With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fast approaching its official launch, Nintendo has been a lot more forthcoming with its marketing, and its reveal of more official artwork for Ganondorf seems to hint towards a revived origin story for Zelda's main villain. Just as Link's own backstory has varied ranging from the boy without a fairy in Ocarina of Time to a smithy's grandson in The Minish Cap, so too has Ganondorf's own origins. So while Ganondorf seems to have taken the spotlight in Tears of the Kingdom, his new design indicates an already familiar backstory that could be significant to the game's plot.
Ordinarily, unless any character's origin was important to the broader game, Zelda has never dwelled too much on wasting time explaining where characters came from. For instance, even Link's own backstory for Breath of the Wild is kept vague and non-specific with flashbacks only revealing that he was a knight within the Hylian guard appointed as Princess Zelda's personal protector. In the same game, Ganon's origin was also never deeply explored and remained a looming threat only there to be thwarted. However, it seems where Ganondorf came from and how he was seemingly entombed beneath Hyrule will be the focus of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Ganondorf, Gerudo King of Thieves
As one of Zelda's most beloved and venerated games, many fans will know Ocarina of Time inside and out, with its version of Ganondorf being one of the reasons why. In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is presented as a true force to be reckoned with as the future portions of the game showcase what Hyrule would look like under his rule. Exploring the past tells players a little about where Ganondorf came from, revealing that he is a rare male Gerudo destined to be born after one hundred years. Other Zelda games acknowledge the Gerudo connection to some extent, but never as explicitly as Ocarina of Time.
But it seems that Tears of the Kingdom will be the next Zelda game to revisit this origin story, as Ganondorf's official artwork seems to have been heavily influenced by Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Gerudo designs. In particular, while Ganondorf has always been depicted decorated with jewelry and ostentatious garments, his clothing seems uncannily similar to the Desert Voe armor set Link could wear in Breath of the Wild. Between details such as a half-exposed torso, the paisley-like design of the fabric, or the abundance of jewelry, it seems Ganondorf's return in Tears of the Kingdom will once again be as the Gerudo King of Thieves.
The Potential Tears of Ganondorf's Gerudo Kingdom
If Ganondorf's origin is to be once again tied to his connection with the Gerudo people, then this could have a sizable impact on Tears of the Kingdom's story. Not only because it could throw up new questions for speculative fans keeping track of Zelda canon and its timelines, but because it means the Gerudo from Breath of the Wild could be keeping secrets from Link and Princess Zelda. Likely shamed to secrecy after witnessing Calamity Ganon ruin Hyrule, the Gerudo might have been responsible for their would-be king's imprisonment after Ganondorf had attempted to take the kingdom to war.
Early signs of this existed within Breath of the Wild which could expose Gerudo's dark history. For instance, the one hundred years Link spent in the Shrine of Resurrection already parallels the same timeframe for a new male-born Gerudo, while the Arbiter's Grounds reappearance could now be more than just a reference to Twilight Princess. But more notably, the Yiga Clan who are tied to both the Sheikah and Ganon, are also based in the Gerudo Wastelands which supports a revamped Gerudo origin. So just as the Sheikah could be integral to Zelda:Tears of the Kingdom's story, so too will Ganondorf's own backstory.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
