A popular video game franchise may only be as popular as its main villain, and with Ganondorf at the forefront of the Legend of Zelda series, we can see why he's been around for as long as he has. Like any good villain, Ganon serves as Link’s polar opposite. In every iteration, he doesn’t fail to deliver terror and fear amongst the Hylians and the Hyrule Kingdom. At times his power seems almost limitless, which makes him the ultimate test of courage for only the most worthy hero.

Ganon’s evolution from an evil warlock warthog in the first Legend of Zelda to a highly disturbed deity is nothing short of one of the biggest glow-ups in video game history. His story has evolved over time, allowing players to truly begin to understand the Dark Prince’s motivation.

Even diehard fans are still perplexed by Ganon’s character, which is what makes him so compelling. He’s certainly one of the most in-depth villains to have come out of Nintendo, which is still saying a lot. He’s continued to grow with the series, leaving so much mystery as to who the man behind the Triforce of Power really is. His longevity in the series is a testament to how relevant he is to the series, and why villains are still mimicking his blueprint to this day. This list will serve to remind fans as to what makes him so relevant, and what people so often neglect about the character.

Here are 20 Wild Details About Ganon's Anatomy In The Legend Of Zelda.

Ganondorf Can Naturally Use Dark Magic

While there are some that fear the Prince of Darkness for his brooding features, threatening size, or his enigmatic nature, the wise ones are wary of his skills in the dark arts. Ganondorf’s dark magic abilities were made apparent in Ocarina of Time when he fired a blast of dark energy at Link.

Energy in the Zelda Universe is most commonly comprised of either dark or holy. Holy energy often finds residence with Link and Zelda, however Ganondorf, being their polar opposites, finds dominion over dark energy. Ganondorf’s dark magic is unjustifiably overshadowed by his many other talents, such as his swordsmanship skills, his shape-shifting ability, or his power of manipulation.

Ganondorf Is The Tallest Nintendo Human

Whether you’re armed with a bow and arrow, or the most powerful sword in the world, you’re still going to feel ill-prepared when matched with an opponent that stands nearly two feet over you. That’s right. Ganondorf’s canon height is around 7’6’’, and that’s him at his base form.

Ganondorf is officially Nintendo’s tallest character, which is pretty wild for a variety of reasons. The gaming company commonly designs their character on the shorter side, so aside from towering over Link in the Zelda games, he’s considered quite the giant in any other neighboring titles. This fact is made even more evident in the Super Smash Bros. games, with the only character coming close is Samus, with a full suit of armor.

Ganondorf Is Near Invulnerable

There is a reason this classic Legend of Zelda has earned so much respect over the years as the series’ titular villain. Ganondorf is an omnipotent being and while he’s equipped with the Triforce of Power, he’s been made nearly invulnerable. The sheer magnitude of this relic was demonstrated in Twilight Princess, when Ganondorf was able to survive his attempted execution at the hand of the Sages, and destroy them singlehandedly.

Being comprised of dark energy, the Great King of Evil is only weak to the power of light, and has only been taken down by the Master Sword because of it. Light arrows have been shown to weaken him as well, however that has only gone so far.

Ganondorf Was Raised By Witches

Ganondorf, as powerful as he is, didn’t become known as The Prince of Darkness all on his own. In his humble beginnings, he was raised by two witches, Koume and Kotake.

Under their direction, Ganondorf was taught the dark arts and was worshipped as the Demon King before turning their tribe into his own. It was also heavily implied that the witches were of the Gerudo race, which gives more reason as to why Ganondorf is so skilled in magic. Along with their mystical abilities, The Gerudos are known to be cruel and dangerous warriors. While Koume and Kotake aren’t his biological parents, they serve to explain Ganondorf’s godly powers. They both appear as the Spirit Temple’s boss in Ocarina of Time.

Ganondorf Has Superhuman Strength

The Demon King’s herculean stature isn’t just for show. Ganondorf is quite the beast, in the mental and physical sense. His strength level far surpasses that of a normal human without the Triforce of Power. When in possession of the ancient artifact, his strength threshold is nearly unquantifiable.

In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf was not only able to survive, but free himself after being buried under the rubble of a towering temple. In the same game, he’s been able to break a floor with a single punch. In Twilight Princess he was able to break chains, eliminate a Wise with his bare hands and destroy Midna's helmet with one hand. Keep in mind Ganondorf is well over seven feet tall and you have yourself one menacing figure.

Ganondorf Can Be Resurrected

Ganondorf has been Legend of Zelda’s signature villain for decades now and aside from being widely well-received, there’s one more defining reason. The man can be brought back to life. And he has. A lot of times. From a variety of different endings. Whether it be getting impaled through the chest with the Master Sword, having his soul sealed away, or being cast toward the bottom of the ocean, his tyranny rears its ugly head again.

This is in part to him possessing the Triforce of Power, which grants him immortality. He is also regularly resurrected by his loyal followers. His constant resurrections may be the precursor to his downfall, as there has been proof that his psyche breaks down following each revival.

Ganondorf Can Possess People

Ganondorf’s magical abilities goes a lot further than what most people know. He’s not only able to bring his soul back from the afterlife, but he’s also able to transport his soul into another being, thereby possessing them. In Twilight Princess, he was able to possess Zant’s state of mind, influencing her to execute his agenda. He was also able to possess Zelda’s actual body and used it to attack Link during their final battle.

This dastardly tactic was put to use again in Breath of the Wild, before the Great Calamity. Ganondorf was able to influence the Guardians and Divine Beast and turn them against the heroes. Ganondorf will most commonly employ this ability to turn his foes against each other.

Ganondorf Is A Master Swordsman

Aside from being nearly invulnerable, Ganondorf holds the Triforce of Power, possesses inhuman levels of strength, and is skilled in the dark arts. Anything else we’re forgetting? Oh, of course. He knows his way around a sword as well. Due to his Gerudo heritage, Ganondorf has natural physical talent and was trained to use a number of different weapons.

While his people have traditionally fancied bows and spears, Ganondorf took to the sword and has become quite proficient with it, to say the least. In Wind Waker, he’s seen dual wielding swords and actually ends up besting Hyrule’s savior, despite Link carrying Ganon’s one true and only weakness, the Master Sword. In other iterations, he’s been able to at least match Link’s skill.

Ganondorf Is A Musician

If it’s one thing that Hyrule’s villain has proven is that he’s a man of discipline. While most know him for dedicating most of his life to the dark arts and various combat styles, there are few that recognize him as an accomplished musician. Similar to his arch-nemesis, Link, Ganondorf has employed the use of music to further his goals.

We are first introduced to this revelation when Link arrives at Ganondorf’s fortress in Ocarina of Time. While the Hero of Time traverses this residence, Ganondorf can be heard playing his own theme song on the organ. Whether this gesture was to simply add suspense to the inevitable debacle, or Link was merely intruding on the villain’s personal time is something we may never know.

Ganon Is Fueled By Hate

Contrary to popular belief, most villains aren’t born they’re made. Ganondorf, for example, was a product of hate. That’s something that’s consistent throughout all of his various iterations. We’ve witnessed his vendetta against the kingdom of Hyrule, Link, Zelda, and even the whole royal family.

What is peculiar about Ganondorf’s specific case is that hate is all he is truly contrived of. It’s where he gains his true power from and most likely the reason why he’s so adept at the dark arts and weak against light energy. At his core, there is no love or compassion. His hate has become its own entity, which allows him to live on when his body is destroyed.

Ganon Used To Be A Blue Pig

As symbolic as Ganondorf’s current design is today, OG gamers would recognize that as being his redesign. You see, Ganondorf wasn’t always the handsome devil we all recognize him to be now (don’t know how true that is for the majority of you), his original design depicted him as a blue boorish creature equipped with a trident.

This design can be found in the original The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures, and A Link Between Worlds. We can all agree that the switch to green was the way to go. Blue just doesn’t scream all-powerful sorcerer driven by hate for an entire kingdom.

Ganon is a Shape-Shifter

It might not be the wisest thing to become attached a certain form Ganon takes at one point in time. One of his most defining powers is the ability to shape-shift, which he often uses to take the form of the kind of beasts you only see in nightmares.

The pig form that we referenced earlier is something that has popped up in some of his transformations, but some of his notable and fearsome ones include Phantom Ganon which appeared in Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, Calamity Ganon which can be found in Breath of the Wild, and Puppet Ganon from Wind Waker. Despite the monstrosities, Ganon has taken the form of, he has only beaten Link while in his base form in Wind Waker. 

Ganon Has The Ability To Teleport

When in the presence of someone as powerful as Ganon, you would probably prefer to keep your eyes on him at all times. This, however, isn’t always the case. Along with the numerous abilities he’s bestowed with when in the possession of the Triforce of Power, Ganon also inherits the skill of teleportation.

This ability was most prominently seen in A Link to the Past. During his bout with Link, Ganon would teleport to a random side of the arena, and hurl his trident at the hero. This game was well before players were able to make Link roll or side-step. Ganon would also teleport in fights with Link in Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and Four Sword Adventures.

Ganon is A Reincarnation of the Demon King Demise

Here’s a fun fact that isn’t too hard to believe. Ganondorf is actually born from an even more evil entity, Demise. This demon was introduced in Skyward Sword, and was sealed away by the Goddess Hylia before he would re-emerge and be defeated by Link.

His last words to the Master Sword-wielding warrior were that his hatred would not end, and it would be reborn in the coming ages. Demise told no lie. The next in line to inherit his hate-filled energy would be Ganondorf of the Gerudo race. Demise’s existence serves to tie the loose ends of Ganon’s trend of returning from the afterlife in every iteration, and his curse is even mentioned in Twilight Princess.

Ganondorf is Surprisingly Agile

Being a towering mountain of mass comes with its disadvantages for most, but that’s never been the case for Ganondorf. One would assume his size would prove to be his downfall, however, he’s surprisingly quick on his feet, which makes him even more threatening.

Apart from that, he often wields very large and wide-range weapons in combat, whether it be a sword, a trident, or a spear, making the damage inflicted by his attacks that much greater. Close quarters combat is usually a big no-no when it comes to fights with Ganon. Coupled with the fact the fact that he’s nearly invulnerable, there’s no question as to why he’s one of Nintendo’s most feared villains.

Ganondorf is Weak against the Master Sword

Alas, the impenetrable giant does, in fact, have a weakness! Armies of men have tried all different methods for bringing down Ganon, whether it be by steel, fire, or magic, but all have proved ineffective. That’s where the Master Sword comes in. The ancient weapon forged by the Goddess Hylia for the sole reason of bringing the Prince of Darkness to his knees.

This is Link’s signature weapon in nearly every Zelda game for a reason. It’s composed of pure light energy, which is Ganondorf’s contrast. His composition of hate and dark energy makes him highly vulnerable. However, to wield such a weapon, you have to be the chosen one.

Ganon Can Fly

No, that doesn’t mean that Ganondorf can magically sprout wings (but could you imagine?) Ganon can use his vast magical abilities to propel himself in the air and take flight. This offers him a multitude of advantages in combat situations, and situations where he just wants to mess with his opponent, which appeared to be the case in Ocarina of Time during Link’s first fight with him.

An even more interesting use of the skill is where he takes control of another person’s body and gives them the ability to fly. Ganon actually performed this on Princess Zelda in Twilight Princess. We unfortunately only get to see the villain with this skill in just a few Zelda titles.

3. Ganon Can Control Creatures

Being in possession of so much power makes you a shoo-in for a loyal minion army. All the coolest villains do at least, so Nintendo couldn’t possibly leave Ganondorf out of it. In every iteration, Ganon seems to be in control of a number of dangerous creatures that roam the land or dungeons for him in order to take down Link.

It is accepted that Ganon actually spares some of his own power to these monsters in order to carry out his agenda, and they come in the hundreds, maybe thousands. It makes you wonder just how much power Ganon actually carries, and how much he would have if he didn’t give it away to his minion army.

2. Ganon is Weak To His Own Magic

It’s all fun and games until you find yourself on the other end of the magic-based attacks. It is known that Ganon is a highly accomplished magic-user, but just how powerful is the Prince of Darkness? Apparently powerful enough to harm himself if for some reason his attacks were to be reversed on to him, which Link has succeeded in doing on a number of occasions.

This is an interesting phenomenon for a number of reasons. For one, Ganon seems to be invulnerable to literally everything but the Master Sword. Secondly, he’s a dark magic user due to the fact he’s fully consumed with hate. Wouldn’t that make his only weakness light or holy energy?

1. Ganondorf Can Bend Reality

Take heed when in this villain’s presence. Everything may not be what it seems. Ganon’s many magical talents allow him to warp reality to his choosing. This usually takes the form of transforming an area into something of his choosing, such as when he transformed his throne room to a battle arena in Ocarina of Time.

There’s also a moment in Twilight Princess where his influence over Zant allows him to teleport to areas of previous boss fights. Due to Ganon’s control over him, it’s assumed he got the power from him. Apart from throwing off his opponents, this skill doesn’t seem to have any other purpose, but may serve to highlight Ganondorf’s exquisite taste in interior decorating.

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Can you think of anything else Ganondorf can do in The Legend of Zelda? Let us know in the comments!