You’re barely ten minutes into the game when you see it. A glowing, detached arm pinning down a mummified corpse deep beneath Hyrule Castle. It’s a haunting image. That arm belongs to Tears of the Kingdom Rauru, the first King of Hyrule and the source of your new, god-like powers. But if you're like most players, you probably have a dozen questions about who this goat-like figure actually was. Was he a god? A man? A ghost?
He’s complicated.
Rauru isn't just a plot device to give Link the Ultrahand ability. He is the literal foundation of the game’s lore. Honestly, the way Nintendo handled his character is a bit of a departure from the Rauru we knew in Ocarina of Time. Back then, he was the Sage of Light, a wise old human guy hanging out in the Chamber of Sages. Now? He’s a Zonai. He’s tall, covered in white fur, has three eyes, and sports long, flowing robes that scream "ancient royalty."
The First King’s Burden
When we talk about Tears of the Kingdom Rauru, we’re talking about a man who walked onto a chaotic, monster-filled continent and said, "I can fix this." Along with his sister Mineru, he descended from the heavens. The Zonai were seen as gods by the early inhabitants of Hyrule. Rauru didn't seem to want to be a god, though. He wanted to be a leader. He married a Hylian woman named Sonia, and together they established the Kingdom of Hyrule.
This is where the story gets heavy.
Rauru’s reign wasn't some peaceful era of building roads and picking flowers. It was defined by the rise of Ganondorf. This isn't the "Demon King" Ganondorf we see at the end of the game, but a cunning, political leader of the Gerudo who swore fealty just to get close to the throne. If you watch the Dragon's Tears memories, you can see the tension in Rauru’s face. He knows Ganondorf is dangerous. He senses the malice. But he chooses the path of diplomacy and observation, a move that eventually costs him everything.
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It’s a classic tragic hero setup. Rauru’s biggest flaw was his belief that the Secret Stones—those powerful artifacts that amplify a user's internal power—could be controlled and kept safe through simple vigilance. He underestimated the sheer, raw ambition of a man like Ganondorf. When Ganondorf murdered Queen Sonia and stole her Secret Stone, Rauru’s world collapsed.
Why the Zonai Look Like That
People get really hung up on the appearance of Tears of the Kingdom Rauru. He doesn't look like Link or Zelda. He looks like a hybrid between a dragon and a mountain goat. According to the Tears of the Kingdom "Master Works" lore book (and in-game clues), the Zonai physical form is meant to reflect their connection to the divine. Their long ears allowed them to "hear" the voices of the gods. That third eye on Rauru’s forehead? That isn't just for show. It represents a higher level of perception and spiritual power.
The Zonai were essentially a dying race by the time Rauru founded Hyrule. He and Mineru were the last of their kind on the surface. This adds a layer of loneliness to his character that many players miss. He wasn't just building a kingdom; he was trying to preserve a legacy that was literally disappearing before his eyes.
The Imprisoning War and the Ultimate Sacrifice
You’ve probably heard the term "Imprisoning War" if you’ve played A Link to the Past. But the version in Tears of the Kingdom is different. In this timeline, the war ends when Rauru realizes Ganondorf cannot be killed. Not by the Sages. Not by the Zonai technology. Not even by Rauru's own Light power.
So, he does the unthinkable.
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Rauru uses his own body as a seal. He literally pins Ganondorf to the floor of a deep cavern, using his right arm to channel a constant stream of light energy to keep the Demon King’s malice at bay. He stays there. For thousands of years. Think about that for a second. While civilizations rose and fell above him, while the Calamity ravaged the land 10,000 years ago, and while Link was sleeping in the Shrine of Resurrection, Rauru was there in the dark. Holding on.
He’s a ghost by the time you meet him. Or, more accurately, a lingering spirit. His physical body turned to dust long ago, but his will remained bound to that arm. When the seal finally breaks at the start of the game, Rauru doesn't just disappear. He saves Link. He gives Link his arm—the very limb that held the darkness back for millennia.
What Rauru’s Power Actually Does
When you're using Ultrahand to glue logs together or Fuse to stick a boulder to a stick, you're using Tears of the Kingdom Rauru's innate magic. The game categorizes his power as "Light," but it's more about "order." The Zonai were masters of construction and refinement.
- Ultrahand: The ability to manipulate and bond matter.
- Fuse: The power to merge objects at a molecular level.
- Ascend: A literal "passing through" of physical barriers, likely a byproduct of Rauru’s spiritual nature.
- Recall: This one is actually Zelda’s power (Time), but it's channeled through Rauru's arm.
It’s interesting to note that Rauru’s light is the polar opposite of Ganondorf’s gloom. While gloom decays and destroys, Rauru’s light binds and creates. This is why the Master Sword—the blade that banishes darkness—needed to be bathed in that same light for centuries to recover its strength.
Common Misconceptions About Rauru
Let’s clear some stuff up.
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First, Rauru is not an ancestor of Link. There’s zero evidence for that. He is, however, a direct ancestor of Princess Zelda. The game explicitly states that Zelda carries both the blood of the Hylians (from Sonia) and the power of the gods (from Rauru). This is why she has both Light and Time magic.
Second, Rauru isn't "weak" because he couldn't kill Ganondorf. Ganondorf had a Secret Stone that turned him into a literal god-tier threat. Rauru was fighting a war of attrition. He knew he couldn't win the battle, so he chose to win the "time" war, holding Ganondorf in place until a hero appeared who could actually finish the job.
Finally, some people think the Zonai are related to the Twili from Twilight Princess. While there are some aesthetic similarities (the glowing lines, the ancient tech), the game's director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, has kept these connections vague. For now, Rauru is strictly defined by his role as the progenitor of the Hyrule we see in the "Breath" era.
How to Maximize Rauru's Legacy in Your Playthrough
If you want to respect the lore of Tears of the Kingdom Rauru while you play, pay attention to the Sage's Wills. These items allow you to strengthen the avatars of the sages, including the one Rauru helped guide.
Here are a few things you can do to get the "full" Rauru experience:
- Visit the Shrines of Light: Each shrine is a "Light of Blessing" meant to purify Link. These were created by Rauru and Sonia to prepare the hero. Don't just rush through them for the hearts; look at the architecture. It's his thumbprint on the world.
- Read the Ancient Stone Tablets: There's a side quest involving a researcher named Wortsworth who needs help translating Zonai texts floating in the sky. These tablets give a first-hand account of Rauru’s daily life and his thoughts on the kingdom.
- The Dragon's Tears: Do not finish the game without getting all of these. They provide the context for Rauru’s relationship with Zelda. It makes the ending hit ten times harder.
- Armor Sets: Find the "Ancient Hero's Aspect." It's a reward for completing all 152 shrines. It literally transforms Link into a figure that looks like a Zonai hero—potentially Rauru himself or a close relative.
Rauru is a tragic figure. He started a kingdom he couldn't protect, lost the woman he loved, and spent an eternity in a dark hole holding a monster's heart. But without him, there is no Hyrule. There is no Link. There is no hope. He isn't just a glowing ghost; he’s the reason the world still exists.
To fully appreciate the scope of Rauru's influence, players should prioritize the "Messages from an Ancient Era" questline. This requires the camera tool and a lot of paragliding to the star-shaped islands in the Sky. These texts offer the most intimate look at Rauru’s internal struggles as a king. Additionally, exploring the Depths reveals the "Bargainer Statues," which some fans speculate have a connection to the Zonai’s understanding of the soul—a concept Rauru clearly mastered to preserve his spirit for so long. Following these threads provides a much deeper understanding of the first king's enduring will.