Ganondorf (Total War)

"There was a time this land was fertile and prosperous. Our people had great cities and monuments to their name. Our empire stretched from the shores of Ontheon to the Zora River. Statues of Kings greater than I loomed before the people. The Gerudo were feared and respected even as the winds of Kovaloo beckoned. Not even the mighty Cliff Lords and their Legion would look down on us from on high. We had everything. Where is all of that now? Buried under sand. Strangled away slowly by the crusading power of the east. Dead. Forgotten. And for what? The Gerudo were a great garden standing firm in the desert. Now we are a wilting flower being strangled to death by the vine that is Hylian. (...) Of course I hate them! I hate everything about them! Their superstitious religion! Their self righteous dominance! Their smug superiority and their self appointed tyranny! Their Princess and their stupid, pointed ears! I hate them all!"

- Ganondorf to Ogalon.

Ganondorf is the figurehead Emperor of the Gerudo Empire and the last of their males.

Etymology
Ganondorf's name means phantom of Ganon in the Gerudo language.

Second Golden Age
In 71 AG, over seventy years after Ganon's curse left the Gerudo without a male, a son is unexpectedly born to the Gerudo woman Adiela. She names him Ganondorf after Ganon, as despite the curse he still managed to be born. The living Gerudo men, his father included, are all old at this point, and none survives long after his birth. The boy Ganondorf becomes the sole member of the Circle of Warlords, with his mother serving as regent until he's of legal age, but Adiela's regency doesn't last long; she mysteriously dies a few months into Ganondorf's reign. At this point, the Twinrova sisters adopt Ganondorf as their own son and become his co-regents.

In most of his youth Ganondorf is raised alongside Nabooru, a fellow orphan also fostered by Twinrova. When granted the right to choose any Gerudo to be his wife upon reaching the age of sixteen, Ganondorf chooses Nabooru above all others to become his queen.

Gerudo Wars
When he reaches adulthood, Ganondorf learns about the Triforce, the divine artifact that the Golden Goddesses left at Hyrule, with the power to grant a wish to anyone who can obtain it. Concerned about his people's survival and desiring to lift Ganon's curse, he decides to militarize the Gerudo against the Kingdom of Hyrule in an attempt to take the Triforce. Meanwhile, Twinrova strike an alliance with Vaati, mastermind behind the Darknut Legion, and Agahnim, head of the Sheikah Cadre, agreeing to pay them a city after the Kingdom of Hyrule falls. Ganondorf also successfully convinces Dakkon, the disgraced Sage of Fire, and the remaining Volvagians to aid him in the invasion. To help with the conquest of Hyrule, Agahnim gives Ganondorf the Goronu, an ancient device of Sheikah manufacture that is able to raise the Stalfos.

Following Agahnim's plan, Ganondorf raids Nal Ordona, forcing Princess Mahrala Zelda III to send an army to deal with them. At the same time Agahnim orders the assassin Azrily to incapacitate Princess Zelda III and her daughter so he could take over as regent and declare war on the Gerudo, allowing Ganondorf to legally attack Hyrule Castle, but the plan fails because Azrily was immune to the Eye of Truth's influence. However, when Ganondorf attacks Ordona Province, the Princess, General Kazakk and General Akazoo all personally come to investigate, so Agahnim can still take advantage of her absence to issue a formal declaration of war against the Gerudo. During this battle Ganondorf attempts to use the Goronu Agahnim gave him, though after the Stalfos go out of his control and turn on the Gerudo, Ganondorf has the artefact hidden away and stations an entire Gerudo army to guard it.

When Zelda returns to Hyrule Castle and discovers Agahnim's involvement, he quickly evades arrest with Majora's help by escaping to Ganondorf's army stationed to the south of Hyrule Castle Town. Ganondorf then marches with his armies upon the capital for an assault. His forces prove too powerful for the Hylians, and he eventually manages to corner Zelda into the castle's courtyard and forces her into a duel. Though she manages to disarm and wound Ganondorf, he eventually overpowers her with his bare hands and murders her in front of the remaining Hylian armies. With the Princess dead, General Kazaak and Rauru surrender to Ganondorf. Hyrule Castle Town is sacked, but the Gerudo are immediately ordered by Vaati and Agahnim to retreat so the Darknut Legion can occupy the city.

For a year when Agahnim rules over Hyrule, Ganondorf leads the Gerudo around the country, taking over town after town.

Soon after Hyrule Castle's occupation, the Sheikah the captive Hylian soldiers in the city rise in rebellion against the Darknuts. Agahnim is killed in the battle, and without him the Gerudo-Darknut alliance breaks. Vaati takes the young Princess Zelda prisoner and flies to Ontheon, while Ganondorf abandons Hyrule and returns to the Gerudo Desert. Meanwhile, his wife Nabooru starts to dream of herself with a mysterious Darknut woman inside a sandstorm.

The Hylians pursue Ganondorf and Vaati into the Gerudo Desert, while Nabooru continues to receive the mysterious visions. She asks Ganondorf's permission to investigate Ontheon, but he denies it and forces her to stay with him to battle against the Hylians.

When they reach Ashinon, Twinrova and Ganondorf are betrayed by Nabooru, who breaks the locks to the gates of Ashinon, allowing the invaders to storm inside the city. Nabooru convinces Ganondorf to abandon the lost city, but he stubbornly refuses; just as they encounter two children sneaking inside the palace. Ganondorf prepares to kill them when Nabooru pleads to him not to. When Ganondorf ignores her, she puts a scimitar to his neck, holding him in place until the two children can run away. Nabooru apologizes to Ganondorf before running away.

Shortly after that, the Hylian army enters the palace, captures Ganondorf and brings him over to their commander Kazakk. Ganondorf refuses to speak with the Hylians.

After the Hylians, with the help of Yaraxonal, the mysterious woman in Nabooru's dreams, who was imprisoned by Vaati but freed by Nabooru, defeat Vaati and kill him, many Gerudo leaders are put on trial and executed, but Ganondorf is spared and imprisoned after Nabooru pleads for his life.

Return of Sulkaris
Ganondorf spends twenty years in a cell in the fortress of Baral's Stand while Nabooru, who still loves him, spends her free time with him once in a while. After nearly a decade of imprisonment, his daughter Urbosa rallies the scattered Gerudo and gathers allies around the desert, ultimately successfully freeing Ganondorf. In recognition to Urbosa's deeds, Ganondorf promotes her to general. Some time after this, Ganondorf sires his only legitimate daughter with Nabooru, Makeela Riju, and names her the heir apparent of the Gerudo Empire.

Unique Bonuses
Ganondorf is a cavalry Hero, in particular he takes advantage of the Gerudo's three non-creature cavalry units with his Last Warlord Passive. He is also a very aggressive Hero choice, with powerful debuffs in the form of his Tyrant of the Dunes ability. Both Desert Phantom and Ancestral Armor benefit all cavalry units, including two of the Sandseal units that the Gerudo can deploy. Ganondorf's unique unit is the Arbiter. This strong cavalry unit boosts the damage output of other cavalry units within range. They are excellent commander units and can give an offensive edge to an army of horses.

Trivia

 * Ganondorf's face is modelled after the American actor Marc Alaimo, best known for portraying Gul Dukat in the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Quotes

 * There was a time this land was fertile and prosperous. Our people had great cities and monuments to their name. Our empire stretched from the shores of Ontheon to the Zora River. Statues of Kings greater than I loomed before the people. The Gerudo were feared and respected even as the winds of Kovaloo beckoned. Not even the mighty Cliff Lords and their Legion would look down on us from on high. We had everything. Where is all of that now? Buried under sand. Strangled away slowly by the crusading power of the east. Dead. Forgotten. And for what? The Gerudo were a great garden standing firm in the desert. Now we are a wilting flower being strangled to death by the vine that is Hylian.
 * Of course I hate them! I hate everything about them! Their superstitious religion! Their self righteous dominance! Their smug superiority and their self appointed tyranny! Their Princess and their stupid, pointed ears! I hate them all!

List of appearances

 * Ordonian Omen (First appearance)
 * The Fall of Hyrule
 * Resurgence
 * Agahnim's Descent (Mentioned only)
 * Confronting Ganondorf
 * The Crime of Idols