WithThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomfast approaching its official launch, Nintendo has been a lot more forthcoming with its marketing, and its reveal of more official artwork for Ganondorf seems to hint towards a revived origin story forZelda’smain villain. Just as Link’s own backstory has varied ranging from the boy without a fairy inOcarina of Timeto a smithy’s grandson inThe Minish Cap, so too hasGanondorf’s own origins. So while Ganondorf seems to have taken the spotlight inTears of the Kingdom, his new design indicates an already familiar backstory that could be significant to the game’s plot.
Ordinarily, unless any character’s origin was important to the broader game,Zeldahas never dwelled too much on wasting time explaining where characters came from. For instance, even Link’s own backstory forBreath of the Wildis kept vague and non-specific with flashbacks only revealing that he was a knight within the Hylian guard appointed as Princess Zelda’s personal protector. In the same game, Ganon’s origin was also never deeply explored and remained a looming threat only there to be thwarted. However, it seems where Ganondorf came from and how he was seemingly entombed beneath Hyrule will be the focus ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
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Ganondorf, Gerudo King of Thieves
As one ofZelda’smost beloved and venerated games, many fans will knowOcarina of Timeinside and out, with its version of Ganondorf being one of the reasons why. InOcarina of Time, Ganondorf is presented as a true force to be reckoned with as the future portions of the game showcase what Hyrule would look like under his rule. Exploring the past tells players a little about where Ganondorf came from, revealing that he is a rare male Gerudo destined to be born after one hundred years. OtherZeldagames acknowledge the Gerudoconnection to some extent, but never as explicitly asOcarina of Time.
But it seems thatTears of the Kingdomwill be the nextZeldagame to revisit this origin story, as Ganondorf’s official artwork seems to have been heavily influenced byZelda: Breath of the Wild’sGerudodesigns. In particular, while Ganondorf has always been depicted decorated with jewelry and ostentatious garments, his clothing seems uncannily similar to the Desert Voe armor set Link could wear inBreath of the Wild.Between details such as a half-exposed torso, the paisley-like design of the fabric, or the abundance of jewelry, it seems Ganondorf’s return inTears of the Kingdomwill once again be as the Gerudo King of Thieves.
The Potential Tears of Ganondorf’s Gerudo Kingdom
If Ganondorf’s origin is to be once again tied to his connection with the Gerudo people, then this could have a sizable impact onTears of the Kingdom’sstory. Not only because it could throw up new questions for speculative fans keeping track ofZeldacanon and its timelines, but because it means the Gerudo fromBreath of the Wildcould be keeping secrets from Link and Princess Zelda. Likely shamed to secrecy after witnessing Calamity Ganon ruin Hyrule, the Gerudo might have been responsible for their would-be king’s imprisonment afterGanondorf had attempted to take the kingdom to war.
Early signs of this existed withinBreath of the Wildwhich could expose Gerudo’s dark history. For instance, the one hundred years Link spent in the Shrine of Resurrection already parallels the same timeframe for a new male-born Gerudo, while the Arbiter’s Grounds reappearance could now be more than just a reference toTwilight Princess.But more notably, the Yiga Clan who are tied to both the Sheikah and Ganon, are also based in the Gerudo Wastelands which supports a revamped Gerudo origin. So just as theSheikah could be integral toZelda:Tears of the Kingdom’sstory, so too will Ganondorf’s own backstory.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release onMay 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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