November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, Ollie recalls how Ganondorf's mysterious introduction is one of the very best in gaming...
It might seem an almost preposterous notion in 2023, but there was once a time when Ganondorf was an unknown quantity in the Zelda universe. Before The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the snout-faced Ganon was — either directly or indirectly — the main villain of the franchise, but for those first couple of hours exploring the new 3D land of Hyrule, we could only guess at who this “wicked man from the desert” was.
The mystery shrouding Ganondorf’s villainous introduction makes it one of the very best in gaming; up there with the likes of Sephiroth, Albert Wesker, and GLaDOS. I’d go so far as to say that subsequent incarnations of Ganondorf have yet to match up to his grand entrance in Ocarina of Time, largely because he’s become such a well-known character.
Think about it: when we all watched that incredible third trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, we gave a hearty cheer when Ganondorf popped up near the end. It was great, but we all knew how the game would play out from that point forward: Big G is back and he’s about to cause some ruckus. We’ve seen it before and it’s why his first appearance back in 1998 was so exceptional; we didn’t know this man or what he was capable of.
We glimpse him almost immediately via an introductory dream sequence, perfectly signposting the grand adventure on which Link would soon embark. Standing outside the gates of Hyrule Castle Town, Link watches as Zelda and Impa ride out into the fields before a dark, imposing figure makes himself known, his horse rearing as lightning strikes. Quick, close-up shots give us a clear image of him, but at this point, we have no idea who he is. And so the game leaves us with this haunting image as Link awakens in the safety of Kokiri Forest.
The character is later mentioned when you complete the game’s first dungeon, with the dying Great Deku Tree referring to him as the “wicked man from the desert.” We see a brief sequence of the villain charging across the screen atop his horse against a backdrop of burning flames and flashing lightning, signifying one thing: this guy means business. By this point, we know that our goal is to collect the Spiritual Stones and prevent him from retrieving the Triforce, but with the Great Deku Tree perishing from a curse inflicted by the wicked man himself, we know we’re going to be in for a rough ride.
It’s not until we meet Zelda for the first time that we come to learn his name. After peeking through a window of Hyrule Castle, we see him, clad in his striking black armour, slowly walking from left to right before bowing to the King. Zelda asks, “Can you see the man with the evil eyes? That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudo.”
Hang on a second… Ganondorf… Ganon… Oh. It immediately becomes clear to players familiar with the games to that point that Ganondorf is not only the newest entry’s 'big bad,' but he’s also connected in some way to the boar-like overarching villain of the series. Oh, biscuits.
Even to players not aware of the link (ha!), the character’s introduction in Ocarina of Time is so well crafted that you simply can’t help but feel trepidation. Up until we learn his name, Ganondorf’s on-screen time amounts to little more than about 20 seconds, yet he’s already managed to kill off the Great Deku Tree. If that's not enough to send a chill through your bones, then I'm not sure what is.
Ocarina of Time's Ganondorf may not rank as the franchise's very best iteration of the dastardly villain (in fact, we recently ranked every Ganondorf by design, as decided by you), but there's no doubt in my mind that his introduction is still the best in the series and one of the very best in gaming. It almost makes me wish Nintendo would take a break from the villain, bring back some of the mystery, and make his presence in a future title all the more effective.