Players have encountered countless villains in The Legend of Zelda franchise since its first game in 1986. From the very first game, players are often challenged by the ever-evil Ganon – the powerful nemesis of Link and Zelda. But Ganon hasn’t been the only force of evil to bring death and destruction to the lands of Hyrule.
There have been many great but underused villains in The Legend of Zelda franchise, some of which are strange in their origins, personalities, and overall appearance. Even Ganon has some weird qualities about him, like the mystery surrounding how exactly he came to be.
6 Zant
Zant is the mysterious figure and antagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The Twili sorcerer is a follower of Ganondorf and once served the royal household of the Twilight Realm. Zant believed he was destined to take the throne but was ousted and replaced with Princess Midna due to his unstable personality. Having been infused with Ganondorf’s power, Zant is hellbent on taking back the throne and becoming the true King of Twilight.
Aside from Zant’s otherworldly appearance, what makes this villain strange is his motives. He clearly has a fixation on becoming King of the Twili, but his exact relation to the royal family is never explained. It could simply be that he was a sibling of Midna that was overlooked, but it could also be a deluded fantasy on his part working for the royal household. What’s also strange is that, unlike the Twili, Zant can freely move around the World of Light without hiding in the shadows and doesn’t need to use the Mirror of Twilight to move to and from the World of Light, and the Twilight Realm.
5 Dark Link
Unlike Shadow Link, Dark Link is the evil side of the Hero. While both versions challenge the player throughout the franchise, Shadow Link is much more mischievous than Dark Link. Players often face Link’s doppelgänger when entering temples or certain dungeon levels, often appearing as final bosses.
Dark Link suddenly appears for the first time as the final boss in The Adventure of Link, with little to no explanation. In a sense, Dark Link seems to bring out Link's power and courage in that he has to battle himself. Unfortunately, this often involves the mirroring of moves and defenses, making these fights especially difficult for players.
4 Majora's Wrath
Despite being the main antagonist of Majora’s Mask, the origin of the sentient object is unknown. The only information that players are given is that it somehow came into the possession of the Happy Mask Salesman and that it will possess whoever wears it. All the Happy Mask Salesman knows is that “the troubles caused by Majora’s Mask were so great…the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse.”
These troubles come to fruition when the Skull Kid steals it from the vendor, and the mask slowly takes over his mind while changing the world in the process. Link is eventually faced with the physical incarnation of the mask in the final boss battle, which culminates in one of the darkest villains in The Legend of Zelda franchise.
3 Wizzro
There are many bosses in the spin-off gameHyrule Warriors, with The Dark Sorceress Cia being the main antagonist. But there are a lot more enemies for Link and his allies to battle against, including the Dragon Knight Volga and the Twisted Wizard Wizzro.
However, the strange thing about Wizzro is that the evil wizard was once a cursed ring that held his essence. He would use this dark magic to drain the life force of those who wore the ring, giving him even more power. In Hyrule Warriors, Cia uses her magic to bring the ring's spirit to life, creating Wizzro and his creepy appearance.
2 Ganondorf
Ganondorf is finally returning in Tears of the Kingdom, but the origins of his character remain puzzling. Born as the only male Gerudo in 100 years, Ganondorf was automatically given a right of power due to tradition in being either the King of the Gerudo or the Guardian of the Desert. Twinrova took Ganondorf under their wing and raised him, but it’s unclear exactly who his biological parents are.
Like Zelda and Link, Ganondorf returns throughout the franchise either in his human form or Ganon, his true form. The trio reappearing in each game emphasizes the battle between good and evil, which remains an essential part of The Legend of Zelda franchise.
1 Twinrova
Twinrova is one of the noblest bosses in The Legend of Zelda, having lived for over 400 years as the twin Gerudo witches Kotake and Koume. Having raised Ganondorf into the villain that he is, they have a lot to answer for regarding the evil surrounding the land of Hyrule.
In most games in The Legend of Zelda, Twinrova are against Link, causing him trouble. But in Majora’s Mask, they actually aid the Hero on his journey. Kotake owns the Magic Hags’ Potion Shop and asks Link to save her sister from the Skull Kid by giving him a Red Potion to give to her in the forest. In return, Koume gives Link a free riverboat tour.