10 Silly Facts You Never Knew About Koroks
You haven’t found me!
Everyone knows the little forest-dwelling creatures who shout, “Yahaha!” But do you know who they evolved from? Or Hestu’s hidden secret in Korok Forest? Let’s dive into the woods of Zelda mysteries with 10 silly facts you never knew about Koroks!
10. They Evolved From Kokiri
People who have played Ocarina of Time know the Kokiri, the fun-loving fairy children residing in the Kokiri Forest. Notable members include Saria, Link’s childhood friend, and the bossy Mido. But a more little-known fact is that the Koroks evolved from this same race: in Wind Waker‘s Great Flood, the Kokiri changed to adapt to their new aquatic environment. The Kokiri Wind Sage, Fado, confirms this, as the Korok violinist Makar is stated to be his descendant. Fortunately, the Kokiri retain their childlike personality and the first two letters of their name, so it’s not too hard to spot… right?
9. They Are Supposed To Be Invisible
Though we have no trouble seeing how adorable Koroks are, they are actually supposed to be invisible. They apparently have been since the Great Calamity 100 years ago, which is why the first one you find is overjoyed to realize that you can actually see him. No one has confirmed why Link is one of the only ones who can see the Koroks with ease, though, but one possible reason could be because he is the Hero of Hyrule, the destined wielder of the Master Sword that lies in their forest.
8. Korok Seeds Are Poop
Okay, well, pretty much everyone got this one right away. The Korok Seed’s in-game description already goes far enough to say that it has a “distinct smell,” leading players to wonder exactly what kind of smell that was. And Hestu provided us with further clues: his “Gift” explicitly states it “smells pretty bad.” The rumors were finally silenced when the BOTW director himself, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, confirmed that the Korok Seeds are actually poop, as well as Hestu’s Gift, intended to be just a big “joke.” People spent hours on this, and you give them poop? Not funny, Nintendo. Not funny.
7. They Are Terrified Of Vegetarians
Well, it makes sense. Koroks’ faces are made out of literal leaves, and no one wants to risk losing their face to a hungry predator. The case here is vegetarians, and a sleeping Korok inn owner named Pepp speaks it all for his race in a nightmare: he encounters a vegetarian and begins screaming for his life. As some people believe dreams reflect your fears, it’s both hilarious and logical that the Koroks’ natural enemies are vegetarians… do NOT eat Fried Wild Greens in front of them!
6. Hestu Calls the Great Deku Tree “Grandpa”
This is yet another hidden bit of BOTW dialogue only a handful of eagle-eyed players have noticed: Hestu calls the Great Deku Tree “Grandpa” when you first meet him outside of Kakariko Village. He mentions how he has to get home to Korok Forest before this grandfather of his scolds him for returning late. Interestingly, this implies a callback to Wind Waker: the Koroks are born from the Great Deku Tree’s seeds. They likely then believe he is their father/grandfather, since they all come from him.
5. They Have Only Appeared in 3 Games
That’s right — despite how insanely cute they are, Nintendo has only chosen to include the Koroks in three games. These are Wind Waker, Age of Calamity, and Breath of the Wild. This may come as no surprise to those of you who know your Zelda game lineup from top to bottom, but it’s still at the least puzzling why the Koroks only starred in these three. Were the Koroks forgotten for a while? Or did Nintendo think that the cutesy aspect would blind people from the rest of the game? It remains one of the many mysteries of Hyrule for now…
4. They Made the Forest Dweller’s Weapons
It’s hard to imagine the innocent little Koroks crafting weapons for the battle-ready Hylians, but you have to admit it. They did. Each of the Forest Dweller’s weapons’ in-game description states that the Koroks made it for the Hylians, signifying that their side of the story has always been intertwined with the rest of Hyrule’s. The Master Sword is only the beginning of their connection! Made out of durable wood and flexible materials, this unique weapon set will have a much different meaning when you learn that the Koroks stepped in to help the Hylians win wars.
3. They Make the Cutest Sounds When Attacked
With 900 Koroks littering Hyrule’s overworld, it’s impossible not to hear one of their cute sounds when they’re attacked. Whether it’s a Bokoblin swinging a club at it or even you dropping a rock on its head, the Korok will let out the purest little cry of pain that will echo through your ears as much more than a squeak. Feel guilt yet? If you don’t, feel free to keep doing it — despite his stamina limits, he will never tire of picking up rocks and dumping them on the Koroks.
2. Hestu Stands on a Maraca
This completely well-hidden game detail is mind-blowing. BOTW’s designers deliberately made the land where Hestu stands to resemble a maraca, since the giant broccoli-headed Korok is notorious for his red maracas. Reddit user Tight_Yak2637 was one of the first to notice this tiny detail residing on the ground, the one place where players usually don’t look at when traversing Korok Forest. This is why people still make videos on how complex BOTW is, guys… is this enough proof for you?
1. Collecting All 900 Seeds Is More Than Half of the Completion Rate
If you want to be a true BOTW completionist, you cannot avoid collecting all 900 Korok Seeds. Why? It’s because they take up over half of the total 100% completion rate, which is overwhelming, to say the least. Finding every last one of them contributes to 72% of the entire percentage, which is near a whopping three-fourths. Even the main storyline and finding map locations doesn’t tower over the charts so massively, but rather finding these annoying little forest spirits does.
As the Moon from Majora’s Mask says: “I shall consume… consume everything!”