The Legend of Zelda series is frequently praised for continuously and successfully re-inventing itself– from Ocarina of Time's groundbreaking 3D gameplay to Breath of the Wild removing linearity in favor of an open adventure for the first time since the original game. Despite this innovation, there are a few features fans can almost guarantee will appear. The Master Sword, Dungeons, and the Lost Woods for example, almost always appear in Link's adventures.
Another mainstay are the fictional races such as the Goron, Gerudo, and Zora. Indicative of being in so many games, Zora history and lore have been delved into many times, offering players deep insight into the fish-like beings.
10 Hierarchy
In many Legend of Zelda games, the Zora live in a society led by a monarch. A King or Queen tends to be the sole leader of the Zora, with the rest being inferior equals.
Zora monarchs have included Queen Oren in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds as well as King Zora XVI in Ocarina of Time. King Zora The Sixteenth's name, combined with the knowledge from Breath of the Wild that Zoras often live into their 200s, implies that a monarchy has ruled Zora society for multiple millenniums.
9 Long Life-Spans
One of the most recent facts that players have learned about the Zora is their life spans. Nintendo Switch's launch title Breath of the Wild reveals that the Zora can live extraordinarily long lives.
In Breath of the Wild, 100 years of age is implied to be when the Zora are between 30 - 40 in human years, with 200 years being old age.
8 Offspring
Ever wondered how Zora are born? Probably not, but that didn't stop Majora's Mask from dedicating an entire quest to Zora offspring. The game shows that female Zora lay eggs that are highly sensitive to temperature. The unnamed professor who works in the Marine Research Lab reveals that to stay healthy, Zora eggs must be kept in clean, cold water. Upon hatching, the Zora start life in a form reminiscent of a tadpole.
7 There's No Place Like Home
Zora are rarely seen outside of their home Zora's Domain or Lake Hylia. They aren't just reluctant to leave either, they're fussy about who they let in. Zora are known throughout the series to restrict access to any outsider, except for those connected to the royal family.
Kaepora Gaebora, a large owl who first appears in Ocarina of Time, says the following about the Zora: "An aquatic race, they are longtime allies of Hyrule's Royal Family. I heard that only the Royal Family of Hyrule can enter Zora's Domain..."
6 Sleeping Arrangements
Zora don't tend to have individual homes. Instead, they reside in large open pools as a tight-knit community. Seemingly, the Zora were fans of open-plan living spaces before it was cool.
There are two exceptions to this, however. Both Labrynna and Termina depict the Zora as having individual homes. In Termina, each Zora has their own pool that takes up most of their room.
5 Different Shapes And Sizes
Two subspecies of Zora appear throughout the series, Sea Zora and River Zora. Sea Zora first appear in Ocarina of Time. They are often allies to Link in the series and have a more human-like appearance. They predominantly appear in the 3D Zelda games.
River Zora, on the other hand, are more fish-like in appearance. They are predominantly enemies of Link and usually appear in his 2D adventures. Oracle of Ages is currently the only game where both subspecies appear simultaneously.
4 Unorthodox Weaponry
When getting into a fight, detaching a limb and throwing it at your opponent probably isn't the best strategy. That doesn't stop the Zora from doing something similar though.
In Majora's Mask, players can learn many of the Zora's skills and abilities when becoming a Zora through wearing the mask of deceased Indigo-Go band member, Mikau. One of the first Zora abilities players are taught involves the aptly named Double Cutters. By holding the B button, Zora Link will detach two fins and throw them like a boomerang.
3 Zora Weaponry
It's not just projectiles that these fins are used for. By tapping B while wearing the Zora mask, players will learn that the Zora also use their fins as sword-like weapons. When in combat, Zora's fins can instantly grow larger to become a sharp and deadly weapon.
Furthermore, their right fin can elongate into a shield, giving the Zora's a deceiving amount of versatility in combat.
2 Underwater Abilities
Another ability learned from Majora's Mask is that the Zora can form an electric shield-like barrier around themselves. The shield effectively defends Zoras from sea creatures when they are swimming underwater. Electric barriers aren't their only underwater ability either, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess revealed that the Zora can surprisingly swim directly up waterfalls, against the current at a great speed.
1 The Rito Evolved From Zora In The Wind Waker
The Zora actually evolve into the Rito before the events of The Wind Waker. Wind Waker reveals that after the Great Flood, an event that submerged Hyrule and formed the Great Sea, the Zora evolved into the Rito.
The Wind Waker provides a multitude of evidence to support this extraordinary claim, such as Medli sharing the same bloodline as Zora Earth Sage Laruto, and the matching placement of the Zora's fins with the Rito's evolved wings.