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Is The Legend of Zelda Racist?

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Is The Legend of Zelda racist? With society becoming more and more politically correct one can only wonder how much longer certain “racial” aspects of the Legend of Zelda series can continue. Race has always been a sensitive issue so many do not like to bring it out and to the open. However we feel as if this is an issue that should be discussed freely. Many of you will not agree with the following statements and that is fine. This article is meant merely to entertain so do not take anything too seriously.

Video games are being targeted by lobbyists and social groups a lot these days. Why? For being racist. Resident Evil 5, when released recently received a lot of negative attention due to certain “racist aspects.” Now, there really was nothing racist about that game. However race is a sensitive issue and people are becoming more and more politically correct. So the way I see it, The Legend of Zelda will be targeted as being racist here before long.

As you all know, The Legend of Zelda revolves around the central idea of Link saving Zelda and the Triforce from the evil villian Ganondorf. However it is not as simple as that, as Ganondorf is a man with a darker skin complexion. Ganondorf was first introduced in the Ocarina of Time, and before then he had only appeared as Ganon and was briefly mentioned in A Link to the Past. Nobody before The Ocarina of Time knew who or what Ganondorf was.

The Ocarina of Time also introduced the idea of different races in The Legend of Zelda. Ganondorf was introduced as being from the desert dwelling race, known as the Gerudo. We also have the Zoras who are the water dwelling group and are fish-like people. We have the Gorons who are rock-eating mountain people. The Kokiri who are children of the forest. The Sheikah who are a mysterious race of ninja-like people. The Hylian who are the chosen group of the gods. And the Gerudo who live in the desert…and oh yea. They are all thieves.

Is anybody starting to see some racist ideas here? The villian of the Legend of Zelda games is a man of color, who comes from a poor region, and his entire race is a bunch of theives. Anybody with the slightest bit of common sense can see that this is extremely racist. Why did Nintendo choose to portray the darker skinned race in the Zelda series as being the thieves and the big bad villain.

If this was just the case for one game then it could be overlooked. However, the Gerudo continued to be depicted as a group of thieves. In Majora’s Mask the Gerudos are a group of pirates (thieves with boats). In Four Swords Adventures they are again a poor group of thieves who happen to live in tents. This very idea continues throughout the rest of the series.

But hey, who cares? This is nothing. Zelda isn’t racist. It would take much more to make the series racist. And guuuuuuueeeeess what. There is a lot more. The Hylians, as described on zelda.wikia.com is the race chosen by the gods. They are the most superior race. They are also the most technologically advanced.

So let me get this straight. The dominantly white race is the superior god chosen race. And the dark-skinned Gerudo race is a group of thieves. This sounds awfully fishy to me. Well maybe not fishy but certainly racist. So I do not end up beating this issue into your heads I will move on some.

In Majora’s Mask the main focus is on wearing different masks that all do different things. Wearing the masks of the different Zelda races will get different reactions from different people. Some places will not let you in if you are wearing the mask of one race. Some people will charge different races a varied amount for the same product or service.

These are just a few examples. Is The Legend of Zelda a racist game series? That is for you to decide. Just look at the evidence.

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About Author

Noah Glaser is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where he majored in Information Technology with a minor in awesome. Noah has worked in web marketing for over 5 years and has built a reputation that has followed him both professionally and independently. He is the founder and lead content contributor for The Hidden Triforce.In the 5th grade he bought Link’s Awakening for his brother as a Christmas gift. Since stealing it back, he has been hooked to the Zelda series and has never looked back. In his spare time you can find Noah frolicking with his Porygon and Kiwi Birds. He dislikes chocolate, cheese, and bacon.

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  • farore

    Also Ganondorf is a man and all gerudos are women, so the women have to obey one single man..racists. And the sages are all from different races, but zelda whom is the Princess and is also a hylian is the leader (is never said which race is rauru, but nobody cares about him).

  • Dark Link

    That would be sexist. Not really racist lol. But yea there was a lot that I did not mention. Like the zelda thing. And the royalty of the entire kingdom being the hylians.

  • Linked

    I don't really see it like that. I mean yea there are different races, but so what. Do you expect there to be all the same looking people across the whole world? Would it be weird to see normal Hylians in Zora's Domain? Yes, gamers would ask why some Hylians can live underwaters. I never saw Ganondorf as a black man, but rather a dark skinned Gerudo. Gerudo's live in the desert sun all day so there skin would be darker than the Kokori who are shaded by the trees or the Hylians who spend alot of their time indoors. Everyone knows Nintendo is based in Japan, however, they chose Link to be a blonde, white male. I don't think they have any prejudices. You can take any facts and skew them into anything if you try hard enough.

  • DVE

    I noticed it right away. I thought I was the only one who saw racism.

  • c.w.

    ganondorf isn't black, he's green!

    • ZLfan

      Clearly they didnt want it to look that way, what about skyward sword?

  • Soliloquy

    I'd say you had a point if the creators of the games were white. But they're Japanese.

    • ZLfan

      Japanese people tend to favor white people over black people

  • Inkwell

    Thank You C.W., that was extremely frustrateing to read! How can anyone else not see that Gannondorf is actually Green! I mean really. And as for the Gerudo being desert dwelling Black people, let's think that one over again. Dark skinned women, living in the desert, vailed clotheing, and weilding scimitars, hmmm, who does that sound like? Maybe, Arabian peoples!? And since in Ocarina of Time you DO encounter a Gerudo woman who helps you and eventually is shown to be a Sage herself, clearly not all of them are ment to be shown as evil thieves. That part is clear. As for Ganons role, he was mentioned back in A Link to the Past as being the King of Theieves and always a malicious, greedy, power hungry madman. And the reason why the Hylian race is predominantly in charge is because the Hylians were the ones who built up the kingdom. The previous games mention this! And, as was stated in Twilight Princess, there are a race of people yet mentioned who are closer to the gods than the Hylians are. I have trouble with this whole articles foundation in racism. There's no need for it haveing been written. Because it shows a clear disregard for underlying facts, and was written by someone who can't tell what color the bad guy really is anyway.

    • ZLfan

      Actually in the origional 'OoT' Nabooru has big lips and a big nose, Arabic people do not have big lips and do not tend to have large noses and Gannondorf has corn rows.

    • ZLfan

      What about the bar lady in TP?

    • ZLfan

      And are you saying he went to the desert and turned green?

    • ZLfan

      and on top of that its a group of UNvailed women, the only ones with a vail are the fighters, and they obviously wear them to STEAL with out being identified

  • pieoftruth

    arent the gerudo just supposed to be tan? i mean… they ARE in a desert after all… lots of sun? adaptation? yeah… also i thought the symbol on the mirror shield from oot would have been brought up.

  • Paddy T

    Gannondorf is not black. They made the Gerudos simply look like they are from the desert with no specific relation to an actual human race. You say not to take this too seriously, but you obviously do if you think he's black. His skin isn't that dark!

    • ZLfan

      Arent there 23 shades of the 'Black race'?

  • Inkwell

    One other thing I should have mentioned. Though the Hylians are the ones predominantly in charge, the other races aren't without their own kingdoms. The Kokiri don't really seem like a kingdom, but they like and seem to need to keep to themselves, and have the Great Deku Tree in charge. In Ocarina of Time, you have to save the Zoran princess for the Zora King. If memory serves, there was a kingdom with a heirarchy for the Gorans too, though as you go through it seems like Ganon had already trashed the place. The Sheikah you don't get to know about because they are all but gone already, and were very mysterious in their ways that you wouldn't have been told much about them if they were still around. And with Ganon being the "King of Thieves", they don't actually say if he was the Gerudos actual king or not. Or for that matter if he was given the title or simply proclaimed himself king. Because as I said, he's power mad. Maybe if he is the Gerudo's leader, the reason why they are poor or even made to be thieves. Another thing to consider him seperately from his fellow Gerudo's is that when you go to their desert kingdom, they're all still there. Wouldn't you see them around the country-side, as a form of enforcer for Ganons rule, or at the very least in Hyrule castle, if they were in fact loyal to Ganon and his personal war on the Hylians and lust for more power. And considering that all the races have their own kingdoms but Hyrule is ruled by the Hylians, maybe that's because they actually do a good job at it. You don't go through the world hearing anyone else complaining, or talks of protest or declarations of war. So they must be doing a good job if no one has a problem but Ganon.

  • Hey in the WindWaker it is revealed that the reason he sought to gain the triforce all along throughout history was cos the scorching sun burnt them in the desert… thus causing them to tan – i think ganondorf being the leader protected his gang and took the full blast – thus plotting to steal the triforce and change the world to what he wants and get the lifestyle the outside regions has.

  • Corwin

    For some reason, the Star Wars racism rant from Chasing Amy comes to mind. :)

  • Reed

    Sorry for the late reply. But let me share some info with you.

    I don't think Nintendo was trying to aim this at black men. I think they were stereotyping arabs. They imply that they live by the sword and live "backwards". If they see anyone not in their tribe they throw them in jail, and a stereotype of arabs is that they have a "torture chamber in the basement". Ganondorf also has arab features. The shape of his nose, what he wears. Whereas Kokiri forest has light skinned people and is a peaceful place. So pretty much, Link who has European features (Light skin, blonde hair, blue eyes) is the good guy, but Ganon, who they are implying is a terrorist and lives in what looks like afghanistan (Yes it's what gerudo fortress looks like) is the bad guy.

    I hope this helps some, and again sorry for the late reply.

    • ZLfan

      So still raceist though?

    • ZLfan

      And if they see MEN they throw them in jail, thats it.

  • Gavin

    Well its racial profiling, and its to be expected. In almost any tv show or video game imaginable, the darker guy is always the bad guy, even in Aladdin! If you don't believe me then just try imagining the protagonist being darker, and the bad guy white. If you saw it it would throw you off a little.

    Almost every black person on American television is an idiot, or a joker, or unsuccessful, a successful idiot, or a criminal. On Japanese television what they see of black people is of criminals getting chased down. That's the way the world works, the world isn't an equal place, the heads of Corporations are "white".

  • ITSASECRETTOEVERYBOD

    Ganondorf's pig form is usually blue. Ganondorf's Gerudo form is green. The Gerudo were based on people from the Middle East. If anything, it is implying that Ganondorf is a religious terrorist.

    I didn't notice much racism in Majora's Mask, it seemed more like a kid-price adult-price thing. Also, which would you believe more: a young plant-child or a strong adult Goron? The "race" issue in Zelda isn't about race, Deku Scrubs and Zoras are different species, it has nothing to do with "race"

  • O. Donaghy

    OMG! This is so wrong.Speaking as a black man i totally disagree. Since when was ganondorf Black, in no point in any of the games is he described as so, in fact in games he is portrayed as green. so if Zelda is racist to martians form outer space then im sure nintendo is very sorry. And in majoras mask the fee is charged based on weight/hieght so that spoils that idea. And if we are going to say that zelda is racist then what is the world coming too, lets focur on racism in our on world first and fantasy video games later! OK?

  • jamie

    lol a story about a blonde boy from the woods travelling across the world and ruining a tanned guy from the desert plans of global domination i guess could be seen as racism but who cares this game is awesome end off

  • Brad

    He's not black. He is brown though.

  • ZLfan

    The Bar Lady Telma in the Twilight Princess, why does she have 'Black' features and Cornrows/Braids, Nabooru Has a big nose (as do all gerudo) and Big lips, and Gannon wears corn rows in at least 2 of the games.

  • LoZ stranger

    I don’t think it’s racist, because it’s really only America and a few other countries where race is a huge deal. In Nintendo, they decided to have a group of thieves live in the desert. What happens when you live in a desert? You get a darker skin. The main reason they live in the desert is because it is extremely hard to live in the desert so few people will stumble upon them. Just like if the lived in the snow mountains, they’d be paler. Species adapt to their environment, so of course gorons will eat rocks are be rock like. They live in a volatile mountain for pete’s sake. Another thing, the reason why the prices were different was because of age. Not to mention in Majora’s Mask, the treasure maze vendor was a young, supposedly single, woman. She’ll have bias based on looks and age, considering she might have a handsome Zora boyfriend, or look sweet with a discount for a deku in front of strangers. Again, I’m going to restate the fact that race is really only a huge deal in America. Not many other countries drag out bs like this. The best way to stop racism is to forget it.

  • Zaptoid

    The japanese who made the game are darker skinned.

  • Katrina Ruggera

    No it is not racist. Gosh people are ridicilous. Seriously it’s sickening that people literally pick out anything and say oh that’s racist. You might as well say the show Barney is racist. He’s purple..maybe that was also a code for him being black. HAH. Stop trting to make everything a racist issue!!! GET OVER IT. The only people who are racist are the people who are stuck on the past. The world now a days is getting more and more interracial and we have a black president for goodnesss sakes get the fuck over the past. Nobody has any slaves anymore, so what is your problem. Zelda is a freaking video game made by the JAPENESE. I seriously seriously doubt they sat there and went oh lets make the villain black because they’re bad. NO. Ganon isn’t even black he’s darker because he’s a villain and he was living in the desert. What would happen to you if you lived in the sun???? YOU’D TURN BROWN. OH WOW CRAZY. Get over it.

  • Ricardo Aguiar

    play skywadr sword there are black hylians one is a shop owner who gives u the robot the other is his grandma

    • Noah Glaser

      I do not actually think the game is racist…but this article was also published before Skyward Sword