Daily Debate: Is Demise A Fallen God?
Posted on August 15 2021 by Sean Gadus
While Ghirahim serves as the primary antagonist of Skyward Sword, his entire goal is to restore his master, Demise. Link first encounters Demise as The Imprisoned, which is a greatly diminished version of the entity. In the final battle, Demise is seen as a towering, hulking figure with flaming hair. Demise wields a massive black sword that serves as spiritual contrast to the Master Sword. When Link uses Fi to target Demise, Fi describes Demise as an “eternal being [that] has conquered time itself.” Fi also calls Demise “the source of all monsters,” which sets Demise up as a very powerful foe.
Thinking about the character’s power and age, is it possible that Demise could be a fallen god? In Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda tells Link that the three Golden Goddesses (Din, Nayru, and Farore) created the world, but it is unclear how other beings and deities fit into the mythology. For example, how does Hylia fit into the creation of the world, and what is her connection to the Golden Goddesses? In the prologue to Skyward Sword, it is revealed that Demise battled Hylia, so it seems as if the two figures were at similar power levels.
Many other mythologies and religions include evil beings who started out as god-like figures. Morgoth, the chief antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Silmarillion (set during the first and second ages of Middle Earth), starts his existence as one of the god-like Valar. Out of harmony with other Valar, Morgoth becomes the first Dark Lord on Middle Earth, engaging in an age-long campaign of destruction. It is easy to see Demise having a similar origin as a being like Morgoth.
What do you think? Is Demise a fallen God? If not, what are your theories about his origins? Let us know in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
