Since the series began in 1986, The Legend of Zelda has been a gold mine for Nintendo. The ever-popular franchise is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, and continues to thrill gamers with every new entry. Across its history, The Legend of Zelda has seen an incredible array of characters, themes, gameplay mechanics, gimmicks, dungeons, and more. Of course, no adventure game would be complete without its enemies. The Legend of Zelda series has seen countless types of enemies and bosses, and many have become staples in the series, such as moblins.
For each game's big bad, the selection is a bit more refined. Occasionally, some games will have a final boss specific to that game, such as the Demon King Malladus in Phantom Hourglass. Other games may have a final boss that only appears a couple of other times, such as the sorcerer Vaati in Minish Cap and Four Swords. Ultimately, the main force of evil in The Legend of Zelda franchise, from the original NES title to Breath of the Wild, is some variation of Ganon. With Breath of the Wild 2's upcoming dark tale, this current saga in Legend of Zelda history continues the trend of incorporating both Ganon and Ganondorf. However, is there really a difference between the two entities?
Who is Ganondorf?
Perhaps it's easier to start with the man than the monster, and that is the best way to describe the basis of Ganondorf's character. Ganondorf has been a key part of The Legend of Zelda series since his introduction in Ocarina of Time, which established some of the common traits players recognize in him. With his tall stature, fiery red locks, and olive-green skin, Ganondorf is an imposing force not to be stopped. His presence is indicative of his power, but he is still mortal. Ganondorf isn't some amorphous incarnation of evil, he grew up to be the man that fans are familiar with.
The Ganondorfs that players know are born to the Gerudo people as the only males in those communities. The Gerudo through The Legend of Zelda series have had different personalities, but one thing is fairly common, and that is how they place Ganondorf in power. Since male children are so rare for the Gerudo, with possibly only one being born every hundred years, they believe the male child is destined to rule over their nation. According to a gossip stone in Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo may also worship this male as their living god. Therefore, Ganondorf typically becomes the King of the Gerudo, and this political position helps him achieve his goals.
Different iterations of Ganondorf have different motivations, but they are generally based in pride and a desire for power. Sometimes, he wants to rule over a different kingdom, and sometimes, he starts by wanting to just be a good leader. The Triforce of Power is continually claimed or held by Ganondorf at different points of the series, which increases his power and ultimately further corrupts him. He is a skilled swordsman and sorcerer, and uses both of these sets of abilities when fighting the Hero, Link.
Much like the Hero, Ganondorf ends up reincarnating in different eras. One possible explanation for why Ganondorf continues to be reincarnated is due to the curse of Demise from Skyward Sword. When Skyward Sword's Link finally beats Demise, a demon of hatred and evil, the creature curses the Hero to always have to face his never-ending hatred all throughout time. This hatred eventually takes on the form of Ganondorf, with his quests for power and a desire to dominate Hyrule. According to the official timeline of the Zelda series, Ganondorf appears first before any appearance of Ganon, showing how the man predates the beast.
Who, or What, is Ganon?
As Ganondorf's first appearance is in Ocarina of Time, this also happens to be the first chronological appearance of Ganon. Ganon has appeared in numerous Zelda games since the original 1986 title and often serves as a game's final boss. Ocarina of Time's Ganondorf transforms into the beast Ganon during the final confrontation with Link, fully corrupted by the Triforce of Power. While this Ganon retains some of the physical characteristics of Ganondorf, he comes to resemble the pig-like Ganon that has appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and other games.
The outcome of this battle fractures the official timeline for The Legend of Zelda into three different paths, but it is the Downfall Timeline of The Legend of Zelda that cements Ganon as a formidable evil in the series. If Ocarina of Time's Ganon defeats Link, he ends up staying in his beast form until he is ultimately sealed away by the Sages. Upon each reincarnation, he continues to appear primarily in this pig-like beast form.
Zelda fans are also very aware of Calamity Ganon, which is the ultimate evil in Breath of the Wild. Calamity Ganon is a being purely of Malice, and can corrupt a variety of other beings as well. Though he is imprisoned in Hyrule Castle by Zelda for over 100 years, he does eventually return to a solid form at the final battle in Hyrule Castle, and then again later as Dark Beast Ganon. Since so much has passed between any of the other Zelda entries and Breath of the Wild, it is assumed that Calamity Ganon is solely the reincarnation of the more pig-beast Ganon.
However, that might not be entirely the case. Both teasers for Breath of the Wild 2 have clearly shown a mummified version of Ganondorf, although the mystery surrounding his appearance has only increased. There is also the possibility that both Ganondorf and Ganon may be enemies in Breath of the Wild 2, similar to how Link battles both of these forms in games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.
In the end, Ganondorf and Ganon are the great antagonists of The Legend of Zelda series. They are thought to be the reincarnation of Demise in each era, and both end up being consumed with a lust for power. Ganondorf is best known as a Gerudo man that becomes king with his own human desires and aspirations, but ultimately becomes corrupted by his search for power and turns into Ganon. Many fans are theorizing that Ganondorf may be playable in Breath of the Wild 2, which would certainly add new depths to his character. Until more information is revealed, fans will just have to keep speculating about that theory.