Ruto

Ruto, also known as Princess Ruto, is the princess of the Zoras in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. She is first encountered as a child, when Link attempts to rescue her from Jabu-Jabu's belly, and later as an adult in the Water Temple. She is later revealed to be the Water Sage.

Child
As a child, Ruto is about the same height as Link, and her stature is that of most young girls her age in the game. Her skin is shades of light blue, and her head is shaped like a hammerhead shark. Her ears are webbed, she has violet eyes, and she has fins on her elbows and hips. She also has pointy ears.

Adult
Ruto looks similar as an adult, albeit taller and with a more feminine body. The fins on her body are larger and longer, and she now wears small purple earrings. Because of her feminine features being more predominant as an adult, small fins were designed to cover her chest in the 3D remake of the game. However, she is left bare in the original version.

Biography
As the princess, Ruto's duty is to offer a fish to Jabu-Jabu, the deity of which the Zora people worship. However, Jabu-Jabu swallowed Ruto as well as the fish one day. She was used to this, as she has been exploring the inside of Jabu-Jabu for a long time, but manages to lose the Zora's Sapphire inside his stomach. While swimming in Lake Hylia, Link can find a bottle with a message inside, and when he gives it to the King, the King is distraught because the letter is from Ruto, asking for help. King Zora allows Link to enter the Zora Fountain to search for her. Link finds Ruto inside, and she acts cold and rude to him. She needs help finding the Sapphire. Link can carry Ruto around, and use her to hold down switches, and even throw her at enemies as an attack. The two find the stone on a ledge, and when Ruto goes to retrieve it, she is attacked and captured by a Bigocto. After Link defeats this mini-boss, as well as the boss of the dungeon, Barinade, Ruto is found outside, blushing and waiting for Link. She gives him the Zora's Sapphire, explaining that it is like an engagement ring for the Zora Princess. Ruto is subtly proposing to Link, but Link takes the Sapphire without quite understanding.

When Link awakens after seven years of being sealed away in the Sacred Realm, he is met with his new quest to awaken all of the Sages. When Link finds himself in Zora's Domain, everything is covered in ice. Sheik explains the curse on Zora's Domain, but also mentions that he succeeded in recovering Ruto from under the ice. Once Link enters the Water Temple, he is reunited with Ruto, who acts slightly flirtatious, considering that she believes them to be engaged. She tells him a bit about the temple before disappearing. Once Link defeats Morpha, the boss of the temple, he is taken to the Chamber of Sages, where he learns that Ruto is the Water Sage. This meeting is bittersweet, as she proclaims her love for him, but explains that they cannot be together. She postpones their marriage until her duties as a Sage are over, and gives Link the Water Medallion. She and the other sages eventually help Link defeat Ganon and bring peace to Hyrule.

In the final cutscene, King Zora is seen upset over the fact that he might never see Ruto again. Ruto is seen one final time atop Death Mountain with the other Sages. Ruto's history is unknown after the game ends. It is unlikely that she ever ended up marrying Link, but she probably had a child, and she might be the ancestor of Mipha and the royal Zoras in Breath of the Wild.

Trivia

 * Ruto is playable in Hyrule Warriors.
 * In the Hyrule Warriors games, she also has recolors to look like Zoras from other Zelda games.
 * Her sprite is reused in Majora's Mask for a character named Lulu.