The Life of a Zora

Here’s a theory I’ve been developing for years. Almost years anyway. This article will look at the Zora’s from Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and The Wind Waker, and see how they have evolved and adapted to the ever changing world of Hyrule.

 

Ocarina of Time:

The first time you meet a Zora in Ocarina of Time, according to the immediate plot anyway, is during your third mission as a child to gain the spiritual stone of water. The Zora’s are protected by a mighty waterfall, which can only be parted by one who plays the melody of the royal family; Zelda’s Lullaby. This is because the Zora’s are the guardian’s of the royal family, and a long time ally. The Zoras’ home is Zora’s Domain, a very aptly named kingdom partially in water and partially above. The Zoras worship their guardian spirit, Jabu-Jabu, a large whale. His stomach serves as Link’s third dungeon as a child. Inside, Link must save Princess Ruto, a spunky and arrogant young Zora girl who has become lost in her guardian’s stomach. In the end Link saves the day as always, but when he accepts the Zora’s Sapphire, the spiritual stone of water, he gets more than he bargains for. Ruto’s mother told her to give the stone to the man she would marry one day. For this reason, the Zora’s sapphire is often called the Zoras engagement ring.

In Ocarina of Time, Zora’s are very arrogant in general, though some are nice enough to play games with Link.

Twilight Princess:

Presumably hundreds of years later, the Zora’s have moved slightly, though they kept the name “Zora’s Domain” for their residence. If one were to compare a map of Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, they would see that Zora’s Domain has moved North somewhat. In addition, Old Zora’s Domain can be found upon entering Zora’s Domain from Hyrule Field. This is seen in the steps that lead down to a shop in Ocarina of Time being present. Princess Ruto is not present in this game, but she is replaced by the sickly Prince Ralis (Why do all princes have to start with an R and an A?) . After his mother was killed by Zant’s messengers, Ralis fled but got sick from lack of water and was later found by Ilia. He is later saved by Link, and after spending some time near his father’s(and presumably mother’s) grave, he returns to Zora’s Domain as the rightful heir to the throne.
Zoras are much more friendly in Twilight Princess, and seem to enjoy mingling with other races. In particular, they like the Goron’s hot springs. Kakariko village is said to be a special place for the Zoras, and is where the grave of the royal Zoras is found. In Zora’s Domain, some Zoras will tell you about a special rock formation called mother and child rock.

The Wind Waker:

By the time of Wind Waker, there is not one Zora to be seen, except for by Medli, a young girl of the Rito tribe. This Zora comes to Medli in a dream-like vision that teaches her a song needed to enter a temple with Link and power the Master Sword. By this, it is thought that the Rito, the bird-like race introduced in Wind Waker, are the descendants of the Zoras. If you consider the facts, Rito only gain wings when Valoo, their guardian spirit, grants them a scale. This would explain how they came to be a bird-like race. My theory is that the Zoras and Sheikah merged into the Rito to avoid death by the Great Flood, and with the powers of the Sheikah they were able to transform (read my Sheikah article for more info on this ) .
Since there are no Zoras in this game besides Medli’s silent descendant, it’s hard to say what became of the Zoras as a race and how they changed. One interesting fact is that mother and child island can be found in this game, which is likely mother and child rock from Twilight Princess.

[Pictures coming soon...]

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