Ganondorf Is Great, But Zelda Games Need to Introduce New Villains

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The Legend of Zelda series has 21 main games, and in most of them, Ganondorf is the final boss. While a few games feature different villains – like the early form of Ganon or characters possessed by Ganondorf, as seen in games like Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess – others such as Vaati, Null, and Majora aren’t as central to the series. Because Ganondorf is such a defining villain, Nintendo might want to consider featuring a different antagonist in a future game.

The Legend of Zelda Has and Can Come Up With Some Cool Villains

The Legend of Zelda consistently delivers a fantastic experience. It’s widely considered the best action-adventure series ever made, with memorable and enjoyable puzzles. The games also feature great characters, but a real strength of the series is its villains. While Ganondorf is the most famous and one of the greatest video game villains of all time, he’s just one example of many compelling antagonists the series has created.

Null, first appearing in *Echoes of Wisdom*, quickly became a standout villain in the series. Majora is another incredible antagonist, featured in what many consider the most thematically complex *Zelda* game. Vaati is also a fun villain to experience. While Nightmare from *Link’s Awakening*, General Onox from *Oracle of Seasons*, and Dark Link from *Zelda II* are decent, they don’t quite reach the same level as these others.

Looking back at the Zelda series, there are surprisingly a lot of final bosses who *aren’t* Ganon. It just feels like there are few because Ganon is such a famous villain in the main games, and tends to overshadow everyone else. To give other villains a chance to shine, Nintendo might consider taking a break from Ganondorf for a while.

Why Nintendo Should Give Ganondorf a Little Break

Ganondorf is a compelling villain even without constantly reappearing. In fact, making him a rarer threat could actually make him *more* intimidating. It would also give other villains a chance to step into the spotlight.

As a gamer, I think Nintendo would really benefit from this. It’d let them keep creating awesome new villains. They clearly still *have* that knack – look at Null! That character dropped in 2024 and instantly became a big deal in the story, a really well-made bad guy. So, coming up with more like that shouldn’t be an issue for them if they want to go that route.

Rather than constantly introducing new enemies, Nintendo should revisit classic villains. Just as Ganondorf repeatedly returns due to a curse on Hyrule, other antagonists like Majora, Vaati, and Null could reappear. This would help them become more well-known and share some of the spotlight currently focused solely on Ganondorf.

From a story perspective, this all fits together well. Any enemy connected to Ganon could simply be another form of the ancient hatred originally cursed by Demise – which is already how Vaati’s existence is explained. Other villains could return through their own individual storylines. Majora, being a powerful, almost god-like being, would be easy to revive. And Null, with its deep connection to Hyrule’s origins, could easily reappear in future games.

This approach lets the Zelda series explore new ideas. While it’s tempting to keep returning to Ganondorf, a well-known villain, it holds back other compelling characters who are just as strong. The series has a great cast of villains that haven’t gotten enough attention, and it’s time to give Ganondorf a rest and let some new faces shine.

What are your thoughts? Is Ganondorf too popular to leave on the bench, or can Nintendo successfully focus on other classic villains? Share your opinion in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-09-20 01:23