Twinrova: Ganon’s Mother - Lore and Origins (Legend of Zelda)

A look at the history of Kotake and Koume, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers.

► Music in this video:
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#Zelda #Nintendo #LegendofZelda

[Zeltik]

please just pretend that I didn't get their names the wrong way around for the whole video

[sansnom]

I love the parallel between Link and Ganondorf. Two children of war, born under mysterious circumstances, created by surrogate parental figures inside a secret land. While Link is not accepted into Kokiri Forest for being different, Ganondorf is adored exactly by being the different one. Their protectors see them as messianic figures, one guided to save the land, and the other to conquer it. Their destiny and stories are more similar than they like to admit. Zelda acts like the bridge between them two, once again, in mirrored ways. One seeks Zelda for guidance and Wisdom, and the other seeks Zelda as a tool for more power. One cycle that keeps repeating itself, incarnating on tragic figures from age to age.

[Hellraiser]

Fun fact: The boss title of Koume and Kotake is not Twinrova in the German version. For some reason they changed it to Killah Ohmaz which would kind of translate to Killah Granniez. And also their fused form is called Sexy Thermo Hexy (Sexy Thermo Witchey) and that's... a thing that the translators decided to do for some reason

[alexnewby]

Fun fact, twinrova does actually make a small appearance in totk! In one of the memories, there are two gerudo knealt behind ganondorf. While they dont stand out much, they look identical, and their clothing has their names on them

[SimplyAJ]

Something else to think about: Who were the king's BEFORE Ganondorf? If a male is born once every century, wouldn't that mean that these two 400 year old witches have seen at least 4 kings? Did they fall in battle with Hyrule? Were they too raised by Twinrova? Would love to see more about who came before Ganondorf.

[MardukGodSlayer]

I'd always assumed that the fused Twinrova was Ganondorf's actual mother, imbuing him with all her magical power, and Kotake and Koume raised him as surrogates as it would have been far too draining to maintain their fused form all the time.

[cecillewolters]

Watching this video finally explained the fire and ice powers of the twins.
The fire represents the harsh desert sun, scorching all life.
Ice are the cold nights, freezing all that lives.
The two faces of the desert, night and day, fire and ice.

[davidgorman]

Definitely one of the more interesting parts of Ocarina. An interesting area and cast of characters

[ultraspinalki]

After learning in Windwaker that Ganondorf once had noble intentions (saving his people from the harsh desert), I like to imagine it was the twin witches who triggered his descent into villainy by making him aware of the existence of the all-powerful Triforce. Thus, becoming obsessed in acquiring it at all costs.

After all, the witches are centuries old, they would be the most knowledgeable when it comes to the mythical Triforce after the Deku Tree and the Royal Family itself.

[corruptedplayer]

did you know that the *official* german name for Twinrova is "Sexy Thermo Hexy" (Sexy thermo Witch) and Koume and Kotakes titles are "Killa Omaz" (Killer Grandmas) the old german translations were full of those things. don't let me get started on LA

[sirhenrymorgan]

Y'know, I dunno if supplementary material ever answered this, but this gets me thinking:

Who was Ganondorf's biological mother? And how did Ganondorf come into Twinrova's care instead of his actual mom?

One could assume either Ganondorf was taken from his mother and Twinrova did away with her in some way, or his mother willingly gave him up to Twinrova because they were chief of the Gerudo before Ganondorf was king. Or even that she was reluctant to give him up, only to be brainwashed by Twinrova into handing him over to them.

Maybe Ganondorf's mother died after he was born? Death by childbirth? A victim of the civil war, not dissimilar from Link's mother? I suppose it isn't important, and I guess we'll never know. But it's still interesting to ponder: who birthed the Great King of Evil? What was she like? And what if she got to raise Ganondorf herself, instead of the sadistic Twinrova? Well, he likely would've still lusted for power, much like his Four Swords Adventures incarnation...

[CZsWorld]

I'd love to see them back in Breath of the Wild's sequel.

[CDPW]

I used to think back in my childhood years before I knew what a surrogate was, that the twinrova sisters were the ones who gave birth to Ganondorf. But like... in their combined form.

[dodiswatchbobobo]

I’d love to get a flashback in BOTW2 to ancient Gerudo where teenage Ganondorf is chief, but Twinrova are his overbearing regents.

[ArcadeTheatre]

I always theorized that Kotake and Koume appeared in the Downfall Timeline because they faked their death in Ocarina of Time. The whole "angelic ascension to heaven" that they do at the end of the Spirit Temple always seemed really suspicious to me.

[incorporealnuance]

I like to think that the "real" Kotake & Koume are the ones we see in Majora's Mask, a parallel reality untouched by the corruptive influences present in the standard timeline. Explains why they would do such selfless acts (even for evil agendas) such as sacrificing themselves, and why they seemed to have such a "good guy" death in Ocarina of Time.

[nebulathenebulous]

it does make me wonder how much of kotake and koume's cruelty was shaped by their circumstances, fighting against hyrule's invasion of the desert for potentially hundreds of years; majora's mask may suggest it really is almost entirely shaped by that, with how kind their counterparts are in comparison. a shame; i would like to see a ganondorf raised by those women instead.

[DEUCALION]

It would be intesting to see that OoT Ganondorf’s mother died as a result of the civil war, like Link’s.

While having a similar historical context you could argue that ganondorf faced a much harder side of life - born into royalty, but instead of luxuries, he only inherited the weigh of responsibility of his tribe, in a harsh environment, raised and manipulated by Koume and Kotake, having a different development due to being the only male in the the tribe.

These reasons make me believe that OoT Ganondorf was something of Fate’s puppet. Him as a human is a victim to circumstances and Demise; due mostly external input on his development.

In a parallel universe maybe OoT’s story had Ganondorf as the hero by redirecting his purpose onto something different; feat achieved by use of unprecedented will power. This would surely would have granted him the shard of courage or wisdom, or in a more dramatic turn of events - maybe even allowed him to possess all of it for his balanced heart.

[slopehoke]

14:06 I wouldn't be so sure Ganondorf turning evil was destined.

Yes, Demise's curse is the cause of the resurrection cycle, but we know that not every descendant of Hylia is affected. Between the Zelda from Adventure of Link falling into her long slumber and the events of the original Legend of Zelda game, there were many Princess Zeldas, but it wasn't until the very last one that the cycle repeated, with Ganon invading Hyrule, Zelda being captured by Ganon, and Link having to rescue her.

It's entirely possible this is true for Link and Ganon as well. Without Kotake and Koume, maybe Ganondorf just lives life the same as any other Gerudo king, and it's not until an incarnation or two down the line that all the pieces fall into place for Link to have to rescue Zelda again.

[rowandoyle]

Headcanon - ganondorf is greenish because some designer misunderstood "olive complexion" and just looked at an olive