King Zora

A depiction of King Zora from Ocarina of Time.
King Zora
Real Name	De Bon XVI (OoT)
Species	Zora
Eye color	Purple
Relatives	Ocarina of Time Princess Ruto (daughter) Twilight Princess Rutela (wife) Ralis (son)
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (River) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Sea)

King Zora is the name of several Zora characters appearing in the Zelda series, and there are two different primary versions matching the two different types of Zora that have developed over the course of the games. The first King Zora to be seen was the savage ruler of the River Zoras appearing in A Link to the Past. The King Zora for the more noble and peaceful Sea Zoras was introduced in Ocarina of Time, and variations on this character have appeared since.

Background

A Link to the Past

This game marked the only appearance by a king of the river Zoras. King Zora resembled a giant version of the river Zoras and lived by Zora's Waterfall (which was near the location of Zora's Domain in the later games). While he seemed to be hostile like the other River Zoras, he was also greedy and unusually friendly towards Link. He sold Zora's Flippers to Link for 500 Rupees and then told him about the magic whirlpools that his kind used as shortcuts. He was shown posing with two normal-sized River Zoras by the waterfall in the ending with the caption "Flippers for Sale".

Ocarina of Time

This Zora, known as King Zora De Bon XVI, was a large and rotund Sea Zora who ruled over the Zoras at Zora's Domain. He oversaw the wellbeing of their deity Jabu-Jabu and was also very concerned for the welfare of his daughter, Princess Ruto. His queen had passed away prior to the events of the game. King Zora primarily remained stationary at his throne, which was a ledge blocking the path to the Zora's Fountain. Ganondorf visited him at some point inquiring about the location of Zora's Sapphire, the Spiritual Stone which had been entrusted to the Zoras by Hyrule's Royal Family. King Zora refused to deal with him, and Jabu-Jabu behaved strangely afterwards. He as then consumed by worry when Ruto disappeared, but Link eventually appeared with a bottle containing a message from Ruto, who was actually trapped within Jabu-Jabu's Belly. Relieved and worried at the same time, King Zora then sidled over to allow Link passage into Zora's Fountain.

Although Ruto was rescued by Link, Ganondorf took control of Hyrule soon after. Ganondorf used his new powers to freeze all of Zora's Domain, including King Zora. As King Zora was trapped in red ice, Link was able to thaw him out with a blue flame. King Zora thanked him by giving him the Zora Tunic so that he would have no trouble underwater. He began to worry again when Ruto traveled to the Water Temple, but he was still capable of giving Link an Eyeball Frog after Link showed him a prescription for Biggoron's eyedrops. After Ganondorf's defeat, King Zora attended the festivities at Lon Lon Ranch and stayed on the sidelines with Mido, as both of them missed people whom had gone on to become sages. He was cheered up after seeing Ruto flying overheard in sprite form.

Oracle of Ages

This king was very similar in appearance to De Bon, although he lived in the sea near Labyrnna and had no heir to continue the royal line. King Zora looked after the wellbeing of Jabu-Jabu and also protected the key to the Eyeglass Library. However, during the four hundred years between the game's past and present times, King Zora grew sick from the ocean's pollution and died. Link managed to travel to the past and saved him by giving him the Magic Potion. King Zora hailed him as a great healer when Link met him again in the present time, but he still would not allow just anyone to enter Jabu-Jabu, which was Link's request. King Zora wanted Link to do something about the filthy water, as it had also made Jabu-Jabu sick, so he gave Link to the key to the Eyeglass Isle Library to figure it out. This led to Link cleansing the seas by awakening the Fairy Queen. After Link saved Jabu-Jabu, King Zora commended Link as a true Zora hero by bestowing a Zora Scale upon him.

King Zora also played a role in a game linked to Oracle of Seasons. He had sent a Zora to Holodrum to scout for a new domain for them, and if Link brought a password to King Zora from that Zora, he would show his gratitude to Link by strengthening his sword, upgrading it into either a Noble Sword or the Master Sword.

Twilight Princess

This incarnation of King Zora was never seen, as he died prior to the events of the game. He was remembered as a great king and was succeeded by his wife Rutela and later his son Ralis. During his life, King Zora was said to have crafted the Zora Armor (similar to the Zora Tunic) with the abilities of the Zora specifically to be worn by a chosen hero. He was buried in a hidden area of Kakariko Village's graveyard, as the Zoras considered it to be a sacred place, and the Zora Armor was kept there until Link came to claim it. Ralis spent some time praying at his grave following Rutela's death.

Breath of the Wild

In this game, the Zoras were ruled by a king named Dorephan. He is different from the usual depictions of King Zora and has an appearance based on that of a blue whale.

There are also stone slabs found in the area surrounding Zora's Domain which document Zora history. Some of these allude to past Zora kings. One slab mentions a king from ten thousand years ago (around the time Calamity Ganon was sealed) who contended with a severe flooding problem that was causing damage to the Zora people and their Domain. Ultimately, that king worked together with the king of Hyrule, combining the Zora's architectural skill with Hylian technology to construct the East Reservoir Lake, which solved their problems. The Zora king promised to manage the reservoir lake in order to protect Hyrule from further floods, and every king following him took the same oath.

Another king mentioned in the slabs was one who was said to have no talent for warfare, but he cared for his people and his queen passionately. The Zoras ended up entangled in battle with Lizalfos and other monsters. His queen worried for him and wove one of her own scales into his armor in hopes that her love would protect him in the following battle. Her scale ultimately succeeded in making a miracle happen in the battle, as it reflected sunlight to blind the Lizalfos general at a time when he was about to kill the king. The king was saved and was able to lead his people to victory, thanks to what was known as the Miracle of the White Scale. It then became a tradition for Zora princesses to craft armor for their future husbands.

Trivia

• If Link wears the Goron Mask while talking to King Zora in Ocarina, he reveals that he and Biggoron were childhood friends.
• The King Zora of Oracle of Ages notably remains alive for four hundred years without notable aging, which implies that Zoras have very long lifespans. This idea would later be supported in Breath of the Wild, where most of the Zoras, including some of the younger-looking ones, remember Link from one hundred years ago.
• A sticker of King Zora using art from Ocarina of Time appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

See Also

• Oren