Summary
TheLegend of Zeldaseries has what is arguably one of thebest collections of villainsin gaming history. Not only is this where Ganondorf – one of the most iconic fictional bad guys ever created – comes from, but the series is also home to a good number of other memorable antagonists that Link has faced throughout the years.
But every entry in theLegend of Zeldaseries is special, and so are its antagonists. Whether it’s because of their designs, motivations, boss battles, or the dynamic they share with certain characters, some of thevillain rostersin this franchise are way better than others. But which game has the definitive best one?
While most of the mainlineLegend of Zeldatitles usually have two or more villains working together, the most important entry in the series features justone big bad: Ganondorf. That said, he does get help from memorable bosses, likeDark Link,Phantom Ganon, andTwinrova.
Ocarina Of Timewas a turning point for the franchise since it changed the brainless monster Ganon into Ganondorf, a humanlike character with actual motivation and personality. He’s really intimidating, so the prospect of defeating him is what drives the player forward throughout the entire adventure. This version of Ganondorf would influence the stories of all the subsequent games in this franchise.
The Wind Wakerwas the nextLegend of Zeldagame to have Ganondorf as its main antagonist, so it only makes sense thatNintendosaw this as an opportunity to improve his character. This time, the player gets to know more about the tragic backstory that drove him to try to conquer Hyrule, which makes himmuch easier to empathize with.
Similarly toOcarina Of Time, Ganondorf is the sole villain ofThe Wind Waker, with the only exception being his own minions, likeThe Helmaroc Kingor his two doppelgangers,Phantom GanonandPuppet Ganon.Ganondorf himself doesn’t even show up until the end of the game, but the impact he makes on the narrative is so big that he is still remembered as one of the best antagonists of the entire franchise to this day.
The main villain ofA Link Between WorldsisYuga,an evil sorcererwho’s trying to steal the Triforce from Hyrule. While he’s actually a wacky character that really stands out, he seems to be a bit derivative from other bad guys from previous installments, like Zant or Ghirahim.
But Yuga is still an entertaining antagonist, and his backstory makes him even more interesting because he’s a servant ofPrincess Hilda, the monarch of Lorule who wants to restore her kingdom after they lost their own Triforce. So the maniacal Yuga has been working for this tragic princess all along, even if he eventually ends up betraying her in order to try and resurrect Ganon with his newfound power.
The plot ofSkyward Swordintroduces two new villains: The Demon King,Demise, and his sword spirit and loyal minion,Lord Ghirahim. Demise is quite intimidating, and his defeat influences the events in the rest of the franchise’s timeline. But his brief appearance and lack of personality mean he pales in comparison to his servant. Both of them are assisted by some memorable bosses, likeKoloktosorMoldarach.
Lord Ghirahim is the true star of this show, and he definitely is one of the best antagonists in the entire franchise. When he was introduced, there were no otherLegend of Zeldavillains like Ghirahim. He’sgoofy and funnyyet also deadly and intimidating. His presence enhances the entire game’s story, and his dynamic with Link is really fun to watch.
Tears of the Kingdomfeatures what is arguably thebest iteration of Ganondorf, a truly evil villain who manipulates everything behind the scenes and whose dark presence is felt all throughout Hyrule. This is especially because of the recurring appearances of his powerful minions, like theGloom HandsandPhantom Ganon.
But the open-ended nature of this game means that not every single plot beat has to revolve around Ganondorf, which leads to the appearance of the greatMaster Kohga. There’s an entire subplot that is centered on Link facing the entire Yiga Clan within The Depths. Master Kohga himself is a really goofy and hilarious antagonist, so his presence helps to alleviate some of the heavier moments in this narrative.
Majora’s Maskis one of the darkest entries in the series, so it’s no surprise that the main villains of this game follow through.Skull Kidwas just a lonely child who was saddened by the departure of his friends, theFour Giants. Even though he later befriended the fairiesTatlandTael, everything went wrong when he stole the infamous Majora’s Mask and fell victim to its influence.
While it’s arguable that Skull Kid wearing Majora’s Mask is the main antagonist of this game, these are two distinctly different characters with a fascinating dynamic: Skull Kid is a tragic figure that was manipulated by the mask, which is said to be one of themost evil entitiesin the entire franchise. This is eventually proven to be true by the fact that it tried to destroy all of Termina by dropping the moon on it.
The dynamic between Demise and Ghirahim inSkyward Swordwas solid, but it would’ve been way better if the Demon King was replaced by an actual incarnation of Ganondorf instead. And this is what happened in the mainline title that came before,Twilight Princess.
The main villain of this game isZant, the self-proclaimed King of Twilight. He initially presents himself asa calm manipulatorbut eventually reveals how unhinged he truly is, which makes him one of the most interesting antagonists of the franchise. By the end of the game, it is revealed that he has been working for Ganondorf all along, who returns in one of his most memorable and intimidating appearances. While Zant is the better villain of the two, this duo of bad guys is definitely one of the best that ever gracedThe Legend of Zelda.
Lastly, there’s also a secondary antagonist in the form ofKing Bulblinwho, despite the fact that he doesn’t have much of a personality, is responsible for one of the most legendary moments in the game: when he kidnaps some of the children of Oldon Village, and Link has to stop him in an epic duel on the Bridge of Eldin.
As a hack-and-slash spin-off,Hyrule Warriorsis a gigantic fan service game with multiple playable characters that come from all the previous installments. Obviously, this means that it doesn’t really have the most complex plot in the franchise, but it more than makes up for it with the shared appearance of most of the previous villains in the same game, which is an incredible feat that will appeal to longtime fans.
Hyrule Warriorsstrikes a nice balance between old and new. While it has a few fun new villains, likeCiaorVolga, the reappearance of old villains is wherethis spin-off truly shines. Characters like Zant or Ghirahim appear as antagonists at different points in the game, andGanondorfhimself is resuscitated by the end of the story. Subsequent DLCs and re-releases even added other bad guys, like Skull Kid and Yuga, and the best part of this is that they’re all playable. This makesHyrule Warriorsthe best installment for fans ofThe Legend of Zelda’s villains.
