How to beat Ganon in the Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

You must DIE!

Ganondorf “Ganon” Dragmire has been Zelda‘s big bad since the NES original. In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Ganon’s back once again, but this time, you face the demonic porkchop as the princess he’s been kidnapping, possessing, and otherwise inconveniencing since 1987. Rarely has revenge smelt sweeter.

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The fight against Ganon in Hyrule Castle is one of my favorite fights in EoW, not just because it’s one big, unsubtle tribute to A Link to the Past. It’s the first genuinely challenging boss in the game, the first bend in the difficulty curve that defines EoW‘s second half.

Taking down Ganon shouldn’t be too much of a hassle if you follow my lead. Hopefully, you’re going into this fight with a fully upgraded swordsman form and a few higher-tier Echoes like the Peahat, Club Boarblin, or Ball-and-Chain Trooper. you might also want to grab the Energy Glove accessory from the northwestern tip of Gerudo Desert.

Zelda Echoes of Wisdom Ganon Boss Guide

Ganon stabbing at Zelda with his trident in Echoes of Wisdom.
Screenshot via Destructoid

Ganon doesn’t waste any time: the second the fight starts, he teleports away and starts trying to shish-kabob you on the tips of his trident. He takes a few seconds to wind up a jab and a few more to catch his breath (he is on the chunky side, after all.) Once he’s finished going for a stab, swap to swordsman form and retaliate at will. If you want more stabbing time, you can Bind his trident and yank it out of his hand to extend the stun animation. Even if you don’t need to do this, I’d recommend practicing it.

After a few hits, Ganon mixes up his attacks. Now, he throws his trident at you before teleporting away, giving it a few seconds to spin around the room like the world’s sharpest boomerang before he poofs back in to catch it. You can try to score a few hits with swordsman form before he catches the trident, but that’s not the optimal way to do things here.

Zelda grabs Ganon's trident with Bind.
Screenshot via Destructoid

After a few hits, Ganon mixes up his attacks. Now, he throws his trident at you before teleporting away, giving it a few seconds to spin around the room like the world’s sharpest boomerang before he poofs back in to catch it. You can try to score a few hits with swordsman form before he catches the trident, but that’s not the optimal way to do things here.

Instead, once Ganon’s trident’s in the air, catch it with Bind. Once Ganon teleports back in, carry the trident over to him and hit him with it. This deals damage and stuns him for a few second﷽s, giving you tim🥃e to go swordsman and let loose before he recovers.

Ganon throws a swarm of Keese at Zelda in Echoes of Wisdom.
Screenshot via Destructoid

Between trident tosses, Ganon summons a swarm of Fire Keese and sends them your way. You can either dodge out of the ay or put down a Boulder Echo as a shield. The Fire Keese will drop energy for swordsman form, so you can refill the gauge if it gets l💦ow. If you want to store some energy, summon an Echo and let it fight for a few cycl💛es.

Ganon plays Dead Man's Volley in Echoes of Wisdom.

Once you’ve made Ganon feel his own wrath enough times, the Demon King decides it’s time to play some good old Dead Man’s Volley. Honoring classic Zelda tradition, Ganon summo🙈ns a ball of electricity and lobs it your way. You can send it back at him with a swing of your sword, kicking off a deadly game of tennis. If you hit it back enough times, Ganon will take massive 𒁏damage from the returning ball and be stunned, giving you an opening to get in a few good hits with swordsman form or an Echo.

After Ganon’s taken enough damage, he’ll become wreathed in purple flames, letting you know you’ve reached the last phase of the fight. Ganon’s attacks will get faster, and he randomizes the order he throws them at you. All the tactics you used earlier still work, but you’ll need to be faster on your feet to score hits and stay alive.

Ganon dies in Echoes of Wisdom.
Screenshot via Destructoid

If you keep at it long enough, the King of Demons will fall, freeing a swarm of Tri’s friends from inside himself and giving the little fairy robot thingamabob the power he needs to seal the rift and restore Hyrule Castle to its former glory.


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Drew Kopp
Drew has been an insatiable reader of Destructoid for over a decade. He got his start with Comic Book Resources and Attack of the Fanboy, and now he's rocking it as a member of Destructoid's staff!