Agahnim: Pawn or More?

[King of Terror]

This has been on my mind for 16 years. Agahnim is implied to have been sent by the gods to stop the chaos. You arn't given much info on him and he starts gaining more and more power in Hyrule. I do not think he was Ganon being that Ganon was sealed in the Dark World. He could have become corrupted by Ganon. He may have also been working on opening the seal for his own ends and then got possessed by Ganon after he entered the Dark World. Just my thoughts. What do you think?

[Mases]

You raise a good a point. Was Ganon's control so strong over Aghanim that he was able to control him in the Light World even when Ganon was sealed away and non-existent in the Light World? I think it is a very plausible suggestion that Aghanim was on his own agenda while in the Light World and only when he brought Link to the Dark World was he then possessed by Ganon.

One thing that makes me believe this to be very possible is that Aghanim in the Light World (as stated in the Light World) was a good man before turning evil. Aghanim was a savior to the people. However, he then was given more power from the King and eventually overthrew him and imprisoned the 7 maidens. Perhaps a logical theory is that Aghanim was in fact a good guy, but Ganon later used the Trident of Power to cross worlds and gain control of Aghanim and turn him evil.

Regardless, King of Terror, it is a good theory.

[King of Terror]

I wish we knew more about Agahnim. Like with Zant or Vaati you find out the full scope of their role. I believe Agahnim had his own motives for going to the Dark World and I don't believe one of them was to help Ganon.

[Dabombster]

Ahem, I'm going to be basing this next bit off the following statement in A Link to the Past...

I see you have defeated my Alter Ego Agahnim twice!

I believe Agahnim was on Ganon's side from the start. He seemed like a good guy to get in good with the king and gain his trust. After the king gave him some power, he killed him. Agahnim and Ganon are one in the same in my mind, by both definitions of Alter Ego. Agahnim either agreed to help Ganon and let him take control of his body, or was just Ganon in disguise.

However, he then was given more power from the King and eventually overthrew him and imprisoned the 7 maidens.

No, not overthrew, killed. Remember how in the beginning scene it showed the king's skeleton? Which would bring up Link's wish upon touching the Triforce, but that's a different story.

[King of Terror]

that's the american version. the Japanese game states Agahnim didn't kill him

[zeypherlink]

Aghnaim was just a regular wizard in Hyrule, then in the instruction believe it says that he got rid of a plague in Hyrule, and thats how he got to be the King's advisor. Then he was possesed/influenced by Ganon(kind of like Zant in TP) and he killed the King and did all that stuff with the 7 maidens, to open the portal to the Dark World and bring out Ganon...

[King of Terror]

Aghnaim was just a regular wizard in Hyrule, then in the instruction believe it says that he got rid of a plague in Hyrule, and thats how he got to be the King's advisor. Then he was possesed/influenced by Ganon(kind of like Zant in TP) and he killed the King and did all that stuff with the 7 maidens, to open the portal to the Dark World and bring out Ganon...

Thats in the american version. In the Japanese version it is implied that the gods sent him to save Hyrule. He was made a priest by the King then Agahnim started to take power for himself. Nothing other then Ganon rising up from Agahnim body even makes you think he is Ganon and even then Ganon could have just been possessing him.

[zeypherlink]

Thats in the american version. In the Japanese version it is implied that the gods sent him to save Hyrule. He was made a priest by the King then Agahnim started to take power for himself. Nothing other then Ganon rising up from Agahnim body even makes you think he is Ganon and even then Ganon could have just been possessing him.
Sorry, I've never played the Japanese version. Probably because they're hard to find in the US and I don't speak that language.
Someone should change the topic to "Aghnaim: Pawn or More? JAPANESE GAME!!!"

I stand by what I said...since I've only beaten the US version...

[Avenged]

And yes Agahnim is Ganons alter ego. Anyone that has any knowledge of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can see the connection.

[Mike Pothier]

My impression from the game has always been that Agahnim was Ganon in another form. Its been demonstrated in other games (Wind Waker, for example), that Ganon can get around seals, but he has to sacrifice much of his power to do so.

So before the events of ALttP, he manages to squeeze out of the seal, uses his limited powers to take the form of a wizard or priest, and starts solving major problems in Hyrule to gain the trust of the Royal Family. Although there is no proof, I'd say it likely he caused a few of those problems himself. He could have also explain his presence as being sent from the Gods.

[RyanNope]

There is the possibility that he (Agahnim) after becoming the king's advisor, learned about Ganondorf's attempt to obtain the Triforce and decided to finish the job; only to be thwarted by Link in the same way Ganon was.

[TheManInTheMoon]

My impression from the game has always been that Agahnim was Ganon in another form. Its been demonstrated in other games (Wind Waker, for example), that Ganon can get around seals, but he has to sacrifice much of his power to do so.

So before the events of ALttP, he manages to squeeze out of the seal, uses his limited powers to take the form of a wizard or priest, and starts solving major problems in Hyrule to gain the trust of the Royal Family. Although there is no proof, I'd say it likely he caused a few of those problems himself. He could have also explain his presence as being sent from the Gods.Though in ALttP they make it a point to say he couldn't figure out how to escape the seal, so another possibility is raised: Soul-Splitting
PH soul-split supports Agahnim's creation

力・知恵の精霊は　その魔物たちに封印されたが
The spirits of Power and Wisdom were sealed by those monsters.
The spirits of Power and Wisdom were also imprisoned.

シエラは　うまく分身して　逃げられたのじゃろう
But Shiera could escape by skilfully creating an alter ego.
But Ciela managed to split her soul and escape.

記憶は　おそらくそのときに　なくなったのじゃ・・・
Her memory was perhaps lost in the act…
That split was why so much of her memory was lost.


Finally!! Finally we get another example of someone escaping a seal by creating an alter ego of themselves! Ciela splitting her soul is described using the same word as Ganon does in ALttP when he speaks about Agahnim. 分身 (bunshin) literally means "soul split" but just as well translates to "alter ego". So this proves that Agahnim is Ganon, he's a split-off part of Ganon's soul - a very different story from Zant. ...Think of it in Harry Potter terms: Zant is like Quirrell, Agahnim is like Tom Riddle's diary.

[Forlong]

I like to think that Agahnim was more than just a puppet for Ganon. I like to think the the sorcerer mentioned in "Adventure of Link".

[waldo12]

he is just a pawn and ganon was just in him to give him more power and use him more so he is a pawn no more no less

[chrisbg99]

Hard to say as we didn't get a detailed background. It wouldn't be a stretch that he was a regular wizard (or priest or whatever) at some point who somehow came into contact with Ganon in some way and was granted more power and thus was corrupted by the evil that is Ganon.

Or he was a being created by Ganon that he could control from the Dark World and do the voodoo that he do.

[Midna666]

I think that Agahnim is just a wizard that Ganon corrupted.
When Ganon calls Agahnim his alter-ego,it's just a way to confuse Link.

[Skull_Kid]

Aghanim never killed the King.. In the ending, there's a part that's called " The King returns to his castle" or something like that...
Also, I agree that Aghanim was corrupted pretty much like Zant in TP...

[Chris]

Well think of Agahnim as Zant; maybe he works for Ganon. He could just be after the Magic Mirror to set Ganon free. Ganon may have persuaded Agahnim to free him for a great reward, although he was a good man inside.

[Mike Pothier]

Aghanim never killed the King.. In the ending, there's a part that's called " The King returns to his castle" or something like that...
Also, I agree that Aghanim was corrupted pretty much like Zant in TP...

Well, the Triforce had the power to bring the King back, so theoretically, he COULD have killed the King.

[zombie]

It really only states that he "eliminated the king" not that he killed but you can see that it does not go into great detail on the subject. There is much left to the imagination.

[Josh]

Well of course he's more than just your average everyday wizard, he's somewhat Ganon. About the King, he could have killed him, because Link restores everything back to how it was originally. He took out the King and then established himself there and at the top of Hyrule Castle.

[Alder Dragon]

Personally I find the storyline and general flow of LttP to be one of the most, if not the most confusing of any Zelda game. Just playing through the game, I don't think they gave enough backstory on Agahnim's connection to Ganon. When I was young and beat this game, I just always determined those were the bad guys, and my goal is to kill them and restore peace to Hyrule via the triforce. I never made much connection to Agahnim, but I thought he was a wizard in Hyrule who was turned evil by Ganon.