Ruto

This article is about the Zora in Ocarina of Time. For the town in The Adventure of Link, see Town of Ruto.

Ruto

Official Artwork of Ruto as an adult

Title	Princess of the Zoras Sage of Water
Race	Zora
Gender	Female
Games	Ocarina of Time Ocarina of Time Manga Hyrule Warriors
Location	Zora's Domain
Related	King Zora (Father)

Ruto is the princess of the water-dwelling Zora tribe in Ocarina of Time. She is the daughter of King Zora.

Appearances

Ocarina of Time

Child

Link first hears of Ruto from her father who proclaims that she is missing. Link discovers a bottle at Lake Hylia with a message inside reading:

"Help me.

I am waiting for you inside

Lord Jabu Jabu's belly.

-Ruto.

PS: Don't tell my father!"

Ignoring the request, Link shows the message to King Zora and allows entrance to Lord Jabu-Jabu.

Link finds Ruto inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. Apparently, she goes there often, but this time there are many enemies and it is dangerous. Ruto isn't pleased to see Link and claims that she did not write the letter, and, while trying to walk away from him, she falls down a hole. When Link talks to her again, she finally accepts his help and explains how she dropped her "precious stone", the Zora's Sapphire, and needs to recover it. He then carries Ruto around in search of the stone. Eventually, it is found in the center of a circular room, but when Ruto moves to grab it, she is taken up to a higher level. Big Octo appears and Link must defeat it to follow Ruto.

When Link defeats Barinade, he is reunited with Ruto who immediately exclaims her frustration with Link while blushing, stating that he is late and that she was lonely.

Back in Zora's Fountain, she suddenly has a noticeable change of heart, startling Link causing him to fall into the water. With a seductive look, she says that Link "looked cool" and asks him what he wants as a reward. Regardless of what option the player picks, Ruto will give Link the Spiritual Stone of Water, the Zora's Sapphire. She then explains how the stone is like an engagement ring and that she should give it only to the man who will be her husband.

Adult

Seven years later, after Ganondorf obtains the Triforce of Power and takes over Hyrule, Zora's Domain is entirely frozen with the Zoras stuck under the thick ice sheet. Ruto escaped with the assistance of Sheik.

Link later meets Ruto in the Water Temple, now as an adult. She tells Link that he was a horrible man for leaving her for so long, but is focused on the more important matter of saving her people. She leads Link to the top level of the Water Temple, but vanishes and is no longer seen.

Upon defeating Morpha, Ruto is awakened as the Sage of Water. Her desire is to grant Link with her eternal love, but acknowledges that won't be possible, and instead she gives him the Water Medallion. In addition, she informs him, for the first time since he woke up, that Princess Zelda is alive.

Ruto assists the other Sages in sealing Ganondorf within the Sacred Realm at the end of the game.

Non-Canon Appearances

Ocarina of Time Manga

Ruto is a character in the Ocarina of Time manga

Hyrule Warriors

Ruto is a playable character in the upcoming game, Hyrule Warriors. Like in Ocarina of Time, she is the tomboyish princess of the Zora tribe. While Ruto may seem arrogant, she possesses a gentle and sincere heart. Once she warms up to those she trusts, Ruto can be shy and embarrassed easily.

Story

Ruto is first seen in Lake Hylia where she is attacked by Zelda's forces and is surrounded. After the Hyrulean Forces have defeated the two Lizalfos, she is rescued and informs them that the only way into the Water Temple requires them opening the floodgates. The Hyrulean Forces then escort her to the Lakeside Keep and capture the keep to open the floodgate. Once the water has been drained, Ruto says the floodgates are open, so they should now be able to enter the Water Temple. With the possibility of someone masquerading as Zelda, she suggests that they could use the Lens of Truth, an item left by a hero some time ago. Ruto temporarily retreats to search for the Lens of Truth, and explains she will go underwater to find the Lens of Truth, meeting with the Hyrulean Forces later.

Entering the Central Hall of the Water Temple, Ruto thinks to herself that getting inside was easy and to find the Lens of Truth. Shortly after, she finds the Lens of Truth. However, Zelda closes the entrance to the Central Hall and traps Ruto there. She then remarks how she was fearing they were planning to trap her there.

Gameplay

Ruto uses the Zora Scale as her primary weapon that allows her to magically summon water when she moves and attacks. By using some attacks, Ruto is able to accumulate water in her reservoir gauge and can be used to sweep away enemies with waves of water. She is able to perform a combo where she forms a bubble made from water and then makes it explode like a bomb. Another attack involves her jumping into the air and throwing balls of water. If Ruto has jumped high enough, she can jump down into a pool of water and emerge out of it, dealing more damage to enemies. One of her most powerful combos involves her summoning pools of water on the ground. With these pools, she can move or attack by diving from one pool to the next, so if enemies walk near her while diving or are already caught by the attack, they are knocked back and forth for the rest of her combo. Ruto ends the attack by bursting out of a pool, scattering the caught enemies.

When Focus Spirit is active and Ruto activates her Focus Spirit Attack, she jumps into the air and creates schools of arrow-like fish. Ruto then shoots them at the enemies below before ending the attack with a large fish that knocks them back very far. By using her Special Attack, Ruto swims in water to create a whirlpool to pull many enemies inside, and then turns into a tornado to scatter the caught enemies.

Gallery

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  Official Artwork of Ruto from Hyrule Warriors

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  Official Artwork of Ruto with the Zora Scale from Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto in Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto displaying her water summoning in Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto using waves of water to attack Stalchildren in Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto exploding her water bubble in Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto performing her Focus Spirit Attack in Hyrule Warriors

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  Ruto performing her Special Move in Hyrule Warriors

References

1. ↑ "You! Who are you?! I am Ruto, Princess of the Zoras. What?! Are you saying my father asked you to come here 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?!" — Ruto, Ocarina of Time.
2. ↑ "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!" — Ruto, Ocarina of Time.