Every Zelda Villain Ranked

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#12: Lady Maud

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“The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes” (2015)

Of all Link’s foes, Lady Maud has the silliest motivations and crimes. It’s a bit hard to take the plot in this entry seriously, and it’s the same case with its villain. Constantly outclassed by her sister, Lady Maud grew up to be a vindictive witch. She curses Hytopia’s Princess Styla into a hideous brown jumpsuit that can’t be taken off. And she does so out of jealousy of the princess’ fashion sense. While this did strike fear into the hearts of Hytopia’s citizens, who began to dress down to avoid the Lady’s wrath, it’s a pretty lame motive for wickedness. During the brief moments we actually interact with her, she’s snooty and spoiled for attempted comedic effect. But really, with her tantrums, she’s just annoying.

“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons” (2001)

Both villains in these dual handheld releases answer to Twinrova, though they each have their own methods. Where Veran is a bit more nuanced and unique, Onox the self-proclaimed General of Darkness is pretty straightforward. And it definitely makes him the less interesting of the two. At the beginning of the game, Onox captures Din, the titular Oracle, sending the land of Holodrum into chaos as the seasons begin to rapidly fluctuate. That’s a pretty terrible outcome, but it’s basically all that Onox does until you face him at the end. Also, his motivation is a bit bland as his only desire is to see the land plunged into darkness.

“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007)

Bellum pulls some particularly nasty stunts in “Phantom Hourglass.” With an unquenchable thirst for life force, he traps the Ocean King as well as the Fairies of Wisdom, Power, and Courage. His plan to spread rumors of a Ghost Ship housing untold treasures, bringing victims to it, is a pretty clever one. And his powerful abilities, which include monster creation and possession, definitely make him intimidating from a storytelling perspective. However, Bellum loses points for not being mentioned until midway through and not actually appearing until the end of the game. Also, being a monster, Bellum lacks any significant characterization to make him memorable. He’s simply a beast, so who knows why he craves what he does.

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#9: Master Kohga

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“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

For years, we were told that the Sheikah served the Hylian Royal Family for the greater good. But in “Breath of the Wild,” we saw what could happen if some of them went bad. The Yiga Clan is an interesting antagonistic force, not only welcoming the return of Ganon but trying their best to ensure it happens. Master Kohga has an army of them at his beck and call, and his minions will hunt Link throughout the game. His brief appearance certainly leaves an impression as he’s actually pretty cowardly and silly, providing a humorous misdirection. His fight is underwhelming, but being the leader of an entire defecting clan that has thrived for over a century is worth something.

“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages” (2001)

Where Onox’s actions disrupt the seasons of Holodrum, Veran travels back in time to change Labrynna’s history. What makes her the more interesting of the two are the lengths to which she’ll go to fulfill her desires. The sorceress is capable of possession. But unlike Bellum’s, this ability plays a part in the story. By possessing Impa, she fools Link into leading her to Nayru. By possessing the Oracle, she misleads Queen Ambi into furthering her plans. Just when Link thinks he finally has her, she possesses the Queen to become more powerful. She always seems to be one step ahead of you, feeling like a formidable villain rather than just a final challenge.

“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” (2009)

Chancellor Cole looks like a devilish leprechaun, which at least makes him visually interesting. And while his deceptive ways are easy to see coming by you and Zelda herself, his plan still deserves some recognition. To start, he dispels the Spirit Tracks that keep Malladus in his prison. Then he rips Zelda’s spirit from her body in order to provide a vessel for the Demon King. Cole’s impish demeanor combined with the shady politician archetype makes his scenes memorable. And he’s so evil, he even betrays his second in command. Even though he’s successful in his plan, he bites off more than he can chew and gets what’s coming to him: being possessed himself and transformed into a hideous beast.

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013)

This flamboyant sorcerer invades from a parallel world to wreak havoc on Hyrule and does so in spectacular fashion. With the ability to turn others into paintings, Yuga hunts down the descendants of the Seven Sages who sealed Ganon away long ago. While several other villains also seek to resurrect Ganon, Yuga’s methods and desires make him a little more distinctive. In his home of Lorule, a civil war left their Triforce destroyed. Princess Hilda sends Yuga on his quest, though his true desires are to use the Triforce for himself to become a God. Yuga is just the right balance of amusing and vile; he turns his victims into art but also betrays his co-conspirator and fuses with the monstrous Ganon.

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

Another invader from a parallel world, Zant doesn’t try to mislead his realm’s ruler. Instead, he outright steals Midna’s throne and curses her in the process. Zant is undeniably power hungry, but he fully believed the banishment of his people to the Twilight Realm was something in need of correction. He invaded Hyrule and began to cover it in Twilight to create a new home for them. But using magic to turn them into Shadow Beasts shows he never truly cared for them. But his beliefs drive him to commit horrible crimes. While at first imposing and intimidating, Zant’s calm composure crumbles as Link’s journey continues. He grows more impatient, erratic, and violent. But the twist that he’s really following Ganondorf definitely makes him a bit weaker.

Various

Vaati’s monster form appears in a couple of multiplayer entries. But he’s most well-remembered as the traitorous Picori from “The Minish Cap.” He craves power like many other villains, though his actions are devastating to Hyrule and its people. As Ezlo’s mentee, Vaati steals a magical cap that grants its wearer their wishes, turning himself into a sorcerer and Ezlo into a talking hat. From there, he unleashes hordes of monsters into the world, turns Zelda to stone, and disguises himself as the King to use his men in his search for the Light Force, a source of limitless magical power. Vaati is exceptionally cunning and quick-thinking, ready to doom an entire kingdom in his search for glory.

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

When it comes to truly creeping the player out, most Zelda villains can’t touch Ghirahim. Overly confident, Ghirahim tells you to address him as Lord and generally thinks of Link as being beneath him. This does come back to bite him in the ass, but every scene with him is genuinely entertaining. Ghirahim is shown to be ostentatious, androgynous, and bloodthirsty beyond most antagonists in the series. And that weird tongue scene will always be unsettling. However, Ghirahim also serves a master; his entire goal is to capture Zelda so he can revive Demise. But at least their connection is much stronger than most similar instances across the franchise. It’s a shame Ghirahim only appears here as he’s just so much fun to watch.

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#2: Ganon

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Various

Whether he’s tricking people as a sorcerer, leading a coup against the King of Hyrule, or just causing destruction as a massive pig monster, Ganon is Link’s iconic archenemy. He brings more widespread destruction than most other baddies, as evidenced by the events of “Ocarina of Time” and “Breath of the Wild.” It’s pretty evil to decimate an entire kingdom out of hatred and greed. It’s the cases where he does this as a sentient being rather than a mindless creature that are more interesting, making the player care about the displaced Hylian citizens. He’s an impressive magic user, an accomplished sword fighter, and is devious enough to fool just about anybody. Except for Link and Zelda that is.

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

Ganon and the like are usually in it for the power no matter the cost. But what makes the malevolent deity inside Majora’s Mask so interesting is that it doesn’t actually care about attaining power. All it wants is to cause as much unhappiness and pain as it can. And boy, does it. Through the Skull Kid, Majora curses the four guardian deities, transforms Kafei into a child, and pulls the Moon closer to Earth with plans to murder pretty much everyone. That’s all before the game actually begins! It derives immense glee from the misfortune it causes others, emotionally terrorizing anyone that crosses its path. Everything feels so much more personal with this villain, leaving a greater impact on the player.