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Is Demon Lord Ghirahim More Intimidating

Musicfan

the shadow mage
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
insanity
Do you think that Demon Lord Ghirahim more then previous boss (not just end game boss) gives you more of that creepy feeling like that he is extremely intimidating
I personalty think so because he looks human and is neither insane(ganondorf in wind waker) or plays a game of dead mans volly (ganondorf from OoT and Tp) . He is calm and collected but has a thirst for blood and just the way he speaks and he catches your sword in between his figures like its nothing was just like O.O . (ive only seen the video of the demo never played it)
 

Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
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He actually catches it between two fingers. Also, he is a little intimidating, despite being so FABULOUS~! He's certainly cocky, and he thinks of you as nothing more than an insignifigant annoyance not really worth his time. In the extended boss battle video, he said that whether Link lives or dies has no consequence to him. So clearly, he doesn't see Link as a threat, just a minor inconvenience. He's obviously powerful, and because of that he could easily kill Link if he so desired. And he knows it. He just doesn't bother to. He's that cocky. That, combined with how calm and collected he was in the fight, adds to his intimidating escence.
 
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Djinn

and Tonic
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Nov 29, 2010
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The Flying Mobile Opression fortress
I think I would have to say no. He is more of an overly cocky, sure of himself, arrogant prick than a real intimidating villain. At least from what I have seen so far. He is certain he can defeat the hero easily enough, very similar to most fairly powerful people who cannot conceive if themselves being defeated. But when he is defeated he still thinks a little highly of himself with little to show for it. Visually I don't think he is as intimidating as Ganondorf or many of the other villains that have appeared in the past. He does not come off as physically powerful, and I have not seen much of his magic other then teleporting. Although he seems to not be too hurt from a sword swing into his chest.

Ganondorf came off as more of a force of nature, anything that was in his path was easily swept aside or overcome. He threatened other deities and required divine intervention to stop on most occasions. Zant had already defeated Hyrule and easily marched into Hyrule castle cursing the entire countryside when Link first leaves the forest. Any time someone or something attempted to stop him he easily defeated them and teleported off. Also you never saw his face until late in the game, he always wore a strange mask hiding all his features adding to the unknown. Vaati was similar in that he could not be defeated by anyone that attempted to stop him. All enemies were brushed aside and turned to stone, he effortlessly breaks the Picori Blade and does generally whatever he wants.

Of course I have not seen all Ghirahim can do other than catch blades, teleport, and conjure tornadoes so there just might be a little more to him that is still unseen.
 

Musicfan

the shadow mage
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Location
insanity
he did seam confident though but the watching the battle and the small cut scene he is actually not just some thing looked in a room like most boss he has more intelligence he had a goal to accomplish they gave him just an personalty that dose make me feel more intimidated the way he phrases things make me intimated
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
I agree that Ghirahim is extremely intimidating. Characters like Ganondorf are portrayed as large, powerful but classy villains. Ganondorf has honor and class, like a high society ***hole knight or king. Ghirahim has been portrayed a bit more like a prince. His ego is inflated, and because of that he dresses in the most valuable jewels and clothes that he can. He struck me as a narcissist; he's in love with himself.

The unfortunate thing about his character is he clearly has power to back up his arrogance. He was incredibly powerful and was only playing around with Link. He's been confirmed now to be only one villain in the game; he has peers. If that's the case, he may only be our first glimpse at the power of he foes Link will face in the game.

I like Ghirahim a lot already. He's powerful, scary, twisted, and violent. He's a bloodthirsty monster with a psychotic personality. I love it! :lol: I won't say he's my favorite villain yet, or that he's more intimidating than other villains, but he's awesome.


Also, he is a little intimidating, despite being so FABULOUS~!
I had a conversation about this with Hanyou on Skype a couple of days ago. Ghirahim wears fancy clothing and clearly moves with grace, so that makes him somewhat effeminate, but as I see it that's only in his appearance. He does not have a feminine personality nor presence. He is a powerful, violent and evil guy. His fancy-pants appearance is a product of his arrogance, but ultimately I see him as a masculine character.


I think I would have to say no. He is more of an overly cocky, sure of himself, arrogant prick than a real intimidating villain. At least from what I have seen so far. He is certain he can defeat the hero easily enough, very similar to most fairly powerful people who cannot conceive if themselves being defeated. But when he is defeated he still thinks a little highly of himself with little to show for it. Visually I don't think he is as intimidating as Ganondorf or many of the other villains that have appeared in the past. He does not come off as physically powerful, and I have not seen much of his magic other then teleporting. Although he seems to not be too hurt from a sword swing into his chest.
He wasn't defeated though. He pulled back because Zelda was gone. Obviously the player won the boss battle, but for all intents and purposes, as far as the story is concerned, he was just done with you. He basically had no issue fighting Link. As you said, he wasn't hurt by sword swings, he showed himself to be easily capable of blocking attacks when he actually tried, and his presence itself was generally dangerous.

Ganondorf came off as more of a force of nature, anything that was in his path was easily swept aside or overcome. He threatened other deities and required divine intervention to stop on most occasions. Zant had already defeated Hyrule and easily marched into Hyrule castle cursing the entire countryside when Link first leaves the forest. Any time someone or something attempted to stop him he easily defeated them and teleported off. Also you never saw his face until late in the game, he always wore a strange mask hiding all his features adding to the unknown. Vaati was similar in that he could not be defeated by anyone that attempted to stop him. All enemies were brushed aside and turned to stone, he effortlessly breaks the Picori Blade and does generally whatever he wants.
The way I see it Ghirahim is probably worse, though. Ghirahim already rules the surface world (or at least a region of it). They've also confirmed that he has a group with him, which strongly supports my theory that they are the Dark Interlopers/Dark Tribe. If that is the case then they are currently seeking the Triforce and are using magic power to achieve their means. The way I see it, this actually makes them slightly more disturbing. Ganondorf is a force of nature, but this group is trying to circumvent nature. They're messing with the natural order. Each individual character may not be quite as tough as Ganondorf, but I think the villains of this game are going to be pretty intimidating.

As for Ghirahim himself, as I've said, he's bloodthirsty and violent. Ganondorf is powerful, yes, but he always had class. In games like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker he openly showed Link and Zelda respect and mercy. Ghirahim does neither. He's looking down on you the entire time, he's brutal and violent, and it seems like his arrogance is at least partially justified by his actual status and power.
 

HappyMaskSlsman

Smilus Creepus
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Location
It's a Secret to Everybody
I would have to agree that "intimidating" truly isn't the best word for him. He seems far too humanlike, taking away any aspect of true surprise. Though I wouldn't call Ganondorf intimidating either, one at least got the sense that he was quite powerful. Ghirahim seems to be almost pawnlike- one who has sufficient power, but would use them to carry out the work of a greater being. He would serve as a rival to Link, always being a touch stronger, until they finally meet soon before the actual final boss is fought. He would act a slightly more frequent Agahnim sort of character. However, this does not seem to be the path Nintendo is taking with him.
I, personally, would love to have him as a "Kefka-like" villain (which I hope is what is actually happening). When we first encounter him, he is slightly stronger than Link, but only chooses to toy with him. As the game progresses, we witness him grow stronger with each meeting. Finally, he becomes overpowered, serving as the final boss (in a manner similar to Vaati). (I could see either villain model working).
Either way, I enjoy what we've seen of Ghirahim. He seems like the sort of character I would invent for a fan series. I've alway enjoyed the insane villain characters (the clownlike appearance suits him), as they will often take great lengths to ensure that they obtain the power that they need. He salready looks like a fusion of Kefka and Vaati, why not follow that character model? Do I hope our friendly neighborhood Ganondorf will appear? We've seen our fair share of him, but an indirect referance would be nice.
I've strayed off topic. Overall, I wouldn't call him more intimidating than a characters such as Ganondorf, but he most certainly has potential to be just as evil. Ganon's certainly more of a corrupt god, while I would, right now, throw LG under ther "Zant" category.
 

NorthApple

GIVE ME THE APPLE!!
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UK :D
Watching the footage of the fight, he reminded me rather strongly of Zant... both had a ridiculous outfit, loved to abuse their teleportation ability, and in both cases you get the impression they might just snap at any moment and reveal what's hidden beneath that relatively calm exterior (and the impression that then you'd really be screwed). I guess the latter could potentially make Ghirahim fairly intimidating to some... but I just can't get over the outfit and the rest of his demeanour. From what we have to go off so far, I don't actually find him intimidating in the slightest XD He's too ridiculous to be scary XD

As Djinn said, he isn't a particularly big guy... and if the villain appears huge and looming, then they're sort of naturally more intimidating simply because of their size... we tend to associate size with power, and we also know something bigger than you tends to be a lot stronger and therefore more difficult to fight, making them more intimidating (even Zant capitalised on this- the big pointy helmet made him seem bigger and more beast-like than he actually was). However, as some other villains (the Joker springs to mind here) have demonstrated, it is possible to make up for this in sheer creepiness/insanity, to the point where the player/viewer feels uncomfortable and in the line of fire of the madness/violence themselves, and thus finds the villain intimidating. Ghirahim could potentially become the latter, what with all the bloodlust mentions and displays of strength, and I'm pretty happy Nintendo seems to be trying to go this route... it provides a nice contrast to Ganondorf (as well as the fact he's dressed mostly in white, which again makes a nice change from what you expect a villian to wear.)

Villains such as Ganondorf also remain rather aloof and untouchable... they become more like the monster you know is lurking in the shadows but that you are no way strong enough to reach until the end of the game... and if you tried before hand, you know you'd be destroyed. I get the impression Ghirahim might pop up a lot throughout the game (again, rather Zant-ish) which means he'll become fairly familiar and that takes away some of the mystery to him, which might have made him more intimidating. Though I guess he could always make up for that by beating you to within an inch of your life every time and putting up a really hard fight... just speculation though :3

However, as I said, so far he's falling short of the "so creepy he's intimidating" mark for me and he's currently somewhere in the "so fabulous he's hilarious" villainous catchment XD
 
Joined
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I would have to agree that "intimidating" truly isn't the best word for him. He seems far too humanlike, taking away any aspect of true surprise. Though I wouldn't call Ganondorf intimidating either, one at least got the sense that he was quite powerful.

Either way, I enjoy what we've seen of Ghirahim. He seems like the sort of character I would invent for a fan series. I've alway enjoyed the insane villain characters (the clownlike appearance suits him), as they will often take great lengths to ensure that they obtain the power that they need. He salready looks like a fusion of Kefka and Vaati, why not follow that character model? Do I hope our friendly neighborhood Ganondorf will appear? We've seen our fair share of him, but an indirect referance would be nice.
Humanoid appearance isn't contrary to intimidating; humans can be intimidating. Surprising and intimidating also do not correlate. Perhaps this is up to opinion, but I would call both Ganondorf and Ghirahim intimidating according to the exact definition of the word. At the very least that is the intention of their presence within their story, even if the player does not feel it.

Good point on the clownlike appearance though. Another aspect of Ghirahim that reminds me of Majora, I suppose. As for him serving a role like Kefka, I dunno. That could be interesting.


Watching the footage of the fight, he reminded me rather strongly of Zant... both had a ridiculous outfit, loved to abuse their teleportation ability, and in both cases you get the impression they might just snap at any moment and reveal what's hidden beneath that relatively calm exterior (and the impression that then you'd really be screwed). I guess the latter could potentially make Ghirahim fairly intimidating to some... but I just can't get over the outfit and the rest of his demeanour. From what we have to go off so far, I don't actually find him intimidating in the slightest XD He's too ridiculous to be scary XD
He reminds me a lot of Zant too, although so far it seems like he's a better version. The attitude we saw from him in the pre-fight cutscene seems like a combination of early Zant and later Zant. That is, a combination of the scary composed Zant and the insane psychotic one. He has the composed presence but also the wild murderer aspect. I think this'll help him to not fall into the same problems as Zant did.


As Djinn said, he isn't a particularly big guy... and if the villain appears huge and looming, then they're sort of naturally more intimidating simply because of their size... we tend to associate size with power, and we also know something bigger than you tends to be a lot stronger and therefore more difficult to fight, making them more intimidating (even Zant capitalised on this- the big pointy helmet made him seem bigger and more beast-like than he actually was). However, as some other villains (the Joker springs to mind here) have demonstrated, it is possible to make up for this in sheer creepiness/insanity, to the point where the player/viewer feels uncomfortable and in the line of fire of the madness/violence themselves, and thus finds the villain intimidating. Ghirahim could potentially become the latter, what with all the bloodlust mentions and displays of strength, and I'm pretty happy Nintendo seems to be trying to go this route... it provides a nice contrast to Ganondorf (as well as the fact he's dressed mostly in white, which again makes a nice change from what you expect a villian to wear.)
I actually thought Ghirahim looked pretty big. He's much taller than Link without any helmet. Either way, I agree he's intended to serve a role somewhat like the Joker, with the exception that I still don't think he will be the ultimate villain in the end.

As for the colors, you have a point there. Either way, TVTrope's description with Silver is perfect, as it indicates "wealth and arrogance". :bleh: Same with Purple, and even White. :3
 
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Ghirahim is pretty intimidating, but probably because he's an insane, bloodthirsty...person? (he may not even be human, between that long tongue and Demon Lord Ghirahim) Plus, this guy reminds me of the somewhat scary insane characters some of us have seen. Either hungry for absolute power (Zant and some Ganon[dorf]s) or wishing the complete destruction of the world (Majora and Sephiran from some Fire Emblem Games) And haven't those characters won fame and respect among many gamers? I think this is what Nintendo is trying to make Ghirahim. A bloodthirsty, insane character with loads of power who isn't so much intimidating as downright scary and creepy.
 

HappyMaskSlsman

Smilus Creepus
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I suppose it was the wrong wording when I said "surprise". What I meant is, when we see him, his appearance really doesn't scare us. He looks far too much like an average Hylian with far too much makeup and rather large eyes. His build is not daunting, and his manner does not strike fear into us. At no point in the fight is it fully implied (even with the iconic "sword grab") that we are in over our heads, and from the beginning, we still get the sense that we can take him. Yes, his display of might does leave us feeling that there is far more to him than we think, but it never causes outright fear. His overconfident personality is a very human characteristic that may cause the player to feel they are about to face a cocky rival, rather than a demon lord. He is definately a disturbing character, but I would not necessarily slap "intimidating" as the first adjective onto him.
Despite all of this, I certainly love the way this new villain has been portrayed. Rather than flaunt his might, showing all his brute force at once, he is crafty, hiding away a great deal of his apparent power.
Yes, fear is subjective, but does Ghirahim truly come across as "intimidating"? I suppose it depends on the person. Perhaps he will later in the game, as I deem it may be slightly too early to judge yet.
 

Musicfan

the shadow mage
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insanity
i see what you are saying happy mak sales men ok think of it like this ok a short wealthy corrupt guy could if you do some thing he dosnt like could hire more corrupt people to kill you i would be intimidated by that person (so build dosnt mater and species dose not matter to me.) people dont have to scare you for you to be intimidated by them
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
I see what you're saying HMS. I also am not vaguely intimidated by him. Thing is I think it would be hard for a real person to be legitimately intimidated by something from inside a video game. Even many scary moments in video games in general or specifically Zelda do not scare me, like ReDeads for example. I don't think this changes the fact that the character's design and the way they are written are supposed to convey an intimidating and/or scary presence. Whether or not you believe that's the original intention is of course up to debate. :bleh:
 

Cuju

私はカウントダウンを実行します。
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From what we've seen about this new character, wich is not much, we have a good idea about his personality. He is cocky, calm, angry, disturbing, and FABULOUS! I really like him overall, I think he is incredibly imposing and menacing, without being violent or aggresive...

Debbie is shaping up to be quite the FABULOUS villain, and I think he is a million times better than Zant, as a villain that is. I hope he gets the spotlight in this game, and that Ganondork doesn't come in and steal the moment...
 

HappyMaskSlsman

Smilus Creepus
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I would not expect anyone to to be frightened by the game itself (I would certainly hope no one cowers before the might of the Wii's green glow). I do have no doubt that he was designed to be an intimidating character, as are most villains. However, from what I've seen of him, this is not necessarily being conveyed. The question posed was "is he more intimidating (than, per say, Ganondorf)" I would say no, judged on both personality and physical features. Even so, were I Link (I dream harbored by many a Zelda fan), I would certainly not react to Ghirahim in the same way as I would to Zant (who, early in the game, is a nearly silent daunting figure) or King Dodongo (whom I cannot wait to bomb).
Standing by my "Kefka" approach to him, I'd say that in the demo he is still in his "early Kefka" phase. He shows potential for great power, though, at present, only comes across as an almost comical nut.

Musicfan, your point is taken, but in your example, the character (being the wealthy man) has taken steps to kill you, who are entirely helpless as he is out of reach. Ghirahim does not come across as invincible, and is quite tangible. He also (hopefully) instantly deal a significant amount of damage to the player. When I said his appearance carries no apparent intimidation, that was not my only arguement, but merely a "strike one" against him.

Either way, this is the beauty of a debate. I certainly do hope that the Demon Lord comes across as intimidating later in the game, but at present, I feel this quality to not entirely be portrayed.
 

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