When considering a live-action adaptation of Legend of Zelda into a TV series, it’s impossible to deny the inevitable appearance of Ganon, the ‘King of Evil’ and bearer of the third piece of the Triforce with Link and Zelda. While a show based on the games could easily incorporate different antagonists, much like the games occasionally do, it simply wouldn’t sit right for Nintendo’s most ominous villain to never show up. The role of Ganon – more likely to be portrayed as his humanoid form in Ganondorf – would most easily be filled by an older, beefier, intimidating actor whose name carries some clout like the Lord of Evil himself.
Idris Elba could make a fine Ganondorf with a powerful presence while still being capable of showing a depth and subtlety if we’re going to be making the old ‘Dorf relatable. And let’s be honest, if Ganondorf is going to be depicted as a human in a live-action Zelda, there’s no way the writers will resist portraying his backstory and character as anything less than ‘tragically ambitious antihero’, nor can we hope for anything less than a will-they-won’t-they dynamic between Link and Zelda.
For a somewhat younger take on the mythical man of the Gerudo, someone like Michael Bakari Jordan (of Killmonger fame in Black Panther) could easily approach the more ‘comic-book-esque’ antagonism we might be seeing. Under his influence, Ganondorf could easily be more than simply an ominous presence, or even just a villain, but a character representing anger and a ferocity to change the world around him with a pointed edge.
On the subject of showcasing talent from the MCU, if Danai Gurira can be pulled from Walking Dead hell, she could make a fine Gerudo leader – whether as Urbosa or Nabooru. Someone like Tina Desai (maybe most well-known to US audiences for her role in Sense8) could also give a less typical take on a Gerudo leader, depending on whether they want to push for an ironclad culture or something more elegant and political.
For an easy alternative, however, Jason Momoa at least could fill the intimidating presence we might anticipate while serving a meta-game of Marvel vs DC via his Aquaman fame against Holland’s Spider-Man. He could work as a visual, visceral force of evil, and/or as a somewhat light-hearted or even comical take if desired.
And on that note, as a curveball pick for Ganondorf, Dani Puddi (known for many things by now but most notably Community) could give some star-power in an unconventional way and provide an entirely different take on the character. An ally who gets corrupted to darkness? More of a mastermind leader than a brutish force? Or even a comical foe if the show were to go down a more campy route like the series’ first television appearance.
While it’s hard at first glance to picture him in the role, this is what could be magical about a live-action rendition of a franchise that constantly reboots itself: there are technically no ‘rules,’ not even one mandating that Ganondorf needs to be evil in the sense we are used to. He is, after all, the Triforce bearer of ‘Power,’ not ‘Naughtiness.’ A less physically intimidating actor like Puddi could lend itself to a Ganondorf who starts off lacking in ‘Power’ and becomes corrupted in the pursuit of it.
Regardless of whoever might show up as Ganondorf in this possible but unconfirmed Zelda series, the hands holding the Triforce of Power are most likely to be those of someone with clout and fame based on how Netflix often approaches these things. While it’s quite likely that white actors will be cast as Link and Zelda (despite the potential for alternate takes on them), it would absolutely be noticeable and uncomfortable if white actors were cast to play Ganondorf or the Gerudo. If we’re lucky, however, and this series is indeed real, Ganondorf will be interpreted with more nuance than Nintendo usually lends him, if only by necessity were he to indeed be the looming presence he usually is.
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