The Gerudo are one ofThe Legend of Zelda ’s most recognizable races , and arguably embody the sprightliness of salvation unlike any other . extremity of the all - female warrior race are easily recognized by their elevation and red pilus , and have appear in many of the enfranchisement ’s most important title . Of naturally , the Gerudo are also known for producing Ganondorf , their sole male person , and thus follow him as their king in the past tense , but this is no longer the case in the most recent games .

ExcludingGanondorf as a representative of the Gerudo , who himself has made solo appearances on occasion , the Gerudo airstream has appeared in six coreZeldagames to date . They first debuted inOcarina of Time , and have most recently appeared inEchoes of Wisdom , now firmly base as one of Hyrule ’s most consistently important backwash . They are not the only one ofThe Legend of Zelda ’s many racesto owe this title their prominence either , as the Gorons also grow here , as did the non - hostile Sea Zora ( in contrast to the more vehement monsters found in anterior titles ) .

The Gerudo’s Modern Heroism Defies Their Origins

Their Depiction In Games Like BOTW Is Far From Their Initial Introduction

InOcarina of Time , the Gerudo are demonstrate as a group of thieves loyal to Ganondorf , forming the nub of his supporters . The main exception to this is Nabooru , Ganondorf ’s 2d - in - command , whose dissent finally leads to her being brainwashed . Over the course of the secret plan , however , the Gerudo ’s mental attitude visibly weaken ; first , Link take in their regard as he create his way through their fort , and during the endingsome Gerudo can even be seen amongst those lionise Ganondorf ’s defeat at Lon Lon Ranch . This shows a more noble side to the Gerudo , something which has only become more prominent since .

Although it has not yet been used in any of the games , The Legend of Zelda ’s iconic scoundrel Ganondorf really has a canonical last name .

Of course , inMajora ’s Mask , the Gerudo appear to have backslide into villainy by living their lives as pirates . However , the fact that Termina ’s indweller can be wildly different from their Hyrulean counterparts ( as shew by the parallel world ’s far more amiable variation of Koume and Kotake ) mean thatthe Gerudo of Hyrule can not themselves be judged by this depiction . Instead , their delineation inBreath of the Wildand all subsequent title of respect has clear become their new classic identity ; they are now firmly on the side of good , even opposing their honest-to-goodness king when hollo upon .

Images of The Legend of Zelda’s Ganondorf from Tears of the Kingdom, Twilight Princess, and Ocarina of Time.

Zelda’s Gerudo Exemplify The Power Of Good Over Evil

They Become Much Friendlier People Without Ganondorf

There isno male person Gerudo inBOTWruling over them , and it seems this has been the case for myriad year ; far longer than the original pace of gentleman being accept once per 100 . As such , it seems that Ganondorf has had no opportunity to reincarnate into his erstwhile tribe for a long time , perhaps even thousands of year consider the circumstances of his appearing inTears of the Kingdom . Of course , the Dragon ’s Tear memories do show that when Ganondorf rule the Gerudo his people assaulted Hyrule . Nevertheless , after his sealing , they have manifestly become rightful ally to Hyrule .

The Legend of Zelda ’s effectuation of the Gerudo language in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is impressive , but it could be good .

In some means , TOTKechoes the Gerudo ’s redemption journeying inOcarina of Time , albeit on a far grander scale leaf . In both cases , their known history begins with them as a people who are unfriendly to Hyrule , but in the Wake Island of their king ’s defeat they evidently become much closer to the people they once opposed . It is clean-cut that they are loyal to their leading , but have no inherently malefic quality as a race ; rather , give the chance , it is undeniable that they will become far better people than they are under Ganondorf .

Key art of Urbosa the Gerudo and Link from The Legend of Zelda.

The Gerudo Consistently Prove Better Than Ganondorf’s Influence

They Have Risen Far Above What They Were Under His Leadership

By the meter ofBreath of the Wildit is clear-cut that the Gerudo think the now - legend of Ganon ’s origins amongst them as a mark of disgrace for their people . As the Gerudo Chiefs of their several eras , both Urbosa and Riju are unhesitating in pit their people ’s former king . Moreover , evenTOTK ’s unnamed ancient Gerudo Sage have it clear that Ganondorf was not universally beloved by all Gerudo in King Rauru ’s time , although it is worth noting thatGanondorf ’s own ruthlessness inTOTKlikely worked against him here .

In Urbosa ’s Diary , uncommitted throughBreath of the Wild’sThe Champions ' BalladDLC , the Gerudo Champion describes her tribe ’s connection to Ganondorf as“an tie-up I profoundly begrudge . ”

Nevertheless , even inOcarina of Timethe need for brainwashing proves thatGanondorf has never been as popular a swayer as he would likely prefer . No matter the epoch , the Gerudo become more and more dissatisfied with him and his methods as he works to further his ambitions . As a outcome , whenever Ganondorf eventually re-emerge , whether in asequel toTears of the Kingdomor a whole sovereign title , it is light that he will never achieve full support even amongst his own rightful subjects .

Arthur Morgan, V, and Link over a blurred Elden Ring Background

The story of the Gerudo tribe may be inextricably tied with that of Ganondorf , but his immorality does not specify them . Time and time again , the Gerudo have ransom themselves when unloose of their malevolent king , proving that they are no more vicious than any other race in Hyrule . As a result , the narrative of the Gerudo tribe inThe Legend of Zeldais also the dealership ’s most powerful storey of redemption .

Summary

The Legend of Zelda dealership follow the adventures of Link , an elf - corresponding Hylian , and Princess Zelda as they protect the commonwealth of Hyrule from the evil warlord - turned - demon king Ganon . The series is know for its mix of action , adventure , and puzzle - solving element , often revolving around the solicitation of the Triforce , a herculean relic left by the goddess who create Hyrule . Each game features dissimilar incarnations of Link and Zelda , wield core component while introducing new characters and configurations .

Artwork of The Legend of Zelda’s Riju and Urbosa against a background of Gerudo Town.

Custom Image by Matthew Wilcox

Ganondorf standing in front of Gerudo warriors.

Riju standing sassily and looking at an off-screen Link in Tears of the Kingdom.

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The Legend of Zelda