What Does Fireblight Ganon Do? A Deep Dive into the Fiery Phantom
Fireblight Ganon, one of the formidable Blight Ganons in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is a malevolent phantom tasked with corrupting the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. He is directly responsible for the demise of the Champion Daruk. Fireblight Ganon’s actions are defined by his destructive power, wielding a massive greatsword and utilizing potent fire magic to hinder Link’s progress. His primary function is to serve as a powerful obstacle for Link, testing the player’s combat skills and puzzle-solving abilities within the Divine Beast. He attacks with a combination of melee strikes and fiery projectiles, constantly trying to overwhelm Link and prevent him from regaining control of the ancient machine. In essence, Fireblight Ganon’s role is to obstruct and ultimately attempt to destroy Link. His presence highlights the formidable threat that Ganon poses to Hyrule and serves as a brutal reminder of the past tragedy of the Champions.
Fireblight Ganon’s Combat Arsenal
Fireblight Ganon’s combat style is characterized by a mixture of close-quarters combat and ranged fire attacks. He utilizes a huge, heavy greatsword which he uses for slow yet powerful slashing attacks. He’ll execute both vertical and horizontal sweeps, forcing players to carefully time their dodges. These attacks can easily deplete a substantial amount of hearts if not avoided.
Beyond melee, Fireblight Ganon employs various fire-based attacks. He can launch fiery projectiles at Link from afar, creating an area of damage that the player must evade. These fireballs and flames are not only destructive but also add a constant element of threat, pushing Link to stay mobile. Moreover, he can also erupt in flames, dealing damage if Link gets too close. These fiery attacks emphasize the Blight’s elemental affiliation and require players to approach the fight with an appropriate strategy, often incorporating defensive gear or other elemental resistances.
Fireblight Ganon’s Weaknesses and Vulnerabilities
Despite his immense power, Fireblight Ganon has specific weaknesses that Link can exploit. The most significant vulnerability is his susceptibility to ice attacks. Using ice arrows or weapons imbued with ice can deal substantial damage and momentarily stun him, creating opportunities for follow-up strikes. Furthermore, his slower attack patterns allow skilled players to master perfect dodges and flurry rushes. Timing these dodges precisely can create critical openings, allowing Link to inflict significant damage while avoiding retaliatory attacks. Additionally, carefully exploiting openings after his melee swings is vital, especially during his first phase.
The Battle within Vah Rudania
The encounter with Fireblight Ganon occurs within the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The battle arena is compact, offering limited room for maneuvering, which can create an intense and claustrophobic encounter. The environment is mostly flat, but fire elements are part of the scene, emphasizing the arena’s theme. The arena layout is intentionally designed to challenge players, forcing them to adapt to the conditions and utilize every skill at their disposal. The confined space makes dodging more critical and requires players to be particularly aware of their surroundings, ensuring they don’t get cornered by Fireblight Ganon’s devastating attacks.
Fireblight Ganon and the Story of Daruk
Fireblight Ganon plays a crucial role in the narrative of Breath of the Wild. It is explicitly stated that Fireblight Ganon was responsible for the demise of the Hylian Champion Daruk, the pilot of Vah Rudania. This adds emotional weight to the battle, making it more than just a standard boss fight. Players are aware that overcoming Fireblight Ganon is not only necessary to progress but also provides a sense of justice for Daruk and his fallen comrades. Defeating him becomes a vital step in reclaiming Hyrule from the clutches of Calamity Ganon, and avenging a legendary hero.
Fireblight Ganon’s Role within the Game
As a boss, Fireblight Ganon is designed to be a mid-game challenge. His difficulty is noticeable yet manageable with proper strategies and gear. Compared to other Blights, Fireblight Ganon’s attack patterns can be seen as more telegraphed, allowing players to more easily strategize their counters. He serves as a test of the player’s skills and adaptability, preparing them for the more difficult challenges ahead, including facing Calamity Ganon. His presence in Vah Rudania underscores the danger of Ganon’s corruption and the necessity for Link to reclaim the Divine Beasts in order to weaken the true evil of Hyrule.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Fireblight Ganon’s primary weakness?
Fireblight Ganon is particularly vulnerable to ice attacks. Weapons and arrows with ice properties will inflict extra damage and create openings for follow-up attacks.
2. Is Fireblight Ganon the easiest Blight Ganon?
Fireblight Ganon is considered by some to be less challenging than Thunderblight Ganon, but more challenging than Waterblight Ganon. His attacks are slower, but can still inflict heavy damage if they connect.
3. What weapon does Fireblight Ganon use?
Fireblight Ganon wields a massive greatsword or axe which he uses to perform devastating melee attacks.
4. Where is Fireblight Ganon located?
Fireblight Ganon is located within the Divine Beast Vah Rudania on Death Mountain.
5. What is the best way to dodge Fireblight Ganon’s attacks?
His vertical slashes can be dodged by jumping sideways, while his horizontal slashes can be dodged by jumping over them. Perfect dodges allow for Flurry Rushes.
6. Is it possible to fight Fireblight Ganon again?
Yes, you can fight Fireblight Ganon again by warping back to Vah Rudania. This will trigger a re-match in a memory-like realm.
7. What weapons are available during the rematch with Fireblight Ganon?
In the rematch, you’ll only have access to a specific set of gear: the Boulder Breaker and the Knight’s Bow.
8. Is Fireblight Ganon the hardest Blight Ganon?
No, Thunderblight Ganon is widely considered the hardest Blight Ganon due to his speed and unpredictable attacks.
9. What is the easiest Blight Ganon to defeat?
Windblight Ganon is generally regarded as the easiest, as it can reliably be stunned with well-placed arrow shots.
10. What did Fireblight Ganon do to Daruk?
Fireblight Ganon is responsible for the death of Champion Daruk when it corrupted Vah Rudania.
11. How does Fireblight Ganon’s battle change in the DLC?
In the DLC, the fight remains fundamentally similar, but the emphasis is on utilizing perfect dodges and Flurry Rushes.
12. How does beating Fireblight Ganon affect the game?
Beating Fireblight Ganon enables Link to regain control of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, which weakens Calamity Ganon and allows for the use of Daruk’s Protection ability.
13. How does Fireblight Ganon interact with fire?
Fireblight Ganon uses fire attacks, including fireballs, flames surrounding him, and fire-imbued weapon strikes.
14. Can you fight Ganon straight away without facing Fireblight Ganon?
Yes, you can, but defeating the Divine Beasts, including Vah Rudania and its guardian, Fireblight Ganon, significantly weakens Calamity Ganon.
15. How does Calamity Ganon’s HP differ depending on the Blights you’ve beaten?
Calamity Ganon has 8000 HP, but completing each of the four Divine Beasts removes 1000 HP for every beast cleared, starting the final fight with a maximum of 4000 HP if all are completed.