Is Urbosa Riju‘s Mother? Examining the Chieftain Bloodline
As a passionate Zelda theorist, one mystery I see fans debating often is whether Urbosa and Riju, two iconic Gerudo chieftainesses, share a direct mother-daughter bond. While no official sources confirm this, looking at the clues has me convinced these powerful leaders are connected by blood.
The Mother Theory, Explained
To start, let‘s review what we know about Riju‘s heritage. According to the Zelda Wiki, Riju inherited the chieftain title from her own mother at a young age. This confirms Riju‘s mother was the previous Gerudo leader. As chieftains are part of a royal dynasty, Riju likely directly descended from a long line of ruler foremothers.
Could Urbosa have been one such ancestor? As a fellow Gerudo chieftain, Urbosa continues the matrilineal line. But without a confirmed child, is there still room for a ancestral bond? To find out, we‘ll need to dive deeper into Gerudo customs.
Tracing the Matrilineal Line
Gerudo tribes have long followed a matriarchal structure with female leaders. As the Zelda Wiki explains:
A single male Gerudo is born into the tribe every hundred years. This male is destined by Gerudo law to become their king.
This shows kings are rare exceptions to female rulers. So if we follow the bloodline from leader to heir, mother to daughter, there‘s likely a direct connection between chieftains across generations.
My theory is Urbosa and Riju share this bond. Likely separated by many decades and generations per Gerudo lifespans, but still a traceable lineage. Perhaps Urbosa even specifically groomed Zelda as a future leader due to her own lack of heirs.
Could Urbosa Actually Have Been a Mother?
Interestingly, Urbosa‘s diary once hinted at a child. As transcribed by the Zelda Fandom site:
She delivered the news that she had recently gave birth to her baby girl, whom she named Zelda.
This shows Urbosa felt a motherly bond towards the princess. Sadly no confirmation this also applied to a biological child. But what if Urbosa did secretly have an heir to carry on her chieftain bloodline?
It‘s possible Urbosa wished to avoid the perils of Gerudo politics for her daughter. Perhaps she sent the child to be raised safely outside the brutal environment she endured. In this scenario, the girl grew up removed from palace life while Urbosa played the role of childless chieftainess.
Meanwhile, her true heirs passed down the lineage, mother to daughter, keeping her bloodline alive through the generations. All the way down to a certain young, orphaned chieftain named Riju…
Conclusion: Separated by Destiny, United by Blood
Admittedly, I don‘t have hard proof tying Urbosa and Riju as mother and child. The mysteries of Gerudo genealogy make it difficult to unravel connections across the decades and centuries. However, as fellow chieftainesses, I believe some bond of blood persists.
Their shared destiny was to lead – to command the respect and allegiance of thousands of noble Gerudo warriors. And as we‘ve seen, among these proud desert people, the sacred duty of leadership passes from mother to daughter in an unbroken chain.
So while the sands of time may obscure the truth, I believe Urbosa and Riju remain bound not just by a common crown, but by the enduring power of ancestry, heritage and Gerudo tradition. Destined to guide and inspire generations of mothers, daughters and fearless female protectors yet to come.
