Rauru

Overview

Rauru is a prominent character in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A male member of the ancient and mysterious Zonai tribe, he stands as the founding First King of Hyrule alongside his wife, Queen Sonia. Following the catastrophic event at the start of the game, he saves the protagonist Link by bestowing his own mystical right arm upon him. In the distant past, Rauru led the Sages in a desperate battle against the Demon King Ganondorf to protect his kingdom and its people.

Appearance

Rauru possesses the visual features of a beastman reminiscent of a black sheep, belonging to the Zonai tribe. He has notably long ears and hair that flows all the way down to his legs. A third eye is situated on his forehead, opening wide whenever he channels magic or experiences heightened emotions. He wears distinctive ethnic attire. When appearing as a phantom spirit in the present era, the spectral manifestation of his right arm glows with a striking blue-white light.

Personality

Rauru is a calm and thoughtful monarch with a strong sense of duty, always placing the safety of his kingdom and citizens first. He exhibits a warm and benevolent nature, gladly extending aid to anyone in trouble. Despite his noble gravity, he harbors a lighthearted, free-spirited trait, occasionally attempting to slip away from official duties to go hunting before being retrieved by his wife, Sonia. He also possesses keen intuition, quickly detecting the underlying malice beneath Ganondorf's feigned submission.

Abilities

Amplified by his Secret Stone, Rauru wields holy powers of light for attack and defense. He can project an enormous beam of light capable of gouging the terrain, which wipes out massive groups of Molduga when combined with additional Secret Stone energy. He can also form a protective barrier of shimmering golden light to block dark assaults. Bound to his right arm is a suite of Zonai magic, including Ultrahand to lift and fuse objects into structures or vehicles, Fuse to combine items with weapons or arrows to enhance combat effectiveness, and Ascend to pass upward through solid ceilings to reach the surface above.

Background

In the distant past, Rauru descended from the sky with his sister Mineru and established Hyrule alongside his wife, Sonia. When Zelda arrived unexpectedly from the future, Rauru protected her while searching for a way to return her home. However, Ganondorf treacherously murdered Sonia and stole her Secret Stone, transforming into the Demon King. To counter the invading demonic army, Rauru conferred Secret Stones upon key leaders to form the Six Sages. Facing defeat against the Demon King's strength, Rauru sacrificed his own life, using his right arm to execute a powerful seal on Ganondorf while entrusting Hyrule's ultimate savior, Link, with the task of finishing the fight. Millennia later, after saving Link and bestowing his right arm, Rauru guided the hero as a spirit before passing peacefully into the afterlife alongside Sonia.

Relationships

Rauru shared a deep bond of mutual love with his wife, Queen Sonia, with whom he built the kingdom. He maintained a close sibling relationship with his elder sister, Mineru, who fought alongside him as a Sage. He extended warm hospitality to his distant descendant Zelda and placed complete trust in her accounts of the hero Link. When meeting Link in the present, Rauru saved his life, granted him his right arm, and acted as a dedicated spirit guide. Towards Ganondorf, Rauru remained vigilant from their initial meeting; after Ganondorf murdered Sonia and became the Demon King, Rauru treated him as his ultimate nemesis, choosing self-sacrifice to keep him sealed away.

Trivia

Rauru's name is widely considered to be a reference to the Sage of Light from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Within the world of Hyrule, locations such as Rauru Hill and Rauru Settlement, located northeast of Hyrule Castle, bear his name. Furthermore, a young soldier named Rauru appears in the novelization The Count of Black Shadow based on the original game, bringing the total count of characters sharing the name in the franchise to three. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he appears as a Legend-rank Support Spirit, possessing a black-colored Mewtwo during his spirit battle encounter.