Kokiri

Kokiri are a fictional race in The Legend of Zelda video game series, introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. They inhabit Kokiri Forest, a sheltered region within Hyrule, and are depicted as childlike, forest-dwelling humanoids who do not visibly age beyond childhood. They live under the protection of the Great Deku Tree, who acts as their guardian and patron.

Origins and society: The Kokiri share a close bond with the forest’s magic and maintain a self-contained community around Kokiri Village. In-game lore implies that the Great Deku Tree created or watches over them to keep them safe, and that the forest’s magic prevents their growth into adulthood. Because of this, they rarely undertake journeys outside the forest.

In Ocarina of Time, the protagonist Link is a Kokiri boy who is chosen by the Great Deku Tree to bear a larger burden and to leave the forest to aid Hyrule. He receives the Kokiri Sword and Deku Shield early on. Link’s departure marks a turning point for Kokiri society and for the wider saga of Hyrule.

Later installments in the series reframes forest-dwelling beings. In The Wind Waker, the Kokiri themselves are not central characters; the forest-dwelling spirits are represented by the Koroks, a related, nature-oriented race introduced in that game. The Kokiri as a concept remain primarily associated with Ocarina of Time and the origin of Link’s journey.