WW-Wii U Ganondorf's Intents

[Akaraimaru]

I recently replayed The Wind Waker, and a scene near the end puzzled me.

"My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing... Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose. It can only be called fate... That here. I would again gather the three with the crests... That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down... The power of the gods... The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted! Already, the crest of wisdom is mine... All that remains... "

Ganondorf then attack's Link and uses the ToC to create the complete Triforce.

My question is: What are Ganondorf's true motives? In OoT he is made out to be a completely evil character, attempting to gain power only for himself. But in The Wind Waker, he has a more human side. Was this monologue merely a ruse to have Link put his guard down?

 

[Majora's Cat]

It's rather obvious, isn't it? Ganondorf wants to lay his hand on the Triforce and seize control of the land and make it his own twisted Hyrule. Ganondorf clearly emerges as a far more vulnerable character in the final moments of the Wind Waker. He still chooses to dispose of Link and Zelda, despite his plans being completely foiled. His descent into madness is what characterizes him in the Wind Waker, and I'm glad that he didn't turn out to be a hallow character.

His intentions are the same as in every Zelda game, and Nintendo will never go into detail (as always). I would instead question why the King of Hyrule decided to drown the entire kingdom instead of just wishing for Link and Zelda to prevail. But this is The Legend of Zelda we're talking about - it doesn't need to make sense.

 

[Akaraimaru]

That does make sense. Does his madness become apparent in any other games? Does he eventually not care about governing Hyrule, and more about getting revenge?
It's a shame that he died in this one, he could have some great potential from a literary point of view.

 

[Majora's Cat]

That does make sense. Does his madness become apparent in any other games? Does he eventually not care about governing Hyrule, and more about getting revenge?
It's a shame that he died in this one, he could have some great potential from a literary point of view.

Ghirahim was a very fleshed-out character in Skyward Sword, but his insanity and flamboyant personality were balanced out by Demise's generic "pure evil" persona. Taking Ganon from Ocarina of Time as an example, I think that he only lives to make other people suffer. He wishes for control of Hyrule only to make the people of his land writhe in pain and live a life under his rule. In the end, Ganon is the embodiment of power - he lusts for power and unless dialogue from another Zelda game suggests otherwise, that is all that he truly pursues.

Ganon is sealed away or killed at the end of every Zelda game he is featured in, so he has to finally come to an end at some point. In the adult timeline, Ganondorf dies in the Wind Waker, but his malice lives on. No one can be sure whether his demise in WW was pre-coordinated or just done on a whim. Either way, he already has too strong a grasp on the franchise. Nintendo probably wanted to experiment with different main villains in games further down the chronological timeline, so that Ganon doesn't obstruct their creativity in creating new antagonists.

 

[Akaraimaru]

It's a shame that I found Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks lacking. Maybe it was just too unfamiliar? Regardless, I appreciate them as a continuation of Wind Waker.

Ghirahim is one of my favorite villains in the series, merely because he had a composure which made you second guess his motives, but it boiled down to it, he was a sadistic creature.

 

[Eluinn]

It seems he had just this desire to have something nice, but by the time he got the ability to gain it, his perception had grown to disfigured that it was no longer honorable with a sad story behind it, but a man, who snapped from his past and now harbors malicious intent towards those who do not follow him.

 

[Akaraimaru]

Ganondorf has come a long way from a Pig in a cave...


"But I will never give you the
Triforce. I will destroy you
and make my wish to conquer

both Light and Dark Worlds
come true without delay."

This has a definite "Conquer all" feeling. Had he just wanted to have his people end their suffering, we wouldn't care about the Dark World. But, the events on this timeline also changed him in a way different than the events in the Adult Timeline.

 

[NinLink]

We now know that he is Demise's evil will and he jsut attacks them becasue he may be angry for what they have done but he has to! It is a cure!

 

[Koosholts]

Note that this post is made before I completed Skyward Sword, so if something happened in Skyward Sword that clearly contradicts what I'm about to say sorry.

I think that this line represents more of a "taking my country back to its rightful glory" rather than a "I want to rule Hyrule". Throughout the entire end of Wind Waker he is portrayed of having a clear disgust as to what the gods did to Hyrule. I think he was more interested in bringing back Hyrule to its rightful glory above the seas and to not see it waste away below the ocean, rather than to just mindlessly control everything. Granted, he obviously does want to control everything, but at the very end of Wind Waker I got the sence that he was more focused on bringing Hyrule back above ground rather than to actually control everything.

To answer the OP, yes, this does IMO give Ganondorf more human like characteristics, and by extension, the most developed and deep Ganondorf the series has ever seen.

 

[Akaraimaru]

Note that this post is made before I completed Skyward Sword, so if something happened in Skyward Sword that clearly contradicts what I'm about to say sorry.

I think that this line represents more of a "taking my country back to its rightful glory" rather than a "I want to rule Hyrule". Throughout the entire end of Wind Waker he is portrayed of having a clear disgust as to what the gods did to Hyrule. I think he was more interested in bringing back Hyrule to its rightful glory above the seas and to not see it waste away below the ocean, rather than to just mindlessly control everything. Granted, he obviously does want to control everything, but at the very end of Wind Waker I got the sence that he was more focused on bringing Hyrule back above ground rather than to actually control everything.

To answer the OP, yes, this does IMO give Ganondorf more human like characteristics, and by extension, the most developed and deep Ganondorf the series has ever seen.

I don't believe SS contradicts this at all.

 

[Majora's Cat]

"I have lived bound to Hyrule. In that sense. I was the same as Ganondorf"
"I want you to live for the future"

I understand that he wanted Link and Zelda to move on and create a new Hyrule, but it seems like most of the things he says and does in his final moments lack common sense. Was it necessary to drown Hyrule like he did? There are lots of innocent people that could've been killed or injured in the events. He also gives Link and Zelda a second chance, when he could have easily just wished for Ganondorf to die right then and there. Oh, and he also lets himself drown when he clearly doesn't need to.

Ah, Nintendo logic. How you amuse all of us. It's obvious that these decisions the King makes were purely to a) allow the player to battle Ganondorf, b) to wipe the slate clean for games that occur after the Wind Waker and c) to close the game dramatically.

 

[AsianPoptart]

definently more human but still evil. obviously he couldnt control the wind from hyrule so maybe he was jealous of its golden lands and decided to bring destruction with the triforce

 

[NinLink]

It is all demise, with his curse and what not

 

[Mrflamexd3]

To answer part of a question The King of Hyrule sunk Hyrule because he thought Link and Zelda can start a new land.
Ganon was trapped for 100 years and had A LOT of time to think, so he became madly insane but also a little sensitive.

 

[winterbbytumblr]

He is just simply a mad man looking to take over the world. Nintendo is so simple and nonchalant about things like this, i doubt we will ever know.