Chuchu


 * Not to be confused with Buzz Blobs.

Chuchus, formatted as ChuChus in, and , and known simply as Chus in , are recurring enemies in. They are gelatinous creatures of living slime or jelly, often depicted with facial features.

Chuchus come in a wide variety of colors and types, with some having different traits and behaviors depending on their color. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and Purple Chuchus are among some of the most common types of Chuchus in the series, with Red being the most common. Beginning with The Wind Waker, some Chuchus, such as the Blue and Yellow kind, are capable of producing electricity as a defense mechanism. This makes them similar to the Buzz Blob, another slime-like enemy with a similar shape that is also electrified. Chuchus are relatively simple enemies to defeat; a simple slash with the Sword usually being all that is required to take down most varieties. The electrified types usually require to be stunned first before attacking.

In a couple games, Chuchus also leave behind Chu Jelly when defeated. Chu Jelly is valued as an ingredient that can craft restorative Potions that can replenish health or other vitals depending on its color. In The Wind Waker, Chu Jelly is an ingredient that cannot be used on its own, but in Twilight Princess, a Bottle can be used to scoop up the remains of a defeated Chu to collect drinkable Chu Jelly.

Majora's Mask
In, Chuchus appear as bottom-heavy blobs of transparent jelly with large, grinning mouths full of crooked teeth and round eyes on stalks. They move around by slowly oozing along the ground, but once they see Link, they attack by hopping towards him in an attempt to knock him down. However, they can be easily defeated with one or two hits with the Sword. Chuchus are characterized as appearing either Green, Red, Yellow or Blue. Depending on their color, they contain various items inside their bodies which are dropped as they are defeated. Chuchus will shortly respawn after being destroyed, making fighting them a quick means of restocking on supplies in little time.

Green Chuchus and Red Chuchus are commonplace to Termina Field, and carry Magic Jars and Hearts in their bodies, respectively. Yellow Chuchus contain Arrows, and usually appear near puzzles or enemies that require the Bow. Blue Chuchus are the rarest, and only appear in the Great Bay Temple. They hold no items inside them; instead they can be frozen and used as a stepping stone by freezing them with the Ice Arrows, allowing Link to reach higher places. Tatl explains this by stating they are "just blob(s) of water." In, the Blue Chuchus sparkle, further indicating that they can be frozen.

The Wind Waker
In, ChuChus take on a much different form that would become their most common depiction: they are top-heavy blobs of jelly with bulbous, yellow-green eyes that move by crawling or hopping on their pseudopod-like feet at their base. This appearance greatly resembles Buzz Blobs, an earlier slime enemy with a similar shape. When they appear, they make a distinctive chattering sound. If left alone, ChuChus melt into a tiny, slow-moving puddle, but immediately start hopping after Link when he approaches. Some ChuChus will ambush Link by dropping from above. ChuChus in The Wind Waker come in various colors, each with their own traits and sometimes unique Chu Jelly. They come in Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and a newer type called a Dark ChuChu, which is dark purple in color. ChuChus live on many islands across the Great Sea, including dungeons and most notably, Pawprint Isle, an island famous for its ChuChu population. Several ChuChus drop Chu Jelly when defeated, which can also be stolen from them with the Grappling Hook. Chu Jelly can be given to Doc Bandam on Windfall Island, a man studying ChuChus and their jelly, to craft new Potions as well as make free servings in exchange.

Red ChuChu
Red ChuChus are among the first and most common encountered, and can be found as early as Pawprint Isle and Dragon Roost Cavern, as well as Forest Haven and the Earth Temple and Wind Temple. They are the lowest form of ChuChu that possess no unique traits, and are thus the easiest to slay. Their attack deals little damage, although they can be tricky in groups (though rarely forming any more than three at a time). As basic as they are, they are valued as they can be slain for Red Chu Jelly, which can make health-replenishing Red Potions.

Green ChuChu
Green ChuChus are the second most common, and can be found on Pawprint Isle, Forest Haven, the Forbidden Woods, and the Earth and Wind Temples. They behave like and are often found with their lower relative, the Red ChuChu. They, however, possess the ability to shrink into a puddle to evade Link's attacks. When defeated, they drop Green Chu Jelly. Link can give Doc Bandam 15 Green Chu Jellies to craft Green Potions, making them available for purchase.

Blue ChuChu
Blue ChuChus are an extremely rare type of ChuChu, with only 23 Blue ChuChus appearing in total throughout the Great Sea. They are found scattered on various islands. Blue ChuChus are highly electrified, and will shock Link if he attempts to attack one. As they are constantly electrified, they must first be stunned before being attacked, with items such as with the Deku Leaf or the Boomerang. Alternately, they can be attacked with Bombs or Arrows. They drop the most valuable and rarest kind of Jelly: Blue Chu Jelly. If Link gives 15 Blue Chu Jellies to Doc Bandam, Blue Potions will become available for purchase. Blue ChuChus, however, will only ever drop their Jelly Spoils once.

Yellow ChuChu
Yellow ChuChus are another type that possess the ability to electrify themselves, but unlike Blue ChuChus, they do not keep their bodies electrified at all times and will periodically drop their electric guard. They are even rarer than Blue ChuChus, as they only appear on Pawprint Isle and in the Tower of the Gods. They can be stunned to make defeating them easier, or attacked with Bombs or Arrows. They do not drop any Chu Jelly whatsoever.

Dark ChuChu
Dark ChuChus are a unique type distinguished by their dark, purple coloration. They inhabit dark areas devoid of light, namely the Earth Temple and Ganon's Tower. Unlike other ChuChus, they cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons; attempting to do so results in the creature simply breaking up and regenerating. Instead they are highly weak to light - if they come into direct light, they will instantly turn to stone. One can be lured into a light source or else have light hit it. Picking up and throwing a petrified Dark ChuChu will shatter the stone and defeat it, or alternately, it can be smashed with the Skull Hammer. Petrified Dark ChuChus can be used as temporary weights in certain puzzles. For this reason, they often respawn after being defeated. They do not last long in stone form, however, and will eventually liquidize. They do not leave behind any Chu Jelly.

The Minish Cap
In, Chuchus have an identical appearance and behavior to those in The Wind Waker. Most Chuchus emerge from the ground as tiny puddles, then pop up to leap at Link to attack. They also come in various colors and varieties, each with different traits and characteristics. They are among some of the most common and weakest enemies, and can be found all over Hyrule.

Green and Red Chuchus are the most common, being especially common to the Minish Woods and Mt. Crenel, respectively. They are the most basic varieties, and attack simply by jumping. Green Chuchus tend to appear alone, while Red Chuchus are often found in small groups. Blue Chuchus, like those in The Wind Waker, have bodies that are constantly electrified. They can be attacked with Bombs or Arrows from afar, or alternately stunned with other items, such as the Boomerang. They are much rarer and are not native to any particular region.

Spiny Chuchus are purple Chuchus that possess a unique trait: they shoot out thorns from their body when Link is near. These spikes protect them from a wide assortment of attacks, and will remain in this state until Link backs away, when the Chuchu will pursue after him. To defeat them, Link must either be quick to attack or stun them first. A Bomb is powerful enough to penetrate their defenses. Arrows can also be shot at them from afar. They appear at Mt. Crenel, and also act as the mini-bosses of the Cave of Flames.

Red Chuchus also come in an additional variant called a Rock Chuchu, which wears a rock helmet over its face. They appear in Veil Falls. These Chuchus do not jump, and their mask protects them from almost any attack. Their helmets can be destroyed by throwing a stone at them, turning them into regular Red Chuchus. A Bomb can also be used to defeat them instantly.

Link also encounters two giant Chuchus as bosses, known as Big Chuchus. These enemies are normal Chuchus, but appear much larger as Link is Minish sized when they are encountered. A Big Green Chuchu appears as the boss of Deepwood Shrine, and a Big Blue Chuchu appears as the mini-boss of the Temple of Droplets. These large Chuchus are fought by sucking up their jelly with the Gust Jar, although the same will not work on other Chuchus when Link is normal sized.

Twilight Princess
In, Chuchus are simply known as Chus, and are little more than large, amoeba-like blobs of opaque jelly. They slide and powerfully leap to move and attack. Like previous incarnations, Chus come in various colors, including Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, and a very rare variant called a Rare Chu. While little else sets apart between them, Chus have the ability to split and merge. A large Chu will split into two smaller Chus when attacked, similarly to a Zol dividing into Gels when struck, and will keep splitting until they are too small to do so. Chus appear in several places, including the entrance way of the Lakebed Temple, the Snowpeak Ruins, and in hidden Caves.

When Chus are defeated, they dissolve into a puddle which can then be scooped up into a Bottle to collect Chu Jelly. Unlike Chu Jelly of The Wind Waker, their remains can be used immediately as a drinkable solution. They have various different effects depending on the color of the Jelly.

When two Chus of different colors collide, they will merge together and form a single, larger Chu. The new Chu will retain the color of the more common one (from least to most common: Rare, Blue, Red, Yellow, Purple), except when a Blue and a Yellow Chu merge. When a Blue and a Yellow Chu merge—which is only possible in the Cave of Ordeals—they create a Green Chu in the Wii version, or a Purple Chu in the GameCube version. This is the only way to encounter a Green Chu in Twilight Princess (meaning they cannot be encountered in the GameCube version), and the Green Chu Jelly has no associated text and no effect when drunk.

Some fans believe that the Green Chu and its Chu Jelly might be a leftover from an earlier version of the game, and that the Green Chu Jelly was intended used to restore Link's Magic Meter, which was present in early versions of the game before being removed.

Rare Chus are a significantly rare variety that are pearl-colored and sparkle. They appear anywhere where Chus are, but the chances of finding one are incredibly slim. The Cave of Ordeals and three hidden Caves - one under a tree at Snowpeak, another in the Gerudo Desert, and another beneath Ordon Ranch accessed via a dig spot in the barn, are the only certain places to find them. Rare Chus are highly valuable as they leave behind Rare Chu Jelly, which has the same effect as Great Fairy's Tears. However, not only are they hard to find, but they are also the first to be targeted by Purple Chus to merge. If a Rare Chu and any other Chu merge, the new Chu will become the other color, canceling out the Rare Chu. Additionally, if Link already has Rare Chu Jelly, any Rare Chus set to appear will be replaced with Yellow Chus.

Phantom Hourglass
In, ChuChus appear similarly to their The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap incarnations. They are a common sight throughout the World of the Ocean King and can be found on many islands and inside dungeons. Generally, ChuChus are slow-moving enemies that pop out of the ground when Link is near. Most can be easily defeated with just the Sword or the most basic items. They come in Red, Green, Blue and Yellow colors, as well as the Rock ChuChu variant.

Red and Green ChuChus are the most basic and are encountered early on. The Red kind are the most common of all, and can be found in mountainous regions as well as most dungeons, while Green ChuChus only appear in the Temple of Courage. Yellow and Blue ChuChus, like previous incarnations, are electrified and will shock Link if he strikes one. Yellow ChuChus will periodically drop their electrical barriers, but Blue ChuChus remain electrified. They can be stunned with items such as the Boomerang to disable their barriers, or alternately attacked with Arrows or Bombs from afar.

Rock ChuChus are similar to their The Minish Cap incarnation, as they wear rock helmets that protect them from most attacks. This ChuChu variety likes to hide beneath large rocks, busting out whenever Link draws near. It can be destroyed with a Bomb, its helmet pulled off with the Grappling Hook, or smashed with the Hammer.

Spirit Tracks
In, ChuChus appear mostly the same as in Phantom Hourglass, but come in a few different variants. ChuChus in this game come in Red, Yellow and Purple colors, as well as two new variants called Ice ChuChus and Helmet ChuChus. As with the previous game, ChuChus are basic enemies that pop out of the ground and move slowly. They are among some of the most common and weakest enemies found throughout Hyrule, and can be found in all four of its regional Realms. With the exception of the Ice ChuChu, all other ChuChus can be found in the Ocean Temple.

Red ChuChus are the most basic and common variety, appearing as early as the Tunnel to the Tower of Spirits. Yellow ChuChus are an electrified variant, and must be stunned first to interrupt their electric field before attacking. The Whirlwind, Boomerang and Whip can all be used to stun them.

Ice ChuChus are white ChuChus that produce an icy mist. They are native to the Snow Realm of Hyrule. Their mist prevents them from being attacked directly as it will freeze Link instantly, requiring the screen to be rubbed with the stylus to thaw him out. Like Yellow ChuChus, they can be stunned first to remove their defense mechanism, rendering them safe to attack.

Purple ChuChus are another electric variant, but are more dangerous as their electricity is not disabled when they are stunned, and items such as the Boomerang and Whip do not affect them. The most creative way to defeat them is to strike them with a sharp object grabbed by the Whip, such as a thorn or the blade from a fish statue found in the Ocean Temple. Arrows and Bombs can also defeat these, as well as Phantom Zelda's sword. Purple ChuChus appear in the Ocean Temple and the Tower of Spirits.

Helmet ChuChus are Red ChuChus that are similar to Rock ChuChus as they wear protective helmets, only except now their helmets are made of iron and have three horns. Their helmets are not easily destroyed, and must be pulled off using the Whip. The helmet can then either be thrown back at the ChuChu to defeat it or thrown away to finish it off with the Sword. Its helmet can also be thrown to damage other enemies as well. They appear in the Ocean Temple.

Skyward Sword
In SS undefined, Chuchus appear as blobs of jelly with dripping mouths and bulging eyes. They slowly crawl after Link when they spot him, and sometimes emerge from the ground. Chuchus come in various sizes, ranging from large to very small. Like Zols and the Chus of Twilight Princess, when they are struck with the Sword, they will split into smaller Chuchus. Although similar, the enemies are not as simple as previous incarnations, and must be dealt with accordingly - if struck horizontally with the Sword, a Chuchu will split horizontally, only for the top Chuchu to fall right on top of the other, causing them to merge back into their larger size. As such, they must be attacked with a vertical slash to split and distance them from each other to prevent them from merging. Bombs are also very effective, as they are absorbed into any Chuchu that touches them and will destroy any size of Chuchu upon exploding. If two Chuchus merge, they will form a Chuchu one size larger than the bigger of the two, regardless of the size of the smaller. Like Gels, small Chuchus can also grab a hold of Link's foot and slow him down until they are shook off.

Four variations of Chuchus exist in Skyward Sword, with some found in both Skyloft and various regions of the Surface. These include Green, Blue, Red, and Yellow Chuchus. Although while they share the common colors of previous incarnations, the traits of each Chuchu are now slightly different. Green and Blue Chuchus do not have any particular abilities, although the green ones are found on land while the blue kind are found underwater. Red Chuchus are usually found at the Eldin Volcano area and can ignite Link on contact with their extremely high body temperature. Yellow Chuchus are native to the Lanayru Desert region and retain their electrified bodies. They are capable of releasing an electric discharge, a defense which they tend to use after being split.

While Chu Jelly does not appear in Skyward Sword, Chuchus may sometimes drop Jelly Blobs after being defeated, which can be used to craft certain items.

Trivia

 * The chattering that ChuChus make in The Wind Waker are actually the overlaying clips of two Japanese men arguing, sped up and played in reverse.

Etymology
Chu is Japanese for the sound one makes when giving a kiss, hence the Fishman's reference at Pawprint Isle, which otherwise makes little sense in English: "Do you know what a ChuChu is, small fry? No, I'm not talking about the sound you make when you kiss someone!" The name may have once been a reference to the Chuchus' prominent lips in Majora's Mask.