The Legend of Zelda series has numerous re-accruing features. The Master Sword, Hyrule Field, and Ganon all stand a good chance of appearing in any given Zelda title. The series also has numerous iconic races that frequently pop up in Link's adventures.
Along with the rock-eating Goron and domain-dwelling Zora are the Gerudo. The Gerudo have appeared in just under ten main-series titles so far, often playing key roles.
The Gerudo are known for being thieving pirates, living in harsh deserts, and consisting almost entirely of women. The most recent title, Breath of the Wild, hits home the race's female-only culture as they refuse to allow men into their desert town.
Indicative of being in so many games, many interesting facts about the Gerudo have surfaced.
10 A Unique Law
As mentioned, the Gerudo have a strong dislike towards men throughout the series. Their race almost entirely consists of women and they will openly speak about their dislike of males.
Despite this hostility, every hundred years a male Gerudo is born who is destined to become their King. Only one of these male kings has appeared in the series thus far, Ganondorf.
Ganondorf's desire to destroy Hyrule probably didn't help change the Gerudo's opinion on men, unfortunately.
9 Strict Rules
One of the race's strictest policies in regards to their dislike of men is revealed in Breath of the Wild. As well as men being forbidden from entering Gerudo Town, it is also illegal for male clothes to be sold in the area.
These restrictions did cause a black market store to open in the area though. The Gerudo Secret Club is a hidden shop in Breath of the Wild that sells male clothing and uniquely demands luminous stones as a form of payment.
8 Relationships
The Gerudo's disregard of the male gender does have exceptions though. For example, it is revealed in Ocarina of Time, the race's first appearance, that they have romantic relationships with men. The Gerudo would travel to Castle Town to date or wed non-Gerudo men.
Furthermore, Gerudo trader Spera explains in Breath of the Wild that many vendors are married to men of other races, but consequently must live outside of Gerudo Town if they want to spend time with them.
7 Hierarchy
The Gerudo are often depicted as a society of equals throughout the series. In games where Ganondorf is not their King, they are led by a female chief.
As revealed by Riju in Breath of the Wild, the position is passed down from mother to daughter. Which is why Riju is chief despite being very young. It is possible, but not confirmed, that the tradition of a man becoming Gerudo King ended after Ganon's evil acts.
6 Magical Possibilities
It is no secret that some Gerudo possesses the ability to use magic. Ganondorf and Twinrova, for example, both use such powers in the series. Two other Gerudo characters with the gift of magic are Kotake and Koume.
The pair of witches discuss their ages in Ocarina of Time, Koume says that she is 380 years old while Kotake is 400. This is uncommon for Gerudo, who are believed to have lifespans similar to that of humans. Interestingly, in Majora's Mask, the pair use natural ingredients for their potions. Combining these two facts implies that Gerudo living for many centuries could become normal if the witches' process is ever discovered.
5 Skin Care
In each Zelda game, there's a good chance that players will encounter at least one character who will talk about how beautiful they think the Gerudo are.
The secret to their appearance was seemingly revealed in Breath of the Wild. Ardin, a Gerudo trader says: "Just between us... The Gerudo keep their skin so beautiful thanks to the mushrooms that grow here." Probably best not to try the idea out at home though.
4 Religious Beliefs
Another revelation from Breath of the Wild is the society's religious beliefs.
Muava, an elderly Guardo, reveals that the Gerudo once believed in a goddess, but no longer do. If Link questions her about a nearby statue of the goddess, she will reply:
"Oh, the Goddess Statue has been here since before I was even born. No one here really believes in that stuff anymore though, so they tend to avoid stopping here."
3 An Unknown Origin
The Gerudo's place of origin is one of the many mysteries about the pirate race. Whereas most of the races living in Hyrule are native to the land, the Gerudo are not.
Many Gerudo in the series claim that they sailed to Hyrule from their place of origin. With Gerudo's heavy involvement in Breath of the Wild, many gamers will be hoping that the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2 will offer some insight into the race's beginnings.
2 A Positive Future
Breath of the Wild, one of the games set furthest in the future in terms of the Zelda series timeline, implies that the Gerudo have put their criminal pasts behind them.
The Gerudo are not pirates and thieves in the game, but instead are traders and merchants. Granted, skeptics could question where the goods on sale came from. But it seems that the Gerudo race aims to have a more respectable community moving forward. The reason for this change of heart is not explicitly defined in either game. But it is likely a case of the Gerudo trying to put their Ganandorf led past behind them. This idea is supported by Four Swords Adventures, where the Gerudo are vocal about how angry they are at Ganon's actions.
1 Living Arrangements
Indicative of their culture of combat, the Gerudo usually live in fort-like structures that would be difficult to conquer in battle. Even Gerudo Town in Breath of the Wild has high walls surrounding the area as well as moat-like stretches of water.
Furthermore, their fortresses are frequently in places with environmental hazards, making them difficult to reach. They are predominantly in harsh deserts, although in Majora's Mask their fortress, aptly named the Great Fortress, is surrounded by water from the Great Bay.