Best Incarnation of Ganon(dorf)

[CrimsonCavalier]

So I was playing Wind Waker, and I really wanted to focus on Ganondorf and his dialog. Of all of the Ganon/Ganondorf incarnations, this one seemed to me to be the least evil. I mean, no Ganon is good, but his lines made it seem like he actually had a reason for what he was doing, in his own twisted way.

And that got me to thinking, what is everyone's favorite incarnation of Ganondorf and why?

I have to say, Wind Waker's is mine. He seemed more human in it. More relatable. Some of the others have been all pure hatred and greed, while in this one he was more ... I guess like I said, relatable.

 

[snakeoiltanker]

I would have too say its a tie between ALttP and TW. In ALttP he is the ganon I have always known, only in sweet 16-bit juiciness. Plus He was all evil, and what not, completely ravaging the Sacred Land

Then there is TP ganon, who not only looks the coolest, but even though he was not really in the game till later, the back story (and cut-scenes about it) was really awesome how he was sealed/banished. Not to mention I think he is the most ruthless incarnation of Ganondorf himself.

 

[Mercedes]

Wind Waker would be mine, too. Ganon does come across as less of a hilariously generic, pantomime villain in that incarnation, definitely his best appearance for me and I do quite like his design as well. I think Wind Waker boasts the best incarnations of pretty much all 3 of the main franchise characters, too.

 

[SavageWizzrobe]

I think the WW Ganondorf is the best because he was characterized much better than OoT or TP, for instance. WW Ganondorf has not only believable motivations, but also a code of honour (he doesn't outright kill Zelda or Link just before the full Triforce appears).

 

[Dio]

So I was playing Wind Waker, and I really wanted to focus on Ganondorf and his dialog. Of all of the Ganon/Ganondorf incarnations, this one seemed to me to be the least evil. I mean, no Ganon is good, but his lines made it seem like he actually had a reason for what he was doing, in his own twisted way.

And that got me to thinking, what is everyone's favorite incarnation of Ganondorf and why?

I have to say, Wind Waker's is mine. He seemed more human in it. More relatable. Some of the others have been all pure hatred and greed, while in this one he was more ... I guess like I said, relatable.

My favourite is in Ocarina of Time. I like the way he looks in that game, he is really manipulative and actually succeeds in taking over.

 

[Mr. Ister]

I'd say OoT or TP. Wind Waker Ganon was so unthreatening that he hardly even seemed like a bad guy half the time. But I appreciate trying to humanize him a bit.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

i have to go w/ ocarina of time,i jeust really like his design
but i think he was objectively at his best in wind waker,for the reasons you stated

 

[ReveredPartisan]

I think that WW's plot was so tight and well communicated that it's easy to look at Ganondorf and sort of say, "Well, he's evidently the best one," because you can so clearly see his thematic purpose and humanity. And I'm inclined to agree. This is a man who, first and foremost, ranks himself among the divine, and who challenged the gods because he believed himself unrighteously subjugated by them; and since, has not only been humiliated by them, but also forsaken by them-- everything he knew and loved, destroyed in the Flood. Now, he blindly seeks to restore what has been destroyed (Hyrule) because he remains wallowing in the past, refusing to acknowledge the word of the goddesses, and living and acting in futile defiance of it.

But I also think it's important to look at Ganondorf in the larger sense, as a single character whose experiences and sufferings diverge along three different timelines. Ganondorf from TP isn't necessarily a flat or rushed character, he's quite literally a different man than we see in WW. Whereas WW's Ganondorf had his own mortality come crashing down upon him, TP's Ganondorf hasn't and still holds his place among the gods; notice how he plays god when appearing to Zant.

 

[Mr. Ister]

Well when you get stabbed in the chest by a sword and are able to magically remove the sword, break the chains, and kill one of the sages, you probably have a right to feel godlike.

 

[Fraxinus]

You have to think about the character traits surrounding each incarnation, and why they exist.

In Ocarina of Time, he was more cocky and naïve than anything else. He seized the Triforce and had so much ammunition, that, in his mind, he was unstoppable. Which of course led to his downfall. In The Wind Waker, he had time to reflect upon this. He is perceived as more human, more down-to-earth, because he is caught up in his failures. He's has more life experience, and is less impulsive as a result--thinking out every move. From removing the power from the Master Sword to luring Link back to Hyrule, requiring him to reform the Triforce of Courage, Ganondorf was bent on redeeming himself from the events that ensued in Ocarina of Time.

Twilight Princess. The incarnation where Ganondorf was just given the Triforce of Power. He did nothing to acquire it. This. Feeds. His. Ego. This is all there is to why he is the way he is in Twilight Princess. Every action taken, it all goes back to the fact that he was given the easy way out, so he takes huge risks all to obtain greater power.

Those three very different portrayals are of all the same character being put in very different situations. The contrast of his responses adds to his development, in my opinion. Even though he's probably the shallowest thing in Twilight Princess, collectively, his being shallow in that game does contribute to how he is seen overall. That being said, I think his best incarnation is probably in The Wind Waker. It gave him an interesting amount of depth.

On a side note, my favorite incarnation of Ganon is the one from A Link to the Past because reasons.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I always found WW Ganon more interesting than other versions of Ganon just because he is a bit more wise and seems to have learned from some of his mistakes, plus overall he just has more depth in that game when compared to OoT or TP.

 

[SpiteChaotic]

For design Ganondorf from Ocarina of time is my favorite. He always looked best without any braids or long hair to me. He also looked very intimadating. Wind waker coming in second since he still looks amazing just a bit more rounder. Takes a bit intimadation away but he makes up for it with a fantastic robe.

For personality I'd say wind waker since that Ganondorf had the most depth. Instead of just wanting power and being greedy they had him be reflective. Which I like.

For pure awesomeness and batle. Twilight princess. I had the most fun in that fight and Ganondorf was just bringing in the power.