The recent reveal of the fully revitalized Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has resulted in an impressive fan reaction. With players focusing on everything from details that call back to previous games, to completely ogling over the thirst-trap that is "rehydrated" Ganondorf, the final Tears of the Kingdom trailer has given fans plenty to discuss.This new version of Ganondorf could leave Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with a unique dilemma as players approach an inevitable confrontation with the series' iconic villain. Namely, it could be difficult to justify wanting to stab the Master Sword into this Ganondorf's chest when many players seem more interested in asking him out for a night on the town.
Rehydrated Ganondorf is Drawing a Different Kind of Attention
It isn't uncommon for a game as anticipated as Tears of the Kingdom to spawn a considerable amount of art, theories, and other creative content from fans. However, in the case of this so-called rehydrated Ganondorf, the reveal of his new look has gone above and beyond to inspire artwork. The theme of a lot of these pieces is how strong Ganondorf's design looks, thanks to his samurai-styled outfit with a single shoulder out in the open and muscles on full display.
The history of Ganondorf in other Legend of Zelda games has often given the iconic villain plenty of charisma, which is typically used to goad the heroes and show off how bad Hyrule would be under his rule. So, the reveal of Tears of the Kingdom's Ganondorf having Matthew Mercer provide a chilling voice is on-par with the history of the character. Still, even for a character meant to be the charismatic balance to the more animalistic Ganon personality, this new design is by far the easiest he's ever been on the eyes.
Some might argue rehydrated Ganondorf would almost fit better as a romance option in a visual novel rather than the antagonist of an open-world Nintendo title. He's handsome, confident, and had previously harnessed the power of malice in order to terrorize Hyrule while still sealed under an ancient, magical seal. With everything going for him, Tears of the Kingdom could present a great opportunity for future meme games akin to the Loverwatch dating simulation visual novel.
Ganondorf Will Still Have to Be Defeated in Tears of the kingdom
Given Ganondorf's past relationships to Link, Zelda, and Skyward Sword's Demise, there is no avoiding a confrontation with the villain at some point. In order to see those credits roll and possible save the Princess, Ganondorf is most certainly going to have to be fought. Still, that won't necessarily make running into the fight easy for fans that have been falling head-over-heels for this new look and the clips heard with Matthew Mercer's performance so far.
However, on the other end of that conflict, the design of this Ganondorf does also imply that he might offer a better final fight than Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild. The more humanoid design and specifics of Ganondorf's weapons could be pointing at a more complex final encounter, as well as during the war raging throughout Tears of the Kingdom's storyline. The fight itself will likely be quite the spectacle, especially if players have to really focus on Ganondorf and the motion of his body in order to make it through the fight alive. It's a sad fate for the charismatic hunk, but Ganondorf's last dance should at least be fun while it lasts.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, for Switch.
