Demise

The Demon King whose defeat sealed his hatred and curse within the Master Sword, cursing the blood of the Goddess to an eternal struggle.

Demise is the ancient Demon King who laid waste to much of the land in search of the Triforce at the beginning of the Zelda continuity. He serves as the primary antagonist whose defeat establishes the origins of the Master Sword and sets the timeline for all subsequent entries in The Legend of Zelda series. Hylia could not kill Demise and sealed him away instead.

Quick Facts

Status: Defeated; his hatred and curse were absorbed into the Master Sword after his defeat

Lore & Background

Long before the floating town of Skyloft existed, Demise sought to seize the Triforce, a wish-granting power bestowed by three ancient Goddesses. The Goddess Hylia gathered survivors into the sky and launched a full-scale offensive against him. Although she was victorious, the land was severely damaged, and the outcrop became known as Skyloft. Uncounted years later, Demise's spirit remained active through his sword, Ghirahim, who worked to free him by sacrificing Zelda. Link eventually pursued Ghirahim into the past, where he defeated the reincarnated humanoid form of Demise. In the final battle, the Master Sword—already forged—absorbed Demise's essence as a consequence of his defeat, sealing his hatred and curse within the blade.

Reader's Guide

Demise appears as the final boss of Skyward Sword in the ancient era. To defeat him, players must navigate back through time after Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda to perform a resurrection ritual at the Sealed Temple. The battle takes place in the past, where Link faces Demise's humanoid form directly. Victory requires absorbing Demise's essence into the Master Sword. This event is critical as it marks the origin of the Master Sword and explains why evil persists in future games; while Demise was defeated, his hatred remains sealed within the sword, influencing the cycle of reincarnation involving Link and Zelda.