Legend Of Zelda: Ranking Every Ganon From Worst To Best

The Wind Waker was a bold game in many ways. The cel shaded graphics raised eyebrows at the time (though they have ensured that the game has aged extremely well), but its most exciting development was what they did with Ganondorf. Far from the embodiment of pure evil he used to be, this Ganondorf has layers.

He’s still evil, of course. He kidnaps teenage girls in an attempt to find and kill Princess Zelda, and he’s more than happy to smack poor young Link around. But this time out, the Gerodo ruler has a legitimate bone to pick with the people of Hyrule. Wind Waker’s Ganondorf leads a tribe of desert dwellers who can only envy the easy, peaceful lives enjoyed by those in Hyrule. Sure, aligning yourself with bloodthirsty monsters and attempting to steal the Triforce is a bit over the top, but his motives make sense. To reflect this more human antagonist, Ganondof is just Ganondorf in The Wind Waker - no transformations to be seen.

For a cute and colourful game, it can be surprisingly brutal, and Ganondorf’s demise - courtesy of a sword rammed in his head - is as graphic as the series gets. While besting the baddie is as satisfying as ever, though, this Ganondorf can’t help but win a bit of sympathy.