Gerudo



The Gerudo are a race of darker skinned humans introduced in Ocarina of Time. They are named after Gerudo Desert, which was their home in said game. The race has an Arabic theme and seems to be based on the Amazons, a "real world" tribe of warrior women. The race consists of almost solely women, with a male being born only once every every hundred years. It should be noted that this is only stated and the exact nature of this phenomenon is never explained, leaving many questions unanswered. In order to reproduce, the Gerudo take boyfriends from other human races.

The Gerudo are a warrior race and have been shown to use weapons such as naginata, dual scimitar swords and Bow and arrows. In Ocarina of Time, they are capable equestrians, while they prefer the use of boats in Majora's Mask, due to their role as pirates. Some members of the tribe possess magical skills, but these individuals are rare.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time introduced the Gerudo as a mainly female race of warriors and thieves. They live in the Gerudo Desert (more specifically Gerudo Valley), which is located in the northwest of Hyrule. The Gerudo pay a lot of attention to the security of their domain. In order to reach the valley, one first has to cross a bridge. In Link's younger years, it is guarded by several Gerudo and in Link's older years, they have simply decided to destroy it (possibly using horses to cross the gap, like Link did). After that comes Gerudo Fortress, in which the Gerudo supposedly live. There are lots of guards and it contains a lot of cells used for imprisoning anyone who dares to enter their territory without permission. Gerudo Valley ends with a huge gate that the Gerudo use to make sure no one enters Gerudo Desert without their approval.

Ganondorf, being the only male at that time, is their king and "god". His second-in-command is Nabooru, who is highly respected by the other Gerudo, but rebels against Ganondorf because she does not approve of his ways. Nabooru herself also has a(n unnamed) second-in-command, who keeps watch over Gerudo Fortress while Ganondorf and Nabooru are gone.

Majora's Mask
Appearing only in Majora's Mask, Gerudo Pirates are parallel versions to the Gerudo Thieves in Ocarina of Time. These pirates live in the Pirate's Fortress, due north of Great Bay Coast, and have stolen Lulu's eggs. Mikau dies trying to save the eggs, and Link must use his newly acquired Zora Mask to save the eggs, and return them to the Marine Research Laboratory. Their leader is named Aveil. As in Ocarina of Time, most of the Gerudo Link encounters are guards which patrol the Pirate's Fortress (either on foot or by boat), and can be temporarily stunned using the bow or the hookshot.

Also, in a parallel event to the Gerudo Fortress in Ocarina of Time, Link will encounter four pirates as mini-bosses. They are warriors who defend themselves with cutlasses, sharper than razors. To kill them, simply block their attack and target them all the time, then attack them when their guard is down. Look out for them jumping over your head, as they can actually catch you with your guard down then!

Notable Gerudo

 * Ganondorf
 * Nabooru
 * Koume and Kotake
 * Aveil