Daily Debate: Why Wasn’t The Boar Specter Design of Calamity Ganon Used In A Boss Fight In Breath Of The Wild?
Posted on August 15 2020 by Sean Gadus
Calamity Ganon is one of the most powerful enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. The villain is an unbridled force of destruction that was able to reshape the world with its malice. In flashback memories from Breath of the Wild, it was revealed that Ganon took control of all of the Guardians and used them to ruthlessly decimate the Kingdom of Hyrule. The Calamity caused the death of the five Champions and engaged in a fierce battle with Princess Zelda. The first design for Calamity Ganon, which was a massive black and red cloud of malice with a boar-shaped head, was featured prominently in marketing material, as well as some key cutscenes. However, when the player finally made the journey to confront the Calamity, the boss design was completely different from the spectral boar design.
With this in mind, why wasn’t the boar specter design used in a boss fight? Clearly, the design team had spent some time thinking about their desired look for Calamity Ganon, because the boar/malice cloud version is featured prominently in early cutscenes and in flashbacks. It would make sense that this design would also be implemented as part of a boss fight or final sequence. However, the two versions that appear are quite different, one being a malice/guardian hybrid and the other being a grounded, slow moving boar.
I personally loved the first design for Calamity Ganon; it made the enemy feel suitably powerful and menacing. I always imagined the massive specter chasing me around the battlements of Hyrule Castle, leaving destruction in its wake. Perhaps the massive enemy would have been too difficult or complicated to bring to life outside of a cutscene or during a boss fight. Regardless, it is still puzzling to me that the designers choose to keep their final design, despite both boss fights having such different impressions from the one seen early in the game.
What do you think? Why wasn’t the boar specter design used in a boss fight? Would you like to see this design return in a sequel to Breath of the Wild? Let us know in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
