him is back away, and when he charges at Link, the "chance" icon will appear at the bottom of the screen. Pressing A will cause Link to lock swords with him, and he can be stunned by rapidly tapping A. When stunned, he can be attacked with the Master Sword until he falls to the ground. Perform the Ending Blow to stab him after he collapses to finally put an end to the Dark Lord. Although it takes longer, this battle is possible to finish with the Ordon Sword.



Phantom Hourglass
Ganon is not encountered or fought in Phantom Hourglass due to his defeat in Hyrule (now beneath the Great Sea) at the end of The Wind Waker, but Link's duel with an "evil king" is mentioned in the intro.

Ganon's Swords

 * See also: Sword of the Sages

Although they go unnamed throughout The Legend of Zelda series, Ganondorf has several swords that he uses often. They are inscribed with various pictures or writing, depending on the game. Ganondorf is first canonically seen wielding a sword in The Wind Waker during the final battle, which is what he uses as his offensive strategy. Later on in Twilight Princess, Ganondorf wields the Sword of the Sages, a weapon that the Sages tried to use against him in an attempt to kill him. The Sword of the Sages serves as Ganondorf's weapon in the final battle against Link.

Non-canon appearances of a sword-wielding Ganondorf include several of Ganondorf's victory poses in Super Smash Bros. Melee and the Spaceworld 2000 demo which included a sword fight between Link and Ganon. This sword was much bulkier than the swords he uses in the main series, and had a rounded tip.

Animated series
In the Zelda animated series, Ganon's design is loosely based upon his appearance from the first game, making him similar to a humanoid pig in a purple robe; however, when needed, he can raise a hood over his head to disguise himself, which he often does when in the surface. Len Carlson serves as the voice actor for Ganon.

Ganon makes his den in the Underworld and maintains an Evil Jar which allows him to summon his minions to attack at his command. He also keeps the Triforce of Power in his lair, giving him an endless supply of magic to aid him in his attempts to overthrow the kingdom of Hyrule by either capturing Princess Zelda, King Harkinian, Link, or stealing the Triforce of Wisdom from North Castle. However, his plans are often flawed by the ineptitude of his servants or by Link and Zelda, which sometimes results in Ganon being zapped into the Evil Jar instead.

Ganon is capable of teleporting to any location in the Underworld, an ability that he often uses to immediately find Link and Zelda whenever they are traveling around the Underworld. However, since his magic is limited in the Overworld, he is unable to use his powers outside the Underworld, which forces him to rely on his minions to perform tasks for him: as means of transportation while in the surface, Ganon often rides a Lowder or is carried by Stalfos to help him reach his destination.

This version of Ganon is more comical and bumbling than his appearance in the games, and he is seen to be short-tempered and intolerant of his servants' clumsiness. As such, he is often seen treating them harshly, which at one point they grow tired of and overthrow Ganon as their leader, as seen in  "The Moblins are Revolting." Other than using his minions to execute his plans, Ganon is also known to invent various items that will help him achieve his goal of stealing the Triforce of Wisdom, such as a mirror that creates an evil clone of Zelda, a Wand of Power, and a Capture Staff.

The Legend of Zelda comic
In the Legend of Zelda comic published by Valiant Comics, Ganon is usually depicted as a man in a  heavy dark blue hooded cloak with no visible face for several issues,  although later on he would be sometimes portrayed as the familiar pig-faced monster. Since this comic takes place after the events of The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, it is told that Ganon led his minions to attack Hyrule and thus allow him to steal the Triforce of Power. Ganon dwells in the Underworld, with his lair being in Death Mountain, just like in the original The Legend of Zelda. Using the might of the Triforce, Ganon strives to destroy Link and Zelda, steal the Triforce of Wisdom, and take over the kingdom of  Hyrule. Ganon goes to great lengths to accomplish his goals, such as manipulating the citizens of the Water Town of Saria into going against Link and Zelda, and disguising himself as Impa to defeat the young hero once and for all. Although his minions follow his every order and are loyal to him, Darknut Prime reveals that they hate their "pig-nosed master even more" than Zelda and Link do.

In The Power, Link manages to steal the Triforce of Power from Ganon and uses it to severely damage the Prince of Darkness with it. Knowing that he is powerless against the might of the Triforce, Ganon barely manages to escape back into the Underworld. However, after Link catches up with him, the young hero traps Ganon inside a cage hanging over a bottomless pit. Ganon then begs Link to let him have the Triforce of Power back so that the two of them can defeat Zelda together, but Link ignores him and says that the Triforce of Power is his forever. Once Link realizes what he has become and decides to throw away the Triforce of Power to keep his soul intact, the cage that was holding  Ganon disappears and sends him tumbling down after the Triforce.

Captain N: The Game Master
Ganon appears in the "Quest for the Potion of Power" episode of the Captain N: The Game Master show. Len Carlson reprises his role as the voice actor for Ganon.

After finding out about a potion that can revive Ganon, King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard find it in the Maze Island Palace and go to Death Mountain to make Ganon drink it. Before the evil wizard takes the potion, he is depicted as a small, innocent and defenseless pig. However, right after he swallows its contents, he transforms into a bigger, stronger and more grotesque-looking pig, slightly resembling his Zelda cartoon appearance. With Ganon now resurrected, he plans to take over Videoland, much to the dismay of Mother Brain, who Ganon is supposed to be working for. The Evil Wizard, however, exclaims that he works for no one, and sends out a shockwave that knocks Mother Brain on her side. Kevin tries to stop Ganon, but he increases his size and becomes a monster of epic proportions. Ganon then tries to defeat Link and Kevin by sending a fire geam in their direction, but Link's Magical Shield reflects it back to the giant wizard, instantly defeating him.

Nintendo Adventure Books
In the Nintendo Adventure Books, Ganon appears again as the main antagonist of both The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince. However, in these books, Ganon is described as a skeletal figure with "burning, white eyes" and "skull-like mask" for a face. Some of the magic used by Ganon in the book includes shooting fireballs from his hand and firing a bolt of light from his fingertips.

The Crystal Trap
In The Crystal Trap, Link and Princess Zelda are running inside the Midoro Palace trying to escape from Ganon's grap. However, the evil wizard finds them and eventually encases Link in a Crystal. Ganon explains that since he cannot obtain the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom from Link and Zelda respectively, he used a Magic Scroll which cast a spell to encase both pieces of the Triforce, including the Triforce of Courage encased in Link's heart. Although the evil wizard had planned to kill Princess Zelda, he confesses that he prefers seeing her suffer over Link, and mocks her that she will be unable to obtain all three items necessary to save the young hero before he gets trapped in the crystal forever in 24 hours.

Eventually, however, Princess Zelda finds the three items as dictated by the Fairy's Scroll and frees the young hero. After the duo find the Spear, which is the only weapon that can destroy Ganon, the two are confronted by the evil wizard. Although Ganon tries to fight back, Zelda fires an arrow and pins his robe to a tree trunk, giving Link a chance to hurl the Spear. It pierces through Ganon's hand, injuring him gravely, but warns the young heroes that he will come back before disappearing into nothingness.

The Shadow Prince
In The Shadow Prince, Ganon disguises himself as a knight from the land of Moria known as Charles, who has come to visit the kingdom of Hyrule to do good deeds and thus become the king of Moria. He meets Link and Zelda when they are about to be killed by a gang of Moblins, but Charles arrives and easily scares them off. Although Princess Zelda is impressed by his bravery after single-handedly defeating a Darknut, Link distrusts the Morian knight from the moment he meets him.

The King of Hyrule is also quick to trust Charles and shows him the Triforce of Wisdom, dubbing him a knight of the Triforce in the process. Later on in the book, the King of Hyrule, fearing the safety of the Triforce of Wisdom, decides to relocate the Triforce to the Fifth Castle of Ancient Hyrule and chooses Charles to do the task instead of Link. The young hero, furious at the king's decision and saying that Charles cannot be trusted, uses the Mirror of Truth to reveal the knight's true identity. However, Charles quickly takes the Triforce of Wisdom and escapes into the woods with it, where Link defeats him by slashing his necklace, the true source of Ganon's power.

Philips CD-i Games
In the Zelda Philips CD-i Games, Ganon bears a greater resemblance to a bulldog than a pig, although he retains some aspects of his design from the cartoon series, such as the long, flowing robe and helmet.

In Link: The Faces of Evil, Ganon has ordered his minions to seize the Island of Koridai, and soon after Link is dispatched to defeat him. At one point, he appears in spirit form to capture Zelda, and when Link arrives to fight him, he offers him the Hobson's Choice of an alliance or death. However, Link imprisons him within the Book of Koridai.

In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Ganon has conquered Gamelon and also blackmails Duke Onkled to betray his cousin, King Harkinian, with threats of destroying Gamelon. He also sends Gibdo, Omfak, Hectan, and other various monsters to defeat anyone who stands in his way. When Zelda confronts him, he blows her away with magic after she exposes him to light. Zelda uses the Wand of Gamelon to mystically summon chains to bind him, and he is inexplicably trapped in what appears to be the Book of Koridai, claiming that they have not seen the last of him.

In Zelda's Adventure, Ganon kidnaps Link and conquers Tolemac, prompting Zelda to go on a quest to defeat him and rescue Link. In this game, Ganon appears nothing like he did in any previous game, resembling a demonic creature more than a porcine sorceror. He has stolen the celestial signs and captured Link, prompting Zelda to defeat him. During the fight, he wields a large trident similar to the one in Four Swords Adventures. His castle, much like canonical ones, has the bosses that were fought earlier in it, to be fought again. Once defeated, his body is encased in a tornado, which then flies apart, destroying him.

Super Smash Bros. Series

 * See SmashWiki's article on Ganondorf for more information.

Ganondorf is an unlockable playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He is unlocked after an event match called "Triforce Gathering" or through playing enough multiplayer matches. After any of those have been achieved, he will have to be fought Final Destination. If beaten, he will be unlocked for use in the game. His moves and animations (with the exception of his taunt and victory animations) are almost identical to those of Captain Falcon save for a difference in speed, power, and effect, which has led many to call him merely a clone and a fill-in character. Ganondorf is slow moving but overall the most powerful character in the game; it is also worth mentioning that his lack of speed can be compensated with "L-Canceling" which allows Ganondorf to be played with both power and relative speed, making him a mid-tier. A fully charged attack from him could defeat almost any opponent with ease.

Oddly in his art for the game, Ganondorf wields a sword, but it only appears in the actual game in one of Ganondorf's victory animations. Ganondorf's design, the sword included, is based on the Spaceworld 2000 GameCube tech demo. Ganondorf's design was likely meant to be a pre-emptive reference to his anticipated future appearance on the Gamecube. However, the tech demo never actually came to fruition as a full-fledged game; thus, the only appearance of the sword, and this particular design for Ganondorf, is in Melee.

Ganondorf appears again as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In an interview with Eiji Aonuma, Aonuma discussed both Sheik and Ganondorf being fit into Brawl.

Ganondorf is an unlockable character and is obtained by playing through Classic Mode as Link or Zelda on Hard difficulty, playing 200 matches in Brawl mode, or playing through the Subspace Emissary until he joins the party. Though many hoped he would have a new moveset, it was largely unchanged. However, many of the animations have been changed from the ones he used to share with Captain Falcon, showing that the developers attempted to make do with the mistake they'd made of having him be a clone in Melee without changing him too much. His appearance is based on his Twilight Princess incarnation, like Link and Zelda. He does not use his sword to battle, but draws it out in one of his taunts. His moveset still features some of the dark purple magic he is seen using in Melee. His movement speed has been lowered since Melee, and though most of his attacks can kill at low percentages, he is considered to be a low-tier character and is currently ranked as the worst character in the game.

The Subspace Emissary also marks the first time (though outside of canon) Ganondorf has teamed up with Link and Zelda to fight a common enemy. In this new story mode, Ganondorf reprises his villainous role and helps the Subspace Army as a servant of Master Hand along with Bowser, who he later betrays and turns into a trophy with a Dark Cannon. It turns out that Master Hand was (literally) being puppeteered by the main antagonist: a villainous entity known as Tabuu. When Ganondorf sees this, he is enraged and charges at him, but Tabuu easily sends him flying backwards and turns him into a trophy. He is knocked into Master Hand, and in the process, severs the strings controlling him. Later, on the way to Tabuu, Bowser discovers the trophy of Ganondorf and begins to brutalize it as an act of revenge for his betrayal. Shortly afterward, he is discovered by Link and Zelda, who agree on resurrecting him. Initially responding with anger and a headache, Ganondorf joins them to help out in the final fight against Tabuu.

Ganondorf's Final Smash is Dark Beast Ganon. For a brief time, Ganondorf will transform into his boar form, Ganon, and lunge forward, trying to ram his opponents off of the stage.

Trivia

 * In the original Legend of Zelda, Ganon was misspelled "Gannon". In rereleases this error was corrected. It is unknown if this was a mistranslation or just that Nintendo later decided to drop one of the N's in the name.
 * In Ocarina of Time, Ganon plays his own leitmotif on a pipe organ. The sound becomes louder as Link ascends Ganon's Tower.