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Destroy Ganondorf

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The main quest “Destroy Ganondorf” in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the final quest linked to the main story in the game.

On the recommended story route, speak to Purah at Lookout Landing after gathering the five sages and recovering the Master Sword. She directs you toward Josha and the search for Ganondorf. These are preparation goals: you can enter the final area without completing every temple or obtaining the sword first.

If you haven’t settled Josha’s affairs yet, it doesn’t matter. You can also visit and enter Ganondorf’s underground A Place of Shelter yourself. Its location is deep beneath Hyrule Castle. The optional side quest “Master Kohga of the Yiga Clan” simply provides an additional clue to this.

Spoiler warning: The following solution describes the complete path through the final area, all enemy waves, all stages of the final boss and the end of the game.

Navigation

Preparation for the final battle

As you approach Ganondorf’s lair, a very long section begins with no other flares, shrines or natural fast travel points. After fighting the Demon King’s army, you will also no longer be able to exit the boss area normally. Therefore, save manually beforehand and prepare Link thoroughly.

The Master Sword is not technically necessary, but is by far the best weapon for the final battle. If you haven’t received it yet, first follow our solution to “Recovering the Hero’s Sword”. Before battle, combine it with a strong monster horn, such as a Silver Lynel horn, a high-quality Gleeok Horn, or another material with high Fuse Attack Power.

  • Master Sword with a strong Fuse material
  • Multiple one-handed weapons and at least three durable shields
  • A strong bow, preferably with multiple shots
  • At least 50 arrows as well as Keese Eyeballs and Bomb Flowers
  • Sundelion meals of Sundelions against destroyed hearts
  • Normal healing dishes with as many hearts as possible
  • dishes for additional attack power or defense
  • One to two Rocket Shields for slow-motion attacks
  • At least one mobile cooking pot
  • If required, a Travel Medallion

If possible, upgrade your armor at the Great Fairies. A total defense of at least 50 points makes the fight much more pleasant. The Depths Set provides additional protection against Gloom, while the Barbarian Set and Fierce Deity Set increase attack power. When in doubt, wear well-improved armor and generate the attack bonus via a dish.

Sundelion meals are particularly important. Normal food cannot replenish hearts while they have been destroyed by the Gloom. Cook five Sundelions together to restore a large portion of the damaged Heart Container. It’s better to take too many dishes with you than too few.

Talk to Josha and find Ganondorf

After Purah’s quest, speak to Josha in the Lookout Landing. Once you have completed the side adventures surrounding Kohga, she reports on his last statement: The Demon King is said to be deep beneath Hyrule Castle. However, the side quest is not a prerequisite for access to the final area.

Ganondorf’s lair is below the floating castle where you previously chased the false Zelda during “Crisis at Hyrule Castle”. You can fly directly to the castle from Lookout Landing or use Serutabomac Shrine as a starting point.

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Through the abyss beneath Hyrule Castle

Teleport to Serutabomac Shrine on the north side of Hyrule Castle. Leave the shrine and jump into the huge abyss below the floating castle. Open the Paraglider and slide as far down as possible without falling directly into a gloom area.

Head southeast as you descend. On a ledge is the Camobatures Lightroot. Be sure to activate it. It is the last regular fast travel point before the final area and illuminates the upper area below the castle.

From the light of the root you follow the southern corridor. You will encounter several Like Likes, Horriblins and Electric Keese. The fights are not mandatory. Run past the enemies or just kill those blocking your path.

Passing the Silver Lynels

A little later you will reach a large arena where, depending on your game progress, a very strong Lynel is waiting. Often it is a silver Lynels. Combat is completely optional and costs valuable weapons, shields and food.

Stay left at the edge of the arena and walk past the Lynels. Use Puffshrooms if he has already spotted Link. A Puffshroom placed on an arrow creates a large cloud of smoke in which the Lynel briefly loses sight of you.

Behind the arena, destroyed stairs lead further down. Stand under a suitable ledge and use the Ascend. Then continue running until the floor collapses under Link.

Falling stone blocks with the Recall use

After the collapse you will end up in a deeper section. Watch the falling stone blocks and climb onto one of them. Activates the Recall so that the block moves up again. Jump off on the higher level and follow the corridor.

You reach an icy section with Ice Likes and Ice Keese. Fire fruits and Red Chuchu Jelly defeat ice opponents particularly quickly. Then run down the damaged stairs and drop through the next opening.

The Gloom’s Approach pass through

In the next area a message appears that the powers of the sages men can no longer reach you. Tulin, Yunobo, Sidon, Riju and Mineru temporarily disappear. From this point on you have to manage the path to the decisive battle alone.

Defeat or bypass the Lizalfos at the bottom of the shaft. Open the large gate and jump into the next area. After landing, stay left and use the Ascend below the destroyed architecture.

Behind a rock wall you will find Zonai Devices like Wing, trucks, fans and steering elements. Build a simple flying machine out of it and cross the large abyss. You can also cover the route gliding if you have enough stamina. Avoid the bottom of the ravine as Gloom hands can appear there.

On the other hand, other strong opponents await you, including Moblins and Bokoblins in black or silver versions. Headshots, Puffshrooms and Ice Fruit help take them out one by one. You don’t have to fight every enemy as long as the path ahead remains clear.

Gibdos and destructible rock walls

Follow the ruins down until several Gibdos appear. First hit them with fire, ice, water, or electricity to turn their hard shell white and sensitive. They can then be defeated with normal attacks.

Destroy the cracked rock wall behind the enemies with a hammer weapon, Yunobo’s ability is not available here. Bomb flowers or a weapon connected to a rock also work. The Forgotten Foundations area begins behind the wall.

Forgotten Foundations and Murals

Follow the path through the Forgotten Foundations. The architecture should look familiar: Link and Zelda passed through this area early in the game, before Ganondorf awoke and Hyrule Castle was lifted into the air.

Finally you reach the room with the large mural. At the beginning of the game, some parts of the display were obscured by rocks. Now smash the debris in front of the panels to reveal the complete painting. It shows the Demon King, the sages men and events whose meaning only became understandable as the story progressed.

The further path is behind a destructible rock wall on the right. Smash the stones and follow the newly opened passage. A little later you will reach the Imprisoning Chamber.

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Imprisoning Chamber and Demon King’s lair

In the Imprisoning Chamber you will find the place where Rauru’s arm held Ganondorf for millennia. Continue through the only open corridor and follow the stairs down. The gloom concentration continues to increase.

Shortly before the last jump you should save manually again. If you have the Travel Medallion, you can place it in the room before the final descent. This will allow you to return directly here later without having to walk the entire way through Hyrule Castle again.

Jump into the deep shaft and slide down. The route is very long. Open the Paraglider every now and then to correct your position and eventually land in Ganondorf’s underground A Place of Shelter.

After landing, a cutscene will begin. Link is surrounded by a massive army of monsters. At this moment the five sages appear and are at your side in the decisive battle that follows.

Army of the Demon King: Decisive Battle in Depths

The Demon King’s army consists of four waves of enemies. A shared life bar appears at the top of the screen. Defeated enemies reduce this bar until the next group of monsters appears. The five sages fight independently and distract a large part of the enemies.

First wave: Bokoblins and Boss Bokoblin

The first wave consists of several Bokoblins and one Boss Bokoblin. Don’t reach into the middle of the closed group. Use Yunobo’s Charge, Riju’s Lightning, or Bomb Arrows to hit multiple enemies at once. The Boss Bokoblin should be dealt with last, once its companions have been eliminated.

Puffshrooms are also ideal. Shoot a Puffshroom into the group, enter the cloud of smoke and carry out surprise attacks against the disoriented Bokoblins.

Second wave: Lizalfos

Several Lizalfos appear in the second wave. They move quickly, often jumping to the side and attacking with long tongues and weapons. Use arrows with Keese Eyeballs for auto-tracking hits or freeze individual enemies with Ice Fruit.

Tulin’s arrows regularly hit moving opponents from a distance. Also activate Sidon’s water shield before approaching a larger group.

Third Wave: Gibdos and Flying Gibdos

The third wave consists of Gibdos and flying Gibdos. Normal weapons initially do little damage. Hit the enemies first with elemental attacks. Riju’s Lightning is particularly effective here and can weaken a large portion of the party at the same time.

Alternatively, use Fire Fruit, Shock Fruit, Ice Fruit or elemental Chuchu Jelly on your arrows. Once the Gibdos turn white, they can be quickly defeated with normal melee attacks.

Fourth wave: Moblins

Finally, several Moblins appear. The big opponents have a lot of life points and can throw Link back a long way with their blows. Together with the sages, focus on one Moblin at a time.

Head hits make Moblins stagger briefly. Ice fruits freeze them while Yunobo is able to knock them over. Feel free to use your stronger weapons liberally, but save the Master Sword and at least one very good backup weapon for Ganondorf.

After the Demon King’s army

After the victory, another cutscene will begin. The Sages stay behind to stop Ganondorf’s servants and possible temple bosses. Link has to continue the final path alone.

You can prepare again in the following room. If you have a mobile cooking pot with you, now is the last good time to cook. Heal all normal hearts and hearts destroyed by the Gloom, put on your best armor and, if necessary, wait for the Master Sword to fully charge.

Important: After the decisive battle, the area can no longer be left normally. If you want to return, you have to load a previous save.

What happens if you skip a temple?

If you have not completed all four regional temples, their bosses will appear before the fight against Ganondorf. You then have to defeat the missing opponents one after the other and without the support of the respective sage.

  • Colgera from the Wind Temple
  • Marbled Gohma from the Fire Temple
  • Mucktorok from the Water Temple
  • Queen Gibdo from Lightning Temple
  • Seized Construct from the Spirit Temple

Only the bosses of the temples that were actually skipped appear. Once you have found all five sages, they take over these fights in the background and Link can go directly to Ganondorf.

If you skipped the “Floating Castle” quest, the Phantom Ganons can also appear. An early attack on Ganondorf is basically possible, but it makes the final section significantly longer and more difficult.

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Boss: Demon King Ganondorf

After the final preparation, follow the corridor and jump into the abyss. After several cutscenes, Link faces the reawakened Ganondorf. The actual fight consists of two major phases, with the second phase being divided again.

Ganondorf’s Attacks deal gloom damage. In the later phase of combat, certain hits can even completely remove Heart Container from Link’s life bar. These destroyed hearts can no longer be retrieved using Sundelion meals during combat. Therefore, above all, avoid his red gloom projectiles.

First Phase: Demon King Ganondorf, The Reawakened

Ganondorf alternately uses a sword, a lance, a large Gloom club, and his bow. Stay focused on him with ZL and pay attention to the weapon currently in use. Perfect evasive maneuvers and the resulting series of attacks are the most reliable way to victory.

Attacks with the sword

With the sword, Ganondorf uses quick horizontal slashes and a charge attack. Jump backwards at the last moment during a side blow. If he rushes towards Link, dodge it with a sideways jump.

After a successful evasion maneuver, you start a series of attacks. Use the Master Sword and finish the series completely before distancing yourself again.

Attacks with the lance

The lance has a long range. Ganondorf pulls it back significantly before a straight stab. Jump to the side at the last moment and then start a series of attacks.

Don’t run backwards from the lance attack. The range is greater than it initially appears. A timely sideways jump is much safer.

attacks with the Gloom Club

With the big punch, Ganondorf performs heavy punches and jumping attacks. Move away as soon as he raises the weapon high above his head. A direct block can severely damage even good shields.

His charged punch creates a large wave of gloom on the ground. The attack creates an updraft. Open the Paraglider, let yourself be carried upwards and draw your bow in the air. Time slows down and you can land multiple headshots.

bow and gloom projectiles

Ganondorf draws his bow, move sideways and have the shield ready. His arrows deal gloom damage. Keese Eyeballs on your own arrows make headshots easier when he moves quickly.

A successful hit to the head causes Ganondorf to briefly reel. Run to him and attack with the Master Sword, but retreat before he takes control again.

Simple strategy for the first phase

Stay calm, keep your shield up and wait for Ganondorf’s to attack. Depending on his weapon, dodge sideways or backwards, use the attack series and then go back into defense. Don’t attack uncontrollably, as Ganondorf counters many normal strikes.

If you have trouble dodging, use a Rocket Shield. Let yourself be shot into the air, draw your bow and land several hits in the head in slow motion. A multiple-shot bow with strong materials causes significant damage.

Second Phase: Demon King Ganondorf, Lord of the Secret Stone

After the first health bar, Ganondorf releases the power of his Secret Stone. Its power meter extends well beyond the normal width of the screen. At the same time he creates several images of himself.

First part: Ganondorf and his images

The five sages return and employ Ganondorf’s copies. Focus on the real Ganondorf, whose body and life bar are more clearly highlighted. The copies disappear when they have suffered enough damage, but are initially bound primarily by the Sages.

Does not get stuck in the middle of multiple enemies. Lead the real Ganondorf to the edge of the arena and continue the strategy from the first phase. Headshots and perfect dodges still work.

You can also attack the copies to help the sages ones. Use bomb arrows, Riju’s lightning or other area attacks. The real target, however, remains Ganondorf.

Second part: Ganondorf fights alone

With approximately half of his massive health bar drained, Ganondorf pushes the five sages and his own effigies out of the fight. Link now finally faces him alone.

Ganondorf can avoid Link’s perfect attack series even with a dodge maneuver in this section. After your first perfect dodge, start the attack series. If Ganondorf retreats and counterattacks, you have to avoid his counterattack a second time at the right moment. Only the resulting second series of attacks hits him reliably.

Knock back red bullets

Ganondorf creates several red gloom balls that move towards Link. Dodge through the gaps or knock back the projectiles with the Master Sword. Repelled projectiles can hit Ganondorf and briefly stun him.

Some of these attacks permanently remove Heart Container from Link’s current life bar when hit. Even Sundelion meals cannot restore these completely obliterated hearts until the end of the battle. Security is therefore more important than an additional attack.

Large gloom waves fly over

When a heavy ground hit occurs, Gloom spreads in a circle through the arena. Use the resulting updraft, open the Paraglider and glide over the wave. Draws the bow in the air and lands a headshot.

If you didn’t catch an updraft, run through a gap between the gloom rays or get as far away as possible from the point of impact. Don’t try to block the wave with a normal shield.

Safe Final Boss Strategy

Defend consistently and only attack after a perfect dodge, a headshot, or a projectile being knocked back. The Master Sword is particularly suitable as it develops its full holy power against Ganondorf.

Don’t use up your healing dishes too early. First eat a Sundelion meal once several hearts are blocked by Gloom, and then a normal healing dish. Hearts that Ganondorf has completely removed from the bar, however, remain lost until the end.

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Boss: Demon Dragon, Demon King’s Dragon Transformation

After Ganondorf’s defeat, he devours his Secret Stone and performs the irreversible dragon transformation. He transforms into the massive black dragon. Shortly afterwards, the Light Dragon appears, saves Link and carries him back to heaven.

The Demon Dragon can only be wounded at its glowing weak points. The rest of his body is immune to normal attacks. The Master Sword is intended for this phase. If you haven’t received it before, it will be made available to Link for the final battle.

Jump on the glowing weak spots

There are four large, glowing gloom areas on the black dragon’s back. Jump off the Light Dragon and jump onto one of these spots. As you fall, watch out for the red projectiles that the Demon Dragon throws into the sky.

Only opens the Paraglider for correction. When you dive, you can dodge more quickly and lose less altitude. If possible, land on the edge of the glowing area so that Link is not immediately in the middle of it Gloom stands.

vulnerabilities with the Master Sword destroy

Run to the bright thickening in the center of the gloom area and attack it with the Master Sword. A few hits are enough. Once the weak point is destroyed, the resulting explosion will launch Link back into the air.

Then drop down. The Light Dragon flies under Link, catches him and carries him up again. Use this process for all four vulnerabilities.

If you accidentally land on a dark gloom surface, Link’s hearts will quickly be destroyed. Jump off again immediately and wait for the Light Dragon to catch you.

Last weak point on the head

After destroying all four spots on the back, the final weak point appears on the Black Dragon’s head. Let the Light Dragon carry you up far enough and then jump towards the Ganondorf’s head.

Land on the dragon’s forehead and run to the glowing Secret Stone. Hit it several times with the Master Sword. The boss fight finally ends with the last hit.

Save Zelda and finish the game

After destroying the Black Dragon, the final sequence begins. Link and Zelda fall from a great height towards Hyrule. First let yourself sink down in free fall and control Link to Zelda.

As soon as you are close enough, a button display will appear. Hold down the indicated button to have Link grab Zelda’s’s hand. Then you have to hold it a second time. Link finally opens the Paraglider and brings Zelda safely to the ground.

The final cutscenes and credits follow. This completes the main quests “Destroy Ganondorf” and “Find Princess Zelda”.

Additional scene after the credits

If you have completed all the remaining main quests before the final battle, an additional scene follows after the normal credits. In it, Link, Zelda, Purah and the five sages meet on the sky island with the time temple.

For this extended final scene, the regional phenomena, Minerus Quest, the Dragon Tears and the search for the Master Sword should be completed.

What happens after the final boss?

After the credits, your save file will be marked with a star. When you load, you end up in front of the final fight again. Ganondorf is not permanently defeated in the freely exploreable game world and the last two main quests are open again.

All items and progress collected before the final battle are retained. In addition, a percentage display for the map progress is displayed on the map. You can then complete missing shrines, side quests, Koroks, caves, wells and other content.

Further solutions:
Recovering the Hero’s Sword – Find Master Sword
Find the fifth wise man – walkthrough
Guidance from Ages Past – Mineru and Spirit Temple
The floating castle – Phantom Ganon
Kohga’s dark plans – walkthrough
The people in the Depths – entry into the Depths
Tears of the Kingdom – walkthrough

Continue the walkthrough