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Is Demise, the terrible Demon King that used to terrorize Hyrule, make a comeback in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Fans of Skyward Sword and Zelda lore experts might’ve seen some clues about his appearances. Nevertheless, there’s more to this than meets the eye. If you’re wondering whether or not Demise returns in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, continue reading this article. Spoilers below; you have been warned!
Is Demise in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Answered
Demise does not return in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom story. If you see any depiction that might resemble Demise, it is supposed to be fully-powered Ganondorf instead.
In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom story flashback, before being imprisoned by Rauru, he unleashed his full power, and horns sprout from his head. Then once again, after being pushed back by Link and his allies, he becomes the Demon King Ganondorf. The horns appear once more.
This idea is supported by the screenshot and a photo of the limited edition artbook above. Where we can see an ancient Hyrulian mural showcasing a long-haired Ganondorf with horns. While Demise does have a similar physique and a flaming red-haired, he doesn’t have horns on his temple. There is no mention of Demise as well, aside from the Demon King title that he used to own.
Is Ganondorf Actually the Reincarnation of Demise?
In Skyward Sword, it was explained that Demise was a Demon King who had lived for a long time and conquered time itself. He gathered an army of monsters in order to conquer the world using the power of Triforce. Nevertheless, the Goddess Hylia and the five tribes managed to seal him into a weaker entity called The Imprisoned. Eventually, Link is able to seal Demise into the Master Sword, slowly decaying his power over thousands of years.
But before his defeat, Demise warned the Hero of Hyrule that it is not over yet. An “incarnation” of his hatred will always be reborn, just like those with the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero.
Now, regarding Demise’s connection to Ganondorf, Reddit user GamerOverkill03 has a pretty good explanation. Referring to the original Japanese dialogue, Demise is supposed to say that his “hate” will pursue the reincarnation of the Goddess and the Hero. So in a sense, he’s not talking about himself will be reincarnated as Ganondorf over and over. Instead, someone else will take up his Demon King mantle and willingly carry on with his “hate.” Especially considering that Demise has been trapped in Master Swords for millennia with his power keep being diminished. And that someone else is supposed to be Ganondorf.
Like, first and foremost, Ganondorf was never the one who was cursed. (Side note, I’ll be referencing more literal translations of Demise’s dialogue from the original Japanese, since some things tend to get lost in translation or outright misinterpreted glares at BOTW and the “giving up on reincarnation” vs “refusal to revive” debacle). Demise binds Link and Zelda to the “curse of the Demon tribe”, promising that his hate would pursue them forever. Once again, Zelda (the reincarnation of Hylia) and Link (the reincarnation of the goddess’ Chosen Hero) are the ones cursed here. Ganondorf isn’t getting hurt by this, hell if anything he benefits from it considering he outright inherited Demise’s position as the Demon King.
Speaking of which, I don’t even think Ganondorf is a reincarnation, at least not the way Zelda and Link are. I can’t find the exact dialogue, but I’m pretty sure the whole idea in Skyward Sword was that Demise’s consciousness was sealed inside the Master Sword to be slowly eroded/absorbed/whatever over time. […]
If there’s anything left of Demise’s consciousness after all that time, then either Hylia is really [bad] at making swords, or Fi is really bad at her job (or she ran out of batteries again). Ganondorf definitely has some aspects of Demise, the similar designs and aptitude for evil magic makes it clear there’s some kinda [weird thing] going on, but I don’t think it’s a full reincarnation. Four Swords Adventure shows us what happens when Ganondorf reincarnates, and he is literally the exact same person just like Link and Zelda.
To be clear: no, Demise is not coming back, nor is Ganondorf some kind of slave to the evil god’s will. Ganondorf became evil all his own, hardened by the harsh deserts and corrupted by his own desire for power. He is not cursed, he IS the curse.
In the thread, user spaceace76 also added an interesting sidenote to the whole reincarnation thing. The Chosen Hero or Link and Zelda might be passed down through bloodlines. As in the case of Wind Waker Link, he’s not a direct descendant of the Hero of Time, but his family was part of the Hylian Knights. Proven by the fact that his Granny owns the Shield at the beginning of the game. Zelda might always be passed down directly, while the Hero’s spirit could “jump around” within Hylian Knights’ families.
The point is that Ganondorf and Demise are different entities. And Demise only exists in Skyward Sword as an explanation for why evil and monsters keep appearing in Hyrule. Ganondorf will always be Link and Zelda’s villain.
What do you think of this theory? Share your own thoughts about Demise and Ganondorf in the comments below!
Related:
Can You Play as Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom? Answered
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.
