King Zora

"It looks like you have a hard time breathing underwater. As an expression of my gratitude, I grant you this tunic. With this, you won't choke underwater."

- King Zora

King Zora, originally simply known as "Zora" in English, is a particular Zora who appears in various games of the The Legend of Zelda franchise. He is depicted as being much larger than the rest of his species, setting a size standard for later depictions of Zora monarchs, such as Queen Rutella, Oren, and King Dorephan. In many appearances, he provides Link with helpful items, usually to help him swim better.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Zora can be found in Zora's Waterfall. He looks just like a scaled up version of the Zora enemy, but unlike the other Zoras, he does not attack Link. Instead, he sells him Zora's Flippers for the large price of 500 Rupees. He also throws in a bonus by allowing Link to use the various Whirlpool Waterways to warp across Hyrule. He is quite jovial and laughs during many of his quotes.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, King Zora has been redesigned much like the rest of his species. He now barely resembles the others aside from having the same skin texture (white with dark teal spots in the original, varying shades of cyan in the artwork and Ocarina of Time 3D), being extremely fat with long, skinny legs. He is found in his throne room in Zora's Domain, where he is initially preoccupied with wondering where his daughter, Ruto, has disappeared to. After Link shows him Ruto's Letter, he tells Link to go find her in Jabu-Jabu's Belly and moves over so he can access Zora's Fountain, though due to his size it takes him a full minute to do so. If Link later speaks to him while wearing a mask, he will comment that Hylians are "such silly creatures," though he is unamused by the Zora Mask.

In the future, King Zora is frozen in the Red Ice. When Link uses the Blue Fire to melt it, he will give Link the Zora Tunic and tell him he is worried about Ruto again. If Link has already bought the tunic from the nearby shop, King Zora will instead jokingly offer to kiss Link as a "reward," though Link declines. Once Link has met Sheik in the Ice Cavern, Link will tell King Zora that Ruto is in the Water Temple if he speaks with him. At the very end of the game at Lon Lon Ranch, he is sitting with Mido at the gate of the pasture instead of celebrating with the rest, presumably missing his daughter. They then both look up to see the lights from the Sages travelling overhead.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
In The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, King Zora appears in both the past and present, with this being the first indicator of the Zoras' lengthy lifespans. In the past, he is green with an orange coat and blue crown, while in the present, he is blue with a red coat and yellow crown, like in Ocarina of Time. When Link initially goes to Zora Village in the present to access Lord Jabu-Jabu, he finds he needs royal permission to do so, and King Zora had died years ago due to an illness. When he travels to the past, he finds King Zora is sick from the pollution filling the Zora Seas, and Jabu-Jabu is too small to enter. Once Link restores the Fairy Queen to her normal form and she cleanses the sea with her magic, King Zora recovers and praises Link for his help. When Link travels back to the present, King Zora recognizes him and lets him enter Jabu-Jabu.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, King Zora died at some point before the game started. The ghost of his more recently deceased wife, Queen Rutella, guides Link to his grave behind the Kakariko Graveyard, where he finds the Zora Armor, which he created during his life. The armor itself is essentially an improvement on the previous Zora Tunic.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (comic)
In the comic adaptation of A Link to the Past by Shotaro Ishinomori, Zora is depicted differently than in the game. He is a warrior with a scar from the Master Sword on his face, and has a fairy companion named Ephremelda. Link meets him at the waterfall, itself depicted in the Dark World, and he tells Link that his people are a peaceful race that has existed as long as there has been water, with Ganon's usurping of the Golden Land ending that. He also tells him one of the six maidens is imprisoned nearby in the Palace of Darkness, but warns Link not to go in there due to their dangerous Firecorn stockpile. However, since Link is adamant, he gives him one of his scales to act as a mask and lends Epheremelda to act as a guide. Later, after Link and Ephremelda have an argument and split up, Zora saves Link from Wizzrobe and Vitreous in Misery Mire, explaining he can warp anywhere there is water.

BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban
In BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban, King Zora has the same role as in A Link to the Past, though he now charges 300 Rupees for the flippers, and when it is raining he only charges 150. The flippers are needed to access the second dungeon, the Waterfall of Wishing.