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Personality:
As a preface, talking about Ganondorf’s personality is difficult in context of just the events relevant to just this Ganondorf. However, he is the same individual in the entire series, only in different timelines. Consequently I will be drawing on events from other games to put aspects of his character into perspective, because they are all relevant to him, even if they haven’t happened to him.
"My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came the wind carried the same thing... Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose." - Ganondorf
Before he was even born, Ganondorf was meant for a great many things. Centuries before him, a powerful demon known as Demise willed that his hatred would rise again to curse the descendants of the goddess Hylia. This evil would become Ganondorf, a man born to a race known as Gerudo. His birth was not of noble blood. It was nothing so simple. He was meant to be born, as the Gerudo produce only one male every one hundred years. This male would be their king. Little is ever seen of his time among his own people, but it is enough that most of his people were loyal and most seemed to hold no grudge against him, save for only his second in command, Nabooru,and any who might have been loyal to her. However, being king of a people who were little more than thieves was not enough for him. As he grew and was raised by two evil witches, Koume and Kotake, he saw what the desert meant for his people: death. While his people struggled with their daily existence, the people of Hryule lived in plenty and abundance, unaware of how well off they truly were. In time, this envy turned to hate. His hate became ambition. Ultimately, it led him to the path that created the Ganon the world would one day dread the name of.
"Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!" - Demise
It could be argued that Ganondorf never had a chance to be anything but what he is. Though his original intentions were set out for his own people, Ganondorf has never had any reservations with associating himself with being an evil man. He is well aware that the Master Sword is evil's bane and can harm him. He comfortably uses the title of 'King of Evil' unironically. It begs the question of how much of this is Ganondorf and how much is the result of him being an incarnation of Demise's curse. In truth, Ganondof is unconcerned with the difference. He is a man who firmly believes he makes his own choices and his own fate. After all, he is well aware that his ambitions do not sit well in the eyes of the gods. Though he holds regrets for his failures and what has been lost, he lives and stands by who and what he is. He is a man of strong convictions, one who does not show remorse for how he was raised or the role he was born into. If anything, being a device of an ancient demon's curse is convenient to him, so long as it gives him power.
"And you two...faithless fools, who dare take up arms against the King of Light and Shadow. So you choose. And so you shall feel my wrath!" - Ganondorf
Ultimately, Ganondorf has always stood by his convictions. It is that which he believes gives him strength. When faced with his foe, he calls them ‘faithless fools’ to challenge him. While he may be directly opposed to the will of the gods, he does hold firmly to his what he does believe in. Largely this is himself. Ganondorf is not above a god complex. It is remarked by the gossip stones in Ocarina of Time that the Gerudo worshipped him like a god. In Twilight Princess he goes so far as to say that the power he possesses makes him a fitting god to rule the world. Its that same power that convinces Zant that Ganon was an actual god. He is a man who has, or rather had completely bought into his own power and hype. This is demonstrated largely in Ocarina of Time where he has not yet tasted defeat. But even in other appearances, like A Link to the Past and Twilight Princess, Ganondof is extremely brazen about his right to rule. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
"They say that Ganondorf is not satisfied with ruling only the Gerudo and aims to conquer all of Hyrule!" - Gossip Stone
At the height of his power, Ganondorf was defeated by the Seven Sages and the forces of Hyrule. How long he spent in the Twilight Realm is unspecified. But a long enough time passed for him to be forgotten by Hyrule and for the Arbiter’s Ground, where he was executed, to fall into ruin and disuse. His lust for power did not fade in this time. Instead, his hatred of Hyrule and those who had trapped him kept him going, drove him forward, and sustained him. In time, it saw him return to his own world again, but one different than the one he left. The Gerudo had moved on to other lands, he had been forgotten, and the people of Hyrule once again grew fat and lazy from the fruits of a prosperous land. He may no longer have been able to take Hyrule for his people, but it did not sate his desire to rule it. Even if it meant doing so through his servant, Zant, who held a similar contempt for the people of Hyrule.
"Ganondorf... pitiful man... Without a strong, righteous mind, he could not control the power of the gods... and..." - Zelda
Although Ganondorf is very much a man of control, he is not strictly as sane as he could be. Centuries of imprisonment have taken their toll, years of envy have left him bitter, and a complete loss of all that was important to him has blinded him. As early as his first defeat to Link (in an alternate timeline), the princess lamented that he could not control the power he commanded. Indeed, Ganondorf’s impure heart is why he has never had the full Triforce. His desire for power has corrupted him fully. In The Wind Waker, he is completely unhinged when the King of Hyrule robs him of the Triforce. He is cut off from his immense power and, more importantly, his one last. As he reaches that point, Ganondorf forgets his intentions to spare Link and Zelda. Instead he turns on them, hoping to defy the gods in one last final mad rush by undoing a wish from the Triforce, despite knowing his doom is already guaranteed. In Twilight Princess, beyond his current canon point, Zelda and Link look on in pity as Ganondorf breathes his last breath. Seeing it on their faces, his last moments are spent in anger and hatred. More than anything, he has never wanted pity, least of all from the Hylians who he blames for all that has gone wrong in his life.
"I have been waiting for you, boy. For one like you... Yes... For the hero. Do not betray my expectations." - Ganondorf
There are other aspects of Ganondorf worth mentioning. While he is indeed power hungry and ambitious, his origins started out as a thief. He believes the strong rule the weak. However for as evil as he may be, he’s a bit more complicated that that. For instance, having grown up in a culture entirely of women, he has no pretenses of gender roles and little concept of sexism or chivalry. What he finds admirable in people is strength and hard work. For instance, he allows Ingo to take over Lon Lon Ranch because the man is shrewd and hard working, as opposed to the lazy and carefree Talon who was the original owner. In battle, he presents himself as a proud warrior type. He intentionally tests Link in The Wind Waker to ensure he is worthy. In the same game’s final battle, he only strikes Link if the boy is standing up. Likewise he refrains from attacking Zelda with his blade, most likely because she has no sword in which to defend herself. There is a great deal of arrogance and vanity to him. Much of this is reflected in his appearance. Even though he no longer has a people to rule, he takes great pride in his looks, as evidenced by the care he puts into the armor he wears and how he keeps his hair. Despite being cocky in attitude, there is a certain amount of formality in how he deals with others. Much of this is a result of his royal upbringing, but a large part of it plays into his deceitful nature, as he is by nature a thief and con man, only one with tremendous power.
”Eyes of Ganon are everywhere. Be careful.” - Villager from Saria
Ganon is very much a master manipulator, preferring to work from the background to achieve his ends. Indeed he often uses other proxies to accomplish his goal, most notably in the case of Zant. He creates phantoms of himself to fight in his stead or test his enemies. He allows his legions of enemies to fight his battles for him, despite Ganondorf being infinitely stronger than even the most powerful of his lieutenants. Indeed, Ganondorf is a practical man and will often avoid violent situations if he can. In his initial plan to gain the Triforce, he used coercion, threats, and infections to force the Goron, Zora, and Great Deku Tree to surrender their Sacred Stones. When he realized what Link and Zelda was up to, he was clever enough to stand back and allow Link to do all the hard work for him and only then step in to take the Triforce. In spite of being what many consider a cruel and wicked man, Ganondorf is a practical man who sees little value in killing his enemies or subjects. Rather than kill the Gorons in order to get their Spiritual Stone, he opted to starve them out until they gave in. Likewise he infected the Zora's deity rather than bringing harm to any of them. These same traits are seen in the alternate timeline where he rules Hyrule for seven years. Few people actually died under his reign. He was far from a benevolent ruler, but he only dealt harshly with the enemies who refused to submit, those once more being the Zora and Gorons. Likewise in The Wind Waker, he kept prisoners (who were of no value to him) rather than disposing of them. Even when attempting to gain the Triforce, he had no desire to kill either Link or Zelda, despite what their predecessors had done to him.
"Heh heh heh... You want a piece of me?! Very funny! I like your attitude!" - Ganondorf
The hatred that has festered from his near execution and later imprisonment has has made him more vindictive, but much of this attitude has remained. Through Zant, both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm were conquered with little blood actually spilled. Indeed, he managed to take control of Hyrule without its citizens being aware of what had transpired. In spite of that, he can be cruel to his enemies, even without killing them himself. In fact, such is his conceit that in spite of being capable of dealing with his enemies himself, he thinks most foes 'beneath' him and prefers to have his minions do his dirty work for him. He does not seek to bloody his hands unless absolutely necessary.
”He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness...But he was blind...In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice.” - Sage
Yet for all his intelligence, all his power, and all his plans, Ganondorf is a man driven by hatred and a lust for power. It has made him blind to all else, including his own shortcomings. He embraces evil because it is convenient to him, having lost sight of what he originally desired power for. His envy of Hyrule turned into unbridled hate for reasons he doesn’t quite understand anymore. When it comes to pursuing that which he desires, he may not always do the smart thing. Ganondorf is a man who does not retreat. Though he could avoid certain failure were it so, his pride and arrogance has been that which cost him victory many times in every single timeline. This one is no exception.
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Grading of Ganon's Skills, Talents, and Knowledge
Combat
Ganondorf possesses an incredible amount of strength that goes beyond superhuman. Possessing the Triforce of Power grants him nearly unlimited strength. He wields large weapons with ease and with his fist, he can create shockwaves in the ground powerful enough to disrupt a person's footing and seriously injure them. It can be speculated that at very least his power is more than a match for the Golden Gauntlets, meaning he could potentially lift objects exceeding ten tons.
Magic - S
Ganondorf possesses incredibly potent magic. Much of his youth was spend learning from Koume and Kotake and his talent shows. Enhanced by the Triforce of Power, he is capable of incredible displays of power (and are listed below). Among his most notable uses of magic was freezing over Zora's domain and suspending his tower over a lake of lava indefinitely (both done in another timeline).
Swordplay - A
Ganondorf is a master swordsman and has trained extensively with a wide variety of swords. Though his skills are not perfect (Link is able to beat him after all), his primary weakness comes from his relative lack of agility and speed. Due to the fact his armor slows him down, he cannot defend every blow. He generally relies on his own natural strength (and armor) to defend him against what blows do make it through.
Martial Arts - A
Another part of his Gerudo training, Ganondorf has learned to fight without a weapon and is a powerful opponent in this regard. Though his blows are powerful on their own, he will often amplify them by channeling his dark energy into his punches and kicks. His combat style is still slow, but slightly more agile than when he is in swordplay.
Acrobatics/Agility - C
Ganondorf's agility is seriously hampered by his size, his heavy armor, and a lack of any real need. He is slow on his feet and often relies on his superior size and strength to absorb any blows he cannot dodge. For the most part he is able to make up for these shortcomings by utilizing levitation and other magical abilities.
Possessions
Headcanon
Expanded History
Magic
>(A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess)
Energy Orbs - His signature attack is glowing balls of energy, these having an electrical power to them. They can be repelled by enchanted blades (and magic bottles...). He is capable of summoning a far more powerful version that sends several of these orbs at once, preventing them from being reflected.
>(Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess)
Dark Energy - A strange purple energy created using Gerudo dark magic. It is capable of creating small bursts of power, sometimes used as projectiles. If unarmed, Ganondorf will combine them with his punches and kicks to increase the force of his blows.
>(Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros.)
Dark Wave - Similar to the above, Ganondorf sends a powerful wave of dark energy at an opponent, immobilizing them. It is not powerful enough to hurt them and the spell must be used continuously.
>(Ocarina of Time)
Levitation - Ganondorf is able to levitate indefinitely. It's not quite like flying and he can only go so fast while using it.
>(Ocarina of Time)
Invisibility - In the absence of bright light, Ganondorf can cloak himself into the darkness and become invisible. The more light there is, the more he can be seen. In complete darkness, he is not only transparent, but he also is intangible.
>(Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past)
Lightning Manipulation - Beyond his energy orbs, he can also create bursts of lightning directed at his foe. These incredibly powerful bolts can cover a large range.
>(A Link to the Past)
Mind Control - Ganondorf is capable of forcing his will on others, usually those who are weak willed or who are in a weakened mental state. He can either merely influence them into being his minions or quite literally enter their body to take over.
>(A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess)
Shapeshifting - A limited ability in itself, Ganondorf can give into his rage and become a monstrous (but otherwise mindless) beast of great power. In this form, only the Master Sword (and other evil-banishing weapons) are capable of harming him.
>(Ocarine of Time, Twilight Princess)
Phantoms - Ganondorf has the ability to create phantoms of himself. These copies are powerful, but not quite as powerful as their master. These phantoms are completley loyal to him, but have some degree of sentience. The most powerful of these, Aghanim, assumed an independant identity. He can also create weaker phantoms to join him in attacks, though they are easily dispelled.
>(A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess)
Transformation - Ganondorf is able to transform creatures with his magic, usually to make them more powerful, usually in tandem with mind control. Using Ganon's power, Zant was able to transform Midna into a mere imp.
>(Twilight Princess, assumed for most boss enemies in other games)
Crystal Prison - Once an enemy is at his mercy, Ganondorf can trap them inside an impenetrable crystal, even shrinking the crystal if he so chooses. He prefers only to do this with prisoners he may have need of again. These crystals only remain active so long as he wills them to be.
>(A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time)
Shockwaves - By punching the ground with enough concentrated magic, he can create shockwaves powerful enough to damage the ground around him, even destroying the floor below him.
>(Ocarina of Time)
Counterparts