What Exactly Is Ganondorf's Motivation in Tears of the Kingdom?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.พ. 2024
- Explore the intricate lore of Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom, unravelling the complexities of his character and motivations that go beyond mere conquest.
This video analyses Tears of the Kingdom's original Japanese narrative to expose the profound depths of Ganondorf' character and some secrets of the Secret Stones that play a pivotal role in his transformation into the Demon King.
All translations of the Japanese text within this video have been completed by me. Please remember that language is extremely complex and no one single translation should be considered final. I endeavour to explain the nuances of important Japanese words when necessary in the video to facilitate a better understanding of the story that the writers had intended to tell.
It also goes without saying that culture plays an extremely important role here too, the depth of which goes way beyond of what I discuss in the video.
Some of the sources I've used for this video can be found below. They are in Japanese.
For more on Japanese dragons:
• 龍神様の色によって違う役割とご利益【赤龍・青...
For more on the Buddhist-heavy Japanese word that describes Ganondorf's obsession:
www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/...
I have an evergrowing language compendium of the Japanese words used in the Zelda series available on my Patreon, as well!
patreon.com/QuestWithAaron
Gloom VS Malice:
• Gloom VS Malice: The U... - เกม
I know NOA has some things they need to do to keep the game at a certain age rating, but it wouldve gone so hard to hear Ganondorf in english say "Ill drag you damned people to hell" like MANNNNN thats such a hard line, especially for Ganondorf
I was thinking the same thing, this game should have just been rated T
@@mbii7667 In german ganondorf screams things like "Verrecke" which is a angry and insulting way to say they should die / perish.
@mbii7667 absolutely
In the french version: expect for the "damn" he says the same thing:
"I'll drag you all with me in hell"
Another thing: in english, he says :" a mere mortal.. Would not stood/stand in my way"
But in french, he says: "I will not loose against a child/kid" or something along those ligns, which kinda sounds ridiculous if you compare it to other versions XD
@@mbii7667for those lines, Nintendo would be able to keep it an E. Sonia gets literally murdered on screen and it was still an E. twilight princess went all in on Nintendo levels of brutality and that’s why it was a teen. Nintendo pulled way too many punches with totk, they should’ve made somethings darker.
It makes sense that the demon king would look the most like Demise out of all Ganon's previous incarnations we've seen as they express the same kind of disdain for the weak and cowardly relying on the protection of others. I'm pretty sure that this one is closest to Demise in terms of power and motivations/personality.
There's a specific phrase Ganondorf says in Japanese that, in my opinion, very closely resonates with what Demise says in Skyward Sword.
Demise: 我が力を解放する喜び…
The joy which comes with the release of my power.
Ganondorf: 体の隅々までが更なる力の解放を渇望しておる
Every corner of my body yearns for the release of even greater power.
When I heard Ganondorf speak this line for the first time, I was instantly reminded of Demise.
After watching all of the translated Japanese and your thoughts I believe more than ever Ganondorf embodies the spirit of the primordial chaos before the three golden goddesses arrived and from dialogue it seems it was a realm of eternal combat, carnage, and absolute cruelty. He is not escalating in desire, he's reverting to his primordial essence, the reaction from the very bowels of creation trying to purge the rule from the outsider light. In His eyes Zelda, Hylia, light nor peace belong here, they're squatters in his home. And sacrificing his body and mind is actually not a sacrifice, because he is not his body truthfully.
OoT Great Deku Tree said "before life and time existed" the goddesses descended upon "the chaos that was Hyrule." In SS Demise was said to be an eternal being and the source of all monsters. He mentions his boiling hatred of the gods and launched an all out war. I believe he was fighting back on an attempted terraforming of his realm.
Chaos as pre-existence implies timelessness and yet eternal. I think Demise is an eternal being because a timeline (Nayru's order) was imposed onto him, like unrolling a red carpet over a bare floor. It's in contact with all points of the carpet.
@@burger_kinghorn and Farore "created all lifeforms which would uphold the law [Nayru's order]", so it was also an actual invasion of Demise's realm by beings he would have considered inferior
You know, I'm starting to think that Ganondorf didn't think transforming into the demon dragon would mean losing himself. Think about it, he already manifested as a mindless force of nature numerous times, as Calamity Ganon.
In my Eyes Ganondorf just loves Darkness and Chaos and wishes that these forces will be dominant in the world be it by his own hand or by the hands of demons in general.
This brings him way closer to the Japanese representation of Demise.
While Demise seems to be another selfish ruler in the English version, in the Japanese he rather acts like he is speaking for the Demons as their Representative, a being that wants to bring the Universe into a state of Chaos and Darkness where the Demons have the upper hand.
@@Chris-gx1ei Beautifully said especially when you realize the ultimate meaning behind the eternal conflict between Link, Zelda and Ganondorf as it is framed in the japanese version of Skyward Sword:
Ganondorf > Demon Tribe > _Chaos_
Zelda > God Tribe > _Order_
Link > Humanity > _Balance_
All 3 characters are constantly reborn throughout the ages to uphold a cosmic plan between the 3 concepts to forever maintain the Zelda universe in a state of constant flux as the world continuously shifts between long periods of peace, conflict and a combination between the 2 during the events of every game in the series.
It's all part of a never ending cycle preordained by the powers that be within the Zelda pantheon.
he literally said he would give up his mind and body before eating the stone tho. he definetely knew what would happen
he loses what makes up his personality and ego which is normally what people identify with.
I am curious about the extent of Ganondorf's knowledge of the true nature/power/potential of the Secret Stones.
During the showdown with his phantoms at Hyrule Castle, he says to the sages in English:
"Perhaps there
are limits to the knowledge the secret
stones impart."
Or in Japanese:
神代の記憶までは 与えてくれぬようだな…
And my proposed translation of that Japanese:
"It seems that the memories you've been granted don't extend as far back as the age of the gods..."
My interpretation is that, while similar, the Japanese references the acquisition of memories from the era of gods, which likely alludes to the period of or close to Rauru's reign in the ancient past.
Furthermore, it's specifically "memories" that he's referencing here. The fact that Ganondorf knows that it's possible to acquire memories from the Secret Stones could suggest that Ganondorf also experienced a vision/memory of some sort and acquired some kind of information from that too. Possibly something similar to how when the sages met with their ancestors in an ethereal realm. It's possible to conclude that Ganondorf may have learned something about the act of draconification through this, unless of course it was public knowledge beforehand. That is just my interpretation though, what's your take on it?
Many people think that Link’s corrupt arm is a reference to a Ghibli film. I believe that the “white” dragon is also a reference to Ghibli.
There is a white dragon in Spirited Away, whose name is 白Haku(means white) . So similar to Hakuryu(White Dragon) in TotK. Halfway through the film, viewers are misled to believe that he is named Haku because simply he is a white colored dragon. But at the end, it was revealed that his name was actually Kohaku River(琥珀川) and he had been reduced to just Haku(白), which has only the meaning of white.
In TotK, if you take a picture of the Light dragon, the hyrule compendium just says 白龍(white dragon), and most players won’t notice that she once had identity as human. Though if you play in English they call her Light Dragon, unintentionally revealing that she has something related to light powers, that Sonia talked about in early parts of the memories.
Also the uncanny eyes of the dragons resemble Shishigami’s eyes in Princess Mononoke.
I would say it’s far more likely the similarities people are seeing is a result of both TotK and Ghibli films being independently inspired by specific elements of Eastern mythologies and religions.
For a lot of westerners Ghibli films have been their first or only glimpse into certain aspects of Eastern Mythology and Eastern/non-Abrahamic religions (which I often suspect that’s a big reason why Ghibli films feel so profound to western audiences) so when it comes to other works of fiction, due to a person’s unfamiliarity with these concepts/imagery/themes, they can incorrectly assume there was a direct inspiration from Ghibli, when they were just inspired by the same culture, mythology and religions that Ghibli was also inspired by.
To clarify, I don’t say any of that disparagingly, human brains are wired for pattern recognition, so in absence of other reference points, it’s completely logical to notice how Ghibli and TotK share a lot of similarities, because they do! Such similarities are the natural consequence of all works of fiction that share the same sources of inspiration.
I wish the malice in links arm you see when you get a light thing from a shrine played more of a role in the story.
The stone tablets adds bit more to the desire and obsession for the demon world and the hatred for Rauru, Sonia and Rauru used the shrines of light and their powers of light and time to seal demons before the events of the memory cutscenes.
Very similar to the Light Spirits from Twilight Princess who arguably did the same by also banishing Darkness through the spread of Light from within their Light Springs.
@@javiervasquez625 There are similarities too between Ganon's motivation and Zant's. Midna talks about the shadow world being a beautiful gentle place of harmony while Zant complains about the Twili losing their anger, hate and ambition after living in the world of shadows(which he only sees as a cage) for a long time and becoming inferior to what they once were and "cowardly".
This video made Ganondorf soooo much more interesting!
Superb work! Well worth the wait!
I think one of your most important discoveries regarding his motivation is what one might boil down a desperate obsession with control, to feel in control, to feel like you have power, which of course is central to all incarnations of Ganondorf. You already see it on display in his choice to invade Hyrule as the Gerudo Chief. Being born into such a role by essentially divine providence in Gerudo culture as a male must do absolute wonders for a person's sense of entitlement of course... We also can guess from his depiction in the Wind Waker that Ganondorf also wants to conquer and expand because he covets the world he was not born into, the world that isn't either a freezing or scorching barren expanse of sand. A divinely ordained king, but one who rules only an arid desert.
His disdain for Rauru, viewing him as somehow looking down on him, is definitely some form of projection. A king mightier than me? He MUST be all superior, he must look down on me (after all, I look down on everyone else because I am superior by birth)!
And when it comes to the later parts, his longing for a world of the past ruled by demons... It won't be some principled thing, he longs for it because a world of demons was the one in which HE had control, a world where he used violence and war to exert his control (unlike the "peace-loving cowards" he sees around him now, after all, he can't be doing anything wrong, they don't like what he's doing because they're a bunch of snivelling wimps!), the world he was compelled to create due to the infinite cycle of want and spiritual corruption he is a part of. Him being excited when Link beats him back in combat is that of a man filled with adrenaline but still believing himself to be in control because he's been holding back most of his power so far. And his desperation as Link defeats him is that of a man who feels he's lost control, who doesn't feel powerful, a man who will do ANYTHING, sacrifice ANYTHING, to feel powerful in the face of this unyielding, unbeatable enemy.
What I like most about this Ganondorf compared to other incarnations is that while their overall motivations are mostly the same, the way this Ganon expresses himself in these more primal, psychological and non-moustache-twirling ways makes him seem a bit more real to me.
Well written
My favorite Ganondorf incarnation for all those reasons. He is our modern Demise, the apocalypse incarnate.
Beautifully said although i find his "moral dilemma" regarding his apparent inferiority complex towards Rauru to be rather entitled at best as Rauru never either states or presumes himself to BE a god let alone a super powerful being pretending to be one making Ganondorf's reactions to be very lacking in self awareness if not outright childish for a fully grown adult man ruling a tribe of desert dwelling women. To me personally it begs the question of why couldn't Rauru simply walk to Ganondorf in the most non condescending and threathening way imaginable and simply tell him "yo listen i am NOT A GOD, neither is my race of goat people and i do not see either you or any other mortal in this world as beneath me in any way whatsoever so please i beg you to leave wathever prejudice and resentment you may have towards me and my kind behind and let's focus on ruling our respective kingdoms as proper kings should".
The fact that neither monarch showed any initiative to try to _understand_ the other's point of view instead remaining completley biased towards the other makes this conflict between the 2 look like a simple misunderstanding which could easily have been solved with a humble conversation of equals. With all this said and done i do love this interpretation you've given regarding this Ganondorf's motivations making me a little more invested in this incarnation of the character. Thank you for this engaging read.
Ganondorf's motivation is just the same as Senator Armstrong's, where you can find a detailed explanation if it's hard to glean from Ganondorf's words. The rational conclusion is the same though.
Inconsistencies in the Zonai order are made explicit, with things like forbading the Dragonification ON THE BASIS of not being good enough to hold that power. If they had some Master Yoda talking points that it's just transformation of matter, they would escape the accusation of hypocricy, but they don't.
Neither does some psycho-babble medicalizing the position as "inferiority complex". You're SAYING Ganondorf is inferior to these "Gods": then gloat about it with "erm, he's just mentally too weak to deal with it, just accept it, man".
No, that's actually how you get checked. And so Sonia did.
@sboinkthelegday3892 I wouldn't really compare him to Armstrong. Just because a villain has a "might makes right" attitude does not automatically mean they're like Armstrong. Armstrong is deluded in his beliefs thinking that what he's doing is for the benefit of the American people, whereas Ganondorf seems to just be doing this for his own selfish lust for power and control. Armstrong wants a world where anyone who's strong has the right, wears Ganondorf wants a world like that because he believes himself to be the strongest, therefore the only one to have the right. He's selfish compared to Armstrong, who is comparatively selfless in his delusions.
Also, it's not "psycho-babble." Seriously looking at Ganondorf's words and actions makes very clear that they guy has an inferiority complex. He thinks the Rauru and his people are looking down upon him just because he perceives them as being more powerful, when we can tell from what we've seen of Rauru and his people that they're not like that at all. When you take into consideration Ganondorf's upbringing as a king chosen by "divine birthright" then it would make sense for him to have a massive ego, so him seeing people who have more than him makes him perceive that they're looking down on him because that's what he would do in that position. He can only think like how a selfish king would, and sees the world as the same. He's projecting hella hard.
One thing I quite like about the idea of Ganondorf being able to revert the world, is that it recontextulizes the fight with Phantom Ganon in Hyrule Castle, as he seems to revert the room they are in to a previous state instead of it being an illusion of some sort.
Nice catch! Showing Link visions of a more idealised past definitely resonates with the concept of impermanence and Ganondorf's obsession with what once was. Very cool connection you've realised!
Really fantastic work on this one Aaron
Thank you Captain Burger, sir! I really appreciate that!!
Fascinating. This works well with the theory that this version of Ganondorf drew his powers more directly from Demise.
In certain instances, what Ganondorf says in Japanese echoes the words of Demise in Skyward Sword, as well. Both express their joy in unleashing power through very similar sentences.
"The return of the past and a world of demons." makes sense insofar that, when we remember the creation story of the universe/world of TLoZ, as told in OoT, the world was Chaos itself. A world with no structure/order.
I don't think he meant to literally return to a world without any form or structure (except in the very last moments of him being conscious, as you point out), but the desire for chaos and a world where willpower and capability matters most seems to mirror that of the primordial one we see before the Goddesses transformed the world. And for some reason the Demon Tribe hates the Goddesses, presumably because they transformed the world away from chaos.
AFAIK Chaos is also a deity, or more of a form of being, an essence, in Greek Mythology.
Though I am not versed enough to delve deeper. But Ganondorf's desires match that of those of Demise and the Demon Tribe as a whole, even if he does so unconsciously. The urge to return to a world of chaos.
I think the few changes to the script the English localization made robbed Ganondorf of a lot of depth.
That is why I always advocate to stay as literal as possible, even if that means the subtitles come across as robotic. I take depth and understanding over flow. (Then again I am someone who watches/plays in original voice over with German subtitles.)
I think that it's also worth considering how, in Japanese culture, a traditional "oni" or "demon", can be considered to be a neglected/fallen "kami", or "god/deity". It's possible that just how Ganondorf despises the Zonai for various reasons, including because Rauru in a position of utmost power, other demons may despise the gods for a similar reason.
Amazing video! Really highlights that Ganondorf isn’t a one-noted villain as the English translation would lead us to believe
So basically Ganondorf is someone who loves Demons and Darkness, That's quite interesting to think from a Psychological Perspective
And thus one would assume that Zelda loves Gods and Light in return. The theme of duality becomes more apparent than ever within Tears of the Kingdom.
More like a skillful warrior who is in a thrilled of battle and seeks out a worthy adversaries with such fighting spirit.
To Ganondorf, the ideal world of peace and enlightenment is nothing but a joke.
@@a.jthomas6132 Yet he clearly also seeks a world drenched in chaos and ridden with monsters and demons that constantly impose conflict and struggle among the denizens of the entire world in order to force every living being in the entire Zelda universe to seek conflict and violence and so create a world where Power dictactes who lives and who dies. Think of it like Ganondorf's version of Natural Selection.
Really frustrating how the English localization just changed the meaning of certain lines completely (like the line about Ganondorf wanting a worthy foe originally being a reference to his motivation to bring back how the world in the past was, among others in the video), and just generally made certain lines more underwhelming too ("control all of creation" vs "rule this land"). If they were a little more faithful to the original I like to think that there might be fewer complaints about this Ganondorf, even though obviously there would still be some nuisance missing.
Awesome video and insights, especially into all the cultural references and connections!!
Quick question, at 14:53, "The return of the past and a world of demons", is he saying that the world of the past he's been talking about was a time ruled by demons? Or that the world of the past + demons is what he wants?
I'm guessing either the original state of the word was darkness, or he's referring to the time of his reign as the demon king.
@@Jarino507 I should probably elaborate a little bit on my question, but tldr that would make sense.
I've been under the impression from other videos I've watched that before the gods shaped the world, it was a world of demons and chaos. But I was also assuming that Ganondorf's "world of the past" he longs for was something more recent (like just before Rauru's Hyrule's founding, or just before the era of the Zonai, something like that) where the inhabitants of Hyrule were more at eachother's throats. Mainly because he talks about the people of the past usually without referring to them as actual demons (I think?), but this could also be presumptuous of me.
So I wasn't sure if this particular line meant that he was actually referring to pre-creation the whole time in his motivations, or something else. Your suggestion that he's specifically talking about his time as the demon king in this line would make sense to me considering the context that the line was said in the present iirc (while still fitting with my initial interpretation that he's not talking about pre-creation (which I could still be wrong about)).
@@spicysquire3521 The line in question is said when he's facing off with Link so yeah it's the present. And yeah, given his comments about the people of the past, it does feel like he has some nostalgia from Rauru's time. At least, he admired that the sages were willing to fight. Or like you said, he's talking about the time prior to the unification of Hyrule where there was more war.
They did the same with Rauru’s last talk with Link before he disappeared where he said ''please take care of her''.
The English localization really did to them dirty!
The world of demons ganondorf is alluding to is probably Hyrule before rauru descended and exorcised all the monsters inside the shrines of light, like the chamberlain wrote
You've made lots of videos discussing the powers of evil and how they work, what about the powers of good and how they work? I'm very interested to see the works and inspirations behind them.
Same here especially in regards to many _other_ powers of good we've seen across the series such as the Fierce Deity's Mask from Majora's Mask, the Four Sword and Light Force from The Minish Cap, the Vessels of Lights from Twilight Princess and most recently the "Sealing Power" and it's connection to Hylia and the Triforce. I would love to see a video by Aaron addressing all this many divine artifacts and how they relate to one another in terms of countering evil powers of demonic origin.
That's a fantastic idea! I might delve a bit deeper into some of Zelda's powers, and examine any significant nuances or intricacies associated with them that could be fascinating to explore in a video.
When White Dragon (or Light Dragon in English) comes to aid Link in the final battle, I’d asked myself a question during the 3rd phase: “Did she come back and maybe draconification hasn’t removed everything that is Zelda?” I would strongly it is her love for her knight is what drove her dragon instinct/consciousness in saving Link from falling and aiding him against the Black Dragon. We all seen that when her powers were activated when the one she loves is threaten in Breath of the Wild.
I think the geoglyphs were made to help Zelda remember, and that's why the Light Dragon saves Link before the final fight
Absolutely amazing work, deserves an absurd amount of more views, a true explanation and definitive Zelda theory that is on par with or surpasses those theories of the largest Zelda youtubers. It's as if Ganondorf is this "new author" of pure destruction, endless chaos and true darkness - more than Demise it seems. Perhaps Ganondorf is this new Demise, or at least this continuity is separate from previous Zelda lore. It's so satisfying to finally understand how TOTK enhances the Zelda lore and universe of the series. Truly outstanding and remarkable work!
Wow, thank you so much! That truly means a lot!
As I see it, the stark difference between secret stones normally doubling the power of its user and the absolute terror that Ganandorf became relates to the strength and nature of their elemental connection. Or in other words, it really shouldn't be too surprising that the Blood of the Goddess and Incarnation of Hatred get them *somewhat* higher multiiers.
Kinda makes me wonder what sort of effect eating a stone would have for someone with the Spirit of the Hero...
Brilliant work as always! Thank you very much for making this!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Minor note but iirc White is also associated with Metal which probably is called back upon by Zelda's restoration of the master sword
You're absolutely right and that's a fantastic connection you've realised! Thanks for sharing, it's awesome!
I ALWAYS look forward to your videos!
Another well done video Aaron!
Thank you very much!
8:00 Lamp Oil? Rope? Bombs??
You want it? It's yours, my friend; as long is you have enough rupees!
Great video, earned a follow from me. I was a little concerned it'd be an attempt at trying to make Ganondorf seem like a more altruistic figure, as people have mistaken that as being "better" writing. But as you elucidate well, Ganondorf embodies a type of person and character which has deep roots in history and literature, particularly the influence of Japanese/Buddhist themes on Nintendo even as they try to cater to a wider audience. His pathological greed and desire for control is something that can be evidenced in many warlords, serial killers, and dictators across history, but it's also a magnified version of thoughts and desires all people have a propensity to think and feel. That's what's interesting and tragic about him, not some shoehorned sense that he's got the greater good in mind. Kudos, I'll be looking back at your earlier videos and looking forward to future ones.
5:41
On the pedisuls the secret stone is on, there are two zonai characters. The top one I originally interpreted to mean "To rise; To ascend" and the second to mean "To give; To let out/outward". Looking back on the forst one though, it does seem to mimic the eye seen on every secret stone. I originally thought that the two characters referred to tge secret stone itself but now I think it's referring to its receival by its new welder.
A very interesting video like your others, and spectacular visuals. I feel like your question about why he becomes so powerful isn't really answered though. While I agree that his Morshuu is being amplified, I don't think that alone accounts for just how powerful he seemingly became. I mean, by this logic, wouldn't the good traits of the Sages be amplified as well?
I see it more that inside of him is a power of Darkness that is suddenly being amplified. That darkness, his inner element, was always there and is simply being doubled. Your clarity on the Japanese is insightful, but I believe that at the core of this, Ganondorf simply has a higher quantity of base elemental power in him. When amplified by the secret stone, it grows so large, that even other amplified people can't compete.
No matter how sick or obsessed Ganondorf is, it seems like his base Elemental Value couldn't naturally be high enough to reach such a level merely by "doubling" through the power of the stone. So the question remains, where is his huge abundance of darkness coming from?
If it merely is his Morshuu, his twisted desire to return the land to its wild state where monsters roamed and people fight openly for survival, then wouldn't Rauru's desire to tame the wild for everlasting peace be equally amplified?
yea i still think he had another power source like the triforce of power
@@darkdagger5237 If he had that, he wouldn't have needed a Secret Stone. Honestly, it really doesn't make sense why a Secret Stone as stated, especially with the "doubling" aspect brought up in this video, would make him so powerful. If anything, it actually hamstrings it more. Now we know that whatever power he had, it was doubled... and so if 1 Demon King can take out 7 Sages, then half of a Demon King surely would have been enough to take any one of them out, including Rauru... right?
@@PixelFusionProductions but if he had that much power normaly he would have just 1v1 raru and bean done with it before getting a stone
@@darkdagger5237 Exactly my point. The "Doubling" logic doesn't add up, which means that there is more to Ganondorf's darkness going on. This idea of Morshuu is interesting, but it doesn't really add up.
Currently, my guess is that Ganondorf inadvertently tapped into some very powerful, likely whatever is in Gloom Lair. That is why the battle went down there, and why he was so powerful... powerful enough that he could stand against all 7 sages with little problem.
@@PixelFusionProductions you assume that if ganon had the triforce of power he would know that he had it that is clearly not the case as in twilight princess ganon found out that he had it in a moment of extreme despairation he then tapped into its power to escape death think about it in ocarina of time link go's back in time with the triforce of courage then the triforce split here zelda went back in time with the triforce of wisdom so logically the same thing would happen here the big difference is that ganon this time was never in an instance of extreme despairation
I just want you to know how amazing and informative this video is. I'm pretty sure it totally solves what I fealt was lacking about totk ganondorf. I enjoyed the ending and ya thought it was epic but something was very not up to standards as far as I'm concerned about the character. There just wasn't enough. To find out that this IS there fixes everything for me and it's such a shame it was not in the English version but at least I now know and it does make me live it actually instead of kind of liking it. From his acknowledgement that there was more before the current "ancient" setting and him wanting to revert it puts him on par with wind waker ganondorf to me. I feel like why did the devs make us wonder to the point that they just stated later that the timeline events we know could have still happened long before botw and totk's ancient past when the Japanese game and motivations kind of directly point to ganondorf as knowing that the zonai came after some kind of past for Hyrule was known to exist and thus they did not have like original rights or authority to be ruling? Those small changes you pointed out make him a much much better ganondorf. I had no idea that was there. And then there's his spoken words. Going from the English taking over the world to controlling all of creation man oh man epic, as you said an escalation to say the least. You can feel the power. And man I will drag you damn people to hell 😮 I needed him to say these things and had no idea it was all actually there. Thank you alot for this
I feel disappointed that all this couldn’t have been explained better by just playing the game. Totk really should’ve taken place in the past with the midpoint - final battle taking place in the present and Ganondorf should’ve been translated more accurately.
Another great video Aaron.
ur quality is at the moment on top of zelda content
Totk link is insanely powerful. He took down ganon amped by the secret stone while 7 sages couldn’t do it while they each had a secret stone. Link only had 2 royal spears fused together (that’s canon).
21:05 "In essence, Ganondorf's desperate consumption of the Secret Stone enabled him to embody an ultimate power that defiles the fundamental Buddhist principal of impermanence."
Also because it's explicitly stated by Mineru that anyone who swallows a Secret Stone becomes an *immortal* dragon, "one blessed with eternal life", i.e. permanent. But then it's a question of why the Demon Dragon was the only dragon to manifest with obvious weak spots and able to be killed (he was able to be killed because the Master Sword had been bathing in sacred light for thousands upon thousands of years and so was able to oppose him despite being broken by him in the opening, but then why was he the only dragon to manifest with giant glaring weak spots? Did the corruption result in an imperfect form?)
Well done Aaron
Thank you!
Personally I think the secret stone just awakened Demise within Ganondorf. It would explain why he looks like him in this game as opposed to his boar form.
Do not look away! You witness a king mid Suavamente
I'm commenting a bit late, but still, thank you for your work! I'm a fan!
Thank you! I appreciate it ^^
I wonder how powerful Link would be if he obtained a secret stone for himself since he was more than capable of destroying the demon king with just the modified master sword 🤔
That was incredible
Do you think Ganondorf uses his puppet Zelda to reek havoc across Hyrule, preventing the newly appointed Sages (Sidon, Riju, Tolin, and Yunobo) from attaining the Sacred Stones of the Zonai, and lure Link to a trap by playing his feelings for his princess?
I just have a theory that he might of overheard Zelda having a girl talk with Sonia about her lover and knight. Thus, he took it as advantage by using the similar deception as he did to assassinate the Queen of Hyrule.
Ganondorf before obtaining the secret stone was pretty much a mortal man, powerful and magical but still mortal. After obtaining the secret stone he's true power was released. He pretty much became the original demon king Demise, hence his ridiculous power.
What I'm getting, is that I have to learn and play in japanese.
Thank you for the video!
Now it makes sense!
Awesome video 0:21
I used to think that he was most similar to Demise in appearance because he really was heartless. At least the original ganondorf had real feeling, he wanted good for his people and even respected link. This ganon doesn’t care, he’s honestly worse than even mindless ganon from fallen hero timeline.
Is it just me or Moshus reminds me of Morshu from the CDI games
What if the ancient sages have the same names as the divine beasts. Zora: Ruta, Goron: Rudania, Rito: Medoh, gerudo: Nabooris. It would make sense.
wait black dragon rules water that means that the water dragon the zonai worshiped in the past was not farosh but rather another black dragon
Whoa, whoa, whoa... Blue, RED, Yellow, White & Black? Elements? CREATION?! I know this is a Zelda video, not Pokémon, however, I need to work this out, but, that means Palkia isn't Pink or Purple, but, RED?!
Dialga represents Time... Blue Dragon...
Palkia represent Space... Red Dragon...
Giratina represents ANTIMATTER... Yellow Dragon...
Zekrom represents Truth... Black Dragon...
Reshiram represents Ideals... White Dragon...
That explains why they are those colors. Also, the latter two represent Taoism.
Speaking of shouki, did Ganondorf learned to master it under the tutelage of Kotake and Koume. And whether or not they follow the same buddhist ideology as depicted in your video? Having No Twinrova in the story had been a wasted opportunity in Tears of the Kingdom. And it would of been nice if Nintendo dives deeper into his character of who he is before the Gerudo King is consumed with the obsession of power.
Since there are no dialogues or diaries in the english translation of Tears of the Kingdom that even allude to Ganondorf having learned to master shouki from the new reincarnations of Koume and Kotake i have to assume that no such information is also present in the japanese version of the game. That said i myself don't know japanese so i can't say with certainty that Nintendo of Japan couldn't have added a dialogue, diary page or something in the game which suggests Koume and Kotake mentored Ganondorf in shouki. Perhaps Aaron has something to say in the matter.
Kotake and Koume have role in the story because they would go on to have a role in OOTs story.
@@stuffz1757 There's no way there's a 400 years *gap* between Rauru's REFOUNDATION of Hyrule and Ocarina of Time. Also reincarnation says hi buddy.
@@javiervasquez625 Do you believe Ganondorfs ears are round in TotK because he's a reincarnation?
@@stuffz1757 In Ocarina of Time? Yes. Not so much in Tears of the Kingdom. They are treated as cameos or minor characters.
Can you please tell me what Ganondorf says in Japanese when Rauru mentions Link to him?
Otherwise, great video.
リンク？ 面白い、楽しむにしておくぞ。
Link? Interesting, I'll enjoy that.
@@matthewblasch2154 Thanks dude
Hi
Hello there!
I mean I feel the differences between the two Ganondorfs is why I don't see this one coming after OOT Ganondorf, rather I feel this Ganondorf is the only "true" Ganondorf, i.e. the only one that is directly connected to Demises hatred, and thus I see him as existing closer to when Demise existed, not further away.
¿You do know that the second a new reincarnation of Ganondorf is introduced in the next big Zelda game coming out in the next few years this interpretation of yours will become completley void...? Food for thought Mr. Confirmation Bias.
@@javiervasquez625 Like a moth to the flame you've returned. Welcome back.
@@stuffz1757 Like a biased contrarian the misinformed parroting continues. Don't be a stranger.
@@javiervasquez625 Aw leaving so soon? Booo!
Also for the record a third Ganondorf would basically kill the lore community. TotK almost already did that, if they do this shit again it's all over. No also FSA Ganondorf doesn't count because most people don't care much what a side game like that does or doesn't do, hell the vast majority of people probably haven't even played FSA.
@@stuffz1757 Lol since when does "Don't be a stranger" suddenly mean "i've no desire to deal with a contrarian"? Just greeting a salty contrarian into this comment section is all i was doing so apologies if i made you think something which is not actually the case.
As to that little salty banter at the end of this salty ramble: I fail to see why you MISUNDERSTANDING the Lore established in Tears of the Kingdom randomly prevents future Ganondorfs from reincarnating just like their *canonical* _predecessors_ from Four Sword Adventures and Tears of the Kingdom as established in the official JAPANESE TIMELINE of The Legend of Zelda... zr/whoooosh don't be a stranger buddy.
nintendo of america don’t botch the translation challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)
This video misrepresents things so badly. There were parts where they did questionable decisions, but the idea that Ganondorf's motivation is different is a pure myth. If you read the English version of those quotes, it will make more sense (the two from around ten minutes to 12 minutes in). And he highlights mostly minor differences and then exaggerates them greatly.
Why did you leave out key parts of the English version of the dialogue that showed his motivation? You're doing what you do with most of your videos.
0:50 The use of "true" is implied in English. You seem to overstate the importance of that adjective. Also, that Japanese quote is not completely accurate. He says 真の王の復活と
2:00 They both have the exact same meaning.
5:15 But it does not exclusively mean "double". "Amplify" seems more appropriate as it conveys the sense of ambiguity in the Japanese.
7:32 You are overstating the use of the term 魔物 there. That exact term is also used to describe the majority of enemies in the game in their Compendium descriptions. Demon and Monster are both valid translations. It is consistent here.
13:40 Except the English states practically the exact same thing too. It says "I will reshape this world as it was meant to be."
13:56 and the English version of that line is also pretty much the same: "All these weak, peace-loving cowards running rampant..."
14:11 I will admit this is a little more subjective, but the English version of the line seemed to suggest the same general idea that he longed for the past. He remembers the past with "worthy foes" and expresses that with his line.
14:31 This exact concept is conveyed in English too with "I will crush any opposition. I will rule."
As for 14:53 they clearly are the same in meaning. While it's odd that the mention of a world of demons was not included, it doesn't change the fact the overall message is consistent.
15:22 I... don't agree with your translation there. I would simply translate it as "I will rule all things." And either way, I think it matches the English it meaning pretty closely, but not as much as previous examples.
And his Japanese Hyrule Compendium entry is almost the exact same as the English version. I think you kind of overstated the differences once again.
I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and interpretations; thank you for that. First and foremost, I want to address this: I do not create these videos with the purpose or intent of bashing the official English localisation we have been provided with.
Language is immensely complex, and there are often many ways to interpret, translate, and localise dialogue and text. The translations I've provided here should not be seen as definitive or the only way to interpret the Japanese language. Similarly, neither should Nintendo's, yours, or anyone else's translations. There will always be individuals who perceive things differently, and that's perfectly acceptable. In fact, it's much more interesting and enjoyable that way.
The aim of my videos is to offer and share alternative translations for the original text, analyse how it can be interpreted, and consider what it might ultimately mean or imply. It seems you may have misunderstood their purpose; I am not suggesting that the official English translation we received is invalid. For instance, take the part where Ganondorf says he wants to rule 万物. I translated it as "creation," which is a perfectly valid translation. You propose "all things," which is also valid. Nintendo's translation is "the land," which is also valid as the land is part of creation and something he desires. Whichever translation you prefer, there will still be numerous nuances that do not transfer seamlessly. By creating videos, I can elucidate these nuances, provide context like I did with the dragon section, and explain them-a luxury that the official localisation team did not have.
I am not omitting any crucial parts of the English version of the dialogue. During those parts of the video you referred to, I am solely referencing the Japanese text. I am providing the Japanese text as it is the original and my interpretation for those who wish to see it.
The same applies to the Japanese; I am not omitting anything. At 2:00, the Japanese quote is accurate. Please take another look at the Japanese and English for the second half of that quote.
The differences you feel I am overstating are a fair opinion; however, I do ask you to understand that I create these videos to highlight the nuances of the original text that may allow for other interpretations, not to discredit other translations.
@@QuestWithAaron This is cool and all, but you're not addressing the crucial aspect of NoA translations that separate them from fan translations: they are official. And with some knowledge of how the process of localisation works, NoA works very closely with the Nintendo Co. Ltd and the developers. The localisers communicate directly with the devs to discuss the whole localization process. They do this with most Nintendo games, including Xenoblade and Pokémon. And there's little reason to assume the localisationa of these major cutscenes won't be on high that priority list for localisation discussions.
I encourage you watch a video detailing the localisation process for Majora's Mask, where they interviewed the localiser. He discusses how he talked about the localisation and different decisions with the dev team themselves and even Mr Miyamoto San. I believe it is by a channel called the Hyrule Files or Hyrule Journals.
For this reason, I see little reason to consider fan translations as equal in validity to NoA translations, aside from when legitimate errors are made however.
Also, what makes me a little sceptical about your claim of simply "highlighting the nuances" is multiple other videos of yours. You translate certain terms as synonyms of their official English translation and suggest they're completely different, like your "imp" and "devil" translation for Majoras Mask. Or the quote saying "a dark power is bestowed." You seem to suggest that the Japanese indicates it wasn't necessarily bestowed when it can be the only logical answer given that the wearer possesses a dark power as a result of the mask. In some way or another, it is absolutely being given/enabled.
And for your Revali video, you seem to ignore the tone present in his Japanese text. I've also seen other players of the Japanese version interpret Revali as equally unlikeable/"jerk" as the English version, if not more.
@@QuestWithAaron And for when you claim to exclusively focus on the Japanese part, why not also show the official English translation as you did elsewhere in the video? While this is also an interpretation, it is difficult to shake the idea that you did this deliberately to portray idea that the Japanese version of Ganondorf has a motivation while the English doesn't, ultimately reinforcing that factoid that is common in the fanbase.
But for the timestamp at 2:00, I was incorrect with my criticism there. I realised that soon after posting my comment, but couldn't be bothered to change it at the time. I appreciate you pointing that out and giving a response.
@@user-bd6lw1cm2l For a large company such as Nintendo, there should be lots of communication going on, as you rightly pointed out. However, maintaining the perfect balance between accuracy and cultural implications remains immensely difficult for the localisers. From my professional experience, there will also be occasions where you will be tasked with translating text with minimal or simply zero context, which really does ramp up the challenge. I’m not implying that is what’s happening at Nintendo, it’s just something to keep in mind.
Thank you for sharing the Zelda localisation interview; I'll be sure to watch it.
I appreciate your point about translating certain terms, but I ask you to please understand that I am not merely translating them as synonyms. In Majora’s Mask, the official localisation used "imp" for the Skull Kid, which I believe is an excellent choice. However, it fails to capture the depth of meaning associated with the original Japanese word. In fact, there's no direct equivalent in English, which is inherent to the nature of language. NoA is not at fault here; I've never thought they were. The word simply has too much depth and cultural nuances to convey via a single English word. There are many fantastic pieces of literature exploring the complexity of the Japanese word 鬼, and honestly, my video merely scratches the surface of its depth. if you’re interested I am happy to share some I thought were incredible reads. The same complexity applies to the term describing the dark power in Majora’s Mask. While wearing Majora’s Mask, the Skull Kid becomes a formidable force, but the source of that power lies within his own heart. Again, the English localisation isn't incorrect and it does have decent implications; it's just that the Japanese word carries nuances that can't all be conveyed within the limited space of an in-game text box. These intricacies are central to my videos and what I aim to share with the community.
Regarding the Revali video, I believe I mentioned multiple times that he remains prideful and boastful in Japanese.
However, I acknowledge your point and I do want to ensure that I’m not implying that the official English localisation is straight-up wrong. That's not the message I intend to convey. Localisation is extremely complex and I'll make a greater effort to emphasise that in my videos to ensure others don't misinterpret. I was sure to do that with my video explaining the full extent of the nature of the Adventure Log in Tears of the Kingdom as well.
@@QuestWithAaron
I guess you are correct that 'imp' doesn't capture the full depth associated with the Japanese term. I understand that. My main point of criticism is the apparent portrayal of the idea that "devil" is somehow more accurate than "imp." I may be misinterpreting, but given the thumbnails of the videos and general concept of "uncovering hidden details in the Japanese", it seems somewhat reasonable to think that you are portraying "devil" as the superior translation choice and "imp" as flawed. In fact, I didn't even know that you considered that to be a good translation choice until your reply here. I appreciate that clarification however.
As for Revali, while you did show he was prideful and boastful, I feel like you didn't demonstrate that he was also what many would consider a "jerk" in Japanese too, when many did interpret JP Revali as such.
Looking at your comments so far here, I think your analysis is much better than how I interpreted your analysis in your videos. From the acknowledgement of NoA's translations being reasonable to your clear understanding of the localisation process, I feel like if you incorporate these aspects into your videos more often, it'll separate you from the anti localisation community, as you are clearly not in that department. There seems to be more objectivity which I praise. I appreciate that you're taking my criticism on board and I hope you go through with what you said about avoiding misinterpretations. Because a number of people in your comments seem to be of the anti localisation community, whose understanding of the localisation process and how Japanese works are much inferior to yours as you've demonstrated. You've actually positively changed my perception of your channel and you quite a bit as a result lmao.
Not super deep but at least it gives us a glimpse into his motivations beyond wanting to rule.
At least I think so...
First of all Long Time Zelda fan here hated what they did to the timeline,
What tears of the Kingdom.
Wish wish the serect stones were, fragrances a Triforce. Ganondorf caught his secret Stone from Queens Sonya,
Maybe he inherited the immense power, added on or overrated it. 🤷🏻♀️
The secret stones definitely possess far more significance than merely being obscure rocks. Translations like "sacred stone" or "mystic stone" could effectively capture their essence in English, given their naming in Japanese. It appears that their elemental alignment undergoes a complete transformation to harmonise with their new owner. Nonetheless, it's also plausible that the influence of their previous owner persists in someway too.
First
I play the game in French and the French translation is closer to the Japanese version, which is really cool. I'm glad I didn't play in English because y'all got done so dirty 😔
He’s just a jerk
This man has no motive 🤣
Japanese Ganondorf sounds like a far-right EU politician....
Who translated this? Was it in house? It's an absolute travesty that someone got paid to do such a botched job.
Is this another video misrepresenting the Japanese text, like you did with Revali?
I just had this pop up in my recommendations, but everyone should be very wary to not take what you say as the absolute truth, because from what I've seen your knowledge of Japanese doesn't make you a good source for these types of videos.
The developers were too lazy to write one 😂 spend $70 again in five years.
still poor motivation. i feel nothing for any of these characters, this game truly is the worst in the series thus far
I don't think TotK is the worst in the series, plenty of Zelda games have had really bland characters. That being said, TotK Ganondorf was pathetic. He's cartoonishly evil. The only good thing about him is his design.
Story wasn’t exactly the priority with this game. Gameplay was. Make a rocket tank or ride a dragon, kill a Gleeok, or just wander the Depths or the Sky Islands. You’ll see that this game is far from the worst.