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(I find these to be redundant now)
 
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{{Theory}}
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{{spoiler}}
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{{Boss
{{Timeline}}
 
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|name = Demise
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|type =
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|image = [[File:DemonBoss BlackMasterSword.png|300px]]
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|caption =
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|title = [[The Imprisoned]]<br>Demon King
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|race = [[Demon]]
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|gender = Male
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|game =
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|dungeon =
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|weakness =
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|reward =
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|theme music =
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|strategy =
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|voice actor =
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}}
   
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{{Quote|Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you... 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!|The curse of Demise}}
There are a number of debates concerning [[Ganon]], which, though generally unrelated to the Timeline as a whole, are common subjects of discussion among timeline theorists.
 
   
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'''Demise''' is the main antagonist and final boss of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Skyward Sword]]''. Long ago, he and his horde of demons broke through a fissure in the earth and sought out the [[Triforce]]. However, he was defeated and sealed away by the goddess [[Hylia]] and after the events of ''Skyward Sword'', finally by [[Link]] through use of the [[Master Sword]], in both past and present. Demise carries a cocky, overbearing temperance,<ref>{{cite|The only question left is how long you will remain standing before I take your life. Try to keep it interesting for me, would you?|Demise|SS}}</ref> and will stop at nothing to prove his power to any who defy him, even to Link, a non-magical mortal.<ref name=Ise>{{cite|When I last walked this world, they did little more than scream and cling to their goddess, mewling and praying... Counting on her to protect them.|Demise|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|How amusing to think those cowards begot someone like you.|Demise|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|You can spend what little time your world has left cowering and crying, as befits your kind.|Demise|SS}}</ref>
=== Ganon vs. Ganondorf ===
 
   
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== Biography ==
The closest a canonical source has come to defining the difference between "Ganondorf" and "Ganon" has been to specify Ganondorf a "thief" and Ganon a "Demon King". Yet in both OOT and TP a figure called Ganondorf is accused of being a demon lord over a large castle, which he stole. The distinction has hardly been helpful. It is clear that the subject's Gerudo kinsmen raised him as "Ganondorf" and are often unaware of the alternate. It should also be noted that the subject's pig-like beast form has always been referred to as Ganon. Interpretations include:
 
 
=== Background ===
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[[Image:L+D.png|250px|left|thumb|Link and Demise at odds]]
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Throughout the events of the game, Demise attempts to break free of his seal in the form of [[The Imprisoned]], but he is consistently repelled and re-sealed beneath the [[Sealed Grounds]] through the efforts of [[Link]] and [[Groose]]. At last, when Link obtains the Triforce, he manages to defeat Demise permanently by driving the [[Statue of the Goddess]] from [[Skyloft]] into the Sealed Grounds as The Imprisoned awakens for the fourth time. However, [[Ghirahim]] kidnaps [[Princess Zelda|Zelda]] and takes her to the past through the [[Gate of Time]] in the [[Sealed Temple]], where he begins a ritual to revive his master.
   
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While Link manages to defeat Ghirahim, he is too late to stop the resurrection of Demise. The Imprisoned begins to absorb Zelda's soul and eventually transforms into the Demon Lord himself. Ghirahim welcomes back his master,<ref>{{cite|Welcome back to us, Master.|Ghirahim|SS}}</ref> but Demise pulls a dark sword out of Ghirahim and seals his entity within the weapon. Demise continues to absorb the soul of Zelda to gain unstoppable power; he is impressed with Link's determination to protect the goddess and invites him to do battle.<ref>{{cite|Hmm... So you and that other human would stand before obliteration to aid the goddess, would you? How curious... The humans I've known are weak things. Hardly more than insects, shivering under rocks and ready to flee at the mere glimpse of me.|Demise|SS}}</ref><ref name=Ise /><ref>{{Cite|You grow more fascinating by the second, human. I never imagined I'd meet one of your kind who wished to stand against me in battle. Very well, then. I shall prepare a place for us where we will not be bothered by distractions. If you still have the courage to face me, seek me there.|Demise|SS}}</ref> To Demise's shock, Link manages to defeat him, but in his dying throes, he places a curse on Link and Zelda. For all eternity, they and their descendants shall be pursued by an [[Ganon|incarnation of Demise's hatred]].<ref name=Dem>{{cite|Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you... 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!|Demise|SS}}</ref> With that, Demise is sealed away within the [[Master Sword]], where his remains begin to decay.<ref>{{cite|The last remnants of Demise are decaying slowly within the sword.|Impa|SS}}</ref>
*The names are interchangeable. There is no important difference.
 
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{{clear|left}}
*"Ganondorf" becomes "Ganon" when using the Triforce of Power. (This theory is often better supported, and more widely viewed as a truth by most theorist.)
 
*"Ganondorf" the man channels the dark spirit "Ganon" with whom he shares a consciousness.
 
*Ganon's "Pig Form" is his state independent from Ganondorf. (This theory lacks canonical evidence except for a quote by Princess Zelda in FSA in which she refers to Ganon as the "ancient Demon reborn.")
 
   
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=== Battle ===
Note that "'Ganondorf' is a man while 'Ganon' is a beast" is not a valid interpretation, as the term Ganon has been used numerously to refer to both man and beast.
 
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[[Image:DemiseDef.png|250px|thumb|right|Demise defeated by Link's hand]]
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After Link enters the chosen battlefield through the portal in the past, Demise praises him for his courage,<ref>{{cite|Ah, so you've decided to meet your end in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor, human.|Demise|SS}}</ref> but then tells him him that when he falls,<ref>{{cite|Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, for where we stand shall serve as your tomb for eternity.|Demise|SS}}</ref> he shall rule over everything in the world.<ref>{{cite|And when you do fall, know that your world and everything in it is mine to dominate... Mine to subjugate... Mine to rule!|Demise|SS}}</ref> With that, the battle begins.
   
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Striking Demise through his guard can be difficult and he will often retaliate immediately. Link's [[Skyward Strike]] is unavailable as the power of the Goddess is negated by Demise's personal battlefield. Link can quickly [[Shield Attack]] when Demise attacks with the Ghirahim-sword, then follow up with a vertical attack or [[Spin Attack]]. Eventually, Demise will be thrown backwards, seemingly defeated, but he will rise up and summon a storm. Demise can then draw the lightning from the storm to charge his sword with electricity. Link will now be damaged if he strikes the sword and Demise will cause twice as much damage as before. To defeat Demise, Link must chose his attacks wisely. Demise is now able to perform his own variation on a Skyward Strike, after which he is forced to recharge his sword by pointing it skyward. It is possible to defeat Demise by attacking him before he can recharge his blade, but it is easier to mimic Demise and point the Master Sword to the sky. This will charge the Master Sword with electricity, allowing Link to attack with a Skyward Strike and paralyze Demise, making him vulnerable to attack.
=== Ganon's Mortality ===
 
   
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After doing this a few times, he will fall back again, allowing Link to finish him with a lightning charged [[Hidden Skill#Ending Blow|Fatal Blow]]. Demise is swift however, and will likely dodge the attack at first. If Link is quick enough to land the attack, the battle ends.
In LoZ and AlttP it was made extremely clear to Link that Ganon could not be killed without the [[Silver Arrow]]s. In subsequent Zelda titles, no canonical text has disputed this assertion, but the silver arrows have not been seen (though [[Light Arrow]]s have) and some feel that tWW and TP suggest Ganon has died twice regardless. This has resulted in many opinions regarding Ganon's mortality:
 
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{{clear|left}}
   
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==Theory==
*Only the Silver arrows can kill Ganon. Period. Ganon did not die in tWW, TP, or OoX.
 
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{{Theory}}
*Only the Silver arrows can kill Ganon. Period. Ganon did not die in tWW or TP. He did in OoX (which is a special case)*
 
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*Demise possesses a sword that seems strikingly similar to the [[Master Sword]] - it has a similar hilt shape and (upside-down) Triforce engraving. It remains unexplained whether the blade wielded by Her Grace [[Hylia]] and her chosen hero was specifically created to counteract Demise's weapon or vice versa. This is made further unclear by the fact that [[Fi]] and [[Ghirahim]] are similar humanoid beings accompanying each sword.
*The Silver Arrows are needed to kill Ganon in beast form, but not in human form. Ganon died in tWW, and TP, but not OoX.
 
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*It is possible that Ghirahim is a sword spirit like Fi and the sword that Demise wields is actually the sword of whom Ghirahim is the spirit of.
*The Silver Arrows are needed to kill Ganon in beast form, but not in human form. Ganon died in tWW, TP, and OoX (which is a special case)*
 
 
{{clear}}
*The Light Arrows do everything the silver arrows do. Ganon died in tWW, and TP, but not OoX.
 
*The Light Arrows do everything the silver arrows do. Ganon died in tWW, TP, and OoX (which is a special case)*
 
*The Light Arrows and Silver Arrows are simply two names for the same type of arrows. Ganon died in tWW, TP, and OoX (which is a special case)*
 
 
Note: *It can be argued that because Ganon was only partly revived in OoX, the rules of his mortality had changed.
 
 
=== The Dark World ===
 
 
Ganon often chooses to attack [[Hyrule]] from a power base in another world. Though he took the opportunity in TP to attack from the Twilight Realm, the Pigman had previously always chosen to work from an alternate realm known as The Dark World. In AlttP and Ocarina of Time, the Dark world was originally the [[Sacred Realm]], which had become perverted by Ganon's malice. In FSA it was a direct mirror of Hyrule and a haven for Ganon's servants. Interpretations concerning the term "Dark World" include;
 
 
*The uses are unrelated. The first Dark World is Ganon's Sacred Realm, the second is the Hylian equivalent of hell,<ref>{{cite|The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known... The criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison...|Auru|Twilight Princess}}</ref> and the third a creation of the Dark Mirror.
 
*They are all the Sacred Realm. OoX occurs after AlttP, where Ganon was killed in the SR, and the Dark Mirror, like the Magic Mirror, is a portal to that their world.
 
*The Dark world is the personal domain of Ganon. He takes command of a world and extends the Dark world across it, much as Zant expands the Twilight.
 
*The Dark Worlds outside of AlttP and OOT are all the same world--"hell", the FSA Dark World, TP's Twilight, and OoX's dark realm. Historically, one could say the reverse--all of these worlds are the Twilight, exploited in different contexts.
 
 
=== Mirrors ===
 
 
Magic mirrors have been both boon and bane to Ganon throughout Hylian History; their ability to facilitate interdimensional travel has allowed Ganon to move his otherworldly forces into Hyrule, while at the same time giving his enemies more options then he would usually prefer. Arguments arise when the three mirrors ([[Magic Mirror|Magic]], [[Dark Mirror|Dark]], and [[Mirror of Twilight|Twilight]]), are at first glance unique to their respective games (AlttP, FSA, and TP), are compared and found to be similar. How many unique mirrors does the series contain?
 
 
*Three. None of the mirrors are the same. Apparent connections are results of Nintendo's tendency to reference past works.
 
*Two. The Magic Mirror (AlttP) and the Dark Mirror (FSA), similar in appearance and both paths to the Dark World, are the same object.
 
*Two. The Dark Mirror (FSA) and the Twilight Mirror (TP), both prisons for an ancient criminal tribe, are the same object.
 
*One. For the reasons suggested above, all three mirrors are the same object.
 
 
According to the official timeline published in [[Hyrule Historia]], FSA is a sequel to TP. Since the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed at the end of TP it is impossible for this mirror and the Dark Mirror to be the same object.
 
 
=== Gaining the Triforce ===
 
   
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== Trivia ==
One of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess's]]'' most studied scenes depicts Ganondorf as a prisoner of the Sages, awaiting execution. The plan goes awry when Ganondorf draws on the Triforce of Power and turns the tables on his captors. Both the Sages and Ganondorf himself express believing that the King of Evil was assisted by Divine Intervention, but fans often express belief that the Hylian deities (who have always seemed to favor Link over his enemies) would not assist Ganon. The problem is, if not granted the Triforce by the Gods, then Ganon must have claimed it before his capture and the sages (having beaten it before) would be better prepared and better able to deal with it. How did Ganon get the Triforce?
 
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*Demise will stare at the [[Bug Net]] if it is brought out, similar to [[Ganon]]dorf staring at the [[Fishing Rod]] in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''.
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*Demise has a strong resemblance to some [[Ganon]]dorf incarnations in other games. Considering that Ganondorf could be reincarnated from Demise's hatred, this is likely not a coincidence.
  +
*Demise is commonly compared within the fandom to Akuma from Capcom's Street Fighter franchise. In particular, Demise strongly resembles Oni Akuma from Super Street Fighter IV Arcade edition.
   
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==Gallery==
*Divine Intervention. The game says so time and again... Link and Zelda received their pieces in the same way.
 
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===Images===
*He took it from the sacred realm. The sages underestimated him!
 
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<gallery>
*He took it from the sacred realm. Being near the Twilight Mirror reinvigorated him to attack.
 
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Image:D+G.png|Demise and Ghirahim, both in their true forms
*He already had it due to the events of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Ocarina of Time]]'', hence Link and Zelda already having their respective pieces from their ancestors, the Link and Zelda of Ocarina of Time. Link tipped the King of Hyrule and Zelda off about Ganondorf's treachery before it could happen at the end of Ocarina of Time, and he was subdued before the siege of Hyrule Castle could take place. However, the Triforce still remained scattered from the events of Ocarina of Time. This is the "Divine Intervention/Divine Prank" spoken of in the game: the events of Ocarina of Time.
 
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Image:D+G2.png|Demise readying Ghirahim to transform
: - A similar theory to the one above is that this is the child timeline "catching up" with the adult timeline. When Ganondorf retrieved the Triforce of Power in the adult timeline, his self in the child timeline also received it, though he wasn't aware of it because he had no memory of the event. This may be because the ultimate power of the Gods cannot be duplicated and thus is essentially the same object in both timelines.
 
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Image:DSword.png|Demise holding his sword
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Image:GAbsorbed.png|Demise absorbs Ghirahim into his sword
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Image:Face1.png|Close-up of Demise
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Image:Face2.png|Close-up of Demise
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Image:LinkDefiant.png|Link stands before Demise
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Image:Fight1.png|Demise with his back to Link
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Image:Fight2.png|The battle commences
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</gallery>
   
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===Videos===
{{ref}}
 
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{{Youtube|ncjUI0bqqrM|200|The Resurrection of Demise}}
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{{Youtube|Z-W_CgqQ38I|200|The Battle with Demise}}
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{{Clear}}
   
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{{Refbar}}
[[Category:Zelda|Timeline]]
 
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<br>
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{{Names
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|English= Demise
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|Japanese= {{Japanese|終焉の者|Shuuen no Mono|Person of Demise}}
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|Spanish=
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|Spanish(LA)=
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|Spanish(SP)= {{exp|Harbinger of Death|Heraldo de la Muerte}}
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|French= {{exp|Avatar of Nothingness|Avatar du Néant}}
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|French(CA)=
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|French(FR)=
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|German= Todbringer
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|Italian= {{exp|From the Latin word 'Mortifer', meaning 'death'|Mortipher}}}}

Revision as of 23:39, 4 January 2012

Template:Spoiler Template:Boss

Quote1 Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you... 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! Quote2
— The curse of Demise

Demise is the main antagonist and final boss of Skyward Sword. Long ago, he and his horde of demons broke through a fissure in the earth and sought out the Triforce. However, he was defeated and sealed away by the goddess Hylia and after the events of Skyward Sword, finally by Link through use of the Master Sword, in both past and present. Demise carries a cocky, overbearing temperance,[1] and will stop at nothing to prove his power to any who defy him, even to Link, a non-magical mortal.[2][3][4]

Biography

Background

File:L+D.png

Link and Demise at odds

Throughout the events of the game, Demise attempts to break free of his seal in the form of The Imprisoned, but he is consistently repelled and re-sealed beneath the Sealed Grounds through the efforts of Link and Groose. At last, when Link obtains the Triforce, he manages to defeat Demise permanently by driving the Statue of the Goddess from Skyloft into the Sealed Grounds as The Imprisoned awakens for the fourth time. However, Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda and takes her to the past through the Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple, where he begins a ritual to revive his master.

While Link manages to defeat Ghirahim, he is too late to stop the resurrection of Demise. The Imprisoned begins to absorb Zelda's soul and eventually transforms into the Demon Lord himself. Ghirahim welcomes back his master,[5] but Demise pulls a dark sword out of Ghirahim and seals his entity within the weapon. Demise continues to absorb the soul of Zelda to gain unstoppable power; he is impressed with Link's determination to protect the goddess and invites him to do battle.[6][2][7] To Demise's shock, Link manages to defeat him, but in his dying throes, he places a curse on Link and Zelda. For all eternity, they and their descendants shall be pursued by an incarnation of Demise's hatred.[8] With that, Demise is sealed away within the Master Sword, where his remains begin to decay.[9]

Battle

DemiseDef

Demise defeated by Link's hand

After Link enters the chosen battlefield through the portal in the past, Demise praises him for his courage,[10] but then tells him him that when he falls,[11] he shall rule over everything in the world.[12] With that, the battle begins.

Striking Demise through his guard can be difficult and he will often retaliate immediately. Link's Skyward Strike is unavailable as the power of the Goddess is negated by Demise's personal battlefield. Link can quickly Shield Attack when Demise attacks with the Ghirahim-sword, then follow up with a vertical attack or Spin Attack. Eventually, Demise will be thrown backwards, seemingly defeated, but he will rise up and summon a storm. Demise can then draw the lightning from the storm to charge his sword with electricity. Link will now be damaged if he strikes the sword and Demise will cause twice as much damage as before. To defeat Demise, Link must chose his attacks wisely. Demise is now able to perform his own variation on a Skyward Strike, after which he is forced to recharge his sword by pointing it skyward. It is possible to defeat Demise by attacking him before he can recharge his blade, but it is easier to mimic Demise and point the Master Sword to the sky. This will charge the Master Sword with electricity, allowing Link to attack with a Skyward Strike and paralyze Demise, making him vulnerable to attack.

After doing this a few times, he will fall back again, allowing Link to finish him with a lightning charged Fatal Blow. Demise is swift however, and will likely dodge the attack at first. If Link is quick enough to land the attack, the battle ends.

Theory

Theory Warning
  • Demise possesses a sword that seems strikingly similar to the Master Sword - it has a similar hilt shape and (upside-down) Triforce engraving. It remains unexplained whether the blade wielded by Her Grace Hylia and her chosen hero was specifically created to counteract Demise's weapon or vice versa. This is made further unclear by the fact that Fi and Ghirahim are similar humanoid beings accompanying each sword.
  • It is possible that Ghirahim is a sword spirit like Fi and the sword that Demise wields is actually the sword of whom Ghirahim is the spirit of.

Trivia

  • Demise will stare at the Bug Net if it is brought out, similar to Ganondorf staring at the Fishing Rod in Twilight Princess.
  • Demise has a strong resemblance to some Ganondorf incarnations in other games. Considering that Ganondorf could be reincarnated from Demise's hatred, this is likely not a coincidence.
  • Demise is commonly compared within the fandom to Akuma from Capcom's Street Fighter franchise. In particular, Demise strongly resembles Oni Akuma from Super Street Fighter IV Arcade edition.

Gallery

Images

Videos

The Resurrection of Demise
The Battle with Demise

Template:Refbar

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name
  1. "The only question left is how long you will remain standing before I take your life. Try to keep it interesting for me, would you?" — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "When I last walked this world, they did little more than scream and cling to their goddess, mewling and praying... Counting on her to protect them." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  3. "How amusing to think those cowards begot someone like you." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  4. "You can spend what little time your world has left cowering and crying, as befits your kind." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  5. "Welcome back to us, Master." — Ghirahim (Skyward Sword)
  6. "Hmm... So you and that other human would stand before obliteration to aid the goddess, would you? How curious... The humans I've known are weak things. Hardly more than insects, shivering under rocks and ready to flee at the mere glimpse of me." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  7. "You grow more fascinating by the second, human. I never imagined I'd meet one of your kind who wished to stand against me in battle. Very well, then. I shall prepare a place for us where we will not be bothered by distractions. If you still have the courage to face me, seek me there." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  8. "Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you... 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!" — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  9. "The last remnants of Demise are decaying slowly within the sword." — Impa (Skyward Sword)
  10. "Ah, so you've decided to meet your end in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor, human." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  11. "Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, for where we stand shall serve as your tomb for eternity." — Demise (Skyward Sword)
  12. "And when you do fall, know that your world and everything in it is mine to dominate... Mine to subjugate... Mine to rule!" — Demise (Skyward Sword)