Gerudo



The Gerudo are a race of humans inhabiting Hyrule and Lorule. They are warriors by reputation, feared and respected in the countries they inhabit. Due to a biological quirk, the race consists almost solely of females. A single male Gerudo is born into the tribe every hundred years. He is destined by Gerudo law to become their king. The Gerudo as a race or tribe have so far been featured in a multitude of games, appearing initially in Ocarina of Time.

Common Traits
The Gerudo as they have thus far appeared primarily hold the following looks: round ears, a sharp bird-like nose, brown skin, amber eyes and red hair. Which of these are actually unmistakable Gerudo traits is unknown due to their small established role throughout the series. Their skin color has been shown to come in two variants: a common light brown and an olive-greenish variation seen on Twinrova and Ganondorf, though their skin may be darker due to age. Recent games have made some adjustments to Ganondorf's look, changing his nose from "long" to "big" while his ears have become slightly pointy—far from Hylian-like, but still less round than what they have once been. Whether this has any significance for the Gerudo race as a whole is unknown. A rather peculiar aspect of Gerudo physiology is that the race consists of almost solely women, with a male being born only once every hundred years.

The exact nature as to how this phenomenon works is unknown. It is known however, that the lack of males among the Gerudo is countered by them taking boyfriends from other human races. Some members of the race have been shown to possess magical skills.

Given the focus the Gerudo put on physical training, this seems to be either a rare or otherwise unused ability. Furthermore, Gerudo might be able to reach a very high age, though the only suggestion to this was related to Twinrova, not exactly a most standard example of a Gerudo.

Culture
The Gerudo have an Arabic theme to them and seem to be based on the Amazons, a "real world" tribe of warrior women. Being a warrior race, they have been shown to use weapons such as glaives, dual scimitar swords and bow and arrows. In Ocarina of Time, they are capable equestrians, while they prefer the use of boats in Majora's Mask due to their role as pirates.

Generally, they have been shown to be a somewhat reclusive race that does not take well to outsiders on their territory, which in Hyrule constitutes the whole desert area. Though not without nobility, they've mostly been depicted as thieves to the other races. The Gerudo appreciate talent when they see it and do accept non-Gerudo among their ranks if they manage to prove themselves.

Skyward Sword
The Gerudo have made no confirmed appearances in the Unified Timeline before Ocarina of Time, so it is unknown when and how the Gerudo race was first established. However, Groose, a Hylian from Skyloft Town in Skyward Sword, has both the red hair, bronze skin, and amber eyes common of the Gerudo but rare among Hylians, indicating that he might be related to the Gerudo people. He may be an ancestor of future members of a Gerudo race that had not yet been established. Another possibility is, if like the Sheikah people the Gerudo people existed before the creation of Skyloft, Groose may be one of their descendants. If this is the case, the appearance of Malon in Skyward Sword would also make more sense, as her mother is confirmed to be a Gerudo in all her other appeaeances.

Ganondorf's birth is also alluded to in Demise's final words.

Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo live in the Gerudo Desert, specifically Gerudo Valley, which is located in the northwest of Hyrule. The Gerudo pay a lot of attention to the security of their domain. In order to reach the valley, Link must first cross a bridge over a deep canyon and stream flowing to Lake Hylia. In the past, it is heavily guarded by several Gerudo and a gate. In the future seven years later, these defenses are gone; instead, the Gerudo have decided to simply destroy the bridge to prevent outsiders from reaching their domain. Presumably they themselves use horses to cross the gap, like how Link can.

After the bridge comes Gerudo's Fortress, in which the Gerudo supposedly live. Guards patrol the area throughout the large stone structure, which contains several cells used for imprisoning anyone who attempts to enter Gerudo territory without permission. Gerudo Valley ends with a huge gate that the Gerudo use to make sure no one enters Gerudo Desert without their approval. They had also created themselves two training courses, the Horseback Archery Range and the Gerudo's Training Ground. Despite this hostile outset, they do accept outsiders within their ranks, provided that they first prove themselves worthy.

Ganondorf, being the lone male at that time, is their king. His second-in-command is Nabooru, who is highly respected by the other Gerudo, but rebels against Ganondorf because she does not approve of his ways. Nabooru herself also has an unnamed second-in-command, who keeps watch over Gerudo's Fortress while Ganondorf and Nabooru are gone.

Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, the Gerudo appear as pirates. They are referred to as the "Gerudo Pirates", and live in the Great Bay, specifically Pirates' Cove, in a fortress called Pirates' Fortress, which they keep heavily guarded. Their leader is named Aveil, and who seems to be the counterpart of Nabooru.

Compared to their Hyrulean counterparts, the Terminan Gerudo are much more cruel. Prior to Link's arrival in Termina, they stole Lulu's eggs. When her friend Mikau came to get the eggs back, they beat him up such that he died of his injuries.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, the barmaid Telma from Hyrule Castle Town and Malon of Ordon Village are of Gerudo descent. These two are the only Gerudo in the game who aren't enemies.

The Gerudo are one of the most common enemies in the game. They seem to have a significant presence in Hyrule by the time of Twilight Princess. They serve their leader and current king, Shahdin, who in turn serves Zant, who in turn serves Ganondorf. In the Twilight, they become Shadow Gerudo, which alters their appearance so they look like miniature versions of Shadow Beasts and wear masks of a sort. They attack in the same way, with Arrows or Clubs.

The Gerudo seem to be an advance party for Zant's Shadow Beasts. They went to the four springs of Hyrule where they cleared the path for Zant's invasion of Hyrule by opening up the springs of each of the provinces. Link manages to destroy their base camp in the Gerudo Desert and by the end of the game, they decide not to fight for Ganondorf and are seen in the end credits running through Hyrule Field with their King, being at peace with Hyrule.

After King Shahdin is defeated, he decides to admit defeat to Link speech, which Midna expresses surprise over. He decides to form an alliance with Link, as he is on the winning side.

Wind Waker
In Wind Waker, Ganondorf is the only Gerudo to physically appear in-game. However, Soon after Link reaches the rooftop of the underwater Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf speaks to him about his reasons for desperately searching for the Triforce pieces, revealing a little of his origins from the harsh Gerudo Desert and his desire to take over the green landscapes of Hyrule in order to grant his people the opportunity to live in a more prosperous land, showcasing a more somber side of the King of Evil.

Phantom Hourglass
Ganon is not encountered or fought in Phantom Hourglass due to his defeat in Hyrule (beneath the Great Sea) at the end of The Wind Waker, but Link's duel with an "evil king of a desert clan" is mentioned in the intro.

Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
The Twinrova appear in these two games, aiming to release Ganondorf from the Sacred Realm, though are ultimately unable to do so. Din, the Oracle of Seasons, is also a Gerudo. Though why she abandoned her people is unknown. In all likelihood, her role as an Oracle may be the cause of her leaving her family and homeland. Malon also appears as a very minor character.

Link's Awakening
Ganon & Malon appear in this game, though their status as Gerudo are essentially irrelevant to the game, especially given that the entire game is merely a dream.

A Link Between Worlds
Rosso, the sage of Fire, is said to be of gerudo and goron descent, and one of the main antagonists, Yuga, is said to be the Lorule counterpart of Ganondorf, and much like his counterpart, is also part of the Gerudo bloodline. Malon also appears in this game in the Milk Bar.

The Legend of Zelda & The Adventure of Link
Ganondorf is the only Gerudo to appear in these game, having been resurrected after being sealed for eons since Ocarina of Time, and it is unknown what the status of the Gerudo as a tribe is at this point in history.

In Adventure of Link, he is only featured on the Game Over screen.

Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventures, a tribe of Gerudo live in a desert village within the Desert of Doubt in the southwest corner of Hyrule. Unlike previous appearances, they are not hostile to outsiders, and have a good reputation in Hyrule. They do not live in a fortress, but rather in tents. Ganondorf assumes the role of king of the Gerudo, and is the first incarnation of Ganon in this timeline to actually be part of the Gerudo tribe.

When Link entered the Gerudo village, he was initially denied access to the desert. Ganondorf had entered the desert prior to earlier events in search of the fabled pyramid, which is a violation of the laws of the Gerudo. This pyramid, which was located in the desert, was sacred to the Gerudo and rumored to contain enormous power. The Gerudo were aware of Ganondorf's lust for power and realized what his intentions are. However, they assumed that he would not make it that far and eventually perish in the desert. Because of Ganondorf's actions, they had blocked the road to the desert. Upon learning of Link's quest, they reopened the gate so that he could pass.

Ice Arrow
In Ocarina of Time, Link can obtain the Ice Arrows from the Gerudo Training Ground, a maze-like area in the Gerudo Fortress.The weapon infuses Arrows with the power of ice, allowing them to freeze many enemies and make ice platforms across the water. They are also typically among the more powerful projectile weapons at Link's disposal. They deplete Link's Magic Meter, so they must be used sparingly.



Silver Gauntlets
The Silver Gauntlets can be found in the Spirit Temple of the Gerudo. They grant the user super-strength, allowing them to push and lift objects many times their own size.



Mirror Shield
The Mirrior Sheild in Ocarina of Time is one of the Gerudo's treasures that can be found in the Spirit Temple alongside the Silver Gauntlets. The Mirrior Sheild has the ability to reflect light and magic. However, despite it being a Gerudo artifact in it's Ocarina of Time interation, this is not the case in any other games.