I believe that every person has a doppelgänger. While some civilizations embrace the paranormal to explain this eerie resemblance, others are more lighthearted towards the ironic similarities. Regardless of the belief or reaction, there is something deeply personal about seeing yourself in the life of another. It almost feels like we are watching a living, breathing, three-dimensional mirror of our mannerisms and physique. Weird, right? What is even more strange is that I discovered my doppelgänger in a video game. In particular, my alter ego is none other than the Kakariko Village pumpkin farmer Olkin from Breath of the Wild.
Olkin is likely one of the first Sheikah members you will meet when first entering Kakariko Village. Upon entering the village from the southern road, Olkin can be found tending his pumpkin patch at the bottom of the hill. As Link strikes up a friendly conversation, Olkin comments on the Hylian’s youthful appearance and suggests that he might be aligned with the Yiga clan. After an awkward pause, the farmer lets out a hearty laugh and admits that his remarks were in jest. Olkin then briefly explains the danger of the Yiga clan and offers our hero a Fortified Pumpkin as a peace offering for his little joke.
Upon receipt of the produce, Link receives an explanation about the importance of a good defense. Olkin believes that a defensive posture is a key to success; therefore, he fortifies his body by eating a healthy diet of pumpkins. Olkin admits that he constantly begs his wife Mellie to add the festive fruit to every meal, which seems rather odd. The explanation becomes a little more clear as Olkin encourages Link to try adding Fortified Pumpkin to his dishes. This subtle hint is one of the first times that cooking is explained in Breath of the Wild. By adding Fortified Pumpkin to a meal, Link temporarily increases his defensive statistics.
As Link bids farewell to explore other parts of Kakariko Village, Olkin’s underlying motivations begin to surface. Despite being borderline geriatric himself, the pumpkin farmer mentions an elderly person who believes that offense is better than defense. His disdain for such an opinion is rather animated, and Olkin stubbornly resists the alternative belief.
As morning transitions to nightfall and the sunlight slips beneath the mountainous horizon, Olkin’s staunch adherence to a defensive mindset becomes even more apparent. The quirky farmer monitors his wife Mellie to ensure that she includes a sizable portion of Fortified Pumpkins in the evening meal. When inquired about the ingredients, Mellie tells Link a secret: Olkin’s disdain for his rival is more about his contempt for carrots than the debate over offense versus defense.
After a hearty meal overflowing with Fortified Pumpkins, most people would be ready to lie down for a while. Not Olkin. In fact, the middle of the night is when Link finally learns a myriad of startling truths about the peculiar Sheikah tribesman.
Instead of resting after a long day of work, Olkin begins to run laps through Kakariko Village. Curious as to why Olkin is exercising at midnight, Link inquires the farmer about his late-night regiment. Olkin admits that many foolish thoughts are on his mind, but running is the perfect distraction. What exactly are these “foolish thoughts”? What could be so debilitating that a person is unable to sleep?
Olkin then reveals a secondary purpose for his dedication to training: a “secret art.” The runner directs Link’s attention to an Ancient Shrine resting on the hilltop and begins to shed light on the tormenting situation. Long ago, a renowned swordsman was enshrined in Kakariko Village, and his final resting place was similar to the Ancient Shrine at the top of the hill. Olkin believes that it is his destiny to enter the sacred place, overcome the trials, and gain even more defensive strength. While his ambitions are noble, the motivation for learning the secret art of defense is still ambiguous.
Though his cause is honorable, Olkin is secretly a bit more malicious than originally perceived. As he continues his first lap around Kakariko Village, Olkin makes a detour through a garden. Not just any garden, but his rival’s garden. Yes, that garden filled with the produce that Olkin despises the most: Swift Carrots. Not only does Olkin trudge through the farmer Sheen’s carrot patch, but he also attempts to tread upon every vegetable.
When confronted, Olkin immediately expresses regret and promises to repent. He offers the haphazard justification that Sheen’s refusal to sell Fortified Pumpkins in his shop is what sent Olkin into a fit of trampling rage. Despite his pledge, Olkin just cannot help himself. Every time he passes Sheen’s carrot patch, the pumpkin farmer attempts to destroy the crops.
At this point, you must be wondering what exactly I have in common with Olkin. Do I too share a fondness for a particular fruit or vegetable? Do I torment my wife to prepare the same meal each day? Is my heart filled with an insatiable desire to step upon another’s crop? Stay with me, dear reader. We are almost there.
Exhausted from a long day’s work and nighttime espionage, Olkin returns to his humble abode around three o’clock in the morning. As he slowly drifts off to sleep, Olkin drowsily begins to mumble the “foolish thoughts” that keep him awake at night. The object of his troubled mind is the safety of his wife Mellie. The rise of the Yiga clan and the return of Calamity Ganon endangers the village, and Link’s defeat 100 years ago left a void in Kakariko Village’s defense. Olkin’s training is focused exclusively on protecting the people he loves.
Have you ever been so concerned for the well-being of your loved ones that it caused insomnia? Perhaps the worry was a little exaggerated, but in the minds of the tormented, it still feels rational. Exhausted from the sleepless cycle, the only way to find a reprieve is to channel the nervous energy into a productive activity. In the case of Olkin, a strong physique capable of superior defense was the answer to his problems.
But what happens when someone challenges your methods? We become defensive, unwavering, and even steadfastly loyal to our approach. In short, the irrational takes over. How can we possibly be wrong? Our motives are pure, our logic is sound, and our deeds are justified. Despite a litany of defensible reasons, we often retaliate as opposed to finding common ground.
So, you are probably still wondering what I have in common with Olkin. The answer is quite simple: everything. A strict daily routine helps ease my cognitive dissonance as I struggle to hold back the anxiety from life’s struggles. For nearly a decade, I have embraced long-distance running during the darkest hours of twilight. When confronted by my peers with alternative suggestions, I often become defensive and even more entrenched in my beliefs.
Although the situation appears dire, I choose to believe that my doppelgänger’s journey is not a static existence. We both found a way to channel our nervous energy into productive activities, but now we must find a way to embrace diversity. There are many paths to success, and I am confident that Olkin and I will find ours. Who knows? Maybe someday we will even be able to choke down the carrots of our fiercest opponents’ worldviews. Until then, the only thing we can do is keep training. One sleepless night at a time.
