Ardi
Ardi
Main appearance(s)
Other appearance(s)
Title(s)
- Tears of the Kingdom
- Age of Imprisonment
- Chief of the Gerudo[1]
- Gerudo Chief[2]
- Gerudo Warrior[3]
- Lady Ardi[4]
- Sage of Lightning[5]
Race
Association
Pronouns
Era(s)
Voice actor(s)
- TotKTears of the Kingdom:Elizabeth Maxwell(English)
- AoIAge of Imprisonment:Elizabeth Maxwell(English)[7]
Ardi is a recurring character inThe Legend of Zelda series.
Names in the American English canon
| Name | Ardi |
|---|---|
| Appearance(s) | |
| Name | No name is given |
| Appearance(s) |
| Name | Appearance(s) |
|---|---|
Ardi | |
No name is given |
Biography
Tears of the Kingdom
In the ancient past, Ardi was the Sage of Lightning and a leader of theGerudo.[9] After theChief of the Gerudo,Ganondorf, transformed into theDemon King, she allied herself with the firstKing of Hyrule,Rauru, to oppose him.[10] In theForgotten Temple, Rauru entrusted the remainingSecret Stones to Ardi,Agraston,Qia, andRaphica, strengthening them before the battle against Demon King Ganondorf.[11][12] As one of theSix Sages, she swore a vow of loyalty to Rauru.[13]
Ardi fought in theImprisoning War alongside Rauru and her fellowSages. She wielded theArms of the Seven, which consist ofDaybreaker and theScimitar of the Seven. During "The Imprisoning War"Memory, she appears weakened by Demon King Ganondorf'sGloom. To distract the Demon King, she throws her Scimitar of the Seven towards him, whichZelda sends backwards usingRecall. Ardi was then a witness to Rauru sacrificing himself to seal Demon King Ganondorf.[14]
Following the Imprisoning War, Zelda came to visit Ardi at theLightning Temple.[15] She revealed that Demon King Ganondorf would one day break from his seal, and she asked Ardi to ensure the Gerudo will helpLink defeat him.[16] Feeling guilty that the Gerudo brought Ganondorf into the world, Ardi promised that her successor would awaken to fight with Link.[17] In the "Tears of the Dragon"Memory, Ardi and the remaining Sages can be seen watching as theLight Dragon flies into theSky.
During the "Riju of Gerudo Town"Main Quest,Riju and Link repeatedly hear a voice calling to them from somewhere in theGerudo Desert.[18] This reminds Riju of theMural in the Underground Shelter, which states that the owner of the voice is awaiting them.[19][20] Inside the Lightning Temple, they again hear Ardi's voice, who directs them to activate the Temple's fourBatteries to reach theLightning Temple 7F.[21]
After defeatingQueen Gibdo, Link and Riju will be able to access the Secret Stone on the Lightning Temple 7F. When Riju touches the Secret Stone, the two will be engulfed inLight, and Ardi will appear before them. She reveals that she is Riju's distant ancestor, using herLightning to serve the King of Hyrule.[6] She expresses her pride inRiju's Power of Lightning, and she claims that Queen Gibdo was summoned by Demon King Ganondorf to prevent Riju from finding her Secret Stone.[22] Riju reacts with confusion, which prompts Ardi to recount the Imprisoning War and her promise to Zelda.[23]
Following her story, Ardi states that Demon King Ganondorf is still a threat, and she asks Riju to face him alongside Link.[24] When Ardi disappears, Riju states that fighting the Demon King sounds fun, and she accepts the Secret Stone and her new role as a Sage.[25]
Other Appearances
Age of Imprisonment
Ardi is a benevolentGerudo warrior clad in green. She followsGanondorf according to the ancientGerudo tradition which recognizes him as their leader. He later betrays her in his goal to makeRauru believe that she and her allies were rogue Gerudo and not part of his forces, making her turn against him and later joining the other Sages after the Gerudo are attacked byGibdo.
Ardi can be seen fighting Rauru as a result of Ganondorf's orders to attack the castle from the north, despite not agreeing with this. Later, she is given anEnvoy Mask in the shape of a camel and changes to wear white clothing. She wields theScimitar of the Seven and theDaybreaker in battle.
Trivia
- InTears of the Kingdom, Ardi has a fully modeled face underneath herDivine Helm which differs from her appearance inAge of Imprisonment. However, this was not intended to be seen and is not visible during regular gameplay.
Nomenclature
Ardi's name is derived fromArdipithecus, a prehistoric genus of hominid that is considered to either be an early ancestor of modern humans or at least closely related to them. The most complete specimen of this genus (or in fact any early hominid) is a female which has also been given the nameArdi. Her name follows the same pattern as her fellowSagesAgraston,Raphica, andQia being named for the earliest known specimens or ancestors of what their tribe is based on.
 Names in Other Regions | |
|---|---|
| Language | Names |
 Japanese | アルディ (Arudi)[26] |
| This table was generated from Zelda Wiki'stranslation data. | |
Gallery
Tears of the Kingdom
Ardi without her helm
Tears of the Kingdom
Ardi's Secret Stone
Tears of the Kingdom
The Divine Helm worn by Ardi
Tears of the Kingdom
Ardi appearing before Riju
Age of Imprisonment
Model of Ardi before her appointment as Sage
Age of Imprisonment
Promotional screenshot of Ardi battling Rauru
Age of Imprisonment
Promotional screenshot of Ardi
Age of Imprisonment
Promotional screenshot of Ardi fighting Monsters
Age of Imprisonment
Promotional screenshot of Ardi fighting a Blue Moblin
Age of Imprisonment
Ardi's introduction
Age of Imprisonment
A blurb that appears after unlocking Ardi as a Warrior
See Also
References
- ↑
Ardi, Chief of the Gerudo
— Story (Age of Imprisonment) - ↑2.02.1
Ardi
— Characters (Age of Imprisonment)
Gerudo Chief
The compassionate chief of the Gerudo. Though she was once bound by Gerudo law to serve Ganondorf, she has since been chosen to lead her people in the wake of the Demon King's ascension. - ↑
Gerudo Warrior
— Game Screen (Age of Imprisonment)
Ardi - ↑
All we have to do is hold strong until Lady Ardi can destroy those hives! Stand your ground, everyone!
— Gerudo Captain (Age of Imprisonment) - ↑
Secret stones have amplified the powers of the Sages of Fire, Water, Wind, and Lightning. Face these four elemental masters one after another to hone your combat proficiency!
— Map (Age of Imprisonment) - ↑6.06.16.26.3
I know that voice... You are the one who's been talking all this time.
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom)Yes. Your ancestor from a time long past... I was a Gerudo warrior who served the first king of Hyrule and a sage who called down lightning. Just as you can.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑"I hope you’ve been enjoying playing #HyruleWarriorsAgeofImprisonment! It was an immense honor & pleasure to be invited back to the kingdom to voiceGarudoshould be: Gerudo [sicThis is not an error. This word was misspelled in the original source.] warrior, Ardi! I will never stop marveling at how lucky I am to be a part of such an iconic world and story ❤️ #legendofzelda" —@AboutElizabethM on Twitter, November 9, 2025
- ↑"Legends breathe anew as they emerge in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment!
Agraston is the worldly chief of the Gorons.
Qia is the Zora queen and a skilled fighter.
Raphica is the quick-witted leader of the Rito.
Ardi is a compassionate Gerudo leader bound to serve Ganondorf.
Lenalia is a chamberlain who attends to Princess Zelda.
👋Who else is hyped for the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment available on Nov 6, only on #NintendoSwitch2?" — nintendoamerica,[1] , Instagram, published October 6, 2025, retrieved October 6, 2025. - ↑
Rauru. The Demon King... He is not someone you can stop by yourself. But...you are not alone. You have the Gerudo, Goron, Zora, and Rito leaders, as well as Zelda... And of course...you can count on me.
— Mineru (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Long, long ago...when the kingdom of Hyrule was still young... A great evil, the Demon King, emerged. He attacked the innocent and sought the destruction of Hyrule. He was our chief...before he changed. His obsession with power transformed him into a monster. Rauru—the first king of Hyrule—and six warriors rose to oppose him. I'm proud to have been one of them.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
We faced the Demon King but only after Rauru gave us the secret stones. Artifacts that amplified the abilities of those who carried them. I—the Sage of Lightning—fought by my fellow sages in battle with my own secret stone.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Rauru then came up with a plan to turn the tide of the war. He entrusted secret stones to warriors with exceptional abilities. They became sages and united in an effort to finally defeat the Demon King. Rauru and the sages outnumbered the Demon King and should have been able to stop him.
— Mineru (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
We all, gathered here, swear on our lives to serve Rauru, the King of Light.
— Six Sages (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
But we were no match for his overwhelming power. He endured our strongest attacks. Even the lightning strikes I called down... King Raru knew we had lost the battle against the Demon King. He made the ultimate sacrifice, to imprison the Demon King... To seal him away.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Some time later... Another of the six sages—the Sage of Time—came to visit me, and she set the Gerudo on our destined path.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
The magic restraining the Demon King will eventually be undone. When that time comes, you must help Link. He is a noble swordsman who will fight that monster. So please... He will need your assistance. Lend him your power... The Gerudo's control of lightning!
— Princess Zelda (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
We wish nothing more than to eliminate the Demon King. We are responsible for his very existence in this world, and for that we must make amends. I swear to you that when the Demon King returns, the Gerudo Sage of Lightning will awaken one more. The Gerudo sage and her people will fight alongside your swordsman.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Huh?!
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom)Come... Come... to where I am...
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom)Again... You heard it, didn't you? "Come..." Is it calling out to us?
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
And then there's the voice that you and I both heard. A voice and lightning... This reminds me of something! Link, there's something you should see. Come down to themural in the underground shelter.
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Oh, Link. You came. Look at the mural on this wall. It is thought to have been painted by ancestors of the Gerudo. It appears that when they created it, they were also using this shelter to hide. Perhaps the Gerudo of the distant past were also beset by some great disaster. Anyway, the writing on the mural says... "Standing back-to-back with the throne, witness red pillars across a vast sea. "Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and open the way. "You who can hear my voice, come to me. I await you."
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Daughter... Daughter of the Gerudo... This platform connects to the very top of this temple. Use your power to charge the four batteries, and it will function once more. Heed my words...
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
I've seen you brandish the power you have in defense of our people... I would expect nothing less from my descendant. You are the pride of the Gerudo. The Demon King is responsible for sending the monster that caused the sand shroud. But the monster's true purpose was to prevent you from obtaining that stone—my secret stone.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
Demon King? Secret stone?
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom)Don't worry. You will understand soon enough. Let me tell you of events in our distant past. The events that shaped our people's destiny—during the Imprisoning War.
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
And now I have told you all I can of the Imprisoning War and of our people's destiny... You have saved Gerudo Town, but the Demon King still remains a threat. Riju, daughter of the Gerudo... you must take up my secret stone and honor the vow I made to the Sage of Time long ago. Fight alongside the swordsman Link...
— Ardi (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
So it's my destiny to fight by your side... My destiny as a sage, my duties as chief, and fighting side-by-side with you? Ha! Sounds like fun! I will gladly strike down this so-called Demon King! I guess it's time to claim my destiny!
— Riju (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑"アルディ" — n.a.,ゼルダ無双 封印戦記 , GAMECITY, published October 6, 2025, retrieved October 6, 2025.
Sages
Agraston •Ardi •Mineru •Qia •Raphica •Riju •Sidon •Tulin •Yunobo •Zelda