Let’s be real. If you played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back in the late nineties, you probably wanted to slash Mido with a Deku Stick the second you met him. He’s the quintessential "jerk" character. He blocks your path, calls you names, and acts like he owns the Kokiri Forest just because he has a slightly more aggressive personality than the other Peter Pan-wannabes living in the trees. But if you actually look at the narrative arc of the game, Mido Ocarina of Time serves a purpose that most players completely overlook during their first run through the Great Deku Tree.
He's the gatekeeper. Literally.
He stands there, arms crossed, refusing to let Link—the "boy without a fairy"—see the venerable Great Deku Tree. It’s frustrating. It’s annoying. It feels like a roadblock designed purely to force you into a tutorial. And honestly? It kind of is. But Mido is also the only Kokiri who seems to have a grasp on the social hierarchy and the stakes of their isolated world. While everyone else is dancing around and talking to rocks, Mido is out here trying to maintain some semblance of order, even if he does it like a middle-school bully.
The Self-Proclaimed Boss of the Kokiri
Mido isn't just some random NPC. He is the leader of the Kokiri, or at least he thinks he is. His insecurity is baked into every line of dialogue. He’s jealous of Link’s relationship with Saria, and that jealousy drives almost every interaction you have with him. If you go back and talk to him after getting Navi, he doesn't suddenly become your best friend. He’s skeptical. He’s bitter.
Think about the requirements he sets. To even get past him, you need a sword and a shield. This is a classic "Hero’s Journey" trope, but framed through the lens of a childhood rivalry. Mido isn't checking your credentials because he cares about your safety. He’s doing it because he expects you to fail. He assumes you’ll never find the Kokiri Sword in the Hole of ZL or scrounge up forty rupees for a shield. When you actually show up equipped, his reaction isn't one of respect. It’s a begrudging "Tch."
That one sound effect defines his entire existence.
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Why Mido Ocarina of Time Matters for the Story
If Mido was just a jerk, he wouldn't be worth talking about thirty years later. But then the time skip happens.
When Link returns to the Kokiri Forest as an adult, everything has changed. The forest is crawling with monsters. The Great Deku Tree is dead (or rather, a stump). The cheerful atmosphere is gone, replaced by a haunting, melancholic fog. And there’s Mido. He’s still there. He hasn't grown an inch because Kokiri don't age, but his spirit is broken.
He doesn't recognize Link.
This is one of the most poignant moments in the game. To Mido, Link is just some tall stranger. He laments the fact that Saria is gone—she’s been at the Forest Temple—and he blames himself. More importantly, he expresses a deep, lingering regret over how he treated "that boy" (Link) before he disappeared. He thinks Link is dead. He thinks his last words to his rival were insults. It’s a surprisingly heavy piece of character writing for a game that many people simplify into a "save the princess" narrative.
- Mido is the emotional anchor for the Forest's passage of time.
- His refusal to recognize Link highlights the tragedy of Link's lost childhood.
- He guards the path to the Forest Temple, essentially protecting the memory of Saria.
It’s easy to forget that Mido Ocarina of Time is actually the one who tells you how to find Saria in the adult era. He mentions that only those who know "Saria’s Song" can find their way through the Lost Woods. Without his guidance—born out of a desperate hope that you might be able to help her—Link would be wandering aimlessly.
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The Saria Obsession and the Internal Conflict
Mido’s crush on Saria is the worst kept secret in Hyrule. It’s the driving force behind his animosity toward Link. Saria is kind, talented, and the only person the Great Deku Tree seems to trust as much as Link. Mido wants that. He wants to be the protagonist of his own story, but he’s stuck being the obstacle in someone else's.
There’s a nuance here that often gets lost. Mido isn't evil. He’s just petty. In the world of Zelda, where villains are usually god-like entities trying to rewrite reality, a guy who is just a bit of an "A-hole" feels incredibly human. He represents the mundane friction of life. You can defeat Ganon with the Master Sword, but you can’t make Mido like you. That’s a powerful lesson for a kid playing a video game.
He even has a house. Go inside. It’s full of chests that contain... five rupees. He’s hoarding nothing. He has the appearance of power and wealth within the context of a tiny village, but in the grand scheme of the Kingdom of Hyrule, he is utterly insignificant. This makes his eventual redemption—or at least his softening—feel earned.
Misconceptions About Mido’s Role
A lot of fans think Mido is just a placeholder. They see him as a tutorial trigger and nothing more. That’s a mistake. If you look at the end credits of the game, you see Mido and King Zora sitting together. They are both "losers" in the sense that they lost their most precious people (Saria and Ruto) to the Sage-hood. They are bonded by their shared grief.
Seeing the grumpy little Kokiri sitting next to the giant Zora king is a subtle nod from Nintendo that these side characters have lives beyond Link’s quest. They exist in the spaces between the dungeons. Mido’s arc isn't about becoming a hero; it’s about realizing that he wasn't the hero, and learning to live with that.
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- Fact: Mido is named after a town in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
- Fact: He is the only Kokiri who displays overt jealousy.
- Fact: He actually apologizes (indirectly) to Link during the Adult era.
How to Handle Mido in Your Playthrough
If you’re revisiting the game on N64, GameCube, or the Switch Online expansion, don't just rush past him.
- Talk to him often. His dialogue changes more than most NPCs in the forest.
- Visit his house as an adult. It’s a quiet reminder of what the forest used to be.
- Pay attention to his animations. The way he stomps and turns his back is masterclass character work for 1998.
Mido Ocarina of Time is a masterclass in how to write a character that players love to hate, only to make them feel sorry for him later. He’s the heart of the Kokiri Forest’s social structure. Without him, the forest would just be a group of NPCs waiting for a hero. With him, it’s a community with drama, jealousy, and real stakes.
Next time you see him blocking that path to the Great Deku Tree, don't get mad. Just remember that in seven years, he’s going to be the guy standing in the rain (or the metaphorical fog of the forest) wondering where it all went wrong. That’s a lot of weight for a kid in a green tunic to carry.
To fully appreciate the depth of the forest's lore, head back to the Lost Woods after you've cleared the Forest Temple. Speaking to the remaining Kokiri provides a different perspective on Mido's "leadership" during the dark years of Ganondorf's reign. You'll find that while he was a jerk, he was also one of the few who stayed behind to keep the village together when things got bad.
Check the house again. Look at the chests. Think about the rupees. It’s all he has left.
Actionable Insights for Zelda Fans
- For Speedrunners: You can skip Mido's initial sword/shield check using a variety of glitches like the "Mido Skip" (using a precise side-hop or "A-slide"), but doing so skips a core part of the game's intended progression and narrative flavor.
- For Lore Hunters: Compare Mido’s behavior to Groose from Skyward Sword. You’ll see the evolution of the "rival" archetype in the Zelda series, moving from a static NPC to a fully realized character arc.
- For Completionists: Ensure you’ve talked to Mido at every stage of the game—Child, after Deku Tree, after Zelda, and Adult—to see the full breadth of his dialogue, as many players miss his middle-stage interactions.