The climactic battle against Ganondorf within Hyrule Castle marks the culmination of the player’s journey through Hyrule. This section provides a step-by-step guide to navigating the final approach and conquering each phase of this challenging encounter, ensuring a complete resolution to the main storyline.
Approaching the Demon King
The path to the final confrontation begins deep beneath Hyrule Castle. To initiate this descent, the player should first fast travel to the Serutabomac Shrine, which is located within the castle grounds. From this vantage point, the player needs to locate the significant chasm emitting gloom beneath the floating structure of Hyrule Castle. This is the Hyrule Castle Chasm, and the player must dive into its depths.
During the descent, it is advisable to maintain a course towards the southeast corner. This trajectory will lead the player to the Camobatures Lightroot, which should be activated upon arrival. This Lightroot serves as a critical fast travel point, offering a means of quick return should the player need to regroup or replenish resources. The presence of this clearly visible navigational aid suggests a deliberate design choice to provide a degree of security even within the final, perilous area.
From the Camobatures Lightroot, the player should glide south, heading towards a chasm inhabited by Like Likes. Navigating through this area will lead to another chamber, this one teeming with Lightning Keese. These enemy encounters serve to test the player’s proficiency in different combat scenarios, with Like Likes requiring specific tactics to expose their vulnerable cores and Lightning Keese demanding swift reactions or elemental counters.
Subsequently, the player will enter a large chamber where a Silver Lynel resides. While it is possible to evade this formidable foe by adhering to the left wall of the chamber , engaging and defeating the Silver Lynel is highly recommended. Victory yields exceptional materials and potent weaponry, significantly enhancing the player’s preparedness for the final boss fight. This presents a classic risk-reward scenario, allowing players to choose between a stealthy approach and the acquisition of powerful resources.
Continuing the descent, the player should locate a broken staircase on the left side of the Lynel’s chamber and utilize the Ascend ability to reach the upper level. Allowing the floor to collapse will lead to a lower room. Here, the Recall ability should be employed on a falling block to ascend to the next level.
The subsequent path leads through a corridor afflicted by gloom and populated by Ice Likes and Ice Keese. Employing fire elemental attacks proves particularly effective against these icy adversaries. The player will then descend a shaft containing broken staircases, where Black and Silver Lizalfos pose a further threat.
Upon reaching solid ground, the player should break the boulders situated on the far right to reveal the final segment of the path. This point signifies the last opportunity for the player to return and make any necessary preparations. Proceeding further leads to the Imprisoning Chamber. Taking a leap of faith from here will send the player into Gloom’s Lair. Running to the end of this area and diving off the final platform will bring the player to the ominous platform where the confrontation with the Demon King begins.
Phase One: Face-to-Face with Ganondorf
The initial phase of the final battle pits the player against Ganondorf in his human form. Throughout this encounter, Ganondorf will employ a variety of weapons, including a sword, spear, and club, and all of his attacks inflict Gloom damage, which reduces the player’s maximum heart containers. His repertoire includes a Sword Lunge, which is easily anticipated; Ground Blades, consisting of three red energy projectiles traveling along the ground, which can be avoided by jumping or moving between them ; Gloom Arrows, fired in a quick succession of three, best evaded by strafing sideways ; a Spear Thrust, a charging attack performed three times after a wind-up, requiring the player to dodge each thrust ; and a Super Slam, where Ganondorf leaps into the air and crashes down, necessitating a quick repositioning.
If the player remains in close proximity, Ganondorf may also execute a Spin Attack, which must be dodged. As Ganondorf’s health diminishes, he may switch between his weapons , utilizing a Spear Charge or a Claymore Slam, requiring the player to adapt to these varied attack patterns.
The primary strategy for this phase revolves around exploiting openings and utilizing precise counters. The Flurry Rush technique is highly effective; by executing a perfect dodge at the last moment before an attack lands (a backflip for horizontal sword swings and a side jump for vertical ones ), the player can unleash a series of powerful counterattacks. For players less confident in their dodging abilities, firing arrows at Ganondorf’s face can provide a temporary stun, creating a brief opportunity to inflict damage. Additionally, employing a Shield Parry against almost any of Ganondorf’s attacks will create a significant opening for the player to strike. Successful parries require precise timing, pressing the ‘A’ button just as the attack is about to connect.
Given the constant infliction of Gloom damage, it is essential for the player to carry an ample supply of food cooked with Sundelions, which effectively heal hearts lost to this affliction. Hearty meals, providing temporary extra hearts, are also beneficial. It is worth noting that Gloom damage will remove any temporary yellow hearts before affecting the player’s permanent heart containers. Equipping weapons with high attack power and fusing them with potent materials is crucial. The Master Sword exhibits enhanced effectiveness against gloom-infected enemies , and fusing it with high-tier monster parts like Black Lizalfos Horns or Silver Lynel Horns can substantially increase its damage output. Parts from the Light Dragon also possess the property of healing gloom. Throughout this phase, maintaining patience and prioritizing defensive maneuvers such as dodging and parrying before committing to attacks is paramount.
Phase Two: The Phantom Menace
Upon depleting his health in the first phase, Ganondorf undergoes a transformation, absorbing the power of his Secret Stone and becoming a larger, more formidable entity with an extended health bar. He also summons phantom copies of himself, which will attack the player concurrently. If the player has completed all four temples and the “Find the Fifth Sage” quest, their Sage companions will join the fray, assisting in distracting and damaging the phantom clones.
Ganondorf acquires new offensive capabilities in this phase. He may execute a Gloom Eruption, a ground slam that causes gloom to erupt in the surrounding area. This can be avoided by using the paraglider after an updraft. When his health is reduced to approximately half, Ganondorf will absorb his phantom copies and banish the player’s Sage allies, once again focusing the battle to a one-on-one encounter. He will then unleash attacks such as multiple Gloom Bullets that emerge from the ground, requiring the player to run away or navigate through the gaps to evade them. He will also summon Magic Orbs that track the player’s movements, and these attacks, if successful, will permanently reduce the player’s maximum heart containers, with no means of restoration. In a sub-phase referred to as 2B, Ganondorf may employ Seeker Arrows, three projectiles that track the player, used in conjunction with his Spear Thrust, demanding both lateral movement and dodging. He can also unleash Crimson Eruption, where multiple crimson flames cascade across a wide area, providing a window for the player to move away and retaliate with arrows during the attack’s long casting time. Another variant is Crimson Closure, where flames move inward, which can be challenging to avoid on the ground, suggesting the use of boosting into the air or utilizing the shield for better lateral control to find safe passages.
The fundamental strategies from the first phase remain applicable, but with increased emphasis on managing multiple threats and reacting to faster, more varied attacks. While the phantom copies can be distracting, the player should prioritize targeting the real Ganondorf, relying on the Sages to manage the clones. Dodging and parrying remain the most reliable defenses against his attacks. If overwhelmed by phantoms before the Sages arrive, utilizing area-of-effect attacks like bombs or the Sages’ abilities can provide temporary relief. Maintaining constant movement is crucial, especially when Ganondorf uses gloom bullets and magic orbs. Sidestepping is particularly effective against tracking projectiles. The player should also be prepared to block, as the dodge-to-Flurry Rush counter may not always be successful, with Ganondorf capable of countering the player’s counterattack. Aiming for headshots with arrows can still stun Ganondorf, offering brief moments to recover or attack. Employing multi-shot bows like the Great Eagle Bow, if available, can maximize the chance of stunning him. A particularly potent strategy involves fusing Gibdo Bones to arrows, which adds a significant amount of damage per shot (+40). This tactic can rapidly deplete Ganondorf’s health, especially in the initial parts of this phase. Gibdo Bones are commonly dropped during the Demon King’s Army encounter preceding this battle.
Phase Three: Ascending to Victory (Dragon Form)
After the player successfully depletes Ganondorf’s health in the second phase, a cinematic sequence will play, culminating in his transformation into a colossal Demon Dragon after consuming his Secret Stone. However, the player will not face this formidable creature alone. The Light Dragon, revealed to be Princess Zelda in dragon form, will appear and rescue Link, initiating an epic aerial battle while riding on her back.
The Demon Dragon will have glowing scales or spikes located on its body. The player’s objective is to attack these weak points. There are two primary methods to achieve this. The player can jump off the Light Dragon and skydive towards the glowing sections, firing arrows at them during the descent. Accuracy requires getting relatively close to the targets. Alternatively, the player can land directly on a glowing section and strike it with the Master Sword. While in contact with the Demon Dragon’s body, the player will sustain Gloom damage. However, this gloom affliction will be immediately cleansed upon moving away from the dragon or returning to the Light Dragon’s back.
The Demon Dragon does possess offensive capabilities, primarily in the form of Crimson Rain of Fire and Crimson Fireballs, but these attacks are generally easy to evade by maneuvering while skydiving. Should the player fall too far, the Light Dragon will automatically adjust its flight path to catch them, eliminating the risk of falling to the ground. After all the glowing sections on the Demon Dragon’s body have been attacked and destroyed, the Secret Stone located on its forehead will begin to glow. The player must then dive towards the forehead and strike the Secret Stone with the Master Sword to deliver the final blow and vanquish Ganondorf.
The Checklist for Completion
For players aiming for 100% completion of this final encounter, it is important to remember to capture photographic evidence of each of Ganondorf’s distinct forms using the Purah Pad. This includes his initial human form, his empowered state with the phantom copies, and his final dragon form. These photos are added to the Hyrule Compendium and contribute to the overall completionist goals of the game.
Hyrule Saved! What Happens Next?
Upon the successful defeat of the Demon King, the player will witness the concluding cutscenes, marking the end of the main narrative. However, unlike some games, Tears of the Kingdom does not offer a direct continuation of the story in a post-game state where Hyrule reflects Ganondorf’s absence. Instead, after the credits have rolled, the player will be returned to the game’s title screen. Loading the last save file will place the player at the point immediately before initiating the final boss fight. This design choice allows players to revisit the final encounter if desired or to continue exploring the vast world of Hyrule and complete any remaining side quests, shrines, or other activities that were left unfinished prior to facing Ganondorf.
The save file that was active when the final boss was defeated will now be marked with an indicator, often a star or similar symbol, signifying the completion of the main storyline. Additionally, a completion percentage will be displayed on the game’s map. This percentage primarily reflects the extent of the player’s exploration across the game world, including the discovery of all named locations, points of interest, caves, and significant landmarks such as bridges. It also tracks the number of Korok puzzles that have been successfully solved. Notably, the completion percentage does not typically factor in the number of quests completed. Therefore, even after defeating Ganondorf, players can continue their adventure, engaging in any remaining side quests, side adventures, minigames, and other activities that Hyrule has to offer, now without the immediate threat of the Demon King looming over the land.