Even in TP.... *SPOILER*

[Aero]

Why must in almost every LoZ game, Ganon or Ganondorf must be behind everything? I thought TP would be different....but Zant was just a pawn of Ganon. All  the other villains in other games were pawns of Ganon too. (Shadow Link, Vaati, ect.) Can't there ever be villain in LOZ that has nothing to do with Ganondorf? I mean Ganondorf is a great bad guy, but I kind of get sick of him being the main baddie.    

[LadyNintendo]

Well, there is Majora's Mask. Also, Vaati is NOT Ganon's minion! Ganon used Vaati once, but Vaati is a villain on his own. Powerful and ambitious enough. And even in FSA, I tend to doubt Ganon was really using Vaati. I mean, I know villians in general are idiots (heroes aren't much better btw), but Vaati would've had to be King Ignorant if he didn't notice all those hostile creatures that didn't work for him or whose existance was his fault. Not to mention those oh so subtle Deku Scrubs. And I also doubt Ganon was using magic to control him for several reasons.

Anyway, yes, it would be nice to see some non-Ganon related baddies. Maybe next game? I mean, PH doesn't look like it will feature Ganon.

[Vaati]

Also, I must point out that Ganon wasn't in Minish Cap at all. Vaati was the main villain.  :) Yay Vaati!  :)

[LadyNintendo]

Just finished TP (well, a few hours ago), and I don't think one can consider Zant to be just another pawn of Ganon(dorf).

It didn't really matter Ganon was involved. Zant HATES the Twili royal family. He hates them for all they are. Whether or not cloudhead-Ganon would've come along, he probably would've attempted to take over the Twilight Realm anyway, or at least kill Midna. He's crazy, the dangerous kind, and in a lot of mental pain. Maybe he would've succeeded, maybe not. Fact is that Ganon himself couldn't help him win either. Zant helped Ganon as both their goals were pretty much the same or at least highly compatible.

Ganon gave Zant quite a bit of power and even life (for as long as it lasted that is) but I don't recall any info about him making Zant do things. Sure, he decieved him by telling Zant he's a god, but that lie did not influence anything major. Think about it. Ganon's powers are enormous (and if he would've succeeded, no less than a god's) and even gods are not unbeatable (something the Twili should know). For as far as we know, Zant did everything on his own, keeping in mind Ganon's wishes. Not necessarily because he's a "god", but because he owes him something.

And it might just be me, but somehow Zant reminded me of Ganon. In both cases, we got people with very strong opinions, points of view and desires (TWW Ganon) that have a lot of knowledge. Both more or less hate the (main) royal family and want the power they posses. When I saw Zant crying in the flashback, I could imagine Ganondorf acting like that in his younger years. Maybe that's why he helped Zant (a LOT)!

[Aero]

Well even if Vaati (In 4 swords adventures) wasn't Ganon's pawn, he still played into Ganon's plans. Ganon knew he would be a distraction for Link, so he didn't have to control him anyways. Vaati didn't even get a speaking part in that game! *sniffle* I do have a question though for TP: When Ganondorf is about to die and he sees Zant....did Zant end up killing him? I was a bit confused about what all that ment.

[LadyNintendo]

It's confusing for a lot of people, but I go with this theory: Just after Zant was beaten by Link, he said something about that Ganon will revive him (as long as Ganon lives, Zant also lives). When Ganon was about to die, Zant appeared and obviously died, symbolizing Ganon also died, for Zant lived as long as Ganon lived. (Died = at least gone from this world)

And about Vaati, he may have been tricked into helping to realize Ganon's plans, but like I said, Vaati is not the kind of person that would let something like that just happen. If he noticed something odd was going on (and he would have to be extremely stupid not to), who says he didn't make a plan of his own? I thought Vaati's behaviour was odd as well. No speaking?!?!? Yeah right! Vaati's ego's too big for that. How about this: Vaati figured out Ganon's plan and decided to give it a little twist. By acting like Ganon and Link expected, he faked his death* and fled to the Dark World or some other place. At the end of FSA, he's there, free without anyone knowing, gaining strength, thinking about a way to get back what he considers his.

* No, I do not believe Vaati died. For one, that would be very dissapointing. It also wouldn't match the way Nintendo presented him in the earlier TMC; as the powerful wind mage. Secondly, it's just not possible. Vaati has been beaten and sealed by the Four Sword at least three times before FSA (TMC, pre-FS, FS). Why would a weapon that couldn't kill him, only seal him, suddenly have the power to kill him? At least until TP, the Four Sword and Master Sword only had the ability to banish evil, not kill it. They could only seal it away. I don't know what to think of TP's ending yet, but I would find it odd if Nintendo suddenly broke one of the game's rules. So I assume we can still say the Four Sword can't kill evil, ergo Vaati.

[Vaati]

In an Ask Ezlo question I asked what happened to Vaati in FSA, and he said he died. This was it:
Mr. X asks

Dear Ezlo, What happened to Vaati after Link (Or should I say 'Links') defeated him in Four Swords Adventure? I heard from one website that he died, but on another said he was sealed away, and the ANOTHER said his true fate is unknown. Help me out here.

Ezlo replies...
He died. Sorry to all the Vaati fan girls, but the giant freaky is no longer amongst us.
And also after you defeat Vaati, the Wind Palace starts collapsing, and Zelda say "With it's master gone it can no longer stand" or somthing like that. So, I get this suspicion that he did die, sadly.  :'(

[LadyNintendo]

Hey, I don't know much about TLOZs multiple dimension policy, but what if the "master" is in another dimension (Dark World)? Will the Palace of Winds collapse too in that case? And what if Vaati didn't want to take care ofit anymore? it's not like he's bound to the palace. And what about pre-FSA? The palace was there, even though Vaati could not maintain it.

And even in that case, Ganon died at least one time for real and came back.

[Vaati]

It was that the Wind Palace was built from Vaati's magic, so being that he died (or whatever happened to him) the tower could no longer stay standing, sort of like at the end of OoT.

[LadyNintendo]

I thought the Wind Tribe built it.

Anyway, it wouldn't be the first time a building is falling apart before the person who's connected to it dies (OOT  :)). So, no reason to assume Vaati's dead.