Rito



The Rito are the race of anthropomorphic birds that inhabit Dragon Roost Island, the volcanic island located in the Great Sea in The Wind Waker, although one Rito postman also appears in Phantom Hourglass. The Rito serve the role of mailmen, as they, because of their ability to fly, are most suited for that job. As such, a big part of their island is used as a Post Office.

The Rito are said to not always have been creatures of the sky. The Grappling Hook is a remnant of those days. The Rito (still) aren't arboreal by birth. They need to get their wings from the Sky Spirit, Valoo, by visiting him and receiving a scale from him. This also seems to serve as a sort of coming of age-ritual. .

The name Rito seems to be a play on the Japanese word "tori" which means "bird" ("Rito" is a reversal of the characters "to" and "ri"). They also might be inspired by the Watarara, a much more birdlike race that appeared in the Ocarina of Time manga. The name might also be inspired by Ruto, the Zora princess from Ocarina of Time.

It was confirmed by Eiji Aonuma that the Rito were indeed evolved Zoras in the instruction manual for Zelda Box.

Zora to Rito Evolution
It is currently unknown why a previously aquatic race would suddenly become avian, but the evidence points to the Rito being descendants of the Ocarina of Time-era Zora. Note that though most of the Zora may have evolved, River Zora are present in Phantom Hourglass. However, normal Zoras seem to have all but died out. Their scales are viewed as precious treasures, which would be odd if the Zora were still numerous.

Reasons Supporting the Zora-Rito Evolution
 * 1) In the game, Link meets the spirit of the former Sage of Earth, Laruto, who is a Zora. She asks Link to find to find "the one who carries on her bloodline", as that person is destined to become the new Sage . This descendant turned out to be a Rito girl, Medli. This has led people to believe that some time before The Wind Waker, the Sea Zoras, or a group of them, evolved or transformed into the Rito.
 * 2) Other evidence for this theory includes the absence of Sea Zoras in a setting in which they should be plentiful, the fact that the Rito were confirmed within the game to not have always been aerial creatures.
 * 3) The appearance of the Zora Emblem on the clothing of Medli and Komali.
 * 4) It should also be noted that the Koroks, another race in The Wind Waker are explicitly stated to having been a different race once, confirming that the races of the Zelda universe can significantly change.
 * 5) Eiji Aonuma confirmed that the Rito were meant to be evolved Zoras.

Notable Members of the Rito Tribe

 * Medli
 * Komali
 * Quill
 * Rito Chieftain