While mythological inspirations are nothing new when it comes to the names of Zelda characters, General Onox from Oracle of Seasons has a rather surprising one. The General’s Japanese name is “Gorgon”, a name he shares with the snake-haired Gorgon sisters from Greek myth, including the legendary Medusa. While Onox’s relation to the creatures of Greek legend may be a head scratcher, it’s worth noting that his original name is not the only reference to the Greek legend of the Gorgon sisters in Oracle of Seasons.
Right before Link faces Onox, he must travel to the Sword & Shield Maze in Subrosia and face Medusa Head. Medusa Head is another clear reference to the Gorgon monsters of Greek Myth, and bears a much greater resemblance to the Greek legend than Onox does. It even shares some of their signature abilities. Medusa was known for turning those that stared into her eyes into stone, and the Medusa Head from the Sword & Shield Maze is capable of doing the same. Her state of being a detached head is also likely a reference to the fact that Medusa was decapitated by the Greek hero, Perseus.
In contrast, General Onox bears little to no resemblance to the legend, despite also sharing its Japanese name with them. However, it’s possible that Onox does not get his name from the Greek legend, but rather from the same place that the Greek legend originally got its name. The name “Gorgon” derives from an Ancient Greek word that means “grim or dreadful”. Onox calls himself the “General of Darkness” and is the spitting imagine of the intimidating Iron Knuckles from Ocarina of Time. He may not be a snake haired monster, but he certainly is grim and dreadful.
I can’t help but wonder why the General had his name changed from Gorgon to Onox. It certainly doesn’t seem like typical censorship, since it wouldn’t make sense to change a character’s name just to avoid referencing Greek myth when they didn’t also change Medusa Head.
My best guess is that the original Japanese name was chosen by the team not as a reference, but out of pure whimsy. Once the localization team got a hold of it, they might have decided it was best to avoid using the name Gorgon, as to not confuse players who knew of the Greek myth.
It’s also possible they just thought the name “Onox” sounded cooler, which, to be honest, I have to agree with.
