The Most Human Ganondorf Has Ever Been

Summary

The video compares different incarnations of Ganondorf across the Zelda timeline and argues that Wind Waker delivers the most “human” version.

Ocarina of Time (baseline template)

• Ganondorf is introduced as a younger, leaner person with a clear drive for power and the Triforce.
• His motivation is fueled by envy of the Hylians.
• The narrator frames this as the template later versions build on: he’s a person first, not just a monstrous archetype.

Twilight Princess (revenge extreme)

• Ganondorf’s motivation shifts toward revenge and domination.
• The video emphasizes his layered backstory:
  • sentenced to execution,
  • survives via the Triforce of Power,
  • banished,
  • then fights back.
• The visuals and multi-stage climax are described as “peak.”
• However, the video notes we still don’t really get inside his head, so he can feel like “evil for evil’s sake.”

Tears of the Kingdom (close match, but narratively thinner)

• This Ganondorf mirrors Ocarina of Time closely: castle infiltration, gaining trust, betraying royalty.
• For the first time since Wind Waker, he feels serious as a character.
• Still, the video criticizes how his true goals and inner desires aren’t shown enough, leading to a familiar “I’m evil because I’m evil” issue.
• The narrator distinguishes between a great villain and a truly profound one.

Wind Waker’s key distinction (why he’s “most human”)

Age and presence

• Unlike the sharp young conqueror look, Wind Waker Ganondorf appears older, broader, and worn.
• He feels like someone who has endured defeat, sealing, and a flooded world.

More than ambition—understanding

• He doesn’t just crave power; he reflects on the Gerudo and their abandonment as Hyrule flourished elsewhere.
• The video stresses that his craving is backed by deeper reasoning.

Philosophical, controlled demeanor

• When Link finds him, Zelda isn’t crystallized—she’s peacefully sleeping.
• Ganondorf speaks almost like a philosopher, referencing vast oceans and “gods” destroying their own people.
• He repeatedly chooses restraint:
  • avoiding opportunities to kill Link,
  • even stating he doesn’t want to kill him—his focus is mainly on power.

Small final human moment

• In his last moments, he doesn’t rage or curse Link.
• Instead, he calmly observes: “The wind. It is blowing.”
• Quietly and reflectively, he acknowledges that his obsession with Hyrule and the wind may have been simpler than he made it.
• His quest fails, leaving his desires unfulfilled.

Empathy as the punchline

• The narrator’s punchline: empathy makes a villain more unsettling.
• Wind Waker earns that empathy by making Ganondorf feel like a tragic, reflective person at the end.

Overall takeaway

The video claims Wind Waker is the only game where Ganondorf’s motivation becomes fully understandable rather than just threatening—making him the most human Ganondorf in the series.

Personalities mentioned

• Link
• Zelda
• Ganondorf
• The sages
• Zant (noted as someone people might expect to be the main villain)