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Spoiler Common Theory Breakdown: One or More Ganons?

How many Ganon's do YOU think there are?

  • One

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Two

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • Three

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • More than three

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1

Faedeur

The Juror of Courage
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Location
Wherever the winds take me.
Introduction:
Throughout the Zelda series, we have seen Ganon in most of the titles. He has been our main antagonist, our main force of emnity. We have seen him rise to power, then fall from it. In some ways, he has fallen catastrophically, meeting his demise.

But surely as the sun rises in the east, he reappears, as if none saw it happening! The buildup to who the mastermind behind the crimes within the Zelda game is met with a familiar name: Ganon(dorf). But we saw him die, didn't we? Five times, in fact! How is it he is still here? Many have suggested that there are more than one Ganon. Others feel that it is the same Ganon being revived. We are going to look at both of these proposals

Well, this being the theory forum, it would be wrong of me to state the following thread as fact, because it is not. There is fact outlining the theories, but that is all they are: theories. Now, in order to highlight these theories, I am going to utilize my timeline theory (stated in this thread, merging the FS timeline allotment as I did in a later post: http://zeldadungeon.net/forum/showthread.php?23693-Alex-s-Tentative-Legend-of-Zelda-Timeline-Theory ). So please, sit back, enjoy reading, and I await your comments afterwards.

One Ganon:
Many fans follow that Ganon has always been one being. He was born a Gerudo, lived as a thief, and came to be one of the bearers of the Triforce. At the end of Ocarina of Time, where the timeline itself splits, we see Ganon being thrust into the Sacred Realm and sealed away for several ages. In my Adult timeline, he manages to break free, cause hell in Hyrule, and is once more sealed, this time in Hyrule, as the sea comes crashing around Hyrule castle. Eventually, he manages to escape and thus we enter The Wind Waker. Now, I am not going to explain every in-game detail, as that would take forever. But at the end of The Wind Waker, Ganon takes the Master Sword to the head, a fatal blow that kills him, leaving his stoned body beneath the crashing waves. In my timeline, ages later, we see Ganon again, this time as a pig-like beast. He stole the Triforce of Power and Princess Zelda and fled to Death Mountain. He is later slain by Link using the Silvered Arrows, reducing his body to dust.
In my Child timeline, we see Ganon captured and sentenced to death. But the Triforce of power was still with him, and he had to be sealed away in the Twilight Realm. Ages later, he escapes with the help of Zant and once more causes Hyrule to fall into peril. In the end, though, he is once more impaled by the Master Sword and is abandoned by the Triforce, allowing his mortal form to die on his feet. After much time passes, we learn that Ganon is back (shocker) and that he has taken the Trident, which is effectively the opposite of the Master Sword. This turns the Gerudo into an "ancient demon reborn". Unable to be truly destroyed, he is sealed away into the Four Sword. Again, later, we see Ganon in A Link to the Past, this time as ruler of the Dark World that he has claimed (placing the Imprisoning War between Four Swords Adventures and A Link to the Past). Link, using the Silvered Arrows, defeats Ganon (or as the Triforce put it "completely destroyed") and saves Hyrule again. In the Oracle series, Twinrova use Onox, Veran, and themselves to revive Ganon, but he falls into a state of psychosis and is destroyed by Link for the final time.

I know that was a thick read, and I am sorry. But there were several interesting points in there. Did you catch them?
1. As a Gerudo, Ganon was slain by the Master Sword.
2. As a demon, he was killed by Silvered Arrows.
3. Twinrova managed to revive him.
Another point that was not mentioned above pertains to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The following quote is from the instruction booklet of the game.
The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.
So we have found two ways in which Ganon could be revived. The first is by lighting the three flames, the second is by using the blood of the hero on his remains. I'm sure that none of us have played through Zelda without getting hurt at least a dozen times. You'd think that by being hurt that often that Ganon's minions would collect some of Link's blood from their spears and swords. By the quote above, it seems they are familiar with this resolution.

Is it impossible? Hardly. The only difficult thing would be bringing Ganon up from the depths of the ocean. But given in The Wind Waker we see plenty of sunken treasure fishing, it isn't too difficult to imagine someone fishing up a sword in the stone.

It is also possible that Twinrova may have also been revived (as we see them die in Ocarina of Time and alive in the Oracle series) and did several rituals with the three flames to bring Ganon back.

Though a question remains, why is he a demon in the Adult timeline. Well, being the thief he was, it is possible (however unlikely) that he came across the Trident. While we don't see it in the NES version, we do see it in the BS Zelda version as well as in an art piece in the A Link to the Past Player's Guide. While not a reliable source, it's not unlikely that he didn't have it.

In any case, we see that there is a possibility that all the Ganons in the series are the same desert-dwelling thief that we saw in Ocarina of Time.

Multiple Ganons:
Rather than outline everything I did in the above section, I am merely going to summarize the deaths and possible births of the multiple Ganons.

In The Wind Waker, Ganon was felled by Link and his body was claimed by the sea. So ends the villain we saw in Ocarina of Time. He had dealt several harsh blows to Hyrule, but is now washed away. In ages since his death, a new Ganon arises. One that was even called a demon in one of the booklets. He claimed the Triforce of Power and Zelda, but was ultimately bested by a Silvered Arrow. Who was this Ganon? If we look at it in one way, he very well might be a demon, one that was touched in slightly in Four Swords Adventures (there, the Ganon from that game being called an "ancient demon reborn"). He may have been the keeper of the Trident, slain many ages before, now revived and hungry for power. Could this be a second Ganon?

In Twilight Princess, Ganon and Link collide and the victor is the Hero. Ganon tries to regain control of the situation, but is abandoned by the one thing keeping him alive: the Triforce. He goes limp and dies on his feet. In many years later, we hear of another Gerudo named Ganon who stole the Trident and became the aforementioned demon. This demon is later slain in A Link to the Past, and revived and slain in the Oracle series. Who was this Ganon?

My own personal theory is that this Ganon was named after the previous Ganon, who was also a Gerudo. As Gerudo only have one male born every 100 years, giving one the name of a widely known and regarded Gerudo might be a thing of honor. He claims the Trident and later the Triforce, which leads me to this next point for this being a different Ganon. The Triforce. When Ocarina of Time/Twilight Princess/The Wind Waker Ganon takes the Triforce, he only gets the Triforce of Power. When this Ganon took the Triforce, he claimed the whole thing. Could this Ganon be more balanced a being than the last? Again, just a theory.

Regardless, there is also strong arguement that there could be more than one Ganon. Three, in fact. The Gerudo, the demon, and the Gerudo turned demon.

In conclusion:
There are strong arguements for both sides, but nothing so concrete that there is there is fact one way or the other. In the end, it is all a matter of player opinion. So what are your opinions? Do you believe there to be one or more Ganons? Do you think there will be a tie-in in a future game? What do you think of my overview of this information and my own theory? I hope you enjoyed this and look foreward to your posts :)
 

Faedeur

The Juror of Courage
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Location
Wherever the winds take me.
I figure the Ganon from OOT, regardless of the split in the timeline, counts as 1 Ganon. My personal belief is that there were at least 3 Ganons.

Edit: I'd also like to apologize if this looks a bit more rushed than my timeline thread. I wanted to keep this one objective, and I had all the information in my head and in front of me, but I still feel I was rushing it.
 
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Unlucky Monkey

The Great King of Apes
Joined
May 17, 2011
Location
NRW, Germany
I think there was, in an ancient time, a whole tribe of these guys. Now, Ganon is the only one left. Maybe an ancient demon. The last of his kind.
But I also think there are more Ganons. Even more than three. The whole Ganon story is too odd. Nearly Impossible the Ganon we've fight is always the same.
 

JamesBond007

Indigo Child
Joined
Jan 21, 2011
Location
Krosno, Poland
Two Ganons. First one from OoT/TWW/TP, and the second one from FSA/ALttP/OoX/LoZ. Second Ganon wields a Trident, even in the original Legend of Zelda (look at his artwork or play BS Zelda). This Ganon can also be seen in AoL's Game Over scene and as LA's Nightmare form. Ghirahim's master doesn't count as "third Ganon" yet, because his true name has not been officially revealed, and Nintendo denies Ganon's existence in Skyward Sword.
 

geek4887

The Unknown
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Maybe the Oracle series comes after TP when Ganon is revived, and then continues on to ALttP, or something. I dunno, the whole Ganon theorizing is quite confusing.
 

Faedeur

The Juror of Courage
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Location
Wherever the winds take me.
Maybe the Oracle series comes after TP when Ganon is revived, and then continues on to ALttP, or something. I dunno, the whole Ganon theorizing is quite confusing.
It actually makes for sense that FSA comes before ALTTP, explaining the origin of Ganon as a pig-demon and his trident. The Oracle games are usually (though not always) placed between ALTTP and LA.

Edit: Also, my apologies. I didn't realize threads like this existed before. Though thanks for keeping the poll and title of my thread in the merge :)

Edit 2: To illustrate my own POV on this, using my timeline (feel free to use your own for your own beliefs) is as follows. (Demon Ganon initially born and slain prior to SS)

......................................./--------TWW(Ganon dies)-PH-----ST-------------------(Demon Ganon reborn)--TLOZ(Demon Ganon dies)-TAOL
SS-----TMC--------------(Ganon born)OOT
.......................................\MM------TP(Ganon dies)------(Ganon 2 born)-FS-FSA---------ALTTP(Ganon 2 dies)-OOX(Ganon 2 reborn and died)-LA
 
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Ganon0075

Ganon, King of Douchness.
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Over there.
Is There More Than One Ganon?

I have been thinking about this for a while now, is there more than one Ganon?
I have studied some of the games and I have been led to believe that there might be multiple Ganons just as there is Links and Zeldas.

In my personal opinion I believe that Ganon does indeed die but is reborn later on.
My main reason for believing this is what Demise supposedly says in Skyward Sword:
"You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. 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!"
And what Gandorf says in Twilight Princess:
"The history of light and shadow will be written in blood."
Both statements sound quite alike.
Perhaps Gandorf is this "hatred" that Demise mentions and if so then perhaps this would explain why Ganon (even after death) is reborn to cause chaos throughout Hyrule.
My theory is that Ganondorf is indeed the "hatred" that Demise mentions and that he is always reborn because Demise's "hatred" has no end.

And just a quick pointer outer, FSA Ganon has a different backstory than the other Ganon/Ganons.

Differences Between OoT & FSA Ganon:
.OoT Ganon got his power from the Triforce.
.FSA Ganon got his power through the Trident of Power.
.OoT Ganon was king of the Gerudos.
.FSA Ganon was outcated from the Gerudos.

So what do you think? Do you believe that there is more than one Ganon? Please share your opinion with me because I would like to know. ^_^

Note: I am also still working on this so sorry if I add parts later on or if there are any errors.
 
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Joined
Oct 11, 2011
I think that there are two Ganons in the Zelda series. One is the OoT/WW/TP Ganondorf and one is the FSA/AlttP/OoX/LA/LoZ/AoL one. FSA Ganondorf's back story is different (in my opinion) from OoT Ganondorf's, so I think that he is a new one. FSA Ganondorf gets the Trident, which AlttP Ganondorf later has. I think this is one indication that they are the same. Then we have the other similarities betwen FSA and AlttP. Anyway, since AlttP Ganon was made to be LoZ/AoL Ganon and since I don't see any good reason to not think so anymore, I think that they are the same.

/Blue Window
 

Ganon0075

Ganon, King of Douchness.
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Over there.
I think that there are two Ganons in the Zelda series. One is the OoT/WW/TP Ganondorf and one is the FSA/AlttP/OoX/LA/LoZ/AoL one. FSA Ganondorf's back story is different (in my opinion) from OoT Ganondorf's, so I think that he is a new one. FSA Ganondorf gets the Trident, which AlttP Ganondorf later has. I think this is one indication that they are the same. Then we have the other similarities betwen FSA and AlttP. Anyway, since AlttP Ganon was made to be LoZ/AoL Ganon and since I don't see any good reason to not think so anymore, I think that they are the same.

/Blue Window
I think that too. Two Ganons would make sense.
 
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Phantom Ganon (an astral projection of Ganondorf controlled by Ganondorf) has a trident in OoT. So that implies that he easily has one around but doesn't use it all the time. He also fights with the ends of the trident when he transforms into a beast.

In 4 Swords Adventures, Zelda once said: "Ganon... this beast was once of the Gerudo... Once human. He was called Ganondorf!"

ALTTP's Ganon's backstory sounds different than the OoT one as well. It said he made a wish to separate the worlds. And being in dark world was the reason that he transformed into the beast. It also said that he was once defeated by the Knights of Hyrule.
 
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Ganon0075

Ganon, King of Douchness.
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Over there.
ALTTP's Ganon's backstory sounds different than the OoT one as well. It said he made a wish to separate the worlds. And being in dark world was the reason that he transformed into the beast. It also said that he was once defeated by the Knights of Hyrule.

This makes me believe that this Ganon is different than the one from OoT.
Perhaps there is/are three Ganons?
 

geek4887

The Unknown
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
The number of Ganons would be quite unpredictable. But due to this theory, I now have a stronger belief of multiple Ganons.
 

Ganon0075

Ganon, King of Douchness.
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Over there.
I feel that there are 2-3 Ganons (based on my timeline).

Ganondorf, Gerudo Thief - OOT, TP, TWW
Ganon, King of Darkness - FSA, ALTTP, OOX
Ganon, Dark King - TLOZ

That seems to make sense other than the fact that ALtTP Ganon did not turn into Ganon until entering the Sacred Realm while FSA Ganon had turned into Ganon by touching the Trident of Power.
That is if memory serves correct.
 
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