Legend Of Zelda: Ranking Every Ganon From Worst To Best
Bosses don't get more iconic than Ganon, but which version is best?
The Legend Of Zelda is one of gaming’s most beloved IPs. Generations of gamers have joined Link on his myriad adventures, fighting monsters, saving Hyrule, and, more often than not, vanquishing Ganon.
One of the most recognisable villains in gaming, Ganon has taken on many forms; many motives, even many names. But which is best?
Well, that depends on your criteria.
Some Ganons are stronger, some have the better battles, some have the more interesting back stories or important legacies. For nearly 35 years, the developers have been able to reinvent the demon king time and again, with varying levels of success. While not every iteration of Ganon has not completely worked, you can’t help but tip your hat to Nintendo for the innovation and ambition. They never sit still.
When Ganon works, though, he’s one of the best antagonists in gaming. The kind of foe you can’t wait to defeat, to whom you really want to dish out a lesson. Nintendo put you in the body of the hero, and when the stars align, combating Ganon is a truly immersive experience.
Warning: spoilers follow for many major titles in the Zelda series.
9. The Adventure Of Link
Ganon doesn’t appear in the gameplay of the second entry into the Zelda canon, but his monstrous presence is felt across this particularly divisive game. In the sequel to The Legend Of Zelda, Link is tasked with, you guessed it, saving the princess, all the while stalked through Hyrule by disciples of Ganon, who require the hero’s blood to resuscitate their fallen leader. If you die, Ganon returns.
This makes the list because, in The Adventure Of Link, you are going to die, repeatedly. Until Breath Of The Wild, no Zelda game was so inclined to remind you of your own mortality as this one. Its often unfamiliar mechanics (the weird side scrolling stuff) and stronger than average enemies mean that you’re most likely going to bring see Ganon’s resurrection multiple times before restoring the princess to life.
The game over screen and its succinct “Return Of Ganon” message are iconic, but this isn’t the Ganon we’ve come to know and fear. He’s entirely reliant on cronies, only getting to flex once the hero is good and dead.
In due course the developers would be shoehorning Ganon into almost every Zelda title, but he takes a backseat here. He wouldn’t do so for long.