Why does ganondorf appear in ocarina of time

In the E3 teaser for the game, Zelda and Link discover a mummified Gerudo corpse with an ethereal green arm touching his chest, with Malice being attracted to it. The corpse then revives itself and turns to Zelda as beastly eyes emerge from its sockets.

It is heavily implied that this corpse was the remains of Ganondorf. Ganondorf himself could also be seen in a bas relief briefly, depicting him as a violent warlord. Subseries warning : This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

Ganondorf appears as a playable character in the spinoff game Hyrule Warriors. His appearances from Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess are available as alternate costumes via downloadable content. His primary appearance in the game is a mixture between his appearance in Twilight Princess and Demise, and he shares Demise's title, "The Demon King"; Ganondorf's 3rd-level weapons are the Swords of Demise , further displaying the connection.

Ganondorf wields a pair of massive Great Swords in conjunction with his dark magic. In Hyrule Warriors , Ganondorf is revealed to be the one responsible for Cia 's corruption, and thus acts as the true main antagonist of the game.

In the backstory, his soul had been split into four fragments and sealed across time and space by a previous incarnation of the legendary hero. By corrupting Cia and removing the light from her heart, Ganondorf influences Cia to collect the Triforce and open the Gate of Souls , linking it to the dimensions where three of his soul fragments are sealed.

This releases the soul fragments from their prisons, restoring the Demon King's physical body. Ganondorf also appears in Hyrule Warriors Legends. In addition to his Great Swords, he gains a Trident as his new alternative weapon moveset.

The game also features a new alternate costume based on the clothes he wore in The Wind Waker , which is fitting, given the appearance of various The Wind Waker characters Tetra , Toon Link , Medli , and Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule appearing as playable characters in Hyrule Warriors Legends.

In addition, though he himself does not appear in the new The Wind Waker storyline due to his defeat beforehand, his phantom from The Wind Waker era acts as the central antagonist for the storyline. Subseries warning : Subseries information ends here. Non-canon warning : This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

Ganondorf's role was overall the same as in the game. However, his first appearance had him eavesdropping on Link and Zelda in the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, as well as, while he apologized for his eavesdropping, it implied that he may have sent the Gerudo after Zelda while the latter was disguised in Hyrule Castle Town. Ganondorf later appeared after Link got the Zora's Sapphire, where he attempted to corner Zelda and Impa at the burning castle while stating that Zelda "will experience eternal sleep with her father" in it, which implied that he had, by that point, murdered her father.

He also ended up stealing Link's Fairy Ocarina, under the mistaken impression that it was the Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf did not realize that mistake until seven years had passed, upon which he crushed the ocarina in his hand. Ganondorf also had Sheik serve him. When Ingo failed to ensure that Epona was supplied to him, Ganondorf initially intended to have him executed for his failure, although he relented after Koume and Kotake instead suggested that they brainwash him.

Ganondorf eventually imprisoned Zelda inside a Crystal , and took her to his castle. During the inevitable fight with Link, Ganondorf used a sword with magical powers to overpower him, and sought to finish him off with his ultimate spell. Link was able to use the Spin Attack to deflect the spell back at Ganondorf, which stunned him long enough for Link to cut him down. A wounded Ganondorf then attempted to bring the castle down on Link and Zelda.

When that failed, Ganondorf turned into Ganon. Ganon was able to knock the Master Sword out of Link's hand, but Zelda was able to throw it back to the hero.

Link promptly cut off Ganon's Tail while declaring that he is Ganon's opponent with determination, brought him down to his knees with a vertical slash, and thrust his sword into the beast's face. Invoking the power of the Sages, Zelda was able to seal Ganondorf away. Ganondorf was one of the candidates for the best villain in the Nintendo franchises, and won the category. In a letter to Nintendo Power about the choice, the editors jokingly stated that the other Nintendo villains are planning to arrange a "going away party" for him involving "cement shoes and a really deep lake.

Ganondorf largely has the same role as in the game, although his being banished into the Twilight Realm by the Ancient Sages is depicted in a significantly more graphic manner, where it shows his skin and flesh being violently ripped off his bones as he is sealed away. His influence on Zant was also indirectly alluded to in the prologue. For unknown reasons, an unfinished model of Ganondorf exists in the game's coding, along with unfinished models of Impa and Sheik.

The name of the files indicates that they may have been planned to appear in the Swamp Fishing Hole and Ocean Fishing Hole , but were scrapped. It is possible that he would have been a Terminan counterpart of Ganondorf. Concept Art included in Hyrule Historia contained Concept Artwork of Ganondorf in the section for Oracle of Ages and Seasons , which implied that Ganon was originally intended to appear in his human form for part of the game.

No mention of Ganondorf as a human remained in the final version of the game. Ganondorf's design was largely similar to his appearance in Ocarina of Time , only he instead wore black-and-red robes with a raised collar, a belt depicting a fanged skull, as well as wearing a vest similar to his outfit from Ocarina of Time, as well as pointed shoes.

It was possible that he was intended to be the main villain for the cancelled The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage , which was intended to be a sequel to both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Ganondorf was a playable character for the first time in Super Smash Bros. To unlock him, the player must beat Event Match 29 or play VS. Mode matches. His moves are almost exactly the same as Captain Falcon's, but he is slower and more powerful. His Fair and Up Tilt are some of the few moves that are different.

His physical appearance is based on the design used in the Space World Demo , and wields the same sword used in the demo in one of his victory poses, even though he does not use it in battle. Ganondorf also has a brief appearance in the opening for the game, where his hand is seen alongside Link and Zelda's hands, with their respective Triforce marks. Ganondorf is based off of his appearance in Twilight Princess.

His moves remained largely the same as in Melee , though some are visually different. However, his Gerudo Dragon side-B has been replaced by the Flame Choke, which knocks enemies downward instead of upward. His final smash is a horizontal charge as Beast Ganon. In the storyline, Ganondorf uses the Ancient Minister to drop Subspace bombs on the world, " erasing " it and transporting it into Subspace.

Series, is Ganondorf's right-hand man. Eventually, the Ancient Minister later revealed to be a ROB unit turns on Ganondorf, refusing to fight the heroes when confronted by them on the "Isle of the Ancients" stage. However, Ganondorf takes control of all the R. Ganondorf and Bowser pilot a titanic gunship into the real world via this hole, using it against the alliance of heroes arriving to take the villains down.

The gunship is destroyed when Kirby flies the Dragoon through the hull. Retreating back into Subspace, Ganondorf betrays Bowser, turning him into a trophy. Ganondorf soon learns that Master Hand, whom he was apparently going to betray for more power though this is difficult to determine since the only lines of dialogue in the entire story are spoken by Solid Snake, Ike, and Captain Falcon , is only a puppet being controlled by a higher being, Tabuu.

Ganondorf attempts to attack Tabuu alone, but is easily subdued with a single hit and turned into a trophy though his attack does succeed in inadvertently freeing Master Hand from Tabuu's control. Later on, the trophy of Ganondorf is attacked by a revived Bowser in retaliation for his earlier betrayal before being revived himself by, ironically, none other than his arch-enemies Link and Zelda, who convince him to help them and the rest of the playable fighters in the final battle against Tabuu.

Before joining them, he also was seen charging an attack against them, but ultimately relents, implying that even he realized that siding with them was ultimately in his best interests. Ganondorf does not use the sword he had in Twilight Princess , even though his appearance is based off of his Twilight Princess design. However, the sword is seen in one of Ganondorf's taunts, where he takes it out of its sheath just to inspect it, and possibly show it off, then immediately returns it.

In his regular form, Ganondorf does not have the chest wound that he had in Twilight Princess , though it is present when he turns into Ganon. Strangely, it is more purple in color than in Twilight Princess. In the codec conversations, Snake is shown to utterly fear Ganondorf, mention that being near him "makes [Snake's] skin crawl" due to having a murderous vibe.

Although Otacon implies that Snake has a shot against Ganondorf due to having firepower instead of simply using hand-to-hand combat or blades, this is technically incorrect due to it being implied in The Subspace Emissary that Ganondorf was capable of utilizing technology due to his using a remote to force the ROBs to obey his commands, his use of the trophy gun, and communicating with Master Hand aboard the Subspace cannon. Ganondorf appears on two stickers.

Ganondorf is the only one who can use these stickers. Ganondorf makes his third appearance in the Super Smash Bros. He retains his Twilight Princess design he had in Brawl , and his chest wound where he was struck with the Sword of the Six Sages is now present. His move set remains mostly the same, including his final smash. Interestingly during one of Pit's special conversions which occur by preforming Pit's down taunt on the Palutena's Temple stage while fighting Ganondorf , the goddesses Palutena and Viridi both claim that like Link and Zelda, there are multiple incarnations of Ganondorf , however given the non-canon nature of the Super Smash Bros.

Ganondorf is an unlockable fighter for the Nintendo Switch iteration of the series. This game replaces his Twilight Princess design in favor of his Ocarina of Time appearance. Owing to this, his Final Smash takes cues from his Ganon form from the aforementioned game. To differentiate Ganondorf's move set from Captain Falcon's, he uses his sword for all his Smash attacks, which marks a first for the Super Smash Bros.

Like all of the other characters in Ultimate , Ganondorf is depicted on the Everybody is Here! He, alongside Young Link and Zelda, are required to be fought and recruited to advance in the World of Light game mode, as defeating them has their respective Triforce pieces unveil Ganon's castle, and thus acts as a requirement to fight him.

In addition, Ganondorf briefly appears in the pre-battle cinematic, where he transforms into Ganon during the latter battle. Although Ganondorf never appears in the game itself indirect mentions and Calamity Ganon nonwithstanding , concept art unveiled during the Game Development Conference in showing two versions of what would ultimately become Breath of the Wild in particular, the The Legend of Zelda: Invasion scenario depicts an image of Ganondorf speaking while wearing a shirt prominently displaying the logo for the rock band Metallica.

The design for Ganondorf that was shown largely resembled his depiction in Ocarina of Time , although he possessed a beard mirroring that of both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess , and overall had a slightly slimmer, yet still muscular build than even in Ocarina of Time.

It roughly corresponds to his appearance in Twilight Princess. Non-canon warning : Non-canonical information ends here. Spoiler warning : Spoilers end here. Ganondorf is commonly portrayed as the incarnation of pure evil, greed, and power. He is ruthless, cold, unscrupulous, manipulative, and calculating. He is also shown to have an ego, believing that only he is worthy to rule the kingdom and showing an arrogant sense of entitlement.

It was also shown that Ganon does not possess a balanced amount of power, wisdom, and courage as evidenced when the Triforce split in three pieces when he tried to wield it. It is heavily implied in Skyward Sword that Ganondorf's evil nature stemmed from being a reincarnation of the Demon King Demise's Hatred as well as being a product of his curse. In Four Swords Adventures , Ganondorf's arrogance is such that he even refers to the Links as "worms" and "maggots", and also refers to the then-recently defeated Vaati as a "useless cur.

However he is capable of learning from his mistakes as he relies on his sword skills and physical strength when fighting Tetra and the Hero of Winds instead of his magic and Ganon form like he did during his battle with the Hero of Time. He also eliminated the Sages of the Master Sword to remove the power to repel evil from the Master Sword and kept the Light Arrows stored inside a maze guarded by Phantom Ganon in his Tower as both weapons led to his previous defeat.

Ganondorf is also a skilled strategist, as he is implied to have manipulated Link and Zelda into opening the Door of Time for him, and he also deliberately allows Link to purify the temples he has captured knowing that this will draw Zelda out into the open. This knack for strategy was similarly demonstrated in Wind Waker , where he murdered the original Sages of Wind and Earth specifically to ensure the Master Sword lost its true power, as well as using the opportunity presented by Link trying to restore the Master Sword to abduct Zelda from Hyrule Castle.

The best demonstration of his strategic skills, however, came about during his final fight against Link and Zelda in the same game, where he managed to quickly disable Zelda upon realizing the threat she posed with the Light Arrows, and when she regained consciousness, proceeded to evade her shots as well as parry Link's blows.

It has been hinted that the Ganondorf originally seen in Ocarina of Time sought to conquer Hyrule out of jealousy, as he apparently lived a life full of suffering due to living in the desert though his evil nature and dark power without the Triforce of Power may have been influenced by him being the reincarnation of the Demon King's Hatred thus may have been destined to seek out the Triforce as Demise had done in the past.

In Ocarina of Time , when he manages to conquer the kingdom of Hyrule, he never attempts to aid his own people, despite them living in the same conditions as he once did. He even resorts to mind controlling certain Gerudos to ensure absolute loyalty, reinforcing the notion that his desire for Hyrule was born out of jealousy and not a desire to help his people. However, once Link initially defeats Ganondorf, Zelda briefly expresses pity and speculates that his death was caused in part due to failing to control the Triforce due to an imbalanced heart.

He also seems to have some pride in his Gerudo heritage and their fighting prowess, at least in Hyrule Warriors , as evidenced by his declaring "Behold the power of a Gerudo warrior!

Interestingly, Ganondorf seems to follow a code of honor; in Ocarina of Time , he is amused and almost impressed when a young, helpless Link drew his weapons at him.

Effortlessly knocking Link away, Ganondorf let the boy live despite his defiance, acknowledging some respect for his courage. When he knocks Link down, he will wait for Link to get up before continuing a fight. In The Wind Waker , when Ganondorf realizes that Zelda keeps attacking him with the Light Arrows while he fights Link, he swiftly approaches Zelda, puts away his sword and backhands her, instead of outright killing her.

He also claims at one point that he will not kill Link, and merely seeks to claim the Triforce of Courage from him. In Ocarina of Time , he is confident, wise-cracking and sarcastic, calling Link "kid" even after seven years, calling Link's weapons "toys", and making remarks such as "I like you, kid" before blasting him with magic, but is ultimately serious when he needs to be.

Ganondorf always cracks a smile, even in the most dire of circumstances, showcasing a pleasure in destruction and a confidence that never dies, even when the odds are against him. Ganondorf entering a hysterical fit of laughter since his quest and life are at an end. In The Wind Waker , Ganondorf seems to have matured with age. He is portrayed somewhat as a tragic villain , being altogether more solemn and less prone to wisecracks. He also expressed some grudging respect for Link's courage after the latter managed to not only infiltrate the Forsaken Fortress again, but also dispose of the Helmaroc King.

Despite this, he still longs to cover the entire world in darkness, even after his actions led to the destruction of Hyrule, and places a curse upon the Great Sea to keep it in a perpetual state of terror. It is also implied that Ganondorf is emotionally unstable throughout the events of The Wind Waker , spending the early course of the game kidnapping young girls in a desperate attempt to find the Triforce of Wisdom, lacking the overtly evil nature of his previous appearance, and laughing maniacally when Hyrule is about to be flooded.

Knowing that his plans that have taken centuries of trial and error have finally come to a dramatic end at the climax of The Wind Waker , Ganondorf shows a more tragic side that seems to contrast his attitude in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. Having dedicated his life to controlling a kingdom that was now destined to disappear alongside his body, in his final moments, Ganondorf still smiled, and even chuckles briefly when sensing the wind from Gerudo Desert blowing.

This may imply that he had come to terms with his defeat, and was actually content with how things had ended. In Twilight Princess , Ganondorf's personality is more closely linked to his Ocarina of Time persona, as Ganondorf has, in this timeline, faced less hardships and overall appears to be younger and more emotionally stable, even possessing some of his cockiness from Ocarina of Time.

The Sages also mention that Ganondorf, due to being blinded by rage and his own might, ended up caught, subdued, and promptly executed, implying that he was extremely reckless in his own actions and planning, though this may have been due to the time travelling Hero of Time exposing Ganondorf's plans due to his knowledge of Ganondorf's rise to power in the Adult timeline thus Ganondorf in the Child Timeline could not rely on deception and manipulation thus resorted to more open and aggressive tactics but his arrogance once again proved to be his undoing.

Ganondorf being blinded by rage may also been influenced by the idea he is the reincarnation of Demise's Hatred. While arrogant, Ganondorf is able to recognize others when they prove themselves, and will show some respect towards such individuals. In the Wind Waker , Ganondorf showed a begrudging respect to the Hero of Time, as well as referring to Link as his reincarnation. In Twilight Princess , Ganondorf challenges Link to a duel, which indicates that he sees him as a worthy adversary.

Ganondorf is shown to be very powerful in the series, mostly due to his frequent possession of the Triforce of Power. Even without the Triforce of Power though, Ganondorf is still a powerful Gerudo with potent magical abilities, able to use dark magic with ease. He is often shown to possess titanic strength, with few characters in the franchise able to match or surpass him. His most infamous ability, however, was his ability to transform into the boar-like demon known as Ganon, which generally required the use of the Triforce of Power.

Additionally his evil power allowed Deku Baba to grow along the path leading to the Deku Tree and caused Link and Zelda to have prophetic dreams warning them of the threat he posed and future events. Ganondorf was also capable of resurrecting the extinct dinosaur King Dodongo.

Ganondorf also took advantage of the political climate in Hyrule following the end of the Hyrulean Civil War by feigning loyalty to the King of Hyrule whom was apparently keen on building good diplomatic relations with the Gerudo King and his people following the end of the civil war to ensure peace with only Princess Zelda seeing Ganondorf's true motivations though her warnings to her father fell on deaf ears. Ganondorf is also capable of horseback riding as he is often depicted riding his steed.

Ganondorf was also capable of turning the Spirit Temple into a base for his army and apparently has no trouble navigating the Haunted Wasteland due to having lived in the desert for most of his life. After acquiring the Triforce of Power, he was also able to break the seal on Kakariko Well and releasing Bongo Bongo , resurrect the feared dragon Volvagia, freeze several Zoras in Red Ice, fly, imprison and warp away Princess Zelda, open up a portal to another dimension , and conquer Hyrule.

He can also generate waves of darkness that were potent enough to prevent fairies such as Navi from even getting close to him, let alone target him, and he seems to have at least some degree of reality-warping powers, as evidenced by how he transformed his throne room into a battle arena when fighting Link. He also has the power to transform into a boar demon known as Ganon as well as create a copy of himself called Phantom Ganon.

In addition, he has enough strength to cause an entire portion of his throne room's floor to collapse with a single punch, should it not be connected to the room below. He was also implied to have gained immortality from his possession of the Triforce of Power.

He was also skilled in playing the pipe organ, as evidenced by his playing a song on it to lure Link up to the top of his castle. He also implies when being sealed away that the Triforce of Power is also capable of allowing him to break the seal in the future. In addition to his magic and strength, Ganondorf is a cunning master thief and manipulator as shown by his manipulations of Link, Zelda, and King of Hyrule.

Instead of eliminating Young Link whom Ganondorf apparently realized was conspiring with Princess Zelda to thwart his plan to seal the Triforce but allowed Link to collect the Spiritual Stones and Ocarina of Time basically having Link do everything for him.

Its unknown if Ganondorf knew the Master Sword was the final barrier though if he did he may have suspected Link to be its current chosen wielder thus may have also manipulated him in removing the one barrier that Ganondorf himself was powerless to bypass.

Ultimately Ganondorf's manipulation worked thus making Zelda and Link partially responsible for his rise to power. However his manipulation would not end there as he allowed the Hero of Time to wonder around Hyrule knowing Zelda would eventually reveal herself allowing him to capture her. However Ganondorf is arrogant and his desire to acquire the complete Triforce was ultimately his undoing thus while intelligent it is trumped by his overall lust for power which was why he acquired the Triforce of Power due to his imbalanced heart as his desire for power exceeded any wisdom and courage he possessed.

In The Wind Waker , even without his full power backing him when it was sealed within the Master Sword, Ganondorf was still shown as being capable of generating an Endless Night and a barrier around Hyrule Castle.

His full power was such that he could survive a direct flame blast from Valoo unscathed, which had been powerful enough to set the top portion of the Forsaken Fortress on fire. Having apparently learned from his previous battles with the Hero of Time centuries earlier, Ganondorf relied more on his physical power, sword fighting skills, and minions like Helmaroc King and Puppet Ganon to deal with his enemies.

In his final battle with Tetra and the Hero of Winds, Ganondorf relied entirely on his swords fighting skills, which were shown to be superior to those possessed by the Hero of Winds. He also possessed at least a degree of mind-reading abilities, as he was shown to read Zelda's dreams about "oceans as far as the eye can see". He apparently has the ability to resurrect his minions, at least to a certain degree, as his tower featured revived versions of Gohma , Kalle Demos , Jalhalla, and Molgera, which acted as "keys" to his inner sanctum.

Render of Ganondorf in his "Ganondorf's Malice" form that he took following his banishment to the Twilight Realm. In Twilight Princess , Ganondorf is implied to wield the Triforce of Power, and may gain some abilities from his connection to Zant. Like Link's wolf form, he transforms into a different form when exposed to the magic of the Twilight Realm, though in his case he takes the form of a burning head made of golden fire possibly due to the protection of the Triforce of Power, as the Golden Goddess of Power, Din is commonly associated with fire referred to in Hyrule Historia as " Ganondorf's Malice ".

His "Ganondorf's Malice" form can also be accessed in the Light World, as evidenced by his transforming into this state shortly after his Ganon form was felled, and was also capable in this state of withstanding even a direct blow from Midna's Fused Shadow form's trident, which was potent enough to completely obliterate Hyrule Castle.

The powers he displays are never definitively attributed to any source, though he has many abilities seemingly Twilight-based in nature.

These include the use of Twilight Portals and turning into Twilight in order to possess another person. He is also capable of generating a barrier powerful enough to require the Fused Shadows to fully dissipate, and was also capable of transfiguring various entities, evident with his turning Midna into an imp-like creature via Zant. In addition, he can also bestow entities with immortality as well as guaranteed revival from death so long as he himself does not perish beforehand, as evidenced with Zant.

Ganondorf can also create Phantom Riders as well, and was fully capable of horseback combat, as evidenced by his fight with Link. He was also capable of destroying one of the Ancient Sages, who were implied to be disembodied spirits, with his bare hands, shortly after surviving his execution and shattering the chains binding him to a pillar. He is also demonstrated to shatter chains binding him with minimum effort, as evidenced by his first actions shortly after surviving his execution.

His overall strength seems to rival Link, as evident in their duel where they pitted their strength against each other in a sword lock. His physical strength was also such that he could crush the Fused Shadows with his bare hands, as evidenced by his actions to Midna's helmet prior to his horseback duel with Link and Zelda. Ganondorf also gifted Zant with many of his abilities though Ganondorf is never shown using them - including altering his size or changing the terrain he fights in.

Ganondorf can survive attacks that would kill another being, such as his 'execution' at the hands of the Sages before the events of Twilight Princess , and his defeat at the end of some games in which he is not actually slain.

The exact limits of his powers are unknown. Both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess strongly imply that his surviving lethal attacks was attributed to the Triforce of Power.

According to its description in Breath of the Wild , the Sword of the Six Sages is stated to be a holy blade intended to seal a Demon King implying the sword was meant to execute and seal Ganondorf whom was apparently considered the Demon King Ganondorf is referred to as a Demon Thief in Twilight Princess and was the Gerudo King of Thieves before his capture.

Unfortunately the Sages where unaware of the power of the gods implied to be the Triforce of Power he had somehow acquired which apparently revived him. The sword apparently lacked the same level holy power as the Master Sword which was a weapon created by divinity and forged into a mighty weapon by a hero through a quest designed by Hylia and blessed by her mortal incarnation, though the holy power of the Sword of the Six Sages did inflict a glowing wound that never healed and only ceased to glow after Ganondorf was slain with the superior Master Sword.

Additionally the Sword of the Six Sages despite being a holy weapon it could be wielded by someone as evil as Ganondorf unlike the Master Sword. However Ganondorf refers to the weapon as a foul blade presumably due to the wound it inflicted upon him and its holy nature being repulsive to someone as evil as Ganondorf. However he apparently wielded it as an effective counter to the Master Sword as both are holy weapons thus the Master Sword's power to repel evil doesn't work on it as the Sword of the Six Sages itself is not evil only its wielder is.

Additionally it serves as a symbol of the Ancient Sages failure and Ganondorf's might as he turned a holy weapon designed to stop his evil reign of terror into little more than a weapon of murder and bloodshed. This resembles Calamity Ganon 's corruption of the ancient Sheikah technology that had defeated him in the past in Breath of the Wild fitting with Ganondorf's tendency to use his enemies strengths against them. Ganondorf's appearance varies throughout his appearances in Ocarina of Time , The Wind Waker , and Twilight Princess , although in general, he is depicted with flaming red hair, gold eyes, a head brooch, and dark olive-green skin a trait he shares with his adoptive mothers Koume and Kotake.

In Ocarina of Time , Ganondorf is shown to be extremely muscular, with black shoulder armor, hand gauntlets and knee armor with gold spikes and a gold jewel, as well as brown outer armor with intricate designs throughout most of his body as well as white desert arm, leg, and chest cloths with blue and red lines on them.

His face also has a long beak-like nose, with his eyebrows being directly connected to his hair. He is shown to have yellow irises like the other Gerudo, only he also has red-colored pupils. He is also in some cinematics depicted with a cape similar in design to the cloths on the other designs. However he originally wears a short mini cape on the back which he wears during his first encounter with Link. Character artwork also depicts him with a dagger, although he never actually uses it in-game however it does appear on his Ocarina of Time inspired "Era of the Hero of Time Armor" in Hyrule Warriors.

Even before gaining the Triforce of Power and becoming Ganon, Ganondorf was already significantly large, being about cm 7 ft. After seven years had passed, his Gerudo form had some slight differences, namely his red hair was longer to shoulder length, his green skin is more apparent, and his eyes become significantly more demonic by having his sclera glow yellow and his irises turned red.

In addition, he also wears a red cape with intricate gold lines as well as golden tassels at the bottom during his battle with Link, as well as possessing earrings. In The Wind Waker , Ganondorf is shown having a red beard, and his red eyebrows that are separated from his hair.

His nose is also significantly shorter, though still somewhat beak-like comparable to the Rito. In addition, he also wears a black Kimono-style cloak with orange lines near the arms comparable to wings and talons, as well as a pattern on the back showing what resembled a bird. He also wears a red outer shirt at the front with a belt similar in nature to his other cloths in Ocarina of Time , with a marking that's divided with red on the right and blue on the left.

He also wore yellow shoes. He also carried with him two Long Swords with a golden handle and a tassel at the end. He wore armor similar to his Ocarina of Time self, yet his face was similar in appearance overall to Wind Waker , albeit having a flatter nose.

His design featured dark green cargo pants possessing red and black lining, as well as dark gray shin armor and boots with white edges. In addition, his upper body was covered in dark gray armor with white lining, a cloth on his neck similar to his appearances to the chest cloth in Ocarina of Time , gold jewels on the collar, shoulder, and gauntlets which now encompass his arms rather than just the back of his hands , plus some rubies, as well as possessing finger-less gloves.

His head brooch now is stylized with lines reaching to the back of his head, resembling a crown of sorts, and his hair also is placed in curls to the back, with the back of his head containing a dark blue skull-cap with yellow linings. Although not readily apparent in initial versions, his cargo pants and upper clothing possessed dark lines reminiscent of both Twili patterns and to a lesser extent Gerudo patterns.

Because of the botched execution against him, he also bore a glowing white wound on his abdomen. Just before he was sealed into the Twilight Realm shortly after his botched execution, Ganondorf's eyes glowed yellow with him demonstrating visible tusks on his lower jaw. Even in this conversation, the war is only briefly addressed:. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest.

Additional references to the Hyrulean Civil War appear in supplementary real-world texts, such as Hyrule Historia and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia , but these are similarly light on details. The Deku Tree Sprout's words do at least confirm the war was recent, being only as long passed as Link is old, and also make clear Kokiri Forest's political status in relation to the war.

The Great Deku Tree, one of Zelda 's more prominent recurring characters , is the guardian spirit of the forest and the Kokiri who dwell within.

Link's mother likely brought her infant son there because she knew it was a neutral location safe from the devastation of the Hyrulean Civil War, and the Hylian child was only allowed to stay because " The Deku Tree could sense that [Link] was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world. Though The Legend of Zelda 's Sheikah Tribe remained mysterious throughout the series until their prominence in Breath of the Wild , environmental clues in Ocarina of Time suggest they were involved in dark deeds during the Hyrulean Civil War.

Kakariko Village - hometown of Ocarina 's one true Sheikah character, Impa, and described by a Hylian soldier as once being a Sheikah village - is home to the Shadow Temple. There, Link is stopped by a spirit in one of the crypts that says, " Shadow Temple Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred.

Within the Shadow Temple are many torture chambers, guillotines, and pools of blood. Perhaps these are relics of a conflict much further in Ocarina of Time's past, but it's not unreasonable to assume the Royal Family's enemies may have been brought to Kakariko Village for interrogation during the Hyrulean Civil War.

The entrance to the Shadow Temple remains hidden, but rumors surely spread throughout Hyrule about what happens to those who dissent from the Royal Family. Though the King of Hyrule has consolidated power by the time Ocarina of Time starts , he does not hold it for long, despite ample warning of Ganondorf's imminent coup. It is unknown what role, if any, the Gerudo played in the Hyrulean Civil War, but the King of Thieves is demonstrably aware that the current power structure can be toppled.

The Gerudo are desert-dwelling warriors and thieves whose population is almost entirely female. Only one male is born to the Gerudo every century, and he becomes the de facto king.

If the only male Gerudo in years emerging from the desert to swear fealty to the King of Hyrule wasn't suspicious enough, Princess Zelda also warned her father of the visions she had of Ganondorf's power and Hyrule's destruction. The king technically unified the country through civil war, but Ganondorf's rise could be emblematic of discontented populations in the conflict's wake.

Ocarina of Time 's Castle Town has a noticeable lack of anyone who isn't Hylian. The Kokiri are provided for and protected by their forest, and the Gerudo seem adverse to anyone but their own, but the Zora and Gorons seem oddly reclusive in spite of their bustling cultures during Link's childhood.

Zora's Domain is hidden behind a waterfall , only traversable after playing a song passed down through generations of the Royal Family.