Summary

• The next Zelda game may benefit from removing the Koroks to keep gameplay fresh and interesting for players.
• With potential changes to their role, the Koroks could transition into a new age in the franchise while staying relevant.
• The iconic Korok puzzles could limit their future appearance in Zelda games, necessitating a new approach to their inclusion.

Between them, The Legend of Zelda’s two most recent titles, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have established and maintained a variety of popular gameplay features. However, it may be time to set aside one such staple of the games unless major changes are put into effect to keep the gameplay fresh. The Zelda franchise constantly provides new experiences, but this also means that many individual mechanics seldom appear for more than one or two games.

The Legend of Zelda regularly reinvents both its setting and gameplay, giving rise to many highly unique adventures despite their common setting and characters. The next Zelda game will likely revival of other Zelda traditions in turn.

The Next Zelda Game May Benefit From Removing The Koroks

One of the most notable parts of BOTW and TOTK which could soon find their time coming to an end is the Koroks. As amusing as the denizens of Korok Forest are, two Hyrule-spanning games of puzzle-based hide and seek for inventory expansions may be more than enough for most, especially if the ultimate reward for finding all the Korok Seeds would be the same; it would be repetitious, and simply not worth the effort. If the next Zelda title is another open-world game, then at the very least, changes to the Koroks will be needed to keep them interesting.

There are a total of 900 Koroks to find in Breath of the Wild, and then 1,000 more in Tears of the Kingdom.

If the Koroks are too popular to remove entirely, they could still see a reduced role in any new game, especially if the next Legend of Zelda adventure is a smaller one than its predecessors. Assuming that their puzzles are kept as the core of their in-game functions, there could still be far fewer of them to find, or else a difference in how rewards are handled for solving them. For example, instead of inventory expansions, finding a set number of Koroks could instead reward Link with rupees, ammunition, or even items like Pieces of Heart.

It is worth noting that Korok puzzles, by themselves, are a very popular addition to the Zelda franchise, presenting many opportunities to innovate and experiment with the core game mechanics. They demonstrate the sheer breadth of possibility for features like Ultrahand, while also at times testing pure in-game skill and agility. But in a simpler game, without such open-ended abilities, Korok puzzles would suffer accordingly. Although they could still appear, the ways in which they can be incorporated could be much more limited, in direct opposition to the creativity which has made them so popular.

The Koroks Could Enter A New Age Alongside The Rest Of The Franchise

On the other hand, the Koroks could also undergo a more personal change to keep them relevant. As the Koroks were once the Kokiri seen in Ocarina of Time, they could presumably easily become the more humanoid Children of the Forest once more. Alternatively, they could become something entirely new, perhaps feeding directly into some iconic aspect of the next Zelda game like BOTW and TOTK's Koroks have. Such a radical change would certainly allow the Koroks to stay relevant no matter what, although they would then arguably no longer be the Koroks that so many have come to love.

Of course, no matter what happens to the Koroks, if they do continue to appear in The Legend of Zelda, then some things will never change. They would continue to be associated with the heart of the Lost Woods, with the Great Deku Tree as their guardian and patron. By extension, they would also presumably be unquestionable allies to Link. Such a fundamental change would be far more drastic than the transition from Kokiri to Korok, and render them all but unrecognizable (although, with that being said, some classic Zelda games do already present the Zora as monstrous enemies).

No matter how dark the situation may appear in TOTK or BOTW, the ever-cheerful Koroks can be relied on to bring levity and diversion at any time. Hestu himself, with his charming, energetic dance, is a particularly bright spot whenever he appears. With that in mind, it would of course be hugely disappointing for many to see the Koroks removed entirely after TOTK. However, if the Koroks do not fit in a game mechanically, then their role could very quickly be reduced to almost nothing without some other plot-relevant reason for their inclusion.

The Legend Of Zelda’s Koroks’ Signature Puzzles Could Ironically Limit Them

The Koroks’ endless puzzle potential alone makes them an excellent creation, but it is not something that can be maintained infinitely, especially not in such a variable series as The Legend of Zelda. A more plot-based reason for their presence would be the introduction of a new Sage character, like Makar or Saria before them. This would then presumably be one of many Sages to rise up in opposition to an evil force. Such a development would not necessarily remove the possibility of new puzzles, but it would justify the inclusion of the Koroks without revisiting this aspect of gameplay.

In this vein, it seems that the pivotal question is whether, after the success of their inclusion in BOTW and TOTK, the Koroks can move back toward how they were presented in The Wind Waker. Although they were initially presented as another race of Hyrule (or, to be more accurate, the Great Sea), the more recent games have firmly established the Koroks' association with environmental puzzles, to the point where it may be more detrimental to include them without their now-iconic gameplay features.

As engaging and innovative as Korok puzzles are, the sheer number of them could quickly become exhausting if repeated for a third time. Moreover, depending on the scope of the next game in The Legend of Zelda, their current role in the franchise may not even be feasible. As a result, the Koroks will most likely need to either undergo a notable change, or else be quietly set aside when the next version of Hyrule debuts.