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The Great Deku Tree is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series who first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is the guardian deity of the forest and leader of the Kokiri and Korok people. He is also shown to have strong connections to Hyrule's Fairy folk.
History[]
Unified timeline[]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:[]
The Great Deku Tree is a wise being who created the Kokiri and serves as the protector of Kokiri Forest. He serves as a father figure to Link, and his death is what sets the events of Ocarina of Time into motion.
The Great Deku Tree holds the emerald known as the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, one of the keys to the sacred realm which the evil Ganondorf wishes to have. When the tree refuses to give it over, he goes as far as to kill the Great Deku Tree by casting a curse on it and sending hordes of creatures into the tree's inner body.
Inside his body is the first dungeon that Link will have to traverse through, which is accessible through his mouth. After sending Link inside his body to observe his courage, Link successfully defeats Queen Gohma and breaks the curse, but is too late to save the Deku Tree, who dies after entrusting Link with the Kokiri Emerald and telling Link of how he must save Hyrule.
When Link returns to Kokiri Forest as an adult, he finds that without the Deku Tree's protection, the place has become overrun with monsters, and as a result ,the Kokiri have been forced to stay inside their houses. After Link's childhood friend Saria awakens as the Forest Sage, the Deku Tree Sprout appears at the base of the original Great Deku Tree. The Deku Tree Sprout is the reincarnation of the Great Deku Tree and explains the truth of his origins to Link.
While Link himself is not a Kokiri, the Great Deku Tree adopted him and raised him as one after his mother was killed in a civil war a decade prior to the game's events. Mortally wounded, she took refuge in the Lost Woods, and before dying, offered the young Link to the Kokiri and Deku Tree in order to save his life.
Adult timeline[]
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker:[]
The Great Deku Tree appears in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In this game, he lives in the Forest Haven and is the leader of the Koroks. The Koroks are Kokiri that have taken on a more plant-like form capable of flight in response to the flooding of Hyrule. Each year he sends Koroks off across the Great Sea so that they can plant sprouts that will grow into large trees one day. In doing so, he has the hope that one day forests will cover the many islands of the Great Sea and revive Hyrule. When he first meets Wind Waker Link, his green tunic causes the Deku Tree to reminisce about his adopted son the Hero of Time.
When Link first goes to the Haven, he seeks him out due to needing Farore's Pearl, which is in his possession. While the Deku Tree is perfectly willing to give it to him, he stresses the urgency of needing to complete a ceremony with the Koroks first, which has to do with the aforementioned annual tradition of sending them to other islands across the Great Sea to plant more sprouts since it is essential to their way of life and survival. However, they are delayed when it's reported by one of the other Koroks that Makar, a Korok whose cello playing is needed for the ceremony, has gotten stranded in the Forbidden Woods. Therefore, the Deku Tree asks Link to go rescue Makar and provides him with the Deku Leaf so he can reach the Forbidden Woods. After Link successfully makes it to the woods, braves his way through all the obstacles and enemies, and rescues Makar from a plant-like creature called Kalle Demos, he brings him back. Though Makar is extremely ashamed and apologetic for going near the Forbidden Woods even though he was told not to, the Deku Tree isn't angry with him and is just relieved that he's okay. He then gives Link Farore's Pearl as he promised before Makar treats him to his cello performance for the ceremony.
End of the Timelines[]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:[]
In Breath of the Wild, the Great Deku Tree dwells with the Koroks in the Great Hyrule Forest. He was tasked with the duty of guarding the Master Sword before Link claimed it 100 years ago and is once again entrusted with the sword by Princess Zelda after Link's placement in the Shrine of Resurrection to recover from his mortal wounds. A century later, Link goes into Korok Forest to visit the Great Deku Tree, who told him that if he had regained his lost strength, he could safely retrieve the Master Sword and warns that trying to pull it out of the pedestal while he does not have at least 13 Hearts or more in his life gauge would kill him. After having 13 hearts, Link pulls out the Master Sword and the Great Deku Tree will congratulate him and urge him to destroy Calamity Ganon and save the sealed Princess.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom[]
The Deku Tree makes an appearance in the flashback dating to prior to Link and Zelda's trek down beneath Hyrule Castle. He rejuvenates the Master Sword to be at full power, and also implies it can potentially grow stronger via exposure to large amounts of light.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity[]
The Calamity is Averted[]
After Link manages to drive off Astor and his Hollows from the forest after having retrieved the Master Sword to save Princess Zelda from the villains, the Great Deku Tree assures everyone that they have everything they need to stop Calamity Ganon, but he notices Zelda's concern when she looks at Link's Master Sword and then her own hand, as she had not yet awakened her required sealing power, and reassures her that it will eventually come, though Zelda continues to doubt herself to periodic anxiety at times.
After Calamity Ganon is sealed away for good and the Champions, including Link, and King Rhoam are still standing, the Great Deku Tree witnesses the widespread peaceful atmosphere return to Hyrule with the Koroks.
Spin-off[]
Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland:[]
In Freshly-Picked Tingle Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle would attempt to water a dying sprout of the Greak Deku Tree and brought back a bucket of water that was found within the behemoth. Soon afterwards, the sprout was saved, though the Great Deku Tree died because of the immense pollution that engulfed the world.
List of games the Great Deku Tree has appeared in[]
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Nintendo 64
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - GameCube
- Freshly-Picked Tingle Rosy Rupeeland - Nintendo DS
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - Nintendo 3DS
- Hyrule Warriors - Wii U
- Hyrule Warriors Legends - Nintendo 3DS
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Wii U/Nintendo Switch
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - Nintendo Switch
A set of characters called the Maku Tree appeared in the Game Boy Color video games The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons. The tree, particularly the one from the latter game, resembled the Great Deku Tree, but was not the same being.
Trivia[]
- Excluding the spin-off games, the Great Deku Tree only appeared in the 3D Zelda games.