Daily Debate: What is Your Favorite Finishing Blow to a Final Boss in a Zelda Game?
Posted on February 29 2024 by Kristen G. Rosario
It took me nearly a year, but I have finally accomplished beating Tears of the Kingdom. All of the personal issues and drama going on throughout my life in these past ten months finally paid off, and I finally slayed Ganondorf in such an epic fashion. After over 300+ hours in this land of Hyrule, I got an amazing finale that was well worth all the time I spent there.
As I sheathed the Master Sword back where it belonged (for now), I thought of the other times where I had been in this situation with Link — those moments in Zelda where all of my hard work, perseverance, and lack of sleep led me to a grand finale that were all worth it. Laying down that final strike to the main antagonist that looked down on Link during his journey ultimately paid off. The sun would rise on a new day as I would ride off to my next adventure.
Ever since the original The Legend of Zelda, where Ganon explodes into a million pieces thanks to the power of the Silver Arrow, the finishing blow has been a key staple throughout every single Zelda title. Whether the game makes it a cinematic moment or not, that feeling of vanquishing pure evil with all of the hero’s might always feels like such a rewarding moment to the player. There are iconic ones that I know come to a lot of Zelda fans minds.
The most notable one that comes to mind for a lot of the people is the finishing blow on Ganon in Ocarina of Time. In that brief moment, with the Master Sword lodged into his skull, his reign of tyranny is over as the Sages work their magic to seal away Ganondorf for good (and obviously for now). The finishing blow that comes to my mind every single time, no matter what Zelda game I play, comes from The Wind Waker.
As Link leaps into the sky, he comes flying back down, nailing the pointy end of the Master Sword directly into Ganondorf’s noggin. And I’ll be honest, this is not one of my favorite final boss fights in the series, but that doesn’t change the fact of how brutal this death is. After all of the hard work Ganondorf put into bringing his homeland back to the surface world, it was the future of Hyrule which ultimately persevered.
What is your favorite finishing blow to a final boss in a Zelda game? Cinematic or not, what final strike to the main bad guy made you feel the most satisfied? Let us know in the comments below!
Kristen G. Rosario is an Editor who joined Zelda Dungeon back in September of 2015. His current goal is to become a full-time video game journalist, hoping to eventually gain a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. While he pursues that dream, he not only takes care of his adorable dachshund Angel, but also helps run a YouTube channel with his brother. The Zelda series is a quest he hasn’t fully completed yet, but hopes to get there one day.
