Hyrule’s wilderness is filled with a plethora of unique creatures, many of which make their home among the trees. We’ve seen various forest dwellers, from the adorable Koroks of Breath of the Wild and The Wind Waker to the Kikiwi of Skyward Sword, but none of these forest tribes are as special to me as the Deku Scrubs.
Originating in Ocarina of Time, the Deku Scrubs could be seen as the more aggressive sister tribe to the gentle Kokiri. While the Kokiri tribe was looked after by the Great Deku Tree and lived together in a small village, the Deku Scrubs of Ocarina of Time had no such form to their tribe. In fact, most Deku Scrubs in Ocarina of Time were hostile, save for the occasional Business Scrub. Fast forward to Link’s journey in Majora’s Mask, and the Deku Scrubs of Termina immediately set themselves apart from those in Ocarina of Time‘s Lost Woods, having developed their very own government in the swamps of Woodfall! None other than the Deku King himself stands as the leader of their government and the ruler of the swamp.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much about what kind of ruler the Deku King is on an everyday basis. What we do know, however, is that his daughter considers him incredibly rash. Actually, once he’s calmed down, the King himself admits that hasty decision-making is his greatest weakness.
For the majority of his role in Majora’s Mask, he lives up to this, as one of Link’s first impressions of the king is witnessing a public humiliation that he has organized. The king is enraged at the monkeys of Woodfall due to his completely misguided and incorrect belief that they are the culprits for the crime of kidnapping the Deku Princess. As if humiliation were not enough, the Deku King has also planned a public execution for the monkey. Wow. To say the king is overprotective might be an understatement.
Thankfully, the volatile emotions of the Deku King are kept in check by the Deku Princess. Once Link has saved the Deku Princess from Woodfall Temple, she tries to laugh off her worries about her father’s decision-making before having her fears confirmed by Link. She becomes enraged at her father, begging Link to take her to the palace as soon as possible. After a short bottle trip, Link and the subjects of the Deku King get to witness quite a sight as the Deku Princess literally beats the sense back into the Deku King. Though we only get to see the Deku Princess berate the king once in Majora’s Mask, something tells me that this happens often in the Deku Palace.
I shudder to think of the state of Woodfall if the Deku Princess was not there to keep her father in check. Maybe the separation between the Deku Tribe and the Monkey Tribe is due to the mistakes of the Deku King in his earlier years. The poor young princess has an important responsibility on her hands, handling her immature father, though she’s certainly up to the task. In spite of all the king’s flaws, however, you have to admit one thing: He’s got a great ‘stache.
