‘The Legend of Zelda’: What Happened to Zant in ‘Twilight Princess’?
Several Legend of Zelda fans has felt something of villain fatigue. When most Legend of Zelda games has Link fighting Ganondorf, players want other Nintendo villains to have a moment in the spotlight. A fan-favorite villain in The Legend of Zelda, Zant made an impression with his bizarre appearance erratic movements. However, some fans were confused about his ultimate fate and asked what happened to Zant in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The Usurper King posed a major threat to Hyrule
Ganondorf usually poses the biggest threat to the Kingdom of Hyrule. Several other villains in the games try to revive him, like Ghirahim in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. However, he had his own plans and ambitions.
In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Zant was next to rule the Twilight Realm. However, the Twili did not trust him to lead, and Midna took the throne. He grew resentful, and when he came across a banished Ganondorf, they struck a deal.
Ganondorf convinced Zant that he was a god and offered to share his power, as they both sought to take control of Hyrule.
Zant overthrew Midna and became the usurper king of the Twilight Realm. He banished Midna to Hyrule. Then, setting his sights on the kingdom of Princess Zelda, Zant proceeded to invade Hyrule with an army of Shadow Beasts.
Of course, Link rose to oppose him. Link and Midna team up to confront Zant in the Twilight Realm. They manage to defeat him, only to discover that Ganondorf’s plan to take over Hyrule.
What Happened to Zant in ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’?
While in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Zant’s pact with Ganon gave him an array of magical skills, he possessed his own skills. One ability, in particular, came back to haunt Ganondorf.
Zant and Ganondorf’s pact connected them on some level, allowing Zant to use Ganondorf’s vast sorcery.
Once Link defeated Ganon in Hyrule Field, driving his sword into the Demon King’s chest, a vision of Zant appeared. He realized that Ganondorf was not a god like he said. Zant used some kind of magic to snap both his own and Ganondorf’s neck, killing Ganon.
However, fans are unsure how Zant snapping his own neck would also kill Ganondorf. Did he use magic? Didn’t Midna kill Zant in the Twilight Realm? Nintendo fans had a lot of questions about the Legend of Zelda boss.
Eiji Aonuma admitted that even Nintendo did not know for sure what happened to Zant in ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’
Unfortunately, the only official word on Zant’s final cutscene in The Legend of Zelda does not solve much. Eiji Aonuma comments on the scene on the long-defunct Wii U Miiverse.
“Ten years later, the time has finally come to reveal the truth,” YouTuber HMK reported Aonuma said. “The truth is … To be honest, I’m not sure either! It was a mystery to most of the staff, too. The leader of the team that created that scene was well known for being a bit of a lone wolf when it came to making cutscenes for Twilight Princess.”
Nintendo has a long history of putting gameplay first and stories second. However, this might be a bit frustrating for fans who like story elements with Link, Zant, and other characters in The Legend of Zelda games.
“When he made that one, I couldn’t help but thinking, ‘The neck! The neck!’” Aonuma continued. “But I had immense faith in him. Anything he made must be art. I remember thinking that I just didn’t get it, so I didn’t say anything at the time.”
However, several theories explaining the scene exist. It ultimately falls to fans to decide what happened to Zant in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
