Super Mario Bros. has Bowser, Metroid has Mother Brain, Star Fox has Andross, and The Legend of Zelda has Ganondorf. There’s a level of prestige that comes with being a Nintendo villain. Even if you’ve only played one Zelda game, chances are you have a good idea of who Ganondorf is. The King of Darkness, the Prince of Evil, or whatever you want to call him, Ganondorf has been terrorizing Link and Zelda for ages now, and it looks like he’s not about to let up. Each depiction shines new light on his character, whether it be fleshing out his personality or just showing us what he’s capable of. After dozens of games, Ganon is arguably one of the most in-depth villains in Nintendo’s roster.

It goes without saying, then, that there’s likely quite a bit you don’t know about Ganondorf. For as gameplay centric as The Legend of Zelda is, it also features rich, detailed lore that’s constantly being expanded. There are some naysayers who try to claim each game as a reinterpretation of the same legend, but anyone attentive enough will tell you this is just bogus. Ganon has appeared in most within the series, and often as the same man. He grows, he learns, and he matures with each game giving him added mystery.

29 Ganondorf Can Naturally Use Dark Magic

When people typically think of Ganondorf’s abilities, they usually reflect on one of three things: his status as a swordsman, his trident-wielding pig form, and his Captain Falcon inspired brawler fighting style in Super Smash Bros. Few ever reflect on Ganondorf’s natural talent as a sorcerer.

What can't Ganondorf do? 

As soon as Link meets him in Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is shown firing a blast of dark magic at the Hero of Time. He continues using magic for the rest of the game with Link and Ganondorf’s penultimate showdown culminating in a magic-based duel. It’s rather obvious how skilled he is at dark magic, but it nonetheless remains something fans take for granted.

28 Ganon Is A Giant

It’s hard to miss considering his first three appearances were in 2D titles, but Ganon is honestly kind of massive. In The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and Link’s Awakening, Ganon is depicted as bigger than Link, but the lack of depth perception leaves much to the imagination. Going into Ocarina of Time, however, it becomes clear just how large Ganon truly is.

In his beast form, Ganon absolutely towers over Link. If Link is around 5’4 in Ocarina of Time, Ganon must be around 10’8. He’s roughly double the size of the Hero of Time and a major key of the final battle involves the player rolling through Ganon’s legs to attack him from behind. He’s not just a large pig. He’s a giant.

27 Ganondorf Is Near Invulnerable

One of the most interesting pieces of lore Twilight Princess brings to the table is the fact that Ganondorf, with the Triforce of Power in hand, is virtually indestructible. While this can be deduced given how often Link defeats him only for Ganon to come back a few games later, TP shows this off in full effect.

When the sages go to execute Ganondorf, the Triforce of Power resonates within him, allowing him to tank the sage attack head-on. This allows him to survive. It’s only later in the game, when Link plunges the Master Sword into Ganondorf’s wound, that Ganon actually falls in battle.

26 Ganondorf Will Outlive Us All

With a few exceptions, characters in The Legend of Zelda tend to live for as long as regular humans do. Everything indicates that regular Hylians have normal lifespans. This doesn’t apply to the Sheikah, but it does to the Gerudo. What’s the deal with Ganondorf then? While he visibly ages in Ocarina of Time, he’s able to maintain his youth for centuries upon centuries in other games.

Ganondorf will be there even when we won't.

Logic dictates that the Sacred Realm simply allows time to pass without characters aging, but remember that Link physically aged seven years while in the Sacred Realm. In The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Ganondorf does not age whatsoever while trapped. He looks older in the former, but that’s mainly due to the art style. Everything indicates he may as well look exactly how he did in OoT. The man simply doesn’t age.

25 Ganondorf Was Raised By Witches

It’s easy to miss since it isn’t especially explicit, but Ganondorf was raised by Koume and Kotake, otherwise known as Twinrova, otherwise known as the Spirit Temple’s boss in Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf’s surrogate mothers, the twin witches are strongly implied to be Gerudo and might explain how Ganondorf is so well versed in magic.

The Gerudo are, primarily, a nomadic race. That explains Ganondorf’s physical prowess, but does little to explain his magic. Koume and Kotake are a means of showing players where Ganondorf gets his supernatural abilities from. He might not be their biological son, but his magic capabilities very clearly come from his adoptive mothers.

24 Ganondorf Is Smarter Than You Think

Speaking of taking things for granted, how about Ganondorf’s intelligence? Perhaps it’s because Ganon spent the first four games in the series as little more than a mindless pig man, but fans have a habit of overlooking the Prince of Darkness’ innate cleverness. Time and time again, Ganondorf is depicted as well spoken and capable of devising devious plans.

In just Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf: curses the Great Deku Tree; cuts off the Goron food supply; infects Jabu-Jabu; awakens Volvagia to weed out the Goron race; and freezes over Zora’s Domain. To top that off, he successfully figures out Link and Zelda’s plan, and sneaks into the Sacred Realm when Link opens the Door of Time.

23 Ganon’s Power Is Augmented By Din

Deities in The Legend of Zelda tend to be accepted as wholly good beings. The Goddesses created Hyrule and gave it life; Hylia’s spirit actively helps Zelda in each game; and the Triforce is often depicted as an item best used for good. That said, Ganon’s relationship with the gods might shine new light on how fans interpret them.

The Gods are unbiased. 

As the holder of the Triforce of Power, Ganon’s abilities are explicitly augmented by the Goddess Din. Given how little focus the series gives this fact, we can assume this is just how the Triforce naturally works. That, in itself, brings with it an uncomfortable implication, though. Rather than looking out for Hyrule's best interests, the Goddesses truly are non-biased, to the point of allowing Ganon to consistently gain intense power.

22 100 Years A Gerudo King

Whether you want to call it lore or law, Ocarina of Time makes it abundantly clear that the Gerudo race only births one male every 100 years, and that male always grows up to lead the Gerudo. In the case of Ganondorf, this allows him to ease into a place of political power, making him the perfect reincarnation for Demise’s malice.

Long live the king. 

Interestingly, Four Swords Adventure and Breath of the Wild both imply that there was at least one separate instance of a different Ganondorf being born into the Gerudo race. The former makes this seem as if this is a constant thread whereas the latter implies not every male is Ganondorf. It’s an interesting take on the Gerudo legend, one that leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation.

21 Ganon Is Trapped In His Pig Form

The Downfall Timeline is not particularly kind to anyone. Stemming off from an unseen event where Ganon actually managed to slay Link during their final battle, the Downfall Timeline sees Ganon reincarnating constantly, to the point where Hyrule is pretty much terrorized non-stop. This timeline also brings with it the implication that Ganon is stuck as a pig.

This theory mainly comes from the fact that Ganon never actually appears as Ganondorf in this timeline. In every game, he’s shown in his pig form exclusively. This could be because Ganon has a pretty strong grasp of the Triforce of Power in the Downfall games, effectively trapping him as a pig and completely detaching him from the man he was in Ocarina of Time.

20 Every Resurrection Cripples Ganon’s Psyche

On the subject of resurrection, especially in regards to the Downfall Timeline, it’s made painfully clear that Ganon’s psyche breaks with each revival. Going chronologically down the line, Ganon loses his mind with each subsequent game. A Link to the Past has him coherent and capable of showing off some Ganondorf-esque wit, but it’s all downhill from there.

Is the price we pay for resurrection worth it? 

The Oracle duology depicts him as truly brainless; his return in A Link Between Worlds is shallow to the point of mockery, and he doesn’t manage to say or do a single intelligible thing in the original Legend of Zelda. This is to say nothing of Breath of the Wild, a game strongly hinted to take place in the Downfall Timeline, which features a Ganon who’s certifiably insane.

19 Ganondorf Can Bend Twilight To His Will

Twilight in The Legend of Zelda isn’t like twilight in the real world. In Zelda, it’s a state of being attached to a completely separate world, and Ganondorf is capable of wielding said Twilight. This is best seen, obviously, in Twilight Princess. Throughout the course of Twilight Princess, Ganondorf uses Twilight through Zant to infect Hyrule, but Zelda’s also shown to be infected with Twilight later one, implying that Ganondorf can bend Twilight himself. As if the King of Evil wasn’t powerful enough.

18 Ganondorf Can Possess People

Speaking of Zant and Zelda, has it been mentioned that Ganondorf can possess people? Because that’s a skill he absolutely has. In Twilight Princess, he uses possession in two specific ways with the aforementioned character. With the former he effectively possesses Zant’s state of mind, polluting it with zealous jargon for the benefit of his agenda. With the latter, he literally possesses Zelda like a puppet, using her physical body to attack Link in the game’s final showdown. Both versions of possession are quite dangerous in their own right, and both are just waiting to be abused by Ganondorf.

17 What You Didn’t Know About Ganon II

Reincarnation in The Legend of Zelda tends to differ for our three main characters. Each Zelda shares the same soul as the last; each Link only inherits the Spirit of the Hero, disconnecting him from the other Links, (most of the time;) and Ganondorf is almost exclusively the same man. Emphasis on almost.

Believe it or not, there’s a second Ganondorf. The Ganon featured in Four Swords Adventures is actually Ganondorf II. Following Ganondorf’s very definitive defeat in Twilight Princess, the only way a Ganon can appear in the Child Timeline is if he’s a new one. Ganondorf II is simply just a man named after the first Ganondorf who also shares the same soul.

16 Ganondorf Is A Master Swordsman

Given that Ganondorf is a Gerudo, it’s only natural he have the physical skill to match. Known for their excellent archery and spearplay, Ganondorf has a fairly solid foundation as a combatant. That said, he’s never actually been one to use his race’s signature weapons. Rather, he fancies himself a master swordsman.

He can wield two katanas at once. That's impressive. 

This is best seen in both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. In the latter game, he actually puts up an excellent fight against Link, another master swordsman. He ends up losing, of course, but he gives Link the fight of a lifetime. The Wind Waker’s Ganondorf, on the other hand, faces off against Link with two katanas and actually manages to win.

15 Ganondorf Defeats Link In The Wind Waker

You read that right, Ganondorf genuinely defeats Link at the end of The Wind Waker. Throughout their entire fight, Link finds himself completely unmatched. It’s only with help from Daphnes and Zelda that he manages to land a finishing blow on Ganondorf.

The most telling sign of Link’s victory is the fact that Ganondorf was inches away from grabbing the Triforce when Daphnes showed up to intercept it. From there, Ganondorf utterly destroys Link, only losing when Zelda uses the light arrows against him. Ganondorf won fair and square. The heroes just cheated.

14 What You Didn’t Know About Phantom Ganon

An extension of Ganondorf’s true self, Phantom Ganon serves as the Forest Temple’s main boss in Ocarina of Time. While he’s little more than a shadow of the man Link is destined to fight, there are some interesting tidbits hidden in Phantom Ganon’s design. For starters, he fights almost exactly like Ganondorf and even uses a lance, a weapon heavily reminiscent of his Gerudo upbringing.

A phantom is just the reflection of a man, after all. 

Phantom Ganon appears yet again in The Wind Waker and, while he may not be as imposing, he brings with him a great sword, further pushing the idea that Ganondorf is actually a master swordsman. Both battles take Link using arrows to defeat him, but the latter has Link needing to use light arrows at one point in order to progress, implying Ganondorf has begun to cover his weaknesses.

13 The Insanity Of Calamity Ganon

Calamity Ganon is easily the most far gone we’ve ever seen Ganon before. While he’s appeared in games as a mindless beast, Calamity Ganon isn’t even a beast. He’s half pure energy, half what appears to be a chimera. The reincarnation cycle has been so cruel to Ganon, that Calamity Ganon is basically incapable of willing his soul into a proper body. There’s also the implication that enough time has passed where Ganon’s mind has deteriorated entirely. He’s not so much a villain anymore as he is a force of nature.

12 Ganondorf Knows About Demise’s Curse

Given how late Skyward Sword was released in proximity to other games in the franchise, you’ll be hard pressed to find references to Demise and the reincarnation cycle in earlier titles. It’s not impossible, though. In a cut piece of dialogue from Twilight Princess, Ganondorf outright acknowledges Demise’s curse, telling Link that they’ll never truly be freed from each other.

This line was likely cut out so Demise’s role in Skyward Sword would be more of a surprise, but it’s quite interesting that this line was included in the first place. It lends quite a bit of evidence to the notion that Nintendo was planning several pieces of the series’ lore far in advance. It also just adds a new mystique to Ganondorf.

11 Ganondorf Is The Tallest Nintendo Human

Ganondorf’s a big guy, and not just for Link. While the series’ main character rarely comes out of a guy standing over 5’7, Ganondorf, in his regular form, is a whopping 7’6 according to guidebooks. This is truly insane, especially when you consider how short Nintendo tends to make their human characters. Pretty much everyone in Mario stand in at under 5’5, and Bowser himself isn’t all that tall. The only character who compares to Ganondorf’s height is Samus, and she’s wearing a massive suit of armor.

10 Calamity Ganon Is Obsessed With Reincarnation

Calamity Ganon is unique when it comes to the Ganons since he’s the only one driven exclusively by the need to reincarnate. In the Japanese version of Breath of the Wild’s final battle, Zelda comments how Calamity Ganon is utterly desperate to reincarnate.

When you have nothing else to live for but life itself. 

It becomes clear then and there that everything Calamity Ganon did was just to get a new body and reenter the world of the living. In a way, it’s almost pathetic. Here was a man who managed to conquer Hyrule through political scheming now having to will himself to come back to life with little to no sentience. It’s a pitiful end for a pitiful beast.