How to add Zelda’s Ganon in your D&D game

❘ Published: 2023-05-11T16:19:16

Nintendo

Looking to create an awesome Legend of Zelda D&D campaign after the release of Tears of the Kingdom? You can’t do that without the legendary Ganondorf being one of the primary villains. So, here’s how to add Ganon to your D&D game.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is here and is already capturing the hearts of many gamers. With so much lore and elements to explore, making Zelda into a D&D campaign is almost a no-brainer. Especially when there’s a villain in there as formidable, entertaining, and memorable as the legendary Ganondorf.

So, with this villain reappearing on our screens, here’s how to put Ganondorf into your D&D 5e game, along with the best class, weapons, and our recommendation for a pre-build stat block.

Best class
Best weapons
A pre-build Ganondorf stat block
Important elements to note when playing as or with Ganondorf

The best class for Ganondorf in D&D 5e

There are two things to know about Ganondorf. First, he’s an extremely powerful fighter, who hits hard and will make Link’s life extremely difficult from one slice of his weapon. Secondly, on top of that, he’s also an extremely powerful mage who can manipulate the arcane to an extreme level.

Because of this, we have two recommendations for Ganondorf’s classes in Dungeons & Dragons 5e:

Warlock / Barbarian
Paladin

If using Warlock / Barbarian, we suggest making him a fifth level Hexblade Warlock and a 15th-level Barbarian for that rage damage, powerful spells, and the ability to stay alive after being put to 0 thanks to Range Beyond Death which, when combined with Persistent Rage, means you can stay alive for up to nine more rounds.

We’d then recommend going all the way to level 20 as a Paladin, perfectly combining those powerful hits with some impressive spells, all tied together with deadly Smites.

Must have weapons for Ganondorf

Ganondorf wields two primary weapons, a Trident, and a sword. While the sword changes a lot during the Zelda games, we think a Greatsword would be best for a Demon King like Ganondorf. You can find our recommended weapons for Ganondorf below:

The best Ganondorf D&D 5e Stat Block

While creating your own version of Ganondorf is right up a lot of DM’s street, sometimes you need a quick way to incorporate this legendary character into a one-shot or your campaign.

With that in mind, for one of the best Ganondorf Stat Blocks that are premade for your convenience, we recommend checking out this homebrew creation. Depending on your character’s levels and their skills, you may want to consider making his health higher or lower, and pulling back on a few of his more powerful spells. But that’s up to you.

Elements to note when using Ganondorf

As many already know, Ganondorf is known as the Demon King and is in many cases as close to a God as you’ll get in Zelda. As such, legendary actions are vital when playing Ganondorf as a fightable creature.

On top of this, if using him as an enemy, one of the most important elements is his essential immortality. Considering this, and the fact that he’ll need to die in your D&D game, we recommend playing him similarly to a Vampire. By letting him transform into a mist or unkillable force, flying or leaving the battle to recover before meeting the party again.

Lastly, if playing him as a character, we highly recommend playing him as a chaotic or lawful evil creature, preferably an Orc or a Goliath for that extra size.

So, there you have it, that’s how you can make the legendary Ganondorf in D&D 5e. While planning your Zelda one-shot or your next session, take a look at some of our other handy D&D content, or our Zelda guides for those loving Tears of the Kingdom: