Ganon
Ganon (sometimes referred to as Ganondorf) is the monster which takes many forms from the Legend of Zelda series of video games by Nintendo, and the final boss in a number of them. His complete backstory, however, was not revealed until The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. The correct spelling is Ganon, as Gannon is originally a mistranslation in the booklet of the original game from the game's native Japanese, and is thus erroneous.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Character background
According to Ocarina of Time, Ganon was once a Gerudo named Ganondorf Dragmire - the sole man of his kind, only one male being born to that race of birdlike Amazons every one hundred years. He coveted the Triforce, the sacred artifact of the three Goddesses Nayru, Din, and Farore left behind after they created the land of Hyrule. Link, the hero of the game, unwittingly helps Ganondorf steal the Triforce when he acquires the Master Sword, thus unlocking the power of the Triforce. However, once Ganondorf touches the Triforce itself, it splits into three components that embed themselves in the three people destined to receive them. Ganondorf received the Triforce of Power, Link the Triforce of Courage, and Princess Zelda the Triforce of Wisdom.
With the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf was able to conquer the land of Hyrule and rule unopposed for seven years. At that point, Link, who had been held in stasis during that time, was awakened by Rauru, one of the Six Sages, and encouraged to awaken the other five Sages (who had all been reincarnated as denizens of Hyrule) to oppose and defeat Ganondorf's rule. Once Link was able to do this, he attacked Ganondorf's stronghold for a final showdown, during which the power of the Gerudo's segment of the Triforce combined with his already insane hatred and power-lust to transform him into an immensely-powerful, porcine creature of pure evil. After an intense battle, Link and Zelda (whom Ganondorf had captured and used as bait to lure Link to his lair) were able to subdue the creature, now called Ganon, long enough for the Six Sages to combine their powers to seal him away.
Ganon found himself imprisoned in the so-called "Golden Land," a sort of parallel dimension to Hyrule itself, where it had been theorized the Triforce originated. Although able to break the Sages' seal once, he soon met defeat at the hands of the eponymous descendants of the original Link and Zelda. (These events are chronicled in the Gamecube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.)
Eventually, Ganon had subverted the entire Golden Land to his wicked rule, and the formerly lush and verdant world became a dark and decaying ruin. A curse was placed upon the land, dooming all who stumbled into this world to take on a new form, representing whatever was in their hearts when they crossed over. Those who did cross over were never heard from again. It didn't take long for the Golden Land to take on its new identity of the Dark World.
Many centuries later, a new Hyrulian child, also named Link (a long-distant descendant of the original Hero of Time), was able to prevent Agahnim, the corrupt minister to the King of Hyrule, from summoning Ganon back to Hyrule itself, but not before Princess Zelda was imprisoned in the Dark World, along with six other young women who were all descended from the Six Sages. Link was himself trapped in the Dark World by Agahnim, shortly after the youth bested him in combat. Once there, Link found himself face-to-face with the legendary foe of ages past.
Throughout the history of Hyrule, as documented in the Legend of Zelda games, Ganon has returned numerous times to terrorize the land, but there is always a courageous boy named Link and a wise princess named Zelda ready to answer his challenge...
Appearance
Ganon first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda game for the Famicom in 1986; the following year, the game was brought over to the American NES. In that game, Ganon first appeared sort of like a demonic blue pig, not unlike a Gammorrean Guard from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi; during Link's actual fight with him, however, he turns invisible and randomly warps around the room throwing fireballs at the hero. Only a sword can cause him damage, and after being struck by it enough times he will turn red (and visible) and stop warping. At that point, Link must use a Silver Arrow to finish him off once and for all.
Ganon did not actually appear in 1989's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, although the plot of the game partially involves an attempt by Ganon's followers to revive him using Link's blood. (Note that some reports claim that the final boss of the game, Link's Shadow or Dark Link, is actually Ganon in a new form. These claims are not, as far as is known, canonical.) In the American version of Zelda II, a redesigned "Game Over" screen includes a menacing silhouette of Ganon.
For Ganon's appearance as the final boss of 1991's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Link once again had to use the combination of Master Sword and Silver Arrows to defeat him, although Ganon adopts some new tactics this time around, such as leaping into the air and crashing to the floor with such force as to knock floor tiles out from under Link.
Ganon was the hidden final boss of two games for gameboy color: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. He appears in either game only after both games
have been otherwise completed; it does not matter in which order. He has been
revived by Twinrova, but the revival was incomplete, so Ganon does not speak,
and is a dumb beast in these games.
Ganon was also the final boss of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. The battle with him in this game is one of the easier Ganon battles throughout the Zelda series.
Ganon's appearances in Ocarina of Time and the Wind Waker are documented above. To date, these are the only Zelda games in which Ganon plays a role; he does not appear in Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, or any of the three CD-i games (which are considered out of canon anyway).
Ganon was also the main villain of 1989's Legend of Zelda cartoon, which was shown as part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in syndication that year. In the cartoon, Ganon was green-skinned and a wizard, not blue-skinned and a thief.
