Nabooru


 * This article is about the character from Ocarina of Time. For the town in The Adventure of Link that goes by the same name, see Nabooru (Town).

Nabooru is a Gerudo introduced in Ocarina of Time. She is the second-in-command of the Gerudo, Ganondorf being her only superior. She has a second-in-command herself who is without name. Nabooru is highly respected by the other Gerudo, who are unaware of her rebellion against Ganondorf. During the events of Ocarina of Time, she becomes the new Sage of Spirit and aids Link in his battle against Ganon.

Ocarina of Time
Link met Nabooru in the Spirit Temple as a child, having used a Warp song he had learned in the future to reach the remote area of desert it stood in. At that time, Nabooru was already in opposition to Ganondorf's behavior. She knew that Ganondorf's followers used the Spirit Temple as headquarters, so she intended to enter and disrupt their plans in any way she could. However, in order to reach the inner temple, she needed the Silver Gauntlets, which were out of reach beyond a very small opening. When Link arrived, she saw an opportunity and asked him to get the gauntlets for her. In return, she promised to "do something great" for him. Link accepted her request and went to get the gauntlets. He succeeded in obtaining them but was not able to give them to Nabooru. In the time Link had taken to find the gauntlets, Koume and Kotake, two of Ganondorf's most loyal minions, had discovered Nabooru. Even as Nabooru was dragged away, her thoughts went out to Link, worried that he would also fall victim to the two witches.

Link traveled back to the future, so that he could use the Silver Gauntlets and enter the temple. In the seven years that passed, Nabooru was brainwashed. Despite her betrayal, Ganondorf and the Twinrova sisters apparently still deemed her too valuable to simply dispose of. Nabooru was used to lead the Gerudo to do the things she so strongly disapproved of. Somewhat ironically, rumors started to spread that Nabooru was conducting brainwashing experiments on people at the Spirit Temple, rather than being brainwashed herself.

Link confronted Twinrova in the Spirit Temple, while they were fussing over a strange Iron Knuckle. They ordered it to attack him and vanished. Link cut off the Iron Knuckle's armor to discover that it was none other than Nabooru. By freeing her from the armor, she regained her free will - much to the annoyance of the Twinrova sisters,  who reappeared and recaptured her even as she tried to run away. Link was forced to confront them again to free Nabooru. By disposing of Twinrova, not only did he free Nabooru, but also awakened her as the sixth Sage. Nabooru complimented Link on his achievements and gave him the Spirit Medallion.

When Link defeated Ganon, Nabooru and the other Sages joined their powers to seal away Ganon. During the ending, she could be seen overlooking a celebrating Hyrule on Death Mountain with the other Sages.

Ocarina of Time manga
Her role in the manga is slightly different to in the game. She is under the influence of Koume and Kotake, but not transformed into an Iron Knuckle. She is sent to spy on Sheik which results in her combating Link. Link frees her from the influence which allows her to help release the other Gerudo. She also gives Link the Mirror Shield, which she claims she stole a while back.

The Wind Waker
While Nabooru did not appear in The Wind Waker, one of the stained glass windows in Hyrule Castle's basement depicted her.

Nabooru's Promise
Just after Link promises to get her the Silver Gauntlets, she says that she'll "do something great" for Link. And when she awakens as a Sage seven years later, she remarks that if she had known that Link "would become such a handsome man", she would've kept her promise. There is a lot of speculation as to what Nabooru intended to reward Link with. Given that Nabooru pretty much states she is somewhat attracted to Link, theories range from a mere kiss to an arranged marriage. Others think that Nabooru might have intended to make Link her second-in-command. It is also possible that Nabooru, being a cunning and crafty thief, had no real reward in mind, possibly even believing that Link could never succeed in his assignment.

Trivia

 * Chronologically, Nabooru inspired a town in The Adventure of Link to be named after her (although technically, it was the town that inspired her name).
 * In Phantom Hourglass, Linebeck's possession and transformation into a Phantom-like knight by Bellum can be compared to Nabooru's brainwashing as an Iron Knuckle by the Twinrova sisters.
 * One of the carpenters in Ocarina of Time claims that Nabooru is performing brainwashing experiments at the Spirit Temple. He is likely mistaken for Twinrova, but it is possible that Twinrova used Nabooru's brainwashing techniques against her. Either way, this throwaway line might be one explanation as to why the Iron Knuckles of this game appear to be Gerudo.
 * It is unknown how Nabooru survived her unknowing encounter against Link as an Iron Knuckle. Given her disposition, she could have provided enough resistance for the fight to be cut short, as she does not go into the second phase of combat like other Iron Knuckles. Alternatively, it could be due to the difference in her armor compared to others.