Ganon
Ganon | |
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The Legend of Zelda series character | |
First game | The Legend of Zelda (1987) |
Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto |
Ganon (ガノン, Ganon) (also known as Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ, Ganondorofu) and spelled as Gannon in the original NES Legend of Zelda and the CD-i Zelda titles) is a fictional character and primary antagonist of several games in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. He is by far the most commonly-used villain in the series and frequently serves as the final boss, sometimes unexpectedly. Although he made numerous appearances in the series, he was first given a backstory in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. He was also given a backstory for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures in 2004.
Character depiction
Ganon is usually depicted in one form or another in each game. Ganon's history is ambiguous and nothing can be said for certain about his past. Regardless, all three character backgrounds depict him as a powerful evil villain. In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf, born to the Gerudo tribe is depicted simply as a megalomaniacal tribal King with desire to rule all of Hyrule.
Ganon's goal is always assuming control of the Triforce or another source of power. Intelligent and clever, he often manipulates other beings for his purposes. Agahnim and Vaati are perfect examples of such manipulations, and even Link himself has been used by Ganon a few times in order to further his plans and goals. In most of the games, in particular, Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf seemed to be devoid of any compassion or sympathy as well as being short tempered and evil, but this pattern was eventually broken in The Wind Waker, which characterized him as a sympathetic villain.
Although Ganondorf is depicted as pure evil in many games, Wind Waker was the first to break this trend and explores his character in more depth. An older Ganondorf is shown, not as pure evil, but as a man who wants power for revenge for what he had to live through in a land of death while the rest of Hyrule enjoyed rich land. In addition to this separate motive, his personality went from a sadistic personification of evil, to a more calm and collected person, but still portrayed as an extremely evil villain with a lust for the ancient kingdom of Hyrule.
Earlier games show Ganon as a more monstrous foe, only presenting his "pig-like" form which has been most common throughout the series. The original game in the series depicted him with less detail than more modern attempts to expand upon his character. Throughout the years, Ganon has gradually grown more complex, despite earlier games such as A Link to the Past characterizing a more archetypal Dark Lord character trope.
Game appearances and biography
The Legend of Zelda
Ganon's first appearance was in a side-scrolling game called "The Legend of Zelda" for the Game and Watch in 1986; the following year, the game was brought over to the American NES. In this game, Ganon attacks the land of Hyrule and steals the Triforce of power which he uses to overrun the kingdom with monsters. He later kidnaps Zelda and locks her in his lair on Death Mountain, and is the final boss and primary antagonist of the game.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Ganon only makes a brief cameo in The Adventure of Link, as a shadowy figure in the Game Over screen; the plot of the game partially involves an attempt by Ganon's followers to revive him using Link's blood.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Ancient Stone Tablets
In A Link to the Past, Ganon was still sealed in the Sacred Realm. In this version, Ganon and his army of thieves skilled in dark arts find the entrance to the Golden Land by accident. Upon entering the realm of immense power, the Triforce is shown in its glory. Ganon murders his fellow thieves and touches the Triforce with "blood stained hands". He wishes to conquer the world and this transforms the Golden Land into the corrupt Dark World. Ganon summons other beings to this land and uses the Triforce to transform them into monsters for his army. His army attacks the land of Hyrule until the seven sages combine their power and seal Ganon and his army in his corrupt world.
Ages later, he was somehow able to take the form of the evil wizard Agahnim to fulfill his agenda in the Light World (Hyrule). In this form, he uses deception to gain a position within the Castle. When the time was right, he overthrew the King and seized control of the castle and knights with his magic. He captures Zelda and has the knights search for the other six descendants of the sages. They eventually find them all and imprison them in the castle dungeon. One by one, they were taken to the tower where Agahnim would send them into the Dark World. Once they are sent there, Ganon takes control of their power and uses it to break the seal that prevents him from leaving the realm and conquering the world. He imprisons the maidens in crystals and gives them to his most loyal monsters for safe keeping.
He begins building up his power and utilizes the power of the sages to open up a bigger gate between the worlds near Hyrule Castle. Ganon waits for this gate to open in his tower while building up his power and army to invade the land of Hyrule and conquer all. Link had to venture into the Dark World to stop Ganon from breaking free of the seal. When Link ventured to the top of his tower, he found Agahnim waiting for a fight. When Link defeated him, Ganon's soul came out of the corpse and transformed into a bat.
Ganon, in this form, retreats to the Pyramid of Power and reveals his true form. Link had to use the combination of Master Sword and Silver Arrows to defeat him. Ganon's abilities in this fight included the teleportation he used in the first game, although he remained visible for the most part and primarily attacked using his trident. This is the first appearance of his now traditional piece of weaponry. He would use it to form many flaming bats (Fire Keese) to attack Link. He also began to use powerful jumps that could break away the floor around the edges of the arena. Finally, he would use his 'Technique of Darkness', the same skill he used in The Legend of Zelda, except this time he would be invulnerable while performing it. It does have one weakness however; light. Link is able to make him visible and destroy him with the silver arrows.
When Ganon is destroyed, his dark world vanished and Link obtained the Triforce. Ganon's tactics in BS The Legend of Zelda: Stone Tablets of Antiquity were similar.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf was known as the King of the Gerudo. Although the race is primarily composed of females, legend has it that a sole male Gerudo is born every hundred years, thereby giving Ganondorf the respective title.
Although it remains unexplained in the game, Ganondorf somehow learns of the legend of the Triforce and its god-like power. It is widely believed that his surrogate mothers, Twinrova, were responsible for exposing him to this dangerous knowledge. In order to expand his influence and shift his authority from just the Gerudo tribe to the entire world, Ganondorf leaves his home to seek the sacred triangle. While pledging allegiance to the King of Hyrule, he secretly attacks other areas: Kokiri Forest, Death Mountain, and Zora's Domain, in an attempt to force the three races that inhabit the areas (the Kokiri, Gorons, and Zoras) to give up their respective spiritual stones in order to open the Door of Time, and ultimately infiltrate the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf then tracks down two composers in Kakariko Village that were bestowed with the task of studying the power of the royal family. Thinking that one of their recently written time-controlling songs was the fabled Song of Time, the Gerudo King promptly killed the men and stole their music. He next went to the Gorons' abode, Death Mountain, where he resurrected the ancient Dodongos, and locked them in the Gorons' food gathering cave, using a giant boulder. Ganondorf then promised the Gorons that he would unblock it, if they handed him the Spiritual Stone of Fire. He then went to Zora's Domain and placed a curse upon Lord Jabu-Jabu, the guardian deity of the river. When the guardian ate the aquatic creatures' princess, Princess Ruto, Ganondorf planned to let the Zoras turn to him for help, hoping they would award him with the Spiritual Stone of Water. He last went to Kokiri Forest and asked for the Spiritual Stone of the Forest directly from the great Deku Tree. The great forest spirit refused and Ganondorf placed a death curse on him that sapped his power and eventually killed him. When Link embarked on his quest and collected the Spiritual Stones, Ganondorf suddenly attacked Hyrule Castle to obtain the Ocarina of time from Zelda, murdering the King in the process. Impa, the young girl's protector, saved her and fled the tyrant's attack. In this chase, Ganondorf met Link for the first time, and taunted the young lad that would eventually bring his downfall.
Link then inadvertently helps Ganondorf, in opening the Door of Time and gaining access to the Sacred Realm, something that the desert king could not do himself because of his inability to wield the Master Sword. With the young adventurer trapped in stasis for the next seven years, Ganondorf freely entered the Realm and grabbed the Triforce. Due to his evil and imbalanced heart, the relic split into three pieces, with only the Triforce of Power remaining in his hand. The Triforce of Wisdom became entrusted to Zelda, while the Triforce of Courage, unknown to anyone but Zelda and possibly the sages, was given to Link. Ganondorf took control of his piece and the Sacred Realm became a corrupt realm that reflected the evil one's heart.
Even without the full might of the Triforce, Ganondorf easily took over Hyrule. With the King dead and Zelda gone, he became the King of Evil, and his army then destroyed Hyrule Castle and the town nearby, killing all who stood in his way. He then constructed his own dark fortress in place of the castle and sent off evil monsters into the once peaceful Land of Hyrule. As king, Ganondorf took some seemingly xenophobic tendencies; the Gorons were captured and imprisoned in the depths of Death Mountain, ready to be fed to a recently revived Goron-eating horror, the Zoras and their domain were frozen in thick ice, and the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods were overrun with monsters and Moblins, keeping the Kokiri children inside their homes with fear. Even Lon Lon Ranch was not spared his evil as Ganon took the ranch out of the control of Talon and placed it in Ingo's care. The Gerudos still looked up to Ganondorf and worshipped him, except second-in-command Nabooru, who was later captured and brainwashed to serve the King of Evil.
Ganondorf's influence on the magical land radiated from the five temples, causing monsters to appear and prevent the Sages from hearing their awakening call. Ganondorf had cursed each temple and filled it with traps and monsters to prevent the sages from sealing up his army. He was not satisfied with simply ruling the land of Hyrule and sought to obtain the last two Triforce pieces to assume complete control over the entire world. He began a frantic search for the people that were destined to hold the other sacred triangles. As Link awoke each of the Sages manually, Ganondorf did nothing to stop him, since he knew that if he let Link go his way, Zelda would eventually appear. At the end of Link's quest, the princess did return, giving Ganondorf the opportunity to imprison her in a magical cage that he took to his castle.
Link followed, to save the Kingdom's heiress and defeat the King of Evil once and for all. In combat, Ganondorf shoots balls of magic from his hand, which are to be deflected by Link's sword. When Ganondorf was hit with his own attack, Link shot him with a Light Arrow, causing Ganondorf to fall to a platform in the middle of the room where the Hero of Time continued to bombard him with sword and light arrow attacks.
After Ganondorf was finally defeated, he used his last remaining strength to bring down his castle with Link and Zelda still in it. They escaped, but then Ganondorf burst out from under the rubble, and, using the Triforce of Power, he transformed himself into the powerful form of "Ganon", his classic depiction since the first Zelda game. Flinging the hero's sword to an out of reach area, the new beast was maimed using Light Arrows and other weapons. After being damaged enough, Ganon is stunned by Zelda, that allowed Link to inflict the final blow using the now glowing Master Sword. The Seven Sages then imprisoned Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm where he vowed to return and "exterminate your descendants!"
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Ganon was the hidden final boss of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. He appears in either game only after both games have been completed via the password system. It is irrelevant what order the games are played in, but he always appears as the final boss of the last game that is played through the password system. He was revived by the Twinrova sisters, but as the sorceresses were unable to sacrifice Zelda, the ritual was incomplete and Ganon became nothing more than a 'mindless' beast bent on destruction.
His speech appeared slow and simplistic. Ganon would attack in a similar manner to his appearance in A Link to the Past, using his trident very aggressively and teleporting around the arena. His most powerful attack is a gigantic variation of the bolts of magic he uses throughout the series. At certain points in the battle Ganon would warp the battlefield, and player's directional controls were reversed. Without the Master Sword, he can only be beaten with Spin Attacks.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
By the time of The Wind Waker, it is told in legend that the Hero of Time, Link, had given up his Triforce of Courage when he left Hyrule. During this time, the seal keeping Ganon held in the Sacred Realm was somehow weakened or broken, allowing Ganondorf to return to Hyrule. Ganondorf was easily able to bring chaos to Hyrule while Link was away. The land was faced with unrelenting evil as Ganon waged war against the kingdom, murdering and slaughtering anyone that stood in his way. He constructed another Tower to serve as a base of operations and devised a way to counteract the Master Sword in case another hero arose. He sent his army to attack two temples that were constructed to keep the power of the sword sustained. There was a sage in each temple that prayed to the gods that the power to repel evil would always be with the sword. Ganon and his army however, killed both sages, thus rendering the Master Sword useless against this great evil. Ganon sought to obtain the last two Triforce pieces and attacked the Castle. In response, the goddesses sank Hyrule below a large ocean known as the Great Sea in an effort to keep him silenced. The goddesses had the most promising Hylians retreat to the mountaintops, where the sea did not reach. Using a dark portal, he was able to teleport himself and his troops to the forsaken fortress. At the beginning of the game, most of Ganondorf's magic is sealed by the Master Sword, until Link draws the blade from its pedestal in the sunken Hyrule castle.
Ganon remained sealed in time under the Great Sea along with land he had attempted to claim. Hundreds of years passed and the seal was finally weakened enough for Ganondorf to escape. Ganondorf took control of the fortress and quickly turned it into a new base of operations for his plans. He built up a powerful army and sent them to take the islands of the sea. He sent his army to attack the sea and take control of the islands. Some of the islands he attempted to take through elaborate methods, such as Dragon Roost Island. Here, Ganon sent a monster named Gohma to go under the island and trap the island's guardian dragon, Lord Valoo, by encasing his tail in hardened lava. The dragon was perched at the pinnacle of the island and his tail hung into the room below, which Gohma entered and trapped his tail in. He was tortured and this caused him to react in anger and cast the island into disarray. Another island called Forest Haven was also targeted by Ganon and his forces. The island had a guardian called the Great Deku Tree, who is most likely the Deku Tree Sprout from Ocarina of Time. In order for the island to remain unblemished, a ritual is initiated every year by the Deku Tree and the Koroks, the inhabitants of the island. Ganon sent his army to kidnap Makar, a Korok who was essential for the ritual. Without Makar, the ceremony would never start and the island would be destroyed. Ganon also ransacked Greatfish Isle in an attempt to capture Lord Jabun, a fish deity of the sea, and control the sea, but Lord Jabun was able to escape to Outset Island beforehand. Other islands were entirely destroyed and many were infested with monsters. However, Ganon not only wanted control of this land but also the ancient kingdom below. To accomplish this he once again began looking for the holders of the two other Triforce pieces. He created a monstrous bird, The Helmaroc King, to find a young girl with blond hair and pointy ears and bring her to him. He was attempting to find Zelda and obtain the piece of power she possessed. Girls were kidnapped throughout the Great Sea and imprisoned within the fortress. One of the kidnapped girls was Link's younger sister, which got Link to go on a quest to rescue her and started off the events of the game.
Link's first encounter with Ganon is when Link is caught by Ganon's bird when sneaking into his fortress in an attempt to rescue his sister. The monstrous being takes Link to Ganon, who ordered him to be thrown to the legions of the sea, although he was saved by a mysterious talking boat called The King of Red Lions. Ganon next appears once Link has obtained the powerful Master Sword and snuck back into the fortress, confident that he can destroy the King of Evil once and for all. Ganon simply smiles and states that he had assumed complete control of his powers when Link claimed the sword. The Master Sword was revealed to be a key that kept a seal on Ganon's magic. Link slashed at Ganon, and to his shock the sword had no effect. Ganondorf knocked the hero down and was prepared to kill him, when Tetra interfered. Ganon then learned that Tetra is Princess Zelda, and Link and Tetra were able to escape Ganon's grasp. The King of Red Lions, revealed to be the King of Hyrule, told Link and Tetra that Tetra was indeed Princess Zelda. She remained hidden in Hyrule Castle leagues under the Great Sea while Link and the King went on a quest to restore power to the Master Sword. Ganon was eventually able to locate and kidnap Zelda in order to lure Link to his tower (similar to the plotline in Ocarina of Time).
Ganondorf is depicted as a somewhat more introspective character, almost melancholic at times, yet still hungry for the ancient kingdom. Unlike other games, Ganondorf does not wish to kill Link or Zelda at first, but rather to simply use them as pawns in order to get his hands on the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage. Before Wind Waker, Ganon had always been shown as pure evil, but here he is almost sympathetic, having become older and wiser. He also now has pointed ears, while in Ocarina of Time, he had rounded ears. Also in Wind Waker, there are a couple of doppelgänger of Ganondorf, known as Puppet Ganon and Phantom Ganon. (A boss named "Phantom Ganon" with similar attacks, but a different appearance, was a major boss in Ocarina of Time.)
Before the final battle, Ganondorf revealed his reason for wanting to take over Hyrule to Link atop his tower. Wind only brought destruction in Gerudo Valley. During the day, the wind delivered sandstorms. At night, a cold wind pierced the land. However, in Hyrule, the wind was a calm, life-giving thing. In his words, "I...coveted that wind, I suppose." This proves that Ganon not only wanted the Triforce for power, but also for a twisted revenge ambition for what he had to live through in a land of death while the rest of the kingdom lived in Hyrule's rich land. After delivering a few blows to Link, Ganondorf was able to obtain the Triforce and was about to wish for the sunken kingdom of Hyrule to be exposed to the sun once more. However, the King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, (whose spirit inhabited Link's boat throughout the game) managed to reach the Triforce first and wished for Hyrule to remain beneath the sea forever, and for "hope" and "a future" for Link and Zelda. Ganon went into insane laughter and rage. In an act of revenge, Ganondorf decided to kill the children who had tried to stop him: "Allow me to show you... your future. Yes... Allow me to show you... just what hope you have. See how much your precious Triforce is worth!" The final fight involves Link, using the Master Sword, and Zelda, using Link's bow and the Light Arrows, clashing with Ganondorf atop Ganon's Tower, who uses twin blades and an almost magical agility to both defend himself and attack Link. Near the end of the battle, after Zelda wakes up from being knocked out, Ganondorf fights with more deadly precision, so that none of Link's attacks can penetrate his defenses (Ganondorf's two swords meet wherever Link strikes). Link must reflect Zelda's light arrows off of his shield and at Ganondorf, then parry attack. At the end of the game, Link plunges the Master Sword into Ganondorf's head, turning him to stone. Before he turns to stone, though, Ganondorf laughs quietly as he whispers to Link, "The wind...it is blowing."
The King of Hyrule flooded Ganon's Tower and the Hyrule beneath the sea, leaving himself and the petrified Ganon beneath the waves, where he perished. This is strongly implied at the end of the game, where Link's boat, the King of Red Lions, is shown with lifeless, glazed eyes, as opposed to the lively, yellow eyes he had throughout the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Ganondorf is given an entirely new backstory in this game. Ganon, in his pig form, is the final boss in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. In this game, his born to the Gerudo tribe as he was in Ocarina of Time. He is not initially described with any allusions to other games' depiction of him. It is discovered that Ganondorf has stolen a powerful trident that gives him control of incredible powers and becomes the King of Darkness. Princess Zelda refers to him seizing the Trident and becoming an "ancient demon reborn". With this weapon, he began to seize control of parts of Hyrule and build up an army to take control of the kingdom. He transformed The Forest Temple into The Temple of Darkness and stole the Dark Mirror, which is a weapon that holds the ability to release the darkness in people. With it, he created a replica of Link, Dark Link. He took control of the Realm of the Heavens and constructed a shrine around the Dark Mirror that increased its power and created dozens of Dark Links. He created monstrous beings to plague the land and cause destruction. The land was shown no mercy as it was attacked and many were claimed by the darkness. With this, he stole the four jewels from the Four Sword Sanctuary that kept the sanctuary and the surrounding landscape stabilized. He and his army destroyed all the knights of the kingdom, trapped them in the Dark World using the mirror, and transformed them into beings of darkness. The knights that were guarding the jewels were turned into Stalfos and the jewels were turned into portals to the Dark World. These events began to keep Hyrule in a grip of fear as the skies became filled with dark clouds that filled those who saw them with fear. Zelda and the shrine maidens believed that the cause of this evil was that Vaati's seal was weakening and went to the Four Sword Sanctuary to check the seal.
This was all part of Ganon's plans as he had Dark Link sneak into the sanctuary and wait for the portal to open. Dark Link jumped out of the portal when it opened and kidnapped the shrine maidens. Ganon also ordered him to trick Link in drawing the Four Sword and releasing Vaati. He controlled Vaati and used his powers to build up his army while be created barriers that absorbed the power from the land and added it to his. He sent his monsters to take control of the maidens' power so he could have their power at his disposal as well. After defeating Vaati, Link found out that the mastermind behind all the havoc that had been caused to Hyrule was Ganon. By teaming up with Princess Zelda, the four Links were finally able to seal him within the Four Sword and put an end to his evil schemes.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Warning: This has MAJOR spoilers! In essence, Ganondorf is the one behind all the events of Twilight Princess. Posing as a god, Ganondorf gives Zant, a Twilight being denied being king (even though was next in line), his powers. He is also the final boss, where he you battle him in 4 stages. First he posses Zelda, Second you battle his demonic beastly form (Ganon), third you battle on horse back, and finally and close quarters sword duel. Your fight takes place in Hyrule castle and Hyrule Field. Finally, Link runs the Master Sword through Ganondorf's chest. His fate is unknown.
The CD-i Zeldas
Ganon appears in his "pig" form in all three of the CD-i Zelda titles, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Link: The Faces of Evil, and Zelda's Adventure. In these versions he only requires one hit to defeat, and appears to be a sorceror of some sort with features based in his cartoon incarnation.Ganon is the most highly antisipated charecter in the game.
Missing in action
In other Zelda games, Ganon is hardly touched upon, if at all. He does not appear in Majora's Mask or The Minish Cap. A nightmare shadow of him called Ganon's Shadow is his only presence in Link's Awakening.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Ganondorf is also an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and is based on his appearance in the Spaceworld demo. In Melee, he is referred to by his full name, "Ganondorf," and is a slower, heavier, and more powerful clone of Captain Falcon, performing mostly the same attacks and moves (although his regular A attack and others are different). His moves are much stronger than Captain Falcon's and he is slightly taller. Different artwork is used, however: the flame trails Falcon produces when he executes certain movements are orange or red, while Ganondorf's are black and purple, a color combination often associated with darkness in the Zelda series (see The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time). Also, while Captain Falcon's Falcon Punch has a flame in a shape of a falcon, Ganon's Warlock Punch has no particular shape.
It is currently unknown if he will return in Super Smash Bros Brawl.
In this appearance, Ganondorf was voiced by Takashi Nagasako.
Animated Series Appearances
Legend of Zelda Series
Ganon was also the main villain of 1989's Legend of Zelda cartoon, which was shown as part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in syndication that year. In the cartoon, Ganon was peach-skinned, a pig and apparently a wizard. He was in possession of the Triforce of Power, and, despite seemingly endless abilities and magics at his finger tips, bungled away each and every chance he had to nab the Triforce of Wisdom. He spent most of his time living in his subterranean lair, referred to as his "castle." He was voiced by the late Len Carlson, who would later go on to voice Klump in Donkey Kong Country. For all his power and skill, Ganon wasted it mostly on teleporting needlessly across short distances and preventing Link from getting a kiss from Zelda.
Captain N: The Game Master
Ganon (just like Link and Zelda) also appeared in Captain N: The Game Master, as a secondary villain in the episode "Quest For the Potion of Power". This was something of a continuum of Ganon's appearance in the Zelda Cartoon. The episode seems to take place after the happenings of the original Zelda game (and maybe even Zelda II), during which Ganon is weakened. Through the course of the episode he becomes revived, double-crosses Mother Brain, and is then killed again by the Reflect magic on Link's shield. Template:Endspoilers
References
- Canon
- The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
- Notes
- Animation villains
- Dark Lords
- Fictional demons
- Fictional immortals
- Fictional kings
- Fictional magicians
- Fictional pigs
- Fictional characters with the power to shapeshift
- Fictional characters with the power to teleport
- Fictional warlords
- Computer and video game bosses
- Super Smash Bros. fighters
- Nintendo villains
- Villains from The Legend of Zelda series
- Fictional mass murderers