There are a surprising amount of similarities betweenDiablo 4andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, two of the year’s standout titles so far. Both feature expansive open worlds for players to explore with tons of optional content hidden throughout their maps, and beautiful visuals that immerse players in their respective universes. However, one similarity thatDiablo 4andZelda: Tears of the Kingdomshare has nothing to do with their gameplay or world design, but rather with fan reactions to the two games' main antagonists, Lilith and Ganondorf.
BothDiablo 4’s LilithandTears of the Kingdom’s Ganondorf have become very popular among players online due to their appealing designs, garnering their fair share of fans fawning over these two baddies. Their attractive designs and edgy nature as villains have become the source of many fan obsessions, and Blizzard capitalized on this trend with much ofDiablo 4’s marketing playing into the idea of fans worshiping the Daughter of Hatred. Between the new look for Ganondorf and the first appearance of Lilith in theDiabloseries, many may have found their new favorite video game characters.
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Lilith and Ganondorf Have Become Internet Heartthrobs
Although Lilith has been referenced in previousDiablogames,Diablo 4is the first time she’s made an appearance, and it’s clear her design has resonated with a large number of players. It’s not surprising to see Lilith gain a lot of attention from fans online as the gaming community is not new to obsessing over powerful, demonic women in games. Reactions toDiablo 4’s Lilith harken back to the reveal ofLady Dimitrescu inResident Evil: Villageand the subsequent outpouring of fan art, cosplays, and online discussion surrounding the game’s tall Countess.
Blizzard seems to have repeated the success of Lady Dimitrescu’s popularity with Lilith as the marketing forDiablo 4included events like having players offer prayers to Lilith for a chance at anearly accessDiablo 4beta code. In all of the game’s official artwork, Lilith is portrayed as an elegant yet sinister figure with devotees worshiping her like a goddess, and it seems her allure doesn’t only work on in-game characters. However, Lilith is not the only demonic entity to gain a cult-like following online, asTears of the Kingdompresented a new look for its antagonist Ganondorf, who has attracted similar attention from fans.
Unlike Lilith, Ganondorf has been a key recurring villain inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, first appearing in his Gerudo form inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Past incarnations of the Demon King have never painted him in a very appealing light, with his design leaning heavily into his sinister and imposing stature. Whileevery version of Ganondorfhas had its fans, there seemed to be a pretty strong agreement among fans that hisTears of the Kingdomdesign takes things to a new level and many players are seeing the villain in a way they haven’t before.
Ganondorf’sTears of the Kingdomdesign mirrors the rest of the main cast’s primal, ancient feel with his cloak draping over one half of his body similar to Link’s Archaic Tunic that he wears early in the game. As a result of this design, Ganondorf’s physique is on display with his outfit revealing the Demon King’s muscular build that has previously been kept under wraps. The reveal of this new look for Ganondorf took many fans by surprise and ended up earning the villain a new following that puts him in the same league as Lilith in the internet’s hall of attractive, edgy villains.
Diablo 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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