J
Jimblejax
Guest
The concept for a LOZ game that allows the player to play as Ganondorf has been dreamed by many of us. Sometimes its GTA Hyrule, other times its RTS dungeon building, sometimes its a tale about a man's descent into darkness. I've liked pretty much all of the ideas I've seen. But for one reason or another, they all seem too different for Nintendo to ever go for - RTS or GTA would be too much of a change in gameplay to be a Legend of Zelda game (though could maybe be a spinoff?). If the protagonist goes around killing goodguys, Nintendo might not go for that either, considering that a flagship LOZ title is meant to represent Nintendo and its family friendly outlook.
But say you could persuade Nintendo that provided it was a LOZ game that played like a LOZ game, had a compelling storyline and a moral compass, that they should make it. Even if the main character wasn't Link. We've been able to play as Bowser (as long as he's not being too evil) so why not Ganondorf?
There are multiple ganons/incarnations of the triforce of power. Power doesn't have to be evil.
My Idea -
Hyrule a dark future: Centuries along the road, after Ganondorf was killed in Wind Waker, it was the triforces of courage and wisdom that became corrupted. Courage can become arrogance/ambition, Wisdom can be abused just as easily as "power".
A little round headed, dark skinned, read-haired child, riding a pig, grows up on the road, raised by his two grannies Koume and Kotake. They never settle in one place, partly because the boy is the reincarnation of the gerudo king (though his grandmothers haven't told him yet) and partly because he seems to cause trouble in every town he visits. With his strange looks, large stature for his age, and pet pig, local children often make fun of him. Unfortunately he is too strong for his own good (triforce of power) and after an incident in the first town in the game, learns to avoid other kids. He becomes aloof and grumpy, scowling to intimidate other children, rather than get embroiled in their games and end up hurting them by mistake. His quest will involve learning to channel and control his power for good, whilst sheltering the innocent from his strength.
Though he learns the hard way that he cannot play with other children, he meets some moblin kids who can actually handle a bit of roughhousing. He also likes that they look like his pig, Eporko (just kidding he'll have another name... Harry Porker? Agh it'll come to me eventually). Gaining his first real friends, Ganondorf vows to assist the feared and persecuted moblin race.
When he reaches young adulthood (both he and his swine steed, Oinklord (damnit no) are much larger now), he begins posing as a thuggish sword for hire. This is partly because he doesn't trust himself around people, and partly in order to gain the trust of the real villains in hyrule, seeking an audience with the king, to plead the moblins' cause. It helps that he looks pretty imposing/slightly sinister, and that after being turned out of so many towns, he has quite the reputation as a tough guy already. He is sent on quests by his handler, the Royal agent Impa, often through temples/dungeons, to collect artifacts of power for his new "master". Unbeknownst to those who employ him, in each temple Ganondorf will acquire skills of his own and in each dungeon, he will befriend a type of monster. these monsters have abilities that assist him in battle and help him solve puzzles (much like link's arsenal of items). Some can dig, others can be thrown, others fly (keese) or even cast spells (wizzrobes), Uses a Magtail like a fiery indiana jones whip etc.
Hyrule is ruled by a violent and brash tryant (with some physical features in common with link. no doubt, older than we've seen him before. Battle hardened, and at least 45). After Gannondorf does him a few favors, he is granted an official audience with the king. It becomes clear that the man was once great, but was meant to be a hero not a king, and authority has confused him. He has become greedy and paranoid. He has sent Ganondorf out to collect sacred artifacts in order to enhance his army. Link has ambitions to challenge neighboring kingdoms, who he is convinced have formed an "Evil alliance" to kill him. King Link captures Koume and Kotake, accusing them of witchcraft and plotting with his enemies. The grannies, seeing Gannondorf in the room, assume he has also been captured, and trying to protect him, use their magic. Link dispatches the old witches in a cinematic scene that reminds us of his supreme battle prowess but also drives Gannondorf into a fury. Its epic duel time.
After Gannondorf defeats Mad King Link the story is not over. Why did Link become King in the first place? This is still a Legend of Zelda game after all. It was Queen Zelda who persuaded him to take the reigns. She herself has been dabbling in dark magics and has been driven insane. Seeing her husband lying dead, she expels Gannondorf from the Castle with a screamed spell and Labels him a fugitive.
To avoid execution, Ganondorf will have to win the trust of the "good" peoples of hyrule now, not just the monsters. First the Gorons, then the Zora and finally the hylians. This is not an impossible task as there are plenty who have noticed the oppressive leadership of the king and queen. One town starves because all the food and young working men were sent to the army. One town is forced to mine constantly for metals to arm the troops. Another is polluted with the smog of industry. After three quests, Ganondorf amasses enough supporters and motivation to start a civil war, leading an assault on the castle town at hyrule field. Riding his war pig (Tusketeer...?) into battle, at the head of a legion of Moblins, Gorons, Wizzrobes, Zora, Darknuts and Hylian knights, he overcomes the government army, eventually finding himself battling passed the Sheikah enforcers and indeed Impa (mini boss!) within the Palace itself.
Finally in the throne room around Link's casket, its time for a showdown. Queen Zelda fights alternately with a slim saber, bow and magical attacks. Eventually combining all three methods of offense, she is still beaten back, after a hard fought exchange of blows. Brief cutscene, The queen hurls her sword using magic at Ganondorf, he blocks it, shattering her blade into fragments. She uses this distraction to warp to link's coffin and draw the master sword. Link's hand is gripped too tightly around the sword and as she pulls at it, the triforces on the hands of the king and queen begin to glow. Ganondorf's does too, and he suddenly glimpses the pasts of all his villainous incarnations. He is briefly possessed by the rage and fury of Demise. While Zelda struggles with the sword, still insane, but starting to cry as if remembering the past she once had with Link, Ganondorf descends upon her, eyes aglow. But he fights back his rage, remembering the struggles he has gone through to control his power. He is already in mid leap though. Zelda, realising her need for order drove her husband to the brink of his sanity and indeed to his death, and understanding the evil she has allowed herself to become, turns to impale herself upon his sword.
Tired, moved by grief and bloody, Ganondorf limps up to the throne to sit and rest, one arm leaning on his sword. As he gazes on the tableau of the two dead monarchs, still hand in hand, he hears the voices of people running through the palace. He looks worried, as if he's realised what the bloody scene must look like, and rises to his feet, as if to flee. But the doors burst open. There is a shocked silence as the crowd of people take in what has just happened.
The various monster chiefs (darknuts, moblins etc) all instantly bow to one knee to pledge their allegiance. But to Ganondorf's surprise, so do, one by one, the leaders of the Gorons, Zora and Hylian towns people in solemn support of his leadership. Looking around the room, understanding that the people of Hyrule now look to him, Ganondorf, stern and determined, sits back down on the throne to begin the repair of his broken world.
End.
Ps - I'm sorry if that was way too long. I just started writing and got carried away with ideas. I'm new to Zelda Dungeon but I hope you enjoyed this.
Edit - Bonus: defeat the game, and start a new file. at some point, when Ganondorf is pretending to be an evil warlord to scare some bandits, if you already have a completed game file, he dresses his pig up in a robe and trident and has it sit on a high-backed chair at the meeting in his place. Ganondorf hides behind the chair and talks. The bandits think that he is a great and terrible wizard beast, and agree to do what he says.
But say you could persuade Nintendo that provided it was a LOZ game that played like a LOZ game, had a compelling storyline and a moral compass, that they should make it. Even if the main character wasn't Link. We've been able to play as Bowser (as long as he's not being too evil) so why not Ganondorf?
There are multiple ganons/incarnations of the triforce of power. Power doesn't have to be evil.
My Idea -
Hyrule a dark future: Centuries along the road, after Ganondorf was killed in Wind Waker, it was the triforces of courage and wisdom that became corrupted. Courage can become arrogance/ambition, Wisdom can be abused just as easily as "power".
A little round headed, dark skinned, read-haired child, riding a pig, grows up on the road, raised by his two grannies Koume and Kotake. They never settle in one place, partly because the boy is the reincarnation of the gerudo king (though his grandmothers haven't told him yet) and partly because he seems to cause trouble in every town he visits. With his strange looks, large stature for his age, and pet pig, local children often make fun of him. Unfortunately he is too strong for his own good (triforce of power) and after an incident in the first town in the game, learns to avoid other kids. He becomes aloof and grumpy, scowling to intimidate other children, rather than get embroiled in their games and end up hurting them by mistake. His quest will involve learning to channel and control his power for good, whilst sheltering the innocent from his strength.
Though he learns the hard way that he cannot play with other children, he meets some moblin kids who can actually handle a bit of roughhousing. He also likes that they look like his pig, Eporko (just kidding he'll have another name... Harry Porker? Agh it'll come to me eventually). Gaining his first real friends, Ganondorf vows to assist the feared and persecuted moblin race.
When he reaches young adulthood (both he and his swine steed, Oinklord (damnit no) are much larger now), he begins posing as a thuggish sword for hire. This is partly because he doesn't trust himself around people, and partly in order to gain the trust of the real villains in hyrule, seeking an audience with the king, to plead the moblins' cause. It helps that he looks pretty imposing/slightly sinister, and that after being turned out of so many towns, he has quite the reputation as a tough guy already. He is sent on quests by his handler, the Royal agent Impa, often through temples/dungeons, to collect artifacts of power for his new "master". Unbeknownst to those who employ him, in each temple Ganondorf will acquire skills of his own and in each dungeon, he will befriend a type of monster. these monsters have abilities that assist him in battle and help him solve puzzles (much like link's arsenal of items). Some can dig, others can be thrown, others fly (keese) or even cast spells (wizzrobes), Uses a Magtail like a fiery indiana jones whip etc.
Hyrule is ruled by a violent and brash tryant (with some physical features in common with link. no doubt, older than we've seen him before. Battle hardened, and at least 45). After Gannondorf does him a few favors, he is granted an official audience with the king. It becomes clear that the man was once great, but was meant to be a hero not a king, and authority has confused him. He has become greedy and paranoid. He has sent Ganondorf out to collect sacred artifacts in order to enhance his army. Link has ambitions to challenge neighboring kingdoms, who he is convinced have formed an "Evil alliance" to kill him. King Link captures Koume and Kotake, accusing them of witchcraft and plotting with his enemies. The grannies, seeing Gannondorf in the room, assume he has also been captured, and trying to protect him, use their magic. Link dispatches the old witches in a cinematic scene that reminds us of his supreme battle prowess but also drives Gannondorf into a fury. Its epic duel time.
After Gannondorf defeats Mad King Link the story is not over. Why did Link become King in the first place? This is still a Legend of Zelda game after all. It was Queen Zelda who persuaded him to take the reigns. She herself has been dabbling in dark magics and has been driven insane. Seeing her husband lying dead, she expels Gannondorf from the Castle with a screamed spell and Labels him a fugitive.
To avoid execution, Ganondorf will have to win the trust of the "good" peoples of hyrule now, not just the monsters. First the Gorons, then the Zora and finally the hylians. This is not an impossible task as there are plenty who have noticed the oppressive leadership of the king and queen. One town starves because all the food and young working men were sent to the army. One town is forced to mine constantly for metals to arm the troops. Another is polluted with the smog of industry. After three quests, Ganondorf amasses enough supporters and motivation to start a civil war, leading an assault on the castle town at hyrule field. Riding his war pig (Tusketeer...?) into battle, at the head of a legion of Moblins, Gorons, Wizzrobes, Zora, Darknuts and Hylian knights, he overcomes the government army, eventually finding himself battling passed the Sheikah enforcers and indeed Impa (mini boss!) within the Palace itself.
Finally in the throne room around Link's casket, its time for a showdown. Queen Zelda fights alternately with a slim saber, bow and magical attacks. Eventually combining all three methods of offense, she is still beaten back, after a hard fought exchange of blows. Brief cutscene, The queen hurls her sword using magic at Ganondorf, he blocks it, shattering her blade into fragments. She uses this distraction to warp to link's coffin and draw the master sword. Link's hand is gripped too tightly around the sword and as she pulls at it, the triforces on the hands of the king and queen begin to glow. Ganondorf's does too, and he suddenly glimpses the pasts of all his villainous incarnations. He is briefly possessed by the rage and fury of Demise. While Zelda struggles with the sword, still insane, but starting to cry as if remembering the past she once had with Link, Ganondorf descends upon her, eyes aglow. But he fights back his rage, remembering the struggles he has gone through to control his power. He is already in mid leap though. Zelda, realising her need for order drove her husband to the brink of his sanity and indeed to his death, and understanding the evil she has allowed herself to become, turns to impale herself upon his sword.
Tired, moved by grief and bloody, Ganondorf limps up to the throne to sit and rest, one arm leaning on his sword. As he gazes on the tableau of the two dead monarchs, still hand in hand, he hears the voices of people running through the palace. He looks worried, as if he's realised what the bloody scene must look like, and rises to his feet, as if to flee. But the doors burst open. There is a shocked silence as the crowd of people take in what has just happened.
The various monster chiefs (darknuts, moblins etc) all instantly bow to one knee to pledge their allegiance. But to Ganondorf's surprise, so do, one by one, the leaders of the Gorons, Zora and Hylian towns people in solemn support of his leadership. Looking around the room, understanding that the people of Hyrule now look to him, Ganondorf, stern and determined, sits back down on the throne to begin the repair of his broken world.
End.
Ps - I'm sorry if that was way too long. I just started writing and got carried away with ideas. I'm new to Zelda Dungeon but I hope you enjoyed this.
Edit - Bonus: defeat the game, and start a new file. at some point, when Ganondorf is pretending to be an evil warlord to scare some bandits, if you already have a completed game file, he dresses his pig up in a robe and trident and has it sit on a high-backed chair at the meeting in his place. Ganondorf hides behind the chair and talks. The bandits think that he is a great and terrible wizard beast, and agree to do what he says.
Last edited by a moderator: