The Legend of Zelda series has had a long history of placing players in worlds that feel incredibly alive. Regardless of where each respective game takes place, players can expect populated villages and numerous creatures throughout the world around them. One major aspect that brings this feeling together is the series' different races and communities. Each are loaded with lore spanning from how they're ruled, their interests, religions, culture, and so on.
Among these races are the Gerudo. The Gerudo are a proud warrior race that, depending on where the game takes place on the timeline, can be depicted as allies or enemies during Link's adventure. As a whole, the Gerudo have arguably the deepest and most complex history of any group of people in the entire Zelda series.
10 Gerudos Are Not An All-Female Race
Contrary to popular belief, the Gerudo are not made up entirely of women. Male Gerudo, referred to as "voe," are said to be born roughly every 100 years. Upon birth, these voes are considered kings and are treated like a deity. The only known male Gerudo is the series long-running antagonist, Ganondorf.
Gerudo do venture out to date and marry those among other races. It's often a reason many Gerudo leave their home. For example, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the merchant Rhondson leaves Gerudo Town and marries Hylian construction worker Hudson.
9 Ganondorf: The Gerudo King Of Thieves
The most recognizable Gerudo in the Zelda series is Ganondorf. Upon his birth, he inherited the power to rule over the Gerudo by virtue of being a voe. Ganondorf would lead the Gerudo to become masters of thievery. Ganondorf would use his army of Gerudo to pursue the pieces of the Triforce to bring Hyrule to ruin.
Ganondorf is the alternate form of the series' original antagonist Ganon. It is believed that Ganon/Ganondorf is the personification of Demise's hatred and malice that is reincarnated throughout time. Both Link and Princess Zelda undergo similar reincarnation cycles in opposition.
8 Nabooru: The Gerudo Who Rose Up Against Ganondorf
Not every Gerudo would stand firmly at Ganondorf's side. One Gerudo in particular eventually saw through Ganondorf's ideals and realized just have far astray he had been leading the Gerudo. Nabooru would betray Ganondorf and aid Link on his quest to conquer him. She would help him in both the child and adult sections of the Spirit Temple. In the process, Nabooru would become the Sage of Spirit.
Nabooru's assistance did not go unnoticed. By the time Breath of the Wild occurs, she is remembered as a legendary Gerudo and is celebrated as an iconic figure in Gerudo history. Mount Nabooru, for example, is presumably named after her.
7 The Gerudo In The Aftermath Of Ganondorf
In the aftermath of Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo would experience a wake-up call. They would abandon their thieving ways and regain good standing with the Hylians to become allies of the royal Hyrule family once again.
It is said that despite the amount of time that has passed, there hasn't been another Gerudo voe since Ganondorf. In Breath of the Wild, the Gerudo have a high level of distrust toward voe to the point where men are not allowed in Gerudo Town. They've also since done away with the law that a Gerudo voe is crowned as royalty.
6 The Gerudo Are Run By Chieftains
During periods without a Gerudo voe, and in the aftermath of Ganondorf, someone has to rule the Gerudo. During these times, the Gerudo are ruled by Chieftains. These Chieftains assume power hereditarily, meaning the rule is passed down from mother to daughter instead of voted upon or appointed. In Breath of the Wild, Link meets two of these Chieftains in Urbosa and her Riju.
These Gerudo Chieftains also pass down an heirloom known as the Thunder Helm. Link can acquire this headwear through a sidequest that allows him to be invulnerable to lightning strikes.
5 The Gerudo Are Masters Of Archery, Horseback Riding, And Later Sand Seals
The Gerudo are a proud warrior race known for their exemplary archery and horseback riding skills. In Ocarina of Time, Link can even receive training in these disciplines through a minigame. Link can receive a Piece of a Heart and a larger Quiver by reaching the minigame's high scores.
However, by the time Breath of the Wild takes place, the Gerudo have seemingly abandoned horseback riding in favor of Sand Seals. This is likely in part due to the immense desert area of the Gerudo province. Sand Seals can traverse the desert sands at a much faster rate, making them much more viable for the Breath of the Wild era Gerudo.
4 Who, Or What, Do The Gerudo Believe In?
The Gerudo approach to religion has changed throughout time. Although they did once believe in the Goddess Hylia, that belief has waned. The Gerudo at least had believed in a Goddess of the Sand. The Goddess of the Sand is depicted in architecture in the Desert Colossus in Ocarina of Time, and the Spirit Temple was likely built in her honor. There is also a statue in the Arbiter's Grounds in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that depicts a figure resembling the Goddess of the Sand. It is unknown if the Gerudo still believes in the Goddess of Sand.
In Breath of the Wild, Riju did say that she believes Urbosa and other ancestors are looking down upon them, implying that the Gerudo also believe in some form of afterlife.
3 Who Are The Seven Heroines?
In Breath of the Wild, the focus of the Gerudo's worship is toward the Seven Heroines - Gerudo who have made significant contributions to the livelihood and the protection of the Gerudo. Statues of the Seven Heroines can be found in the Gerudo Desert in Breath of the Wild. Each of the Seven Heroines represents a different power or trait: endurance, flight, gentleness, knowledge, motion, skill, and spirit.
There is an eighth heroine statue. The statue is located away from the statues of the other seven, and this heroine's identity is unknown. It's also unknown why this potential eighth heroine was scrapped from history.
2 The Gerudo Have Had Many Homes
The Gerudo have lived in numerous locations throughout the history of Hyrule. In their debut appearance in Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo lived in the Gerudo Valley, which houses the Gerudo Fortress. Gerudo Valley also contains the Gerudo's Training Ground, the Haunted Wasteland. The Desert Colossus, in the Haunted Wasteland, contains the Spirit Temple.
In both Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, the Gerudo have made their home in the Gerudo Desert. In Twilight Princess, Gerudo Desert is home to the Arbiter's Grounds dungeon. In Breath of the Wild, it's home to Gerudo Town and the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. During the events 100 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, the Guardian's assault did not reach the Gerudo Province.
1 The Gerudo Divine Beast: Vah Naboris
The great protector of the Gerudo in Breath of the Wild is the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Vah Naboris takes the form of a towering, camel-like machine. It is believed that the Gerudo named Vah Naboris after the legendary Gerudo Nabooru. Vah Naboris is one of the four main dungeons Link needs to conquer to overcome Calamity Ganon.
Gerudo Champion Urbosa initially piloted Vah Naboris before Thunderblight Ganon took it over during the First Great Calamity. After Link dispelled Thunderblight Ganon from Vah Naboris, control of the machine fell into the hands of Riju.