Hello, it’s me – the resident Gerudo nerd again. I love any and all Gerudo fan art, portraying any version of the Gerudo, and I’m particularly drawn to pieces that celebrate their characteristics of strength, fierceness, and beauty. Every now and then, though, I see a refreshing representation of their race and fall in love all over again, as I’m reminded that they’re not just generic, sassy independent women – they are a complex race with a rich culture and diverse societal roles.
Breath of the Wild is responsible for building the majority of this – it showed them as not just warriors or pirates, but also merchants, jewelers, inn keepers, teachers, baristas, and many more. One Gerudo you meet is even an archaeologist, Rotana, which is quite a contrast to the usual portrayal of stoic warrior women. But having this scholarly character made me love the race even more, adding depth and breadth to their presence in the world. So, when I stumbled upon this artwork by graciedart on DeviantArt, I was of course immediately enamored.
Graciedart created this gorgeous piece for a commission of someone’s character 100 years after Breath of the Wild, and I think it’s a wonderful, natural representation of the progression of the Gerudo race.
The character is instantly recognizable as a Gerudo, with fiery red hair and dark skin, but there is a modern feel communicated through her fashion. She wears clothes that are less traditionally Gerudo, quite Hylian-influenced one might say, particularly the traveler’s boots. Although modernized — which effortlessly indicates she is from another era than we’ve seen — her attire is still notably Gerudo, due to the baggy features of the blouse and pants, which are hemmed in gold and complemented by unmistakably-Gerudo golden jewelry. The bold eyeliner also instantly calls back to past Gerudos.
All that is subtly communicated through the appearance of the character, but the scene in which she’s placed makes it loud and clear that this Gerudo pursued a life of reading maps and studying history, instead of wielding swords and spears. And I love it. It shows a side to the Gerudo that, as discussed earlier, we’re only now starting to see more of in the games. It shows another aspect of their intelligence, of their passion, and of their talent.
It’s an intriguing scene too, showing her examining fragments from what appear to be Shrines from Breath of the Wild. Can she read them, I wonder? Is she in the process of learning this alphabet? Is she helping to further the Gerudos’ understanding of the Sheikah race? One particularly nice touch that solidifies her scholarly nature is how there’s a very tempting treasure chest a mere foot away from her, but instead of hurrying to open it, she’s taken a calm knee to study the glowing runes. She’s unquestionably committed to her studious exhibition, and I for one would love to be a student in her archaeology class.
