It’s unclear who actually gave birth to the literal embodiment of evil in Ocarina of Time, but what we do know is that the two Gerudo witches Kotake and Koume are Ganondorf’s surrogate mothers. I for one would love to know the backstory here. Were they awaiting Ganondorf’s arrival to raise him on a dark path? Or was it a coincidence that his surrogate mothers ended up supporting his evildoing?
I guess only fan creations can tease our imaginations about this unclear history, and one excellent example is a piece of fan art I stumbled across by Caro Waro. It gives us a glimpse of the twins in their motherly roles and of Ganondorf as a not-so-innocent baby (he was born evil; don’t let that cute face confuse you) being pampered by the two witches.
With a beautiful and simple-yet-lively art style, which could easily be from a manga, Caro Waro depicts the twins looking youthful and happy to be in their new roles as the mothers of evil. Both coyly smiling, Kotake cradles baby Ganondorf while Koume literally dangles a Triforce above his head. I guess that answers my earlier question! From the moment he could barely open his eyes, the witches were already encouraging Ganondorf to look towards the Triforce right within his reach.
As a self-proclaimed Gerudo nut and someone who loved the twins (especially their Twinrova form) in Ocarina of Time, I absolutely adore this piece. It’s reinvigorated my fascination with Kotake and Koume and really got me thinking about what Ganondorf’s upbringing must have been like. Did they teach him all about witchcraft? Is that how he learned to float? To shoot energy balls at Link? To play the organ ominously? They are both 400 years old, after all (despite what Kotake claims). They no doubt picked up a few skills throughout their life that they eagerly passed onto him as he grew into a tyrant.
I can just imagine it now: the two watching him terrorize Hyrule Castle using all the spells they taught him, as they proudly proclaim in unison: “That’s our boy!”
