Thoughts on Ghirahim

Though it gets a lot of hate nowadays, Skyward Sword is by no means the worst that the Zelda series has to offer. Sure, the game was linear, sure, the overworld was about as interesting as your AP American Government class, and sure, the game was incredibly padded. However, there are a couple of redeeming qualities to the game. One that I find incredibly interesting is Ghirahim.

Hit the jump to take a look back at him.

Ghirahim is, by nearly all accounts, one of the most interesting villains to come out of Zelda. His design is astoundingly flamboyant, and he has this charisma that, despite your best wishes, draws you towards him. His character design is reminiscent to that of Vaati from The Minish Cap. He even has a large red gemstone on his belt, much like the one that Vaati wears on a headband. He is much like The Joker from Batman (more specifically Batman: The Animated Series) in that, in spite of the terrible things he’s done, there’s still a small section of your heart that loves the guy.

Ghirahim’s initial costume, no matter how wonderful it is, pales in comparison to the outfits he dons later on in the game. As the player progresses through the game, Ghirahim’s plans are slowly unraveled and his mental state goes with it. He doesn’t bother to kill Link after their initial meeting, citing that Link is but a boy and can’t pose any further threat to his schemes. The only emotion showcased is that of mild annoyance.

However, upon meeting Link on other occasions, Ghirahim vows to destroy him. His design reflects this. It becomes more and more menacing, and, in my eyes, cool. In particular, I’m fond of his second form. It bridges the gap nicely between the playful persona he shows early on in the adventure to the darker, deranged version of himself that Ghirahim becomes. As his composure begins to rupture into cracks, his character design does the same; his pristine white, skin begins to slightly crumble upon our second encounter with Ghirahim before giving way to black for the final battle. Ghirahim’s design is, by far, my favorite of any villain in Zelda.

Another of my reasons for adoring Ghirahim is his progression throughout the story, which was mostly explained in the last paragraph. With Skyward Sword, the developers did character development right. Ghirahim’s journey from a collected servant of Demise to maddened zealot is done astonishingly well. Compare this to Zant from Twilight Princess, who had a similar set up and “big reveal”, but none of the payoff. Zant was supposedly the mastermind of the whole operation, but was revealed to be a mere errand boy of Ganondorf. This could have worked, but it did nothing of the sort. Part of the issue was that Ghirahim’s intentions were well known from the beginning of the story, as opposed to Zant, who was very secretive about his schemes. This meant that, when Zant’s reasons for submerging Hyrule into Twilight were made clear, he came across as childish. His character animation and move-set when fought didn’t help either. Whereas Ghirahim’s combat style became increasingly vicious, Zant came across as a toddler throwing a tantrum. When we see our antagonist after traveling through the Lanayru Mining Facility, we are greeted to one of the most well-done cutscenes that a Zelda game has seen. I think that this truly establishes Ghirahim as a threat to be reckoned with. Compare that to Zant’s mental breakdown, and the difference is stark.

If you couldn’t tell by now, Ghirahim is my favorite villain in the entirety of the Zelda series. His character was unique and funny without ever losing the frightening edge that he possessed. Ghirahim was the first villain in Zelda that I adored more than the protagonists (disclaimer: The Wind Waker‘s Ganon was awesome, but Tetra. Just Tetra.) Ghirahim had it all – sweet character, an awesome theme song, and one of the coolest designs that a Zelda game has ever seen. So, for all of its faults, at least Skyward Sword had Ghirahim.

What do you guys think? Did you love Ghirahim as much as I did or hate him as much as my AP American Government teacher hates me right now? I’m curious. Leave a comment below!