Gerudo

— The wiki's staff

 **Alignment** | * Lawful Neutral
* Chaotic Neutral
 **Language(s)** | * Hylian

The **Gerudo** are a race of humans. They are warriors of 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.

## Ecology

### Description

Gerudo typically have round ears, a prominent nose, dark skin, amber or gold eyes, and red hair tied up into a ponytail. Their skin color varies between a common light brown and an olive-green version seen on Twinrova and Ganondorf, though their skin may be darker due to age. They tend to be taller and sturdier than humans and Hylians. Female Gerudo generally wear a strapless bandeau top, loose-fitting pants, and small, simple shoes. The color of their clothing often denotes rank or role within their society, with guards typically dressed in purple or white and warriors clothed in red. Many Gerudo also wear some form of jewelry, most commonly a gemstone diadem on the forehead, and carry weapons.

#### Abilities

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. Due to their training they are very quick and agile, with a skill in fighting.

### Culture

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 Termina (*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.

Gerudo often choose Hylian mates when it comes to reproduction. This means that "pureblood" Gerudo do not exist.

#### Religion

The Gerudo worship the Goddess of Sand. They even constructed a huge monument both on the exterior and interior of the Spirit Temple in the middle of the Haunted Wasteland (Gerudo Desert).

## History

The origin of the Gerudo race is unknown, though some have theorized that they were descended from Groose or Gondo from *The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.* They are absent throughout most of the Unified Timeline until *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*, where they had established a society in the Gerudo Valley. They must have settled there several hundred years before the events of that, as the Gerudo Fortress and Desert Colossus were already constructed when that began. The ancient predecessors of the Gerudo are said to have constructed the Spirit Temple.

### Child Timeline

After the imprisonment of Ganondorf, the Gerudo were left without a king. Presumably, Ganondorf‘s second-in-command, Nabooru, took control of the tribe and lead them after that. However, before *The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess*, the Gerudo disappear, leaving only the abandoned Arbiter’s Grounds in the Gerudo Mesa. Many have theorized that the Arbiter’s Grounds is the ruins of the Spirit Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, however, what transpired to turn it into a prison and the location of the Mirror of Twilight instead of a place of worship is unknown. The walls inside of the dungeon are covered with Gerudo characters and petroglyphs depicting a smoking building and people being burned alive. Similarly, the Cave of Ordeals has Gerudo writing scattered throughout and may have been constructed by the tribe.

They reappear in *The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures* as a peaceful tribe, having shed their reputation of thieves for a pleasant and mutually beneficial relationship with Hyrule. However, they had abandoned the Gerudo Fortress and instead live in simple tents.

#### Terminan Gerudo

The Gerudo are also present in the land of Termina, where they are pirates living in the Great Bay area. The history of the Terminian Gerudo is unknown, though they do not seem to have had a recent king the way Hyrulian Gerudo had Ganondorf. They are much crueler and have an even poorer relationship with the other races of Termina and clock town than Hyrule‘s Gerudo had with Hyrulians.

### Adult Timeline

Whether or not the Gerudo survived the Great Flood of Hyrule is unclear, however, Ganondorf speaks as if they had all perished in the flood. However, the pirate Jolene in *The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass* is heavily reminiscent of a Gerudo in appearance, occupation, and fighting style, and may be a descendant of the deceased race.

### Downfall Timeline

After the Imprisoning War, almost all of the Gerudo vanished without a trace. Twinrova and Ganondorf survived and made appearances in *The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons* and *The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages*. In this timeline, the Gerudo seem to have died out shortly after the timeline split.