An optical connector comprising: a ferrule that is fixed to a tip end of an optical fiber ; a protector that is mounted on the ferrule and includes a bend-shaped wiring path for accommodating the optical fiber drawn from the ferrule ; a housing that has a tip end side which serves as a connecting portion to a mating connector and that includes a ferrule accommodation space (S) on a base end side thereof, which accommodates the ferrule and a portion of the protector ; a holder that is mounted on the housing , positions the ferrule in the ferrule accommodation space (S), and regulates a movement of the ferrule in the ferrule accommodation space (S); and a locking unit that is provided in the housing and the holder in order to mount the holder on the housing , wherein the protector is fixed to the housing in a state where the holder is mounted on the housing by the locking unit and the ferrule on which the protector is mounted and said portion of the protector are accommodated in the ferrule accommodation space (S), thereby regulating a release of a locking state by the locking unit , the locking unit includes a locking window that is formed in the housing and a fixing hook that is formed in the holder and that includes a hook portion which enters the locking window and is locked to an edge portion of the locking window , characterised in that when the protector is fixed to the housing , the protector is disposed on an opposite side of a projecting direction of the hook portion with respect to the fixing hook , and a gap dimension (G) between the protector and the fixing hook is smaller than a locking dimension (A) of a locking margin between the hook portion and the edge portion of the locking window , thereby regulating the release of the locking state by the locking unit . a ferrule that is fixed to a tip end of an optical fiber ; a protector that is mounted on the ferrule and includes a bend-shaped wiring path for accommodating the optical fiber drawn from the ferrule ; a housing that has a tip end side which serves as a connecting portion to a mating connector and that includes a ferrule accommodation space (S) on a base end side thereof, which accommodates the ferrule and a portion of the protector ; a holder that is mounted on the housing , positions the ferrule in the ferrule accommodation space (S), and regulates a movement of the ferrule in the ferrule accommodation space (S); and a locking unit that is provided in the housing and the holder in order to mount the holder on the housing , wherein the protector is fixed to the housing in a state where the holder is mounted on the housing by the locking unit and the ferrule on which the protector is mounted and said portion of the protector are accommodated in the ferrule accommodation space (S), thereby regulating a release of a locking state by the locking unit , the locking unit includes a locking window that is formed in the housing and a fixing hook that is formed in the holder and that includes a hook portion which enters the locking window and is locked to an edge portion of the locking window , characterised in that when the protector is fixed to the housing , the protector is disposed on an opposite side of a projecting direction of the hook portion with respect to the fixing hook , and a gap dimension (G) between the protector and the fixing hook is smaller than a locking dimension (A) of a locking margin between the hook portion and the edge portion of the locking window , thereby regulating the release of the locking state by the locking unit . <EOS>