Calamity Ganon Threat

An evil warlord turned demon king seeking the Triforce to remake Hyrule in his dark image.

The Legend of Zelda series centers on the struggle between Link and Princess Zelda against Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king who seeks to use the Triforce to remake the world. While the conflict with Ganon serves as a backbone for the franchise, specific installments have featured other settings and antagonists. Since its debut in 1986, the series has grown to 21 entries on all of Nintendo's major consoles, plus a number of spin-offs. Although Ganon is often the primary threat, his role varies; he is the demon king who wishes to use the sacred relic that grants any wish its user desires when complete.

Quick Facts

Character name: Ganon
Role: Evil warlord turned demon king
First appears: 1986 (The Legend of Zelda)
Affiliation: None (seeks the Triforce to remake the world)
Status: Primary antagonist in the series backbone

Lore & Background

Ganon is an evil warlord turned demon king who fights against Link and Princess Zelda. He wishes to use the Triforce, a sacred relic capable of granting any wish its user desires when complete, to remake the world in his own dark image. The series notes that if someone without a balance of Power, Courage, and Wisdom attempts to touch the Triforce, it splits into three triangles. The pieces then seek out individuals who embody Power, Wisdom, or Courage—though this is not a universal rule; in some games like The Wind Waker, the pieces are inherited or found rather than automatically bonding.

The Triforce can be held by one, two, or three individuals depending on the game, and the pieces do not necessarily bond with three separate people. While Ganon serves as the central antagonist for the series, some games have featured other settings and antagonists where Link travels to other lands in their time of need.

Reader's Guide

Players control Link or Princess Zelda from a fixed top-down perspective or a 3D game world with a free-roaming camera. The gameplay features a mix of puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. Staples include bombs, boomerangs, keys, shields, bows and arrows, light sources, magical rods, hammers, musical instruments, digging tools, and the hookshot. In Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023), swords and weapons are found in the world or stolen from enemies rather than being fixed items. Motion controls in Skyward Sword (2011) simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller. The series pioneered features like the first console save function and Ocarina of Time's targeting system.

Did You Know?

The original Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, with an American animated TV series following in 1989.
Some installments have been outsourced to developers including Flagship, but Grezzo and Tantalus Media developed remakes and ports, not original mainline installments.
The series includes 20 canonical games on all major Nintendo consoles as of Echoes of Wisdom, not counting spin-offs, remakes, or ports.