Spoiler warning: this piece discusses the finale of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In 2026, I found myself diving back into the Depths beneath Hyrule Castle for one more showdown with the Demon King, and the fight remains one of the most demanding and theatrical finales Nintendo has ever built. I had already saved Hyrule, but I wanted a cleaner run, better preparation, and a chance to test everything I had learned. What follows is my first-person field report from that descent, including the mistakes I made, the tactics that worked, and the moments that still made my hands sweat.
The lead-up to Ganondorf is not a casual stroll. The tunnels beneath the castle are packed with Silver enemies, the strongest tier of foes, and they hit hard enough to remind me that my armor upgrades mattered. I stocked up before diving in: Sundelions from the Sky Islands, cooked into meals that restore hearts claimed by Gloom; hearty dishes; and a few defensive elixirs just in case. The Gloom permeating the dungeon is relentless, and without Sundelion food I would have been fighting the environment as much as the enemies. My advice is simple: do not enter this dungeon on a whim. Treat it like a raid. 😤
Once I reached Gloom’s Lair, the Demon King’s Army arrived in waves. The five Sages — Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo, Riju, and Mineru — fought beside me, which turned a chaotic brawl into a strange, heroic party. The order was Bokoblins, Lizalfos, Gibdos, and Moblins. Every enemy was infused with Gloom, so each hit drained my maximum health. The waves are not technically difficult, but they are messy, and it is easy to get surrounded. I stayed mobile, let the Sages draw aggro, and picked off targets with fused weapons and arrows. After the army fell, I had a brief moment to breathe, cook, and prepare for the real fight.
| Wave | Enemy type | What I did |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bokoblins | Used crowd-control fusions and kept moving |
| 2 | Lizalfos | Focused them down before they could flank |
| 3 | Gibdos | Relied on fire and elemental effects |
| 4 | Moblins | Let the Sages tank while I attacked from range |
The first phase is a pure duel, and it feels personal. Ganondorf switches weapons on the fly and shares some attack patterns with Phantom Ganon, but he is faster and far less forgiving. The attack that caught me most often was his charged downward strike, which creates an updraft and sends a wave of Gloom across the entire arena. I learned to deploy my paraglider immediately and ride the updraft over the wave. The bigger surprise is his perfect dodge. If I attacked wildly, he would dodge and punish me. The answer is not to stop attacking, but to expect the counter and be ready to answer his flurry rush with my own. That rhythm took practice.
| Ganondorf attack | My response |
|---|---|
| Charged downward strike | Paraglide over the Gloom wave |
| Weapon combos | Back off, bait the finisher, then punish |
| Perfect dodge counter | Stay calm and trigger my own flurry rush |
| Close-range pressure | Do not linger too close; his charge time shortens |
After I emptied his first health bar, Ganondorf restored his health and entered his Demon King form. The Sages returned to help, and he summoned five duplicates. I focused on the real Ganondorf while the Sages handled the clones. The fight changes at half health: he absorbs the clones, knocks out the Sages, and returns to a one-on-one. This is where the difficulty spikes. He now always perfect dodges melee attacks, and he can even dodge my flurry rush. I had to rely on timing, bows, and patience. His new Gloom attacks are dangerous, but the spear attack is the worst: three homing projectiles chase you while he charges. I deflected the projectiles with my shield and kept my distance until I could punish him.
The finale is a spectacle rather than a survival test. Ganondorf swallows his Secret Stone and becomes the Demon Dragon, and I ride the Light Dragon — Zelda’s draconified form — to reach him. I targeted the glowing demonic eyes on his back, destroyed each weakpoint, and let the Light Dragon catch me when he bucked me off. The cycle repeats until the Demon Dragon falls. It is easier than the Ganondorf duel, but it is unforgettable. In 2026, this finale still feels like a statement: a boss fight that tests preparation, timing, and nerve, then rewards you with a dragon ride through the sky. I would do it again. 🐉
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