![Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf](https://images.nintendolife.com/340b525881de6/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-ganondorf.900x.jpg)
Soapbox options allow our particular person writers and contributors to voice their opinions on scorching subjects and random stuff they have been chewing over. Right now, Jim pleads the case for just a bit extra Ganondorf motion…
The reveal of Tears of the Kingdom’s Ganondorf must be considered one of my favorite all-time moments as a Zelda fan. All of us collectively misplaced our minds over a 0.2-second clip of him shouting after which misplaced them another way altogether once we noticed the accompanying key artwork minutes later — nothing forgives a long time of tyranny and bloodshed fairly like some killer pecs, in spite of everything. I used to be satisfied to have the beautiful Gerudo again in my mainline Zelda video games and completely grinned all through Hyperlink’s ultimate battle with him.
But, now that I’ve had the prospect to take a step again from these hypnotic biceps and luscious locks, I see that issues aren’t fairly as good as I initially believed. I’ve realised that the Zelda sequence nonetheless does not know what to do with its huge dangerous.
If you’re nonetheless but to deal with Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom, then you definately would possibly wish to flip again now. I’m not going to explain each single beat of the baddy’s journey intimately right here, however there will probably be a good quantity of late-game stuff (narratively talking) on the desk, so solely learn on in case you do not thoughts the odd spoiler right here and there.
![Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf](https://images.nintendolife.com/064d9177898e3/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-ganondorf.900x.jpg)
Ever since Ganondorf first appeared in his Gerudo type in Ocarina of Time, he has been the darkish, brooding sort. Whether or not he is pouting away behind the King or nursing a gaping chest wound within the Twilight Realm, it appears that evidently the aim of previous ‘dorfy has been to exist within the background in order that our little Bokoblin minds do not get too distracted from the job at hand. This labored properly sufficient within the early days — no one actually thinks that OoT may very well be improved with just a little extra polygonal Ganondorf, do they? — however now that the pinnacle of the ‘Gerudoes In opposition to Hyperlink’ fan membership has beefed up and received a voice of his personal, I anticipated Hyrule’s greatest menace to be just a little extra current.
For the longest time, Ganondorf’s appearances have been given the identical narrative construction in mainline Zelda video games: evil and power-hungry in Act One, absent in Act Two, then shock! he is again for the ultimate battle. This format is not used the entire time (he pops up in flashback on the mid-point of Twilight Princess earlier than shockingly reappearing as the large dangerous on the finish), however, as one of many sequence’ three predominant gamers, he’s surprisingly absent for essentially the most half.
Tears of the Kingdom went some approach to fixing this. Sure, he nonetheless bookends the sport’s plot in its opening and shutting moments, however the Dragon Tears reminiscences make it really feel like he runs all through the whole thing of Hyperlink’s journey throughout Hyrule. In my first few hours of TOTK, I could not transfer with out some reminder of what the Demon King was as much as again within the day, be that killing off members of the royal household or exactly coaching a military of seals. But, as I approached the ultimate showdown and noticed the hench silhouette of Ganondorf sitting beneath Hyrule Fort, it immediately struck me: what the heck has he been doing right here all this time?
I knew for a undeniable fact that Hyperlink had spent the previous 100+ hours pulling off sick skateboard tips, studying the intricacies of home development and making an attempt to construct large statues with flame-producing impolite bits. Had Ganondorf actually simply been sitting right here ready for me ever since he awoke all crusty all these hours in the past? Positive, controlling the Gloom Fingers and getting ready to take roll name each time a Blood Moon is scheduled should take some preparation, however I can not consider that he had spent the remainder of the time simply twiddling his thumbs questioning which Regional Phenomena Hyperlink was onto now.
That is the place Tears of the Kingdom’s Ganondorf and I fall out. If a Zelda recreation is ever going to persuade me that the Demon King actually is as much as no good and my actions as Hyperlink are the be-all and end-all for Hyrule, then I wish to be reminded of what he’s as much as. The Dragon Tears are nice, however they solely doc what was happening hundreds of years in the past — if I’ll really feel any sense of company from my Zelda villain, then I must see what’s occurring now.
What if upon finishing a Temple or hitting a predominant story beat, we received a ‘in the meantime’-style cutscene that confirmed Ganondorf regaining his energy, elevating a military and (presumably) hitting the health club? Abruptly, Hyperlink’s actions matter. You’ll be able to’t simply neglect in regards to the finish objective of the large boss as a result of he is proper there, getting swole.
The sport tentatively does this with the mysterious ‘Zelda’ determine that appears to be inflicting havoc wherever she goes, however, as soon as once more, it is a case of “shock! Ganondorf was behind all of it alongside!”‘ as an alternative of really displaying that the villain is as much as one thing. Darth Vader, Thanos and Voldemort do not decide up their villainous vibes simply by rocking as much as the ultimate battle; that concept is grown from seeing them commit darkish deeds behind the scenes whereas the heroes are busy attempting to avoid wasting the day.
![Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf](https://images.nintendolife.com/6452745120493/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-ganondorf.900x.jpg)
The Zelda sequence has come near reaching this prior to now. Regardless of solely showing in a few cutscenes, you may really feel Ganondorf’s presence in The Wind Waker from his mid-point reveal proper as much as his “and I’d have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling youngsters” ultimate monologue. It helps that this tackle the antagonist exhibits that Ganondorf has a extra advanced plan than merely destroying the world, however seeing it unfold as the journey continues positive does make the ultimate showdown that bit punchier.
This can be a franchise that has by no means been all that deep on storytelling, but when Ganondorf goes to proceed to develop from pig-man to big-man, then I would love to see his character depth develop too. TOTK’s Dragon Tears are a step in the precise path, however whichever model of the large dangerous comes subsequent, I am hoping that he isn’t afraid to pop up each every now and then to remind us all of how scorching evil he actually is.