Gerudo
A Surprisingly Realistic Outcome of a one-gender society. note
A desert-dwelling race of female warriors, the Gerudo are descended from an ancient and powerful empire that stretched across the western sands of Hyrule for countless centuries. Surrounded on all sides by hostile nations, scarce resources, and a curse that wiped out all the men of their race, the Gerudo have suffered a continuous barrage of brutal hardships, setbacks, and wars without abandon. General
- Amazon Brigade: Justified; because of Ganon's curse, the Gerudo women are forced to become adapt and become warriors, as the only alive male Gerudo is Ganondorf. Inverted by the Iron Knuckles, the only (technically) male Gerudo units.
- Adaptational Wimp: Played with in regards to their status as a composite faction. The Gerudo in Breath of the Wild were insanely muscular and tall (with many Gerudo averaging eight feet), which the Hyrule Conquest Gerudo aren't. However, they are in line with how Ocarina of Time portrayed them.
- Composite Character: Played with. Technically speaking, they are a composite of their Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild versions, which differed quite greatly and were chronologically quite distant. It would be kind of like merging Ancient Egypt with Ptolemaic Egypt (which is what tends to happen anyway).
- Fantastic Racism: They hate the Hylians for exploiting them during their time of need.
- Fragile Speedster: Their army consists almost entirely of light infantry and cavalry. They have the best archers in Hyrule, but heavily armoured units (Tomb Guards and Iron Knuckles) are a rarity.
- Gendercide: Ganon inflicts this to the Gerudo.
- Hit-and-Run Tactics: The Gerudo excel at this.
- Long-Range Fighter: The Gerudo's lack of armour makes them ill-suited for close combat.
- Matriarchy: Justified. Traditionally, the Gerudo used to have a patriarchal culture, but Ganon cursed them, resulting in no more boys being born, forcing the Gerudo to adapt and allow women to take leadership roles. Ganondorf's birth was treated as a miracle, and by birthright he became king of his people.
- One-Gender Race: After Ganon curses their bloodline, no more Gerudo boys are born except Ganondorf, and by the time he's an adult he's the only Gerudo man alive.
Security Compound units
Marauder, Glaive Grunt, Sand Sniper, Gerudadorf, Gerudo Catapult
Clockwise from top left: Marauder, Glaive Grunt, Gerudadorf, Gerudo Catapult, Sand Sniper.
- Note: For the Master Thief, see her section in Nabooru's entry below.
- Canon Foreigner: Neither the Gerudadorf nor the Catapults appeared in canon. They were made up for Hyrule Conquest to fill in gaps in their roster.
Gerudo Stables units
Vagrudanon, Trailblazer, Despoiler
Clockwise from top left: Vagrudanon, Trailblazer, Despoiler.
- Note: For the Arbiter, see her section in Ganondorf's entry below.
- Canon Foreigner: There has never been a camel in any of the canon Zelda games. However, Vah Naboris in Breath of the Wild is based on a camel, so it's not that out of the question.
- Horse Archer: Trailblazers are Gerudo archers mounted on horses.
- Horse of a Different Color: Despoilers ride camels.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: The Despoilers carry shields around, giving them some needed defensive values.
Gerudo Training Grounds units
Tomb Guard, Ashinon Captain, Golden Gladiator, Ice Archer
Clockwise from top left: Tomb Guard, Ashinon Captain, Ice Archer, Golden Gladiator.
- An Ice Person: Ice Archers, elite archers clad in blue who fire ice arrows.
- Bling of War: They are decked out in golden armor.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: All of them are decked out in beautiful armor.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Tomb Guards carry them.
- Support Party Member: The Ashinon Captains aren't exceptional in combat, but they buff allies in their vicinity.
Sandseal Pen units
Dune Walker, Sandseal Plower
From left: Dune Walker, Sandseal Plower.
- Note: For the Dust Sentinel, see her section in Riju's entry below.
- Anti-Structure: The Sandseal Plower's role is to destroy enemy buildings.
- Adaptational Wimp: The Sand Seals are slower than in their original appearance, but they make up for it with their defense and health stats.
- Battering Ram: Sandseal Plowers.
- Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": Just like in the game they came from, the Gerudo's walrus mounts are called 'sand seals'.
- Horse of a Different Color: Seals that can move through sand.
- Use Your Head: Sandseal Plowers literally bash their heads against enemy structures and units to demolish them.
Spirit Altar units
Wind Witch, Iron Knuckle
From left: Wind Witch, Iron Knuckle.
- Note: For the Serpent Slayer, see her section in Urbosa's entry below.
- Animated Armor: Iron Knuckles are armour animated by dead Gerudo males.
- Blow You Away: Wind Witches, can control the hot winds of the Gerudo desert to deal knockback and disrupt formations.
- Gender Flip: Maybe. It's implied but not outright stated that the Iron Knuckles in Ocarina of Time are female, but they're unambiguously male in Hyrule Conquest.
- Soul-Powered Engine: Iron Knuckles, armour suits animated by the souls of long-dead Gerudo males.
- Wizards Live Longer: Wind Witches live longer than other Gerudo due to their mastery of desert magic.
Gerudo Heroes
- The Team:
- The Leader: Ganondorf, naturally.
- The Lancer: Nabooru. She loves Ganondorf and her people, but disagrees with his aggressive methods and plans.
- The Heart: Riju, the youngest and most idealistic of the group.
- The Big Guy: Urbosa, literally and figuratively. She might even be taller than Ganondorf.
- Buliara is also one, though with a smaller role.
- Big Bad: Twinrova. They are older than anyone else and have successfully manipulated most of their pawns from birth.
- Sixth Ranger: Aveil. She is not properly part of the Gerudo empire, but works as a privateer for Ganondorf.
Aveil
Aviel, Queen of the Pirates
Technically she's a privateer.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Adaptational Job Change: In Majora's Mask, she was an actual pirate. Here, she's a privateer that calls herself a pirate.
- Irony: She calls herself a pirate. Yet she's actually a privateer, a natural enemy of pirates.
- Pirate Girl: The self-proclaimed Queen of the Gerudo Pirates.
Buliara
Buliara, Palace Guard
All of the Gerudo's missing testosterone is concentrated in Buliara.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Bodyguarding a Badass: She is the bodyguard of the queen of the Gerudo.
- Lady Looks Like a Dude: Somehow even more manly than in Breath of the Wild thanks to her more realistic face.
Urbosa
Urbosa
Functional strength.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Bling of War: The part of Urbosa's armour that covers her belly is exquisitely plated with gold.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Urbosa carries around a round shield, making her the only shield-bearing Gerudo hero.
- Related in the Adaptation: Thanks to being placed in the same time period as the other characters, Urbosa receives one. She is an illegitimate daughter of Ganondorf (among many others), a step-daughter to Nabooru and half-sister to Riju.
Unique Unit: Serpent Slayer
There won't be any snake charming today.
- First Appearance: Hyrule Conquest
- Annoying Arrows: Serpent Slayers' shields allow them to shrug off most non-magical, non-artillery ranged attacks.
- Canon Foreigner: Have not appeared in any of the canon games, though they are designed after the Goddess of Sands from Ocarina of Time
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: They carry shields around, making them much more durable.
Makeela Riju
Makeela Riju, Princess of the Gerudo
Seals? In a desert? Give me a break.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Adaptational Weapon Swap: Depicted with two scimitars in Tears of the Kingdom, much like Gerudo in Ocarina of Time. However, she does ride a Sand Seal in Age of Calamity.
- Age Lift: About five years older than in canon.
- Horse Archer: She attacks with a bow while riding on a Sand Seal. However, she is not as fast as most cavalry.
- Horse of a Different Color: Rides a Sand Seal.
- Related in the Adaptation: Due to being placed in the same time period as the other Gerudo characters, she essentially becomes a part of a big Gerudo royal family; she is the daughter of Ganondorf and Nabooru, half-sister of Urbosa and adoptive granddaughter of Koume and Kotake.
Unique Unit: Dust Sentinel
Hope no one here has asthma.
- First Appearance: Hyrule Conquest
- Canon Foreigner: Have not appeared in any of the canon games.
- Horse Archer: Dust Sentinels are Gerudo archers mounted on Sand Seals.
- Horse of a Different Color:
- Stealthy Colossus: Despite their large size, Gerudo Dust Sentinels are covered in clouds of sand that shroud them when not moving.
Nabooru
Nabooru, Sage of Spirit
The sun really brings out her eyes.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Adaptational Badass: Downplayed. Despite apparently being Ganondorf's second-in-command in Ocarina of Time, she is not depicted with as much as a weapon. She finally gets to shine in Hyrule Conquest.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Hard. Ganondorf and Nabooru were never shown as anything but sworn enemies, though Nabooru was once his Number Two. Their Hyrule Conquest incarnations get along much better.
- Happily Married: Implied to be this to Ganondorf.
- Related in the Adaptation: Rather than just being his second-in-command, Nabooru is Ganondorf's wife. In addition, due to being placed in the same time period rather than thousands of years apart, she is Riju's birth mother.
Unique Unit: Master Thief
This is a robbery! This unit is so cheap is practically trains itself!
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Adaptational Modesty: In their original appearance, their midriffs were exposed.
- Adaptational Name Change: Called Gerudo Thieves in Ocarina of Time.
Ganondorf
Ganondorf, Emperor of the Gerudo
Realistically, he would he locked up and forced to breed more Gerudo for all of his life.
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Badass Cape: He wears a white cape over his armour.
- Cool Mask: Ganondorf often wears a horned, skull-shaped mask.
- Dead Guy Junior: His name means 'phantom of Ganon' in the Gerudo language.
- Meaningful Name: The Gerudo gave Ganondorf his name because despite the curse Ganon put on their people he still happened to be born. Ganondorf roughly translates to 'Phantom of Ganon' in their language.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Ganondorf is simply trying to assure his people's survival in the face of oppression of the Hylians.
- Related in the Adaptation: Ganondorf doesn't have any relatives in canon besides Koume and Kotake. Thanks to being placed in the same time period as other Gerudo characters, he becomes the head of a big Gerudo royal family. He is the husband of Nabooru, and father of Riju and Urbosa.
Unique Unit: Arbiter
Call for an arbitrage?
- First Appearance: Hyrule Conquest
- All There in the Manual: According to work-in-progress lore, the Arbiters actually outrank Ganondorf on the social ladder and can have him removed if they want to do so. When their interests align with Ganondorf, they serve as his personal police force.
- Canon Foreigner: Have not appeared in any of the canon games, though they are mostly based on Ganondorf's appearance in Ocarina of Time
Koume and Kotake/Twinrova
Twinrova
Prepare for trouble. And make it double
- First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Co-Dragons: To Ganondorf.
- Evil Old Folks: These two old wizened women are the power-hungry, manipulative true leaders of the Gerudo.
- Evil Sorcerer: Both of these witches are sly, manipulative and power-hungry.
- An Ice Person: Kotake, the Sorceress of Ice.
- Playing with Fire: Koume, the Sorceress of Fire.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Koume, the more aggressive and talkative, is the Red to the Blue of Kotake, the quieter and more patient.
- Related in the Adaptation: Due to the different familiar relations through Ganondorf, they have a daughter-in-law in Nabooru and granddaughters in Urbosa and Riju.
- Sibling Team: These two sisters always work together.
- Single-Minded Twins: Despite being two separate persons, they are essentially the same character.
Gerudo
See Deities
