Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ) is the Gerudo form of Ganon (ガノン), the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series by Nintendo. He holds the Triforce of Power and is destined to eternally reincarnate to pursue world domination. He also holds an eternal rivalry with Link, the Hero chosen by the Golden Goddesses and the only one capable of defeating him. He appears as a playable character in Super Smash Flash 2.
Character description[]
Ganondorf was originally introduced in the original The Legend of Zelda game as Ganon. Here, he was established as a power-hungry monster who had kidnapped Princess Zelda for her piece of the Triforce, but was slayed by Link at the end of the game. Since then, collecting the Triforce and conquering Hyrule has usually been Ganondorf's main goal in the series. He is physically present or otherwise referenced in nearly every game in the series.
Ganondorf's appearance has changed over the course of the series. In his first appearance as Ganon, he appears as a bestial, porcine demon with turquoise skin (though it will change to red at one point, which is the cue to hit him with the Silver Arrows), while in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, he has blue skin and turns silver when weak to the aforementioned Silver Arrows. He is typically seen wielding a trident, though in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, he wields two greatswords instead. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, in a departure from previous games, features a quadrupedal Ganon.
Ocarina of Time marks Ganon's first appearance as a humanoid, under his birth name of Ganondorf. Here, it is revealed that he belongs to the Gerudo, a tribe of female thieves who bear a male only once every century. As the lone male Gerudo, Ganondorf is destined to become their king, but not all of the tribe approve of him, most notably Nabooru. In terms of physical appearance, he sports his race's typical features: dark skin (with his having an olive green tint), a sharp bird-like nose, amber eyes, and red eyebrows and hair (with the former connecting to the latter). He is seen wearing armor in both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, while he forgoes armor in favor of a robe-like cloak in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, Ganondorf transforms into his bestial Ganon form to attack Link.
Ganondorf is the primary villain in most of the Zelda games, with his schemes usually involving kidnapping Princess Zelda, conquering the land of Hyrule, or obtaining the Triforce. Unlike Link and Zelda, who have descendants and successors, Ganondorf is the same individual in almost all of the games that he appears in, whether in his Gerudo form or his demonic Ganon form, and even across the series' multiple timelines.
It is elaborated in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword that Ganondorf is the personified malice of the Demon King Demise, who was defeated by the descendants of the goddess Hylia and her chosen hero; as a result, he is endlessly resurrected as long as there are individuals who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero. The only exception to this is The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, which features a reincarnated Ganon born centuries after the previous Ganondorf's death in Twilight Princess. By the time of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ganondorf's malice has entirely consumed him and caused him to lose control over his humanity, turning him into a swirling mass of primal evil known as Calamity Ganon.
In the Super Smash Flash series[]
In Super Smash Flash 2[]
As a playable character[]
Main article: Ganondorf (Super Smash Flash 2)
Ganondorf's official artwork for Super Smash Flash 2.
Ganondorf is an unlockable character in Super Smash Flash 2. His reveal was made during the Beta 1.3 announcement video, and he was released alongside the update. His sprites are custom-made, based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. His moveset is mostly based on his appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, albeit with some attacks being taken from his other Super Smash Bros. appearances — smash attacks from Ultimate and up tilt from Project M, for example — and some being original to SSF2.
As a background character[]
In addition to his role as a playable character, Ganon appears as a background character in SSF2 on the stage Hylian Skies. During the Dark World variant of the stage, he appears in his bat form after Agahnim's defeat in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and flies across the screen.
Trivia[]
- Ganondorf, Pichu, and Sandbag are currently the only characters in the Super Smash Flash series to serve both a playable and non-playable role simultaneously.
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