Ganon and Ganondorf are two names that all Zelda players will be acutely familiar with. Both monikers feature in 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom but you may not know the difference between them. Here, we’re outlining the differences between Ganon and Ganondorf, explaining whether they’re the same character or not.
Ganon vs Ganondorf: Tears of the Kingdom Villain, Explained
To cut a long story short, Ganon and Ganondorf are indeed the same character and the same evil.
They’re both borne of Demise’s evil, though: at the end of Skyward Sword, when he is defeated, Demise promises that an incarnation of his hatred will return. That’s led to the theory that the Demon King in Tears of the Kingdom is in some way linked to Demise, even though the overarching Zelda villain is not present in TOTK.
So, what is the difference between Ganon and Ganondorf? Not a lot, really. It can be summarized as follows, though. Ganon is the evil entity in beast form, while Ganondorf is the evil entity in Gerudo-human form.
In The Legend of Zelda Encyclopaedia, which officially documents the world’s lore, Ganon and Ganondorf are confirmed to be the same being. The entry for Ganon/Ganondorf reads: “In battle with Link for the other two pieces, Ganondorf tested the limits of his Triforce of Power and transformed into a demon in the form of the Dark Beast, Ganon.”
Whether Ganon in TOTK is explicitly linked to the incarnations of the villain we see in other Zelda installments is a little more complicated. Right now, we only believe TOTK to fit with the events and story of BOTW, but this could change in any future Zelda installment as the developers reveal more about the world and its characters.
That’s all you need to know about Ganon, Ganondorf and Tears of the Kingdom. We’ll be sure to keep track of the iconic Zelda villain so you don’t have to. For everything else TOTK, including who voices Ganondorf, stay with us on Twinfinite.
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