Ganondorf’s return in Tears of the Kingdom was a welcome one for fans, but not quite as exciting for Link and Princess Zelda. In TOTK, The Demon King’s power has truly reached an all-time high, allowing him to fill the entire Kingdom of Hyrule with monsters and appropriate Hyrule Castle for his own ends.
Just as in Breath of the Wild, Link can head directly to the final boss fight right after completing the tutorial, but Ganondorf’s location isn’t quite as obvious as Calamity Ganon’s. While Ganon was pretty obviously in Hyrule Castle in BOTW, if Link searches that same location for Ganondorf this time around, he will only discover that the Demon King is nowhere to be found. Instead, Link will have to travel deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule, to the place where his journey in TOTK first began.
Preparing Before Facing Ganondorf
Before even heading down into the Depths to search for and fight against the Demon King, Link should ensure that he has amply prepared for the task at hand. Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom is considerably harder than the final boss of BOTW, and even getting to him requires traveling through the depths covered in gloom-infused enemies.
To combat the gloom and stay healthy, Link should bring plenty of Sunny cooked meals. Sundelion can be found all throughout the Sky Islands, and when cooked in a meal can heal gloom damage. Bringing some armor that can provide gloom protection such as the “Of The Depths” gear or Midna’s Helmet can also be useful to this end.
Finally, having a few very strong shields will be imperative to facing Ganondorf, as he is able to easily break through shields with one attack if they’re not of Hylian Shield quality. Bringing the Master Sword is also nearly essential as it gains in strength and is unbreakable throughout the entirety of the battle with Ganondorf.
Finding Ganondorf and Navigating the Depths Below Hyrule Castle
Ganondorf is hidden away deep below Hyrule Castle in Hyrule Castle Chasm. The easiest way there is to take Lookout Landing Skyview Tower and glide north. The Chasm is directly beneath the floating Castle; Link just needs to dive below it. It’s also worth noting that there is a shrine located in the northern part of Hyrule Castle which can make traveling back there much easier if Link ever runs into trouble and has to leave the Hyrule Depths at some point. Directly coinciding with this Shrine is a Lightroot below it, which is pretty critical in making the trek through Ganondorf’s lair easier. Hanging North while diving down the chasm should allow Link to pretty readily spot it on a small ledge.
After touching the Camobatures Lightroot, Link will have to drop a bit further to reach the bottom of the chasm, called “Gloom’s Approach.” From here, Link should head south until he spots a Shock Like Like stuck to the wall there. He’ll then have to dive into the drop-off while avoiding the paralyzing electrical blasts of additional Like Likes that litter the area. Once on the ground, he’ll be met with Horoblins which can be pretty easily avoided by just climbing up the far wall and promptly dealing with the Electric Keese there.
This next section should be traversed carefully, as a Lynel awaits in the next area. After killing or avoiding it, Link will have to use Ascend on the overhanging platform to make his way into the next room. As soon as he enters though, the floor will give way, forcing Link down into another cavernous passage. Following the lit lamps, Link will make his way into an even larger cavern. A large stone block will fall from the ceiling that Link can use recall on to ride up and make his way to a higher platform. Following the cavernous halls will bring Link to a room full of Ice Like Likes and Ice Keese. At the end of this room, the floor will give out from beneath Link, causing him to fall down another deep cavern. Once at the bottom, the power of the Sages will no longer be able to reach Link, so he’ll be on his own for now.
From the bottom of this chasm and down a small staircase will be a room with a distant ledge Link will have to traverse. Because he doesn’t have the power of Tulin, the only option will be to build a flying Zonai Device to cross the distance to the other side where a Moblin with a bow is waiting for him. The route from then on will be pretty straightforward: Link will make his way down the steps, deeper into the “Forgotten Foundation,” fighting the occasional enemy along the way. Eventually, Link finds himself in the “Imprisoning Chamber,” consisting of a huge drop-off to dive into. This will be the last point to save and drop a Travel Medallion if Link has one because there will be no turning back until Ganondorf is defeated once he dives into the chasm to face The Demon King’s Army.
How to Beat the Demon King’s Army
Ganondorf’s army consists of four waves of basic enemies that players will have seen countless times at this point in their quest. In order, these waves will consist of Bokoblins in wave one, Lizalfos in wave two, Gibdos in wave three, and Moblins in wave four.
These battles can be pretty easy for Link to handle with the sages by his side to distract enemies. The first two waves will be pretty self-explanatory, with wave three getting a bit more complicated due to the physical resistance of Gibdos. The best way to take them down is by either using elemental weapons with Gleeok parts or firing a critical arrow shot to the head. After taking down all four groups of enemies, Link will have a short reprise in a long hallway before facing the Demon King. Now is the time to drop a last second Portable Pot to cook Link his final meal before the long-awaited showdown.
Fighting Ganondorf’s First Three Forms
To start, Ganondrof’s first form fights a lot like the Phantom Ganon spawns Link has faced throughout the game thus far. Link will just have to wait until Ganondorf charges to strike and then flurry rush to do damage. Ganondorf will start out with his classic one-handed Sword at first, then switch over to a spear or mace as the battle progresses. The one wild card that Ganondorf may throw is a projectile ranged attack, which can be identified by him lifting his weapon in the air. However, this can also provide a benefit for Link as it causes the air around the battlefield to rise, giving Link a chance to ride the airflow on his glider and then let off a few critical arrow shots while he floats in midair.
After being beaten down for the first time, the Demon King will evolve in dramatic fashion, leading to a slightly tougher rematch. In this phase, not only will Ganondorf conjure clones of himself in much the same way as Phantom Ganon does in Hyrule Castle, but he’ll also gain an unrealistically large health bar. Luckily, the sages will join Link in this battle, providing a good distraction that can allow him to focus on the main issue at hand. Other than the added chaos of multiple fights occurring around Link at once, this stage of the battle goes on in much the same way as the first round.
Once Ganondorf sustains enough damage, he will release his full power, starting the final phase of the fight. With the Sages and Ganondorf’s minions out of the picture, the battlefield itself is less chaotic here. However, Ganondorf has a few new tricks up his sleeve which make this section of the fight the hardest of them all. Before each attack, Ganondorf flings gloom projectiles toward Link that can be tough to dodge. However, the form of projectile he uses is dependent on the weapon he holds, so learning which attack follows after which weapon is key. After Link avoids the projectile, Ganondorf will then lunge at him just as he did in the previous rounds. This time though, after Link flurry rushes, Ganondorf will pull off a flurry rush of his own. The only way to combat this is to flurry rush again, in hopes that Link will gain the upper hand. In some cases, the Demon King may even flurry rush a second time before he is finally overcome. After taking down Ganondorf’s third form, Link can rejoice in knowing that the hardest part of the battle is finally behind him.
How to Defeat Ganondorf’s Final Demon Dragon Form
Ganondorf’s draconified Demon Dragon form is not actually as powerful as he looks at first. To beat it, Link will need to destroy each of the glowing red gloom orbs on the Demon Dragon’s back. To do this, he can ride the Light Dragon high above Ganondorf and then dive toward him, making sure to avoid the projectiles he spews along the way.
After landing on the Demon Dragon’s back, Link will be free to let off as many attacks as he can on the red orbs until the Dragon shakes Link off its back, causing the Light Dragon to come pick him up and repeat the process all over again. After all the Demon Dragon’s orbs are destroyed, Link will just have to deal one final blow to the Secret Stone on the Dragon’s forehead to ensure that Demon King Ganondorf is truly gone for good this time.