Within Kokiri Forest lie the, well duh, Kokiri, a race of that, regardless of how old they get, never grow beyond the appearance of children. Often playful and cheery, the Kokiri even maintain the personalities of children their whole lives. Each Kokiri is accompanied by a Forest Fairy companion, provided to them shortly after they’re born. They all worship the Deku Tree, a great, living tree that serves as the ruler and the protector of the forest. They also consider the Deku Tree as their Great Father, because, well… he is.
Kokiri are originally plants from the forest itself. The plants included grass, bushes, flowers, ferns, weeds, clovers, and all other kinds. From time to time, a plant would go through an unusual event, be it getting painted by a Skull Kid, an adventurer dropping a magic bean on one, or an unusual change in the seasons that affects its growth. Over time, these events add it, and it grows to be a unique looking plant, like a bush with blue leaves, a flower with big, puffy petals of every color, or in a particular case, a very sharp weed.
Although the Deku Tree is rooted to one location, it’s able to mentally overlook the entire forest. As it does, it notices these strange plants that have been altered by the passage of chance and time. It doesn’t often rain in the Kokiri Forest, but when it does, the Deku Tree is able to use the collective energy from the rain gathered throughout the forest and use it as an energy source to magically imbue one of these plants into a living being - a Kokiri. They’re born as younger children because by the time they’re selected to be born, they’ve only existed a few years. They also never seem to visually age beyond children because the spirit of the forest keeps them healthy, constantly revitalizing them and preventing them from physically aging. Supposedly, if one lives outside the forest too long, they’ll age, but it has yet to be proved.
In order to help a Kokiri become oriented to living as a small humanoid instead of being a plant, every Kokiri is granted a Forest Fairy by the Deku Tree, to serve as both their personal guardian and long-time friend. Unlike Fountain Fairies, these Fairies do not heal their companions in any way. Instead, they serve as guides and lookouts for them, and of course, a friendly source of conversation.
Every Kokiri’s appearance and personality is based off the plant they were born from.
Eventually, regardless of the fact that Kokiri don’t seem to age, they reach a point where their liveliness and curiosity seem to just fade away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual set by the Deku Tree that allows the old Kokiri to wander into the Lost Woods with the last of their energy and settle down somewhere and fall asleep. Their spirit leaves the body and becomes one with the forest, helping to look over and protect the forest, while the remains of their body turns into a variety of seeds that reflected their respective personality. The winds of the Lost Woods then carry those seeds throughout the forest, growing new plants that could potentially turn into new Kokiri someday.
Kokiri are originally plants from the forest itself. The plants included grass, bushes, flowers, ferns, weeds, clovers, and all other kinds. From time to time, a plant would go through an unusual event, be it getting painted by a Skull Kid, an adventurer dropping a magic bean on one, or an unusual change in the seasons that affects its growth. Over time, these events add it, and it grows to be a unique looking plant, like a bush with blue leaves, a flower with big, puffy petals of every color, or in a particular case, a very sharp weed.
Although the Deku Tree is rooted to one location, it’s able to mentally overlook the entire forest. As it does, it notices these strange plants that have been altered by the passage of chance and time. It doesn’t often rain in the Kokiri Forest, but when it does, the Deku Tree is able to use the collective energy from the rain gathered throughout the forest and use it as an energy source to magically imbue one of these plants into a living being - a Kokiri. They’re born as younger children because by the time they’re selected to be born, they’ve only existed a few years. They also never seem to visually age beyond children because the spirit of the forest keeps them healthy, constantly revitalizing them and preventing them from physically aging. Supposedly, if one lives outside the forest too long, they’ll age, but it has yet to be proved.
In order to help a Kokiri become oriented to living as a small humanoid instead of being a plant, every Kokiri is granted a Forest Fairy by the Deku Tree, to serve as both their personal guardian and long-time friend. Unlike Fountain Fairies, these Fairies do not heal their companions in any way. Instead, they serve as guides and lookouts for them, and of course, a friendly source of conversation.
Every Kokiri’s appearance and personality is based off the plant they were born from.
- Grassfolk tend to be indistinguishable from one another and are often referred to as brothers, like the Know-It-All Brothers. They claim to know everything because every kind of person stomped on them at least once. That said, they also tend to be a little apathetic towards everyone else, buuut it’s all in good fun.
- Flowergirls are always female, like Fado & Saria. They’re considered the friendliest and calmest of the Kokiri.
- Cloversongs end up being very artistic, like Makar the violinist. They’re very expressive, and other Kokiri tend to go to them for advice, only to end up listening to their songs the rest of the day.
- Bushers tend to laze about, sleeping all day, like Sleepy & Shady. They awake in the night only to laze around and play games, rarely getting any work done.
- Weedmeddlers are physically the strongest and fastest of the Kokiri, like Mido & Fran. Unfortunately, they also have a tendency to be major suck-it-ups, acting like they’re “the big boss” and taking credit for everything.
- There’s other types, but those are the most common of them all.
Eventually, regardless of the fact that Kokiri don’t seem to age, they reach a point where their liveliness and curiosity seem to just fade away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual set by the Deku Tree that allows the old Kokiri to wander into the Lost Woods with the last of their energy and settle down somewhere and fall asleep. Their spirit leaves the body and becomes one with the forest, helping to look over and protect the forest, while the remains of their body turns into a variety of seeds that reflected their respective personality. The winds of the Lost Woods then carry those seeds throughout the forest, growing new plants that could potentially turn into new Kokiri someday.