The Legend of Zelda frequently reuses characters, which puts Ganon, or Ganondorf, in the role of the primary villain for many games. While the names are sometimes used synonymously by players, Ganon refers to the beast form, and Ganondorf is the humanoid form of the character. Yet Ganondorf doesn't appear in every title that Ganon is in, with some Zelda games opting to show only his bestial form.
Zelda games have central themes, characters, and items that will appear across titles. One of the most important objects in Zelda, which appears in most games, is the Triforce. Critical to his character, when the Triforce splits in The Legend of Zelda, Ganondorf receives the Triforce of Power piece. Naturally, his lust for power is not satisfied by this, so he seeks the other pieces of the Triforce, held by Zelda and Link, to secure his position as the ruler of Hyrule.
Known as either Ganon or Ganondorf depending on the form he takes, Skyward Sword reveals that he is the embodiment of Demise's hatred for the incarnations of Link and Zelda. While Ganon is considered to be his true form, it isn't his original form. Ganondorf was born with a humanoid, and that's one of the reasons why it makes sense to include both Ganon and Ganondorf in Zelda games. His dual forms are part of who he is and what makes him a fearsome villain.
Ganondorf And Ganon Are The Two Halves Of One Zelda Character
Ganondorf's transformation into Ganon shows how his greed and evil intentions corrupt him. In some games, Ganondorf uses his human form to deceive the people of Hyrule, and it seems to work considering it's implied in Ocarina of Time that Zelda can see his evil nature, but her father cannot. This provides an opening for Ganondorf to begin his domination of Hyrule, and then he uses his beast form of Ganon to try to maintain his power when Link shows up to threaten it. It seems like Ganon won't be the villain in BOTW 2, but if he is, then his human form of Ganondorf should be included to show that his plan for power relies on both the deception as Ganondorf and the power of Ganon.
Ganon isn't the only villain of Zelda, but he is the most iconic. When he is the primary antagonist, showing Ganondorf as well reminds players of the fact that he isn't simply a rampaging beast, which is the feeling that Calamity Ganon gives off in BOTW. This additional complexity and the potential for Ganondorf to take more human roles rather than only being a beast is why both of his forms should be in The Legend of Zelda games that include him.
