Every Ganon/Ganondorf Fight In Zelda Games RANKED

You have to start somewhere, and the first fight against Ganon in the franchise is just not very good. The blue pig man is mostly invisible, unless you hit him with your sword. Once you hit him enough, Ganon will turn brown and can be killed by a Silver Arrow. Time has rendered this a fairly easy boss fight. However, before the internet and strategy guides, a boss you couldn’t see whose only weakness is an item you may or may not have found was a major pain to deal with. This Ganon is truly the worst of both worlds - too easy if you know how to beat him, impossible if you don’t.

After completing the linked version of these 2 Game Boy Color games, Link can face off against Ganon. The Big Bad’s disappearing act returns, as he vanishes constantly. The Spin Attack comes in handy with this fight, so charge whenever he’s invisible. Ganon also fires off several orbs which you can dodge by jumping. When he gets low on health, the villain will transport you to a blue dimension where your controls are inverted. However, apart from these gimmicks and a decently catchy theme, this battle doesn’t have much to set it apart from other 2D Ganon fights.

Only the second fight with Ganon, yet the final boss of “A Link to the Past” is a big step up from its predecessor. The Super Nintendo offers a more detailed Ganon sprite, as well as a more complex battle. The swine teleports around the arena, tossing his trident and fire bats your way. He piles on the pressure, knocking down the outer tiles of the arena and even turning out the lights. However, you can keep the room lit with the lamp or Fire Rod, while also attacking until he gets stunned. In this state, Ganon’s once again vulnerable to the Silver Arrows, though it’ll take 4 before he finally goes down. It’s simple, but it did set the bar for 2D Ganon duels.

For most battles against Link’s archenemy, you have to go things alone. But you can avoid that danger entirely in this co-op adventure with up to 4 players taking on Ganon at once. All the usual tricks are back - teleporting, fireballs, a trident. However, there are a few new moves too, like lightning and having to switch to the Game Boy Advance to fight skeletons. Eventually Zelda will be freed, and you’ll need to volley Ganon’s attacks back at him while she charges up. Everything's better with friends - including defeating the King of Evil.

Technically, this fight is against the sorcerer Yuga possessing Ganon’s body, but it’s still the real Ganon, so we’re counting it. Along with giving the porcine villain a new look, Yuga Ganon also switches up some of his tactics. The first stage, like the rest of the game, pays tribute to “A Link to the Past,” with the standard trident attacks and occasional projectiles. However, after damaging Yuga Ganon enough, the unholy fusion will absorb Princess Hilda, gaining the power to turn into a painting. Once you volley some energy attacks back at him, Yuga Ganon will become a painting, and you can use the Bow of Light on him after you go 2D as well. This fight adds new dimensions to a classic battle.

Whenever you decide to confront the primal evil looming over this game, it’ll be quite the battle! The first phase sees you battle the arachnid Ganon inside Hyrule Castle, where he’ll mimic the Blight Ganon bosses, while also firing lasers at you like a Guardian. How difficult he is naturally depends on when you fight him and what weapons or upgrades you bring with you. Defeating all the Divine Beasts will cut Ganon’s health bar in half, for example. The final stage on horseback is quite easy though, as you just have to hit his weak spots with the Bow of Light. While its variable difficulty and a lack of personality from Ganon hold it back, the battle goes far on spectacle!

Perhaps the most involved fight against Ganon, this battle has 4, count ‘em, four stages! The first has you fight a possessed Princess Zelda, volleying energy balls with your sword to defeat/free her. Next you face Dark Beast Ganon. He’ll charge through portals to attack, and you must use your sword, arrows, and that throwing technique you’ve barely used to beat him. Next, you chase Ganondorf on horseback with Zelda, who fires light arrows when you get close enough. Finally, you’ll engage in a sword duel with him, before delivering the final blow. We can’t fault the ambition of the fight, and it has some incredible moments. However, the gameplay in some portions is a bit awkward and could’ve used some polishing.

In your confrontation with Ganondorf atop his tower, the vile king takes a break from practicing the organ to duel you. The first part of the fight is pretty easy - reflect his attacks with your sword and/or hit him with a Light Arrow to stun him to move in close. But even an exciting countdown sequence to escape the collapsing castle with Zelda isn’t the end of it! Ganondorf rises again, transforming into Ganon and depriving you of the Master Sword. You need to hit his tail, which you can reach by rolling between his legs or stunning him with Light Arrows. It’s a fantastic final battle, with great presentation and high stakes throughout.

Talk about cinematic! After delivering a strangely humanizing speech, Ganondorf easily takes down Link and Zelda. However, once he loses his wish on the Triforce, the villain breaks down laughing as the sea above comes raining down. Desperate and with nothing to lose, Ganondorf takes on Link and Zelda in one last duel. While not as complex gameplay-wise, this fight is nearly perfect - you even get to fight alongside Zelda for a change! As you parry Ganondorf’s attacks, she stuns him with Light Arrows, which you must eventually reflect with your shield. Between the novel 2-on-1 set-up, epic music, and the fact that it is literally dripping with atmosphere, this is easily one of the greatest Ganondorf fights.

Call it recency bias if you like, but Link’s rematch with Ganondorf is absolute fire! You first face the Demon King as his usual badass self. He has nasty tricks like being able to disable and destroy your hearts, as well as perfectly dodging your attacks. After you deplete one health bar, he’ll transform into an even cooler form and summon Phantom Ganons, who can face off against your allies. When you at last seem to have won, Ganondorf swallows his Secret Stone to transform into a demonic dragon for an aerial battle! Although this Ganondorf battle does have variable difficulty, it remains pretty challenging. Plus, the overall presentation and spectacle of the fight are basically unmatched.


Which Ganon bout is your favorite? Use your own Triforce of Power to tell us yours in the comments!