Gerudo

Gerudo

File:Gerudo (Ocarina of Time).png

Special Characteristics	Almost all women Sharp, bird-like noses
Games	Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask Four Swords Adventures
Location	Ocarina of Time Gerudo's Fortress Majora's Mask Great Bay Four Swords Adventures Desert of Doubt
Key Characters	Ganondorf Twinrova Nabooru Aveil

"A kid like you may not know this, but the Gerudo race consists only of women. Only one man is born every hundred years..."

— Nabooru

The Gerudo is a recurring race in The Legend of Zelda series. They were first introduced in Ocarina of Time. The most prominent trait of the Gerudo is most of the race consists of females, while one male is born every one hundred years.

The Gerudo as a race/tribe have currently been featured in three games. However, the primary villain of the series, Ganondorf, is a Gerudo and it is arguably correct to say the Gerudo appear in every game Ganon is featured in.

Culture

They are a dark-toned race of mostly females with the exception of one male being born every one hundred years. That male according to legend is supposed to be their king. However, Nabooru rebelled against her king in Ocarina of Time, the king being Ganondorf. The Gerudo females are usually dressed in purple attire, have red hair and wield Shamshir-like swords. They seem to not like Hylian culture at all and the relations with Hylian men are purely for survival reasons. The Gerudo seem to think that worshipping the Golden Goddesses and having gender roles is out of the ordinary.

Appearances

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. They are a race of thieves and have a giant fortress called Gerudo's Fortress. They always live together as a pack in big forts and worship the Goddess of the Sand. They have built a huge monument for her as well as a Spirit Temple in the Desert Colossus.

Majora's Mask

In Majora's Mask, the Gerudo are referred to as "pirates". They have stolen the Zora Eggs which belong to Lulu, the singer of The Indigo-Go's. Their fortress is surrounded by guards that throw Link out if he is caught.

Four Swords Adventures

Only in Four Swords Adventures is the entire Gerudo tribe friendly. Their abode is located in the Desert of Doubt. Link's passage through Gerudo Village is initially halted by closed gates. This is due to Ganondorf passing to try to claim the power of the sacred Pyramid for himself in direct violation of the Gerudo law code.

Trivia

• The desert in Twilight Princess is named after the Gerudo; but ironically enough, there are no Gerudo in the game. The Camps in the desert are populated by Bulblins.
• According to Hyrule Historia, Ganondorf's sharp, bird-like nose is characteristic of the Gerudo.
• According to a Gossip Stone in Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo go to the Castle Town to find boyfriends.

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of Nabooru from Ocarina of Time

• GerudoGuard.png

  Artwork of a Gerudo Guard in Ocarina of Time

• 

  Ganondorf, a Gerudo male

• Twinrova2.gif

  Twinrova, the combined version of the twin witch sisters Kotake and Koume

• Gerudo Thief.png

  A Gerudo Thief from Ocarina of Time

• 

  A Gerudo from Four Swords Adventures

References

1. ↑ ^{1.1 1.2} "[Ganondorf's] sharp, birdlike nose is characteristic of the Gerudo." — Hyrule Historia, pg. 148