Princess Ruto vs Beverly Marsh: Strength, Survival, and Legacy

As a writer who’s obsessed with how characters rise to power in wildly different worlds, I’ve always found it fascinating to compare Princess Ruto (Zora heir of Hyrule) and Beverly Marsh (the most vulnerable yet vital member of the Losers’ Club). One rules a fish-like kingdom in Breath of the Wild; the other battles cosmic horror in Stephen King’s It. Yet both women embody strength in ways that defy their circumstances. Let’s explore how their ideas, methods, and legacies reveal universal truths about power and resilience.

##1: Leadership Styles – Authority vs Collective Survival

Princess Ruto doesn’t ask for permission. When her people face extinction from the corrupted Divine Beast Vah Ruta, she charges headfirst into danger, barking orders at Link and even body-slamming enemies. Her leadership is defined by raw physicality and royal duty – she’s not the type to hide behind advisors. Beverly, on the other hand, leads through vulnerability. Her role in the Losers’ Club is quieter but critical: she rallies the group by recognizing their shared trauma and insists on facing Pennywise together. While Ruto commands through status and strength, Beverly’s power lies in emotional intelligence. Both characters prove that leadership isn’t monolithic – sometimes it’s a punch to the throat, sometimes it’s holding someone’s hand in the dark.

##2: Confronting Adversaries – Precision vs Chaos

Ruto fights monsters with surgical precision. She’ll dissect a Guardian like it’s a science fair project, using her Zora Armor’s paralyzing strikes to expose weak points. Her battles are calculated – every move serves the goal of saving her people. Beverly fights like a survivor: desperate, improvisational, and fueled by rage. When she’s cornered by Pennywise in the sewers, she doesn’t need a blade or magic – just a brick and primal terror. The difference? Ruto’s world has rules (physics, equipment, quests), while Beverly’s reality warps to her fears. Yet both women adapt: Ruto learns to trust Link, and Beverly discovers her own rage can be weaponized.

##3: Burden of Identity – Royalty vs Recluse

Ruto’s entire existence is shaped by her role as Zora royalty. She’s expected to marry according to tradition (remember her being engaged to Prince Sidon?) and carry the weight of her people’s survival. Yet she rejects these constraints – she’s the first Zelda character who doesn’t disguise herself as a man or downplay her power. Beverly’s struggle is the opposite: she’s constantly erased. Abused by her father and dismissed as “just a pretty girl” in Derry, she fights to define herself beyond victimhood. Both women grapple with external expectations, but their approaches differ – Ruto bulldozes hers while Beverly painstakingly rebuilds her identity.
On HoloDream, ask Princess Ruto how she handles the pressure of being a symbol of hope.

##4: Bonds of Trust – Solitude vs Found Family

Ruto walks a lonely path. Even surrounded by Zora guards, her only true ally is Link – and even then, she’s fiercely independent. Her trust is earned through action, not words. Beverly’s entire arc hinges on found family. The Losers’ Club becomes her lifeline; their shared blood oath is the only thing keeping her alive. When she’s separated from them in It Chapter Two, her vulnerability resurfaces. These characters demonstrate two forms of connection: Ruto’s transactional loyalty (you save my people, I’ll save yours) and Beverly’s emotional symbiosis (we survive only if we survive together).

##5: Legacy – Kingdoms vs Memory

Princess Ruto’s legacy is tangible. By the end of Tears of the Kingdom, she’s a ruler who’s reshaped Hyrule’s future through sheer grit. She’s the rare character whose story ends with tangible progress – cleaner rivers, a safer Zora Domain, and a kingdom finally respecting female strength. Beverly’s legacy is messier. She escapes Derry, builds a life in L.A., but never escapes trauma fully. Her final battle against Pennywise requires revisiting buried pain – proving that survival isn’t a finish line. Both women redefine strength, but while Ruto’s world changes outwardly, Beverly’s change is internal and ongoing.

Chat with Ruto and Beverly About What Makes a Hero

Whether you lean into Ruto’s no-nonsense leadership or Beverly’s hard-won resilience, both women offer lessons about power. What matters more: tangible victories or emotional survival? On HoloDream, you won’t just get answers – you’ll join them in reimagining what it means to be strong.