Link has fought a number of fearsome monsters and villains during his career as Hyrule's protector, but the most notorious of all is his arch-enemy, Ganon. Ganon was the main antagonist of the original game, and although he doesn't appear in every single part o the franchise as a villain or a boss, every entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise has a reference to him in the plotline somewhere.
Ganon is an interesting villain and the game always finds a way to keep his character fresh and terrifying, but many players will argue that he's not as intimidating as he used to be. He takes on several different forms, sometimes working in the background or through an intermediary as opposed to facing the player directly, so he takes on different personas. In some games, he's more difficult to fight than in others.
Twilight Princess
He sure looks impressive, but this the incarnation of Ganon in Twilight Princess is one of the easiest fights in the franchise. He's big and slow, which means it's easy for a mounted Link to hit and outrun him.
The only way this Ganon can even hurt Link is either by stomping on him or targeting him with a beam of energy from his mouth, which the player could easily avoid even if they weren't on horseback. The final shot, when Link has to target a single, large eye to deal the final blow, is the hardest part.
Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons
Ganon is actually dead for most of this game, with the real antagonists spending most of their time trying to revive him. As if Ganon wasn't dangerous enough, when he finally is revived, he's almost a mindless, savage monster because the resurrection ritual involved an impure sacrifice.
Some things about this fight are similar to others, such as the two-handed weapon Ganon wields and the teleporting. As usual, the player has to hit him with a spin attack or use Master Sword or Biggoron's Sword for direct attacks.
The Legend of Zelda
Part of it was the novelty factor, as this was the most epic fight that many humble 8-bit Nintendos had ever seen. It wasn't simple, even for the time, and limited movement and graphics on the two-dimensional platform gave players an even greater challenge. The effect of the door slamming behind Link as he claims the Triforce is still a chilling one so many years later.
In the very first encounter the player ever has with Ganon, he displays the unique characteristics and signature moves that are still present in modern games, like the piggish snout and green skin. He teleports, often takes the form of a blue or green pig, and can only be killed with the Master Sword.
Ocarina of Time - The Forest Temple Fight
Ocarina of Time enjoys a lot of notoriety as not only one of the best games in the Zelda franchise, but also one of the first successful examples of what three-dimensional games could really look like. Another unique part of this storyline that many players don't really notice is that Zelda fights Ganon twice in this game. Granted, this is Phantom Ganon, but it's close enough.
He's not only the final boss of the whole game as usual, but he's also the final boss of the Forest Temple. This is a tricky fight at first, as it requires some specific items and strategy, but gets a lot easier once the player learns how to do it.
A Link Between Worlds
He's also known as Yuga Ganon, due to the fact that this final boss is a combination of the classic enemy Ganon and the sorcerer Yuga.
This fight has some similar features to the Forest Temple Fight in the Ocarina of Time with the paintings and the one at the end of A Link to the Past with the teleporting, energy blasts, and the flying trident. This time, however, the player has the benefit of experience and already understands the basic mechanics of both fights, so it's relatively easy.
Four Swords Adventures
Similar to the storyline in the Oracle of Ages, the player doesn't find out that Ganon is the main antagonist of the game until they're at a certain point, but details along the way do hint at his return eventually. After fighting Vaati for most of the game, Ganon reappears after she's defeated, and Link fights him as the final boss.
The fight has a lot of details to remember, which makes it difficult in that sense. In the first phase, Ganon can teleport Link to the Dark World, and he has to fight through several enemies to get back. Ganon can also throw his trident around like a boomerang. In the second part of the battle, however, Zelda escapes and helps Link by giving him the magic bow, which Link uses to finish Ganon off.
Breath of the Wild
The quest to destroy Ganon is a central part of the plot in this game and one of the things that start Link on his quest. That means that the final battle has been building up since the very beginning, and it doesn't disappoint.
Some things are the same as other fights, like the two phases, in which Link has to face Calamity Ganon first and then Dark Beast Ganon. The player has to do some fancy footwork to avoid his sword strikes and laser beams. Another similarity is that the second phase is easier than the first phase; the battle moves outside and Link is mounted with a ranged weapon, and the only real challenge is making that killing shot.
Ocarina of Time
Ganon is the main antagonist in Ocarina of Time, and Link has to battle either him or his minions for seven years of his life. Another part of what makes this final fight so epic is the trip to the top of Ganon's tower just so it can take place.
In the first phase, the player has to navigate moving platforms to land arrow shots on Ganondorf, which is one of the tougher mechanics Link has to navigate. In phase 2, Ganon grows to a massive size and Link has to fight him on foot, with only his sword, bow, and other weapons to help him out.
A Link to the Past
It's an intimidating battle, and Link is at a disadvantage throughout most of it. He doesn't have the advantages over Ganon that he does in other fights, such as Epona the handy mount or Zelda's help. his is also the first time the player sees abilities like the boomerang trident or the energy bursts that would become part of Ganon's regular rotation in the future.
What makes this battle tough is the length, which consists of five phases, and the last one has four parts. It's not a matter of how much damage the player can do, but a matter of staying alive long enough to get through each phase. Link has to light torches, dodge fiery bats, and stun Ganon with a sword so he can then hit him with an arrow, which he then has to do four times more.
The Wind Waker
Other than the familiar equipment this one is different than the others, which is what makes it more difficult. There are arrows, as usual, but this time Zelda is firing them and she can actually miss and hit Link.
In the second phase, Zelda is unconscious, and Link has to dodge Ganon's double swords and fight him alone. Zelda wakes up for the final phase, and Link reflects her arrows from his shield to deliver the final blows. It's a delicate operation, and one of the toughest boss fights in the franchise.