Is Ganon still a pig?
A question that has plagued Link and Zelda fans for ages: is Ganon, the infamous villain from the Zelda series, still a pig? The answer may lie in the intricacies of the series’ mythology.
Technically, yes
In the first Super Nintendo game, A Link to the Past, Ganon is mentioned as the demon that embodies the power of darkness in the Sacred Realm. Meanwhile, in The Last Story, the goddesses of time and water, Din and Farore, are tasked with finding a worthy champion to purify the Triforse and defeat the forces of darkness. They settle upon Link, the Hero’s Shade, and seal off the Sacred Realm. Throughout the series, it has been established that Ganondorf, also known as Ganon, was cast out of the Sacred Realm and reincarnated throughout the ages. However, his true form, which includes his pig-like features.
The Legend of Link and Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Heralded as a revelation regarding the Zelda series’ inner workings, the Hyrule Historia revealed Ganondorf’s connection to The Legend of Zelda manga. Specifically, Vol. 12-26 of the series details an alternate storyline, known as the "Great Depression Edition", where Ganon reincarnates and terrorises Hyrule, solidifying his pig-like visage.
Physical Transfomations and Multiple Interpretations
Across various manifestations, Ganondorf changes forms, both humanized and pig-like, sometimes even combining features. There is no set definitive structure for his forms. Instead, his shape-shift appears to be boundless based on the game mechanics for the time, demonstrating different appearances in diverse stages with various abilities, depending mainly on the creator’s interpretation of Ganondorf’s concept of evil.
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Moreover, even in his porcine state, Ganondorf exhibits extraordinary supernatural abilities, indicating immense power and ferocity akin to a formidable fiend. His essence blends demoniacal essence and cursed power, leading fans towards a more spiritual connoisseurship than pure anatomy. This could symbolises his connection with dark nature, the divine curse the goddesses instilled; or, rather, these traits are embedded into that dark, primeval connection, which only takes into account the context where Hyrule’s history comes alive via the Triforce, linking it to this entity while reflecting the consequences for human society.
An Entity of Darkness
For context, Ganon as per his original form, is primarily identified via his dark side in human form, or alternatively manifesting as Dark Gaon; thus giving the impression Ganondorf, the one of them, is Ganon per se. But does Dark Gaon merely show where Ganondorf got trapped? Or might that representation signify the same soul dwelling within the various aspects from which Ganondorf becomes, including but not all of his life forces are part of what one must understand as ‘he?’
The Enigma Explored: How can Ganon Still be Viewed as a Pig?