Summary
WhileThe Legend of Zeldaseries is known for a variety of recurring races, like the Goron, Zora, and Rito that appear throughout the series, there is one race that is ever-present but often overlooked by fans. Demons play a major antagonistic role throughoutThe Legend of Zeldaseries, with the majority of its main villains being demons. As such, there is a solid amount of lore regarding these enigmatic demons in theZeldaseries and how they factor into the ongoing struggle between good and evil throughout Hyrule’s history.
When it comes to demons inZeldagames, there is a fine line between a demon and a monster, with the difference usually being that the demons use monsters as minions for their own nefarious purposes. Demons are said to have emerged as a threat during the Era of Hylia, where theDemon King Demise sought to claim the Triforcefrom the goddess. Since then, demons have re-emerged at different points throughout Hyrule’s history with the primary goal of controlling the world by covering it in darkness.
Demons Throughout The Legend of Zelda Series
There have been a handful of notable demons throughout theZeldaseries, with the majority of them acting as major antagonists with evil intentions. Many villains in the games have held the title of Demon King, such as Demise inSkyward Sword, Malladus inSpirit Tracks, and most notably,Ganondorfin several entries. However, not all demons are inherently evil, such asSkyward Sword’s Batreaux, who wishes to become a human so that people will no longer fear him and achieves this goal with the help of Link’s donations of Gratitude Crystals.
Ghirahim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
While the Demon Kings may be the most famous examples of demons throughout theZeldafranchise, there have been a handful of other notable demons who’ve appeared as villains as well. The entity that dwells withinMajora’s MaskinThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Maskis a mysterious demon whose true form is never seen, as it takes on several appearances throughout the game’s final boss fight. This demon, Majora, creates chaos by possessing the wearer of its mask, which is Skull Kid in the case of this game, and uses this host to attempt to destroy the world of Termina.
Another recurring demon in theZeldaseries is Vaati, who first appears as the antagonist ofThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, but also is the main villain inFour Swords Adventureson the GameCube, as well as inThe Minish Capon the Game Boy Advance. It’s in this entry that the story of Vaati is fleshed out and players get to see how he became a demon in his search for the power of the Picori Blade and the Light Force. Vaati was once a Minish under the apprenticeship of the craftsman Ezlo, but his obsession with power led to his corruption, eventually stealing the Light Force from Princess Zelda and transforming into a bat-like demon.
The story of Vaati establishes that different races can become demons through corruption and powerful magic. Conversely,Skyward Sword’s Ghirahimis a demon who poses as a human throughout the game as he works to resurrect his master, the Demon King Demise. With the successful resurrection of Demise during the game’s finale, Ghirahim reveals his true form to be the blade that Demise wields, demonstrating once again that demons are capable of taking on a variety of different forms in order to deceive those standing in the way of their goals.
