Ganon


 * This article contains information about the recurring boss of The Legend of Zelda series. For the biography of the character, see Ganondorf.

Ganon is the alternate form of Ganondorf, the King of Evil. At the moment of the Great Cataclysm, Ganondorf's body became a reflection of his inner self. Ganon remains this way while inside the Dark World, and could change into this form at will while in the Light World.

The Legend of Zelda
Ganon, the Prince of Darkness, invades Hyrule with his evil army, seizes the Triforce of Power and attempts to gather the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. He imprisons Princess Zelda and keeps her in his lair at Death Mountain. He is killed by Link after getting hit by a Silver Arrow, turning to dust.

Battle
Ganon's chamber contained statues which charged at Link while the boss himself darted around the room, attacking with fireballs. After Link weakened Ganon enough with his sword, he used a Silver Arrow to finish the foe off. Ganon crumbled to ash and vanished.

Zelda II: Adventure of Link
In Adventure of Link, Ganon is dead after Link's last encounter with him. His minions try to resurrect him by killing his killer and mixing the blood with their masters ashes, but Link defeats them.

Game Over
If a player lost all their lives and got a Game Over, the screen would have Ganon's silhouette, reading, "Game Over - Return of Ganon." A wicked laugh would be heard as this appeared on the screen. As per the content of the game's manual, the implication was that Ganon's minions gathered the blood from Link's corpse and mixed it with their master's ashes, restoring him to life.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Ganondorf, the Prince of Thieves, was one of many adventurers who traveled from the Light World to the Golden Land to claim the Triforce. Obtaining the power of the Triforce, he made a wish to control the Golden Land and thereby transformed the realm into the Dark World and himself into a pig-form, both of which reflected his corrupt, wicked heart and his greedy nature.

Styling himself as Ganon, King of Evil, he sought to conquer the Light World, as well. Ganon attacked Hyrule with his monstrous armies, but was defeated by the Knights of Hyrule and sealed in the Dark World by the Seven Sages. Years later, Ganon projected his spirit into the Light World through an alternate form, Agahnim, with which he betrayed the King of Hyrule and took over the country. This 'Agahnim' form then tried to break the seal on the Golden Land to allow Ganon to escape it. Link confronted Agahnim in Hyrule Castle and defeated him, but Agahnim managed to send Link into the Dark World before he was beaten.

In the Dark World, Link stormed Ganon's Tower and defeated Agahnim once again. After the battle with Agahnim, he battled Ganon in the Pyramid of Power, where he was bested by a silver arrow. With his final death, the Dark World returned to its former beauty as the Sacred Realm and the Triforce was reunited, with Link as its new master.

Battle
Ganon fights with fireballs and similar attacks. Using his trident, he attacks Link by sending Fire Keese after him and warps around the room. Eventually, he causes the flooring of the temple to collapse and the room to go pitch black. After lighting the room's torches, he is quickly blinded, at which point Link can attack him, petrify him for a moment, and finish him off with Silver Arrows.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Ganon does not actually appear in Link's Awakening, but the final Nightmare takes on his form.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
After the battle with Ganondorf, he tried to tear down his own castle on Link and Princess Zelda and by using the Triforce of Power, transformed into Ganon. It is interesting to note that Ganondorf had "used his dying breath" to make the tower crumble, so it is questionable that Ganondorf was revived by his hatred toward Link, and the Triforce of Power, which turned him into his mirror of what he is inside, Ganon.

Battle
Ganon starts by knocking the Master Sword out of reach and trapping Link inside a ring of fire. Link can only harm him by hitting his blue tail, although this time he is able to target with Navi. Ganon can be attacked straight away, but it is easier if he is stunned with an arrow (preferably Light Arrows) or the Longshot first. You can also beat him a faster way by rolling under his legs and directly attacking his tail. Some items can be found when Link tricks Ganon into destroying the ruins of the castle.

Eventually he collapses and Link regains the Master Sword. He must then down Ganon in exactly the same way, but this time using the Master Sword to strike his tail (the other weapons do still work, but are very ineffective). Then, Zelda uses her magic to hold Ganon still and Link uses the Master Sword to deliver the final blow to Ganon's forehead.

WARNING: On version 1.0 of OOT, if you save and shut off the console before getting the Master Sword back, when you turn the game back on, you will not have a sword and will not be in the final battle against Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
Twinrova attempt to revive the deceased Ganon by lighting the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow by causing havoc in Holodrum and Labrynna. By sacrificing Zelda, the ritual would be complete with the lighting of the Flame of Despair and Ganon would be revived. However, after Link arrives, they are forced to sacrifice themselves instead of Zelda, resurrecting Ganon, but only a lesser form of him.

Battle
He fights wildly, as he has no mind. He can be attacked normally, but only if the player has the Master Sword. Otherwise, a spin attack is required.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Ganon briefly appears in the opening narrative of the game, revealing he had escaped from the Dark World and conquered Hyrule. A hero never rose to bring him down, so the gods destroyed Ganon's gains by flooding the land and turning it into the Great Sea, using the Master Sword as a seal on his magic. Powerless, Ganon takes on his Ganondorf form and quietly escapes into the overworld.

Ganon itself does not appear in the main game; however, Ganondorf takes on the form of Puppet Ganon, a giant, wooden, puppet-like version of Ganon. He is held onto the ceiling by ropes and takes on the form of a boar, spider, and Moldorm. Like Ganon from Ocarina of Time, his tail is a weakpoint.

Another depiction of the Ganon form can be seen on the stained glass windows in the Hyrule Castle basement where Link finds the Master Sword. The center window shows the Sages sealing Ganon away at the end of the climactic battle in "Ocarina of Time".

Storyline
Ganondorf is not apparently the enemy at first, however when Link arrives at the Forest of Darkness the Deku there are under his control. More is revealed about him in the next area, the Desert of Doubt. The Gerudo there know him, but they dislike him because he entered the Pyramid which is sacred to them. He took the Trident and transformed into Ganon.

After Link defeats Vaati in his palace, the Tower of Winds starts to crumble, and Link and Zelda travel down the tower back to Hyrule. However they are stopped by Ganon, who faces Link in battle. After he is defeated he is locked within the Four Sword.

As the human Ganondorf is shown to properly transform into the blue boar Ganon in this game, some assume that it to occur before A Link to the Past, and other older titles that feature his permanent pig form.

Battle
Ganon returns with many powers, but after a while he becomes immune to Link's attacks. Zelda then starts forming balls of energy and gives Link a Level-2 Bow. When the ball of energy is fully formed, Link must fire an arrow into it and into Ganon, finishing him off.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
After his Twilight essence is purged from Princess Zelda's body, the matter compiles together on the castle floor and is pieced into Ganon, who then charges at Link. Link overcomes him through the use of arrows and in his wolf form with the help of Midna. As Ganon is defeated, his body deteriorates, and Ganondorf's soul is reincarnated into his human body.

Battle
He is defeated by firing arrows at him as he emerges from various Twilight portals and attacking his glowing wound. He eventually avoids the arrows fired at him, requiring Link to use his wolf form with the help of Midna to topple him.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Ganon is also playable as the final smash of Ganondorf in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he stamps the ground stunning all in line and takes a lunge at the players in front of him.

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