The Legend of Zelda has plenty of fantastical races, from the Goron to the Zora to the Hylians themselves. A far less popular resident of Hylia is the Korok, a humble forest spirit hailing from the Great Hyrule Forest.

Koroks are mischievous creatures that first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, reappearing in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A recent tweet from Nintendo teased the return of the Koroks in the upcoming Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Here's what to know about the bark-skinned creatures and what their inclusion in the new game might look like.

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Koroks were introduced in Wind Waker as a new race in Hyrule after its flooding and transformation into the Great Sea. They evolved from the childlike Kokiri, a more humanoid race that lived in the Kokiri Forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Link was raised as a Kokiri and his green hat and skirt are very similar to their traditional garb. It's unknown how the Kokiri transformed into the Koroks, but it's possible their smaller forms were more advantageous in the island landscape of the Great Sea.

Koroks play an important role in Wind Waker: They serve as the guardians of Farore's Pearl, one of the three orbs Link needs to reach the final dungeon. They are happy to present it to Link once he rescues the Korok sage Makar. Their possession of Farore's Pearl makes sense because of their connection to the goddess, whose domain is courage and winds.

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In Breath of the Wild, the Koroks are scattered to the four corners of the map, but the first one Link encounters is Hestu, who's abnormally large for his species. Most Koroks come up to about waist-height and have skin that resembles bark. They also wear leaves as masks. Hestu is similarly bark-skinned and leaf-masked, but he's more than twice Link's height.

Returning Hestu's stolen maracas will prompt him to give Link a quest to find his Korok brethren across Hyrule. Each of the 900 Koroks scattered throughout the world will give Link a seed if he finds them, which can be given to Hestu in exchange for extra inventory slots. Koroks won't always give up their seeds for free: Sometimes, Link will need to complete a trial to earn their appreciation, which can range from archery challenges to races to arranging rocks.

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Hestu, a massive Korok from Breath of the Wild.

Nintendo has stated the Koroks will be scattered across the various stages in Hyrule Warriors, but it's unlikely they'll give Link inventory slots like before. Age of Calamity is a very different game from Breath of the Wild, with less of a focus on exploration in favor of combat. Korok seeds are a flexible resource though, which means there could be plenty of other things Link can get in exchange for them.

Age of Calamity is also set a century before Breath of the Wild, so it's unlikely there will be recurring Korok characters from previous games. However, the Great Deku Tree they congregate around should be around, which may be the heart of their involvement in the upcoming game.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will take place 100 years before Breath of the Wild, and will follow Hyrule Royal Knight Link, Hyrule Princess Zelda, Zora princess Mipha, Gerudo Chieftain Urbosa, Goron champion Daruk, Rito champion Revali and Sheikah warrior Impa as they battle Calamity Ganon. The game is available for pre-order now and will be released on Nintendo Switch -- physically and digitally -- on Nov. 20 for $59.99.

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