Princess Ruto

Princess Ruto is the daughter of King Zora and the princess of the Zora race. As a child, she has a rather bossy and spoiled attitude possibly founded in her royal upbringing, and is also somewhat of a tomboylike Princess Zelda. Link first meets her in the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, the Zora's guardian for whom she dutifully cares, who had accidentally swallowed her and the Spiritual Stone of Water &mdash; the Zora's Sapphire &mdash; while being fed. The Zora's Sapphire is Ruto's most treasured possession, as it once was her mother's, and she thus demands that Link carry her around Lord Jabu-Jabu's innards and help her find it. (Surprisingly, Ruto can be thrown as a weapon.) Ruto's mother requested that she give it to the man who would be her husband, and so, after Link rescues her, she happily hands it over to him and considers them to be engaged.

After Ganondorf takes over Hyrule, Zora's Domain freezes over and traps the Zoras under the ice. Fortunately for Ruto, she is rescued by Sheik and immediately heads to the Water Temple to find the cause of this curse. When Link comes upon her in the temple, she scolds him for keeping her waiting seven years to marry him, saying, "I have not forgotten the vows we made to each other." When Link completes the Water Temple, Ruto is awakened as the Sage of Water, and gives Link the Water Medallion. Thereafter she states that while she would love nothing more than to offer her eternal love to him, they cannot be together, at least not until his quest is over.

During the childhood chapters in the Ocarina of Time manga, Ruto aims to be swallowed by Jabu-Jabu on purpose because she disapproves of the husband her father arranged for her to marry. She gives Link the Zora's Sapphire out of her new-found feelings for him after he saved her life. She has a huge crush on Link and truly believes that they are meant for each other. Ruto shares her name with a town in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.