"Ruto" redirects here, for the location, see Ruto Town.
Princess Ruto,(OoTOcarina of Time)[3] also known as simply Ruto,(HWHyrule Warriors)[10] is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series. She is the daughter and only child of King Zora, the ruler of the Sea Zora population residing in Hyrule, and serves as the attendant of the Zoras' patron deity Lord Jabu-Jabu, preparing his meals.[11] As a child, Ruto appears to be a tomboy and is shown to be very strong-willed and stubborn even in the face of danger, a trait she would temper and yet benefit from in her adult years when danger once again threatened her people.[12] Though she initially shows a selfish streak in her youth,[13] she grows to become much more benevolent in her adult years, especially after she is awakened to the knowledge that she is the Sage of Water that guards the Water Temple beneath Lake Hylia.
It is implied that Ruto's mother passed away some time before the events of Ocarina of Time, though she gave Ruto the Zora's Sapphire at some point in her youth. Ruto's mother told her that the stone serves as the so-called "Zora's Engagement Ring" by tradition, and instructed her to give it to the man that would one day become her husband.[8]
Princess Ruto is first mentioned when Link comes to Zora's Domain in search of the Spiritual Stone of Water in Ocarina of Time.[14] When Link arrives, Zora's Domain has been thrown into a state of disarray with the sudden disappearance of Ruto, the Princess of the Zoras. After learning of Ruto's disappearance and earning the Silver Scale from the Diving Game, Link makes use of the object to investigate Princess Ruto's disappearance, as her father does not seem to be able to give any attention to Link's quest while his daughter remains missing.[15] Taking the shortcut leading from Zora's Domain to Lake Hylia, Link discovers a bottle with a note inside it at the bottom of the lake. The note is signed with Ruto's name and reveals that she has been swallowed by the Zoras' patron deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu, and requires rescue.[16] Showing the letter to King Zora, the Zora ruler commands Link to rescue his daughter and allows him access to see Lord Jabu-Jabu.[17] It is later revealed that Ruto accidentally dropped the Spiritual Stone of Water inside Lord Jabu-Jabu and lost it.[18] Instead of getting help, Ruto chose to go deeper within Lord Jabu-Jabu hoping to find the stone on her own.
Link finds Princess Ruto fairly quickly upon his entry into Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly.[19] The feisty Zora princess denies knowledge of the letter Link had found in Lake Hylia and initially tries to deny any need for assistance, telling Link she could care less about her father's worry and ordering him to leave her.[2] However, Link continues to pursue Ruto, attempting to convince her to either come with him or accept his help in recovering what she had lost.[20] Ruto eventually reconsiders her opposition to the idea and accepts Link's assistance, deciding to have him carry her around Lord Jabu-Jabu's interior while they search for the Spiritual Stone of Water together.[21] Eventually, the two find the stone resting upon a raised platform deep within Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. Link tosses Ruto up onto the platform, where she recovers the stone,[18] though this causes the platform to rise into the chamber above them with Ruto still on it. The platform descends again carrying a Big Octo, which Link is forced to battle. After defeating the beast, Link jumps onto the platform and rises into the chamber above, but finds no trace of Ruto.
Ruto and Link after escaping Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly
Eventually, Link is forced to battle against Barinade and, once he defeats it, Princess Ruto is shown waiting for him. The visibly shaken Zora princess scolds Link for the time it took him to rescue her, but the two are soon transported outside via the portal.[22] Once outside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly, Ruto's demeanor toward Link changes entirely, with the Zora princess having grown quite fond of him and asking him what reward he would ask for rescuing her and helping her recover the Spiritual Stone.[23][24] Link requests the Spiritual Stone of Water, and Ruto happily hands it over to him, calling it her most "precious possession" and revealing that the stone effectively acts as the "Zora Engagement Ring",[14] meaning that she now considers the two of them engaged to be married. Despite this, Link is unaware of his engagement to Ruto, only knowing that he had finally obtained the three Spiritual Stones.[25]
Ruto awakening as the Sage of Water
Seven years after Link is placed into suspended animation by the Master Sword, evil returns to Zora's Domain when Ganondorf uses the power granted to him by the Triforce of Power and causes the entire area and its inhabitants to be frozen under a thick layer of Ice. This fate also befalls Princess Ruto initially, but she is rescued from beneath the cursed Ice by Sheik. She then goes to the Water Temple in the hope of finding a way to save her people from being eternally frozen.[26] This is where she and Link meet again for the first time in seven years. Although Ruto is happy to see him, she is aware that this is not a time to talk about love. Ruto asks Link to assist her in saving the Zoras by destroying the monster at the heart of the temple and informs him of the workings of the Water Temple.[27] After this, Ruto leads Link into one of the temple's upper chambers but mysteriously vanishes. Link does not see her again until he defeats the Giant Aquatic Ameoba Morpha, the monster responsible for the sad state of both Zora's Domain and the nearly dry Lake Hylia. Inside the Temple of Light, Link learns that Ruto is the new Sage of Water that guards the Water Temple. She tells Link that she still loves him, but their engagement must be put on indefinite hold due to her duty as a Sage, and he must continue his search for Princess Zelda.[28] Right before he returns to Hyrule, Ruto gives him the Water Medallion,[29] and asks him to thank Sheik for saving her if he sees him again.[30]
Princess Ruto appears within the water room inside Ganon's Castle after Link dispels the Water Barrier protecting the castle, where she urges Link onward to rescue the captive seventh Sage and leader of the Sages, Princess Zelda. After Link defeats Ganondorf both in his Gerudo form and in the form of the Dark Beast Ganon, Ruto combines her power with that of the other Sages to cast Ganondorf back into the tainted Sacred Realm and to create a powerful seal that would imprison him there. She is last seen alongside several of the other Sages atop Death Mountain, overlooking a jubilant Hyrule now freed of Ganondorf's evil tyranny.
Minor References
Ruto's window
The Wind Waker
While Ruto does not physically appear in The Wind Waker, one of the stained glass windows in Hyrule Castle's basement, where the Master Sword now rests, depicts her as the Sage of Water. The fact that the Rito evolved from the Zora combined with the fact that Laruto, another Zora sage with a very similar name, is Medli's ancestor, has led some to believe that Laruto is a relative or descendant of Ruto.
When an evil man threatened Zora's Domain, Ruto awoke as a Sage and fought against him with the princess and the hero of legend.[36] Her achievements are forever etched into the history of Hyrule Kingdom, passed on and remembered by the Zora.[37] Divine Beast Vah Ruta, which would later be piloted by another Zora princess, was named in honor of Ruto.[38]
Princess Ruto is also mentioned in Mipha's Diary when the Zora princess, Mipha recalled the story of Ruto, who had fallen in love with a Hylian knight, who is the Link in her time, which gave her some hope for confessing her feelings for Link,[39] and when it came the occasion that Link is traveling without Princess Zelda at his side, she calls upon her for courage.[40]
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
Ocarina of Time (Himekawa)
Ruto largely fills the same role in the Ocarina of Time manga by Akira Himekawa as she did in the actual game, though there are some slight differences that can be seen in her character when comparing the two. In the story of the manga, Ruto is swallowed by Jabu-Jabu intentionally, as she hopes to escape an engagement to a suitor presented to her by her father whom she deems unacceptable. After Link saves her, she grows quite fond of him and grants him the Zora's Sapphire in rebellion against the marriage her father was attempting to arrange for her. As in the game, she comes to truly believe she and Link are destined for marriage following these events. In this take on the story, she seems to be far less tolerant of her father, ill concealing that she considers him annoying. She also makes a habit of saying 'Zora' at the end of her sentences.
Hyrule Warriors
In Hyrule Warriors}, Princess Ruto appears as a playable Warrior. She is based on her slightly redesigned adult form in Ocarina of Time 3D. She wields the Zora Scale, which she uses as a medium for water magic. Similarly to Lana, she can be considered a wizardly character, as her moveset often consists of area-of-effect attacks, such as forming whirlpools, a giant sphere of water which she uses to trap her enemies and unleashing wide splashes. She has a unique mechanic where executing her combos causes a blue gauge to fill. At any point, she can use the gauge to fire off long-range waves of water that plow through enemies.
In Legend Mode, Princess Ruto first appears in the Scenario "Land of Myth", where she has been taken hostage by Darunia and held in Death Mountain. The Hyrulean Forces, led by Impa and Sheik, come to her rescue and defeat Darunia. It is then discovered that Darunia was being manipulated by an outside force. Princess Ruto, along with Darunia, then accompany the Hyrulean Forces as they venture to locate and close the Gate of Souls in Lake Hylia in the Scenario "The Water Temple". Princess Ruto assists the Hyrulean Forces by opening the floodgates allowing passage to the Water Temple. She then shortly leaves to find the Lens of Truth, in order to reveal the true identity of the false Princess Zelda. She is however soon captured by Zelda. After being rescued, she hands the Lens of Truth to Sheik before retreating from the battle.
Ruto otherwise does not play a large role in Legend Mode by default. She, however, will appear in place of Zelda, Sheik, or Darunia should any one of them be chosen in a Scenario they appear in. In "The Sacred Sword", Ruto will be the one to activate the Fire and Water Statue if Darunia is being played as. In "Liberation of the Triforce", Ruto will be the one to grant Link the Light Arrows during the final battle if Zelda is picked.
When defeated in battle, Princess Ruto may occasionally drop her Earrings as a silver Material, and rarely her Scale as a gold Material.
↑"Next we have Princess Ruto." — Hyrule Warriors Direct , YouTube, published August 4, 2014.
↑ 2.02.1You? Who are you?! I am Ruto, Princess of the Zoras. What?! Are you saying my father asked you to come her to save me? I'd never ask anyone to do such a thing! "Letter in a Bottle?" I have no idea what you're talking about! My father is worried about me? I don't care! Anyway, I can't go home right now. And you...Get out of here! Understand?! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time)
↑ 8.08.1My mother gave it to me and said I should give it only to the man who will be my husband. You might call it the Zora's Engagement Ring! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time)
↑Zora's Fountain is the source of the river. Lord Jabu-Jabu lives in the fountain. Lord Jabu-Jabu is the patron deity of the Zoras. Princess Ruto is in charge of preparing his meals, morning and night. — Zora (Ocarina of Time)
↑We Zoras all respect the great King Zora! He has the dignity of a king. Oh yeah, he does. The grand King Zora has a Princess named Ruto. She's an only child. She's also a wild tomboy, and it seems like she's always causing the King a lot of trouble! — Zora (Ocarina of Time)
↑They say that Ruto, the Zora Princess who is known for her selfish nature, likes a certain boy... — Gossip Stone (Ocarina of Time)
↑ 14.014.1[I want that Spiritual Stone] You mean the Spiritual Stone of Water, Zora's Sapphire, don't you? My mother gave it to me and said I should give it only to the man who will be my husband. You might call it the Zora Engagement Ring! All right! I'll give you my most precious possession: Zora's Sapphire! Don't tell my father... — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑Oh, my dear, sweet Princess Ruto... Where has she gone? I'm so worried... — King Zora (Ocarina of Time)
↑...Huh? It looks like there is something already inside this bottle. It's a letter: "Help me. I'm waiting for you inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. —Ruto PS: Don't tell my father!" — Letter (Ocarina of Time)
↑Ho, this letter! It's from Princess Ruto! Hmmm... Let's see... She's inside Lord Jabu-Jabu? That's not possible! Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my dear Princess Ruto! But since that stranger, Ganondorf, came here, Lord Jabu-Jabu has been a little green around the gills... The evidence seems clear. Of course, you'll go find Ruto. You can pass through here to the altar of Lord Jabu-Jabu. I'll keep this letter. You keep the bottle it was in. Take it respectfully! Please find my dear Princess Ruto immediately! — King Zora (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑ 18.018.1That's it! That's what I've been looking for! Throw me up there! Onto the platform! Oh my goodness! I finally found...My mother's stone... I got very upset when Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed it... While I was feeding him, he suddenly swallowed me! I was so surprised I dropped it inside... But, now that I've found it, I don't need to be in here anymore! So take me home right now! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑You found Princess Ruto! Now King Zora will give you the Spiritual Stone of Water... Well, maybe. Huh? — N/A (Ocarina of Time)
↑Are you still hanging around here? I told you to go away! I'm OK. I've been going inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly since I was little, but... Lord Jabu-Jabu is very strange today... There are electrified jellyfish and strange holes around... On top of that, my precious stone was... but...that's none of your business! Anyway... You! Go home now! Understand?! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑You're that worried about me? Then I will give you the honor of carrying me! However...I won't leave until I find the thing I'm looking for. You'd better believe me! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑You... You're late! What took you so long? You're useless! I was just lonely, that's all... Just a little! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑Oh, hi Link! You're all Princess Ruto will talk about lately! — Zora (Ocarina of Time)
↑You! You looked cool... Cooler than I thought you would, anyway... Just a little! Well, anyway, you saved me, so I guess I'll reward you. What do you wish? Just tell me... — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑Her most precious possession? You don't know what she's talking about, but you've finally collected all three Spiritual Stones! Go back to see Princess Zelda! — Game Screen (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑We meet again, Link... If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time... This is all there is... With one exception, the Zoras are all now sealed under this thick ice sheet... I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but... she left to head for the Water Temple... This ice is created by an evil curse... The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt.... If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple. Time passes, people move.... Like a river's flow, it never ends... A childish mind will turn to noble ambition... Young love will become deep affection... The clear water's surface reflects growth... Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself.... Link... I'll see you again... — Sheik (Ocarina of Time)
↑Oh...you... If I'm right... LinkAppears in-game as the player's chosen name.?! You're LinkAppears in-game as the player's chosen name., aren't you? It's me, your fiancée, Ruto! Princess of the Zoras! I never forgot the vows we made to each other seven years ago! You're a terrible man to have kept me waiting for these seven long years... But now is not the time to talk about love... I'm sure you've already seen it! Zora's Domain—totally frozen! A young man named Sheik saved me from under the ice... But my father and the other Zoras have not...yet... I want to save them all! I want to save Zora's Domain! You! You have to help me! This is a request from me, the woman who is going to be your wife! Link, you have to help me destroy the evil monster in the Temple, OK?! Inside the Water Temple, there are three places where you can change the water level. I'll lead the way. Follow me, quickly! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑LinkAppears in-game as the player's chosen name.... I would have expected no less from the man I chose to be my husband. Zora's Domain and its people will eventually return to their original state. As a reward...I grant my eternal love to you. Well, that's what I want to say, but I don't think I can offer that now. I have to guard the Water Temple as the Sage of Water... And you... You're searching for the princess, Zelda? Hah! You can't hide anything from me! Princess Zelda... She's alive. I can sense it...so don't be discouraged. I can tell that nothing will stop you in your quest for justice and peace... You must take this Medallion... Take it respectfully! — Princess Ruto (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑You received the Water Medallion! Ruto awakens as a Sage and adds her power to yours! — Game Screen (Ocarina of Time 3D)
↑Long, long ago... In a past more distant than even the Great Calamity or the creation of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta... There was a Zora princess named Ruto. — History of the Zora, Part Five (Breath of the Wild)
↑Around that same time, an evil man with designs on ruling the world appeared, bringing disaster upon Zora's Domain. It is said that Ruto then awoke as a sage, facing this foe alongside the princess of Hyrule and the hero of legend. — History of the Zora, Part Five (Breath of the Wild)
↑The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, built ages later to face off against Calamity Ganon, was named in honor of Ruto. That the Zora princess—my sweet daughter Mipha—was chosen to pilot Ruta is surely the work of fate. — History of the Zora, Part Five (Breath of the Wild)
↑According to the old legend, long ago a Zora princess fell in love with a Hylian swordsman. Perhaps there is hope. — Mipha's Diary (Breath of the Wild)
↑Oh, I have an idea! At sunset I shall ride upon Ruta with Link. Zora princess of the past...please lend me your courage! — Mipha's Diary (Breath of the Wild)
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