Zelda Dungeon Talks: What Does The Inclusion Of Antagonists Other Than Ganondorf Add To The Series?
Posted on July 07 2015 by Josh Tasaico
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Most of the time when a new Zelda game is released, we get an exciting and fresh experience. Ganondorf is the main antagonist of the Zelda universe and is featured in almost all the Zelda games. While he does look different most of the time, sometimes we can find him to be a bit of a stale character. Now us fans aren’t sick of him, the Zelda franchise wouldn’t be the same without him, but sometimes we need a bit of a change. Thankfully, Nintendo provides us with a bit of variety every now and then. Vaati was introduced in The Minish Cap and has been featured in a total of three Zelda games. Ghirahim was introduced in Skyward Sword and his strange and interesting personality really added something special to that game. Same thing goes with Zant from Twilight Princess, Majora from Majora’s Mask and Yuga from A Link Between Worlds. We also seem to forget Onox and Veran from the oracle games, Dethl from Link’s Awakening, Bellum from Phantom Hourglass and Malladus from Spirit Tracks. All this variety added something special to these games, but what exactly?
In this week’s Zelda Dungeon Talks, various staff members will share with us their opinion on antagonist variety and what it adds to the Zelda series. In the upcoming Zelda Dungeon Talks we will again be using reader responses as a way to show that we value your opinion. Here is the question for next week: What element from a past Zelda game would you like to see in Zelda Wii U? Send your responses in to zeldadungeontalks@gmail.com, if you didn’t get your response featured last week send in a new response and you might get featured next week. Now without further delay, here is this week’s Zelda Dungeon Talks!
Question: Do you think that the inclusion of antagonists other than Ganondorf adds something to the series? If so, what does it add?
Jon Lett – View Profile
In a classic series like Zelda, there is something to be said about variety. Nintendo is not known for their wide range of character design, but that is a real shame, because when a core Nintendo series, including Zelda, has a new and different villain once in a while, it often turns out great. I’m not entirely sick of Ganon, but I miss Vaati. I appreciate the persona of Ghirahim. I appreciated the simple but creative character of Yuga. Nintendo should step outside of their habits more when it comes to antagonists in Zelda, as it would add more variety to their new games, and it would make returning to Ganon later a more fun experience.
Josh Tasaico – View Profile
I believe that having an antagonist other than Ganondorf really adds to the overall experience to a new Zelda game. In Skyward Sword for example, when you first fight Ghirahim you probably won’t have any idea what to do. In previous games when you have fought Ganondorf, you at least have somewhat of an idea when you compare him to the last game he was in. Ghirahim was a fresh, never before seen character which made it exciting to find out what his personality and fighting style was like. Same thing goes with Zant, Yuga and Vaati, the latter who has been used in multiple games. Adding a bit of character variety to a game will improve it, even if it is just by a little bit.
Alasyn Eletha – View Profile
Zelda games have definitely benefited thus far by incorporating antagonists other than Ganon(dorf). I mean, there’s even a sort of cult following for Vaati. Even though a lot of the added villains tend to be puppets used in Ganon’s favor, they still grow on you much like all the other new characters do. For me, Majora’s Mask was something different and intriguing, if not beguiling. Ghirahim always left me with a lot of questions as to what the heck was really going on. Zant was something dark and almost scary, up until I saw his true colors and it was almost the whole Majora’s Mask thing all over again. Thinking about these characters almost makes me forget who the real bad guy is behind it all. Almost.
Alexis Anderson – View Profile
I love Vaati, Majora, and Ghirahim so much. I think I like them because they’re all so characteristically different and have varied reasons for trying to obtain cursed amounts of power. Even Zant I liked, but not as much because he (like Vaati in Four Swords Adventures) ended up being a puppet of Ganondorf. A main antagonist other than the G-man just adds diversity to the games. I feel that Ganondorf never has a good reason for seeking power, like it’s just destiny, so he does it. New antagonists come with colorful backstories or different roles in the prophecy, and it’s refreshing to take a break from the legend or otherwise see it expanded.
Kevin O’Rourke – View Profile
This choice was a toss up between Gyorg and Majora but in terms of how ‘challenging’ a boss is, I’m more inclined to pick Majora because regardless of how many times you’ve played the game, Majora’s Wrath still provides a challenge. It’s all relative in Majora’s Mask if you spent the extra time to get the Great Fairy’s Sword or the Fierce Deity’s mask. If you want a real challenge then face Majora with the Kokiri Sword.
