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This article is about the Deku Tree itself. For the eponymous dungeon in Template:OOT, see Inside the Deku Tree.

Template:Deity The Great Deku Tree is the fatherly guardian of the forest who safeguards not only the dense land around him, but the small population of beings that live in his shadow. In Template:OOT, the famed Kokiri praise and worship the massive tree, sharing a home in the Kokiri Forest, while in The Wind Waker, these beings are none other than the Koroks, timid wood creatures who live collaboratively with the talking tree in the arboretum that is the Forest Haven.

Appearances and Biography

Ocarina of Time

The Deku Tree made his first appearance in Template:OOT as the guardian of the Kokiri and of their forest. He protects the Kokiri's Emerald, one of the three Spiritual Stones.

The Deku Tree was cursed by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, and embarked Link on a quest to save Hyrule. The Great Deku Tree tells Link the story of the three Golden Goddesses and how Hyrule and the Triforce were created. He died shortly after telling Link to go save Princess Zelda. When he died, a seed fell from one of his higher branches to the ground. After defeating Phantom Ganon as an adult, Link goes back to find a new Deku Tree Sprout growing in front of the old Deku Tree.

The inside of the Deku Tree is also the first dungeon Link must get through in Ocarina of Time, the boss of the dungeon being Queen Gohma.

Deku Tree Sprout

The Deku Tree Sprout is the successor to the Great Deku Tree as the protector of the Kokiri Forest and by extension, Hyrule itself. He appears in Ocarina of Time after Link has defeated Phantom Ganon and received the Forest Medallion from Saria with the words, "Hi there! I'm the Deku Tree sprout!" He tells Link the story about Link's past and how Link's Mother came into the forest and delivered Link into the Deku Tree's care, therefore making him Hylian.[1] He then urges him to complete his quest and defeat Ganondorf.[2]

The Wind Waker

The Great Deku Tree acts as the guardian of the Forest Haven, which is home of the Koroks. To them, the Great Deku Tree is considered a father figure to the children of the forest, for it is him that protects them from evil. One thing that set the Deku Tree of the Great Sea apart from his predecessor was that each year, the Great Deku Tree would send off some of the Koroks to plant trees all throughout the islands. This was done in the hope that, as the forests spread and the trees grew, they would consolidate the remaining land above the Great Sea, and allow some of the land lost during the Great Flood to be reclaimed from the depths.[3] It also rejuvenates his power, for if his power were to wane, the life of the Koroks would fade as well.[4]

When Link first meets the Great Deku Tree, hordes of ChuChus are invading his face. After the young hero eliminates all of them, the Great Deku Tree mistakes him for the legendary Hero of Time due to his clothes, and begins to speak the ancient Hylian language.[5] The Great Deku Tree realizes his error, and it is then that he realizes why Link is there: to receive Farore's Pearl from him. Just as the guardian of the forest is about to begin the annual Korok ceremony in order to give the pearl to Link,[6] Linder informs the Great Deku Tree of Makar's accident, and the ceremony is called off. After Link rescues Makar from the depths of the Forbidden Woods with the help of the Deku Leaf given to him by the Great Deku Tree himself, the ceremony begins, and in return, the Great Deku Tree hands over Farore's Pearl, as promised.[7]

Hyrule Historia explicitly states that this Deku Tree descended from his Ocarina of Time counterpart.[8] This implies that he is the matured Deku Tree Sprout, or else its descendant.

Other Appearances

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

The story of the Great Deku Tree in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is somewhat similar to that of the one from Ocarina of Time. Due to pollution, the Deku Tree Sprout is dying; while at the same time, the Great Deku Tree is also nearing his end. When Tingle met them, the Great Deku Tree asked if he would enter him and retrieve forest water, which could cure the Deku Tree Sprout. Tingle accepted and entered the Deku Temple. After defeating Bana Bana, Tingle obtained the water and rushed back to cure the Deku Tree Sprout. After that, the Great Deku Tree died happily, but not before paying Tingle for his service.

Ocarina of Time Manga

In the Template:Manga, the Deku Tree appears alongside his evil counterpart, the Baga Tree, who lives in the Lost Woods. Humorously, there is a Gossip Stone in the manga that says the Deku Tree is troubled because he cannot scratch his own back.[9]

Nintendo Land

The Great Deku Tree appears in Nintendo Land for the Wii U, in The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest. Its appearance in this game is substantially different, as beyond being artificial like everything else in the game, it has a magenta color scheme. The Great Deku Tree does not speak in this appearance, having no role beyond that of scenery. It is also one of the 200 prizes that can be won using the coins at the game on the top of the central tower located in the middle of the plaza. Upon touching the prize in the plaza using the touch screen or simply jumping into it, Monita will make the following comment:

Battle Quest Prize Deku Tree
Monita says:

Deku Tree

Parallels

Trivia

  • The Deku Tree is suspected of being a reference to the very first dungeon in the Zelda series, Eagle. Both appear to be personified trees and house a dungeon inside their trunks, with their mouth being the entrance. Additionally, both are the first dungeons of their respective games.

Gallery

See Also

Template:Refbar

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese Template:Japanese Deku Tree
French-speaking countries French Vénérable Arbre Mojo Venerable Mojo Tree
Federal Republic of Germany German Deku-Baum Deku Tree
Italian Republic Italian Albero Deku Deku Tree
Spanish-speaking countries Spanish Arbol Deku Deku Tree
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States SpanishLA Gran Árbol Deku Triforce piece
  1. "Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!" — Deku Tree Sprout (Ocarina of Time)
  2. "You are a Hylian, and were always bound to leave this forest. And now... You have learned your own destiny... So you know what you must do... That's right... You must save the land of Hyrule! Now, Link, break the curses on all of the Temples, and return peace to Hyrule!!" — Deku Tree Sprout (Ocarina of Time)
  3. "Every year after the Koroks perform this ceremony, they fly off to the distant islands on the sea and plant my seeds in the hopes that new forests will grow." — Great Deku Tree (The Wind Waker)
  4. "If we are unable to hold our ceremony, we will not be able to raise any new forests. If that comes to pass, then evil days will follow. The Great Deku Tree's power will wane, and our power will wane with it... We might even wither altogether..." — Korok (The Wind Waker)
  5. "That garb you wear... Could you be the legendary hero? [...] What is the matter? Do you not understand the ancient Hylian tongue? So...you are not the Hero of Time. I must apologize. I was in error. I saw your clothing, and suddenly I felt a longing for an age gone by..." — Great Deku Tree (The Wind Waker)
  6. "As it happens, you have come just in time for a ceremony that the Koroks hold but once every year. It is about to begin. I shall grant the pearl to you once their ceremony is complete." — Great Deku Tree (The Wind Waker)
  7. "You received Farore's Pearl! The earth spirit, the Deku Tree, has seen fit to give you this jewel, a treasure of the goddess, Farore." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  8. Template:Cite book
  9. Template:Cite book
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