Daily Debate: Do You Empathize With Ganondorf in The Wind Waker?
Posted on August 22 2023 by Connor Butler
In The Wind Waker, we are reintroduced to the Great King of Evil as Ganondorf tries once again to destroy / take over Hyrule. As you progress throughout the game, it is revealed that this is no descendant of the Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time — the two of them are the exact same person! His actions, as well as the damage he does to the people upon the Great Sea make you kind of hate the Gerudo King. He is the Demon King, after all. However, once you finally get to the last phase of the boss fight, you meet with the man himself face to face, and he delivers this quote:
“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.”
This quote always made me think a little bit. As a lover of poetry and literature, the writing is brilliant. It shows us that the Great Ganondorf isn’t all brawn and no brains. He’s a smart leader, and he’s got a way with words. This speech in particular though, makes you think. He felt as if the world was doing his people wrong, and as King, it was his responsibility to fix it. He saw the golden land of Hyrule as an opportunity for the Gerudo to thrive. This speech changes his character a little bit. In my opinion, this version of Ganondorf holds the most emotional weight of any of the other editions in the franchise. He’s deep, and there’s a story behind his actions. He’s not “just evil”. He’s more than that. It’s his desire to get precisely what he wants; however, that makes him so terrifying in this game.
But what do you think? Does Ganondorf’s speech in The Wind Waker make you feel a little bad for him? Or do you think it’s another attempt to get the hero to drop his guard? Let us know in the comments below!
Connor is an avid Zelda fan and Musician currently obtaining his degree in percussion performance from Western Carolina University. His favorite game in the Zelda franchise is a toss up between Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time, but he has a soft spot for the Wind Waker.
