The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has become the fastest-selling game of its franchise, likely due in big part to the return of Ganondorf. The evil king has appeared in many of the notable Legend of Zelda titles since the NES original, evolving with the franchise. Throughout releases, Ganondorf is reincarnated time and time again into various different forms.
Ganondorf sometimes appears as a giant porcine monster, but he’s known for his humanoid iterations that served as intimidating villains throughout Link’s famous adventures. Each version of Ganondorf has its own identity, but some rise above the rest.
How Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Boss Fights Compare to Elden Ring
D Tier
- Ganondorf (Hyrule Warriors)
A Zelda spin-off is a low-hanging fruit, but it's a unique look for Ganondorf made just for Hyrule Warriors. This design combines details from his other iterations into a homogenized look that loses some of the character of its inspirations. This marks a rare appearance as a playable character, but still pales in comparison to his iconic appearances. As the bottom tier of Ganondorf, it shows how impressive the others are.
C Tier
- Demise (Skyward Sword)
Controversial since Demise isn't named Ganondorf, but he is the evil entity that created Ganondorf’s legacy in the future. The antagonist of the prequel entry Skyward Sword, Demise is the most intimidating and godlike iteration. What keeps him lower on the ranking, besides his dubious status as a Ganondorf, is his lack of presence until the end. Until then, he is encountered as a meandering boss called The Imprisoned, who resembles more of an evil avocado than the “source of all monsters”.
B Tier
- Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)
Ocarina of Time’s incarnation is significant because this was the character’s first appearance as a Gerudo. Before this game, he was simply the pig monster known as Ganon and lacked the striking characterization that debuted here. This is when he became the “King of Evil” and rose to fill a real role in the narrative rather than just gameplay. He is a cunning schemer that manipulates Link, always seeming to be one step ahead of the player as his plans succeed and the world becomes darker. This is a legendary character, and he’s only in B-tier because this version was the foundation for his absolute best appearances.
A Tier
- Ganondorf (The Wind Waker)
The choice to flip the entire Zelda series on its head by boldly diving into Wind Waker's cel-shaded art style was an extremely controversial decision. Despite the cuteness of the world, however, this game offered one of the most developed and unique interpretations of Ganondorf ever. Gone is the armor and muscle of past iterations, as this Ganondorf leans heavily into his identity as a warlock, appearing regal and aged in his long-sleeved robe. What truly makes him memorable here is his intense, terraforming motivation for his actions this time around.
- Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)
Likely the darkest version of Ganondorf and technically the same character as in his Ocarina of Time appearance, this version of him feels like all of his darkness has been cranked up to match the new world. A master manipulator of the Twilight Realm this time around, this Ganondorf’s importance is felt in his influence over all the other enemies and his intimidating, knightly final battle.
S Tier
- Demon King Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom)
The latest incarnation of Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has leaned into all of his best traits from the series, and combined them into the greatest version yet. With the benefit of being built up in Breath of the Wild, this Ganondorf checks boxes from several other iterations of himself while somehow feeling like a fresh take. He possesses the regal, swordsman qualities of Twilight Princess and Ocarina, the muscle and raw evil of Skyward Sword, and even an evolution of the plotting, robed design from Wind Waker. Combine this with an epic, multi-form final boss battle and the end result is nothing less than the best Ganondorf in the entire Legend of Zelda franchise.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Switch.