| “ | You? 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 |
Princess Ruto, also known as the Sage of Water, is a major character in the 1998 action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and its 2011 remake, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
Heir to the Zora throne, Ruto is the sometimes stubborn and rebellious daughter of King Zora XVI of the Zoras. During Link's quest to defeat Ganondorf, she helps him more than once and, at one point, even becomes his fiancée. Being one of the Seven Sages, Ruto became a legendary figure in Hyrule's mythology to the point where a town was named after her, which appears in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Personality
Ruto is the stubborn and rebellious princess who tends to do things in her own way while leading her kingdom. In fact, she went into Jabu-Jabu to get her pendant herself, not caring what her father thinks of her vanishing act. Likewise, Ruto seems snarky and rude at first, but after Link saves her, she shows a more positive side to her personality, expressing her gratitude for his help and giving him Zora's Sapphire as a gift despite initially wanting it back for herself. By the time he sees her again when she's older 7 years later, she has matured a lot, and when the lives of her people are threatened as a result of Zora's Domain being frozen over by Ganondorf, the Zora princess ventures into the Water Temple to save them. Ruto also has a crush on the Hylian hero Link, but instead chooses to suspend her vow in marriage, so that she may serve as a Sage.
Biography
When Link first arrives at Zora's Domain, he finds it in disarray due to Ruto's disappearance. However, shortly after retrieving the Silver Scale, which he wins in a diving game and allows him to dive deeper than before, he finds a bottle out in Lake Hylia that has a note in it that's signed with her name. It reveals that she is inside the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, a large fish that acts as the Zora's patron deity, and requires rescue. After showing the letter to her father, King Zora, he tasks Link with rescuing her.
After getting inside Lord Jabu-Jabu by feeding him a fish, which causes him to be swallowed too, Link doesn't take long to find Princess Ruto. However, in addition to denying any knowledge of the letter or asking for any sort of assistance, Ruto stubbornly refuses to leave until she finds Zora's Sapphire, a prized stone of hers that she dropped and lost when she initially got swallowed, and is also, coincidentally, the Spiritual Stone of Water that Link has ventured there to retrieve on behalf of Princess Zelda. Despite being rude to Link and telling him to leave, Link keeps following Ruto in an attempt to either convince her to leave with him or accept his help, so Ruto accepts his help and tasks him with carrying her around until they find the stone. After searching for a while, they manage to track it down in the middle of the platform which lies in the center of a circular room. She then insists that he throw her up there, which Link does, upon which she retrieves the stone. However, right after she gets it and Link tries to follow, the platform automatically rises to the next floor, which causes Ruto to scream upon encountering a Big Octo, which rides the platform down to fight Link.
After this, Ruto mysteriously disappears until after Link makes his way through the rest of Jabu-Jabu's innards and defeats a jellyfish-like creature called Barinade that was the cause of Jabu-Jabu's sickness. After this, Ruto appears in the middle of the portal that leads out of Jabu-Jabu, upon which she chastises Link for taking so long to reach her. However, after they make it outside, she suddenly acts much more friendly and affectionate towards him, sincerely thanking him for rescuing her and even asking if he wants any reward for doing so. Not forgetting his mission, Link requests Zora's Sapphire, which he happily gives to him, while also revealing it acts as an engagement ring of sorts, deciding that Link is the one she intends to marry someday. However, this part goes right over Link's head, and he quickly heads back to the castle.
Ruto re-enters the story seven years later when, thanks to Ganondorf acquiring the Triforce of Power, Zora's Domain has been cursed in the form of being frozen under a thick layer of ice, trapping most of the inhabitants there under it. However, sometime before Link arrives there to help, Ruto was already rescued by Sheik and headed straight to the Water Temple by herself to save everyone. Link later arrives at the Water Temple himself, and in one of the first rooms he enters, he catches up with her, leading to a seven-year reunion. Despite being happy to see him and not forgetting the "vows" they made all those years ago, Ruto admits this isn't a good time to talk about love-related matters and explains the situation to Link, including that she's there to save Zora's Domain and her people. She then pleads for him to help her by destroying the evil monster that lurks in the temple and gives him a brief explanation of the temple's mechanics before heading on ahead.
Ruto doesn't appear again until after Link has ventured through the Water Temple and defeated Morpha, the aquatic amoeba that's the source of the curse on Zora's Domain and the cause of Lake Hylia being dried up. Upon entering the Temple of Light, Link learns that she's the Sage of Water, which she herself has only just found out. Despite admitting that she still loves him, Ruto has resolved to put their engagment on an indefinite hold so she can fulfill her duties and guard the temple. She then gives Link the Water Medallion and asks him to thank Sheik on her behalf for saving her before.
Later, once Link has awakened all the Sages, they create a rainbow-colored bridge that allows Link to cross a large gap to reach Ganon's Castle, where he goes to rescue Princess Zelda due to her being kidnapped by Ganondorf after revealing she was Sheik the whole time. Later on, when Link defeats Ganondorf both in his Gerudo form and as Ganon, greatly weakening him, Ruto seals him in the Sacred Realm alongside the other Sages on Zelda's command. She is last seen during the end credits along with most of the other Sages (sans Rauru) appearing on Death Mountain and looking down happily on Hyrule while its people celebrate being liberated from Ganondorf's evil rule.
Other Games
Super Smash Bros.
Ruto appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a ace primary shield spirit that increases the user's power on water attack. Her spirit can only be summoned by using cores from Zora, Princess Shokora and any shield core.
Quotes
| “ | It's time for me to take my leave. Somebody carry me! | „ |
| ~ Princess Ruto in Hyrule Warriors |
| “ | Let me show you the force of the Zoras! | „ |
| ~ Princess Ruto entering battle in Hyrule Warriors |
| “ | I'm no delicate water Lily. | „ |
| ~ Princess Ruto in Hyrule Warriors |
Gallery
Images
Trivia
- Mipha's Divine Beast Vah Ruta in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is named after Princess Ruto for her heroism. She was also mentioned in Mipha's Diary, stating that she fell in love with a Hylian (who happens to be the Link in her time), providing her some hope since she has a crush on Link herself.
- Each of the seven sages in Ocarina of Time correspond with one of seven heavenly virtues. In Ruto's case, it would be chastity (the opposite of lust). This is because as she was a child she vowed to marry Link for the brave hero he was in saving her from Barinade and being devoured by Jabu-Jabu when they were kids, but once Ruto is awakened as the Sage of Water, she puts aside her desire to marriage her crush Link so he can be the Hero of Time that will save Hyrule.
External Links
- Princess Ruto — The Legend of Zelda Wiki
- Princess Ruto on the Nintendo Wiki
- Princess Ruto on the Heroic Benchmark Wiki
