#i also love wind waker ganondorf

[orangedodge]

No, everyone, Ganondorf is not secretly some really great, misunderstood, good-guy that’s only trying to free his people from Rauru, come on. The instant he gets real power, he uses it against his own people. We are specifically shown that he unleashed his demon army against the Gerudo people first, and waged war to subjugate them first. It was only after he finished that he went to war with Hyrule. He didn’t care about them at all.

[pumpkingeorge]

I'm not really into Zelda and the lore is a bit fuzzy to me, but my brother is and we were talking earlier.

I suggested that a way to stop Ganondorf would be to kidnap him while he's still a baby and raise him in Hyrule. Killing him would be a little fucked up since he's, y'know, a baby...and killing him off early would only bring his eventual rebirth even faster. (Not that kidnapping a literal baby is a much better moral option by any means dhsd)

My brother knows way more about Zelda lore than I do and he was stumped about this plan. Sure Ganondorf is just a little cursed, but there's also the nature vs nurture concept. If he constantly doesn't have "You have to destroy Hyrule and get the triforce!!" into his skull every waking moment of his life, then maybe that could help him out a little? Just put him in Hyrule and give him a normal life. Let him go fishing or something? Teach him how to make pie?

Someone that is smarter than us can weigh in?

[sapphic-loser16]

Power Play AU

(or, LU but with the Ganondorfs)

Okay lads, this is just a quick concept post because I lost my old one. The gist is, the ganondorfs are collected from time and space and thrown together into Hyrule to atone for their sins. The cast list is at follows:

Pipes (Cadence of Hyrule Gan): he’s the oopsie gan, and isn’t supposed to be in the mix on a point of him being fourteen and not a megalomaniacal dictator. He likes music!

Antediluvian (Wind Waker Gan): he’s the oldest, and the least evil after Pipes. He’s tired all the time, but he’s really trying his best. Resident old man. Dual wields. Gets really bad headaches.

Idol (Twilight Princess Gan)- he’s dark, brooding, and calculating. Also laughs weird (pipes is trying to break his dark chuckling habit). Definitely the saddest, but he hides it beneath his anger. Wields the sage sword that he was executed with.

Legion (Hyrule Warriors Gan): he’s tall, he’s mean, he’s grumpy, but gods take it all does he have a good head of hair. Tactician of the group, but also bullheaded and stubborn. Wields trident

Prime (Ocarina of Time Gan): most extroverted, also really likes music. Most prolific magic user, and the most annoying out of all of them. Uses magic in combat.

Tarragon (Tears of the Kingdom Gan): quiet and calculating, but occasionally lets loose to have a good time. Newest to the whole “saving Hyrule” schtik, and the most suspicious of it after TP Gan. Loves sandseals. Dual wields scimitars.

[powdermelonkeg]

Okay but the sheer amount of unique worldbuilding and lore in Cadence of Hyrule.

Link as a fully realized, fully recognized hero, despite never getting the Master Sword. He knows what he's doing without destiny yanking him around by the collar.

Zelda able to operate singlehandedly, with as much dungeon-crawling ability as Link's often given.

Shadow Link also having a Shadow Zel counterpart, implying that it's a sort of magic mimic rather than a specter haunting the Hero specifically. Not just that, but a mimic with AGENCY that can choose to help you.

A canonical reason for Link being able to respawn after death, without breaking immersion.

The oracles? Possibly? Their colors suggest so, but who are these ladies? Where do they come from? How do they know the future?

Gerudo with designs that make sense for the desert!

And a knack for technology! Which is really sick!

Prince Ganondorf! Meaning that not only was he raised in Gerudo Town with his fellow Gerudo, but Link got his hero status WITHOUT taking him down!

Branching timelines? That are referenced in-game? And can be averted depending on which side of the game you want to play?

In fact, it's complete mix of the three canon timelines' placement. River Zora (called "evil Zora") exist. The overworld theme takes from Wind Waker's great sea. Deku scrubs and the Great Deku Tree are around. Sea Zora (aka the "friendly Zora" of OoT onward) are sharks. Zelda, Link, and Ganon have Downfall timeline designs. Octavo references Vaati in his design. There are BotW Bokoblins and Keese, Wind Waker kargaroks, Iron Knuckles and Darknuts both, Taluses and Lynels and Hinoxes... Where is it in the timeline? Who knows? Wherever your heart thinks it belongs.

Then there's how the Triforce calls to Cadence, like it did to Link in the Oracles games. How they have the power to isekai whomever they want, Link just happens to be the nearest fit 99% of the time. How Cadence has as much a claim to Power as Ganondorf is usually given.

And the ITEMS. The SWORDS. Where did Caladbolg come from? Where did Fragarach? Why does the Jeweled Dagger look Sheikah-made? Why can I put Link in glass slippers?

Also Yves my beloved. My little hero sprout. I love you.

[kokiriofthevalley]

My silly little Link headcannons

hii again I'm very bored rn sooo

again for Zelda, it's only the major ones, sorry obscure link fans

also wtf is this gif I found 😭😭

Skyward Sword

✯has the biggest crush on his Zelda bc they're so close

✯like it's VERY obvious how they feel about eachother

✯His fav flavour of ice cream is Oreo ice cream but he also loves toffee and vanilla too

✯He can talk but he prefers sign language (dialect of sign language may vary on preference ((like ASL or BSL or LSE, ect)) ) and talks to save time in an emergency in case the other person may not know sign, but DOES sign if they do

For this one, I thought about the cutscenes where he's explaining something (like the current location or condition of Zelda) to another character and we can see his mouth moving.

✯no because if video games existed in skyloft, i just know that he's playing stardew valley and papas freezeria. I can feel it in my BONES

✯Definitely woke up under his bed once and hit his head on the bedframe

✯him and Groose have insult battles but then they get ice cream together after

Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask

✯somebody get this poor boy a therapist and a hug PLEASE

Twilight Princess

✯it felt natural to him when he transformed using the Zora mask in mm, because both the models for adult link and Zora link are the same size

✯mute

✯i think he played the ocarina like a recorder (aka with no experience at all) and did each note individually and the magic of the ocarina of time was probably like "there is NO WAY that I'm letting this kid tarnish my reputation goddamit" and made the songs sound nicer after he had played all the notes

✯forgot once that he was a kid again and walked to Romani ranch to get some chateau Romani and was genuinely surprised when Cremia said no

✯Had more of a genuine connection to Midna, but still had a friendship with princess Zelda

Wind Waker

✯felt a strange familial connection to the hero of shades when he met him and made link want to find out who the hero of shades was

✯does NOT like how short he is when he transforms into a wolf

✯Best poker face in history

Breath of the Wild

✯Gives Aryll piggybacks when she wants

✯would gladly eat his grandma's soup for the rest of his life

✯His grandma gave him the recipe to her soup when he left to discover the new Hyrule

✯Has the most major and unhidable (that's not a word but who cares) side eye in the history of time

✯If the events of WW didn't happen, I think he would have grown up to be a cartographer or he would REALLY like making his own maps

✯sorry to get all angsty but I don't think he wanted to kill Ganondorf. I just don't. I don't think either of them wanted to kill eachother. I feel like Link feels guilty about it because it's so obvious that it was only self defense after the triforce was touched by king Daphnes and it literally drove Ganondorf insane

Tbh I'd go crazy too if something I had wanted so badly got taken by another person even tho I literally got SEALED IN ANOTHER FUCKING REALM FOR A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME for it

Again sorry for no totk for this one pls no spoilers

✯Gets ambushed by Yiga so many times that he knows their names

*Yiga poofs into existence* "IM HERE TO KILL YOU LINK, IN REVENGE FOR MASTER KOHGA!!!!"

"oh hi jerry, nice weather eh?" -link

✯After he saved princess Zelda, he took a nap that lasted 4 ENTIRE days

✯not even the sound of kass' accordion could wake his ass up

✯very obvious but if he wasn't a knight, he would be a chef. Not sous chef. He would be head chef.

✯His hands are probably rough as hell from all that Hero Of Hyrule™-ing he has done

✯despite being able to lift heavy objects, his arms are still noodles

[bloobluebloo]

I’m actually disappointed Ganondorf nuke explosion death had no consequences on the land. A bomb just exploded in a giant beam of light. And nothing happened? No mountain cracked, not a single tree destroyed, no land was burned? At least give us a crater. An honorary Ganon crater, just for him. Forever imbedded into the earth

I HATE THAT THEY EXPLODED HIM FOR SO MANY REASONS-

I feel like exploding Ganondorf was such a hollow way to end his life. Apart from my issues around the fact that this nullifies everything we've learned about draconification after the game spent a couple of cutscenes reinforcing the permanency and immortality factor of the act, it just felt really annoying that it didn't apply to either Zelda or Ganondorf who are the main dragons of this story. (And before someone comes at me with the "oh what if dragons are immortal like lobsters are where they only die when they are killed" well, okay, then why spend so much time telling me, in several cutscenes, that dragons lose themselves and are immortal and it cannot be reversed? When it's emphasized that much the purpose is usually to reinforce that becoming a dragon is really *really* a permanent change, not that by the power of love and friendship and the gods hate Ganondorf that much that none of those rules apply)

Then, yeah! As you said! Ganondorf's explosion was of nuclear proportions! Fine, Link and Zelda are special and being right in the vicinity didn't vaporize them somehow (I guess another power of Rauru and Sonia is to pull Link into some pocket dimension to initiate their changing of Zelda back to herself or something), but the rest of Hyrule? The light from that explosion should cause eye damage in like half the population. There should be a huge crater or at least the land around him burned out of all greenery and living beings (which would at least leave a permanent legacy of what Ganondorf had intended to do). I guess we never get to really see Hyrule post-game anyways, maybe they would consider these things if we did (I highly doubt it because Hyrule's a magical place where specifically when the king of demons explodes in death Hyrule's blessed light prevents the land and its people from suffering any consequences).

(Okay fine change Zelda back to herself but also, she doesn't remember *anything* from being a dragon? Man these characters really go through everything with no consequences suffered at all! You blame Ganondorf for being mad?)

And finally, my problem really with it is how Ganondorf's death is sort of treated like...well like he was just in the way instead of a meaningful part of the story. In OoT, when you first "kill" him, Zelda acknowledges him in a show of pity, implying that he had reached a point that he just could not be saved from himself. When he is sealed away, you can see in his eyes and his face how Zelda's words about his inability to properly control his power really shows itself, having gone mad and swearing vengeance on their descendants. In Wind Waker, his final words are "The wind is blowing", perhaps alluding to what he had said previously, that the only winds he had ever felt were the winds of death, and here he is feeling it once more in death, having truly lost everything in that moment. In Twilight Princess, Ganondorf dies on his feet, the scene silent as Link and Zelda watch, as Zant cracks his neck, as Zelda bows her head once he closes his eyes. You don't have to *like * Ganondorf, but his deaths and his sealing left an impact on the player, mirroring the message and themes of the game. This just felt like "well, let's just get him out of the way quickly so we can move on to focus on Link and Zelda reuniting" which, look, I think that final fall where you dive for Zelda is epic, it gets me in the feels ngl. However, it just like, what does it say about the antagonist? What did he die for? Is he that callous and meaningless of a character that we just explode him and never acknowledge him again? That is a pretty painful way to die isn't it? I don't have all the words to convey my feelings but it just feels like, for a game that markets itself as the one that really integrates Ganondorf as a character and "solidifies his character" that it handled his death so poorly. He was as much as a whisper of a legend that he was when Link and Zelda went into the depths of Hyrule Castle by the end of the game and that just doesn't sit well with me.

[ihavedonenothingright]

I haven't really been a fan in a while, but hearing Zeltik say that for the film, Ganondorf should be "a deranged, monstrous warlord who wants power, and nothing else" genuinely enraged me. I need to know what the fuck would make someone think that is the best thing to do with him. I know it's what they will do—I have zero hope of nuance, or even a motivation for him—but just. God, even the Zelda manga understood what to do with him! Why do you hate depth? What is wrong with you?

I am going to be very straightforward here: making him do what he does just because he's "mad" not only makes for an uninteresting villain, it also falls neatly in to a myriad of disgusting orientalist tropes that you can't avoid responsibility for just by giving him green skin. He is the only male representative of the Gerudo we ever see, and while the games will sometimes allow them to be the "good guys" (so long as they're assimilating into Hylian culture, or working in its interest), what Nintendo created in Ganondorf and his backstory was the equivalent of one of those slave market or sexy harem paintings of the late 19th century. He's the evil-for-evil's-sake depraved and decadent man in possession of unlimited numbers of scantily clad women, and that is, beyond a doubt, an orientalist notion. But he doesn't fucking have to be.

Frankly, up until Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo was getting better about him. I still think Akira Himekawa did him best, but Wind Waker Ganondorf is beloved because of his contradictions. He's undertaking actions we would consider evil for an ultimately fruitless cause, but he's not "deranged," he's consumed by the (literal) sunk cost fallacy, unwilling to give up on a dream he's already lost. Even in Ocarina of Time, he's the product of Hyrule's own making. The King of Hyrule is the one who launched a civil war, Hyrule is the nation with hidden torture chambers and guillotines. The Gerudo weren't even thieves before the war; Nabooru is anti-Hyrule, she disagrees with him on method.

Anyway, yeah. I keep forgetting what a cesspool the fandom is out in the wild. But for the love of God, I need people to start handling this man with some care.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I think there's something to be said also about how so many Ganondorf redemption arcs in fanfics involve him being shipped with Link or Zelda. It's very ingrained in the fandom to connect Ganondorf as a good guy to Ganondorf as an object of desire, specifically paired sexually with a good, pale, white, heroic hylian who "tames" him out of his savagery.

Yeah, I think that's a really fair point.

Again, I'm always pretty uncomfortable with chiming in on people's desires, as it is complicated enough of a topic as is AND I know I have strange biases and/or know some subtleties may go over my head given I'm aroace. But yes, it is a continuation of that understanding of the character (not even returning on the fact that I don't think Ganondorf needs redemption as much as Hyrule needs accountability).

I think what bothers me, in both canon and fanon (and in spite of Wind Waker), is that there is a latent denial that he is a character that is capable of depth and vulnerability without tearing agency away from him, if that makes sense? And it often lives, at least in my opinion, in the negation of his relationship to his own people. That maybe he doesn't need the hylian heroes to come and "teach him" the meaning of love and forgiveness, and/or reveal he was always incapable of either; shouldn't he have gotten plenty of opportunities to explore that very topic among his own people, on his own terms?

[nocturnalfandomartist]

Adult Timeline Doodles

🌊 Wind Waker Doodles 🌊

Program: Ibis Paint X

Time Elapsed: 3 hours, 22 minutes

💖 Spirit Tracks Doodles 💖

Program: Ibis Paint X

Time Elapsed: 3 hours, 9 minutes

Here's a collection of Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks doodles I've done on and off the past few days. I don't know why my brain decided to branch back to them after the Tears of the Kingdom trailer, but here we are.

For the Wind Waker doodles, I gave Link a scarf to match Tetra's as well as a combination of his two in-game outfits. Tetra and Link also both have scars from their adventure. Tetra's is from falling into the tree after feeding herself from the Helmaroc King, and Link's is from when Ganondorf attacks him at the top of the Forsaken Fortress. I gave Tetra's dress a redesign to moreso resemble the ocean she loves so much! I also made the bandages on her right arm (the one the Triforce of Wisdom would usually appear on) more bandages to somewhat resemble Sheik's.

I imagine Link and Tetra are really close, given the bond they seem to have in Phantom Hourglass. Link has gotten into the habit of calling Tetra "Captain" after joining her crew, but will also slip up and call her Tetra when the two are having fun. He never calls her Zelda, though, upon seeing her demeanor when the rest of the crew does so. Given how expressive Link is and how open Tetra is, they definitely get along but are quick to make it clear when they disagree with the other. Speaking of which, I absolutely love drawing The Hero of Winds' goofy little faces.

As for Spirit Tracks, I had a little difficulty deciding on color schemes. However, I settled on a slightly detailed conductor uniform for Link and a ghostly, phantom-inspired dress for Princess Zelda. They look somewhat resemblant of Tetra and The Hero of Winds with hair and faces due to their identical appearances in original design, but I wanted to be sure their differing personalities were evident.

I see Zelda and Link being as close as their predecessors, but with their different personalities they're definitely more likely to show it regardless of who is around. The game makes Link quick to blush, making for obvious embarrassment. Zelda, on the other hand, is pretty affectionate yet doesn't seem to notice the flustered mess at all. My headcanon usually follows the ending where Link becomes an engineer, so it's cute to picture him and Zelda occasionally getting to travel around New Hyrule without worrying about an impending threat. It would be a nice chance for Zelda and Link to play music/sing together, too.

Reblogging is fine, but please don't post this anywhere else without linking the original post. Thanks!

[calamitaswrath]

I know this is probably just because it was the first Zelda game I owned and played to completion, but there's just something super specific about Twilight Princess on a narrative level that I just haven't really seen in any other Zelda game yet. What I mean is... it just feels like a private, or secretive story. Granted, most Zelda games aren't really the grand fantasy epic that some fans might have you believe they are, with most Links not even being recognized as heroes for most of their journey or afterwards. Like, in Wind Waker Link is just a travelling kid who occasionally helps some people, but is only really recognized by the Rito as a hero. Or in Skyward Sword, most NPCs know Link on a rather personal level, but don't really know what's going on with him. But I don't know, with Twilight Princess it just feels still a bit more... secretive, personal, or whatever you want to call it.

Link is from a tiny village at the southernmost edge of Hyrule, a tiny place that in Hyrule proper, few barely even seem to know. Hyrule in general is super populated even more so than pre-timeskip Ocarina of Time, but it's all completely localized in Castle Town, where Link is little more than a face in a crowd. And while the people in town obviously have an idea of something going on in the land, they only really notice Lake Hylia drying up due to Zora's Domain being frozen over (which no one even really knows about), and Ganondorf's barrier appearing around the castle.

Everything that Link does takes place in forgotten, ancient ruins and out in the wilderness, or at the very outskirts of society, in tiny villages or with the other races. And the chief of the Gorons never really learns what Link did for him, and the Zora don't even know or learn that it was him who saved them. All that Link does in and around Castle Town is meanwhile in back alleys and during stormy night, beneath the town itself in enormous sewer systems that doesn't even have a proper entrance that you learn about. And even in Ordon Village, where everyone knows Link, they also barely got an idea of what is going on.

The central conflict is also something that barely anyone even knows about. Ganondorf isn't some great demon king, he's just a thief that was already dealt with ages ago. Both his story, and the backstory of the Twili isn't even something that an actual person tells you about, or can tell you about, and you learn about them instead from the otherworldly light spirits and sages. And I know Wind Waker was similar in that regard, where the actual conflict was something that few even really knew about. But I think what makes Twilight Princess different in this regard is that at face value, its conflict is something you'd expect to see in a fantasy epic, with literal hordes of darkness invading the world. But then its literally baked into the story that most of the people don't, can't know what's going on. The Resistance is already noteworthy in that they actually put to together that something is going on... and they're only four people, five if you count Telma.

I don't know if any of this really makes any sense, but I don't know. Twilight Princess just always felt particularly private and secretive to me, and that's the best I can put it. And that's just something I always love about the game.

Also that true form Midna is hot.

[izunias-meme-hole]

2 days after being spoiled before buying the game and I can easily say I LOVE the approach Tears of The Kingdom took with Ganondorf

I knew he was still gonna be an evil ass bastard, but I thought he’d try and figure out how to break, or at least nullify, the Demise Curse somehow so he can not only handle things his own way, and not be bound by fate. I NEVER expected him to a reincarnation of himself that embraces the fact that he’s the literal second coming of Demise and be proud of that. Yet at the same time it fits so well into this new timeline. It’s like he’s a literal force of destiny and I love this approach.

I also didn’t think we’d ever get some Ocarina of Time level scheming from him since he’s most likely gonna be slowly regaining the strength while he was being dehydrated, but no. We got some lore about him in the form of memories, and we get to see him feign loyalty to the ancient Hylian King, just to get his hands on his queens sacred stone, which combined with his own magic, pretty much made him a true devil. Which brings me to my next point.

He’s thankfully still threatening and he still has a strong presence! I’ll find out HOW strong his presence is when I buy the game next week because Wind Waker Ganondorf was also great yet lacked a large presence, but I can thankfully say Ganondorf here is still a threat and has a strong presence, despite spending most of the main story in Hyrule Castle rehydrating.

Not only that, but there’s this line. (I may be reading to much into it)

This line pretty much sums up Ganondorf at his core, no matter the game he’s in. He’s a man, a CUNNING man, that was born into royalty who takes what he desires, destroys what doesn’t bend to his will, and seeks to reshape everything in Hyrule into an empire ruled by him. Back that up with Matt Mercer’s surprisingly fitting voice work, and I can say that this game did Ganondorf RIGHT!

Also…

Sayonara giant final form boar fight and hello Demon Dragon Ganon! Say what you will about this part of the fight, but this is a breath of fresh air after years of the boar. (I like the boar forms too, but only OOT and Hyrule Warriors made it work well)

The only problems I spot so far with this incarnation is that it’s not that revolutionary because Hyrule Warriors (The original) did something similar with their Ganondorf, and the fact that nothing really tops Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf. Still I will give TOTK credit for actually making a Ganondorf like this canon, and making what might be the second best Ganondorf outting in the entire mainline series and possibly even surpassing Hyrule Warrior’s take on Ganondorf.  If this sounds like fanboying, I apologize because I love how well Ganondorf was handled here and I cannot wait to actually buy the game and experience taking on this bastard like a true gamer.

[marenwithanm]

Finally finished wind waker! Good Game 👍👍👍 I already watched some of the ending cutscenes (because I've been doing linkverse stuff and I need to know how all the games I'm using work lol) but they definitely work best when put together in one cohesive sequence. I didn't actually love either of the Ganon fights, but maybe that's because I was a bit worried about the fact it was quickly becoming 1 am 🤣

In other news, I can see why people like this Ganondorf. I should mention that I am in no way swayed by his little speech, especially with how he treated hyrule and his own people in ocarina of time, but I can sympathize, a bit. And I can see his thought process and how he got here. Basically, while I still do hate him, he's an actually well written villain! I can see how he's justifying his actions as if they're in the greater good instead of just the desperate actions of a man clinging to the power he once had. It's also really cool how he mirrors the king. They both take some pretty dubious actions towards fulfilling their goal, but in the end the king is able to accept the past is gone and stop dragging the children into it with him, while Ganondorf clings to it til the bitter end. And finally, Link and Tetra can stop fighting the battles of people long dead, and move to their futures. I appreciated the theme a lot! And man it felt good to finally see Aryll again! I missed her 🥺🥺🥺 in other notes, rip links poor little face, Ganondorf does not pull his punches

[spaceless-vacuum]

Hi my friend sent me the request you did for them. And I love it so much

Can I request yandere gagons for yandere links playtonic x baby dragon's female reader ( been playing tears of the kingdom. And you can ride and climb the dragons.)

Like the found the little reader coming out of her egg and is kinda different then the other dragons she More like a naga dragon looking one but is to cute

Please and thank you ( I didn't know if you do ganondorf's so I put links on there to if you can't do the ganondorf s have a great day

Oot Ganondorf was a powerful sorcerer who was born to the Geurdo and raised by two witches. He has stolen from everyone and knows no bounds and murdered people, nothing can or will stand in his way. When he first finds your egg he's more confused with what's inside. Will you even hatch?

He doesn't know the power he holds but he can’t tell from the moment he sees your egg that you're his. The rare object is his birthright. In his eyes and no one was going to stop him from keeping it.

After some research he found out he came across a rare dragon egg. One that hadn't been seen in centuries. Despite it being such a rare gift the limits and knowledge on you were limited. He had no clue what to think, what you could or would do, or even how to raise you. He thought about passing you along to someone else to raise but as he kept you close and spent more time with you the two of you began to imprint on each other.

He brought you with him to Hyrule as he swore allegiance and he often rants to your egg about news and how the days pass. His plots and schemes remain his to know about but he loves to just talk to you. Once you hatch it's after the young hero emerges from the woods but before he faces or challenges Link.

The serpent-like creature was too small and weak to care for itself. He took care of you. Keeping you close all the time (not that you would stand to be put down) he kept you with him hidden in his pockets. Sneaking your food during meetings. You ate fruits and meats most happily and he was glad to see you thrive even in these conditions. It would take awhile until you grew up but he had hoped it would be sooner rather than later. He had plans that needed to go underway soon. 

Wind waker Ganondorf has this deeper character to him where he states his reasons for wanting to take over Hyrule is so he can give his people a better life. While i dont think this is actually the case, I think it stems more from the fact that he believes by some sort of bid he owns hyrule by right and can rule it better. What better way to take it all over than a dragon?

Flying through the air or swimming in the ocean either way will be a wonderful tool for conquering. At first when he finds the egg he assumes he'll use you like a tool the same way he does his bird. Once you hatch though he takes one look into those beady little eyes and realises, no… No, I can't do that to this creature. He does care for even his bird (he uses chickens hidden around the rocky shores of his fortress as enrichment and will throw the hideous creature people who cross him for food to hunt down)  but he can't think of you as a tool. Not even as a pet.

You're intelligent, far more so than he would ever expect and you've… What's the word? Tamed? Imprinted? Like the rito- eh it doesnt matter.

He doesn't know how to care for you but you're very smart and intuitively the both of you work it out. As you grow older and his plans start to grow bolder as he starts to kidnap the maidens. He keeps you by his side for this. Planning to keep you safe and by his side for his final fight. Talking to you and keeping you safe as you grow older.

Totk Ganondorf would have found you while planning to challenge Raru. Leaving his kingdom to swear fealty also meant being able to travel through hyrule proper and taking claim to whatever he figured he might need. He found you hidden away in some temple and was skewed with jealousy. Raru never did know what power he wielded and this was just another show of it. Items of rare and extravagant power are best suited to those that would use them.

This man is tainted with hate and the moment he sees the egg he has his claws in you. Planning for what he'll do once you wake up. A dragon is a terrible thing to waste. He keeps you warm with blankets and hides you until he's back home. You sit still until it's time for you to hatch and he trusts few with the task of guarding you.

You're a very sweet dragon in comparison to his cool exterior.  He only allows you to circle his keep and to go no further than that, lest you be discovered before he can put his plans into motion. When he goes to kill Sonia and enact his revenge he takes you with him. Hiding you in the room he killed the queen in so you may witness his rise as king in front of zelda and everyone else.

When he manages to slip away you dash after him, remaining out of sight. He also takes you with him to the keep that was made his tomb. He knows that as an immortal dragon you're doomed to stay alive all those years without him, and it stops you from running off. He impressions you with him. 

Unless you showed absolute fealty, keeping you here with him is a mercy. Otherwise he'd have to hunt you down and corrupt you with malice and neither of you would want that. He believes in you to stay there. Staying asleep until he wakes up himself. After damaging Link and ensuring Zelda is gone he goes underground with you by his side. Waiting for the fabled swordman to challenge him; he plans to fight with you by his side.

[hollysoda]

Okay so I know that totk turned one year old a couple of days ago but I was away for the weekend and didn’t get a chance to post something about it. Now I’m home again, I think I wanna just put some thoughts down

Firstly, I still love totk. It was a really fun game and had just as much fun playing through it complete blind as I did playing botw with only a loose knowledge of the game. In fact, I enjoyed it more than botw. Maybe it was because I knew more about Zelda than what I did back in September 2022 when I first played botw, or maybe it was because I could see the improvements they made when it came to dungeons and overall exploration. For at least six months totk was my favourite zelda game. Now, a year on, it isn’t.

I think on reflection totk is a very flawed game. While it is technically genius, story-wise it’s incredibly weak, possibly the weakest in the entire franchise. Here are a few points worth mentioning:

Why bother bringing back Ganondorf if he isn’t going to have any real motive? Is there a reason why he’s fighting with Rauru and seeking his own secret stone, or is he just doing it for funsies? Part of the reason why Wind Waker Ganondorf is so good is because he has a strong and clear motive. Without any motive, totk Ganondorf just feels like an enemy rather than a main antagonist

The main thing that drives forward a story is a theme to take away from it. Breath of the Wild’s theme was exploration and lost memories, Skyward Sword’s theme was loyalty and/or devotion, but it’s hard to tell what totk’s theme is. Sacrifice could be the outstanding one, seeing as both Zelda and Rauru make crucial sacrifices for the sake of Hyrule, but where else is it seen in the story? Totk just tries too many things, and having a clear theme would just help to solidify things

For a game that was supposed to solve the mystery of who the Zonai were it sure did a poor job at doing so. I absolutely adore the Zonai and in my opinion Rauru and Mineru’s designs as some of the coolest in the entire franchise but my god. Their lore is so underdeveloped it hurts. We know the bare minimum about their civilisation and culture. We still don’t know why they died off, why they built the labyrinths (and by extension who the Lord of dragons/owls/boars are), why they have secret stones in the first place, why is the Temple of Time in the sky when it was originally on the ground and most importantly why is draconification a forbidden act. If you’re gonna imply that the three dragons introduced in botw were once people then tell us!! Totk deserved a dlc that could explain all of this and not leave us in the unknown

Saying that the Sheikah technology just “disappeared” is an absolutely awful way of saying “uh yeah we never thought about that”. That’s some god awful world-building and planning on the developers behalf. Even if they just said that after the Calamity it lost its magic and then parts of it were repurposed for new technology, like the Skyview towers, it would be so much more believable. The Divine Beasts should have at least been in the game somewhere, perhaps in the depths. The lack of Sheikah tech makes the game feel so disjointed from botw, and makes totk feel as though it’s only a sequel because it has the same characters in it

The ending of the game just doesn’t sit right with me. Why bother having Mineru beg Zelda not to swallow her secret stone if in the end she would be able to turn back into a human. I understand the developers want a happy ending but at least let there be consequences. Let Zelda’s memory be a bit hazy or give her dragon features like many artists have done and let Link permanently be an amputee

Also the Ancient Hero angers me. I’ve got no problems with him not being a hylian because honestly it makes it wayy more interesting knowing that not every hero was hylian, but just explain why. If he’s some sort of Zonai, why doesn’t he look like Rauru and Mineru? Is he some sort of hybrid or a different breed of Zonai? And why does the tapestry depict him as a hylian if he’s not? Seems like an oversight more than anything

I think I should stop there because this post is getting long but uh TL;DR totk could have been a phenomenal game if they spent more time planning out the storyline and fleshing out lore. I get it, the game was originally botw dlc, but after so many delays we at least deserved a better story.

I do still love this game though Tears of the Dragon goes HARD

[shellshooked]

Can u plz do more of the Zelda movie au? I really like it and would like to see like maybe a documentary comic about the filming and are the actors for link and Zelda dating or is it just them as characters? (u don’t have to actually draw that if u don’t see this or u don’t want to)

im so late replying to this but i have SOOO many ideas on the zelda movie au!! let me share some lore hehe

So you know the spiderman actor and his love interest actress dating curse? how every actor that has played spiderman ends up dating the actress for mj / gwen Stacy? i like to think it's a similar trend with the zelink actors, except not all of them are dating. Botw / totk zelink DEFINETLY and the actors like to keep the details of their relationship private, but Link is NOT shy about how head over heels he is for zelda

Skyward sword zelink? you can never tell. it's the type of dynamic where Twitter stans are dying to know and interviewers always ask them about it but they both dodge the question successfully each time. They could be besties. They could be secretly married. Nobody knows.

Now, oot zelink are not dating, but in my head they're like Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Ride or die besties, and they're the biggest oot zelink shippers you'll ever find.

Tp zelink aren't necessarily dating, perhaps some tension (?) however i like to think that their dynamic is more a trio one with midna's actress, who's best friends with zelda and they both playfully bully link

You know who else bullies link? oot ganondorf's actor. Irl he's actually in super good relations with every cast member and probably the warmest kindest most solid dude you'll ever meet but in every interview, every red carpet, every con event he always pretends like oot link is a nuisance and that he's only doing this because he's getting paid. When the Wind waker releases, he's obviously cast again (because duh, same ganondorf, so he's also in the Twilight Princess movie), and he takes care of link and tetra very well on set and makes sure they're always comfortable as child actors, all while he acts to be this super evil guy on camera. I love this duality, I feel like he would be so chill to talk to

In a way, I feel like the major cast from the franchise all know each other one way or another whether they're friends or just professional colleagues, they all relate to each other in some way. There's always a playful competition between botw and ss zelink actors on which pairing is the best, tp link's actor always jokingly disses wind waker for its seemingly childish approach while ww link insists his movie has the better soundtrack.

And now I'm rambling, and I definetly did not mean to dump this all on your ask omg I'm so sorry but this au transpires so much fun to me it makes me silly

[toonblade]

Linktober 2023 Day 14 - Ganondorf

Wind Waker Ganondorf is my favorite incarnation of the villain in all the series. He's not a mighty, evil king trying to usurp power and rule all. He's instead a sad, bitter old man clinging on to the past and unable to let go of what he could have had. He's humanized a bit, showing him as perhaps having decent intentions, once upon a time, though corrupted by his own drives and ambitions.

His final fight is also one of the finest. Again, contrasting to other Ganon's, the fight isn't to save the world. He's already lost. Instead, it's a battle of survival against a man with nothing left to lose, wanting to murder two children in a petty show of defiance against his fate.

God I love WInd Waker.