Ganon seems to have as many names and titles as the iconic Danaerys Targaryen does. He is, at one point, called the King of Evil, the King of Thieves, the Dark Lord, the Prince of Darkness, the Scourge of Hyrule Castle, the Primal Evil, and many more. But just as every game in the Legend of Zelda series has seen a different version of Link, each version of Ganon has key differences that set them apart.
One of the more common forms that Ganon takes is that of Ganondorf, the humanoid Gerudo King that many fans might be most familiar with. In addition, Ganon has appeared in many beastly shapes over the years. However, whether beast or humanoid, Ganon has been the primary antagonist of the entire Legend of Zelda series and has been a frightening presence across all timelines.
Updated June 11, 2023 by Evangeline Bryce: With the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, fans have been returning to the iconic kingdom of Hyrule once again. As another open-world entry to the franchise, the title has a lot of freedom and creativity built into the gameplay. However, there's one thing that players won't be able to avoid, and that's facing off against the evil Demon King, Ganondorf.
Taking elements from the many Ganons in Legend of Zelda history, Nintendo has manifested this new scourge of Hyrule in his familiar Gerudo King form. To properly understand Tears of the Kingdom's new Ganondorf, however, it is necessary to look back at the other representations within the franchise. As such, this list has been expanded to include the latest Ganon in the series as well as some additional details from his past.
11 Ganon From CD-i Games
This iteration of Ganon fell flat even around the time of its original 1993 release. In fact, the games this Ganon appears in, Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, were not received well overall. They were released for the Philips CD-i and take place on the island of Koridai, and the land of Gamelon respectively. Like this design, neither of those settings has ever been revisited in subsequent games.
Ganon's CD-i game design takes the form of a strange canine-inspired creature in maroon and green robes. There are some Orc-like features as well, but the design overall just feels muddled and lacks identity. Fans and critics alike regard this version as being one of the worst Ganons ever.
10 Ganon From NES/GameBoy Games & Oracles of Ages/Seasons
The character design for Ganon in these games is quite similar and, in an era where villain sprites needed to be eye-catching, it certainly did the trick. From the original Legend of Zelda onwards, Ganon manifested himself as this blue, demonic, pig-like monstrosity. There's little to separate these earliest representations apart, aside from minute differences in Ganon's outfits. However, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons tweak the existing designs a little.
The GameBoy versions just seem to have slightly better fidelity in comparison. Though this is likely due to the technology available. As some of the first versions of Ganon, the designs have definitely aged. But at the time, they were a decent effort at representing Hyrule's most persistent villain.
9 Ganon From Four Swords Adventures
This game features the desert-dwelling Gerudos and the Hylians living in peace, but only for a short while. In his Gerudo form, Ganon absconds with the Trident and the Dark Mirror which had been hidden in the Desert Pyramid. Transformed presumably by the power of the Trident, Ganon unleashes Vaati and opens four portals into the Dark Realm.
In the final boss battle, Link faces what might be the most fear-inducing version of the original Ganon design ever. The humanoid pig has intense muscles, jagged teeth, and prominent tusks. His armor is green, gold, and red with a flowing purple cape and pauldrons. While still limited by graphics at the time, this version of Ganon certainly paved the way for much darker and more menacing interpretations.
8 Ganon From A Link Between Worlds
This version of Ganon might be the most peculiar due, in part, to the inclusion of Yuga. Serving as the game's main antagonist, Yuga is a humanoid Lorulean sorcerer who bears a great deal of resemblance to Ganondorf's Gerudo form in his color palette. As such, many fans have hypothesized that he is Ganondorf's Lorulean counterpart, as the game features many mirrored characters in this way.
During a fight with Link, Yuga revives Ganon and absorbs his power, transforming into a giant pig-like creature. Often referred to as YuGanon, this form bears glowing white eyes, purple skin, tusks, and a bizarre mane of red braids. Though imposing and unique, the design certainly doesn't scream awesome or terrifying to fans.
7 Ganon From A Link To The Past
In this game, the Demon King has been sealed away in the Sacred Realm which he has transformed into the Dark Realm with the power of the Triforce. Years later, he escapes this realm disguised as an evil wizard and seeks to gain control over all of Hyrule. Naturally, Link interferes to protect the kingdom.
After rescuing the Seven Maidens and taking out the evil wizard Agahnim, Link battles Ganon who has resumed his pig-like monstrous form. Wielding his iconic trident, his costume features simple gold and red armor with a large skull adorning the chest. Though a decent design helped along by the game's 16-bit graphics, this Ganon is far from being the best or most intimidating.
6 Puppet Ganon & Ganondorf From Wind Waker
As the first game in the adult timeline, fans had mixed reactions to the new cartoonish designs. But cel-shaded Ganondorf turned out to be many people's favorite. The same can be said for Ganon's three puppet forms in Wind Waker, which take the forms of a boar, a spider, and a snake as the fight progresses.
The game's design really shines in this penultimate boss fight, which speaks to why it maintains a Metacritic score of 96 even now. In each form, Puppet Ganon has jarring movements to unnerve the player and a unique moveset that must be quickly learned.
5 Demise & The Imprisoned From Skyward Sword
Though not exactly an iteration of Ganon himself, Demise is the ancient being behind the various incarnations of this great evil. He is the ultimate baddie of the Zelda series and his forms in Skyward Sword are complete nightmare fuel. As with most versions of Ganon, there are also multiple forms of Demise.
His Blanka-from-Street-Fighter-esque humanoid form is scary enough. But he also takes the form of a giant, many-toothed creature known as the Imprisoned. The somewhat goofy design of the Imprisoned detracts from the fearsomeness. But the scales, teeth, giant mouth, and monstrous elements make the design uniquely horrific.
4 Ganondorf & Dark Beast Ganon From Twilight Princess
This much darker entry is widely regarded by fans as one of the best games in the series. As such, the representations of Ganon and Ganondorf are certainly memorable. In iconic Gerudo King form, Ganondorf oozes an intimidating, malicious aura. Twilight Princess also includes a disembodied, all-gold, illuminated Ganondorf head.
During the iconic four-phase final boss fight of the game, Ganondorf assumes the form of Dark Beast Ganon. The fearsome wolf-like beast bears a pig nose, a wild orange mane, and huge ivory tusks. This design stands out for its chilling realism, and it can be seen wearing the same golden crown of Ganondorf.
3 Calamity Ganon & Dark Beast Ganon From Breath Of The Wild
This iteration of Ganon is literal poison infecting the land of Hyrule. Throughout the game, players can see the amorphous and ever-shifting calamity orbiting Hyrule Castle. Some of its features resemble a boar or a snake, but it is difficult to pin down. Link also encounters pieces of Ganon's soul throughout Hyrule. He must defeat the likes of Thunderblight Ganon and others to unlock the Sacred Beasts.
However, the real party lies in an egg inside Hyrule castle. When Link releases the creature, a mechanized, maned, and many-limbed spider-like monster known as Calamity Ganon emerges. After the first defeat, Ganon then transforms into Dark Beast Ganon. This design differs with its bright pink flames and almost detailless body graphics. The mood of the looming, hulking beast imposes on Link even if the mechanics of the fight don't quite match up.
2 Ganon From Ocarina Of Time
Most fans laud Ocarina of Time as being the best game in the franchise. But it is also the game that kicks off the time split and three major timelines in the series. This Ganondorf embarks on the most involved quest to manifest Demise/Ganon. When he gains access to the Triforce of Power, he becomes the King of Evil and takes over Hyrule.
In the Fallen Hero timeline, Ganondorf transforms into the enormous and dangerous Minotaur-like Demon King. The power of the full Triforce made the transformation quick and Ganon attacked ruthlessly. Though the depiction has dated due to the graphics of the time, many fans still hope for a remake. Imagining a fully realized, digitally enhanced version of this Ganon is truly frightening.
1 Ganondorf From Tears Of The Kingdom
Once again taking up the mantle of the Demon King, Ganon in Tears of the Kingdom is a truly frightening force to be reckoned with. When players first come face to face with him, they encounter a mummified corpse hidden deep below the ground under Hyrule. This corpse is the source of the Gloom that infects the land and, once Zelda and Link enter its chamber, reanimates itself with the power of one of the Secret Stones.
If the scene of the corpse flicking its dark, dead eyes open and speaking to the two heroes in a raspy death rattle isn't terrifying enough, then the sheer power it exudes in lifting the whole of Hyrule Castle into the sky certainly is. Even more terrifying still is the knowledge that this corpse is the mummified remains of an ancient, evil Gerudo King named Ganondorf.
Players learn of Ganondorf's history and his obsession with power during several cutscenes in the game. Before the final confrontation, Link is faced with the mummified corpse once more. Using the power of the Secret Stone, Ganon shifts from this corpse into his previous forms and battles with Link in a classic multi-stage boss battle.
His first form, that of the Gerudo King, Ganon's appearance bears many similarities to that of the Twilight Princess Ganondorf. In full Demon King mode, elements of Demise from Skyward Sword can also be seen. But rather than being a carbon copy of either of these forms, these versions of Ganon are more hulking and more terrifying than before. Lastly, Ganon transforms into the Demon Dragon - the largest and most chilling enemy Link has ever faced.