We’ll show you how to find Princess Ruto in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo Switch 2. Includes information on reaching Zora Domain, how to get a lead on Princess Ruto’s Location, and where to find useful items along the way.
Use the Table of Contents, located in the left panel (top left button on the mobile menu) to navigate through this long guide more easily and quickly.
Going to Zora River
After completing Dodongo Cavern and meeting the Great Fairies of Death Mountain and Hyrule Castle, it’s time to find the last Spiritual Stone.
To find Zora River, go to the river outside the entrance to Kakariko Village in Hyrule Field. Follow the river upstream to reach Zora River.
Zora River
This area was previously inaccessible due to the group of boulders blocking the way. Use your bombs to blow them up, and continue following the stream.
You’ll find a man munching on some beans near the start, he’ll sell you Magic Beans that can be planted in soft soil. Their price increases each time your purchase one, but these can be planted in Fresh Soil to help unlock secret areas later on.
Once you reach the waterfall, look for the Triforce Emblem on a stone marker. Play Zelda’s Lullaby in front of it and a bridge will extend out. Walk inside to enter Zora Domain.
Zora Domain
When you enter Zora Domain, follow the path going upstairs. This will take you to King Zora. He will only talk to you if you stand on the stage before him.
The Missing Princess Ruto
Make your way to the top of Zora Domain and talk to King Zora. He’s too preoccupied with his missing daughter to talk, so you’ll need to find some lead as to where she is.
To make matters worse, she has the Spiritual Stone of Water. If you find her, then you can find the last Spiritual Stone. If you’re going to find a Zora, you must be able swim like a Zora. Fortunately, there’s someone eager to teach any willing students nearby.
Diving Lessons
A Zora at the top of the waterfall is ready to instruct you in the art of diving. Take his diving lessons and dive for all five scales he drops in the water. You’ll have 40 seconds to complete this, failure will result in you trying again.
Successfully acquiring all 5 scales will grant you the Silver Scale. With this, you can now dive even deeper than before! You can pay 10 rupees to dive for even more scales, and win 20 rupees if you collect them all.
Lake Hylia Shortcut
Jump down the waterfall and look for the passage beneath the water. This will lead you straight to Lake Hylia, where other Zora are frantically searching for Princess Ruto.
Lake Hylia
Lake Hylia is home to a beloved mini-game, Fishing. You’ll also find other useful characters here, such as Kaepora Gaebora who’s near a grave on one of the islands. Talk to him for a ride back to Hyrule Castle Town.
Fishing Pond
For 10 rupees, you can spend as much time as you want fishing at the Fishing Pond. If you catch a big enough fish, you can earn prizes!
Bonooru the Scarecrow
While you’re here, now is a good time to unlock something fun for later. On the shores of Lake Hylia, you’ll find a couple of scarecrows. Talk to the first one on the lower elevation, and he’ll ask that you make a song for him.
This song has to be composed of 8 notes and cannot be an existing song in the game. Make it as simple or as complex as you want, just make sure you remember it.
It doesn’t do anything quite yet, but it will be very useful later on. Return to the area with the shortcut to Zora Domain.
Letter in a Bottle
There’s a set of pillars with Zora iconography in the shallow end of the lake. Near one of them is a submerged bottle. Dive to the bottle, and use it on land to read the letter inside.
Show King Zora the letter in the bottle. He’ll move out of the way to let you into Zora’s Fountain where you’ll find Lord Jabu-Jabu. Before you do, you’ll want to catch a fish with your new bottle. There’s a small school of fish near the shallows east of the Zora Shop.
Zora Fountain
The most prominent feature of Zora Fountain is the giant fish adorned in gold and jewels. Before interacting with him, swim to the southeast corner of Zora Fountain.
Great Fairy Fountain
Use a bomb on the cracked wall on the southeast corner to reveal a Great Fairy Fountin. Inside, you can get the magic spell, Farore’s Wind. She will ask for a 100 rupee offering in exchange for the spell.
Farore’s Wind
Farore’s Wind is a useful ability that you can only use in dungeons. Use it to return to a previous spot you think you might need to return to later, or keep it near the entrance if you need to leave.
It’ll persist even if you leave the dungeon, allowing you to instantly return even if you’re somewhere outside of the dungeon! If you need to leave to resupply, you can instantly return to where you were.
Entering Lord Jabu-Jabu
Stand in front of Lord Jabu-Jabu and release the fish into the small bowl in the ground. He’ll open his mouth and suck both you and the fish inside. This is the start of the next dungeon, Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly.
