Ghirahim


 * This page is about the character. For the boss battles, see Ghirahim (boss).

Ghirahim (ギラヒム) is one of the two main antagonists of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. He is the lord of the demons that are unleashed upon The Surface during the events of the game. He is actively pursuing Zelda, and is able to detect her presence. Though he initially views Link as no threat to his plans, as the game progresses, he grows increasingly frustrated with Link's interference.

Biography
At the outset of the game, although he is not seen performing the act, Ghirahim sends a huge, black tornado into the sky, knocking Link and Zelda off their airborne Loftwings. As Link begins his search for Zelda in Faron Woods, Ghirahim stealthily pursues him.

Ghirahim first confronts Link deep within the Skyview Temple, where he is trying to force his way through the door to the sacred chamber, where he senses Zelda. Earlier, an attempt to capture Zelda was foiled by a servant of the goddess. Angered by his circumstances, he decides to take his frustration out on Link. During their battle, he criticizes Link for being a novice who telegraphs his moves. By the time Link defeats him, Ghirahim can no longer feel Zelda's presence; he decides to stop toying with Link and make his departure, but not before threatening Link on his life, should their paths cross again.

The two encounter one another again inside the Earth Temple, where Zelda was held captive. Furious to learn that she escaped his lackeys a second time, Ghirahim once more decides to take his frustrations out on Link. He summons Scaldera in hopes of the ensuing battle relieving his anger and stress.

After Link travels through the Lanayru Mining Facility, he finally meets up with Zelda and Impa at the Temple of Time. But the reunion is cut short when Ghirahim appears, creating a barrier to impede Link. He then goes after Zelda, but is stopped by Impa's own barrier. During the confusion, Zelda tosses Link the Goddess's Harp. Ghirahim manages to pierce Impa's barrier, but is unable to finish her, as Link interferes, buying Impa and Zelda enough time to enter the Gate of Time. Just as they do, Impa destroys it to ensure that Ghirahim cannot follow them into the past. Greatly incensed by Link's interference, Ghirahim retreats, vowing that, when next they meet, he will make Link suffer so badly that the boy will deafen himself with the sound of his own screams.

Later on in Link's quest, Ghirahim awaits the hero in the boss room of the Ancient Cistern, regally perched atop the giant statue, Koloktos. After expressing his annoyance regarding the fact that Link is still interfering with his plans, Ghirahim brings the inanimate Koloktos to life with a snap of his fingers before taking his leave.

The two then cross paths yet again at the Fire Sanctuary, where a rather upbeat Ghirahim claims he and Link are bound by a "thread of fate", then shows him a series of old drawings that confirm the existence of a second Gate of Time. Since Ghirahim does not yet know the location of the second gate, he offers to spare Link's life if he reveals the location of the Gate of Time. Link refuses, leading to another fight between the pair. At the start of the battle, Ghirahim reveals a portion of his true form: as a cracked pattern of black lines crawls up one side of his body, his arms blacken. Despite this, Link manages to defeat Ghirahim again, forcing the enraged demon to retreat.

After using the Triforce to wish for the destruction of Demise, Link reunites with Zelda just as she wakes up from her long slumber. The reunion is interrupted when Ghirahim appears and captures Zelda, then declares that he will go to the past and revive Demise there. Groose tries to stop him, but Ghirahim kicks him aside. Ghirahim begins the ritual to free Demise as Link arrives to stop him. Ghirahim attempts to slow him down by erecting a magic barrier and summoning a horde of Bokoblins, but Link manages to fight his way through the horde and confronts Ghirahim.

Having had enough of the youth's constant meddling, Ghirahim decides to put an end to Link in his strongest form: a dark-skinned, white-haired humanoid creature with metallic skin, much like Fi. He also reveals his true nature as Demise's sword. This leads to their final showdown. Though a losing effort, Ghirahim reveals the ritual was continuing all throughout their fight. Zelda's soul is ripped from her body, and Demise regains his original form. Soon after Demise's revival, Ghirahim is changed by his master back into his true form as Demise's sword, to Ghirahim's apparent delight. After Link defeats Demise, the sword that is Ghirahim shatters, putting an end to his existence.

Hyrule Warriors
Ghirahim is set to appear as one of the main villains in the upcoming spinoff Hyrule Warriors. He is also an unlockable playable character. He appears to have joined forces with Ganondorf and Zant for unknown reasons.

Super Smash Bros. 4
Ghirahim appears as an Assist Trophy.

Abilities
Despite his delicate appearance, Ghirahim proves to be a powerful opponent for Link. He possesses great physical strength and agility, as well as mastery with swords. He is also able to catch Link's sword in his hand and take it from him without sustaining any injury. During his last battle with Link, Ghirahim also utilizes a fiery version of the Skyward Strike. Upon taking his most powerful form, Ghirahim's skin hardens to where it can withstand blows from even the Master Sword.

Ghirahim also possesses considerable magical talent. Many of Ghirahim's spells are embellished with diamonds, and are activated by a snap of his fingers. He can materialize objects out of thin air, including barriers, weapons, his minions, and himself. The knives he creates in this manner can be left levitating near himself or his opponent, and can be propelled forward as projectiles. He can also give life to certain inanimate objects or transform them into monsters, perform telekinesis, fire beams of light from the sky, summon tornadoes, and generate electricity from his hands.

Personality
At first glance, Ghirahim appears to be calm, confident, and collected, although very flamboyant. He often acts gentlemanly, speaking eloquently and formally introducing himself to Link. He even shows a slight sense of sportsmanship at the beginning, promising not to murder Link, as it would be unfair. He also exhibits traits of narcissism, which are especially evident in his second fight with Link. He has little concept of personal space, as he seems to relish invading Link's for the sake of intimidation. He also has a flair for the dramatic, and enjoys using broad gestures.

However, beneath his calm exterior is a violent and sadistic psychopath. As the story progresses, his composure progressively shatters, and his mannerisms and speech become more melodramatic, colorful, and violent. At his core, Ghirahim is merciless, and enjoys bloodshed. He appears to enjoy mocking his victims, shown by insulting Groose before kicking him out the way. His violent personality shows quite graphically in the way he frequently licks his lips during a fight, and even licks the blade of his sword after landing a hit on Link during their second battle. Ghirahim frequently loses himself to uncontrollable rage, easily finding excuses to take his anger out on Link. He also enjoys intimidating and toying with his victims, frequently teleporting behind Link during battle, and making colorful threats, such as promising not to kill him but rather beat him within an inch of his life.

Etymology
Ghirahim's name may be a combination of the Sanskrit name "Ghirah", meaning "the terrible". The "im" part may be an intentional reference to the name of Agahnim, another villain from the series to serve as the right-hand man of his respective master.

Gallery
Ghirahim