Zora


 * 'See also: River Zora

Zoras, or Sea Zoras, are a race of hospitable ocean-dwelling creatures who have become common in the 3D Zelda games. Although they appeared first in A Link to the Past, their character model was completely revamped in Ocarina of Time and has become the standard ever since. Sea Zoras are normally found near or in large bodies of water. Their skin color lies in the white-blue-gray area, although brown/red also is a possible, though seemingly rarer variant. Most individuals (but not all) have fins attached to their arms and a tail at the back of their head (making their head alone look like a fish). The females have breasts, even though the species was shown to lay eggs in Majora's Mask, though this could simply be a design tool to help distinguish between the sexes.

More commonly, the sea Zora are simply called Zora. This name was taken from an older aquatic race, the River Zora, who also are more commonly called Zora. In fact, the name Zora was the original name of both races. Because the two races each have their own domain within the series (the River Zora almost solely appear in the 2D games, while the sea Zora almost solely appear in the 3D games), there was no need to distinguish between the two races by name for a long time. Oracle of Ages is the first and only game to feature both species and as such introduced the races' more specific names.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time was the game that introduced the Sea Zoras. All of the Zoras live in Zora's Domain and have easy access to Lake Hylia. Lord Jabu-Jabu serves as their patron deity and the Hyrulean Sea Zoras are led by King Zora. The latter has a daughter, Princess Ruto, who is in charge of feeding Jabu-Jabu. As a child, Link visited the domain and saved her from inside Jabu-Jabu. As a reward, he got the Zora's Sapphire, a holy stone that the Zoras protected. The Sea Zoras have been allies to the Royal Family for years.

Seven years later, Morpha caused Zora's Domain and almost all of its residents to become covered in ice. Sheik managed to rescue Princess Ruto, but it was Link who destroyed the evil inside of the Water Temple and thus saved Zora's Domain. However, Zora's Domain never recovered in-game. Only during the ending can it be seen that the Zoras indeed are safe.

Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask is the first and only The Legend of Zelda title that allows you to take control of a Sea Zora. By using the Zora Mask, Link can assume the form of Mikau, a now deceased sea Zora, and become "Zora Link". Many biological aspects of the Sea Zoras were revealed this way, such as that those Zora who possess magic are capable of creating an electric barrier around them and that some are capable of using their arm fins as boomerangs. It was also revealed that Sea Zoras lay eggs. These eggs hatch one to three days after they are laid, provided that the water they lie in is of a proper temperature and that the eggs that were laid at the same time are together. The Zora in this game are also notably more technologically advanced than in the other games, having built the Great Bay Temple, a huge waterworks factory and having a famous Jazz band called The Indigo-Go's. Their home is Zora Hall in Zora Cape of Great Bay.

Oracle of Ages
The Sea Zoras have a village in the western areas of the oceans south of Labrynna. One Sea Zora in the village mentions the evil River Zora, making clear the two races have no social connections to each other. Like in Ocarina of Time, the Sea Zora have a patron deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu. In the Present, the King Zora is deceased. Unfortunately, Link cannot enter Lord Jabu-Jabu without the King's consent. In the Past, the King is mortally ill. He can be cured with a Potion, found either by bumping into Maple, through a Gasha Seed, or by purchasing one from Syrup. When Link gives the King Zora the potion, he becomes well, and he survives to the Present. Jabu-Jabu is too small to enter in the Past, so Link must go there in the Present.

The Wind Waker
The only actual Zora that makes an appearance in The Wind Waker is Laruto, the deceased Sage of Earth. It had been a long time since Laruto was alive and Link only meets her spirit, who tells her to find her descendant, Medli. The reason the sea Zoras are not present in The Wind Waker, is because they transformed or evolved into the Ritos.

Princess Ruto did not appear in The Wind Waker but one of the stained glass windows in Hyrule Castle's basement depicts her.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Sea Zoras appear once again. When Wolf Link arrives at Telma's Bar in Hyrule Castle Town, he finds Ilia with a Zora boy who is facing death. Upon arriving in Zora's Domain, Link finds that it is frozen (much as it was during Ocarina of Time), with all the Zoras visible in the ice. During a conversation there with the spirit of the Zora Queen Rutela, Link is told that if he can help her find her son, Prince Ralis, and bring him back to the Domain, she will aid him in his quest.

After restoring light to Lanayru Province, Link helped Telma and Ilia to take the Zora prince to Kakariko Village, where Renado would heal him. After Ralis was saved, the Zora Queen made another appearance. She guided Link to her husband's grave and he received the Zora Armor, which has a similar function to the Zora Tunic in Ocarina of Time, but actually enables Link the ability to swim underwater similar to Majora's Mask's Zora Mask.

After completing the Lakebed Temple, Sea Zoras can be found in Death Mountain's hot springs, in Lake Hylia, and of course Zora's Domain and River.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
While the sea Zoras do not appear in person in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, there is a reference to their existence. The landmarks Fish Head (Cape Treasure) and Muddy Fish Head (Gooey Swamp) both are statues resembling a sea Zora's head. A Zora is also depicted on Madame Scratchcard's scratchcards.

Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks
There are no sea Zoras in Phantom Hourglass, but there are a few references to them. Two items Link can collect are called the Ruto Crown and the Zora Scale, and seem to refer to the sea Zora from Ocarina of Time, since Princess Ruto was present in that game only and Link also had to win a Zora Scale to be able to stay under water longer.

Likewise, Spirit Tracks does not feature any sea Zoras as characters. The Ruto Crown is also present as a treasure item, although the Zora Scale is no longer available.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Zoras appear as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Trivia

 * The role of the sea Zoras in Ocarina of Time is based on the role of the river Zoras in A Link to the Past, suggesting the friendly Zoras were originally meant as a reinterpretation of the enemy version. As in A Link to the Past, the Zoras are led by a significantly larger Zora by the title of King Zora, who provides Link with a Zora item designed to make water-based terrain accessible to non-Zoras. Zora's Lake had been planned to be included, but has probably been converted during production in Zora's Domain and/or Zora's Fountain, which are still home to the Zoras and provide water to Zora's River and Lake Hylia.
 * The names "Sea Zora" and "River Zora" are apparently only accurate in Labrynna, as "River" Zoras have been seen in the sea (in The Legend of Zelda and Link's Awakening, although the latter is dubious due to the nature of Koholint Island) and "Sea" Zoras have been seen in freshwater (in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess).
 * Interestingly, both "Zora" and "Zola" (the alternative spelling for Zora) are real-world (sur)names, as in Émile Zola and Zora Neale Hurston.