Rito

The Rito postman Quill.
Rito
Type	Birdlike Humanoid
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Rito is a bird-like humanoid species that appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and are an evolved form of the Sea Zoras.

Information

The Ritos inhabited Dragon Roost Island and lived there under the protection of the dragon Valoo, whom they revered as a sky spirit. They evolved or transformed from the Zora tribe at some point following the Great Flood, and they gained bird-like features such as beak-like noses as opposed to the Zoras' fish-like appearnace. Before they developed wings, the Ritos used grappling hooks to get around the mountainous island. It seems that it was only with Valoo's help that they were able to get their famed wings. Eventually, visiting Valoo was established as a coming-of-age ceremony for Rito fledglings. They traveled to the top of the mountain and would receive a scale from Valoo. The scale enables the Ritos to grow their wings. The Rito tribe also established a line of caretakers for Valoo who were taught Hylian. With their wings, the Ritos were free to explore the skies and made primarily made livings as postmen. The title of postman is revered by Ritos. Rito women are also known for their love of Golden Feathers. Some humans also attempted to imitate Ritos and hold "Bird-Man" contests in other parts of the Great Sea.

The Rito tribe primarily lived within an aerie in Dragon Roost Island and were ruled by a chieftain. The Ritos had also been entrusted with the protection of Din's Pearl, which they believed to have been handed down from the goddesses. During The Wind Waker, Valoo was tormented by a parasitic Gohma, which sent him into a perpetual rage which prevented any Ritos from getting near him. This also jeopardized the ceremony in which the chieftain's son Komali was set to receive his wings. Link arrived and managed to work with the current caretaker, Medli, to save Valoo. Valoo was calmed, and Link was rewarded with Din's Pearl. Komali was able to get his wings and was set to become the tribe's true heir, while Medli later succeeded Laruto as the Wind Sage of the Wind Temple. The Rito postman Quill also was helpful towards Link in his adventure.

Trivia

• The name "Rito" seems to be a reversal of the Japanese word for bird, "tori".
• Within the game, the Rito's connection to the Zoras is only implied through Medli's blood relation to Laruto matched with the conspicuous absence of the Zoras, but Eiji Aonuma has confirmed through an interview that the two species are indeed related. Oddly enough, one minor postman character is also implied to be descended from the Postman, which implies that Ritos may have also developed from (or crossbred with) Hylians.
• They are possibly based on the Watarara, a similar race of bird-people that appeared in a bonus chapter of the Ocarina of Time manga.
• The Ritos are oddly absent in the follow-ups to The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. A flying postman does appear in the former game, but he appears to be a strange type of winged human rather than an actual Rito.