I have to be honest: when I first beat Tears of the Kingdom back in 2023, Rauru completely floored me. Here was this ancient Zonai king, all glowing and regal, and he just... gives Link his arm? Talk about a wild handshake. 🤯 Even now, in 2026, I still see folks on forums arguing about who Rauru really is, what happened to the Zonai, and whether the Ocarina of Time Rauru is the same dude. So let's unpack this mystery, piece by piece. Spoiler alert for TotK and Ocarina of Time.

Who Is Rauru In Tears Of The Kingdom?

The first time we hear the name Rauru in TotK is down under Hyrule Castle, when Zelda and Link stumble on Ganondorf's desiccated body. Ganondorf sneers at Rauru for putting his faith in Link, and then proceeds to wreck Link's arm and shatter the Master Sword. Ouch. That's one heck of a first impression.

After Link wakes up on the Great Sky Island, Rauru appears as a spirit. Think King Rhoam from Breath of the Wild, but with more goat-dragon vibes and a killer fashion sense. Rauru guides Link through the Shrines of Light, which he built himself. Each shrine holds sacred light that helps cleanse the gloom from Link's body. Along the way, Rauru drops some lore: he and his people created the Constructs and the sky islands. Also, surprise, the right arm Link is rocking? Yeah, that used to belong to Rauru. No big deal.

What Happened To Rauru?

This is where the Dragon's Tears memories come in, and man, they hit like a truck. Through Zelda's memories, we see the Imprisoning War. Before all that, Rauru founded Hyrule alongside his wife, Sonia. Everyone pledged allegiance to him, but Ganondorf showed up with fake loyalty and a knife behind his back. He murdered Sonia, stole her Secret Stone, and juiced himself up. Rauru tried to stop him by gathering Hyrule's leaders, his sister Mineru, and Zelda, awakening them as Sages with Secret Stones. But Ganondorf was too strong. In a last-ditch effort, Rauru sacrificed himself to seal Ganondorf away, trusting that Link would finish the job in the future. That's a king-sized sacrifice, if you ask me.

Was Rauru The Last Zonai?

Rauru and Mineru are the only Zonai we actually meet in TotK. But dialogue suggests they weren't always alone. Ganondorf mentions that Rauru's Zonai ancestors descended upon Hyrule long ago, and that the Zonai no longer grace the world with their presence. So yeah, there were more Zonai, but the game never explains what happened to them. That's a big ol' elephant in the room.

Since Zelda is a descendant of both Rauru and Sonia, fans figure the couple had at least one child who was part Zonai. Some folks also speculate that the ancient hero in the Sheikah tapestry was Zonai, thanks to the Hero's Aspect armor having Zonai characteristics and clothing. The Zonai have been largely erased from Hyrule's history, but traces remain in places like Rauru Hillside and Rauru Settlement Ruins. After Link defeats Ganondorf, Rauru and Mineru's spirits depart to the afterlife. So no Zonai remain, not even in spirit form. Talk about leaving the stage clean.

Is Rauru From Ocarina Of Time The Same As Tears Of The Kingdom?

Short answer: no. Long answer: nooooo, but they do share some cute parallels. Ocarina of Time's Rauru is the Sage of Light, an ancient wise guy who mentors Link. TotK's Rauru is also called the Sage of Light, and he also mentors Link. Both have owl connections, too. In Ocarina of Time, Rauru appears as the owl Kaepora Gaebora. In TotK, Rauru wears clothing with an owl motif, which seems common in Zonai culture and probably represents wisdom. Nintendo likely reused the name as a nod to Ocarina of Time, but beyond that, I wouldn't bet a rupee on them being the same character. The name Rauru also popped up in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link as Rauru Town, which just adds more fuel to the fan theory fire.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	TotK Rauru	OoT Rauru
Role	First King of Hyrule, Zonai, Source of Right Arm	Sage of Light, mentor
Owl connection	Owl motif on clothing	Owl form Kaepora Gaebora
Fate	Sacrifices himself to seal Ganondorf	Helps seal Ganon in Sacred Realm
Same character?	Nope	Nope

My Final Take

Rauru is one of those characters who seems simple at first, then you fall down a lore rabbit hole and realize he's holding half of TotK's mystery together. He's a king, a sage, a sacrifice, and maybe the last of his kind. Whether you love him, pity him, or just want to know what happened to the Zonai, he's impossible to ignore. And in 2026, with the game still being dissected by fans, I'd say Rauru's story is far from forgotten. It's a banger of a legend, and I'm here for it. 🦉👑✨