Saria is a Kokiri girl and Link's old friend whom he regards as a motherly figure. She's also one of the seven oracles.
Beacause of her kindhearted nature, she is very well-liked by the people of her village, especially Mido who developed a deep fondness for her. She is also a friend of Link, an outsider among the Kokiri, resulting in a powerful bond which seems to elicit feelings of jealousy from Mido, causing him to shun Link most of the time.
History
Saria appears for the first time when Link exits his house after having been summoned to an audience with the Great Deku Tree by Navi. She initially expresses great excitement towards Link's meeting with the Guardian of the Forest, but senses trouble on the horizon and advises him to find the proper equipment just in case. After the Deku Tree tasks Link with the quest to find Princess Zelda, Saria approaches her friend as he is about to leave the forest. Although she appears to be greatly saddened by his departure, Saria assures him that she always knew that he was different from the other Kokiri. She then entrusts him with a Fairy Ocarina as a memento of everything that he is leaving behind. At a loss for words, she watches with a sorrowful expression as he exits through the tunnel leading into the larger Land of Hyrule.
After returning home from the initial stages of his quest, Link searches for Saria and eventually find her in the Sacred Forest Meadow. During their brief reunion, she has a premonition that the meadow will one day become a place of importance for the two of them, and teaches him "Saria's Song", which allows Link to contact her telepathically. He later plays this song for the troubled Goron leader, Darunia, which raises his spirits. Link can contact Saria at any given point beyond this time, during which she give helpful hints and expresses joy upon hearing how much Darunia loved her song.
During Link's seven year absence, Saria sensed the spirits of the forest calling for help from within the Forest Temple and immediately went to investigate, but was ultimately captured by the creatures and Phantom Ganon inside. Link awakens after having been sealed inside the Temple of Light and finds that Hyrule has fallen into disarray. Before he can depart from the temple, Link meets the mysterious Sheik, who vaguely describes the upcoming quest and tasks him to awaken all the Sages of Hyrule, even dropping a hint that Saria is the first of the sages. Upon traveling back to Kokiri Forest, Link finds Mido blocking the entrance to the deeper part of the Lost Woods and plays Saria's Song to the Kokiri leader as proof that he knows Saria. Recognizing the upbeat tune, Mido tells him that Saria traveled to the Forest Temple to investigate the recent chaos. After braving the many dangers of the Forest Temple and defeating Phantom Ganon, Link allows his old friend to awaken as the Sage of Forest. She tells Link that, being a sage, she cannot live in the same world as him, but she will continue to aid him from the Sacred Realm. Saria then gives Link the Forest Medallion, adding her power to his. If Link talks to Mido after this, he will tell Link that Saria really liked Link, possibly to the point of love. However, this is never elaborated upon.
Saria works together with the other five Sages to create a bridge over the lava moat outside Ganon's Castle so that Link can enter and defeat the Evil King once and for all. She also appears inside the castle, breaking the Forest Seal and makes one final appearance with the other Sages as they watch the festivities following Ganondorf's ultimate defeat, sitting on Darunia's head.
