- "A long time ago... There was a man in this very village who had an eye they said could see the truth! Now usually, you have to train your mind's eye most strenuously to actually see the truth... But this fella, no, they say he had a different way of doing things... His house stood where the well is now..."
- — Shikashi
The Man Who Could See the Truth is a character mentioned in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. According to Shikashi, long prior to the events of the game, the Man Who Could See the Truth resided in Kakariko Village. Legend has it that the man had an eye that could see the truth. By the time the events of Ocarina of Time take place however, the man is long gone, and the Well of Three Features is situated where his house once stood.
Theories[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
Although the legend of the Man Who Could See the Truth was likely placed in the game to aid Link in completing his quest, many theories have circulated on this topic regardless.
Lens of Truth[]
It is probable that the Man Who Could See the Truth's eye is metaphorical for the Lens of Truth. Because the item is found at the Bottom of the Well where the man's house once stood, this seems implied. Another possibility is that the man did literally possess such an eye, and when the Lens of Truth was crafted, his eye was integrated into the artifact. Still another possibility is that the man created the Lens of Truth and used it during his lifetime, and it was placed in the Well after his death to hide it from abusers. Notably, the Lens of Truth resembles the Sheikah Emblem, which is interesting considering that Kakariko was once a Sheikah village.
Dead Hand[]
The mini-boss of the Bottom of the Well, referred to as Dead Hand, could possibly be the spirit of The Man Who Could See The Truth, since this man's house stood formerly where the well is now. This idea is also supported by the fact that Link receives the Lens of Truth by defeating Dead Hand.
Bongo Bongo[]
Bongo Bongo could be the Man Who Could See the Truth due to the fact that it has one eye and was sealed inside the Well of Three Features. His house could have been sent to the Bottom of the Well, along with certain artifacts, among them the Lens of Truth. Also, his description says 'Phantom Shadow Beast'; whereas "phantom" could stand for "dead person", while "shadow" stands for "Shadow Folk", another name for the Sheikah.
Ghost Hunter[]
It is generally accepted that the unnamed character's truth-seeing eye is the Lens of Truth, but it is also possible that he had a real eye that could see the truth. The bright light found in the face of the Ghost Hunter could be an eye. It could be possible that the two are one and the same, as Shikashi remarks that he long since died. Another fact supporting this theory is that the Ghost Hunter even remarks that he can read minds and see the truth.
Theory warning: Theories end here.