Nintendo B!tch

Ganondorf’s smile in the moment he takes Sonia's Secret Stone is meant to fill the player with a sense of despair at confronting someone who can't be reasoned with. This scene emphasizes that the ultimate goal of the game is to "Destroy Ganondorf."

While it’s necessary for Ganondorf to have the dignified appearance of a desert king, we put great care and attention into small details to convey the impression that he’s a sly and cunning person who won’t hesitate to employ underhanded means in service to his goals. The most difficult aspect of his design was his eyes. Even the most subtle of adjustments would weaken Ganondorf’s impression as a sharp and powerful character, and we made countless revisions.

Because we wanted to draw Ganondorf as a skilled but solitary warrior who stands alone in battle, we adopted the samurai-style outfit of a loose kimono worn open at the chest without formal hakama trousers. We also referenced various pieces of Buddhist art transmitted to Japan along the Silk Road in order to mix aesthetic influences from desert tribes into his Japanese clothing.