When a game expands into a series, it’s always important that there’s lore in place that hasn’t reached its full potential. Writers need wiggle room to expand on the setting and find interesting new narratives that surprise and enthrall the players. That’s important even when a game is already part of a larger series, but develops a sort of mini-series of it’s own. That’s what Majora‘s Mask did for Ocarina of Time, for instance. That sequel demonstrated what else the Ocarina could be used for and what might become of a hero with such power. Now, a more modern example is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the Dynasty Warriors styled prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Admittedly the game already has a lot of highly settled lore to navigate around. Breath of the Wild was all about the scars of the past and Link’s quest to recovery, making up for his failure. However, even though it’s technically a story that’s already been told, there could easily be things that players don’t know that were left out of history in Breath of the Wild. And in fact, fans already think they’ve found one. In the latest Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity trailer, there’s an emphasis on a figure seemingly confronting Calamity Ganon. One might assume this figure is Link, but on closer inspection, it looks a lot like a Gerudo rather than a Hylian. If there’s a mysterious Gerudo figure emerging in the strife with the Calamity, player’s can’t help think of one familiar face: Ganondorf.
The theory that Ganondorf will make a significant appearance in Age of Calamity revolves around a mosaic that Zelda fans are actually pretty familiar with, since it was shown off a lot in Breath of the Wild. In it, Calamity Ganon goes to battle with Zelda and a sword-wielding hero, all while surrounded by the Divine Beasts and a veritable sea of Guardians. At a glance, one wouldn’t even question if the swordfighter is Breath of the Wild’s Link. They’re wearing blue, they’re brandishing a sword, and they’re fighting heroically at Zelda’s side.
However, when looking at the details, it starts to seem a little less certain that it’s Link at all. For instance, the figure appears to have flowing red hair and a remarkably large nose. These are traits that one could easily ascribe to a Gerudo, based on their standard depiction in the series. In fact, Urbosa herself has long red hair and a large nose. While these features could be written off as artistic license, there’s one other detail that should make skeptics think twice. Zelda has red skin in the mural, but she has her signature golden hair. Link, meanwhile, is no redhead — so is that swordfighter really him?
Thus, the theory emerges: perhaps Link isn’t the one that confronts Calamity Ganon in the upcoming game. Perhaps the fabled male Gerudo only born so often in Gerudo tradition isn’t the sworn enemy of the princess and her champion in this incarnation. Maybe in the canon of Breath of the Wild, Ganondorf sacrificed himself alongside Zelda in an attempt to trap or defeat the Calamity. If he was somehow slain and consumed by the monster, he might have become its namesake and faded from history.
If this theory turns out to be true, it’s big news for the list of playable characters in Age of Calamity. When the game was revealed, it looked pretty certain that the roster of fighters would mostly be limited to Link, Zelda, and the four Champions, since they had the greatest known hand in waging the war against Calamity Ganon’s forces. However, this game takes place a hundred years in the past. There’s a good chance that there’s heroes that history forgot about. One of them could have been another acclaimed Gerudo warrior named Ganondorf that came out of the desert with Urbosa to help Hyrule. Should that be the case, fans ought to get excited, because that means a playable Ganondorf.
He would be a huge selling point for this game. Ganondorf was playable in the first Hyrule Warriors game despite being one of the main antagonists, and he sure packed a punch. Wielding weapons like a pair of great swords and a lightning trident, he could carve up the battlefield, giving players a taste of what it’s like to be The Legend of Zelda‘s most notorious villain. Even if he’s not evil this time around, a new incarnation of Ganondorf is sure to be just as huge and powerful, ready to carve a swath through Calamity Ganon’s army. It might even turn out that players go into the final battle of Age of Calamity not as Link, but as Ganondorf — or most remarkably of all, as Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf all working together for the first time in Zelda history.
Another thing that would change completely if Ganondorf is a hero this time is player expectations for Breath of the Wild 2. Since it looks like it’ll involve finding Ganondorf’s corpse as he is resurrected, the tone of the discovery might be completely different. It could be an incredibly tragic game where Link and Zelda are pitted against a twisted undead version of a trusted friend who’s been corrupted by Calamity Ganon’s malice. The shadow of Ganondorf being struck down may not be one of heroic victory, but of a good man’s tragic fall and martyrdom.
The demon king Demise may have sworn eternal vengeance on the chosen heroes of Hylia, but Breath of the Wild and its companion games inhabit a really special place in the timeline. Many thousands of years separate this game from any other Zelda entry, meaning fans can’t be sure anything is as they know or expect anymore. It could be that the malevolence of Demise is gone and Ganondorf is a nemesis no longer. Even just a prequel in a unique style of game is breaking tradition for Zelda games. If Ganondorf turns out to be the one person Link and Zelda count on the most in Age of Calamity, it might be the biggest break in tradition of all.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity releases on November 20th for the Switch.
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