The desert is full of magical mysteries that enrapture its visitors and transport them to a world of spiritual wonder. Its winds lift the sands and obscure the path from the front, the back, and the sides, making you question just how many times you’ve come across that same flag post. There’s also music carried by the wind, with a rhythm that will compel all who pass through to dance. And the sands themselves, sliding and slipping under the feet of travelers, grind along every crevice, creating a terrain that requires great skill and a powerful will to traverse. No one can tame the desert’s wild ways, and only the strongest can survive its wrath. One such example is the Gerudo race.
The Gerudo Desert is home to great female warriors who command fear and respect from all in Hyrule. I would expect no less from a race that can withstand the harsh sands of the desert. The guards in particular are really something else, able to take an arrow to the head and still live to see another day. No wonder Link always allows the guards to capture him rather than try to fight them head-on.
But they are not meant to inspire fear alone. The Gerudo also inspire many to be strong, fearless, and brave, and they inspired Siga4BDN to bring that warrior strength to a different medium.
A Gerudo guard takes center stage in Siga4BDN’s piece. The guard wields a polearm in one arm and a dagger at her side, and based on her stance, she looks ready to strike. Perhaps she senses an enemy coming or is wary of the moving sands. Whatever it may be, the guard is ready to fight. Her eye catches those of the viewers, threatening harm if they so much as think about crossing her or anyone she cares about. Being a guard, it’s her duty to protect the Gerudo and the secrets they keep, and Siga4BDN has certainly captured the loyalty, honor, and strength of the Gerudo.
A small but significant detail that stands out in the piece is the Gerudo guard’s hair. The Gerudo from Ocarina of Time commonly have their hair up in a ponytail. However, this guard has a gorgeous braided hairstyle, leading to the red locks having a unique texture and shape. The braid is in motion, either because of the wind or due to the sudden turning of her head. I would love to see the Gerudo adopt this hairstyle in future games.
Unsurprisingly, Siga4BDN has placed the Gerudo guard in a desert landscape, very reminiscent of the Gerudo Canyon Pass in Breath of the Wild and with tall mountains in the distance, including one that looks similar to Death Mountain. But the focus is not on the distant horizon, rather it is on the ground beneath the guard’s feet. The cracked terrain of the Gerudo Desert has been painted roughly with varying colors. The rough brushstrokes bring movement to the piece, mirroring the chaos that can be found in the sandy slopes and desert winds. And not a single bit of it fazes the Gerudo guard. She is calm. She is ready. She is home.
