An informative and practical survival guide to Ganon’s minion hierarchy

“Rise. Rise, my servants! Sweep over Hyrule. Eliminate this kingdom and her allies. Leave no survivors!”

If you lived in Hyrule and heard this threatening voice looming over you, what would you do? Would you escape the country, fight to the death, or try to blend in and survive? No matter which path you take in a “Ganondorf takeover,” it’s crucial to learn about the monsters who serve him in order to defeat or avoid their shenanigans. What do they do? How do they behave? Do they have goals and ambitions, too? Who are they, anyway? Let’s take a deep dive into the Dark World of Ganon’s minion hierarchy.

The Brawn

If you’re going to stick it out in a world ruled by Ganondorf, it’s essential to learn how to blend in with the crowd (and have a handy disguise to hide in.) No evil king is complete without his horde of loyal minions to boss around. Just like the noble kingdom of Hyrule, Ganon’s dark hierarchy mimics the functions of a traditional monarchy governmental system. He assigns monsters with tasks of diverse degrees, from the mundane to the important and everything in between. While the structure of this “Dark World Order” is still very mysterious to us, we can glean a fairly decent idea from the Legend of Zelda games by organizing said monsters into broad groups based on their behavior. First up, we have what I call “the brawn.” Tons of these monsters exist primarily to keep the Hero busy and do Ganon’s dirty work. They’re also at the bottom of the chain, and their IQ is a dead giveaway. Yes, this sometimes takes a literal meaning from classic Underworld-type monsters such as Hinoxes, Gibdos, and ReDeads.

Such baddies are obviously formidable, but they aren’t usually involved in their Big Boss’s strategic endeavors to get the best of Link. Oftentimes the Hero will encounter monsters in the “blins” group, i.e. Moblins, Bokoblins, and Miniblins. This group of monsters is also the “brawn.” Alhough it seems that smaller “blins” are quicker on their feet than their larger cousins, it is doubtful that any of them could graduate past third grade. Don’t be fooled by their simple demeanors, however. An unprepared traveler could easily get clubbed or crushed by their brute strength and savage mindsets. 

Despite their primitive lifestyles, clues are peppered in the Zelda series that the “blins,” especially Moblins, may be capable of shaking off their Master’s bonds to pursue a better life. In fact, there is one Moblin who did just that. After repeatedly getting defeated by the Hero in Twilight Princess, King Bulblin decided to join forces with the enemy when he realized that Link was clearly the stronger side. One episode of the Zelda cartoon featured the Moblins outright revolting against Ganon. Moblins may even be able to form their own independent societies. If you find yourself surrounded by them, you might stand a chance at staying alive. They are certainly capable of operating prisons and building their own makeshift shelters, weapons, and campsites. Moblins are even capable of falling in love, which one apparently did with a Hylian girl in The Wind Waker! Some fans have speculated the possibility of entire underground cities built by Moblins. That’s a story for another time.

While witnessing the rise of a pig-faced civilization is not canon in the games (at least not yet), we do know that there is a similar society of Lizalfos confirmed in Breath of the Wild. Zora history tells us that a war broke out between this Lizalfos society and the Zora kingdom not too long before the game’s events. The conflict was so serious, King Dorian himself lead the charge in defeating the Lizalfos’ strong forces. Could more Lizalfos societies thrive in other areas like the Gerudo Desert? We don’t know, but there’s a strong possibility.

As much as Ganon would like to hog all the credit for coming up with these monstrous killing machines, not all baddies in the Hyrulean world originate from his dastardly magic. Other creatures like Dekus, Octoroks, and Peahats are natural Hyrule inhabitants who dwelled long before Ganon came into the picture. They aren’t always evil, but they certainly can be when provoked or agitated by sinister influences. Mad Scrubs from Ocarina of Time are a great example. Their aggression is clearly affected by Ganondorf’s infiltration of the Kokiri Forest. Otherwise, normal Deku Scrubs are a peaceful and intelligent society, such as the Terminian Deku Kingdom in Majora’s Mask.

The Brains

Some monsters become cruel and smart enough in Hyrule’s darkest times to survive higher up Ganon’s chain of command. We’ll call them “the brains.” It’s easy to surmise that these baddies serve as the minibosses of Zelda games, and while some do that, mentioning only this function would be an oversimplified statement. For example, many different monsters serve as the “brains” of the bunch in Zelda lore. Iron Knuckles, Armos Knights, Lynels, Stalfos, Dinolfos, and to a lesser degree Lizalfos (who in truth fall somewhere between the “brains” and the “brawn”) have all shared job descriptions similar to real-life centurions. A few Moblins have also made this achievement, as shown by King Bulblin and some Moblins from the Zelda cartoon, but these instances are usually rare.

A centurion was an ancient Roman officer in charge of managing as many as a hundred soldiers at a time for the Roman Emperor. Sometimes they even kept disorderly civilians in line. Back in Hyrule, these middle-manager monsters would probably supervise lesser monster groups and lead monster battalions into battle. Certainly, these fiends would cause plenty of trouble to Hyrulean residents who owed debts or needed to “behave” under Ganondorf’s rule. They may even give direct status reports to the King of Evil himself. A prominent Stalfos did just that in the Ocarina of Time manga!

It’s interesting to point out here that the deeper you go into Ganon’s system, the more elaborate the ranking becomes. One of the best examples is the Darknuts from The Wind Waker. These monsters are clearly high-ranking general figureheads, as only a few of them appear to Link at a time. But unlike the Moblins, Darknuts are far more intelligent. They are heavily armored, well-trained in combat, and even skilled in martial arts. You could easily mistake them as people if it weren’t for their unnatural doglike faces!

But the most fascinating fact of all about Darknuts is they wear armor in different colors, starting with silver, then red and finally black. Do Darknuts have diverse tastes in fashion? Well, maybe they do, but that’s not the point. This is more than a simple color preference. One outfit is more elaborate than the other, which indicates actual ranking among the Darknuts! There is even an official name for the black Darknut. It is called the Mighty Darknut, also known as Ganon’s Darknuts by some fans because of their first appearance after Ganondorf told Link that he had kidnapped Zelda in The Wind Waker. 

What about the Yiga?

The Yiga clan is a group of rebelious Sheikah who follow Ganon. They come into the Zelda picture from the subplot of Breath of the Wild. 10,000 years ago, the Sheikah developed incredible technology that helped Hyrule defeat Ganon with greater impact than ever before. But after peace was established, the Hylians became afraid of such technology and grew suspicious of its developers. Many Sheikah were exiled. Most decided to forgive the Hylians. They cast off their technological comforts and lived the simple life.

Other Sheikah brewed and stewed over the Hylians’ wrongdoing. Angered at being ostracized by the country they helped to save, these Sheikah defected from the Royal Family and served Ganon out of spite. At some point between then and 100 years from Breath of the Wild, they became known as the Yiga, a clan whose single-minded goal is to wipe out anyone against Ganon. During that time Master Kohga rose as their leader and Sooga his second-in-command (at least in Age of Calamity), but they are our only known examples of Yiga leadership.

What’s most amusing about the Yiga is the fact that despite their complete obsession with him, it was not Ganon’s intent to form this group at all. The real Ganon was (technically) dead hundreds of miles underground, unable to command or possess in the slightest, much less have an opinion. Oh yes, there may have been some Yiga enhancements influenced by hatred leaking out of a malice tendril somewhere. But the Yiga’s decision to defect was theirs and theirs alone. Therefore, they don’t come from the original King of Evil’s hierarchical design. The Yiga were simply a convenient add on. And wow, did Ganon take advantage of them. Simply put, it’s probably not a good idea to survive this type of situation as a Yiga member. You have a much better chance to pass yourself off as a Lynel with a mask and a horse.

The “Second-Hand” Delegates

Only a few of Ganon’s most despicable subjects claw and slice their way to the top. These special second-in-commands are extremely loyal to Ganon on their own accord. Not surprisingly, they are among the most evil beings any swordsman would ever lock eyes on. Unless you are a sword-wielding evil-banning specialist, the last things you ever want to encounter in a dark dungeon are these folks. Zelda fans love to imagine Dark Link taking the honor of this spot. It’s certainly plausible if you have ever played through Adventure of Link‘s unforgiving game design. Dark Link is the final boss who, along with Ganon’s minions, try to sacrifice the Hero in order to bring their Master back to life. There is a collective suggestion that Dark Link originated from Ganondorf’s magic mingling with the Hero of Time’s shadow in Ocarina of Time’s evil infested Water Temple. This is also plausible with the canon, since Dark Link is the famous Water Temple miniboss. Dark Link does not take form until Link walks across the water reflected floor and sees his shadow.

Other notable advisors to Ganondorf include Twinrova, his surrogate witch mothers. The reason for their position is obvious. Twinrova might even be capable of influencing Ganon’s decisions, as is suggested in the Ocarina of Time manga! After Link rescued Epona from Ingo’s clutches, the furious Ganondorf wanted to punish Ingo by execution. Only Koume and Kotake were able to change his mind to brainwash the poor ranch manager instead.

Even though Ganondorf is passionate about his shadowy creation and a good listener to his “parents,” he has deemed very few individuals worthy enough to conspire by his side. It appears that Ganondorf isn’t willing to share most of his dastardly plans with anyone. If he has any other “right-hand delegates,” they are kept well hidden in the shadows. Yes, other sorcerers have managed to rear their ugly heads to carry over Ganon’s desires in his absence, but often the plot later reveals that their minds were influenced by their Master the whole time. Agahnim, Zant, Astor, Veran, and even General Onox are such examples. These individuals are often identified as Ganon’s “puppets” by well-seasoned Zelda fans. It seems that Ganondorf took a page from his mentors and incorporated brainwashing into his palette of favorite tactics. That being said, unless you’re willing to gamble your life and sanity away, it is absolutely not recommended to play the “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” tactic in a “Ganon takeover” situation.

Your Handy Hyrulean Survival Guide

We can only hope that you have garnered a better idea of how Ganondorf’s hierarchical system works after reading this guide. Hopefully you’ll never have to use this knowledge, but in case you do, we recommend printing a copy and storing it in an emergency container clearly labeled as “In Case of Ganondorf Use This.” Other recommended items include a Bokoblin Mask, a Small Key, thirty Deku Nuts, a week’s supply of your grandmother’s soup, and a collapsible fishing rod. Disclaimer: Zelda Universe is not responsible for charging Lynels, incidents of kidnapping, broken pottery, broken bridges, destroyed buildings, possible brainwashing, or for that matter anything else that ever happens to you and the fate of Hyrule.