Historically, The Legend of Zelda likes to focus on Ganon as an antagonist. That makes sense, considering Ganon's dominion over the Triforce of Power gives him a special relationship with Link and Zelda as fellow Triforce wielders. However, plenty of Zelda titles have introduced secondary antagonists that play into Ganon's eternal quest for power. One of those characters is Zant, a leading antagonist from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Zant is a very mysterious figure who drifts in and out of Link's life throughout Twilight Princess, always showing animosity but often remaining genteel and aloof, focusing on his own schemes rather than attacking Link directly.
A lot of talk around The Legend of Zelda is examining the franchise's past and how it could impact the franchise's future. Many fans are convinced that 2022's hotly anticipated Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has something to do with Skyward Sword, reviving old antagonists and bringing an eons-old conflict to a head. Whether or not that's true, Skyward Sword already has a clear influence on Breath of the Wild in a fair few ways. If Breath of the Wild 2 is as dark as it seems, then it might take some notes from the more serious Twilight Princess as well. That means it's worth visiting the troubled tyrant Zant and his quest for greatness in Twilight Princess.
Zant's Backstory in Twilight Princess
Over the course of Twilight Princess, players learn about Zant's origins as a member of a royal court. As a Twili, Zant spent most of his life trapped inside the Twilight Realm with the rest of his kin. Zant loyally served the royal family of the Twilight Realm, but he was filled with hunger for conquest and vengeance due to the Twili's imprisonment after the Interloper War waged by the Twili's ancestors. Zant firmly believed that he should be the next ruler of the Twili, but Princess Midna was given the throne instead, much to Zant's anger and disappointment.
However, Zant's fortune soon turned in his favor. Ganondorf was banished to the Twilight Realm just as Zant was looking for a way to claim the power he coveted. Ganondorf posed as a god to Zant and gave him the power necessary to take what he wanted and seek vengeance. With his newfound power, Zant overthrew Midna and turned her into an imp before transforming the rest of the Twili into an army of Shadow Beasts. Then, with his own power and Ganondorf's power combined, Zant broke free from the Twilight Realm and laid siege to Hyrule.
Zant is a Model for Zelda Villains
The rest of Zant's story is told over the events of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Although Princess Zelda surrendered to him to protect her people, Zant didn't account for Link to emerge and save Hyrule. Throughout the game, Link and Midna work together to cleanse Hyrule of the Twilight that Zant has shrouded it in, all the while looking for the artifacts they need to confront and defeat Zant. This quest comes to a head in a battle with Zant in the Palace of Twilight, where Zant reveals his inner madness and maniacal devotion to Ganondorf. In the end, Zant falls to Link and Midna in spite of his desperate, misplaced faith in Ganondorf.
In a way, Zant represents a Zelda villain archetype that came into its own in several Zelda games released afterward. It's pretty common that a secondary Zelda villain pledges loyalty to or tries to control Ganon, only to be lose everything in the end. Yuga from A Link Between Worlds is a great example, trying to control Ganon's power and getting destroyed due to his own hubris. In a lot of ways, though, Zant takes the cake in terms of ill-fated servants of Ganon. His looming, mysterious presence throughout Twilight Princess make him an unmatched villain in the series.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is available now for GameCube, Wii, and Wii U.