The recent reveal of the fully revitalized Ganondorf inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas resulted in an impressive fan reaction. With players focusing on everything from details that call back to previous games, to completely ogling over the thirst-trap that is “rehydrated” Ganondorf, thefinalTears of the Kingdomtrailerhas given fans plenty to discuss.This new version of Ganondorf could leaveZelda: Tears of the Kingdomwith a unique dilemma as players approach an inevitable confrontation with the series' iconic villain. Namely, it could be difficult to justify wanting to stab the Master Sword into this Ganondorf’s chest when many players seem more interested in asking him out for a night on the town.RELATED:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom May Conversely be Link’s Least Lonely Adventure Yet
Rehydrated Ganondorf is Drawing a Different Kind of Attention
It isn’t uncommon for a gameas anticipated asTears of the Kingdomto spawn a considerable amount of art, theories, and other creative content from fans. However, in the case of this so-called rehydrated Ganondorf, the reveal of his new look has gone above and beyond to inspire artwork. The theme of a lot of these pieces is how strong Ganondorf’s design looks, thanks to his samurai-styled outfit with a single shoulder out in the open and muscles on full display.
Thehistory of Ganondorf in otherLegend of Zeldagameshas often given the iconic villain plenty of charisma, which is typically used to goad the heroes and show off how bad Hyrule would be under his rule. So, the reveal ofTears of the Kingdom’s Ganondorf having Matthew Mercer provide a chilling voice is on-par with the history of the character. Still, even for a character meant to be the charismatic balance to the more animalistic Ganon personality, this new design is by far the easiest he’s ever been on the eyes.
Some might argue rehydrated Ganondorf would almost fit better as a romance option in a visual novel rather than the antagonist of an open-world Nintendo title. He’s handsome, confident, and had previously harnessed the power of malice in order to terrorize Hyrule while still sealed under an ancient, magical seal. With everything going for him,Tears of the Kingdomcould present a great opportunity for future meme games akin to theLoverwatchdating simulation visual novel.
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Ganondorf Will Still Have to Be Defeated in Tears of the kingdom
Given Ganondorf’s past relationships to Link, Zelda, andSkyward Sword’s Demise, there is no avoiding a confrontation with the villain at some point. In order to see those credits roll and possible save the Princess, Ganondorf is most certainly going to have to be fought. Still, that won’t necessarily make running into the fight easy for fans that have been falling head-over-heels for this new look and the clips heard with Matthew Mercer’s performance so far.
However, on the other end of that conflict, the design of this Ganondorf does also imply that he might offer a better final fight than Calamity Ganon inBreath of the Wild. The more humanoid design and specifics of Ganondorf’s weapons could be pointing at a more complex final encounter, as well as during thewar raging throughoutTears of the Kingdom’s storyline. The fight itself will likely be quite the spectacle, especially if players have to really focus on Ganondorf and the motion of his body to make it through the fight alive. It’s a sad fate for the charismatic hunk, but Ganondorf’s last dance should at least be fun while it lasts.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release on July 03, 2025, for Switch.
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