The History of Ganondorf - ZELDA LORE

Ganondorf - King of the Gerudo, the human form of the dark beast Ganon, the Demon Thief himself - is back. We last saw Ganondorf’s human form causing trouble back in 2006’s Twilight Princess, where he was defeated by Link and Princess Zelda. But naturally his fingerprints are all over the convoluted Zelda timeline.
With Tears of the Kingdom reviving Ganondorf, what better time to refresh yourself on the history of The Legend of Zelda’s iconic villain. From his origins within the desert-dwelling Gerudo tribe through to his return in Tears of the Kingdom, this is the complete timeline of Ganondorf.
00:00 - Intro
00:37 - Ganon or Ganondorf?
01:54 - Origins
03:03 - Ocarina of Time
04:47 - Timeline Split
05:27 - Defeat Timeline
07:53 - Child Timeline
10:54 - Adult Timeline
13:53 - Breath of the Wild Era
Ganondorf is the true human form of the iconic Zelda villain - a man born into the desert-dwelling female-centric Gerudo tribe. Upon utilizing the power of the Triforce, Ganondorf is able to transform into the monstrous pig beast, Ganon, who in short is a reincarnation of the original Demon King Demise from Skyward Sword - more on him very shortly. And finally, there’s Calamity Ganon, who is, simply put, more of a destructive force of nature.
We only see this rendition of Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is set 10,000 years into the future, and so presumably, Ganon has rejected his physical form in order to fully commit to Demise’s pure evil. He still looks a bit like a giant pig though, albeit in nifty neon pink. Oh, and when he’s having his 100 year long hibernation in Breath of the Wild, he takes on the form of a creepy spider like monster too, so add that to the pile.
#TimelineExplained #LegendOfZelda #GameSpot
Timeline Playlist - • The Complete THE LAST ...
This video features music from the acclaimed Zelda and Chill albums:
Music by Mikel
Mastered by Dj Cutman
Composed by Koji Kondo, Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, Toru Minegishi
Originally from the Zelda series
You can (and definitely should) check out the full albums at GameChops - / @gamechops
Zelda and Chill - • Zelda & Chill
Zelda and Chill 2 - • Zelda & Chill 2
Zelda and Chill 3 - • Zelda & Chill III
Check out Fanatical's Bundlefest Event going on all this week! Every day will feature a new bundle of games you can pick up for insanely low prices! Check out the whole even there: www.kqzyfj.com/click-10077077...
Today's featured bundle is:
Killer Bundle 26 - 20 games for $20, this flagship fixed price bundle consists of great content, including The Ascent, Dead Island Definitive Edition, Rain world, Dishonoured, The Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire, Eldest Souls and more. Check it out here! www.anrdoezrs.net/click-10077...

[@gamespot]

Check out Fanatical's Bundlefest going on right now! There will be a new bundle featured every day this week for you to grab! Today's featured bundle is: Killer Bundle 26 - 20 games for $20, this flagship fixed price bundle consists of great content, including The Ascent, Dead Island Definitive Edition, Rain world, Dishonoured, The Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire, Eldest Souls and more. Check it out here! www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100770772-13797872?sid=gamespotvideo2&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanatical.com%2Fen%2Fbundle%2Fkiller-bundle-26

[@JustinBrown-hq2yb]

Totk is past the release date

[@Rand0mname]

"But that seal didn't last." The entire Zelda timeline summed up in one sentence.

[@thexreaper6930]

When does "sealing" ever truly work in the Zelda series?

[@Yito14]

@@thexreaper6930 well... if we were to make sense of it, ask yourself can you seal the air without causing a massive genocide? Since Ganon/Ganondorf at this point is just a force of nature (or a spirit force) it cant be bound for too long (I guess?)

[@rich1051414]

@@thexreaper6930 Kicking the can is better than total defeat.

[@branchy64]

Imagine how confused Ganondorf is that every single time he's revived a random kid in green always called Link and who always happens to be the person who holds the triforce of courage kills him with the help of the princess who's always called zelda and also happens to have the triforce of wisdom everytime.

[@maksudshtrudel1089]

I mean he probably caught on already. What is funnier is the fact that every time he is revived he probably hopes that maybe this time he is safe and then he hears of a Link and a Zelda coming to defeat him and goes insane.

[@Bigjuicydumbdumb]

Kinda sad really

[@MilestheDirtyMindedGoblin2099]

It is inevitable

[@drakoky6894]

Your comment is a joke, but I want to explain for people who don't know why this happened. Because of the curse of Demise, all people who share the spirit of the goddess and the spirit of the hero are doomed to face him for all time. Also, in the diary of the Hyrule king, he said that he named Zelda because it was a tradition for the first girl born in the royal family to have that name. The royal family are descendants of the goddess Hylia. And Link, his name is not “Link”. Miyamoto said that Link has that name because he wanted the player to have a connection (a link) with the main character. But the character can have your name because it is actually you… This is why Link doesn’t have a personality.

[@maxzapsgamingzepzeap2337]

@@drakoky6894 I believe it’s the Hatred of Demise, Blood of the Goddess, and the Soul of the Hero

[@HShango]

Ganondorf has massive amount patience to be waiting for incarnations of link

[@ronaldoquiroz8084]

talk about holding a grudge

[@brandoncobb7944]

Ry rd do

[@GhostWulf70792]

It's not by his own will. He is the manifestation of Demise's curse. This is Demise holding a grudge and hatred for The Spirit of the Hero.

[@HShango]

@@GhostWulf70792 true

[@mumeisapostleiforgorwhatnu3207]

Either that or he's actually forced to wait considering our number 1 example is Rauru sealing him.

[@ellowell8160]

As brief as it is, Ganondorf's Wind Waker monologue might just go down as one of the finest in all of gaming. Just a great little bit of poetry. Never fails to bring a tiny tear to my eye.

[@aprev039]

End of a Zelda game: And thus, Ganondorf was sealed away forever. Hyrule is safe. Start of the next Zelda game: Alas, Ganondorf has returned.

[@Woopor]

Everyone knows Ganondorf’s most notable appearance was his TTS cover of “Suavemente”

[@tommisabre666]

Totk better have a musical scene were Ganondorg sings Suavemente

[@gabrielpoupou1479]

SUAVEMENTE BESAME!!!!!

[@jimparkin2345]

jajajajajajajajajajaja

[@MyLalalalalalalalal1]

I was so hyped when ganondorf mentioned Rauru in ToTK, thinking it was a reference to him recognizing them and refering to OOT Rauru, only then for 'Rauru' to show up...

[@ForumcoldiArchon]

Oot rauru is the totk rauru. Just a different Form.

[@antonstiensen3020]

The thing is, BotW with that particular iteration of Ganon as a pure evil entity instead of fleshed out made the closure possible. But all the shenanigans TotK brings cancels that, instead it feels more like a new alternate branch. (don't misunderstand my words, I love both those games with a passion)

[@niccolofarina3773]

I mostly don't understand why good guys need 3 stones to defeat 4 animals and ganon only needs 1 to be able to destroy the whole world...

[@ryderls2729]

​@@niccolofarina3773because he is straight up the reincarnation of THE first Demon King, the force of evil who made Hylia give up her god form to become Zelda. Meanwhile the sages were just random warriors from different races who helped fight Ganondorf. He's got a multiplier be default

[@Dastardly_Duo]

​@@ryderls2729 Yea exactly. He's the reincarnation of the original Demon King. Not only that, Ganondorf says how they've gotten lazy. They're complacent and cowardous. That's his whole reason of hating them, Rauru especially. And I think that drive is what strengthened him so much. He had a powerful desire which was only amplified by the stone

[@xKOSATx]

I hope that you do an update video to this one. Tears of the Kingdom seems to really shake up Ganondorf's history

[@andrewgood7586]

Yeah, i have no idea how to place Ganondorfs sealing in the timeline in relation to anything else. He was clearly sealed away under the castle in ancient times when Hyrule was first founded, but that completely breaks any previous story, as how could anything that has taken place in timeline happen if hes been sealed away since then? Being able to visit places like a ruined Lon Lon Ranch clearly shows that Breath and Tears is related to OoT, but the story doesnt fit in.

[@pigeongod3450]

@@andrewgood7586 I've been trying to work that out myself with limited success, he was either sealed just after Skyward Sword, or just after the timelines merged, and I can't tell which because some of the loot in the depths really complicates things

[@Rundas045]

​@@andrewgood7586I'm only one dungeon in and I've viewed most of the memories. My conclusion is that this is another Ganondorf (this would be the third, but technically the original). This Ganondorf being the oldest, and another was born later after he was sealed (oot, tp, ww). Four Swords Adventures mentioned the other one.

[@billybobjoe1335]

My current running theory is that BotW and TotK occur in a new timeline where only Skyward Sword had occurred.

[@a.r.mproductions5616]

@@pigeongod3450 it’s not meant to fit on all timelines. Breath of the wild and tears of kingdom are meant to be a NEW story and the official full story. They couldn’t piece all their games and stuff together anymore.

[@samplautz5586]

One thing I’ve always wanted someone to explain is why does link dying only matter in Ocarina of time? Like wouldnt ganon also win all of the other games when you die, and doesn’t that then further change the timeline?

[@Ohmnis]

Because time was being manipulated in that game.

[@MrInternetMan]

The downfall timeline doesn't start because Link died. He was just defeated by Ganondorf. Not killed.

[@_kiyazz]

Could also be because link dying at any other time just results in a straight ganon win and end of the world. That’s the only time link can lose but the world goes on. Just a theory

[@elderjose9662]

because of the timetravel in this game, if link dies, he will create a separate timeline because of how they mess with the time, there's time travel in another games, but besides skyward that some fans especulate that create the hyrule warriors universe, time travel is never a importante part of the plot in hyrule like it was in this game

[@Sanguiluna]

Theoretically, yes. There could potentially be thousands of different timelines based on whether Link in a certain game was successful or not. That’s the beauty of it: Nintendo can focus entirely on making a good game without being limited by story or continuity issues, since they can just make up a new timeline if they want.

[@YangSuiSan]

Genuinely, this is such a good video to explain the History of Ganon/-dorf. You did an amazing job! Thank you!

[@thelegendof420]

Twilight princess Ganondorf to ME is his best model. That's who i always picture when i think of Ganondorf.

[@barbjones461]

If the first king of hyrule fought a ganondorf then wouldn’t that mean there is a massive amount of hidden details between the timeline that are unknown

[@malakalanha]

They're explaining this in the latest game xD

[@barbjones461]

@@malakalanha I know I’m playing it but it doesn’t explain everything still as if rauru was king after skyward sword and then all the way to tears of the kingdom the time gap in between has so many unknown possibilities like seriously more than ten thousand years worth of time is insane

[@3GearsTurning]

It could be that Rauru is the first king of a new Hyrule and not technically the first king of the first kingdom of Hyrule. Kinda like how during the middle ages everyone was trying to remake/restore Rome and become the new roman emperor. Also I would say everything in botw and totk (even the past) takes place after the events of the fallen hero/child time-line due to one specific detail. In the cutscene where past Ganondorf is invading Hyrule and a Gerudo blows a horn to call up some monsters, notice that the women's ears are Hylian and not Human like in Oot. In Botk, a Gerudo states that the pointed ears are a new trait for Gerudo women due to them intermingling with Hylains for years. The fact they kept Ganondorf's ears rounded means that it must be a deliberate decision by the creators to show where this story takes place in the timeline

[@Konoko2000]

@@3GearsTurning this would also make sense in the adult timeline since im fairly certain the story has it that link and zelda leave after ganondorfs defeat in windwaker to try resurrect a new hyrule in a new land, is it not possible after spirit tracks or around it that they succeed thanks to this rauru?

[@3GearsTurning]

@@Konoko2000 it was stated in Spirit Tracks by Zelda of that game that Tetra was her grandmother so not during or before Spieit Tracks but cpuld happen after (though I find that Sonia having similar parallels with Tetra a deliberate design along with the idea of a lost royal bloodline being found by Rauru). Both botw and totk having so many things from each game make it feel like Nintendo is fixing their three-timeliness splits and having them remerge together with the recent installments.

[@TerrenceMcGinnis]

A pretty accurate representation. Though, I think part way through you forgot something you said early on in the video; the curse. You mention being confused on him being born into the world of Four Swords Adventures, but the curse explains that pretty well. Ganondorf/Ganon will keep being revived or reborn so long as the curse remains. Also I’m unsure if the Ganondorf in TP is the same as the one in the child timeline. He isn’t immortal until after he is stabbed, and his stabbing happened quite a long time after OoT - a century actually. You think he lived in jail for over 100 years?

[@Smexbi]

I think what you mean is that TP takes place 100+ years after MM. Ganondorf's Execution however is a flashback. There is no exact time given, but I'm sure it's meant to be right after OoT. Meaning Ganondorf would be trapped inside the twilight realm for 100+ years.

[@TerrenceMcGinnis]

@Smexbi Correct, as I said in the post - the child timeline. We know that some time has had to pass as in the flashback we are not seeing the original Sages that Link helped free. If TP happened 100 years later, and Ganondorf was in the Twilight Realm for 100 years, it would mean Midna is 100+ years old because I highly doubt the Twili had any way to resist Ganondorf for very long. Same with Zant.

[@melaniabladeofmiquella]

This video was perfect thank you

[@Killjoyfiend]

You forgot to include Ganon's suave timeline.

[@JRPennyPacker]

Hola

[@jimparkin2345]

Besame

[@Independent365]

The beats in this video are hella nice!

[@danielhiggins3575]

Ganon is more like a mononym he becomes known by than just exclusive to the beast form.

[@imnotsanii]

***SPOILER ALERT*** -- So I'm taking it that since in this game (I'm only 2 dungeons in, correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. Take it with a grain of salt.), we see the first Hyrule, meaning the time period that Zelda got transported to is the Hyrule before Ocarina of Time, and presumably after Skyward Sword if I'm remembering correctly. Lets also not forget about the imprisoning war, but I doubt its the same as the Fallen hero timeline's imprisoning war, since this game has the earliest incarnation of Hyrule, and the Ganondorf in that timeline was sealed in another dimension, this one was not. Anyway, this makes the Ganondorf in this game the first ever Ganondorf (meaning canonically 2 Ganondorfs always existed, since our current one was sealed below the castle), and we know all Princesses share the same blood because the Royal Family Bloodline has started with SS Zelda. Where I'm confused is if this gets contradicted, is Sonia a descendant of SS Zelda? From the memories I've seen she was just a random woman that Rauru married. Even if we assume that, this makes the Rito canon (Ancient Rito Sage) all the way from here onwards (before minish cap which is after SS). I don't think I've seen any koroks in the memories but if they were that completely ruin the timelines... since they were Kokiri that evolved or devolved however you take it into Koroks. And to top that, wouldn't that mean our current Zelda was a dragon through all of the games? Is this an entirely different timeline, or is it after SS? Minish Cap is the only Hyrule to directly come after SS, but this game claims otherwise. So the flooding if the Zora that became Rito was directly after SS? Another big piece is that Death Mountain, in both recent games had the major Goron heroes from the previous games (Darmani, Darunia, Link, etc.) carved in it. I dunno if we can count that as canon or not… but its a lot of lore things I cant connect and it hurts my brain...

[@necarevis6600]

yeah i feel the same way. I can't find any good explanation. My current theory is that the creation of totk Hyrule took place after phantom hourglass when Tetras crew found the new Continent which was ruled over by the Spirits of Good described as deities that watched over from the heavens(The Zonai are described like god-like being that came down from the heavens) and had a major role in a war against the Demon King and even sealed him. Of course the Demon King sealed by the good spirits was not Ganondorf but Malladus. But what if it was a coverup to hide the fact that a way worse being(Ganondorf) was sealed so that noone would look for him to release him. It is very weird how TOTK names Ganondorf specifically as the Demon King. This would mean that there was only 1 Ganondorf in the timeline who was somehow revived after phantom hourglass a later sealed by the spirits of good(Zonai). The technological advancements in spirit tracks also lead to sheikah advancing their thechnology. The new continent also gives a explanation to Zora's and Rito's coexistance. The new continent wasnt flooded by the great sea so the Zora's from there didn't need to become the Rito and the Rito from the great sea traveled to the new hyrule.There are many holes in this theory like who is Sonia? Why didn't we see any Zoras in spirit tracks ? Who is Malladus if not the demon king ?and many more but this is the best explanation I can come up with right now

[@LetsShitPost]

Because it has so many pieces of all three timelines in it, I think maybe it's some far future timeline where all 3 eventually happen one way or another leading into the BotW/TotK and the ancient Hyrule being just after SS. That means Ganondorf at one point gets the triforce and is sealed away, is sent to the twilight and invades Hyrule, the Gods flood the world when a Link is not available to defeat Ganon, and causes the three aspects of the three timelines to converge into what we see in these games. It's an endless cycle of Ganondorf/Ganon coming back and threatening Hyrule, so it's not unreasonable to assume that the three timelines, or at least aspects of all three, to play out at some point and converge into BotW/TotK. Could even be explained by an earlier event/game they haven't released yet, but maybe plan to.

[@TyranniRed]

I don't think so. There's only one incarnation of Ganondorf at a time and he has to die to be reincarnated. TotK just doesn't work with any game except Skyward Sword, and it seems pretty intentionally done this way.

[@imnotsanii]

@@TyranniRed Koroks are the kokiri evolved and it seems the goron and zora have remnants of past zelda games, i think its a culmination of all 3 timelines but it wouldnt make sense anyway.

[@LetsShitPost]

@@TyranniRed If it's in the far future like I personally think it is, it could still be the result of all 3 timelines and TOTK/BOTW could be referring to the establishment of new Hyrule after a great flood/calamity destroys the old Hyrule/region that we typically think of from Ocarina of time and after eras.

[@aboveaveragejoe3628]

I really enjoyed the video

[@Booley95]

Finally someone who can explain the timeline skip efficiently

[@johnnyglenn2692]

Yoooo what is that version beat is that at 3:05 I gotta have that and at 5:25 I thought I heard them all but those two are the two best I ever heard, I love that they focused on the beat more and sprinkled in those Zelda themes, cause normally they just add a simple base and beat line to an untouched Zelda theme

[@DrMostacho]

BOTW and TOTK are from the timeline of the fallen hero and the flashbacks of TOTK tell the story of the imprisoning war that happens between OOT and ALTP.

[@WindMageMaster]

The flashbacks are during the founding of Hyrule. The Imprisoning War from Alttp happens a long, long time after that. Additionally, all the events and outcomes are completely different. So it’s not the same war.

[@DrMostacho]

@@WindMageMaster But Aonuma said in an interview that it was the imprisoning war even Zelda at the beginning mentions that the murals represent the imprisoning war. Also add that this version of the imprisoning war is the real one and those that are told in the other games are not accurate due to the fact that the story was deformed over time and was not exact instead but in TOTK the story is told in real flashbacks and not a tale from a distant past. You can find this in articles in the gaming press that have the interview that was done with the TOTK developers.

[@WindMageMaster]

@@DrMostacho That’s because they are two separate imprisoning wars. They share the same name, but they are different events. That interview, he is only referring to the one in TotK. In Alttp, Ganon (not Ganondorf) is sealed in the sacred realm WITH the Triforce, where he is later defeated by Alttp Link- and this happens only on the downfall timeline after OoT’s defeated ending. In TotK, Ganondorf is sealed underground by King Rauru during Hyrule’s founding (much earlier in the timeline) and is sealed until facing TotK Link. Very different. Both cannot be the same because it would retcon Alttp into not ever occurring.

[@TyranniRed]

In TotK, Rauru is the first king of Hyrule and Ganondorf is trapped under the castle during the time all previous games would take place. TotK breaks all previous canon. It seems like they want to do away with the timelines.

[@cotenelson3473]

That's it, I figured it out. Demise came out of a fissure (a chasm) in the earth along with monsters. Could it be possible in Tears of the Kingdom those chasms are related? Think about it. The Zonai are closely related to Sky People very similar to Skyward Sword's Skyloft. The technology at the time on the surface was new to them. As for Zelda's whereabouts, it's possible she fell into the Depths somewhere.

[@coryfreake9070]

There's literally a location in the game called "The Breach of Demise" that looks exactly like the fissure in SS and is made out of cheese rock ( they only appear in places like Skull lake, Gloom's lair, the Colosseum, and bottomless swamp). And the Zonai seem to be more inspired by the Minish.

[@johnnydang4397]

I like to imagine that Tears of the Kingdom has the first incarnation of Ganondorf. I haven’t beaten the game yet so idk the whole story.

[@TyranniRed]

He's the only incarnation because BotW and TotK are centuries after all previous games, and Rauru is the first king. All previous timelines are impossible.

[@TerrenceMcGinnis]

@@TyranniRed They aren’t impossible. The question is - is Rauru the first king of Hyrule after Skyward Sword, or the first king of Hyrule after it vanished in the 10k year gap?

[@hydrochloricacid7927]

@@TerrenceMcGinnis if it's right after skyward sword that would make a weird case in which there are 2 Ganons, one sealed away, and the other one doing whatever he does in his respective game

[@zennim125]

@@hydrochloricacid7927 having two ganons isn't that weird because of the kind of seal rauru uses, he drains ganon of his magic and soul, hollowing him out, that means that his "soul" would be following the same logic of him being dead and would reincarnate the gloom beneath the castle appears after calamity is obliterated once and for all, so i think his soul just starts returning to the mummified corpse beneath the castle

[@hydrochloricacid7927]

@@zennim125 Ganon's magic isn't drained from him, otherwise the entirety of BOTW wouldn't happen as the calamity can't happen and some of the champions would probably be alive

[@_blep_p4833]

Loved the video, but I'm wondering if you're considering making an update since we got the sequel (Totk)?

[@Neotifus]

Thank you to not have spoiled anything about TOTK !

[@richardmerritt3712]

Fantastic vid mate thank you 👍👍👍👍👍

[@zomfragger]

The Ganondorf in four swords is an reincarnation of the original Ganondorf. Also you forgot there was another time line split thanks to an egg shaped guardian. So there are two calamity Gannons.

[@bigkirbypuff2741]

Age of calamity isn’t canon

[@zomfragger]

@@bigkirbypuff2741 Nintendo has confirmed Age of calamity to be cannon. Most fan communities don't consider age of calamity cannon because events don't line perfectly with bow and the game wasn't made by Nintendo directly. To further the argument Hyrule warriors is considered by Nintendo not to be cannon even though there is enough evidence in bow to suggest otherwise.

[@24601st]

i like age of calamity. in my heart it can be canon. its about timeline shenanigans anyways so it's not like it has ramifications on the other games

[@GoldenMinotaur]

Thank you for not spoiling TotK

[@RaidenKaiser]

I think botw was a soft reboot cuz the origins of this hyrule is not the same origins as the hyrule we knew in OOT. Ganondorf I am glad at being back it's better than nothing at least lol. Would of been cooler to have Vaati come back first but it is what it is.

[@ericthericeman1990]

I am looking foward to battle ganondorf in tears of the kingdom.😊

[@alban8754]

TOTK seems to be a reboot of the entire franchise, I think it can't really be include to the timeline because of ganondorf history. Seems to be a new ganondorf and the hero who seal ganon in the beginning of BOTW is a zonai so....

[@gabrielpoupou1479]

I love how in the official timeline it says exactly when Hyrule was founded yet people can’t figure out where the game is located at (the hyrule foundation is set after skyward sword)

[@Crossalxz]

Nice!

[@BurdieFromHell]

I'm pretty confused as to how the new Gannon fits into the lore. It would seem there has never been a Link he faced off against, like its a separate timeline completely. But it being a separate timeline would be sad considering all the lore from previous games that can be found in both the new games. Curious for big internet brains to figure it out.

[@loganrieck4750]

I don't think TOTK really cares about reconciling all the timelines or fitting neatly in. It's just a means to a fun game experience.

[@phinnyfarr8916]

I've seen three theories about it, in an over summarized explanation, skyward sword took place before/after the pre story of totk. Or it is a very convoluted parallel. My personal thought is (spoiler if you haven't gotten far into the Totk story) could be that Zelda going back in time to the Totk pre story somehow changed the story of skyward sword.

[@SushiVolcano]

@@loganrieck4750 I think the current era that started with Calamity Ganon is more of a fixed era in time that happens regardless of which timeline you're in. Although, if Nintendo wanted to be clever, maybe the timelines could converge for real, causing different characters to recall real events differently, causing a misunderstanding that propels the next big war.

[@justkon1789]

That’s cause time travel into the past never works it messes stuff up

[@itsdeonlol]

Ganondorf is my favorite Villain of all time in video games!

[@zakirstocks9514]

Mine too! I Absolutely Love Ganondorf SO much from *The Legend of Zelda* franchise! I Absolutely love his Brand Newest Design looks in *Tears of the Kingdom!* He looks so Menacing, Intimidating, Malicious, Merciless, Tyrannical and Dominant!

[@davidlowery2294]

Dude the music in the background is dope AF. And honestly why isn't the four sword not in botw or tears could've been cool having shadow clones distracting and disorient and upgrade it later to have shadow clones deal chip damage.

[@squirrelcubed31415]

G'job, mate.

[@onzaonza]

Respect of no spoilers. ❤

[@chadpeterson5698]

There are a few criticisms I have with the info and spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom for the first one 2:03 actually because of Tears of the Kingdom, there is another Ganondorf that appears before Ocarina of Time. To be more specific. This Ganondorf appears when Hyrule was founded which is before Minish Cap. So yeah. 6:18 Aghanim is not Ganon’s minion, Aghanim IS Ganon. 7:07 Yuga doesn’t want to save Lorule, he wants to destroy it an Hyrule and remake Lorule in his image. 9:46 it’s not the same Ganondorf as the mainline Ganondorf

[@yoshimaster3393]

Well having a ganondorf be4 oot ganondorf also doesn’t make sense as that would mean that there were 2 ganondorfs existing at the same time one sealed below hyrule castle until totk which takes place way into the future of any zelda game and one from oot/ww/tp

[@chadpeterson5698]

@@yoshimaster3393that’s exactly what happened, however since the first Ganondorf pretty much died at that point and his remains locked in a seal. The cycle continued without him.

[@thedukeconiosantiago9180]

@@chadpeterson5698 would make sense because if he died below hyrule while stuck in a similar stasis of life and death. being dead enough for the cycle to continue hits diff

[@WindMageMaster]

@@yoshimaster3393We literally just had Ganon in BotW though, and obviously TotK Ganon was sealed during that. His malice can probably escape his seal and reincarnate in different ways. The Ganondorf in FSA, for example, was said to have been born from TP Ganondorf’s leftover malice. So it’s not exactly something we haven’t seen before.

[@johnthelion999]

@@WindMageMaster Finally, some people that have the same theory as me, where the Ganondorf we see in TotK is the original but his soul (or really, his hatred) escaped the seal to OoT Ganondorf and so on. Better than the cop out theories of BotW and TotK being a reboot or whatnot, imo.

[@ethans2223]

I never saw it as any sort of timeline, just a retelling of the same story in different ways. Just like there are thousands of princess stories all with their unique differences, so too are there Legend of Zelda stories

[@rgb_goblin6226]

thank you so much for not spoiling tears of the kingdom. I highly apriciate it.

[@a.jthomas6132]

While I am currently playing Tears of the Kingdom, is there some sore of a connection of the Imprisoning War and the History of Calamity Ganon? My opinion is the Calamity Ganon is a product of Ganondorf's gloom/malice which accumulates just below Hyrule Castle every 10,000 years which some fan theory suggested are true.

[@cheezballz8146]

I would go farther than even just below Hyrule castle, in TotK if you have gone into the depths you can see the gloom everywhere and it presumably hasn't been that long between BotW and TotK so my guess is he would build it all up in the depths over a long time before unleashing it, hence why we see so much Gloom down there and also monsters completely covered in it.

[@zomfragger]

It would explain why the calamity has a ten thousand year timer.

[@RallForeman]

@@cheezballz8146 BoTW and ToTK are 5 years apart in game supposably. Also there's the whole *Spoiler* territory of where Zelda went right after Ganondorf finally awakens and how it effected everything moving forward.

[@carmex02user2002]

You ought do the history of the Peahat. The ones in Ocarina of Time we're scary.

[@RallForeman]

Ironicly in Wind Waker because the reincarnation of link that had the Triforce of Courage vanishes from the timeline itself. The Gods in Windwaker made the Tower of the Gods as well as the split of the Triforce of Courage into pieces you had to collect across the world, as a means to create a new hero to claim the Triforce of Courage since he wasn't born with it. Hence also the ironic fact that the island that link was born onto has a coming to age ceremony they would wear the Hero's Green Tunic to become a man. Completing the cycle of fate once more.

[@Jaricko]

I still think botw is the followup to hyrule warriors myself. There was timey whimey shenanigans going on in that game and all the timelines overlapped. This explanation allows botw to take place after all 3 timelines.

[@Jesus166]

We need a twilight princess switch version

[@zennim125]

so, what i don't get is that there is a ganondorf sealed beneath hyrule castle since the kingdom founding, was that before or after skyward sword? i thought that game ends with link and zelda planning to create hyrule kingdom, so i would imagine that the ganondorf that rauru seals is the among first times Demise is reincarnated, and if that is the case, where was link and zelda version of that cycle?

[@OKIGorgon]

14:10 Why confusingly? MatPat's game theory on Breath of the Wild happening after Hyrule Warriors explains it pretty well.

[@yourdad4903]

What is the name of that music in the beginning

[@AngelJD]

The newest game places a interesting conundrum to both Ganondorf and Zelda in the split timelines. Spoilers for the new game: In the new game Ganondorf predates OoT Ganondorf doing the same tactics as OoT Ganondorf making a false loyalty to the king of Hyrule simply to take power of the tear from the sister and trying to conquer Hyrule. Now in the game Zelda of Tears of the Kingdom time travels to that era and battles that version Ganondorf which in the end that Ganondorf under the Hyrule castle the king curses that Ganondorf sticking his arm in his chest and making him semi dead while trapped. Breath of the wild/Tears of the Kingdom Zelda then becomes a dragon somehow. Now since these past events took place before Ocarina of Time that would mean when the timelines split into three timelines: Fallen Hero, Adult, and Child timelines so would these versions hidden be spilt as well. Now with the events of the Adult timeline (Wind Waker, Hourglass, and Sprirt Tracks) where Hyrule is underwater and a new land became New Hyrule I'm assuming in that timeline doesn't hold Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom games YET has a past version of a coma Ganondorf skeleton still under now a ocean that was once former Hyrule and a Dragon Zelda. Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom games most likely falls within the Fallen Hero timeline or the Child Timeline but either way both has a rotten Ganondorf with a arm stuck in and a Dragon Zelda in both timelines as well with one of those two timeline playing out in the games. Time travel which there's tons of in the Zelda franchise, multiverse, recarnations, and incantations versions (where even two Zeldas can exist at the same time as multiple women can be named Zelda yet all hold sprirts of past Zeldas such as original Zelda 1 and 2 for the NES) makes the whole Lore mind boggling.

[@WindMageMaster]

To be fair, Zelda’s are blood relatives, not reincarnations, so it’s not as confusing for that part. But besides that, yeah. If BotW/TotK takes place on the future of one timeline branch, it means Zelda is stuck permanently as a dragon in the other two branches and the prophecy does not come to pass in those two.

[@R0CKDRIG0]

So there were 2 Ganons in all timelines all this time? How was Ganon able to revive again and again when there was already one living underground?

[@WindMageMaster]

@@R0CKDRIG0 There’s 4, as there is another in Four Swords Adventures, and the one in Breath of the Wild. All were able to persist and be born from the 1st’s malice, which we can see is spewing from his body underground.

[@rafafc4127]

One thing that is a bit confusing... Sonia and Rauru are meant to be ancestors of Zelda, but they both die without kids... So how are they ancestors? I guess "magic", but it's a bit dumb...lol

[@Dastardly_Duo]

​@@rafafc4127 I was thinking that too lol. Maybe they did have a kid somewhere out there and it was just never explained 😂 who knows

[@Syn-eo7yv]

Couldnt there technically be a 4th timeline where adult link stays in the future in OOT?

[@sagenebula7120]

I mean tbh yes that could be, same with how there should technically be a timeline where demise is dead in the distant past of skyward sword

[@bigmediafan]

Time travel, branching timelines, reincarnation, unexplained resurrection... and people actually really like this stuff 😅

[@cashordeals3672]

Ganondorf tears of the kingdom design is so 🔥 easily my second favorite Ganondorf design

[@uroskesic6117]

What s the first

[@cashordeals3672]

@@uroskesic6117 hyrule warriors

[@uroskesic6117]

Witch one

[@Dastardly_Duo]

TotK is definitely my favorite. It's a merge between ancient middle eastern and samurai gear. I really wish he was more fleshed out as a character though. It just felt like we didn't get enough of him imo

[@notthatgerry]

Well, it should have changed of course, since we know that between skyward sword and the minish cap there is the story of the foundation od Hyrule by Rauru and Sonia and their demise at the hands of Ganondorf. After that, everything goes as planned.

[@supervegito9117]

1:12 Demon king? That's heracles from fate!

[@Aiming_Out]

Calamity Gannon was just the power of the demon kings power that slipped out of his seal

[@brunocuenca8630]

DALE ZELDA DALE, PASAME LA TRIFUERZA QUE TENGO HAMBRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Petter1900]

I watched all of this to figure out how Demon King Ganondorf worked into any of this, and was left sorely disappointed

[@oliverjabroni9912]

The Legend of Retcon: Make it Fit

[@RoseNoir90]

Ganondorf's motive: "I hate sand. It's course and irritating and it gets everywhere!"

[@paddotk]

The confusion persists when it comes to BotW vs TotK though. How can Ganondorf be imprisoned under Hyrule castle (from a long, long time ago) when he was fighting Link in all those other games, including BotW (chronologically only a few years prior)?

[@texben123]

I know Hylia is reincarnated into Zelda's Family for thousands of years, but Hylia it's just a normal Hylian who married the zonai named Raoru are the ancestors of Zelda's entire family bloodline. The main reason she's called a goddess it's, because she married a god, with the hylians worship like a god even though the zonai are just another race with advanced technology but worship them like gods the other goddesses could be the same way.🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@zomfragger]

Hylia never married a Zoni. What happened is explained in Skyword sword and the prequel manga which came with hyrule historia. Hylia is a goddess created by the golden goddesses to watch over the triforce after they left. She gave up her staus as a goddess to become the first zelda.

[@texben123]

@@zomfragger I thought that about the woman in the mural and tears in the kingdom was Hylia and Zonia were the ones that created Skyloft with Hylia’s help. But I was wrong, let’s just say tears of the Kingdom sort of messes up the lore.😔😔😔😔

[@Nyxael5845]

Sonia's massive ears are a tell tale sign of her lineage with the Goddess Hylia herself. Even Sonia knows that Zelda is her distant descendant. Hylia was a Goddess in ancient times but she sacrificed her immortality to be able to use the Triforce to help destroy the Demon King Demise. Since King Rauru and Queen Sonia were the founders of Hyrule Kingdom, the Queen must have been born a few generations after the events of Skyward Sword. During that time, the Zonai must have been in hiding underground because of the numerous mining facilities scattered across the depths. The game is no stranger to this because even during the Sky Era there were dragons living on the surface.

[@ballsofnoxus4702]

How is it that Ganondorf can be sealed in the basement of Hyrule Castle since Hyrule’s inception, yet be reincarnated multiple times during the events of OoT, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker,… At any of those points there would’ve been 2 Ganondorfs right? We would have to assume the true Ganondorf had to still be sealed . Is that even possible?

[@IamLegendaryguy1998]

The legend of Zelda greatness

[@DialSforSam]

Sadly, no mention of Suavamente Ganon.

[@benjamingerrald9873]

We didn't catch him mid-suavamente this time :/

[@squirrelcubed31415]

YES MY MAN You know when you know. Say it with me: Suavementé.

[@franciscoguerineau9822]

-Ganondorf -Dracula -Dr Wily Being defeated at the end of the game and casually return in the secuel, repeting the whole saga🤝 -Dr Eggman -Bowser -G-Man -Captain Le Chuck

[@fireshark224]

You forgot about the most gigachad version of ganon... The cdi one

[@ethanstewart728]

I'm convinced botw and totk is a whole reboot

[@a.jthomas6132]

Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity should be another split timeline.

[@24601st]

i mean it's not particularly attached to a major branch. unless they explore the future created by terrako's shenanigans in games later on

[@iMortao]

I would like a zelda when Ganon breaks free from the curse or a zelda when he is chilling with link to a suddenly 10,000 years quarrel.

[@zomfragger]

Some one has a fan comic based on that idea from about 3 years ago. Link for reference kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZXNaJ2olKumh6s

[@Gonsoi]

the ganondorf from oot/ww/tp is the same person, but this ganondorf is a new ganondorf right?... would be awesome if it was the same from the past

[@TyranniRed]

Yes and no. TotK cannot be resolved with other games or timelines as it overwrites everything except Skyward Sword.

[@Gonsoi]

@@TyranniRed i really think that Skyward sword split into totk and the minish cap

[@bonnie_rabbit749]

This video made me think.. since tears of the kingdom seem to be placed both at the far end of the timeline but also at the start of the timeline with rarue and sonia founding hyrule, where does the triforce and the godess hylia fit into all that? 🤨 we know the triforce is still a part of the story since sonia has a tattoo of it on her arm and we see godess hylia statues all throughout hyrule. But in Tears of the kingdom it is aluded to that Zelda in that timeline has her powers from her ancestors - sonia’s time power and rarue’s light power. So it seems like the godess didnt have a hand in her powers in this timeline.. but would that mean that sonia’s ancestor was the original zelda in the form of reborn godess hylia? I mean they are reffered to as hyrulians already in that time, so i guess its not unlikely? Maybe skyward sword takes place just before the zonai decended from the sky and rarue and sonia founded hyrule? Hmmmmmm OR MAYBE since link and zelda supposedly found hyrule together at the end of skyward sword, what if skyward sword is just a tainted memory and its really about the zonia decending from the sky and link in the story is rarue and sonia is Zelda making Sonia the reborn godess hylia! But why would rarue have the light power then and sonia have time power? 🤔

[@TyranniRed]

It seems they intended to retcon everything except Skyward Sword, or just didn't care. No other timeline can exist if Rauru is the first king and Ganondorf is trapped at the time all previous games would occur.

[@killertruth186]

Imagine a Zelda game where Zelda, Link and Gannon fight in the same side.

[@a.jthomas6132]

If overcoming Demise’s influence, I don’t see why not.

[@chadpeterson5698]

Not gonna happen

[@kevindonate1525]

Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition

[@R0CKDRIG0]

Smash Bros?

[@zakirstocks9514]

Link, Sheik, Zelda and Ganondorf all Teaming Up against the Ultimate Evil Greater than Ganondorf. I Absolutely Love the Sound of That!

[@Otto_K]

The man is born into a harem and he wants more?

[@Durahan82]

Hyrule Warriors fixed a lot of the plot holes till BotW ,shame Nintendo didn't made it Canon .

[@samstallings4198]

Minor Spoilers Ahead: So if I understand correctly, the great calamity has happened two times that we know of in the BotW timeline? Ganondorf gets sealed away by Rauru, a great calamity happens as mentioned in BotW, it is defeated by the Sheikah and the Champions and Hero of that era, then is released again 1000 years later or so when the Zelda, Link, and Champions of now are defeated 100 years before the events of BotW? What prompts Ganondorf to be released in TotK and not before, and how many calamity’s have happened while his body lies beneath Hyrule Castle ultimately being the cause of said Calamities? Confusing.

[@rafafc4127]

The seal got weaker when calamity Ganon was defeated once and for all, and in a lapse of 6-8 years got completely broke... just when Link and Zelda were watching Ganondorf's body... That's bad luck lol

[@TyranniRed]

There is no prompt. The director didn't care enough to create a reason. The seal fails so you can have a sequel.

[@lionescrawl9861]

Its even farther then ten thousand years

[@a.jthomas6132]

Does Ganondorf exist in the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity alternate timeline?

[@werty21100]

Yes but the alternate version of link Zelda and the champions won’t be aware of Ganondorf until the gloom starts coming out of the ground and the upheaval start’s through mipha revali urbosa daruk would probably be the new sages instead of sidon tulin yabou and reiju

[@24601st]

terrako one-shots the demon king easy. they all get to live happily forever after and suffer no more cataclysms in their lives

[@ashleyblack7419]

Technically his last human form appearance was in hyrule warriors in 2014.

[@TheDeadmanstrolling]

I think TotK Ganondorf is the original, and OoT Ganondorf is his malice given flesh and carrying his spirit. This would make OoT Ganondorf, and all incarnations after, a form of Calamity, which is described as a recurring incarnation of the demon king's malice in both TotK and BotW before it. So I think SS leads into the Zonai Era, leads into the rest of the timeline. This means TotK Ganondorf has been sealed under Hyrule Castle for that long... Since we defeat him once and for all in TotK, I wonder what that spells for the future of the franchise if the main evil is finally gone in the unified timeline.

[@gercey3314]

i never understood why link being sent back to his childhood changes the direction of the entire timeline. wouldnt it just start that games story over again?

[@Unholy_Triforce]

Because like he said, he returned to childhood to warn zelda ahead of time, which woudl allow her to prepare and apprehend gannon

[@gercey3314]

@@Unholy_Triforce i guess that answers it in a round about sort of way.

[@kingstarscream3807]

So how does he come back in TOTK after being killed in BOTW?

[@DeclawedTV]

Botw and totk are their own new timeline

[@dogestranding5047]

How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?

[@RallForeman]

*Spoilers for TotK* Considering this Ganondorf was the orginal from the founding of Hyrule (probably after the Sky Hylians in Skyward Sword returned to the Earth since it was safe again with Demises defeat, making him the first reincarnation of Demise) and he was sealed for ten thousand years. His sealing by Hyrules first king made him as close to death as possible. So the other Ganondorfs were brought through to complete Demises Curse (they also could possible Calamity's from the first Ganondorfs gloom seeping back into the land ever thousand years). However when the seal started weakening leading up to the ten thousand year mark, his gloom (Demises power within him as well with the Zonia Secret stone making him as close as Demise's original power) started seeping out. Creating Calamity Ganon. 5 Years pass and his gloom still seeping into the depths ready to burst fourth, was fully reawakened with the arrive of the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Wisdom nearing him. Possible awakening his Triforce of Power to break the seal completely. Leading onto the events on TotK. This also leads to the question of how was this Hyrule not changed from the events of the other Ganons. Or....does this predate OoT even? Since The first queen of Hyrule had the Secret stone of Time, while the King had the Secret Stone of light. Leading to Zelda having both Light and Time powers WHICH THEN LEADS TO ORCARINA OF TIME OH MY GOD

[@devong5669]

I love Ocareenur of Time!

[@vfxjoyboy]

You mean ocarina?

[@devong5669]

@@vfxjoyboy Nope

[@ZmansEdits]

2:01 Ocarinar??

[@nelsonbabilonia4405]

What i still wanna know is if rauru was the one who sealed ganondorf 10k years ago then who did the legendary hero killed?

[@lana_drahrepus]

He killed calamity ganon, that is just his hatred

[@paulstephens2861]

And then Tears of the Kingdom made it so much more confusing.

[@tordb]

I'm so old I remember when they randomly changed his named from Gannon to Gannondorf

[@IAmCannedTuna]

Ganondorf is the name of the man, Ganon is the name of the beast forms or the pig forms.

[@joshnelson1515]

​@@IAmCannedTuna he means in the games not lore

[@purplecat4582]

Ocarina of time for Nintendo 64

[@o0junglist0o93]

I bet Ganon had fun with the gerudo tribe...

[@Dgsbeast]

My favorite iteration of Gannondorf is in twilight princess

[@gwvaio]

Nintendo really doesn’t care about connecting these games through story. Why do we?

[@itsalwaysdarkestbeforethes1198]

Exactly lol - just accept that nearly every entry is a reboot and move on with your lives. Any similarities between entries are just callbacks, Easter eggs and references, not direct story telling

[@gwvaio]

@@itsalwaysdarkestbeforethes1198 100%

[@dennisthiele2312]

Somehow Ganondorf returned 😅😂

[@alexd2943]

I get it😂😂

[@cameron398]

It is always fun trying to make sense of incoherence. Nintendo has just made great games with absolutely no care for a coherent timeline and it shows. On the good side I have been playing all of the Zelda games since the first one and Tears looks amazing.

[@trueflamexp7297]

Amen.

[@SushiVolcano]

@loganrieck4750 I think the current era that started with Calamity Ganon is more of a fixed era in time that happens regardless of which timeline you're in. Although, if Nintendo wanted to be clever, maybe the timelines could converge for real, causing different characters to recall real events differently, causing a misunderstanding that propels the next big war.

[@jimtaylor69]

I have played a link to the past and it’s so pixelated

[@a.jthomas6132]

Matthew Mercer really nails his role as Ganondorf! Can we all agree he should be nominated for best villain in the VMA?

[@itsalwaysdarkestbeforethes1198]

Did we play the same game? Lol. The VA in ToTK is horrible across the board, and below average at best. Too cheesy, weird accents, weird voice choices (Goron sounds like an 11 year old). Just…no.

[@danceyrselfkleen]

“Matthew Mercer really nails his role as Ganondorf!” -🤓🤓🤓

[@purplecat4582]

@@itsalwaysdarkestbeforethes1198 nobody saying that English VA is good,but Mercer truly did a very good job on Ganondorf.

[@zakirstocks9514]

I Absolutely Love Matthew Mercer, Voicing as the Antagonistic Villain of the *Zelda* franchise, in *Tears of the Kingdom,* Ganondorf!

[@samplautz5586]

I agree with Zelda’s voice acting, she is literally surprised at everything and constantly sounds depressed and scared