I’ve been playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom recently, and while I know that the game has been out for a while already, I also know that I tend to join things a little later than most, so I’m kind of like Link sleeping for a 100 years after being defeated prior to the adventure in Breath of the Wild.
Tears of the Kingdom has been discussed at great length so far, and with good reason. It is a beautiful, exciting, and engaging experience that not only managed to single-handedly re-ignite my passion for gaming, but also show me something in its narrative that I now keep in my heart as one of the finest examples of that go-getter attitude we hear so much about these days.
Ganondorf (the bad guy in the Zelda series, if you share square footage of the rock I live under) is an evil SOB, no doubt about that; and while his determination is never questioned given that he manages to wreak havoc and basically affect the lives of every single inhabitant of Hyrule in mere minutes after his return, there’s something else that sometimes goes overlooked, and it is something that is directly stated in Tears of The Kingdom: his commitment.
In the game, part of the lore (major Spoilers ahead) follows the concept of The Sages, who were powerful people with great powers that were enhanced by Rauru, the King of Hyrule, using special items known as “Secret Stones.”
The lore also stipulates that these stones don’t actually give people any special abilities, but they do enhance those already within a person, and if those stones happen to be eaten (yes, actually gulped down into the wielder’s tummy) their raw power will awaken, transforming their consumers into an immortal dragon at the cost of losing themselves in the process.
This is important, and what brings us to the prime meat of this whole rant about The Demon King’s commitment, because it is established in Tears of the Kingdom’s story that my man Ganondorf is such a badass that Rauru, his wife Sonia, all the Sages and even an out of time Princess Zelda, all combining their power, couldn’t even tickle him a little once he reached his full power.
They tried to destroy him and failed miserably, only being able to freeze him in time until a warrior capable of defeating him appeared, and even that plan required Rauru to give his life to buy the good guys a few centuries until Link showed up at the party.
Ganondorf hears this promise of a powerful warrior who will do what the Sages of his time couldn’t, and he expresses excitement at the prospect of going toe to toe against Link, only to be disappointed upon first meeting him and realizing he is still not ready to face him, which is how the whole adventure for Link begins in this installment.
As the events of the game progress and Link gains strength, he’s finally ready to fight Ganondorf; and when he does, this being of pure evil welcomes their encounter, and when they fight, the Demon King sees that Link has the possibility to defeat him and stop him from destroying Hyrule.
That’s when he makes a rash but extraordinary decision that perfectly encompasses his dedication to his goal.
At this point, Ganondorf already knows he can win, he has done so before, so it’s just a matter of time. Now there’s only Link standing in his way, so defeating him becomes a priority, which is where my favorite part comes in.
Ganondorf is so hell-bent on winning that, when Link starts getting the upper hand, this terrible monster decides to eat the Secret Stone he stole from Sonia, Rauru’s wife and Queen of Hyrule, to transform into an immortal being of pure evil.
At this point, it is perfectly clear that he knows what he is doing, and the price he will pay. In the cutscene where this happens, Ganondorf even tells Link: “My body… My mind… Everything! I’ll sacrifice it all to destroy you… and cast this world into eternal night!” which is the moment, the perfect example of how loyal to his goal he truly is. He knows he only needs to get rid of Link and Hyrule will once again fall, so focusing on anything else is pointless. Link is his one and only real obstacle.
In the end, Ganondorf proves that he was willing to sacrifice his own sense of self, everything that’s special about him, including his whole life, memories, and essence just to beat Link and conquer all. It is a last resort, and with it he proves to the world that, no matter what goal he sets for himself, there’s no line he won’t cross if it means success, and that’s a strangely motivating concept coming from a villain like him. It shows that he will do whatever it takes, even if it is insane (and even if it ends up destroying him), and that’s what makes him so dangerous.
This is the true power of the Demon King, and perhaps the only redeemable quality in the character. It is such an amazing moment that it even got me thinking of all the times I quit on something because it was raining, or because I was a little sleepy, and here’s this guy willing to lose himself to achieve his goal.
In a twisted way, there’s something inspiring in that last effort, and maybe if the goal is good, pulling out all the stops isn’t such a bad thing, even if it means great sacrifice, as long as it results in a noble dream coming true.
Who would have thought the Demon King would be the one teaching me that lesson?
Author: James Stark, AAA’s in-house video game journalist.
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