Tears of the Kingdom Reveals the Genius of Ganondorf’s Plan

A small but intriguing detail in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reveals the careful thought the developers put into Ganondorf's plan. As usual, Ganondorf's main goal in Tears of the Kingdom aligns with his typical motivations in the Zelda series: he seeks to harness powerful magical artifacts to dominate Hyrule, just like other versions of the villain. However, Tears of the Kingdom introduces fresh narrative elements that add depth to his scheme.

These new aspects of Ganondorf's plan not only enhance the storyline but also bring about significant gameplay changes in Tears of the Kingdom. One such change is the degradation of weapons. Link finds it challenging to locate decent weapons, with most of them hidden in the Depths, seemingly preserved by the spirits of Hyrulean soldiers. It appears that Ganondorf’s magic has corroded most of Hyrule’s weapons. If certain theories are accurate, this corrosion is not a coincidence but a deliberate part of his master plan.

Why Ganondorf Degraded Bladed Weapons, Not Shields

At first glance, it may seem odd that Ganondorf’s magic deteriorates Hyrule’s bladed weapons but leaves shields untouched. While this distinction may have been a gameplay choice by the developers, it initially raises questions from a narrative perspective. Why would Ganondorf’s magic affect only weapons and not all metal objects? The story provides a plausible explanation: Before Ganondorf was sealed beneath Hyrule Castle, King Rauru prophesied that a swordsman would eventually defeat him.

Knowing that his downfall would come at the hands of a swordsman, Ganondorf focused his efforts on degrading bladed weapons—the tools most likely to pose a personal threat to him. He didn't see the need to strip Link of all potential weapons, only those capable of directly defeating him. Tears of the Kingdom confirms that Ganondorf’s logic was sound, as evidenced by the game's final confrontation with him.

The Master Sword: The Only Weapon to Defeat Ganondorf

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reinforces Ganondorf's foresight by showing that only the Master Sword can vanquish him. In the climactic battle against Ganondorf in his Demon Dragon form, players must use the legendary sword to deliver the final blow. The game makes this clear—if players enter the fight without the Master Sword, Zelda, in her Light Dragon form, will provide it to them before the final stage. There is no alternative method to defeat Ganondorf.

The Master Sword, often called "The Blade of Evil's Bane" and "The Sword that Seals the Darkness," is traditionally the only weapon capable of defeating Ganondorf or his beastly form, Ganon. This reinforces why Ganondorf's focus on bladed weapons was wise. He might have even considered concentrating specifically on the Master Sword. However, he likely wanted to avoid the chance that another similarly powerful sword could exist and instead opted to degrade all of Hyrule’s swords. This nuanced decision by the developers cleverly ties Ganondorf’s actions to both the narrative and gameplay, providing players with a clear indicator of how to defeat him.

The Master Sword’s Role in Ganondorf’s Defeats

The requirement to use the Master Sword against Ganondorf isn’t unique to Tears of the Kingdom. In every Zelda game where Ganondorf appears in his Gerudo form, players need the Master Sword to defeat him. In Ocarina of Time, while players can weaken Ganon with the Biggoron Sword, only the Master Sword can deal the final blow. Similarly, in both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Ganondorf meets his end impaled by the Master Sword. However, this pattern doesn’t hold when Ganondorf appears solely as Ganon, his monstrous form.

In games like the original The Legend of Zelda and Breath of the Wild, where Ganondorf appears only as Ganon, players often need to use Light Arrows to finish him. Whether this pattern is a hard rule in Zelda lore or a recurring coincidence is unclear. Nevertheless, Ganondorf's attempt to destroy all swords in Tears of the Kingdom proves to be a wise move, as swords are often his undoing.