One of the most dynamic races in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Rito are bird-like people who make their home in the Hebra region of Hyrule. Using their wings and natural ability, they soar through the skies over Hyrule. They are peaceful beings, though they can be a bit reserved or even stubborn at times. But they also have a strict code of honor and are always willing to help and protect the other inhabitants of Hyrule.
The Rito do call Hyrule home, but they also have their own unique culture and traditions. As such, there are many surprising and intriguing details about the Rito that can only be appreciated by spending time with them and studying their history.
5 Rito Are Related To The Zora
While not directly stated in Breath of the Wild, the Rito are actually an offshoot of the Zora species. During the era of the Great Sea and before the events of The Wind Waker, Zora evolved and developed an avian physiology. And with the help of their guardian deity, the dragon Valoo, the Rito also gained the ability to use their wings to fly.
At some point in the millennia between the events of The Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, either some of the Rito devolved back into Zoras or a race of Zoras separate from the ones who evolved into the Rito came to live Hyrule. Now both species live together in Hyrule as distant relatives of sorts.
4 Rito Are The Most Secluded Race In Hyrule
Despite their ability to glide through the air, which gives them the unique ability to travel to almost any of the wondrous regions of Hyrule whenever they please, the Rito do not leave their homeland often or interact much with the other races living in the kingdom. This is because of the Rito's choosing to live in the cold and remote Hebra region. Due to the region's harsh climate and treacherous terrain, few Hylians choose to explore it let alone dwell in it.
Another reason for their seclusion is that the Rito are conditioned to colder climates, so they are not able to thrive in warmer regions such as the Gerudo Desert or the Eldin region. An example of this is when the player meets a male Rito named Guy traveling through the Gerudo Desert, he expresses his dislike of the heat and how it is preventing him from continuing his journey. The player must actually provide Guy with an elixir that grants heat resistance before he can travel again.
3 Rito Eat Poultry
In the animal kingdom, birds regularly eat other species of birds. This is a fact of nature that many people are not always conscious of or prefer not to think about, but it's actually reflected in the Rito as a small detail in their culture. While exploring Rito Village, the player will learn that the Rito are omnivorous. They eat almost the same foods that Link does, include the likes of mushrooms and salmon.
The most glaring example of their taste for poultry can be seen in Gerudo Town. There the player can find a vacationing Rito named Frita browsing the shops in the town's central square. If the player talks to her while she is near the shop that sells various meats, she will talk about her travels, and she will also mention her disbelief at the fact that the stall does not offer any poultry.
2 Rito Have A Passion For Music
Most fans are familiar with the Rito minstrel Kass and his travels across Hyrule, but details about the Rito people reveal that they as a whole have a strong appreciation for music. This makes sense when one considers both their nature as birds and how birds communicate most and best by song.
Players can see more examples of their musical prowess when they complete Recital at Warbler's Nest, one of the game's many shrine quests. To complete this quest, the player must help a group of Rito children practice for a music recital. Doing so reveals a method to unlock a shrine, with the method involving the use of stone statues that make music when air is blown through them. Both the recital and the stones are evidence that the Rito incorporate song and music into various parts of their culture have been doing so for much of their history.
1 Rito Cannot Truly Fly
The Rito are agile and can freely maneuver as they glide through the air. They are so adept at it that they can even expertly perform combat techniques while airborne. But despite their range of freedom in the skies over Hyrule, they cannot truly fly freely. Outside of certain exceptions or by using natural updrafts, Ritos can only glide on the currents. They cannot ascend to higher elevations on their own.
It was the legendary Rito Champion Revali who circumvented this limitation by developing a technique that allowed him to generate his own updraft at will. This skill, Revali's Gale, allowed Revali to accomplish many impressive feats in the name of serving both his kin and Hyrule as a whole. Revali's Gale became a revered technique among the Rito, and he eventually passed the ability onto Link after the hero proved himself worthy of using it.