He's the Great King of Evil, the Demon Thief, and the Centennial Male of the Gerudo Race:
#23 Ganondorf
Melee:
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While Ganon's Melee render was cool, it was one of those things that teased us about him having a sword that he never got to use. This is the beginning of 17 years of chain-yankery that drove most of us up the wall. Personally, I think if the character doesn't use the object that was shown in their artwork, it shouldn't appear in their render. Despite this, the render was pretty neat. It's strangely symmetrical, but the attitude it presents exudes an air of authority and menace. Though much of the render is swooped up in the silhouette of the torso, and the legs are completely lost in the cape.
7.2/10
Character Select Screen Portrait: CSSP
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The CSS render was... different. I don't know why, but they elected to go for a profile shot that looks like he's got one foot on a stump and is about to tell a story of the good ol' days. It's okay, I guess. Not very interesting to look at, though. The sharp emphasis on his nose is funny though.
6.8/10
Brawl:
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This time, in Brawl's render, they decided not to tease us with the sword in the artwork, which is a better designation of how he actually fights in the game. This one actually fits Ganon's personality a little bit more as it calls upon his signature, "Raised hand as if holding the world" pose, which is a staple of the his art in the Zelda series. The cape has flow to it as opposed to Melee's static feel, and though the art is now lacking a bit of the symmetry the Melee render had, it's more dynamic with a more interesting and varied silhouette. Though it fits him the pose itself could be stronger.
7.4/10
Wii U/3DS:
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To hide the fact that he has an ugly mug in Wii U/3DS, Ganondorf decides to give us a profile shot; which works because Ganondorf has ALWAYS possessed a very strong profile (see the Melee CSSP). However, we've lost some of the wind in his cape, presumably due to the shredded bits toward the bottom, which are a very nice touch. The best part of this render is the bright, glowing weakspot at the center of his torso. Said glowing weakpoint which was a major part of Ganondorf's Twilight Princess design, and a feature that Brawl strangely lacked for some reason. The energy itself, looking quite godlike, is permeating the cracks in his armor, which is actually visible on the in-game model. His posing, however, does look less... interested. Almost as if he's present in the game more so out of obligation than actual desire. He's more relaxed and less menacing than his previous render. The silhouette is pretty well-defined, so that's a plus.
7.4/10
Ultimate:
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Now this is my
JAM! Just take a look at this! You got that asymmetry! You got yourself a beautiful silhouette with clearly defined hands, boots, torso, shoulders, and a fully outstretched arm! It still has that signature Ganondorf hand pose, but he's finally got the other hand doing something else that isn't boring! The flow and folds of the cape look so good, especially with the hilarious fringe on the end of it. I especially love the curves of the cape on the left and upper right sides. It demonstrates a stance of strength; he's clearly amidst combat with this pose. And take note: this man is SMILING. And not just any smile either, he's wearing that sort of dirtbag smile where he truly believes that he's won the battle and is toying with you as though you were a lost, little child. His hair also spikes up in that unruly sort of way which only a bandit king could accomplish without looking like a poser.
9.4/10
Greatest to Least:
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> CSSP
What do you all think of the King of Evil's renders?
As I mentioned in the OP, this was the render comparison that inspired the thread. And we finally reached it, though it's only in the early twenties, lol. I did copy-paste my original comparison, but have tweaked and refined it to be more in line with the rest of my comparisons in this thread.