The Light Arrows and the Master Sword

This is a question concerning the Light Arrows and the Master Sword. In the games, the Light Arrows are the ultimate weapon you can use, killing all enemies in one strike because of the fact that their power repels evil. The Master Sword also has the power to repel evil, but only in the Twilight Realm can it kill all enemies with one hit. This would make me assume that the Light Arrows are stronger than the Master Sword.

However, when you fight Ganon/Ganondorf, the Master Sword is the only weapon that can damage him, and the Light Arrows can only induce a temporary state of paralysis on him. In this case, the Master Sword is stronger than the Light Arrows.

Doesn't that seem contradictory? If the Light Arrows are stronger than the Master Sword on every other enemy, why is it that only the Master Sword can kill Ganon/Ganondorf while the Light Arrows can only stun him? Does he have some sort of immunity to the Light Arrows that the other enemies don't have? If so, why doesn't he have the same immunity toward the Master Sword? Don't both the Light Arrows and the Master Sword have the power of light?

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but it always seemed strange to me that the Light Arrows have an advantage over the Master Sword against ordinary enemies, yet the Master Sword is the stronger weapon against Ganon/Ganondorf.

I think that they have different, rather than unequal, powers, but I'll do a more detailed post on this later.

Originally Posted by AXavierB

Doesn't that seem contradictory? If the Light Arrows are stronger than the Master Sword on every other enemy, why is it that only the Master Sword can kill Ganon/Ganondorf while the Light Arrows can only stun him?

The Silver Arrows are the only weapons that can kill Ganon, not the Master Sword.

Originally Posted by DrZaius1

The Silver Arrows are the only weapons that can kill Ganon, not the Master Sword.

But wasn't Ganondorf killed in both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess by the Master Sword?

Originally Posted by AXavierB

But wasn't Ganondorf killed in both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess by the Master Sword?

It's debatable, and more likely Twilight Princess then The Wind Waker, even though there was that whole turning to stone bit.

Originally Posted by AXavierB

This is a question concerning the Light Arrows and the Master Sword. In the games, the Light Arrows are the ultimate weapon you can use, killing all enemies in one strike because of the fact that their power repels evil. The Master Sword also has the power to repel evil, but only in the Twilight Realm can it kill all enemies with one hit. This would make me assume that the Light Arrows are stronger than the Master Sword.

^ I think the reason why it seemed more stronger in the Twilight Realm is because of the repelling power that was placed on it from the two orbs that Link had to collect in the Twilight Realm itself. That's why it was more powerful in there than the outside world.

Still, the Master Sword is extremely powerful even without powers that is granted in it's blade.

Well, the Master Sword, IS the blade of evil's bane, so its only natural that it is able to destroy Ganon. (Or seal him away, until he brings himself back.) The light arrows can kill all of the other enemies because they are of lesser power than the great Ganondorf.

On the other hand, maybe it has nothing to do with the Zelda canon, and is simply the way that the game was designed. Especially considering that the biggoron's sword, Great Fairy Sword and the Guilded sword are all more powerful than the master sword in gameplay, but do not have the power to seal away Ganon/Ganondorf in the Zelda canon.

Also, it is notable, that in 4 Swords Adventure, the final blow to Ganon is dealt with an L2 arrow which is fired through a magical ball of light that Zelda creates, which presumably would make it a light arrow.

Either way, I still think that it has nothing to do with Zelda canon, just the way the game was designed. Especially since in more recent games, Zelda is given the light arrows, while Link fights Ganon in blade to blade(s) combat.

Originally Posted by DrZaius1

It's debatable, and more likely Twilight Princess then The Wind Waker, even though there was that whole turning to stone bit.

Somebody, somehwere on the forums posted a quote I read in which Aounuma said that they did intend for the turning to stone thing to represent Ganondorf's death, but the stone thing just fit better with the feel of the game, so that's what they used. Having said that, it should also be noted that at this point, he no longer had the ToP, and so that could reasonably explain why the MS was able to kill him.

Originally Posted by Mattocks

Somebody, somehwere on the forums posted a quote I read in which Aounuma said that they did intend for the turning to stone thing to represent Ganondorf's death, but the stone thing just fit better with the feel of the game, so that's what they used. Having said that, it should also be noted that at this point, he no longer had the ToP, and so that could reasonably explain why the MS was able to kill him.

i say that Nintendo just didnt want angry parents yelling at them since people aren't supposed to die in rated E games.

Originally Posted by Baby Goron

i say that Nintendo just didnt want angry parents yelling at them since people aren't supposed to die in rated E games.

People can't die in E rated games. Laurto, Fado, and the Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule are all dead. However characters cannot die in violent ways onscreen. Turning Ganondorf to stone was a way of making it less violent.

The Master Sword doesn't seem to actually be able to kill Ganon while he's a demon.