Your Thoughts on Zant?

[basement24]

I personally fell that Zant is the best original villain to come out of the series other than Ganon/dorf himself. There was a real sense of unnerving fear behind the lingering threat he posed. Whenever he arrived on the scene prior to his final confrontation, it was a very unsettling moment. The shriek he uttered and his quiet imposing demeanor really helped build him as a credible opponent.

Of course, in the end, we find out that he was a pawn, if you would, of Ganon. I still found that he was quite interesting because he was then revealled to be quite power hungry to the point of becoming pathetic. I'm sure a number of people thought this was not done well, but I was very intrigued by the idea that he essentially made a deal with the devil in order to gain noteriety.

The battle with him was great as well, with his calm, composed attacks increasingly becoming more frantic and desperate as he began to realilze that Link was a greater threat than he anticipated. The quicker, more nonsensical music added to this feel greatly. In the end when he looked around desperately and realized he was out of tricks, it was a great moment.

Personally, I think the only thing I might have changed was that he would have been chosen to recieve the Triforce of Power. It would have been interested to see the Link / Zelda / Ganondorf dynamic tossed up a bit with a new contender for Power. I really did like the pawn of Ganon aspect, but this would have been an interesting take as well.

So, what did you think of Zant as a villain? Was he worthy of being a Zelda villain? Did you like or dislike the fact that he was a pawn of Ganon/dorf? What would you have done to make him better?

[Durion]

Yes, I also think that Zant was the best enemy to come from the Series other than Ganon/Ganondorf himself. It did take the magic out of Zant though, Finding out he wasn't he own source of power but that he was actually feeding off of Ganon/Ganondorf's.

I liked him though, How powerful, Composed and well...sort of elegant he seemed at the start, It was like he was in full control but then as the story went on we find out he is actually the exact opposite, Weak...infact he was feeble, How he started to get desperate and realised that this mere Child was more than a match for him....how he realised that Midna was actually going to win.

I loved the fact that he was very dark as well, I loved it how he threatened Zelda and demanded that either she gives up her throne or the beings of Hyrule die...I also loved at the very end when he realised there was no hope and Broke his own neck.

I was sort of disappointed to find out though that it wsa Ganon/Ganondorf powering him, In my opinion it would have been better to find out he had become Desperate and Power hungry and thus forcing himself into the realm of insanity. Although I liked the fact Ganon/Ganondorf was using him as a pawn, It was interesting and if you think deeper into it Ganon/Ganondorf had used him for a well thought plan.

He was definately worthy of becoming a top Zelda villain, I thought he was very dark, Zant, The Usurper King...How he wanted to force the whole land of Hyrule into the world of darkness where many people started to live a nightmare.

[arkvoodle]

I agree Basement, Zant is possibly one of the best original villians, His mysterious nature and imposing prescence helped add to the overall evil of the character.

Zant's clothing also added to the mystery and evil behind the character, The Helmet concealed his face, and looked quite threatening. while the Shawl/Cloak Made him look quite mystical.
Even though, when we find out that he was a pawn in Ganondorfs game of Power, Zant still seemed like a major character in the overall plot,

Even Zants Insanity added to the sense of fear behind the character, his child like and wild movements, resembled those of Majora. Zant's Lust for power eventually drove him to this insanity, which I think makes him quite unique, unlike other Zelda villains.

As Darklink said previously "Near the end of the game, Zant was getting desperate, realising that this mere child was more than a match for him, that Minda was going to win"
Unlike other Zelda Villains, Zant accepted this fact, and took his own life at the end of the game, realising, that he could never win.

Zant definitely deserves a place in the top and most unique Zelda Villains.

[Master Kokiri 9]

Personally i thought he was a heck of a boss but he is in my opinion the zelda equivelant of fawul and i personally hate him for pitting innocent twili against link as well as having them kill most of kakariko's hylian/human population. And arkvoodle zant didn't commit suicide; Midna accidentally killed him with the fused shadows.

Think of this post what you will.:)

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

I agree. Zant was an excellent villain, and no, Ganondorf being included in the game did not "ruin" him at all. It added to his character, and made for a much more deep story line as far as Ganondorf was concerned from OoT to TP.

At the beginning, he seems to be this ultimate villain. Ganondorf is nowhere to be seen, and Zant has taken over Hyrule by himself without the mighty power of the gods. "Oh yes, a question for all the people of Hyrule....... life, or death?" That was a pure win line. Seeing Zelda drop the sword made it even better, and added to Zant's all powerful first impression. This impression continues, as you see the scene with him nearly killing Midna and permanently turning you Link into a wolf. Bringing Stalord to life was another display of the amazing power we assumed he had. By the time I got to the Twilight Palace, Zant had become an ultimate badass villain. Then, you find out he isn't what you thought he was. He's just a power hungry pawn, being used by none other than Ganondorf himself. And his own lust for power and desire to serve his "god" (Ganondorf) was his ultimate destruction.

That battle was a fine one, even if it was too easy. We haven't had a hard 3D boss battle since Gyorg from MM, so I wasn't bothered by it too much. Like you mentioned Basement, he starts off the battle cool, overconfident, and sure that he can dispose of Link quickly. Then, as the battle progresses, he finds out that Link has a power equal to his own, and he gets more and more desperate. The final stage of the battle proves just how crazy and desperate he was for power. Attacking in rage, screaming continually, it just added to the terrific shock of his character.

[Immortal_One]

Zant was one of the my favorite villains of the series. The first few cutscenes you see him in, you see him as a powerful, assertive villan looming over you like he is the mightiest villian the series has ever seen. His appearance is far more frightening than that of Ganondorf's, and he is cloaked in ornate garments draped far over his entire body. When I saw him the first time, I honestly thought that the only way Ganondorf would be able to play into this game would be if he was Zant's pawn, or at least on the same level as Zant.

Obviously, I was wrong. After the dungeon in the Twilight Realm, I realized what was going on, Ganondorf showed up to Zant after Zant lost all faith in himself, which in turns made Zant think of Ganondorf as a God. Near the end of the game, the image of Zant as a powerful leader of a parallel universe is shattered. He turned out to be just the opposite of what I thought of him, a cowardly being who was at the whim of Ganondorf.

Zant was a great character in my opinion, you see him in one light early in the game and see him as his true self at the end. The boss battle was great too, very unique to itself. His actions during the boss battle with him actually solidified the new impression I had of him. I don't think there could be another character like him in another Zelda game.

[Waker of winds]

Yes, I also thought that Zant was a frightful villain at the start, but then I realized that he was just a pawn, and my image of him became a little...different. I think he is a complete freak.:mellow:

I started vewing him as a weird guy. And the thing that made me think like that was the final battle with him. Such bizzarre movements, kinda like Majora's Incarnation. Then the final scene where he just snaps his neck. That was the first time when I shouted "what a weirdo!!!".

[Midna666]

Zant was a character that I did not find interesting at first.
But each time that I've replayed the game, I've slowly started to like the character more.

I did not think that Zant was that interesting of a character, till I saw how crazy he really was near the end of Twilight Princess.

He seemed to be someone who thought was intitled to power, and when he was passed over for the right to the throne, he acted like it was everyone else's fault, and could not understand that the reason he was not chosen was because of how he acted.

[Nepolink]

I thought he was some kind of really blood thirsty Vampire. xD Also i thought he was the villain of this game since Ganondorf didn't show up anywhere. o.o But then Zant was foolish, it was not his own power to cover Hyrule into the Twilight, thanks to Ganondorf. All the parts till The Twilight realm he seem to be a serious villain. If you meet him in his own Throne he's a Hyper Active someone. ._. He's totally crazy and he looks so crazy. xD The battle with Zant was Priceless. I loved him more because of this, i like him better in crazy mode.

Zant was a freak but i really like him. Battling Zant was the greatest fight in the whole Zelda series.

[Zarom]

Yeah, Zant was a really great and unique character in the Zelda series. But I don't think we will ever see someone like him. One of a kind! He was a good boss to fight against. Really great!

[El Bagu]

I don´t really understand the "possible greatness" of Zant and I believe most other villains have had much more of a character. Even Onox in a game as "simple" as Oracle of Seasons had a lot more character in my opinion. Also Vaati is a lot more interesting etc.

But I must admit that I found a lot of enjoyment fighting Zant, I think he was a fun and interesting opponent and added to the epicness of the formidable game that was and is: Twilight Princess.

[Skull_Kid]

I really liked him, even though in the end, he was just another pawn...
He looked so fierce and intimidating at the beggining of the game, and was just an insane, spoiled servant...

Zant was rather... unique, that must be the word

[Swedish Link]

Zant was a more interesting and different character than most in the series.
Although, I must admit I liked him a lot better somewhere in the middle of the game rather than towards the end. At first he was this quiet, powerful, mysterious enemy. His threats were so... Well, the threats basically meant you had no other choice but to obey him. He seemed clever in that way.

My favorite part with Zant must have been in Lake Hylia when he turns Link into his wolf form, turns the lake into Twilight and then says solemn yet terrible words to Midna, in such a calm manner. You would think that he is talking about nothing more than bad weather. And the part where the bottom of his helmet goes up and his sharp row(s?) of teeth are revealed. I had a very different and much more expecting image of him at that point.

But near the end of the game, you find out that he was just being used by Ganondorf, and his mask is removed to show his face and his true character. His painful shrieks, his unusual gait and his somewhat psychotic-looking eyes all made him look like a maniacal killer to me. Some characters like this, if developed properly, can be amazing. But not Zant. He was a fightworthy enemy though, I do like his battle style, but I think Nintendo pretty much screwed up towards the end of the game. But that's just my opinion.

[Josh]

Yes. Zant has quite possibly been the best villain in a Zelda game ever to come out besides Ganondorf. He currently stands as the only one (beside Ganondorf of course) that I would want to come back.

He was truly, it seemed in the beginning, THE best villian in the Zelda series. Here we are already covered in Twilight, he comes marching in with his creatures, kills almost every soldier, walks up to her and says:

"It is time for you to choose: surrender or die.
Oh yes, a question for all the land and people of Hyrule...
Life? Or death?!"

As if he has almost complete power over everything, which it did seem he did. We progress through the game and at every corner he's always there, always there to take back what you worked so hard for, when you thought you could beat him with only the fused shadows, and then he comes and takes them from you, and turns you back into a wolf, and injures Midna pretty severely.

And finally at the end, you see that he's not the most cunning villain, he was only power hungry, and willing to do whatever it takes to get whatever it is that he wants. That, he wasn't as smart as he and everybody else thought, that Ganon was still always one step ahead of him.

The battle, it was a little iffy. It was nice to be able to go through every place one more time though, and fight him as you did every other boss. As most others have said, he went from a very good and strong enemy who thought he'd win this in a minute, to one who could never quite beat Link, no matter what he threw at him. Battle ends, and Midna kills him. End of story.

But I really wish they'd bring him back. Along with Midna.

[Shnappy]

Zant is my favorite villain in any Zelda game. I liked him better than Ganon/dorf, even.

I love how he's just so... crazy. He is one odd and very unique character... That's the kind of thing I'd look for in an antagonist, such a unique, interesting, evil, and destructive personality. Though before Link fights him, he maintains a cool, sinister control, and I like how that drastic change in personality happens, and that he becomes basically a madman.

I have no idea why everybody hated the fight so much. I thought it was pretty awesome. First of all, it was cool how you had to fight short sections from previous bosses, and how it was... Zantified? I thought that actually made it pretty funny, and I guess that's a good thing. But the end part was very fun, the one on one sword fight between Link and Zant. For lack of a better word, it was very, say, epic. That's what I think of all one on one sword fights in Zelda, I guess, but in this one, you had to fight someone as crazy as Zant with his crazy spaz-hyper sword move skillage, and it's very fun to try and counter those tactics, at least in a Zelda game.

[Zeruda]

Zant was promising at first. I love how they pulled of the classics "mysterious villain profile" by only showing the lower half of his face, keeping his eyes hidden. I remember first seeing his actual face- the lower half- and thinking, "Man, I bet this guy is some badass-looking hottie." Boy was I wrong.

They gave him a great introduction. He seemed very calm and sure of himself... his presence was intimidating and chilling, and he was the first Zelda villain other than Ganondorf to actually pique my interest. He seemed cruel, yet sly. They built him up really well, but in the end, I feel they destroyed him. They reduced him to nothing more than a whining, jealous, power-hungry brat. He actually threw a fit. His voice was annoying and high-pitched, and his movement could be compared to that of a 5-year-old on a sugar high. I don't think his lust for power drove him to insanity- we already saw his behavior before he obtained any power in a cutscene, and he was just as childish there as he was during the game's current events.

As far as battling him went, he seemed to lack any sort of skills other than flailing around like an idiot. I do think that going back through stages found in the temples was a great way to enjoy seemingly unimressive levels, though. I think that if he had been a little more difficult and a little more reserved, then he'd have been a worthy opponent. It's just kind of weird that a 16-year-old (Link) seems to be more mature than Zant, regardless of Link being a hero.

His design was definitely top-notch, though. I liked how Gerudo designs survived in the design department after so many years, and the serpentine twist really went well with the design. His helmet was impressive with all the detail. As far as appearances go, Zant is definitely one of the better designed Zelda characters to date. I think Zant is quite unique, but not necessarily in a good way.

In any case, whether we find him pretty cool or just plain silly, he is definitely one of the more interesting villains, and he stands out among them.

[Dragon565333]

Personally I like Ganon or Ganondorf better.
Becuase Who has a name like Ganon or Ganondorf?? Really? and Zant well... Zant Is a little or I should say a lot more insane! and well Zant Just makes me cringe

[basement24]

It's just kind of weird that a 16-year-old (Link) seems to be more mature than Zant,

I took this as being the point they were trying to convey though. Zant had an edge over Link earlier in the game because of his transformation into a wolf. He treated Link as some kind of pathetic peon that was almost not worth his time and effort. When he saw him again in the Arbiter's Grounds, he realized that there was probably more to this individual then there seemed. He was gaining strength and determination, but he was still brushed off as not much of a threat.

By the end of the game though, Link surpassed Zant in the realm of potential and he upstaged him in both skill and maturity. That's why I enjoyed the fight so much because Zant began it with calm composure. As the fight progressed, he became increasingly aware that he underestimated Link, and began to panic and lose his concentration. His attacks became more desperate and uncalculated. By last moments of the fight, he had entirely lost it and was reduced to throwing another temper tantrum. He howled and waved his arms aroudn frantically in a desperate last attempt to win.

So, in all of this, it was shown that Link, even in being younger and more inexperienced was the better man of the two, and came out of the entire ordeal as the victor.

I don't think this was a random, non-thought-out idea as well, because even if you listen to the progression of Zant's theme music throughout the game, it increasingly becomes more frantic and disjointed. By the last time you hear his theme in the last segment of the fight with Zant, it's barely even music. It's as if someone fast-forwarded music and was playing with an old record player speed dial to try and get the proper speed down unsuccessfully. Obviously there was discussion between the designers and the composers about Zant's arc, and his descent from dignified composure to raving lunatic whereas Link's themes from the innocent carefree tunes of Ordon became the full-fledged Overworld theme by the game's end credits.

[Rheks]

He was a crap villian in my opinion, he was a ***. He didn't seem very believeable as an enemy.
He was just like Gannons side kick you know, you don't care about it.
It seemed like he didn't even play such a big role even if he was, It didn't feel like it.
I wasn't thinking, Zant's the evil guy in this game, I was thinking Gannon was, and Zant was just some Sidekick who didn't matter.

[Zeruda]

I took this as being the point they were trying to convey though. Zant had an edge over Link earlier in the game because of his transformation into a wolf. He treated Link as some kind of pathetic peon that was almost not worth his time and effort. When he saw him again in the Arbiter's Grounds, he realized that there was probably more to this individual then there seemed. He was gaining strength and determination, but he was still brushed off as not much of a threat.

By the end of the game though, Link surpassed Zant in the realm of potential and he upstaged him in both skill and maturity. That's why I enjoyed the fight so much because Zant began it with calm composure. As the fight progressed, he became increasingly aware that he underestimated Link, and began to panic and lose his concentration. His attacks became more desperate and uncalculated. By last moments of the fight, he had entirely lost it and was reduced to throwing another temper tantrum. He howled and waved his arms aroudn frantically in a desperate last attempt to win.

So, in all of this, it was shown that Link, even in being younger and more inexperienced was the better man of the two, and came out of the entire ordeal as the victor.

I don't think this was a random, non-thought-out idea as well, because even if you listen to the progression of Zant's theme music throughout the game, it increasingly becomes more frantic and disjointed. By the last time you hear his theme in the last segment of the fight with Zant, it's barely even music. It's as if someone fast-forwarded music and was playing with an old record player speed dial to try and get the proper speed down unsuccessfully. Obviously there was discussion between the designers and the composers about Zant's arc, and his descent from dignified composure to raving lunatic whereas Link's themes from the innocent carefree tunes of Ordon became the full-fledged Overworld theme by the game's end credits.
Which is exactly what I didn't like. Regardless of Link being the victorious hero, he shouldn't be more mature than the villain at hand, at least not in my own opinion. Miyamoto wanted his design to appear young (he rejected a design where Link appeared too mature), and so I'm sure that while he intended for Link to be heroic, I don't think he wanted Link to come off as Mr. Maturity. He's supposed to be a young hero. While young heroes aren't as goofy as the Link portrayed in the Zelda cartoons, they still lack some maturity and maintain a youthful demeanor.

The great thing about Ganondorf is that regardless of being foiled over and over again, he maintains a sense of dignity. Zant did not. Perhaps (more than likely, actually) that was on purpose- maybe to contrast with the list of villains to date. Regardless, my own thoughts on Zant... I find him to be silly and unimpressive.

[Twilight Prince]

I liked Zant, I was so happy when I found out that there was going to be more then just Ganon. Zant was a fun person to fight! I loved the challenge, and the fact that it was not the same ole thing, as all the other Zelda games that I have played!

[Werewolfy]

Zant had a lot of character potential. I really liked him throughout the game. He seemed to have power, motive, and even seemed to be truly evil. Never in a million years would I have imagined Nintendo messing a character as wonderful as Zant up in the end! Yet, they did it, and it didn't take much. He was an overly-dependent, whiny brat in the end! He could not have turned out worse than he did! He seemed awesome, until you met up with him again for what seemed to be the final encounter. Then, he revealed everything, which ruined him completely!

Ganondorf just seemed tacked-on at the end. I mean, we had no idea that he was even in the game until Zant revealed it. Nintendo seemed to put him in there for the sake of having him in the game. I don't know why, I don't know what on earth they thought would be achieved by this, and I certainly don't know who's brilliant idea it was. But one thing I do know is this: it was a terrible idea, and I hope Nintendo learned something valuable about character development from it.

[Clucluclu]

I thought that Zant was probably the coolest villian ever (especially in the scene after Lakebed Temple), but after seeing his face, he seemed kinda lame. I wish they would have made his face as scary as it apeared in the cutscene where you could only see hihs jaw and mouth.

[ironknuckle1]

I feel the exact same way because I thought there would be more to him but when he showed his face and told his story there was no more mystery to him unlike other villains. and his fighting style was awful.

[Link Master]

Zant was a very strange person for a long time and in the end he just gives up. Now one thing strange in the end of the game is that Zant or someone else. I also liked Zant because he makes you think he is the final boss. This is just me.

[Dungeon killer]

I thought that Zant was more a minion and power source for Ganondorf, He played his part well and made him seem like the main villain, he was dark cool menacing and like most villians was a ruler, but in the end he was a just a piece of trash to Ganondorf after he served his purpose. Just like all the other villains, but when Zant turned on Ganondorf and helped in stopping his reign of terror, he became a double-agent.

He was a great add on character and was one of my personal favorites but the way Ganondorf treated him and other villains makes me mad.

Ganondorf you suck and you deserve to be punished for good!

[Linky]

Zant is my favorite villian of all time. He was just epic and that weird shreik that he makes everytime it shows his mask/face (or whatever it is) probably the most epic sound I've ever heard in my life and nothing will ever go past it. Only I still like Ganondorf as the main antagonist because..I dont know it would just seem weird as Zant being the main villian and the last fight. Also the way he walks is just cool, the way you don't see his hands and his robes cover his arms and chest and he strides slow and evil-like. That would be awesome if a similar character to Zant returned in Zelda Wii, but then again that wouldn't be so good because it's best to keep an epic villian in only one game (not including Ganondorf)

[JosephII]

I will be honest. When I first saw Zant, I was pretty stoked. I mean, a new Villain? That was great I thought. I thought it was going to change it up. The first scene he appears in is kind of a B.A. scene in my opinion. But then, it goes sour. It just turns out that Zant is a little... B. Not only do we find out that Zant is a total wussy, but who is controlling him? Ganondorf? AWE SHOOT. I was basically thinking "uhhhh really?" I thought they could do better than that. I hope he does not make a return in Zelda Wii. If he does, I hope they unpussify him. New word, unpussify.

[yann]

Bit of a clown really.

Which in all fairness is a great shame seeing as he started the game as this dude who looked so bad ***.
But, by the time you get to your battle with him, I mean what the hell?
He sounds like a child while he's fighting you, it was at this point, just before you kill him, that I decided that I could no longer take him seriously.

[JosephII]

I decided that I could no longer take him seriously.

That. I don't mind their being a character like that. But with Zant it was just so abrupt and confusing. I didn't think it was really that cool. More or less annoying.

[Dragmire]

i thouht zant was just amazing, for those that read the harry potter books probably realised hes a bit like bellatrix.

anyhow hes one of my favourite villians of all time

[octorok74]

Zant was interesting, yet at the same time he was very confusing. His story as told by himself was excellant and my favorite for I have yet to see Ganondorf pull out a cut scene in order to tell his story. Also, Zant can crack nearly every bone in his body and I want to do that. He was an awesome boss and was so mysterious that his moves confused me a bit. Finally, the way Midna killed him was awesome.

[Hero Of Spirits]

I do like Zant, he was very mysterious when the first cutscene played. Short, Sharp, & Straight to the point. 'Life? Or Death?' And when I reached the boss in the Palace Of Twilight, I had no idea he went THAT nuts. The boss fight was really creative too. lol

[athenian200]

Zant seems very derivative and uninspired. He reminds me of Veran from OoA, and Vaati from the FS/MC games.

I wasn't too surprised that Ganon was controlling him at the end. The way they built him up reminded me a bit too much of Golbez in FF4, who was actually being controlled behind the scenes by Zemus/Zeromus. Difference is, instead of being he main character's brother and not really evil... he's your companion's former jester, and evil in kind of an insane way.

[Kat]

Zant was... indescribable.

All of the other bosses were totally serious. Some people may like that, but Zant... well, let's just say I lost a few times due to the Wii remote falling out of my hands because I was laughing so hard.

His strange sounds, his erratic hand motions; everything about him is just insane. And that's exactly what I like about him. Another thing was the twist of plot. We all were expecting some amazing new villain, and then, boom-- he's just a pawn. Plot twists are my love.

Another thing was the fact that he brought you back to places you fought before-- I thought that was an ingenious idea. I thought I was never gonna see those places again! The battles were actually fairly easy; but, again, Zant made them all the more interesting.

I swear, I think Nintendo designed him to be so funny that you couldn't beat the boos because you were cracking up laughing. I applaud them for succeeding xD

[ThatOneGriffin]

I like psychotic villains. His boss fight was also alot more fun than Ganondorf's, even though it's insultingly easy.

Why wasn't he the main villain again?

[Bigelover88]

The guy was completely crazy! In the beginning he looked like a serious threat but this changed very soon as you enter his Room. He was fun to fight against. My fav battle at the whole game. Even more fun than against Ganondorf. I usually never get attached to fav enemies or sidekicks in games but it would be fun to see him return and hopefully he wouldn't be that crazy but more serious :p