TOTK: Ganondorfs laugh, Raurus goat appearance, and more explained in new interview

The Japanese gaming magazine Nintendo Dream had the opportunity to interview the Zelda franchise producer Eiji Aonuma and director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, in their November issue. In the interview, the duo shared more insight into the game and what went through the developer’s heads during development. The Director discussed the inspiration behind the characters’ names, why they decided to make Ganondorf hot, why that specific Ganondorf laugh is so weird, why the gloom started appearing beneath Hyrule Castle, and more.

What’s up with that evil Ganondorf laugh in Tears of The Kingdom?

One of the topics in the interview was about Ganondorf’s return to the franchise and his design this time around. Fujibayashi explains that the designer in charge of Ganondorfs design wanted him to look not just violent and evil but also like someone who could potentially be a good guy and be able for people to fall in love with(hence why he is so hot this time around).

He further explains that they paid close attention to how he dressed and wore accessories. This was to show how Ganondorf cared about his own appearance and how it showed his elegance and intelligence. Those traits would be of importance for a potential future king.

They also paid close attention to parts of his face, body, and even his fingertips. Fujibayashi means that the result would be an image that defines sexiness.

The interviewer goes on to talk about how impressive Ganondorf’s expressions were in the game. Fujibayashi adds that he wanted to add a sense of humanity to him. The development team paid a lot of attention to his facial expressions in scenes when he, for example, is killing characters. Fujibayashi adds that he was very worried about whether he would make Ganondorf express himself in those situations or not. But he decided to leave it in the game because it felt meaningful.

The expression being referred to is the widely circulated Ganondorf laugh face that has been frequently used in memes.

The visualizations of the Zonai’s – Why is Rauru a goat?

The Interview goes on about how and why they decided to expand the world around the Zonai civilization in the game. They both explain how the Zonai got so much attention in Tears of the Kingdom because they had so little ground in Breath of the Wild and that they wanted to expand upon it. Throughout the development of Tears of the Kingdom, they thought about what already was established in that world and how they could use that to draw people further in.

Many fans have wondered what the Zonai’s really are and why Rauru looks like a goat. When asked about the design of the Zonai’s, Fujibayashi says:

In the early stages, we thought that it would be good to have an impactful visual of beastmen in order to express that they are distinct from Hylians. Many Zonai designs had a dragon motif, and the design with the image of a dragon was therefore established, leading to the current design. I think the images of the Zonai tribe are different between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but I think it would be interesting to imagine how they have changed over their long history.

So, to the long-asked question: Why is Rauru a goat? – No, Rauru is not a goat. Although the developers intended to make him look like a beast, he is supposedly more associated with a dragon than a goat.

Why is Rauru different in Tears of the Kingdom?

Many fans have wondered why Rauru shares the same name as the sage of light in Ocarina of Time. Some even believe that he might be the one and the same.

According to Fujibayashi, Rauru’s name in Tears of the Kingdom apparently comes from his role as a guiding figure. He explains how the name “Rauru” has been a name of guidance throughout the Zelda series.

This implies that Rauru in Tears of the Kingdom is a different character from Rauru in Ocarina of Time, despite sharing the same name.

Rauru was also a name of a town in the second Zelda game: The Adventure of Link.

Eiji Aonuma adds that when he first heard about the name in TOTK, he thought it was a very natural progression for the series. But he wonders how many people playing Tears of the Kingdom actually knows about the name Rauru from before.

The green spiral light on top of shrines

While they are on the subject of Rauru, they also talk about the green spiral light that comes out of Raurus hand when sealing Ganondorf away.

Fujibayashi explains that when Rauru uses his sealing powers, he sucks out Ganondorfs magical power from his heart and then purifies it. The result is that green light.

The same thing goes for the shrines. When Rauru and Sonia first founded Hyrule, they visited several locations around Hyrule and banished the evils around those places. The shrines were then placed as a seal to prevent the evil from returning. That is why green spirals are floating above the shrine’s entrances.

Why was Ganondorf under Hyrule Castle?

The article explains that in Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Castle is built on top of Ganondorf’s body to strengthen the seal further. The article quotes Fujibayashi, who clarifies that the castle serves as a barrier to prevent the seal from breaking. However, due to the castle’s gradual decay after the events of Breath of the Wild, the seal weakened, ultimately leading to the return of Ganondorf.

It is possible that Ganondorf’s motive for lifting the castle into the air was to break the seal even further. While the game does not explain this matter further, it could be a plausible reason for his actions.

A more powerful Zelda

During the interview, the topic of Zelda’s short hair comes up. It turns out that her shorter hair in the game is better suited to her situation. As she travels around trying to restore Hyrule, having shorter hair is more practical than having long hair.

In the initial teaser of the game, Zelda was spotted with short hair. This led many to speculate that she would be a playable character and that the reason behind the haircut was so that it didn’t clip through her clothing and armor. Zelda did not end up being a playable character though.

When asked about why Zelda’s light is stronger than Sonias in one of the game’s cutscenes, Fujibayashi explains:

I think she probably has quite a lot of power compared to the previous Princess Zeldas. In Breath of the Wild, Princess Zelda was a story about growing up and overcoming a single mountain, but in Tears of the Kingdom she is thinking about what she should do in a world where there are no more countries, and in her mind, the Kingdom of Hyrule itself is also a story. She is wondering if she should rebuild it. At that time, due to this incident, she returns to the past world and sees the era of her country’s founding, where her ancestors were.

So, to sum things up: the reason behind the evil Ganondorf laugh is that the developers wanted to give the character more expression.

Rauru might not necessarily be the same character as in Ocarina of Time, but he shares a similar role, and that’s why he got the same name.

And…

During the era of Hyrule’s founding, Rauru and Sonia purified the shrines, resulting in the green spirals above them.

The interview is available in its full length in japanase at Nintendo Dreams website. There, you can read more about the game’s development process.

Hidemaro Fujibayashi was also recently interviewed about why the Sheikah Tech was absent in Tears of the Kingdom.

Disclaimer

There may be inaccuracies or lost translations in this article. Please contact us to report misinformation.