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- NOTE: This Synopsis ONLY includes canon events in the main universe; for non-canon information please go back to the Main Page. This is also organized into the latest "Official" timeline and may change in the future as the timeline given is merely meant as an example and there have been other timelines before it.
The story of demonic tyrant Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda franchise.
Unified Timeline[]
The "Unified" timeline refers to before the split in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time after the final battle.
Skyward Sword[]
- Main article: Demise (The Legend of Zelda)
| “ | My hate… never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again! Those like you… those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero… they are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time! | „ |
| ~ Demise cursing Link and Zelda as he dies, thus creating Ganon. |
In the distant past, the original Demon King, Demise, led his forces to seize the ultimate power left in the care of the Goddess Hylia and slaughtered many innocent humans in the process. However, Hylia was able to save the humans by sending them skyward on a floating island, and then led the five races that still lived on the surface into war with Demise and his legions. In the end, Hylia was able to seal Demise away, but suffered terrible injuries from their fight. Knowing that Demise's seal wouldn't last forever, Hylia created the Goddess Sword an artificial being called Fi to inhabit it for the purpose of finding a suitable warrior to fight the Demon King should he arise again. She then abandoned her divinity so that she could be reborn into a mortal form who would use the Triforce for good, which she did in the form of a young girl named Zelda.
After Hylia's servant Impa escapes with Zelda into the past and a Gate of Time is revealed, Demise's sealing breaks and he escapes in an imprisoned form. However, the chosen hero, Link defeats him, driving a Seal Spike into his skull and resealing him. Demise escapes again but is defeated and sealed by Link with help from fellow child of the sky Groose and his catapult; he is defeated a third time as well. As he is about to escape a fourth time, Link uses the Triforce causing a statue of Hylia to fall on and crush Demise obliterating him.
However, the spirit of Demise's blade, Ghirahim, travels to the past with Zelda and by means of a ritual gave her soul to Demise, who is able to return to power. Demise transforms Ghirahim back into a sword and faces Link who confronts him without fear. Favorably impressed, Demise tells him that, if he wishes to fight him, he should enter a dimension away from distractions; otherwise he can just wait for Demise to destroy the world. Link eventually defeats Demise by stabbing him with the Master Sword. Before disintegrating into black smoke Demise praises Link's valor but casts a curse so his hatred and foes will be reincarnated to torment Link, Zelda and their descendants forever. What remains of Demise's consciousness is absorbed into the Master Sword to decay over time until there is nothing left.
Early Life[]
| “ | My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing… Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose. | „ |
| ~ Ganondorf describing his troubled past in The Wind Waker. |
Several hundred years after Demise's death, his curse comes to pass and his unholy hatred is reborn as Ganondorf, a rare Gerudo male who is crowned king of his tribe. Ganondorf is raised by the Twinrova witches, Koume and Kotake, who treat him as their son and presumably teach him magic. As he grows older, Ganondorf proves himself to be a skilled warrior and sorcerer, thus earning the respect and loyalty of the Gerudo.
However, the harsh conditions of the Gerudo Desert begin to take their toll on the Gerudo king. The scorching heat of the day and freezing cold of the night prove deadly for the tribe, causing them to suffer and die from the horrid climate. The Gerudo are forced to resort to stealing in order to survive, earning Ganondorf the title of the "King of Thieves". Ganondorf sees the green fields and vast resources of the neighboring kingdom of Hyrule and grows jealous, longing for a better life for both himself and his people. Unfortunately, Demise's curse corrupts this well-intentioned envy into a twisted lust for power and hatred of Hyrule, which eventually reaches a boiling point in his adulthood.
Ocarina of Time[]
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Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time 3D.
| “ | These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me! | „ |
| ~ Ganondorf |
Ganondorf is striving to conquer the land of Hyrule and obtain the Triforce so, in order to access the Triforce within the Sacred Realm, he seeks the three Spiritual Stones from the Kokiri, Goron, and Zora tribes. When they refuse to hand them over, he curses the Great Deku Tree and Lord Jabu-Jabu with magical parasites (Queen Gohma and Barinade, respectively) and blocks off Dodongo's Cavern. At the same time, he pledges false allegiance to the King of Hyrule.
Princess Zelda senses the evil within Ganondorf and, along with Link, strives to prevent Ganondorf from obtaining the Triforce. Ganondorf betrays and assaults Hyrule Castle while Link gathers the three Spiritual Stones but he only arrives in time to see Zelda and Impa flee, pursued by Ganondorf. Ganondorf demands Link tell him where the two fled too, but Link does not tell him. When Link shortly after opens the gate to the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf follows him and seizes the opportunity to obtain the Triforce, with partial success. As he touched the Triforce, it splits, leaving Ganondorf with only the Triforce of Power.
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Ganondorf in his monstrous form of Ganon.
Once Link is asleep, Ganondorf conquers Hyrule while waiting for the moment he finds the other owners of the other two Triforce pieces. Eventually, he finds them in the Temple of Time, where he kidnaps Zelda and challenges Link to come to save her. The three meet again in Ganon's Tower, where the final battle ensues. Link reaches the top of the Tower to discover Ganondorf playing the organ (the sound of which can be heard throughout the Tower) and engages and bests him in battle. Link has to turn back the yellow bolts of light that he cast at him to bind the Evil King. After that, he fires a Light Arrow to stun him, and Link delivers the coup-de-grace with his Master Sword. Whenever he recovers, Link repeats this strategy and, if he tries to accumulate dark energy for a devastating attack, a Light Arrow can be shot beforehand. After a couple of times, he falls, defeated, and tries to bury Link and Zelda by crumbling the tower. Fortunately, they manage to get out in time but Ganondorf manages to pull together all his strength and unleashes the essence of the Triforce of Power to transform into a bestial form, Ganon.
Despite this, Link manages to defeat him by striking its tail with the aid of the Megaton Hammer and the Biggoron Sword until he is weak enough to cast down his fire barrier so Link can recover his Master Sword. Using the Master Sword and some techniques like countering its blades' slashes with slashes of his own, firing a light arrow to its face and rolling between his legs, he manages to hack away at his tail some more times to weaken the Evil Beast. Link, with the help of the Master Sword, Navi, Zelda, and the power of the other Six Sages; deals the final blow, and Ganondorf is sealed into the Sacred Realm, where he cannot harm Hyrule or lay his hands on the remaining pieces of the Triforce.
Downfall Timeline[]
- Main article: Ganon (Downfall Timeline)
This is an alternate timeline which happens if Ganondorf successfully kills Link in the final battle, leading to the Imprisoning War described in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
A Link to the Past[]
| “ | Ho ho ho… With this, the seal of the seven sages is at last broken. It is now only a matter of time before evil power covers this land completely… After all, the legendary Hero cannot defeat us, the tribe of evil, when we are armed with the Power of Gold. Ho ho ho… Now, I must go! | „ |
| ~ Agahnim |
Agahnim, Ganon's alter ego.
According to the in-game backstory, an evil thief named Ganondorf once led a group of bandits in search of the Triforce. After discovering the Sacred Realm and the Triforce within, a fight broke out amongst the bandits, leading to Ganondorf killing all of his followers in order to claim the relic for his own. After laying his bloodstained hand on the Triforce, Ganondorf wished for the power to take over the world. He was transformed into Ganon, the King of Darkness, and went into conflict against Hyrule in what became known as the Imprisoning War. Eventually, Ganon was sealed within the Sacred Realm itself. However, over the course of the following century, he began to corrupt and distort the Sacred Realm into a twisted version of Hyrule known as the Dark World. It is worth noting that much of the preceding backstory was retconned in Ocarina of Time, which showed how Ganondorf truly discovered the Triforce, thus implying that Hyrule's history in A Link to the Past has been forgotten about and/or twisted over time.
While trapped in the Dark World, Ganon created a copy of himself with several of his abilities - the Ganondorf copy was then sent to Hyrule under the alias of "Agahnim". The land of Hyrule becomes besieged by an onslaught of terrible misfortunes, like pestilence and drought, the King of Hyrule offers a reward to a person who can put an end to these problems. Agahnim arrives and puts an end to the troubles with previously unknown magic and is declared a hero and given the positions of Chief Advisor to the King, Priest, and Heir to the Seven Sages. Agahnim uses this position and his mysterious magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's soldiers, make the King of Hyrule disappear, and captures six of the descendants of the Seven Sages to make them disappear to the Dark World. He then captures the final descendant, Princess Zelda, and locks her in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle as he prepares to do the same to her.
After Link, the Hero of Legend, rescues her, Zelda hides in the Sanctuary as she is the last of the descendants, meaning that Agahnim will likely come after her as well. Eventually, Agahnim's troops find her and take her to the top of the highest tower of Hyrule Castle. Agahnim then sends Princess Zelda to the Dark World, this breaking the seal of the Seven Sages and tells Link that nothing can stop him now, because the Tribe of Evil can now use the Triforce, and that evil and darkness will soon overrun the Light World. He then vanishes, but Link manages to find him in a hidden chamber where he duels with the Dark Wizard. Before Link can defeat the wizard, he flees into the Dark World.
Ganon in A Link to the Past.
| “ | I never imagined a boy like you could give me so much trouble. It’s unbelievable that you defeated my alterego, Agahnim the Dark Wizard, twice! But I will never give you the Triforce. I will destroy you and make my wish to conquer both Light and Dark Worlds come true without delay! | „ |
| ~ Ganon before his final battle with Link. |
During Link's quest to rescue the seven maidens, Link learns that Agahnim is a servant of Ganon. While in the Dark World, Agahnim arrives at Ganon's Tower to complete his ritual and allow Ganon to break free. When Link defeats Agahnim a second time, at the top of the tower, Agahnim collapses, and from his body, Ganon appears. Ganon turns into a bat and flies to the Pyramid of Power. At the start of the final battle, Ganon reveals that Agahnim was, in fact, his alter ego - a copy of him. He then engages Link in a final battle, even complimenting the hero's skill, before finally meeting his end at through the power of the Master Sword.
With Ganon and his alter-ego destroyed, Link claims the Triforce and uses it to resurrect all of the casualties of Ganon's plan and rescue everyone trapped in the Dark World, thus returning peace to Hyrule.
Link's Awakening[]
Due to his death, as well as the game taking place outside of Hyrule, Ganon himself does not appear. However, the final boss, DethI, takes various forms, which are heavily implied to represent Link's greatest fears. One of DethI's forms is Agahnim, but more significantly, its penultimate phase before revealing its true form sees it take on the appearance of Ganon himself, even attacking Link identically to Ganon at the end of the previous game. This implies that Ganon is still Link's greatest fear, and the memory of their final confrontation still haunts him.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages[]
The resurrected Ganon in the Oracle games.
| “ | Now only one flame remains… When the three flames burn in the darkness… The Evil King shall return! Oh ho ho ho ho! | „ |
| ~ Koume and Kotake taunting Link about Ganon's impending revival. |
A few years after Ganon's death in A Link to the Past, the revived Koume and Kotake devise a plan to resurrect their fallen son. To that end, they begin a ritual in their Room of Rites that requires them to light three flames and sacrifice Princess Zelda (not unlike the ritual to revive Demise).
For the Flame of Destruction, Koume and Kotake summon Onox, the General of Darkness and a dragon from the Dark World. They send Onox to the land of Holodrum to kidnap Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and destroy the Temple of Seasons. This causes Holodrum's seasons to be thrown into disarray, thus plunging the land into chaos. Fortunately, Link is transported to Holodrum by the Triforce, where he rescues Din, defeats Onox, and restores the Temple of Seasons. However, the chaos caused by Onox was enough for the Flame of Destruction to be lit, thus fulfilling the first step of Twinrova's plan.
For the Flame of Sorrow, Koume and Kotake send Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows and a sadistic demon fairy, to the kingdom of Labrynna. Link is once again transported by the Triforce to Labrynna, where Veran possesses Impa and manipulates him into helping her enter the forest. Veran then possesses Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and uses her power of time travel to go back to the past and wreak havoc. As a result of her machinations, all the men in Labrynna's past are enslaved and forced to work endlessly on constructing a Black Tower, meant to be a monument to their sorrow and Ganon's revival. She also turns numerous creatures into stone, wipes out a city, and poisons the ocean, further plunging the land into sorrow. Throughout the game, Link uses Nayru's secret Harp of Ages to travel back and undo all of Veran's crimes, before eventually confronting and defeating the sorceress herself. However, Veran's atrocities and the resulting suffering of Labrynna's people were enough to the light the Flame of Sorrow, completing the second step of Twinrova's plan.
After Onox and Veran are defeated, Koume and Kotake kidnap Princess Zelda and bring her to an altar in the Room of Rites to prepare her sacrifice. This causes the people of Hyrule to fall into a state of mourning and desperation, thus lighting the final Flame of Despair. Link breaks into the Room of Rites and interrupts the ritual. Koume and Kotake merge into Twinrova and battle him. After being defeated, Twinrova, in a last ditch effort to revive their son, sacrifice themselves on the altar instead, causing Ganon to be resurrected.
Ganon returns, yet is significantly weaker and no longer possesses Ganondorf's cunning mind due to the incomplete ritual. Instead, he is a rampaging beast who only wants to conquer and destroy. Link defeats him in a battle reminiscent of their duel in A Link to the Past, destroying Ganon once again.
A Link Between Worlds[]
- Main article: Yuga (The Legend of Zelda)
Ganon in A Link Between Worlds.
| “ | I will use the Sages to reach the one who shall help me attain true beauty. I mean, of course… GANON! Behold! The Triforce of Power! Join with me! Let us destroy all ugliness in this world or any other. We shall be TRULY superior! | „ |
| ~ Yuga as he resurrects and merges with Ganon |
Ganon returns as the overarching antagonist.
Around a century after the events of the Oracle games, a series of portals open between Hyrule and the parallel universe known as Lorule. From the portals emerges a sorcerer named Yuga (heavily implied to be Ganondorf's Lorulean counterpart), who kidnaps Princess Zelda and the Seven Sages and uses them to resurrect and fuse with Ganon, becoming the monstrous Yuga Ganon.
Ganon after being merged with Yuga.
At the end of the game, Ganon's resurrection is revealed to have been planned by Zelda's Lorulean counterpart, Princess Hilda, in a gambit to lure out the New Hero of Hyrule, Link, and steal Hyrule's Triforce from its three wielders to wish for the restoration of the kingdom of Lorule. However, Yuga betrays Hilda and takes the Triforces of Wisdom and Power for himself. This leads to a final battle where Link defeats Yuga and uses the Triforce to save both worlds, destroying Ganon once again in the process.
Echoes of Wisdom[]
- Main article: Ganon (Echoes of Wisdom)
At some point, the primordial being Null discovered who Ganon was, and created a sentient echo of him to further its plans. This echo was eventually slain by Princess Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda[]
Ganon encounters Link in Death Mountain. Artwork by Katsuya Terada.
Ganon eventually resurrected and had stolen the Triforce of Power and attacks Hyrule in an attempt to steal the Triforce of Wisdom. He makes his base of operations in Death Mountain under Spectacle Rock but Princess Zelda splits the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces. His humanoid form also appears in-game under the alias Agahnim during the time of disasters in Hyrule and joins the king in stopping them all, only to take control of Hyrule after the king drops his guard transforming the land into the Dark World. He also manages to take control of Hyrule by stating that Link is behind these events, at the end of the game, Link defeats Agahnim who then transforms into Ganon and to prevent him from laying his hands on it. Link assembled them to fight and defeat Ganon using the Silver Arrows.
The Adventure of Link[]
| “ | GAME OVER RETURN OF GANON |
„ |
| ~ The game over screen in The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link. |
Ganondorf does not appear in the sequel as his minions are attempting to revive him by spilling Link's blood on his ashes and appears as Ganon on the game over screen of the non-Japanese releases. The Magician in the backstory, is believed to be a minion or copy of Ganon. The Magician's influence has corrupted the Prince of Hyrule into seeking the full Triforce for selfish ends. When his sister, Princess Zelda, refused to divulge the location of Triforce of Courage, the Magician cast a spell forcing Zelda into a deep sleep before mysteriously dropping dead. Ultimately however, the attempt to resurrect Ganon is unsuccessful when Link defeats Link's Shadow and revives Zelda with the completed Triforce.
Adult Timeline[]
- Main article: Ganondorf (Adult Timeline)
This is the timeline where Ganondorf was sealed after ruling Hyrule and then being defeated by Link, he eventually escaped, leading to the backstory of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
The Wind Waker[]
| “ | Gods! Hear that which I desire! Expose this land to the rays of the sun once more! Let them burn forth! GIVE HYRULE TO ME! | „ |
| ~ Ganon |
Long before the game, Ganon himself 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 and his army.
Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
However, he manages to free himself and rebuild his army so, still wanting to obtain the Triforce, he sends 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 kidnaps 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 has 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 removes 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 transforms into a 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 reaches 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 the last battle. Now that he no longer has the Triforce of Power, he is no longer immortal. 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 to 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.
Phantom Hourglass[]
Ganondorf serves as the posthumous overarching antagonist of this game since he does not make a physical appearance as he is already dead, so Bellum takes his place as the main antagonist. However, Ganondorf is mentioned in the prologue detailing the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Child Timeline[]
- Main article: Ganondorf (Twilight Era)
This is the timeline where Link was sent back to the past and was able to warn the Royal Family of Ganondorf's treachery, leading to the events of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess backstory.
Twilight Princess[]
Ganondorf in Twilight Princess HD.
| “ | I shall house my power in you… If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it, too. | „ |
| ~ Ganondorf forming an alliance with Zant. |
Prior to the game, Ganondorf was captured, put on trial, and sentenced to death by the Sages. While they manage to severely wound him, they cannot kill him and it is revealed that he possesses the Triforce of Power, and with it, he manages to free himself from his chains, and well as kill the Sage of Water. Knowing no better solution, the Sages open the gate to the Twilight Realm and send Ganondorf through it. There. he influences Zant, who had been denied the throne of the Twilight Realm, to seize control and access Hyrule again. Ganondorf grants Zant a fraction of his power, in return for the opportunity to escape the Twilight Realm.
Dark Beast Ganon in Twilight Princess.
| “ | Do not think this ends here... The history of light and shadow will be written in blood! | „ |
| ~ Ganondorf's last words after being defeated. |
Before being killed by Midna, Zant says that Ganondorf will endlessly resurrect him before Link faces Ganondorf in Hyrule Castle and possesses Zelda's body, but Link defeats him and Midna drives him out. Ganondorf transforms into Ganon but, unlike his previous transformation into Ganon, this Ganon is on four legs and his weak spot is the scar on his chest from his botched execution. Link transforms into a wolf, in a sacred beast vs. evil beast battle, and Link wins. Ganondorf transforms into a beast of flame, and Midna transforms and fights him, but he defeats her and engages Link in a horseback battle. Link knocks him off the horse, and Link and Ganondorf have their final battle, in which Link knocks Ganondorf down and stabs him in his execution wound. The Triforce of Power leaves him, rendering him mortal, and he has a vision of Zant snapping his neck before dying.
Four Swords Adventures[]
- Main article: Ganon (Shadow Era)
Ganondorf is again reincarnated as a member of the Gerudo tribe, beginning a new plan to usurp the powers of the Seven Maidens and cover Hyrule in darkness.
Era of the Wilds[]
This is an era that takes place at the end of the series' chronology, incorporating elements from every timeline.
Breath of the Wild[]
- Main article: Calamity Ganon
A new entity known as Calamity Ganon rises and lays waste to Hyrule, bringing the kingdom to ruin for 100 years. The game's dialogue and later revelations in the sequel imply that Calamity Ganon is made of the hatred and malice of not only Demise, but every other Demon King, including the original Ganondorf.
Additionally, the original Ganondorf is alluded to in King Dorephan's Zora Stone Monuments. History of the Zora, Part Five details the story of an ancient Sage, Princess Ruto, who helped a hero and the princess of Hyrule defeat "an evil man with designs on ruling the world", clearly referencing the events of Ocarina of Time.
Tears of the Kingdom[]
- Main article: Ganondorf (Era of the Wilds)
Yet another incarnation of Ganondorf rises to power, revealed to be the source of Calamity Ganon and the true reincarnation of the Demon King.