WithThe Legend of Zeldarapidly approaching its twentieth release, the franchise has certainly seen a great deal of change over the decades it has been around. From the rapid development of gaming systems themselves, to the ever-evolving gameplay mechanics,The Legend of Zeldacore narrative has stood the test of time and captivated many generations of gamers.
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Few can hear the names Zelda and Link and not immediately think of the iconic, pink-dressed princess and her trusty warrior in his emblematic green tunic. However, they themselves have undergone many makeovers throughout the years – as has the recurring antagonist,Ganon. It’s not just Zelda and Link who deserve attention for their fashion choices, but thenotorious Demon Kingtoo.
8A Link To The Past
Many of the more recentLegend of Zeldafans might be surprised to know that Ganon’s earliest designs portray him as a demonic, blue, pig-like monster. A far cry from the regality seen in more modern iterations, this form of Ganon wears simple gold and red armor and has a large skull on his chest.
TheLink to The Pastversion of Ganon essentially retains his original outfit design and upgrades its clarity with the help of the 16-bit graphics of the SNES console. Though this warrior’s garb is iconic as the antagonist’s original design, it does feel a little simplistic for a character who is supposed to be the franchise’s ultimate evil.
7A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worldsseesa departure from the main formulaas it is the sorcerer Yuga, not Ganon, who is the main antagonist within the game. However, the resemblance between the two is uncanny, and some fans believe that Yuga is simply an alternate humanoid form of Ganondorf. Regardless, Ganon himself still makes an appearance in the game after being revived and possessed by Yuga.
Yuga and Ganon’s outfits both feature similarities depending on which form is taken. Both feature an inverted triforce design on their chest and striped, blue pantaloons. In Ganon form the black tunic is ripped and decayed and only the neckline of the purple cape can be seen. This Ganon iteration also features the iconic red hair that has come to define the character.
6Four Swords Adventures
While still holding to the original Ganon design, theFour Swords Adventuresversion sees a few tweaks to Ganon’s outfit that begin to pave the way for the modern versions. Along with an increase in overall size that becomes a typical feature of the character, thisZeldagame introduces a sense of royalty into the design.
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Rather than the original red and gold barbarian’s outfit, this Ganon is outfitted with a flowing royal-purple cape, golden breastplate, and what appears to be golden pteruges forming a battle skirt reminiscent of the gladiators. ManyZeldafans agree that this version of Ganon is rather underrated, as it paved the way for the darker and more menacing Ganon seen in recent games.
5Skyward Sword
Though not technically a version of Ganon in the strictest sense, the antagonist ofSkyward Sword,Demise, is where Hyrule’scurse of reincarnating darknesstruly began. This villain is essentially the origin point of all Ganons and Gandondorfs to come, as it spawns the hatred the ensures the continuation of the cycle.
The character’s overall design is probably one of the most unique in the series, as is its outfit. Or, rather, lack thereof. This form of Ganon dons nothing but a long flowing skirt made of black and gold fabric held up by a brass belt. Though memorable and unique, this scaly villain certainly has some untapped potential in the fashion department.
4Ocarina Of Time
As the first game to officiallyintroduce the Ganon/Ganondorfdichotomy,Ocarina of Timemakes several changes to Ganon’s outfit that have heavily influenced successive games. Ganondorf, the humanoid Gerudo form of the character, is depicted as having dark green skin, flaming red hair, and menacing yellow eyes.
Living up to his King of Thieves moniker, this iteration of Ganondorf wears a jeweled headpiece and a long regal cape. The cape itself is red and gold which gives a nod to the color palette of his original design. The rest of his outfit is comprised of skintight armor pieces in black and brown with thick, patterned fabric wrapped around his forearms and calves. It’s the first timeZeldaplayers see this royal warrior silhouette and is certainly a successful beginning to this new style.
3Wind Waker
With its unique andiconic art style,Wind Wakeris one of the more popular games in the series. Despite its cartoonish design, the game still manages to present Ganondorf as a threatening and malicious evil. LikeSkyward Sword, this version of Ganondorf has his own style that hasn’t been replicated since.
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Ganon in this game appears more scholarly than warrior. His long, flowing robes are black and gold, and he has a deep red tunic around his middle. The design of this outfit borrows some elements of Japanese kimono design and twists them into something uniquely Hylian. As a result, this outfit is certainly one of Ganon’s best.
2Hyrule Warriors
As a uniquehack-and-slash spinoff of the series, it’s no surprise thatHyrule Warriorsdraws on many different inspirations for their version of Ganon in the game. Taking on his humanoid Ganondorf from, this iteration of the character combines some of the most successful elements of past outfits into one terrifying and awe-inspiring form.
This heavily armored Ganon features his signature jeweled crown with the addition of menacing golden spikes poking from his long mane of fiery hair. His breastplate, pteruges, and boots are all dark blue metal edged in gold. He has prominent golden gauntlets and wears simple brown underclothes edged in fur. This outfit carries all the regality of the character whilst still paying homage to his fierce warrior nature.
1Twilight Princess
Twilight Princessdoes many things right with its designs, which is why it has become a fan favorite entry in the series. As the name suggests, this game featured a darker turn than many of itsZeldacounterparts. But despite its darkness, this game features perhaps themost iconic designsfor many of its central characters.
This version of Ganondorf took all the successful elements of other designs and ramped them up to eleven, giving players a mysterious and menacing Dark Lord. His black and gold armor with its rich embellishments and intricate design oozes wealth, power, and evil. Even without his beastly Ganon form, this iteration strikes fear into the heart of his enemies and is truly the most iconic outfit of them all.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis scheduled to release on May 12 on Nintendo Switch.
