In the realm of The Wind Waker, the Zoras no longer swim the sea, giving up their fins and gills for beaks and wings. There is one Zora who’s spirit lives on, holding onto the traditions of the past so that her wisdom and her strength may live on. This Zora is known as Laruto. Her name is theorized to be a combination of the “lament”-ing music held within the sorrow of the world and the well known Zora and Water Sage Ruto. Laruto lives up to her ancestors and holds the title of Earth Sage and guardian of the Earth Temple.
Laruto bears a similar design to the Zora in Ocarina of Time but with the cartoon-ish flare that’s typical for The Wind Waker. Upon her scales she wears a dress with blue and purple hues, and a red tabard similar to the one worn by the Rito Medli. To complete her importance, she wears four gold bands and a golden headdress. We know very little about Laruto’s family and beginnings but her appearance is all we need to show how important her role was.
In the battle to hold back Ganondorf, Laruto was one of two Sages responsible for keeping the light within the Master Sword in order to repel evil. Laruto spent all her time praying in the temple and focusing on keeping evil at bay but with the hero gone, no one was there to protect her from the return of Ganondorf’s forces. In Ganondorf’s fight for vengeance after his resurrection, he knew of the dangers of the Master Sword, attacked the temple and claimed Laruto’s soul, returning the darkness to the Hero’s blade.
The Earth’s Sage’s story does not end with her death. Her spirit wandered in the Earth Temple waiting for the Wind Waker, the Hero of the Winds, to come defeat the evil within. Her spirit first appears in the game after Link conducts the Earth God’s Lyric before the entrance of the Earth Temple. She tells her tale of sorrow and failure to protect the temple, and begs for Link to find her descendent and successor who will be able to assist in restoring the Master Sword’s power. The key to finding her descendant is to look for a Rito who bears the same sacred harp as the spirit of Laruto.
The sacred instrument is a four stringed harp known as the Rito Harp as, after Laruto’s death, it continued to travel with the Rito, being carried by the tribe until it found its way into the hands of Medli. The golden hue of the harp is so bright it can reflect light, serving as a mirror shield in certain puzzles. But most importantly, the magic within this harp combined with The Wind Waker, has the power to restore the Master Sword.
After defeating the darkness within the Earth Temple, Link and Medli play the Earth’s God Lyric to restore the light to the Master Sword. In this sequence, we see our final moment with Laruto. Her spirit floats beside Medli, accompanying her throughout the song. As the light returns, Laruto vanishes, her spirit never to be seen again for her job is finally complete. Her prayers have been answered and she can rest knowing that Hyrule may be cleared of the darkness once more.
