Ganondorf is the only sage whose physical appearance changes so dramatically by the use of his secret stone—and not immediately upon gaining it, it appears to be a deliberate use of power—which is interesting. What interests me even more though is the way in which his Demon King appearance takes on subtly more Zonai-like aspects. Specifically his fingernails and toenails grow to points, like we see on Rauru and Mineru (and Link), and his hair goes from half-bound in a topknot to loose and flowing, which I take for a cultural norm among the Zonai given Rauru’s long and barely contained locks and the fact that most (all?) of the clothes we get that originate with the Zonai (the dragon sets, the zonaite set, the archaic set (though we could debate whether that set is “Zonai” or specifically “founding-era Hyrulean” and pick apart which cultural signifiers are which in a post that’s not about Ganondorf), the glide set) feature Link with his hair down.
I’m walking a delicate and nearly contradictory tightrope here because I feel that the heavy Japanese-inspired elements of Ganondorf’s design and his weaponry are a reflection of his sense of alienation from his own Gerudo culture with its more fantasy-Middle-Eastern vibes, BUT it is not to be denied that there are Gerudo elements to what he wears—the gold of his jewelry, the Gerudo emblem on the underside of his robe and in the jewelry on his shoulder. And his hair, I think, combines both that Japanese vibe with the Gerudo look. He keeps his gold jewelry after his Demon King transformation—and this is an interesting contrast with the ancient sages who bedeck themselves in anonymizing zonaite masks even before becoming sages, hey game designers talk me through that choice please—but it’s elements of his own body that he changes to reflect grooming choices of the Zonai.
And I am just thinking about what he feels, exactly, about the Zonai. He scorns the fact that they are regarded as gods, but does not debate—and in fact openly states—that their power is godlike. He is covetous of it, to the extent that he perceives it as being lorded over him, which I don’t honestly feel is an accurate assessment of Rauru et al.’s attitude.
There’s something that makes me sad here. I think that Ganondorf believes, down to the depths of his soul, that not only the right to rule but personal worth is won by being powerful, by being the MOST powerful. And so Rauru’s kingdom, formed through friendship and goodwill, is illegitimate and a sign of weak minds and also how dare the Zonai come in and take over by vibes rather than by force and why won’t they meet him on the field of battle where he can prove himself. While at the same time, his own position in Gerudo society is not earned in the way that reflects his own personal values. What I guess I’m talking around is, I think there’s a part of Ganondorf that wants to be Zonai so that he can be better at using the power the Zonai have than the Zonai are. While also loathing them. While also bitter about the fact that he missed his chance to prove himself against their whole society. Part of him thinks if I were Zonai, I would have what I wanted. And when he gets what he wants, he makes himself just that little more like a Zonai.
I believe that Zonai constructs are unfamiliar with the concept of lying, EXCEPT the ones on the dive ceremony islands which are shaking me down for zonai charges as hard as they can out of sheer desperation. and I support them. construct on courage island, having watched all their friends crumble to dust: oh yes you need to offer a zonai charge. to the island. it's very traditional. me: u got it boss
This is me yelling about the game teaching you to think like a Zonai again. Because here is the thing. We have no reason not to think that the Zonai, like Link--like the player--occasionally found themselves in situations where there's an uneven ceiling above them that's just a little too high for ascend but if they walk around taking little half-steps under the lowest part eventually the light will turn from red to green (back to red--no--gr--red again--still red--come on--GREEN OK LET'S GO). I am telling you that there were absolutely Zonai memes about that experience. There were memes about making yourself some kind of shitty scaffolding so that you could get higher than Ascend will take you. There were memes about longbridge, I GUARANTEE there were memes about longbridge. I say this with certainty because there are instant bridge and instant scaffolding schema stones. If the Zonai knew anything it was how to cheese things with their powers.
And Link experiences all of this throughout the game, he learns to use these powers he's been granted that were a natural part of this dead species' everyday life. He discovers how to think about them and he is taught, by the shrines, how to think about them. How to interact with the world around him like the Zonai would have.
And then that's taken away from him!!! And I insist that that has got to feel awful!!!
Ganondorf and Rauru hunt together and discuss Zonai philosophy.
(Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Ganondorf & Rauru (it is a &, not a / yet), 2.4k words, rated T. Warning for animal death.)
[ Read on AO3 ]
*
A rhythm establishes itself quickly at Hyrule Castle. In the morning Ganondorf and Rauru meet, surrounded by their advisers, to negotiate the terms of Gerudo’s subsumption into Hyrule; in the afternoon, Ganondorf is left free to arrange his own schedule. Well, moderately free. Based on the polite stonewalling of Hyrule’s soldiers, he can guess that any attempt to stray too far from the castle would be blithely discouraged.
So he is surprised when, the day’s discussions done, Rauru invites him to join a hunt in the lowlands of Central Hyrule that afternoon.
“I would be honored to hunt with you,” the Zonai says, delicate fingertips touched to the animal totem he wears at his chest. His secret stone dangles from a cuff on his wrist, but Ganondorf holds his gaze with a polite impassivity on his face.
“Your Majesty’s invitation is very generous,” he says, and there is no particular reason to refuse. “What time shall we depart?”
They ride out together after a light lunch, trailed by a party of servants and chattering courtiers whose names Ganondorf has no inclination to learn. They pick up on his disinterest quickly enough and fall back. Only Rauru rides at Ganondorf’s side, his horse dwarfed by Ganondorf’s black stallion. The Zonai sits straight up in his saddle, his long white hair for once gathered into a thick braid, and sends sidelong glances Ganondorf’s way as they ride along the paved path that curves away from the castle and towards the gate that separates the Great Plateau from the rest of the land.
“Do you hunt often?” he asks, his voice mild and reasonable. “I must confess ignorance as to what sort of hunting there must be in your desert home.”
An ignorance that will not keep him from attempting to claim Gerudo lands for his own, of course. He has been surprisingly rapacious at the negotiating table, demanding far more than the Gerudo have to offer, and all the while watching Ganondorf for his response. Ganondorf is not so stupid as to reveal the temper he is looking for. Now, Ganondorf only answers, “The desert itself offers little in terms of animal prey. There are elk in the highlands, but as for more accessible game, I have usually hunted monsters. Or at least, I did, until Your Majesties were so kind as to seal away the vast majority of monsters in the region.”
He does not sneer; he only smiles. Rauru inclines his head as though he thinks Ganondorf’s gratitude is genuine. “Gerudo is more peaceful now, then?” he asks.
“You might say that.” Ganondorf shrugs in his saddle. “It was previously the role of the Gerudo military to keep the monsters at bay. Now, of course, we welcome Hyrule’s gracious protection.”
Rauru hums in acknowledgment.
Speaking such cloying flattery makes Ganondorf’s skin crawl. So, too, does the obvious pleasure with which Rauru receives it. Hyrule’s king cannot possibly believe Ganondorf’s act, this performance of the craven ruler begging for shelter; he is too wily for that. And yet he plays along, readily accepting the premise that Gerudo should be submissive to Hyrule. That Ganondorf should be submissive to him. His eagerness to have the Gerudo under his thumb is sickening in its audacity.
Now, Rauru says, “Perhaps that is the issue, then, with those insurgents of yours. They have been left without monsters to hunt and instead occupy their time harassing my borders.”
“Do you think so?” Ganondorf asks, his voice bland and too edgeless to mean Do you really think we have no reason to take up arms against you?
“Is there another explanation?” Rauru asks. His voice is bland, too. “This is a problem I have now that I did not have under your predecessor. If the cause is not boredom, then what am I to think? A simple failure of leadership?”
Ganondorf’s stallion tosses his head suddenly. With conscious effort, Ganondorf loosens his grip on the reins, although what he wants to do is cast them around Rauru’s throat and strangle him with them. “The Gerudo police our own, Your Majesty,” he says. “The insurgents will not trouble you for much longer.”
“That is good to…”
Rauru trails off. His gaze has gone suddenly distant, towards the edge of a wooded area. Ganondorf follows his line of sight and sees a wild boar scratching in the grass of the open field. It snuffles and, as they watch, ambles a little further from the trees.
With a tug on the reins, Rauru halts his horse. When he holds up a hand, the sound of hooves quiets from ten meters back as the rest of the hunting party stills as well. Then he readies his bow and takes aim at the boar.
“This has been a problem recently,” Rauru murmurs in explanation to Ganondorf’s nonplussed silence. “There is a sounder of wild boars in the Forest of Spirits, there. All well and good, but these days they have begun venturing out of their territory and endangering the Hylians living in the area.” The tip of his arrow tracks the boar’s oblivious movement. “It’s unfortunate, but the only recourse is to cull them.”
He shoots, and the boar goes down.
An obsequious cheer rises from behind them.
“My men will retrieve the carcass,” Rauru says, and with a click of his tongue he encourages his steed back into motion. Ganondorf does the same, although his gaze remains on the fallen beast until it is out of sight. There is a strange heat on the back of his neck.
“As for your insurgents,” Rauru says, easily resuming their earlier topic as they near the Great Plateau Gate, “you will have Hyrule’s support in subduing them.”
“That will be much appreciated,” Ganondorf lies.
*
They reach the Forest of Time in another half-hour’s ride, and then dismount to leave their horses with the grooms. “Do not injure him,” Ganondorf says as he hands over the reins to a wary-looking Hylian. “You cannot afford what he is worth.” Although it is far more likely that the stallion will attack the groom; he has a temper. If the Hylian is not careful, he may lose a finger.
And then it is into the forest in quiet pursuit. Again the hangers-on stay back, allowing the two kings their companionship—if that is what it should be called. They do not converse just now as they weave through the trees. Rauru only keeps glancing at Ganondorf, his eyes narrowed as though something troubles him. Whenever Ganondorf catches him staring, he shakes himself and looks forward again.
It is cool in the forest, the air verdant and the trees close. The ground is littered with pebbles and fallen twigs, and it takes Ganondorf a few minutes to learn how to ease his weight forward so as to not announce his presence with each footfall. Rauru seems to do the same without conscious thought. The Zonai is alert, but calmly so, his bright eyes roaming their surroundings whenever they do not catch on Ganondorf. There is a sort of irritating ease to his bearing. It does not seem to cross his mind that Ganondorf might be a threat to him. It would be so easy for Ganondorf to draw a hidden knife—he has one in the folds of his belt, of course he does—and drive it into Rauru’s bare midriff and drench this idyllic, peaceful scene in blood, but this never occurs to Rauru. Which is ironic, considering the inherent violence of a hunt. Hyrule’s king is a fool. Ganondorf never would have allowed a hunting party of his own to be so lax in their attitude.
But, if hunting is a genteel thing in Hyrule, then so be it. Ganondorf still intends to demonstrate his own prowess. The first quarry, a trim young buck, falls to an arrow from Ganondorf’s bow, as does a doe soon after. Rauru seems to realize then that this may be a competition and takes down a doe of his own. Each time, they leave their spoils to be claimed and processed by the servants in their wake. When they miss their next target—Rauru’s shot goes wide, too hastily aimed, and the buck startles out of Ganondorf’s sights—Ganondorf lowers his bow and turns towards the Zonai.
“Is it only deer in these woods, Your Majesty?”
“Yes.” Rauru lowers his own weapon and strides forward to retrieve his fallen arrow. Ganondorf watches his movement, the swinging of his thick braid of hair. “They are the best hunting in Central Hyrule. There are boar elsewhere on the plains, but as with those in the Forest of Spirits, we don’t typically kill them.” He pulls the arrow from the ground and returns it to his quiver, then turns back to look at Ganondorf, his face lofty and placid. “Unless they exceed their territory and cause problems, of course.”
“Of course,” Ganondorf agrees, calmly. As though the insinuated threat bores him. That heat prickles on the back of his neck again, but its warning is superfluous. He walks towards Rauru and then past him, his gaze once more scanning the woods around them. Behind him, Rauru too resumes his procession. They walk in silence for a moment, surrounded by the rustling of leaves and the occasional flitter of a bird or insect, and Ganondorf turns thoughts slowly over in his mind, looking for the right angle of approach.
At last he gives a grunt, halfway to a contemplative laugh.
Rauru’s ears twitch as he tries to resist the bait. He fails, and with diplomatic curiosity in his eyes, he prompts, “Hm?”
Ganondorf shrugs. He gives another smile that is not a sneer. “It strikes me as very Zonai of you to leave the boars be only until they inconvenience you.”
Something in Rauru’s face pulls shut very abruptly. “What do you mean by that?”
A fitting question, given that there are a great many things Ganondorf could mean by that. Ganondorf has done his own research into Zonai culture, Zonai history; there was a time in his youth when his interest in the people of the sky bordered on obsession. He learned how they lived on the surface once but fled to the sky to separate themselves the surface-dwellers; he learned how they reengaged with the surface only when they needed resources they could not gather on their own. There is something extractive, if not outright exploitative, in the Zonai attitude towards other tribes. Rauru’s founding of the kingdom of Hyrule is an unsubtle continuation of the same.
But what Ganondorf says is, “Boars were sacred to your people, were they not? A symbol of sacred power and force, and one of your ruling houses.”
A pause. “You are very knowledgeable,” Rauru says. It does not sound like a compliment. “However, I believe you may misunderstand what you have learned. The House of Boars was one of our ruling powers, yes, but the animal itself was never sacred. And that house’s prominence faded many centuries ago. Their vision for leading our people proved… misguided.”
“Misguided?” Ganondorf presses, affecting idle curiosity. Rauru does not respond. The tips of his ears are trembling; it would be unnoticeable if not for the way his many dangling earrings shake. Ganondorf continues, “Perhaps I do misunderstand. Your Majesty must forgive me if I do. But what I have heard is that the House of Boars was home to the most powerful and most imposing of your people. It was their place to draw the dividing lines between the Zonai and all others. The Hylians called them barbarous for that, and feared them. Is that why you call them misguided?”
Rauru straightens. “Yes, as a matter of fact,” he says, and the idleness is gone from his bearing. Now there is coldness and scorn, and neither one hides the defensiveness in the angle of his chin. “They did not only draw dividing lines, as you say; they sowed division.”
“And for that, the rest of your people decided to stamp them out of existence.”
“They were too selfish,” Rauru continues, speaking over Ganondorf. “Too hungry for power at the expense of those they ruled over. When the last ruler of boars took up arms against the other houses, there was no choice but to put an end to them.”
“Just as you cull the wild boars now,” Ganondorf observes.
Rauru searches his face, his eyes intense. Ganondorf leaves him nothing there to find. The Zonai asks, “What are you trying to say, Ganondorf?”
For a moment, Ganondorf does not have an answer to that question. Rauru is uncomfortable on the subject of his ancestors and he wants to make Rauru uncomfortable. Rauru is a hypocrite like his ancestors and refuses to see it. But there is something else here, something that has been gnawing up Ganondorf’s spine since Rauru took aim at the stray boar on the Great Plateau. Or since Ganondorf first learned how the Zonai suppressed the worship of power in favor of other virtues, long, long ago.
Ganondorf holds Rauru’s stare for a moment longer; then he breaks it deliberately to look around. There, in the distance, he sees a flash of brown between the trees. He draws his bow unconcernedly and, several deliberate seconds later, lets the arrow fly. The buck lets loose a shrill animal scream as the arrow pierces its ribcage.
“I find your ancestors very interesting, Your Majesty,” Ganondorf says, as the echoes of its agony die away. “They condemned the House of Boars for their worship of power. But I do not think that you have disavowed the Boar as thoroughly as you think you have. You have only made it into something you are unwilling to name.” He lets his lips twist in a facetiously gracious smile. “Be careful, King Rauru, that Hyrule’s enemies do not claim it in your stead, lest you leave your kingdom undefended… and destined to fade away as your own people have.”
Rauru’s face grows hard and contemptuous. His lips curl, just slightly, revealing the tips of very, very sharp teeth. For just a moment, Ganondorf lets his own smile reveal a hint of cruel triumph.
Then Rauru composes himself, his face going blankly mild once again. He inclines his head and touches his fingertips to the totem on his chest. “I will certainly take that under advisement, Ganondorf,” he says, “in the spirit in which it was meant.”
And for the rest of the afternoon they pursue their quarries without much conversation at all.
Age of Imprisonment speculation since I have thought of little else for a few days
The first thing that comes to my mind is that Zelda lands in the past a decent amount of time before the Imprisoning War actually kicks off--you know? At the very least, time passes between "Zelda and Sonia" and "Sonia Caught by Treachery," enough time for Zelda to go from having no sense of how to control her time powers to having some mastery over them. But while I would love to read a book about this time, or watch a movie, it does not lend itself well to Warriors gameplay. Potentially this could be resolved by focusing on the conflict between the Gerudo and Hyrule but. Eesh. I don't think it's really in-line with the general tenor of the Zelda vibe as a whole to spend the first, I don't know, quarter of the game slaughtering massive numbers of That's A Human Person. In fact it seems to me that in the planning stages of TOTK, deliberate steps were taken back from having the Gerudo as a whole, rather than Ganondorf specifically, fighting against Hyrule (elements from Master Works which speak to me of the Gerudo being more antagonistic early on: there's a picture of the equivalent to the mural where the Demon King leads hordes of monsters against Hyrule where he is instead leading hordes of Gerudo warriors against Hyrule; in the storyboard version of the "Gerudo Assault" tear, there's some pushback from a Gerudo soldier when Ganondorf orders a temporary retreat).
So I'm wondering if the first portion of the game is going to be Zelda aiding Rauru and Sonia in eradicating monsters and establishing shrines across Hyrule (or what is soon to be Hyrule). I think this would lend itself extremely well to Warriors gameplay and would give Zelda a chance to get her feet under her in terms of using her time powers in combat. We perhaps spend some times in the Depths to, I don't know, check on the lightroots to make sure that the shrines... take?? Certainly, this would be an opportunity to get a firmer idea of the actual cause-and-effect between lightroot and shrine (🤲information give please🤲) as well as for me, personally, to see what states the mines were in in this era (🤲information give PLEASE!!🤲).
This of course does conflict with the timeline presented in TOTK, as the chamberlain notes that the shrines were established in her youth. That's fine! BOTW Link picked up the Master Sword as a child and not during the course of things as he did in AOC. I consider this an equivalent shift. Plus if there's such an inherent difference to begin with, then I won't stress out about all of my headcanons being violently crushed to bits, so it would benefit me personally.
I think given this structure, things would inevitably get tenser when the Gerudo, under Ganondorf, QUITE REASONABLY say "hey. we didn't invite you here. get your weird-ass impenetrable magic buildings off our fucking land" and Hyrule does not do that. Maybe I'm wrong! Maybe they won't do that to us. But I can very much imagine a scenario in which the game is like "wow. you can tell this guy's evil because he doesn't like this nice favor we, the good guys, are for doing him" and you and I are sitting here side-eyeing the story unhappily. Forgive me my pessimism. I'm just spitballing here, OK.
Then I think things start going the way they do in canon. Ganondorf 86's Sonia, becomes the Demon King, wreaks absolute havoc. Obviously the little snippets of Rauru's and Zelda's fighting are from after Ganondorf's transformation, given the presence of the blood moon. (Mineru's snippet is less inherently informative.) But obviously, OBVIOUSLY, at some point we are pulling Link back in time. And the modern sages. Like. AS MUCH AS I'M COMPELLED BY THE IMPRISONING WAR ERA THAT WAS, I just don't think a fanservicey game like a Warriors spinoff would fail to include Link and pals. Not to mention the difficulty of filling out the roster. Seven playable characters (nine if you add Sonia and Ganondorf in there, and four of whom are as of yet deliberately underdeveloped because the devs didn't want us getting distracted by them) does not a Warriors game make. I think we're going to pull Link and pals back in time and I think we're going to bring Sonia back to life somehow (her having been playable until Ganondorf kills her) and I think that if god truly, truly loves me then we will also borrow the Ancient Hero from the Calamity of 10,000 years before BOTW and thereby receive one or two goddamn answers about what the hell is going on with that thing. I don't know if god loves me that much, but I live in hope. I think that with Rauru and Zelda and Link and the Ancient Hero and 1.667 sets of sages working together maybe we can kill Ganondorf for good the first time and wipe out the entire history backstory of the Wilds era in one fell swoop. Yay 💖👍. (And then we send Link back to his time, where Zelda's been a dragon for millennia.)
Anyway these are the thoughts I've had, but truthfully what I understand is that I understand nothing, because this screenshot is so very obviously gameplay and equally obviously not Warriors-style gameplay. What's going on here? I long to know. I would love a game where I just follow Rauru and Sonia around and they tell me lore; I think Zelda would also love such a game; I don't think it would sell. I wish Koei-Tecmo all the best in determining the correct ratio of loredump to fanservice to 1-v-100 gameplay.
like every now and then I wonder. am I being too hard on Rauru. am I being too me about that scene by thinking that he's leaning on Ganondorf a little harder than necessary, that he's being just a little more condescending than he has to be, that he maybe likes a petty power play a little more than the rest of how the game seems to want us to think of him would imply.
but let's be real, he and Ganondorf are in full agreement that Rauru's fatal flaw is arrogance. and also. someone very kind directly translated* the Japanese cutscenes into English the other day (x) and I
G: “For our late attendance for your repeated invitations, we the Gerudo tribe offer our heartfelt apologies. We pray that you will allow us to join you as your lower-class vassal.”
R: “Admirable Ganondorf, I recognise your submission to Hyrule Kingdom. A man is said to be born only once in every 100 years to the Gerudo tribe. To be able to welcome a warrior called ‘king by birth’ into my Hyrule… is indeed a reassuring development.”
(breathes calmly) lower-class vassal. your submission to Hyrule Kingdom. my Hyrule. the nasty little implication (am I imagining this) that Ganondorf--proud warrior, king--is now subsumed into Hyrule and is become Rauru's possession. I am still breathing calmly. I am deeply normal about this.
Like I have seen people argue that no no, the other peoples/tribes weren't asked to submit to Hyrule, they were simply allies of the new kingdom, but Ganondorf sure seems to think that submission is what Rauru's after or at least is the bait he will willingly take; and even knowing full well that that's an evil guy Rauru is more than willing to play along.
and yet the game still wants us to look at Rauru as a Good King figure. as a noble ruler. And the thing is I am honestly convinced that he does actually want or at the very least he is convinced he wants to unite the peoples of Hyrule simply so that everyone can be united and be friends! I do actually think this is his genuine desire! I also think he made up a kingdom so he could be king of it and this is inherently an action to be deeply suspicious of. He is arrogant. Again, the game is quite firm on that point. There is a sort of presumption that power should rightfully lie with him.
and I posit that when he's faced with Ganondorf, known evil bad guy, whatever part of Rauru's superego tells him that he should tamp down the part of him that enjoys being the one with power simply... steps back a little. because it's all right, here. Ganondorf is evil, so it's allowed.
* Disclaimer: I don’t think this is a superior translation, to be clear, and I do feel that both this and the official English are effectively giving the same vibe; I appreciate & share it primarily as another take on the same concept. It’s easier, I think, to solidify conclusions when you’ve got things to compare/contrast with each other.
