Ganondorf might have as many names as Danaerys Targaryen. He is at one point called King of Evil, King of Thieves, the Dark Lord, King of Darkness, Prince of Darkness, and more. But every game in the Legend of Zelda series has seen a different version of Link, as well as Ganon.
An important differentiation to make here is that Ganon and Ganondorf are not quite the same. The Hyrule Historia claims that “Ganondorf” refers to his humanoid form. “Ganon” functions as a nickname, as well as the name for the evil beast Ganondorf can become.
But which versions of Ganon are the most frightening or intimidating across the various games and timelines?
10 Ganon From CD-I Games
This iteration of Ganon fell flat even around the time of its release. But these games, Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, were not received well overall. They released in 1993 for the Philips CD-i and take place on the isle of Koridai.
Ganon’s design in them saw a strange canine-inspired creature in robes. There were some Orc-like features, but it just feels muddled and lacks identity. Fans and critics alike regard it as being one of the worst Ganons.
9 Ganon From NES/GameBoy Games & Oracles of Ages/Seasons
The character design for Ganon in all of these games is quite similar. The GameBoy versions just seem to have slightly better fidelity in comparison. This is likely due to the technology available. As some of the first versions of Ganon, the designs have definitely aged. Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons tweaked the existing designs a bit. But the 2001 version largely remains the same.
However, in the timeline, Legend of Zelda was the first time that Ganon manifested himself as a demonic pig-like monstrosity. In a time where villain sprites needed to be eye-catching, this design definitely did the trick.
8 Ganon From Four Swords Adventures
This game has the Gerudos and Hyruleans at peace, but only for a short while. Another Ganondorf absconds with the trident and the dark mirror. He unleashed Vaati and opened four portals into the Dark Realm to let monsters spill forth.
Link faces what might be the most fear-inducing version of the original Ganon design ever. The humanoid pig has intense muscles, jagged teeth, and tusks. His armor is green, gold, and red with a flowing purple cape and pauldrons. Fans mostly assume that the trident’s dark magic is what caused Ganondorf’s transformation. But lore has yet to concretely confirm this.
7 Ganon From A Link Between Worlds
This version of Ganon might be the most peculiar due, in part, to the inclusion of Yuga. Yuga is technically Ganon disguised as an evil sorcerer who bears similar red hair and green skin. But the Yuga Ganon design suffered a bit from the prevailing 3D modeling of its release era in 2013.
Yuga Ganon resembles previous Ganon iterations in that it is a giant pig. His enormous form almost takes up the whole room. He bears glowing white eyes, purple skin, tusks, and a bizarre mane of red braids. Though imposing, the design doesn’t scream awesome or terrifying to fans.
6 Ganon From A Link To The Past
The Demon King has been banished to the Sacred Realm and turned it into the Dark Realm in this game. An evil wizard seeks to break his seal, so Link interferes to protect Hyrule.
After rescuing the Seven Maidens and taking out Agahnim, Link battles Ganon. This time, he takes the form of a giant pig-like demon monster wielding a trident. His costume features many skulls and he has some fearsome tusks. But this Ganon is far from being the best or most intimidating.
This game is also the final game in the Child timeline.
5 Puppet Ganon From The Wind Waker
As the first game in the Adult timeline, fans had mixed reactions to the new “toon” designs. But cel-shaded Ganondorf turned out to be many people’s favorite. The same can be said for Ganon’s form in Wind Waker which maintains a Metacritic of 96 even now.
The game’s design really shines when it introduces the three forms of Puppet Ganon. This beast has snake, spider, and boar modes. Each has unique design elements with jarring movements to unnerve the player. But each form’s moveset speaks directly to the unique parts of each form.
4 The Imprisoned/Demise From Skyward Sword
Though not exactly an iteration of Ganon, Demise is the being behind the various incarnations of Ganon. He is the ultimate baddie of the Zelda series and his forms in Skyward Sword are complete nightmare fuel. As with most versions of Ganon, there are also multiple forms of Demise.
His Branka-from-Street-Fighter-esque humanoid form is scary enough. But his creature form takes the figure of a giant, many-toothed Imprisoned. The somewhat goofy design on The Imprisoned detracts from the fearsomeness. But the scales, teeth, giant mouth, and monstrous elements make the design unique.
3 Ganon From Twilight Princess
This entry is widely regarding by many fans to be the best game in the series. As such, the representations of both Ganon and Ganondorf are also both quite impeccable. This force also includes a disembodied, all gold, and illuminated Ganondorf head.
This time around, Link’s descendant must challenge Ganon in the form of Dark Beast Ganon. The fearsome beast bears a pig nose, a wild orange/red mane, and huge tusks. This design stands out for its realistic nature with shiny chocolate brown fur and auburn mane. The tusks are also ivory in color instead of bone-white and the beast bears the same crown that Ganondorf wore.
2 Calamity Ganon/Dark Beast Ganon From Breath Of The Wild
This iteration of Ganon is literal poison for the land of Hyrule. It infects everything and ensures chaos will reign. Players can see the amorphous and ever-shifting calamity orbiting Hyrule castle. Some of its features resemble a boar or a snake, but it is difficult to pin down.
Link encounters pieces of Ganon’s soul throughout Hyrule. He must defeat the likes of Thunderblight Ganon and others to unlock the Sacred Beasts. However, the real party lies inside of an egg inside Hyrule castle. Link releases the creature, a mechanized, maned, and many-limbed spider-like Ganon creature.
Link must dispatch the Scourge of Hyrule Castle Calamity Ganon before he transforms. After the first defeat, Ganon turns into Dark Beast Ganon. But this design differs from the older ones with its bright pink flames, and almost detail-less body graphics. The mood of the looming, hulking beast imposes on Link even if the mechanics of the fight don’t match up.
1 Ganon From Ocarina Of Time
Most fans laud Ocarina of Time as being the best game in the franchise. But it is also the game that kicks off the time split and three major timelines in the series. This Ganondorf embarks on the most involved quest to manifest Demise/Ganon. When he gains access to the Triforce of Power, he becomes the King of Evil and takes over Hyrule.
In the Fallen Hero timeline, Ganondorf transforms into the enormous and dangerous Minotaur-like Demon King. The power of the full Triforce made the transformation quick and Ganon attacked ruthlessly. Though the depiction has dated due to the graphics of the time, many fans hope for a remake. Imagining a fully realized, 4K, and ray-tracing or DLSS enhanced version of this Ganon is truly frightening.
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