Ganondorf, king of evil and newly anointed super hunk, returns The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The villain last appeared in a game about 17 years ago The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Now he’s reborn – more hydrated than ever – and ready to take on Link and his friends for some time to come Breath of the Wild follow-up.
However, his return raises general questions about his character. Those who played The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild could rightly point out that Ganon appears as the game’s final boss, both as Calamity Ganon and Dark Beast Ganon. However, Ganon is not (quite) the same as Ganondorf – so here’s the difference between the two terms, explained.
What is the difference between Ganon and Ganondorf?
It’s very simple: Ganon is used to refer to the villain’s beast form and Ganondorf is used to refer to his human Gerudo form. That is it!
The distinction between the two is confirmed in The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia entry for Ganondorf. The writers discuss the first time we see Ganondorf’s Ganon form The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The book says, “In battling Link for the other two pieces, Ganondorf tested the limits of his Triforce of Power and transformed into a demon in the form of the Dark Beast, Ganon.”
Throughout the franchise’s history, Ganondorf has had many forms as Ganon. His transformation often looks like a beast resembling a pig, and generally has a beastly quality to it. Some games portray both Ganon and Ganondorf, while some have only one form. (In Breath of the Wildwe only see Ganon.) They are one and the same – so let’s hope the Ganon form in the Tears of the Kingdom is as hot as his new human form.