TofK Ganondorf Design Notes

The character design for the Ganondorf who appears in Tears of the Kingdom is extremely interesting. This is just speculation, but I don’t think he’s dressed like a villain.

The golden ornaments on Ganondorf’s topknot, chest, arms, and ankles reference the common portrayal of Fudō Myōō, one of the most widely venerated deities in Japanese Buddhism. Fudō was originally a minor Hindu deity called Acalanātha, who is an avatar of the wrath of Shiva, the god who destroys so that new life may emerge.

Like Fudō, Ganondorf wears long hair bound into a topknot, golden sandals, and loose pants gathered at the knee. These are sartorial traces of Fudō’s South Asian origins, and they serve to connect Ganondorf to the Gerudo of Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, whose designs are inspired by various cultures along the ancient Silk Road.

Fudō was especially venerated by the warriors of Japan’s medieval period, so perhaps it’s fitting that Ganondorf’s costume alludes to the dress of medieval warlords. His robe, with its embroidered hem, crimson lining, and golden sleeve weights, would have been extremely expensive to create and would only be worn by a wealthy domain lord.

The matte black of Ganondorf’s outer robe is an indicator of high rank, as is its colorful interior. Toward the end of the medieval period, black robes were sewn with gorgeous inner linings in order to demonstrate wealth, power, and prestige. To me, Ganondorf’s robe reads as something that would be worn by Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan’s most notorious warlords.

What’s interesting about Ganondorf’s design is that he doesn’t come off as a deity or a warlord. A god would have no need for such a sumptuous robe, while a lord would not reveal his skin or wear sandals. I’m strongly reminded of the sort of rōnin famously played by Toshiro Mifune in The Seven Samurai, a skilled but aging warrior who retains his dignity despite his debased circumstances.

Ganondorf’s lower torso is wrapped in a haramaki to reinforce his core strength, and his right arm is bare so he can wield his sword without impediment. These are both very human touches, as is the cloth covering his shins and soles so that his skin doesn’t chafe. A more godlike character would not need these concessions, and a more aristocratic character would not bother with them.

In previous games, Ganondorf was covered from chin to toe in ornate armor or belted robes, signifying a lack of openness and vulnerability. Meanwhile, the Ganondorf of Tears of the Kingdom literally bares his chest as he reveals a number of contradictions. He is ornamented yet barefoot, and his regal black robe has been peeled back to showcase a bright lotus pattern.

Even despite his stern frown and clenched fists, I don’t feel that Ganondorf is visually coded as a villain… or, at least, he doesn’t seem completely inhuman.

More Posts from Extremelytiredcommunistelcor and Others

extremelytiredcommunistelcor

1 year ago

literally where can the zelda franchise go after totk. this is it. we've reached it. the pinnacle of video game entertainment. the whole dev team should just pack their stuff and enjoy a long and comfortable retirement. whoever decides their team has to follow-up on that with the next zelda game should answer for their crimes at the hague. what the fuck. I haven't even beat the game yet but what the fuck.

and how are AAA video game devs everywhere not losing their minds. how the hell did nintendo do any of that? and on that console?? you mean to tell me I can stack 15 differently shaped objects on top of each other and they don't vibrate violently into the skybox?? you mean to tell me the physics engine gladly accepts whatever I throw at it and holds it all together without dropping a frame while running on a machine that was outclassed two generations ago??? this is not witchcraft it's a grandiose demonstration of mastery over every aspect of game development that casts an immense shadow over every other AAA studio. fuck. fuck!!!!

everything about this game is crazy to me. the visuals are crazy. the soudtrack is crazy. the complexity of all systems and how they interact is crazy. the sheer amount of non-repeating content, NPCs, quests, dialogue, puzzles, environment variety - all crazy to me. every time I boot up this game I am humbled by the monumental effort and obvious love that went into every facet of the resulting experience. no cut corners anywhere. mirror-perfect chrome polish.

it's so rare we get something like that, in any field. I'd understand if nintendo never made a zelda game ever again because how do you follow that. god I hope everyone who worked on this game got the fattest check and the sloppiest head. I'm so happy I get to live in shigeru miyamoto's world

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

8 months ago

wait i did actually like jace saying ‘the lady mysaria’ like a stepchild calling their moms new boyfriend ‘steven’ instead of dad.

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

1 year ago

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

7 months ago

they live in my head rent free

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

1 year ago

I know that we like to think that after becoming a Selunite, Shadowheart and Isobel would get along super well but BUT I would like to pose the idea that IN FACT their relationship would stay exactly as catty and toxic as it was before as they argue endlessly about who Selune loves more.

Isobel: She channeled her powers through me so that I could protect the Last Light Inn.

Shadowheart: Cool, she gave you a responsibility. She gave ME a blessed, Legendary +3 spear

Isobel: I'm literally dating her daughter

Shadowheart: Who I saved from eternal imprisonment. You're welcome, by the way

Isobel: Alright that's it AYLIN HOLD ME BACK

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

2 years ago

Light Dragon

If anyone else has been playing tears of the kingdom non-stop since its release, I've spent the last few hours peacefully riding on the light dragons head and have some tips for anyone trying to find her:

She flies very high until you do the deku tree quest line. I was not able to reach her until that.

Once you get to her, you can stand on her back. If you need scales or horns/etc, you can hit her with a melee weapon or arrow and it won't hurt her. The material will land on her back or fall down to the land below, where it will shine brightly.

If you keep standing on her, she'll begin glowing again in 15 minutes and you can get another material.

You cannot make a campfire on the light dragon's back. Even if you could, passing time via campfire will not move her position.

She takes roughly 2 hours to circle Hyrule on the course she keeps constantly. I'm making a map of her course while hanging out on her head, I'll post it in a reblog if anyone wants one.

Walking along her back, you can get several "Shards of Light Dragon's Spike" which seem to be sticking uncomfortably out of her spine. I like to think that taking those helps her feel less itchy, like a snake shedding skin :)

If anyone else has any tips on how to find the light dragon or any of the other dragons, feel free to add!

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extremelytiredcommunistelcor

1 year ago

"Scar, behind you, seriously!"

The blood was roaring in Scar's ears, his heart beating so powerfully he could almost feel it shaking his hands as he loosed his arrow. Pearl fell out of sight, stumbling back into the pit behind her as the arrow pierced her shoulder. The roaring grew louder for a moment, filling his mind with chaotic noise. He shook his head to clear it and locked eyes with an approaching zombie.

Huh.

She hadn't been lying.

Well, no matter. She was waiting for him down there.

"Pearl? I'm comin' for ya! Where'd you go?" He called as he began to make his way down into the pit, sword at the ready, a grin stretched wide across his face. Where was the banter, the fun? Was he just supposed to make this final battle interesting all on his own? That was hardly fair—

A soft voice drifted past his ear, past the blood and the flesh and the bone, and his heart seemed to stop.

"She's dead, Scar." His hands were shaking harder now, and he couldn't blame it on his heartbeat. "You won."

He knew that voice. The whisper of an ally, a soulmate, a victor.

A friend, once. A long time ago.

But if he was hearing that voice....

"Oh." His own voice was quiet, distant, nearly as ethereal as the hand he could just barely feel on his shoulder. "... How did the guy with no friends win?"

The shaking was in his voice now too, his mind finally clear for the first time in... how long? Weeks? Months, now?

He had done it.

He won.

Thunder rumbled as — surrounded by the spirits of those who were killed to get him there, tears slipping down his cheeks — Scar began to laugh.

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