The lands that Link explore are ever-changing and, often times, parts of the world are actively being built as events transpire. While they certainly don’t appear in every Zelda title, the Hyrulian Construction Workers are a semi recurring character in the series, appearing in a handful of entries in several different forms. Most recently, the Construction Workers have been adapted into the newest interpretation of Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom as Hudson‘s Construction Crew, but back in the olden days of Hyrule, the crew was led by Mutoh, or, as he was known in Ocarina of Time: the Master Craftsman.
In his initial appearance, the Master Craftsman is a man best known for his exasperation with his workers. In the Child era, the Master Craftsman is found under the first tree in Kakariko Village and laments the laziness of the young men working under him as they can’t seem to focus and instead run about carelessly all day long. Seven years later, in the Adult era, the Master Craftsman is met with a similar problem, as his workers have been captured by the Gerudo after foolishly thinking they could join their band of thieves. When the old man is seen in the world of Termina, he’s given the name Mutoh, a name that persists when he appears in future titles such as The Minish Cap.
You may be familiar with the Master Craftsman’s Son, the young depressed man who appears in place of the Master Craftsman at night in Kakariko Village, but, it may surprise you to learn, the old man’s entire family lives in the village. He’s married to the woman running the potion shop and the Cucco Lady (named Anju in Majora’s Mask) is his daughter. In the Adult era, the son moves to the Lost Woods and is implied to have met his demise and become a Stalfos. He leaves behind his father’s saw, which is an integral part of the Biggoron‘s Sword trading quest. Interestingly, the Master Craftsman claims the saw was left to his wife, who is also part of the trading quest but is never seen with the saw.
In every Zelda title he appears in, Master Craftsman Mutoh is faced with employees who either have no desire to work or cannot work, leading to him being often seen as very grumpy in his appearances. Compared to the modern construction boss, Hudson, who is surrounded by employees who deeply respect him, I almost feel bad for this poor old man. I find the Master Craftsman to be one of the more memorable townsfolk in Ocarina of Time, thanks in no small part to standing so boldly near the entrance of the village and the connections he has to the other townsfolk. Characters like him are one of the many things that makes the world of Ocarina of Time feel as deep as it does.
