Analysing Ganon's Forms

Analyzing Ganon’s forms.

Note: This can be used as a reference, or simply as something to read, as it is mainly facts we know about Ganon/dorf with a few ideas thrown in. Enjoy.

Before I get started, it is important that the following terms are defined:

-“Jaaku no Ou”: Means “Great King of Evil”. All Ganon/dorf's go by this title.

-“Daimaou”: Means “Big Demon King”. A being by this title must possess a “Makai”.

-“Yami no [Ma]ou”: Means “[Demon] King of Darkness”. (‘Ma’ can be left out, which omits ‘demon’ from the English translation.) A being by this title must possess a “Makai”.

-“Makai”: Means “A Dark World”. Generally belongs to either a “Daimaou” or “Yami no [ma]ou”.

-“Bunshin”: To split ones soul, allowing the separated piece to invade the body of another being.

Ganon has been the main antagonist in most Zelda games, and many gaming fans know his name. He has taken various forms in the Zelda series, and has gone by many titles. However, knowing the backgrounds and powers of each of these Ganon’s can be confusing.

The aim of this article is to showcase Ganon’s state in each of his game appearances, and then note the significant details that would be needed when referring to him, whether in a timeline theory, a Ganondorf theory, or anything needing information of the Blue Pig.

Legend of Zelda:



In his first appearance, Ganon was in his well known Blue Pig form. He goes by the title “Daimaou”, and wields the all mighty Trident, as well as the Triforce of Power. He is attempting to take over Hyrule by acquiring the other two Triforce pieces.
Link manages to defeat Ganon using the Silver Arrows, which appear to destroy his body and soul after he is weakened by the White Sword. The Triforce of Power is dropped, and all that remains of Ganon are his ashes.

A Link to the Past:



“You are the only one who can destroy Ganondorf, the thief-no, Ganon, the evil King Of Darkness!” – Swap Palace Maiden, A Link to the Past.

“Ganon's wish was to conquer the world. That wish changed the Golden Land to the Dark World. Ganon was building up his power here so he could conquer the Light World and make his wish come completely true. But now, you have totally destroyed Ganon. His Dark World will vanish. The Triforce is waiting for a new owner. Its Golden Power is in your hands... Now, touch it with a wish in your heart.” – The Essence of the Triforce, A Link to the Past.

After breaking a seal, Ganon, once again in his Blue Ganon form, is causing trouble in Hyrule. He is stuck within the Dark Realm, which was once the Sacred Realm, before it was corrupted by him.
He is again wielding the Trident, but does not possess a piece of the Triforce. He creates a bunshin, which possess the priest, Agahnim, as part of his plan to return to Hyrule.
His title is “Yami no [Ma]ou”, and the Dark World featured in the game is the original “Makai” created when Ganon first wished upon the Triforce.
Link uses both the Master Sword and the Silver Arrows to vanquish this Ganon, and when defeated, Ganon leaves no ashes. The Triforce itself then tells Link that Ganon is completely defeated, and that his Dark World (“Makai”) will vanish.

Ocarina of Time:



“That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudo’s. They hail from the desert far to the west.” – Zelda, Ocarina of Time.

“What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm.” – Zelda, Ocarina of Time.

“Geh heh heh! Excellent work! As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time! You have led me to the gates of the Sacred Realm... Yes, I owe it all to you, kid!” – Ganondorf, Ocarina of Time.

“Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!!” – Rauru, Ocarina of Time.

Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo, uses Link to enter the Sacred Realm and wish upon the Triforce. The imbalance in his heart causes the Triforce to split, giving Ganondorf the Triforce of Power, and the Wisdom and Courage pieces to Zelda and Link respectively.
When Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm, he became the “Daimaou” (Big Demon King).
Link is sealed for seven years within the Temple of Light while Ganondorf takes over Hyrule. Ganondorf then proclaims himself as the “Great King of Evil” (“Jaaku no Ou”).
Once Link is released, he does battle with Ganondorf, slaying him with the Master Sword. However, Ganondorf rises, and with the Triforce of Power, transforms into Ganon. Link stabs Ganon in the forehead with the Master Sword, allowing the seven Sages to seal him within the Sacred Realm.

Oracle of Ages/Seasons:

“The Flames of Sorrow, Destruction and Despair burn brightly. The return of the Evil King Ganon approaches. Our sacrifice of Zelda is all that remains! When we call Ganon's spirit into the vessel, it will be done!” – Twinrova, Oracle of Ages/Seasons.

Twinrova, using a magical ritual, plans to sacrifice Zelda’s body in order to revive Ganon. Link manages to foil her plan, forcing her to sacrifice herself. The “Daimaou” Ganon’s spirit is called into the Trident, and he is reborn, as a mindless raging beast. He appears as Blue Ganon, and wields the Trident once again. He claims to have a new title, “Yami no [Ma]ou” ([Demon] King of Darkness).
Link easily defeats Ganon (with the Master Sword, but due to the nature of the Oracle games, it can be the Magical Sword), but his spirit remains sealed within the Trident, which is also referred to as the “Demon’s Vessel”.

The Wind Waker:



“He is the very same Ganon... The emperor of the dark realm the ancient legends speak of...” – King, Wind Waker.

The same Ganondorf from the Adult Portion of the ocarina ending breaks the seal of the seven Sages, and once again walks the Earth. He still wields the Triforce of Power, and is seeking the other two pieces so he can wish Hyrule back, under his control. However, he does not seem to be connected to “Daimaou” Ganon anymore. He is human throughout the entire game, but is still titled “Daimaou”.
Ganondorf acquires the full Triforce, but Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule wishes on it first, ensuring the old Hyrule will never be seen again. Ganondorf, then does battle with Link and Zelda, but is struck in the head by the Master Sword. He dies.

Four Sword Adventures:



“Evil spirit... Spirit of magic? Trident? This indentation is in the shape of a weapon. Do you think the person who took this trident was... Ganondorf?!?” – Zelda, Four Sword Adventures.

“King of Darkness, ancient demon reborn. The wielder of the trident!!” – Zelda, Four Sword Adventures.

A new Ganondorf is born to the Gerudo, and he manages to claim the Trident of Power that holds the soul of “Yami no [Ma]ou” Ganon. The Trident is referred to as the “Demon’s Vessel”, and this transforms him into “Yami no [Ma]ou” Ganon. The body of this new Ganondorf is lost, completely taken over by Ganon’s Spirit. This transformation is known as the “Dark/Demon Beast”. Ganon is the same Blue Ganon as always, and of course, wields the Trident. Link, using the Four Sword weakens Ganon, who is then sealed within the Four Sword.

Twilight Princess:



“He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness... But he was blind... In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. Yet...By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods. His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice... Perhaps that evil power has been passed on to Zant...” – Sages, Twilight Princess.

The same Ganondorf from the child portion of OoT is featured in TP. He had not yet entered the Sacred Realm, but was sentenced to death by the Sages for committing an outrageous crime.
He is stabbed by a magical blade forged by the Sages, but suddenly, the Triforce of Power is awakened within Ganondorf, and he does not die. As a last resort, the Sages then sealed Ganondorf within the Twilight Realm. This is known as the “divine prank”. It should be noted that the Sages sword left a wound on Ganondorf.
Ganondorf uses Zant to then escape the TR, and return to Hyrule so he may conquer the throne. During his battle with Link, Ganondorf transforms into Ganon the “Dark/Demon Beast”, which is a reference to his transformation, just like in FSA. He then battles Link as himself, and is struck in his weak point by the Master Sword. Although he seems to still be alive, the Triforce of Power mysteriously disappears, and he dies.

From this evidence, we can envision various ideas about Ganon.
Here are a few examples of the conlusions that can be drawn:

Note: These ideas/conlusions are based on my timeline, featured in my sig. If you do not agree with that timeline, then purhaps you may not agree with my conclusions. Nonetheless, it is the most accepted timeline currently.

-There are two Ganondorf’s, one born in OoT, one born in FSA.
-There are two Ganon’s, Blue Ganon, who is born in the adult side of OoT, and the Ganon transformation from TP.
-All Ganon/dorf's go by the title "Jaaka no Ou".
-The Master Sword can weaken Ganon, allowing him to be sealed, and can kill Ganondorf.
-Ganondorf and Ganon can be separate spirits and bodies.
-The Triforce of Power has immortality properties (it doesn't grant immortality so to speak, it just has similar properties). This is shown by 2 examples: in TP, Ganondorf does not die untill the ToP fades, in WW, he dies straight away with no ToP at all.
-This is the reason ashes are left in LoZ after Ganon is killed with the Silver Arrows.
-The “Makai” belonging to Ganon is born in OoT when Ganondorf wished upon the Triforce and became “Daimaou” Ganon. This is described by Rauru and Zelda.
-The soul of “Daimaou” Ganon is sealed within the Trident by Twinrova in OoX, and from this point on, as Ganon suggests, he is referred to as “Yami no [Ma]ou”.
-The Ganondorf from FSA gains the Trident containing Ganon’s soul, and it possesses his body. Ganon is then sealed within the FS.
-Ganon breaks the seal of the FS, and is in his “Makai”, setting the stage for LttP. The back story of LttP still refers to OoT.
-No ashes appear when Ganon is killed in LttP because he no longer possessed the ToP.
-Ganon’s “Makai” vanished after he was killed in LttP.
-Ganon’s wish on the Triforce is only valid while he is alive.

Conclusion:

Of his many forms, Ganon has always been formidable. He had various flaws in his different forms, as well as a wide variety of powers at his command. Understanding all these facts can be difficult, and drawing conclusions is even harder without precise information.

Hopefully this article provided a good insight into the evil king, so that anyone and everyone can fully grasp the information and use it to their hearts content.


As usual, feel free to post comments. Also, if you feel something should be added, please post-so and I'll look into it. Similarily, if I have made a mistake anywhere, please inform me so I can change it. Thank you.

Edit: Currently, I do not have a screen cap or picture of Ganon from OoX. If anyone has a link to one, it would be greatly appreciated.
I will also get bigger pictues of the ones I already have if they appear too small. Although they seem alright, they are only there so people can see roughly what he looked like in each game.

But if TP takes places hundreds of years after OoT, wouldnt the ganondorf in TP be a second one?

Very nice. But something I just noticed. The LA manual states you regained peace from the King of Evil. That is what the Jumbie translated manual says.
It is the same Ganondorf. He was in the execution scene. Remember? The execution scene happened a short time after the ending of OoT. So he has lived on the whole time.

Oh yeah I forgot about that, sorry.

Originally Posted by Sign of Madness:
Very nice. But something I just noticed. The LA manual states you regained peace from the King of Evil. That is what the Jumbie translated manual says.

Thank you.
Hmm, that translation implies that LttP Ganon is also titled "Jaaku no Ou". Do any of these translations come from LttP stating the same thing?
Because it could be a typo, or Nintendo forgetting what he was called. Otherwise, thats another title to add to that particular Ganon.
I'll need a reference to change that, just so I'm sure.

He never actually dies he has different forms

^
Blue Ganon dies three times (LoZ - Link kills with Silver Arrows, OoX - Link slays with Sword, LttP - Link uses both Silver Arrows and Master Sword.)
LttP is where he dies completely, with no hope of returning. (Well, currently, they could make a post LttP game with Ganon again.)

Ganondorf dies in both WW and TP.

Yes, there are different forms, all of which I pointed out, but the main Ganon (Blue Ganon, Daimaou) lasts a very long time.
Read the thread more carefully if you are not sure what I mean.

I should have mentioned that the ideas I drew were based on my timeline, which is now the standard timeline (I think). I'll add that point in now.

Very nice, very nice. I've done a few threads on Ganon throughout the series, and I haven't read the whole thing yet, but this looks really good. IMO, every serious theorist should do a collective Ganon thread.

^ Thank you.

A collective Ganon thread would be awsome. By the end of it, we would have a book!

But yes, this was aimed to help people understand more about Ganon, check up some facts etc. that they need brushing up on or to use as a reference.

Originally Posted by Lord Insizor

^
Blue Ganon dies three times (LoZ - Link kills with Silver Arrows, OoX - Link slays with Sword, LttP - Link uses both Silver Arrows and Master Sword.)
LttP is where he dies completely, with no hope of returning. (Well, currently, they could make a post LttP game with Ganon again.)

Ganondorf dies in both WW and TP.

Yes, there are different forms, all of which I pointed out, but the main Ganon (Blue Ganon, Daimaou) lasts a very long time.
Read the thread more carefully if you are not sure what I mean.

I should have mentioned that the ideas I drew were based on my timeline, which is now the standard timeline (I think). I'll add that point in now.

Crap I forgot to put a question mark at the end of my question (I'm cooking with gas). Well a good question really is it that we assume he's dead or is he really?

I'm mean if I was a big ol' bubba like him ranging in my mid 40's running around all over the place, getting beat up I would want to take a nap in the middle of a field too
Since he's over the hill, you know those types, who can manage to fall asleep at the worst time in the weirdest positions.

^ Ha ha.
Well, it is true that the ending of Twilight Princess is very ambiguous. So for all we know, he could be alive somewhere.

But he does appear to die, quite convincingly.
We will just have to wait for a post TP game.

Originally Posted by Lord Insizor

^ Ha ha.
Well, it is true that the ending of Twilight Princess is very ambiguous. So for all we know, he could be alive somewhere.

But he does appear to die, quite convincingly.
We will just have to wait for a post TP game.

And see that is where Link and Zelda mess up they should have stayed for a second to make sure he didn't start snoring or to make sure drool wasn't dripping off his chin.

As always, I have disputes.

-There are two Ganondorf’s, one born in OoT, one born in FSA.

To me, a new Ganondorf is our last option, especially while the soul of the old one is still around in the trident. I think it's more likely that his soul, bound in the trident, caused his body to reincarnate. We do not know that the soul itself can reincarnate, but it makes sense for it to reincarnate the body somehow if it is in the world in the trident. A convenient system for Twinrova to have set up.

-There are two Ganon’s, Blue Ganon, who is born in the adult side of OoT, and the Ganon transformation from TP.

I'm not really sure about this. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't know what I think anymore. I'll have to look at some things.

-The Master Sword can weaken Ganon, allowing him to be sealed, and can kill Ganondorf.

Quoted for truth.

-The Master Sword seems to destroy Ganon’s physical body, but his soul will remain intact.

It destroys it to different effects on different occasions, so there is more involved, but yes essentially.

-The Silver Arrows seem to destroy Ganon’s soul.

-Ganondorf and Ganon can be separate spirits and bodies.

Ooooohhhh, crash and burn. All we know of Ganon is that he is an empowered form of Ganondorf's body. There might have been something in the article I missed supporting your point that they're seperate though. Do you have evidence for this?

-The Triforce of Power grants Ganon/dorf immortality. This is the reason ashes are left in LoZ after Ganon is killed with the Silver Arrows, as well as why Ganondorf in TP did not did not die until the ToP faded.

It is a possible cause of the ashes, yes. It might also have been that the /ms was not used. I think I'll be doing a study on how different weapons and objects affect Ganon's mortality soon. I don't know right now.

-The “Makai” belonging to Ganon is born in OoT when Ganondorf wished upon the Triforce and became “Daimaou” Ganon. This is described by Rauru and Zelda.

YES!!

-The soul of “Daimaou” Ganon is sealed within the Trident by Twinrova in OoX, and from this point on, as Ganon suggests, he is referred to as “Yami no [Ma]ou”.

Well, in my timeline, he is called daimaou again in LoZ, and I'll discuss how that works somewhere somehow where it fits, not in this reply.

-The Ganondorf from FSA gains the Trident containing Ganon’s soul, and it possesses his body. Ganon is then sealed within the FS.

I don't know if it possesses his body or not. The power recieved from the trident and the spirit in it turns him into the KoD, or Yami no Maou, as the inscription near the trident says. I can't say if you're wrong or not, but there's no way of knowing for sue.

-Ganon breaks the seal of the FS, and is in his “Makai”, setting the stage for LttP. The back story of LttP still refers to OoT.

Right again.

-No ashes appear when Ganon is killed in LttP because he no longer possessed the ToP.

Possibly. I'm going to research this.

-Ganon’s “Makai” vanished after he was killed in LttP.

Admittedly, yes.

-Ganon’s wish on the Triforce is only valid while he is alive.

Yep, but the extent of alive is unknown. IMO, ashes don't mean he's alive.

Very very good. Nothing I saw was downright wrong. There are a few things that are uncertain, but definitely plausible.

Originally Posted by Ollathir:
To me, a new Ganondorf is our last option, especially while the soul of the old one is still around in the trident. I think it's more likely that his soul, bound in the trident, caused his body to reincarnate. We do not know that the soul itself can reincarnate, but it makes sense for it to reincarnate the body somehow if it is in the world in the trident. A convenient system for Twinrova to have set up.

I believe the Ganondorf featured in FSA is a different one entirely as the Ganondorf featured in OoT was 100% killed. Including soul.

Ooooohhhh, crash and burn. All we know of Ganon is that he is an empowered form of Ganondorf's body. There might have been something in the article I missed supporting your point that they're seperate though. Do you have evidence for this?

That idea is entirely based on the idea that Ganon seperated from OoT Ganondorf after being sealed. This explains why there is no Ganon transformation in WW, and why there is a Ganon afterwards.
That is a cloudy area I'll admit, but it's the best I can think of right now.

I don't know if it possesses his body or not. The power recieved from the trident and the spirit in it turns him into the KoD, or Yami no Maou, as the inscription near the trident says. I can't say if you're wrong or not, but there's no way of knowing for sue.

Seeing as I believe FSA Ganondorf was just 'another guy' who claimed the Trident, his body was enveloped by Ganon's soul, using him as his new body. So it is a transformation of sorts, but completely forced by Ganon's soul.

Very very good. Nothing I saw was downright wrong. There are a few things that are uncertain, but definitely plausible.

Good to know. Looks like the last 3 days of research have payed off.

I'll say what I said in the other threads:

Originally Posted by Me

The whole "soul/body is destroyed" semantics thing is rather irritating. Whether the soul or the body is destroyed is highly irrelevant. What is important is that only the Silver Arrows can kill the demon Ganon (as seen in LoZ and ALttP), while the human Ganondorf is much easier to destroy (as seen in TWW and TP). There is no reason at all to delve into "soul/body destruction" theories, as silver is understood as being a substance that kills demons (maou), while the Master Sword kills people with evil hearts.

What is up with this "soul destroy/death" complex everyone is going on about? You can't destroy a soul that's total BS a soul is eternal @^@!!!
So if anything of Ganon's is destroyed it's only his body other wise he would not come back.

To me, a new Ganondorf is our last option, especially while the soul of the old one is still around in the trident. I think it's more likely that his soul, bound in the trident, caused his body to reincarnate. We do not know that the soul itself can reincarnate, but it makes sense for it to reincarnate the body somehow if it is in the world in the trident. A convenient system for Twinrova to have set up.

Ganondorf from FSA was alive before he stole the Trident.

I'm not really sure about this. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't know what I think anymore. I'll have to look at some things.

It makes sence though. Remember, Ganon in the child timeline never really got revived by the ToP. The Ganon we see in TP, is because of his exposer to Twilight. The Only Reason FSA Ganon isn't like that is because he's been exposed to both Twilight AND the Trident.

Ooooohhhh, crash and burn. All we know of Ganon is that he is an empowered form of Ganondorf's body. There might have been something in the article I missed supporting your point that they're seperate though. Do you have evidence for this?

I personally am half and half on this. I belive that after TWW, Ganon has no chance to ever turn back to Ganondorf...ever.

What is up with this "soul destroy/death" complex everyone is going on about? You can't destroy a soul that's total BS a soul is eternal @^@!!!
So if anything of Ganon's is destroyed it's only his body other wise he would not come back.
__________________

You're total BS

ALttP makes it clear that the SAs completley destroy Ganon's soul.

You're total BS

ALttP makes it clear that the SAs completley destroy Ganon's soul.

proof??

And I agree with Lex here. the whole soul/body/title discussion is kind of irrelevant.

What Lex said was comepletely accurate, I am just putting all the facts together so that anyone who is interested in all the different titles/forms can see how they function etc.
I hope it doesn't sound like another Ganon theory thread, it's ment to all be familiar... thats the point.

And the titles etc are very good when discussing the timeline, so I would not say it's irrelevant.

Thank you for the feedback guys.

And Lex, didn't you do a quick summery of Ganon over at some other foums? I'll try and find the link.
It was very good, but the members there all followed LttP on the child timeline and so were bagging your statements.

Edit: Here it is.

A History of Ganon - Legends Alliance Forums

Originally Posted by Pinecove

.....
You're total BS

ALttP makes it clear that the SAs completley destroy Ganon's soul.

Originally Posted by Smertios

proof??

And I agree with Lex here. the whole soul/body/title discussion is kind of irrelevant.

Smertios: that was my quote he was knocking down :3

If they "destroyed his soul" then his very existence would no longer be and he would be... well, no longer. Besides you can't destroy the manifested essence of someone, that's logic anyway, that and if you were to destroy something like that, if ever a possibility, which there isn't, then he would not come back and he does, a lot!...

Also I'm am not a Butt Sniffer XD