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The Legend of Zelda series is full of lots of iconic characters, chief among them being the infamous Gerudo king, Ganondorf, also known as Ganon. The most famous of all Zelda antagonists, Ganon first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda in his beast form, attempting to steal the Triforce.
Ganon has changed a lot since his introduction and has been developed as a character in later installments, becoming the iconic figure he’s known as today. Although, with so many iterations of this villain, the distinction between Ganon and Ganondorf has become a little blurred. The similarities and differences between these two alternate forms are often discussed by fans of the series, but is there a concrete answer to this question - are Ganon and Ganondorf the same person?
Updated on April 25, 2023, by Casey Foot: The Hyrule Historia established a timeline of events throughout The Legend of Zelda series, splitting off after Ocarina of Time into three separate timelines. Ganon and Ganondorf appear in various places on these timelines, and it can be difficult to keep track of it all. As Ganondorf is appearing in Tears of the Kingdom, you might want a refresher on the differences between Ganon and Ganondorf.
Where Did Ganon Come from?
Ganon’s beginnings can be traced back to ancient times when Demise sought the Triforce, which was protected by the goddess Hylia. After failing to obtain the Triforce’s power, Demise is sealed by Hylia, but the seal only worked for a limited time.
In Skyward Sword, Demise breaks free of the seal with the help of Ghirahim, but Link is able to defeat him in the final battle. Demise then vows:
“Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!”
His "hatred" is born as a Gerudo male, Ganondorf, who continues Demise’s quest to harness the Triforce’s power.
Who Is Ganondorf?
Despite being such a notable antagonist, Ganondorf the Gerudo only appears in three of the mainline Zelda games: Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.
Ganondorf was first introduced in Ocarina of Time as the Gerudo King of Thieves, who used Link in his plot to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce. Once in the possession of the Triforce of Power, he is able to transform into Ganon.
At the end of Ocarina of Time, there is a split in the timeline when Zelda sends Link back in time, resulting in the Child and Adult timelines. In the Child Timeline, Link is sent back to live out his childhood. This causes a timeline where there is no Hero because Link no longer exists there, known as the Adult Timeline.
There is a third 'ending' to Ocarina of Time, where Link is defeated and Ganondorf wins, resulting in the Downfall timeline.
In both the Child and Adult timelines, Ganondorf is banished by the Sages into another realm.
In the Child Timeline, it's shown in Twilight Princess that the Sages attempt to execute Ganondorf after Link warns Zelda about him.
However, Ganondorf wields the Triforce of Power and overwhelms them, killing one of the Sages. As a last resort, the Sages banish him using the Mirror of Twilight, sending him to the Twilight Realm.
In the Adult Timeline, where there is no Hero, the seal holding Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm presumably weakened, allowing him to break free once again. This caused the Goddesses to flood Hyrule to cleanse it of evil, leading to the events of The Wind Waker.
In his Gerudo form, Ganondorf is no less evil than his beastly form and has a similar incentive - to steal the Triforce and take over Hyrule.
Are The Ganondorfs In Ocarina Of Time, The Wind Waker, And Twilight Princess The Same Person?
While it’s not explicitly confirmed, it’s heavily implied that each version of Ganondorf is the same person according to the official timeline in the Hyrule Historia.
When the timeline split at the end of Ocarina of Time, this created alternate timelines. Ganondorf exists in both timelines as the same person from Ocarina of Time, but as different versions of himself in each game.
In the Child Timeline, Ganondorf is put to trial and then sealed in the Twilight Realm. In the Adult Timeline, Ganondorf breaks out of the Sacred Realm's seal and freely takes over Hyrule because there is no Hero to stop him, resulting in the Great Flood.
What Is Ganon?
In comparison to Ganondorf's Gerudo form, Ganon is animalistic with a pig-like appearance. Ganondorf is able to use the Triforce of Power to transform into Ganon, harnessing its full power.
Ganondorf transforms into Ganon during the final battle with Link in Ocarina of Time; however, in the Downfall Timeline, an alternate ending to Ocarina of Time, Ganon defeats Link. Ganon is then sealed in the Sacred Realm by the Sages, but he is still in possession of the complete Triforce, so he never returns to his human form.
This explains why, in the games following this timeline — A Link to the Past, the Oracle duology, The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link — Ganondorf the Gerudo never makes an appearance and Ganon the beast is the main antagonist.
So, What Is The Difference Between Ganon And Ganondorf?
Ganondorf is born to the Gerudo people because of Demise's curse and is characterized by his intelligent nature and lust for power. Ganondorf transforms into Ganon after obtaining the Triforce of Power, taking on the shape of a pig.
Because of this animalistic form, Ganon has much more power. Ganon is more aligned with the primal evil and hatred that Demise speaks of in his speech at the end of Skyward Sword, whereas Ganondorf is the human form of this ancient evil.
Ganon describes the beast version, and can be used to refer to both Ganon the beast and Ganondorf the Gerudo king. Despite Ganon sometimes being used as a nickname for Ganondorf, Ganondorf is solely used to refer to the Gerudo version of the antagonist before he transforms into the beast form.
Ultimately, Ganon and Ganondorf are the same evil born from Demise's curse, just in two different forms.