Who Is Rauru In The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" just dropped May 12, 2023 and it's already blown critics away, so it's natural that players have questions on their minds about the key players in the highly anticipated title. One character piquing players' curiosity is Rauru – who is this "Tears of the Kingdom" character, and what is his significance in the game?

Warning: this article contains spoilers for "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom."

Rauru is first mentioned by Ganondorf in the intro scene to "Tears of the Kingdom." The Demon King speaks of the character in question to Link, saying, "Rauru placed his faith in you ... and that was all you could do?" Though Rauru has appeared in previous "Zelda" games, this iteration of the character is totally different from what fans have seen before.

The new Rauru is fleshed out further beyond the mention in the game's first main story quest, The Closed Door. It's revealed that he is an enemy of Ganondorf responsible for locking up the Demon King alongside his allies. One of the Zonai people, Rauru is also a past king of Hyrule, and the first one at that. He has a special connection to Link in that he is the provider of the protagonist's right arm ... a literal right-hand man. His ghostly design and intricate outfit represent a new take on the character, much to the surprise of "Zelda" fans who know him from before.

Rauru had a much more human appearance complete with simpler attire in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." He was known as the Sage of Light, and he also took on an alternative bird form as Kaepora Gaebora, meaning this isn't the character's first time presenting with a fresh look. Rauru's shapeshifting brings an air of mystery to the character, not to mention the fact that he created the Temple of Time as revealed through past "Zelda" lore, making him a powerful, elusive force in the world of "Zelda."

In "Tears of the Kingdom," Rauru's authority carries on, especially since he teaches Link some game mechanics like fast travel, Fuse, Ascent, and Ultrahand. He pops up further along in the game from time to time to assist Link. Though he's not the same as he's appeared before, it makes sense that Nintendo would evolve the character just as they evolved Ganondorf. The new Rauru is a significant figure in "Tears of the Kingdom," deeply connected to not only Link but the lore of "Zelda" from games past – and now, he's adding more to the story once again.