Most Zelda fans will instantly recognize Deku Scrubs as enemies from the games. The Deku Scrub has long been a rather annoying enemy that likes to spend its time shooting projectiles at Link much like the water-bound Octorocks in later games. Despite their cute disposition, Deku Scrubs can easily knock Link down when a player is exploring or catch them off guard when entering a hole.
Deku Scrubs can be found in a large variety of habitats including forests, mountains, caves, and even swamps as seen in Majora’s Mask. Despite their popularity, there are quite of few facts that fans of the series may not know about the enemies.
10 Royal Deku Always Look Different
Deku Scrubs have bodies of wood and wear leaves on their head that they can use to better blend in with their environment, but Royal Scrubs seem to be a bit different. In fact, signs seem to point to members of the Royal Family always being born with distinctive features that help set them apart from other Scrubs.
9 They Have a Love For Money
Many Zelda players were confused when they accidently ran across their first Business Scrub. Instead of trying to pelt the player with seeds, a Business Scrub is much more interested in emptying Link’s wallet of rupees. Business Scrubs are known to sell a variety of items, even when found in dungeons. Some Business Deku will attack Link upon sight, as they commonly mistake many Hylians for enemies.
8 Deku Worship Ganon In Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventure, it is revealed that several Deku Scrubs worship Ganon and that the main antagonist actually isn’t Vaati. Surprisingly, their allegiance to Ganon doesn’t make them hostile towards Link, despite the fact that he is the hero destined to kill Ganon time and time again.
The Deku scrubs in the game believe that Ganon will help expand their territory when he fully takes over Hyrule.
7 Deku First Appeared in Ocarina of Time
Despite the fact that the Deku Scrub has now become an iconic Zelda enemy, they actually haven’t always been in the series. The first Deku Scrubs appeared in the Lost Woods at the beginning of Ocarina of Time, where they were initially hostile towards Link. Since then, they have been in several Zelda games, including The Minish Cap and Oracle of Seasons.
6 Loyalty To Gohma
In Ocarina of Time, the Deku Scrubs are present in the Great Deku Tree, where they are antagonistic towards Link. The Deku Scrubs in the tree view the boss of the area, Gohma, as their queen. The Scrubs even go as far as guarding doors in order to keep Gohma safe from invaders. This points to the possibility that there may always be a Deku Scrub hierarchy in each game that they appear.
5 Mad Scrubs Are Different From Normal Scrubs
As indicated above when discussing Business Scrubs, there are a few different species. The Mad Scrubs are often go out of their way to attack Link and often align with bosses like Gohma. These scrubs are even present in Majora’s Mask where the royal family is prominent. Mad Scrubs seem to have a different worldview than the other Scrubs in their worlds.
4 They Can Set Up Shop Anywhere
Business Scrubs have such a want for money that they have worked out ways to set up shops just about anywhere. This includes a flower in the center of Clock Town, several underground caves throughout Hyrule, and even in Ganon’s Castle where they are hidden using a magic wall.
The Scrub’s ability to infiltrate and hide in Ganon’s Castle to open up a shop is particularly impressive considering how heavily guarded the final dungeon is.
3 Their Multiple Origins
There are multiple tales of how a Deku Scrub comes to be, causing confusion in the Zelda community. Some lore states that a Deku Scrub is grown from a tree, the tree it grows from is even said to give the Scrub its overall personality. Other lore states that those who get lost in the Lost Woods will change into one of the creatures. It’s entirely possible that each different timeline has different rules for how the creatures are born.
2 Strange Dialogue
It shouldn’t be surprising that not all the inhabitants of Hyrule speak the same language. Some even have unique quirks in their dialogue. While the speaking quirk for Deku Scrubs isn’t present in all languages, in the Japanese version the word ‘pi’ usually follows a sentence. It’s not clear if this was just meant to be a cute quirk or if it is a remnant from the Deku language.
1 Deku Are Highly Intelligent
Deku Scrubs may be small in stature, but they tend to withhold a ton of useful information from most Hylians. Deku Scrubs often provide Link with key information important for completing dungeon puzzles, finding Ganon, or even defeating a hard boss that they are loyal to. Deku Scrubs seem to be able to retain a large amount of information, despite the fact they are stationary a majority of the time.
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