Princess Ruto

:"Ruto" redirects here, for the location, see .
, also known as simply , is a recurring character in . She is the daughter and only child of King Zora, the ruler of the Zora population residing in Hyrule, and serves as the attendant of the Zoras' patron deity Lord Jabu-Jabu, preparing his meals. Despite her royal beauty as the princess of the Zoras, 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. Though she initially shows a selfish streak in her youth, 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 beneath Lake Hylia.
It is implied that Princess Ruto's mother passed away some time before the events of , though she gave Ruto the Zora's Sapphire at some point in her youth. Ruto's mother told her that the Spiritual 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, who happens to be the Hero of Time.
==Biography==
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 is first mentioned when comes to in search of the in . When arrives, has been thrown into a state of disarray with the sudden disappearance of , the Princess of the . After learning of 's disappearance and earning the from the , makes use of the object to investigate Ruto's disappearance, as her father does not seem to be able to give any attention to 's quest while his daughter remains missing. Taking the shortcut leading from to , discovers a bottle with a note inside it at the bottom of the lake. The note is signed with her name and reveals that she has been swallowed by the ' patron deity, , and requires rescue. Showing the letter to , the ruler commands to rescue his daughter and allows him access to see . It is later revealed that accidentally dropped the and lost it. Instead of getting help, chose to go deeper within hoping to find the stone on her own.
 finds Ruto fairly quickly upon his entry into 's belly. Despite being found to be rescued by the young hero, the feisty princess denies knowledge of the letter had found in and initially tries to deny any need for assistance, telling she could care less about her father's worry and ordering him to leave her. However, continues to pursue her, attempting to convince Ruto to either come with him or accept his help in recovering what she had lost. eventually reconsiders her opposition to the idea and accepts 's assistance, deciding to have him carry her around 's interior while they search for the together. Eventually, the two find the stone resting upon a raised platform deep within 's belly. tosses up onto the platform, where she recovers the stone, though this causes the platform to suddenly rise into the chamber above them with the Zora princess still on it. The platform descends again carrying a , which is forced to battle. After defeating the beast, jumps onto the platform and rises into the chamber above, but finds no trace of . Eventually, battles against and, once he defeats it, is shown angrily waiting for him. The visibly shaken princess scolds for the time it took him to rescue her, but the two are soon transported outside via the portal. 
Once outside 's belly, 's demeanor toward changes entirely, with the princess having grown quite fond of him, and asking the young hero what reward he would ask for rescuing her and helping her recover the . requests the , and Ruto happily hands it over to him, calling it her most "precious possession", and revealing that the mystical stone effectively acts as the "Zora's Engagement Ring", meaning that she now considers the two of them engaged to be married. Despite this, is unaware of his engagement to , only knowing that he had finally obtained the three to complete Princess Zelda's request.
Seven years after is placed into suspended animation by the , evil returns to when uses the power granted to him by the and causes the entire area and its inhabitants to be frozen under a thick layer of . This fate also befalls initially, but she is rescued from beneath the cursed ice by . She then goes to the in the hope of finding a way to save her people from being eternally frozen. This is where she and meet again for the first time in 7 years, now grown-up like he is. Although the Zora princess is quite happy to see her fiancé again, she is aware that this is not a time to talk about love. asks to assist her in saving the by destroying the monster at the heart of the temple and informs him of the workings of the . After this, she leads into one of the temple's upper chambers but mysteriously vanishes. does not see Ruto again until he defeats the Giant Aquatic Ameoba , the monster responsible for the sad state of both and the nearly dry Lake Hylia. Inside the , learns that is the new that guards the . She tells that she still loves him dearly, but their engagement must be put on indefinite hold due to her duty as a , and he must continue his search for , whom she is aware of. Right before he returns to , gives him the and bestows him her power, and asks him to thank for saving her if he sees him again.
 again appears within the water room inside after dispels the protecting the castle, where she urges onward to rescue the captive seventh and their leader, . After defeats , both in his human form and as the dark beast , combines her power with that of the other five to cast the KIng of Evil back into the tainted and to create a powerful seal that would imprison him there for a very long time. She is last seen alongside several of the other atop , overlooking a jubilant now freed of Ganon's evil tyranny by the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda.
==Minor References==
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While Ruto does not physically appear in , one of the stained glass windows in basement, where the now rests, depicts her as the Sage of Water, in reference to the events of Ocarina of Time. The fact that the Rito evolved from the Zora combined with the fact that , another Zora Sage with a very similar name, is ancestor, which led some to believe that Laruto herself is a likely relative or descendant of Princess Ruto.
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 called appear in , where they are said to have been worn by a Zora princess.
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 reappear in , where they are said to have been worn by many princesses of the Zora royal family.
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In , the fifth , entitled the , details the story of Ruto. She lived in a time before the and the creation of . It is known that she was the attendant to the Zora's patron deity and was widely beloved.
When an evil man threatened , Ruto awoke as a and fought against him with the and the hero of legend. Her achievements are forever etched into the history of , passed on and remembered by the Zora. This story is a direct reference of Ocarina of Time's events. Divine Beast Vah Ruta, which would later be piloted by another , was named in honor of Ruto.
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In , recounts Princess Ruto's story on a titled , similar to the above writings from . Sidon ends with saying that as Ruto's descendant, he shall carry on her legacy and bravery.
==Other Appearances==
=== (Himekawa)===
Princess Ruto largely fills the same role in the 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.
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In , Princess Ruto appears as a playable Warrior. She is based on her slightly redesigned adult form in . 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.
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Young Princess Ruto appears as a Spirit in .
==Trivia==
*Like Navi, Princess Ruto is one of the more criticized characters of The Legend of Zelda series, specifically when she was a child in Ocarina of Time. Her strong-willed behavior and short temper in the face of danger, as well as "forcing" Link to marry her at a young age after rescuing the Zora princess from Jabu-Jabu's Belly has led to many calling Ruto a "spoiled brat" or a horrible princess, and some also do not like the idea of a Zora being in love with a Hylian, unlike that with Princess Zelda or Malon, believing two separate races are not compatible even though she is humanoid. Despite this, the character does have a small fanbase among the community due to her unique royal beauty appearance compared to other Zoras as an adult, as well as her role as a Warrior in Hyrule Warriors.
**Ironically and perhaps strangely, Link's relationship with Saria, whom is a Kokiri and doesn't age into an adult, is significantly less criticized in comparison.
*Ruto, like the other Sages from , shares her name with a town from .
*According to Yoshiki Haruhana, a character designer for Ocarina of Time, Princess Ruto's design, specifically her head, is based on a hammerhead shark, and in the original N64 version, the holes on the sides of her head as a child are actually an extra set of eyes (implying she can see almost all directions), before they move inside and leave blowholes as an adult. Official artwork and Ocarina of Time 3D, however, show those eyes the same regardless of age. Due to their shiny appearance, some fans otherwise believed them to be gems, instead.
*If Link were to say "Nothing, really..." to Princess Ruto during when she asks him what does he wishes for his reward after rescuing her, she will suggestively say to him not to be shy and she can tell what he is thinking, and will still grant the Zora's Sapphire to the young hero as if he desired for it.
*Due to Link's romantic relationships with two different princesses in - Ruto and Zelda, as well as Saria and Malon, it is widely believed by fans that the Hero of Time is in a love triangle, despite he is technically engaged with Princess Ruto upon obtaining the Zora's Sapphire.
*Princess Ruto is the first character other than Link in the series to perform the iconic "get item" jingle while holding the item in the air, as seen when she obtains her Zora's Sapphire as a child in Jabu-Jabu's Belly.
*Just before the boss battle against Morpha in the Water Temple, a voice is heard warning Link about the water not being normal. Although commonly assumed to be Navi, it is implied the voice actually belonged to Princess Ruto (with it being more explicit in the Japanese version where the voice used speech quirks exclusive to Ruto).
*Princess Ruto has a counterpart in Termina named Lulu, the singer of the popular Zora band The Indigo-Go's, as seen in .
*If Link were to wear the Zora Mask and talk to Princess Ruto, she will react with excitement, saying to the hero that he is ready to become a Zora and requests would he agree to marry her now (the options box won't appear, however).
*Ruto as a child shares the same giggling sound effect as Saria.
*It is likely that Princess Ruto was inside Barinade during the boss battle in Jabu-Jabu's Belly, as when it was defeated, she can be seen rising out of the ground, and explaining her shaken behavior toward Link.
*In the Ocarina of Time (Himekawa) manga, Princess Ruto as an adult completely assists Link in the Water Temple and even fights Morpha alongside him. During the battle, she can produce a force field made of water.
*Princess Ruto, alongside Princess Zelda and Malon, are the only three characters from Link's childhood to grow up into an adult once he becomes the Hero of Time.
*In the original N64 version of , as an adult, Princess Ruto's fins periodically move. However, they remain still in .
*Ruto's "Eep!" sound when she is thrown by Link in Jabu-Jabu's Belly as a child is shared with Navi of when the fairy hits the wooden wall in Kokiri Forest heading toward Link's house in the cutscene of being sent by the Great Deku Tree.
==Nomenclature==
Ruto's name may come from the Japanese word naruto, which means "spiral" or "whirlpool". 
==Gallery==
File:Princessrutogasp.jpg|Young Princess Ruto inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly from 
File:Ruto gets the Zora's Sapphire.png|Young Princess Ruto (not Link) obtaining the Zora's Sapphire in 
File:Jabu Stomach End.png|A visibly shaken Princess Ruto scolding Link inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly from 
File:LinkRuto2.jpg|Young Princess Ruto nearly kisses Link after rescuing her from Ocarina of Time
File:OoT Adult Princess Ruto's beauty.png|Adult Princess Ruto inside the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time
File:Ruto Chamber1.png|Adult Princess Ruto in the Chamber of Sages from 
File:Ruto Chamber2.png|Princess Ruto inside the Sacred Realm from 
File:RutoSageSeal.png|Princess Ruto inside the Chamber of Sages from 
File:Water Barrier.jpg|Princess Ruto after dispelling the Water Barrier from 
File:Creditssages.jpg|Princess Ruto during the game credits from 
File:OoT3D Princess Ruto Adult.png|Princess Ruto inside the Water Temple from 
File:OOT manga Link meeting Princess Ruto.png|Princess Ruto meeting Link in the OoT manga
File:OoT manga Link protecting Princess Ruto from Barinade.png|Link saving young Princess Ruto from Barinade in the Ocarina of Time manga
File:OoT manga Link becomes engaged with Ruto.png|Princess Ruto engages herself with Link in the OoT manga
File:OoT Adult Link and Princess Ruto swimming.png|Adult Link and Princess Ruto swimming underwater in the Water Temple from the Ocarina of Time manga
File:OoT manga Link fighting Morpha.png|Link and Princess Ruto fighting Morpha in the Ocarina of Time manga
File:OoT manga Ruto awakens as a Sage.png|Princess Ruto awakening as the Sage of Water in the Ocarina of Time manga
File:HW Ruto Render.png|Render of Ruto from 
File:HW Ruto Silver Scale Render.png|Render of Ruto wielding the Silver Scale from 
File:HW Ruto Master Quest Map Standard Outfit Model.png|Ruto's Standard Outfit (Master Quest) from , based on Lulu from 
File:HW Ruto Twilight Map Standard Outfit Model.png|Ruto's Standard Outfit (Twilight) from 
File:HW Ruto Zora Mask Costume Model.png|Ruto's Zora Mask Costume from the Termina Map from 
File:HWDE Ruto Icon.png|Ruto portrait from 
File:HWDE Ruto Portrait 2.png|Ruto portrait from 
File:HWDE Ruto Portrait 3.png|Ruto portrait from 
File:HWDE Ruto Portrait 4.png|Ruto portrait from 
File:HWDE Ruto Portrait 5.png|Ruto portrait from 
File:HWDE Dark Ruto Portrait.png|Dark Ruto portrait from 
File:HW Ruto Adventure Mode Icon.png|Ruto Adventure Mode icon from 
File:HW Ruto Head Adventure Mode Icon.png|Ruto head Adventure Mode icon from 
File:HWL Ruto Lorule Standard Outfit Artwork.png|Render of Ruto's Standard Outfit (Lorule) from 
File:HWL Ruto Master Wind Waker Standard Outfit Model.png|Ruto's Standard Outfit (Wind Waker) from 
File:HWL Ruto Grand Travels Standard Outfit Model.png|Ruto's Standard Outfit (Grand Travels) from 
File:HWDE Ruto Standard Outfit (Great Sea) Model.png|Ruto's Standard Outfit (Great Sea) from 
File:HWDE Ruto Mini Map Icon.png|Ruto Mini Map icon from 
File:HWDE Dark Ruto Mini Map Icon.png|Dark Ruto Mini Map icon from 
File:HWDE Ruto 8-Bit Clock.png|Ruto wielding the 8-Bit Clock from 
File:HWDE Ruto Sun Dragon Scale.png|Ruto wielding the Sun Dragon Scale from 
===Video Gallery===
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Category:Female characters