| “ | Once upon a time, long ago, the Koroks took on human forms, but when they came to live on the sea, they took these shapes. | „ |
| ~ Great Deku Tree telling the story of the Koroks |
| “ | Yahaha! You found me! | „ |
| ~ Koroks' catchphrase in the Era of the Wilds series |
Koroks are small wooden specimens that reside in wooded areas such as forests and they first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. They are known for their love of music and desires to create new forests across the Great Sea. They also appear in the Era of the Wilds saga where they offer Korok Seeds as a reward for finding them.
History[]
The Wind Waker[]
Before Hyrule was flooded, the Koroks were once the Kokiri who all lived in the forest. Sometime after that, when the Kokiri left the forest and lived on the sea, they begin to take on wooden forms and have since been referred to as the Koroks. They once lived in the Forbidden Woods when it was once the most peaceful place for them, until it was infested with monsters and have since taken up residence in Forest Haven where they are looked after by the Great Deku Tree. They have begun a tradition of holding annual Korok Ceremonies, with a violinist playing music with the rest of the Koroks singing along. The Great Deku Tree would then sprout seeds for the Koroks to take to different islands of their choosing and plant them in hopes of spreading new forests in hopes of unifying the islands as one, though their efforts have barely made any progress.
After Link saves the Great Deku Tree from the Chu Chus, he introduces them to the Koroks and told their story and that Link is there at the right time since the ceremony is about to take place. However, Linder descends from above and informs the Great Deku Tree and the Koroks that Makar, their violinist, fell into the Forbidden Woods despite his warnings against going near it. This forced the ceremony to be delayed as the Deku Tree grants Link the Deku Leaf to float to various places while doing so consumes magic. The Koroks help Link complete his journey to the Forbidden Woods where Makar is trapped. Once Makar is saved from Kalle Demos' clutches, Makar apologizes for not listening to him while the Great Deku Tree assures him that everything is fine now and tells him to commence the ceremony, which he does, with Link witnessing it. Eight Koroks, minus Makar and Hollo, take the newly sprouted seeds and bids farewell as they leave the islands where they can plant their seeds.
Upon arrival, the Koroks all plant their seeds, but they end up withering which puts them in a dilemma. Later in the game, Link can do the sidequest to help invigorate their saplings by filling his bottle with the special variety of water called Forest Water, the only kind that can give saplings life and tends to turn into normal water within a limited time, and he has to water all of them within 20 minutes (30 in The Wind Waker HD) as failing to complete it once it expires will result in the saplings withering again which would force him to start over again. Once Link waters all eight tree saplings before the Forest Water spoils, the trees will all grow to maturity with the last tree watered leaving behind a Piece of Heart. The Koroks with thank Link and are optimistic that the new forests will be beautiful.
Makar plays a prominent role once Link completes the Earth Temple to restore the Master Sword's lost power and he becomes the new sage of the Wind Temple in the late Fado's place.
Breath of the Wild[]
Koroks are abundant across Hyrule and can be found in various locations or by meeting certain conditions to make them appear. Any Korok that appears to Link will grant them a Korok Seed, so he can return them to Hestu the very being that they tend to pick on often. The Koroks in Korok Forest have sidequests that involve shrines that would help Link regain more of his lost strength so he can retrieve the Master Sword from the pedestal which Princess Zelda had placed it there.
Tears of the Kingdom[]
The Koroks roles are largely the same as in Breath of the Wild, only this time, they have sidequests that involve Link using Ultra Hand to carry them over to their friend who is sending a smoke signal in hopes that they will find them. Reuniting them results in two Korok Seeds being handed over.
When Ganondorf awakens after eons of imprisonment resulting in the Upheaval, Gloom will infect Korok Forest, immobilizing the Koroks that make contact with it and rendering the Great Deku Tree confused. Link must complete the mission to rid the forest of the Gloom to free them.
Age of Calamity[]
Koroks are most often found during the story scenarios and take on the form of pinwheels, leaves with magic dust, and balloons. They will grant seeds to the warriors that find them and the Korok seeds often involve Hestu's missions in order to reach 100% completion.
