The Legend of Zelda: How Is Ganondorf Alive in Tears of the Kingdom?

The countdown is on, Nintendo fans. It has been years since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stepped out to the Nintendo Switch, and the game continues to draw in new fans by the day. Now, there are just days left before the game’s sequel launches on the Nintendo Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to debut on May 12th, and of course, all eyes are on Zelda’s lore ahead of its launch. And thanks to a recent trailer, netizens are curious about Ganondorf and their return from the dead.

Of course, Ganondorf’s return is hardly surprising. We dealt with Calamity Ganon at the start of Breath of the Wild, and since Tears of the Kingdom was first announced, we knew Ganon’s vessel would be involved. We’re here to break down why Ganondorf is likely alive in Tears of the Kingdom and how his return is hardly a revival.

Why Is Ganondorf Alive?

First thing first, Tears of the Kingdom has made it clear Ganondorf is back. Its first trailers featured a ‘dehydrated’ version of Ganondorf underneath Hyrule Castle that reawakened under unknown circumstances. In recent footage from the game, The Legend of Zelda has hydrated Ganon so that he’s back in buff form. However, his comeback might not be a resurrection at all.

We known Zonai technology is going to play a major factor in Tears of the Kingdom, that much is confirmed. We saw some of this mysterious tech in Breath of the Wild, and those same markings have littered Tears of the Kingdom. In fact, in our first look at Ganondorf, we can see him adorned in arm cuffs bearing Zonai marks. This marks are then shown on Link’s arm after it is corrupted, so there is no doubt the Zonai will play a big role in this game.

With the Zonai in mind, it is not impossible to imagine a world where Ganondorf was sealed rather than killed. He may have been put deep under Hyrule Castle by the Zonai as well as a previous generation of Seven Sages. This would explain why Calamity Ganon came to the nation in the form of malice. The threat appeared to the land even without Ganandorf as its vessel.

The Zonai and Demise’s Curse

With this theory in mind, you might be wondering why Ganondorf was likely sealed rather than killed. Well, that all goes back to Demise. The character’s lore came to light in Skyward Sword as fans learned the origins of Ganon’s curse upon Link and Zelda. Demise promised to cycle through life and death every 100 years to plague Link through the ages. We’ve seen this cycle go down time and time again no matter what timeline Zelda is dealing with. So given the Zonai’s advanced tech, it is not hard to imagine the people learning of the curse.

With the Seven Sages help, our theory is that Ganondorf was sealed by the Zonai as a way to prevent the cycle from moving forward. After all, the Gerudo man’s death would restart the whole thing, but keeping him in stasis could prolong the curse. Sadly, this did not work as we saw Calamity Ganon manifest from underneath Hyrule Castle (where Ganondorf’s body was kept) and take over the world. Link then dealt with Calamity Ganon once more about reviving. He may have defeated that nebulous threat by the end of Breath of the Wild, but it seems his exploration of Hyrule’s underground undid the thing keeping Ganondorf at bay.

What Comes Next for Ganondorf?

If this Zelda theory pans out, well – we know what Ganondorf wants next. He can be seen in one trailer telling Link to watch in awe as a new king rises over the land. His hydration may have come from his seal breaking, and there is more to consider. Ganandorf’s return appears to have ushered in the tears of Hyrule Kingdom. The seven tears likely connect to the Seven Sages, the ones who may have died trying to seal Ganondorf hundreds of years ago. If that is the case, you can bet a new generation of heroes will need to collect the tears to become sages. But the question remains whether these new Seven Sages can break Demise’s ancient curse for good.

What do you think Ganondorf is up to in Tears of the Kingdom? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.