Daily Debate: Which Version of Hyrule Was the Most Prepared for Ganon’s Return?
Posted on January 09 2021 by Michaela El-Ters
In Skyward Sword, Demise condemned his future incarnations, along with Link and Zelda’s reincarnations, to be caught in an endless cycle vying for the Triforce. The cyclical nature of their conflict and the stories told about it enable Hyrule to be in a position to fight back — but most of the time, Hyrule and its denizens are caught off guard by Ganon’s return. In some installments, like The Wind Waker, an ominous wind foreshadows his return, and in Ocarina of Time, Link and Zelda both have dreams and visions of Ganondorf. But Hyrule’s preparedness for Ganon’s inevitable return has varied, and most of the time, Ganon is able to wreak havoc with little pushback.
So that begs the question then: has Hyrule ever been prepared for this inevitable battle between good and evil? There is one case I can point to where they are “prepared” — at least, as well as they can be. In Breath of the Wild, they acquire the stories and technology from the previous battle with Calamity Ganon 10,000 years prior. In this case, the King of Hyrule, Zelda, Impa, and the Champions can prepare for the battle ahead. From the Champions becoming pilots of their Divine Beasts, to Zelda researching the Guardians and traveling to unlock her sealing powers, Hyrule as a whole took the precautions necessary to fight back when the time comes. Unfortunately, as prepared as they were, Calamity Ganon still overtook Hyrule and wreaked havoc for hundreds of years. Still, especially in light of Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, I think they deserve props for understanding what was at stake and doing everything in their power to ensure their victory. So what do you think? Is there any version of Hyrule that was most prepared for the return of Ganon? Let us know in the comments!
This Daily Debate was inspired by Kristen G. Rosario
Michaela El-Ters is a Senior Editor for Zelda Dungeon. She is also an Senior Writer for Boss Rush Network, and writes blogs and streams games on Objection Network. Her favorite Zelda game changes with the seasons, but the series as a whole is near and dear to her heart.
