Zora


 * This article is about the recurring race. For the character from A Link to the Past, see Zora (character).

The Zora are a recurring race in the Legend of Zelda series. Zoras are aquatic, blue-skinned humanoid creatures that exist in Hyrule, Labrynna and Termina. They are incredibly skilled natural swimmers. The appearance of Zoras can vary greatly; some are large and round, like King Zora XVI, while others are slender and small, such as Prince Ralis. This suggests the possible existence of subspecies within the Zora race.

Indeed, Zoras are divided into two known major subspecies: the River Zoras, and the Ocean Zoras. River Zoras are known as the hostile enemy race that pop out of the water and fire energy balls at Link; whereas the peaceful Zoras, loyal to the kingdom of Hyrule, are the Ocean Zoras. The two differ physically.

Biology
While still visibly humanoid in some cases, the Zoras resemble other marine creatures in their body structure. Most of them wear no clothes, but certain members of their species do wear clothing, or, as shown by the Zora guards in Twilight Princess, a helmet that completely encases their head. They are generally covered in silver scales, which give them a pale blue sheen from a distance, and they have dark blue spots on their extremities. Where humans sometimes have long hair, average Zoras have rear-hanging caudal extensions of their heads shaped like the tails of dolphins, perhaps as a cephalic form of dorsal fin. These tails undulate periodically, which gives a Zora's head the unique semblance of a fish. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the 'dorsal-like fins' appear to be much smaller. Zoras have two large ulnar fins located distally on their forearms, and some have smaller fins at their ankles. They are sometimes depicted as having webbed feet and hands. They lack ears in the traditional sense, but do have pronounced noses. In previous games in the series, Zoras had no visible gills, yet could breathe underwater, but in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Zoras had gills on their abdomen, analogous to the placement of lungs on a human. Also in Twilight Princess, it appears that all Zora's have green eyes, which may indicate a trait associated with the species. As with Deku Scrubs and Gorons, Zoras who are important to the storyline are physically distinct from the general Zora.

It seems that male Zoras in a dominant position in their society tend to be much larger and rounder, as demonstrated by Toto from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask as well as King Zora XVI from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The King was the obvious leader of his race in Hyrule, and Toto was a well respected manager. Prince Ralis, the young Zora royal in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, is an aberration from this tendency; however, Ralis was a female character in the Japanese version of the game, which may explain the change.

The gender of common Zoras is not well defined in the video games, as their physical appearance is not wholly conclusive on the matter. Princess Ruto and Lulu are notably female, having distinctly rounder, or feminine body features and the fact that Lulu laid eggs and Princess Ruto wanted to be married to Link. In these earlier games, it was very easy to pick out female Zoras due to three main physical features: Queen Rutela in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is also female. Her appearance is different from that of Princess Ruto as she lacks Princess Ruto's wide head and extra eyes. Her head and face are much more humanoid (her overall appearance seems to be based off that of mermaids), and she has what appear to be coral-like growths which give her the impression of having hair. She seems to have a distinct red coloration/aura, although she appears as a ghost and thus her coloration in life is not truly known. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a Zora referred to as "she" helps with the river boat-rental on Zora's River. This female Zora slightly appears to have a pinkish tint to her, perhaps to help clarify her gender. It is also noting that many of the Zoras encountered in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess can be seen within a body of water, and their bodies emanate colorful glow, possibly a form of bio luminescence, that the Zoras on land do not show, this may also be the case with the female Zora that helps run the Zora's River boat rental. Laruto the former Earth Sage in The Wind Waker, who is also female isn't as noticeably female as Ruto or Rutela, though her dress indicates she is female. Many of the Zoras in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess had female voice acting, though it was indistinct.
 * Visible Hylian ears.
 * Figure and curves characteristic of women.
 * Wide heads, similar to those of Hammerhead Sharks, also featuring extra eyes on the sides.

Certain other features of the Zoran anatomy are revealed when the player can inhabit the body of the Zora Mikau in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. When Link assumes his streamlined Zoran form he can swim with great ease and agility, using his forearm fins to perform barrel rolls or to jump out of the water. Moreover, these fins are specialized for Link's fighting needs. They can grow larger to serve as sharp-edged weapons similar to swords, and even be projected as twin boomerangs; they retract again when not in use. Link's right fin also grows to become his shield when defending. Additionally, Zoras who possess magical power have the ability to create electric fields around their bodies as a defense mechanism when swimming, much like electric eels. This ability has only been seen and used in Majora's Mask. All Zoras are powerful swimmers, in fact, powerful enough to swim up waterfalls, as seen in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

It is also revealed in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask that Zoras lay eggs to reproduce. Zora eggs need to be kept in cold, clean water in order to develop healthily, and every egg from the same clutch must be kept together in order for them to hatch. Newborn Zoras are tadpole-like with a circular body and a long, skinny tail ending in a fluke. There are occasions when Zoras fall in love with Hylians, as Princess Ruto with Link; however, it is impossible for them to mate and produce viable offspring, as they are two seperate species. Additional information about the Zora is revealed through the condition of Prince Ralis in Twilight Princess. While en route to speak with Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle, the young Ralis was waylaid by warriors of Zant. As a result, Ralis was kept away from the water for too long and fell ill. It would thus seem that there is a limit to the amount of time a Zora can safely spend away from the water without risking serious harm.

Etymology
The name "Zora" may originate from the fish called the remora. It could also have been inspired by Zora Neale Hurston, an early 20th-century American writer, given the inspiration for "Zelda", Zelda Fitzgerald.

Government
Zora government is monarchical, as illustrated by King Zora XVI, the sole ruler of the Zoras in Ocarina of Time; another King Zora in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages; and Queen Rutela, the deceased ruler of the Zoras in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Queen Rutela mentions that her husband, King Zora, died some time ago. River Zoras are also shown having a monarchical system, as the Zora King from A Link to the Past was a River Zora. The Zora Royal Family is responsible for maintaining order among their people, overseeing care for Lord Jabu-Jabu, seen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, and assuring that the waters upon which he and all creatures rely are clean and pure.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, the name of the Zora race was mistranslated as "Zolas". This was later changed to "River Zora". River Zoras are water-dwelling fish monsters that shoot fireballs at Link, which can only be blocked by a Magic Shield. They dive down into the water and come back up to attack passersby.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zoras in Zelda II behaved much differently than other Zoras. They were land-dwelling and heavily armored, although they still attacked by shooting energy balls at Link. They occured all over eastern Hyrule; in caves, deserts, roadways, and bridges. Primarily quadrapedal, they could stand up on their hind legs to shoot at Link. Their armor was strong enough to withstand sword attacks; the Fire Spell was necessary to defeat them. Even then, they were extremely tough, requiring three sword attacks at Link's full strength.

Although they were called Zora in the Japanese release of Zelda II, they were never officially named in the North American version of Zelda II. They are frequently unofficially referred to as "Basalisks".

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Zoras, called Zora's Spawn here, appear all over Hyrule. They act almost exactly the same as the Zoras in the original Legend of Zelda, but look more advanced. This is the first game to feature a unique Zora, the only creature in the game to actually go by the name 'Zora', who lives beneath a waterfall. He offers to sell Link Flippers for 500 Rupees. In BS Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban, he is instead called King Zora, and at certain times in a certain week, he will offer them to Link for 300 Rupees. He also gives Link the ability to use the warping Whirlpools in both the Light World and Dark World. This is the first and only game to have the enemy Zoras able to jump high in the air and walk on land and shallow water. In the Dark World, Zoras take the shape of a strange, one-eyed fish, also known as Ku.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Zoras only appear as enemies, with the exception of an invisible Zora, who is only viewable with a Magnifying Lens in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. Talking to him gets the Photographer Mouse to take a picture of Link and the Zora, which is printable with the Game Boy Printer.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Zoras in Ocarina of Time take a drastic turn from the ones in the earlier games, in which they were called 'River Zora' or 'Zora's Spawn', depending upon the game. In those games, they were more monstrous, and breathed fire, while in the 3D games, they were blue and scaled, with a more gentle look, and a decidedly more amiable disposition. Zoras primarily reside in the Zora's Domain, while some may appear in Lake Hylia. They can exist both in and out of water, but they are best adapted to life in the water. There are two Zora scales obtainable in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; the Silver Scale, from the Zoras in Zora's Domain as a reward for winning the diving minigame, and the Golden Scale, a reward for catching a nine kg. fish.

Seven years in the future in this game, the Zoras, with the exception of Princess Ruto, are trapped within a sheet of ice in the Ice Cavern, although King Zora XVI and the local shopkeeper can be saved with Blue Fire. They consider themselves an extremely proud race, and allow no outsiders to enter their domain unless they have some connection with Hyrule's Royal Family.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Zoras remain, for the most part, exactly the same as the Zoras in Ocarina of Time, except they reside in Termina. The only unique Zoras are the members of the Indigo-Gos and their manager. Most Zoras are found in the Zora Hall, located in the Great Bay. Link is also able to transform into a Zora via the Zora Mask. Interestingly, the Terminan Zoras appear to have no monarchy and apparently, no government at all, although it's possible that they have one located somewhere else in Great Bay as the only Zora building shown is Zora Hall.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
In both The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Zoras appear as enemies, acting exactly as past Zoras. However, there are also Zoras that are similar to the ones in Ocarina of Time in Oracle of Ages. In that game, the more gentle Zoras make a distinction between them and the monstrous Zoras, claiming that they are "river Zoras" as opposed to noble "sea Zoras".

In Oracle of Ages, Zoras live in an underwater city, which Link can access after he has acquired the Mermaid Suit. In Present time, King Zora has perished, and Jabu-Jabu is a large fish, but without King Zora's consent, Link cannot enter Jabu-Jabu. In the Past, the king is gravely ill, and requires a Potion in order to survive. Link can get one from Syrup, Maple or a Gasha Nut, and once the king is given it, he gets better. Link asks King Zora to allow him entrance into Jabu-Jabu to get an Essence of Time, but Jabu-Jabu is too small. But Link can go into the future, and gain access to the mature Jabu-Jabu. Zoras only appear in Oracle of Seasons through a linked game, and will give Link an item. There is also an old Zora who lives far away from the Zora City. He will give Link the Broken Sword in exchange for a Sea Ukulele. Despite being from a very aquatic and fish-like race, he has a beard and moustache.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Zoras are supposedly extinct in The Wind Waker, but a commonly accepted fan theory is that the Rito are evolutions of Zoras. This theory came to light on account of the fact that Medli is the descendant of an ancient Sage, Laruto, who is a Zora. Ritos are bird people, who gain their wings through acquiring a scale from Valoo. Another detail to support this is the Zora emblem on Medli. The only actual Zora in the game is Laruto, who still only appears as a ghost. However, if one scans the Bombships scattered throughout the Great Sea carefully, one can see the Zora emblem, suggesting Zoras manned these boats, despite the Zora being a mainly water-dwelling race. Another theory is that Zoras disappeared below the sea, or migrated to another land during the events of the Wind Waker.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Zoras once again reside in Zora's Domain. The Domain was raided by Shadow Beasts under Zant, and Queen Rutela was killed to show their power. The Domain then became frozen, blocking water from flowing down the river. Once Link and Midna arrive, they must warp a flaming boulder from Death Mountain into the center of the Domain in order to get the water to flow again and unfreeze the area.

The prince of the Zoras, Prince Ralis, fled to Hyrule Castle Town in order to escape capture by the Beasts, and as a result of staying away from water too long, became ill. Ilia and Telma attempt nurse him to health, but, unsuccessful, bring him to Renado in Kakariko Village with the help of Link. The spirit of Queen Rutela in response grants Link the Zora Armor so he can swim and breathe underwater.

Another notable Zora, is Iza's Assistant who works at the Boat Rental Shop

Also, the race has warriors that carry spears and wear fish-shaped masks.

Later on, Link can find Zoras near Death Mountain, mostly in the hot springs.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
As in Wind Waker, there are no Zoras, or Rito for that matter. However, there are certain creatures which are encountered throughout the games that have the heads of River Zoras or river Zoras and a body resembling a bloated Zora body. They appear to be either a cross between River Zoras and Zoras, the missing link between the two species, or simply a monster based off their design. They attack by spitting fire balls at Link, like River Zoras, but they also have swords and shields, which makes fighting them substantially harder. Link finds them in caves and sometimes on boats. There are also Zora scales and crowns in the game that Link can buy and sell.

Evolution
It is possible that the Zoras have evolved into a bird-like race in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This half-bird, half-human race known as the Rito make multiple references to the Zoras. The most convincing is that Medli supposedly shares the bloodline of the Zora Earth Sage Laruto, just like how Makar was a Korok, a descendant of the Kokiri like Fado. However since the original Japanese text says that Medli is Laruto's successor and not bloodline descendant, this means nothing. Also, we see the symbol of the Zora's Sapphire, which is used as the Zora's royal family symbol, in multiple places on the Ritos' home of Dragon Roost Isle. It is even on the clothes worn by the Ritos. It is unknown why this change would have occurred since the Zoras in Oracle of Ages have been shown to be able to live in the sea off the coast of the island of Labrynna; however, unlike the Great Sea, the Zoras seemed to be living in a controlled environment without interruption from other sea dwellers. Regardless, the name similarity between "Rito" and "Princess Ruto" indicates strong evidence for this possibility, though it is most likely a coincidence coupled with very wishful thinking. Also, in their general physiology Zoras and Ritos have many similarities, like the fact that the Rito have wings that hang down at their elbows, and the Zoras have fins at the same place, though they also have many differences such as completely different skin colour, different environment resistances (the Zora are unable to survive in hot areas, the Rito can) and major cultural differences. The most convincing piece of evidence is that almost every other race is accounted for from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Kokiri became the Koroks, the Gorons became the Traveling Merchants, and the Hylians became the inhabitants of the various isles. Many things would have changed over the hundreds of years between The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. However fans must remember that not everything is in each Zelda game. Despite many games set in Hyrule, many places are missing or only appear in certain games.

Another fact is that the two species have a powerful spirit they look up to. Also the spirits are being hurt by a boss, although it is clear that Valoo and Lord Jabu-Jabu have no relation and Jabun is most likely Jabu-Jabu or a descendant of him.

On the other hand, it is also possible that the Great Sea, once sunken, reverted Ritos to an aquatic state once again. It is also implied that the home of the Zoras in The Wind Waker is actually at Greatfish Isle which was the home of Jabun, who speaks ancient Hylian and whose name is an obvious reference to Jabu-Jabu, and was home to some race before the island was destroyed by Ganon. The dragon that lives atop Dragon Roost Island, the volcano, Bomb Flowers, and the red stone that the player acquires is a bigger reference to the Goron area of Ocarina of Time than the Zora area.

It must be taken into account however that Zoras still exist in The Legend of Zelda as enemies, although the game seems to take place after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; the manual, however, lists these enemies as "Zolas." It is unknown whether these two names truly denote two separate races or species, or if they are the same and the spelling is a result of confusion in the Japanese language of the l and r sounds in the Japanese phonology. An evolutionary offshoot or a hybrid is more likely than the prospect of an entire population taking this evolutionary course, especially considering that the Zoras in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages denote a difference between the "noble sea Zoras" and the "savage, vulgar river Zoras."

One major question remains. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, the descendants of the Seven Sages are all human, despite Princess Ruto being a Zora. In previous paragraphs it is explained that the Zora likely evolved into the bird-like Rito. Because Ruto is a princess, it is likely her descendant is the chief of the evolved Ritos, therefore through the prince, though why the Zora would change their culture is unknown and casts doubt on this idea. Since Valoo is required to give Rito their wings, they would be much like humans without them, and could intermarry with humans, thus producing Princess Ruto's human heritage. However, a more likely theory is that A Link to the Past takes place in the other branch of the timeline, the Child Timeline, and that the descendants of the Seven Sages are actually descendants of the Ancient Sages, thought to be the power source and part of the Seven Sages. This would explain the Seven Maidens all being human and would mean that Ruto was the Sage of Water only in the Adult Timeline.

A small rumor states that the goddesses did not want anyone to find Hyrule hidden beneath the Great Sea, and as Zoras would have found the land quite quickly, the goddesses evolved or got rid of the Zora on their own. Though since there is no reason for the Goddesses to hide Hyrule (They flooded Hyrule to prevent Ganon from taking over, no other reason is given) it is unlikely this is true.