Though we’ve seen a few of them in Ocarina of Time, the Deku Scrubs are vastly expanded upon in its sequel, Majora’s Mask. They were simple obstacles in their first game, occasionally making a forest-themed puzzle more difficult by launching Deku Nuts in Link’s direction, but when Majora’s Mask came around, we got to see a whole new side of these creatures. They were not just animalistic beasts who wandered around causing chaos but were actually a much more civilized race than we realized. They had their own territory and businesses, and they even had a monarchy, which included none other than the Deku Princess.
Now, the princess isn’t merely an indicator of their sophistication. No, she is more than that. The Deku Princess shows compassion for not just her people, but for others as well, such as the Monkey who tried to rescue her. Even though she takes the news with less grace than one might expect of a princess, it is only to show how much she cares for her friend.
The Deku Princess has good intentions all around, which was why she went missing in the first place. She and the Monkey knew something was wrong when the swamp became poisonous. Together, they decided to investigate, and though things didn’t turn out how they had planned, their actions helped Link to rid the Woodfall Temple of the tyrant Odolwa and restore the swamp to its original state.
Even though the Deku Princess does not play much a role in the overarching story, her few actions alone show a different side of the Deku tribe. Perhaps when she comes of age to rule, her people will follow in her footsteps and take on a kinder approach to life, keeping a little piece of her in their hearts — or their pockets. You didn’t think I was going to finish off this article without including the fact that Link crammed her into a tiny bottle, did you?
Be sure to check out the rest of our articles from Majora’s Month, our month-long celebration of Majora’s Mask’s 20th anniversary!
