Do we like them?

Do we like Ganondorf?

A character from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Our score: 1 out of 10. No, we wouldn't back him. He's patient and clever, and he does have a past grievance, but he answers it with conquest and cruelty, so he's a villain through and through.

Ganondorf is the king of the Gerudo, a desert tribe of warriors from the Zelda games' world of Hyrule. In Ocarina of Time he is a huge, armoured, sharp-minded sorcerer. He is the series' main villain, and he is after the Triforce, a relic that grants the wishes of whoever holds it. He starts the story as a smiling, kneeling visitor at the Hyrule court, and he is far more dangerous than he looks.

Why the low score? He's smart, patient and plainly gifted, and the series is often more interested in his past and what drives him than a plain monster would earn. But the way he acts on it is the problem. He lies, manipulates and uses people as tools, he's willing to burn a country down to get what he wants, and he never shows any sign of mercy.

Across the series, from Ocarina of Time to Tears of the Kingdom, where he's a major character again, he keeps coming back, and he's always a threat that Link and Zelda have to face. Fans find him one of gaming's most enjoyable villains, and he is still not someone you'd cheer for.