Zelda’s Ganondorf has a last name, whether you like it or not

By Gabe Gurwin April 20, 2017

Ganondorf Dragmire [3D Animation]

The Legend of Zelda series’ main villain has gone by several different names over the years including multiple spellings of “Ganon,” “Calamity Ganon,” and when in his humanoid form, “Ganondorf.” This form — where the embodiment of pure evil is technically a member of the Gerudo race — is perhaps his most famous incarnation, but it will no longer be known simply as “Ganondorf.” Nintendo has given him a last name: Dragmire.

The last name appears on the official Zelda online guide, which separates Ganondorf from his beastly form, Ganon, seen in the original Legend of Zelda, the end of Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. Ganondorf, in his well-known Gerudo form, was first seen in Ocarina of Time, but as Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips points out, the name “Ganondorf Dragmire” was actually used earlier in the A Link to the Past manual, which released six years before Ocarina of Time.

The image used on the Zelda website for Ganondorf comes from his appearance in the Wii U’s Twilight Princess HD — the last time we’ve seen the character, as Skyward Sword instead focused on the earlier monster Demise and Breath of the Wild sees a Ganon that is evolved into something much more sinister.

Last names aren’t especially common in Nintendo’s games, though the company has divulged a little more information on the subject in recent years. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto joked earlier this year that Link’s full name was actually “Link Link,” a reference to the infamous Super Mario Bros. movie, where John Leguizamo states that the brothers’ names are “Mario Mario” and “Luigi Mario.” Yoshi’s full name is apparently “T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas,” because why wouldn’t it be?

Though the confirmation of Ganondorf’s last name is cool, we were really hoping that he was actor Stephen Dorff’s long-lost relative. Perhaps more light can be shed on this important topic in the future.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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