ReDead

ReDeads (リーデッド, Riideddo) are zombie-like creatures with fleshy yet skeletal bodies. Their faces may be Spooky Masks. Their gaze paralyzes even the bravest warrior with fear. They can also emit a piercing shriek to stun you if your back is turned.

These enemies are found in Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, as well as The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.

Many people argue that these creatures are the most frightening enemies in the The Legend of Zelda series, the others possibly being Wallmasters, Floormasters, and Gibdos. They are related to Gibdos.

Ocarina of Time & ''Majora's Mask
ReDeads are enemies that focus and follow Link whenever he enters their territory, yet at a very slow pace. When they get close enough, they scream at Link and paralyze him. Then they slowly walk over and jump onto his back and start biting around his neck. Their scream sounds a bit like a woman's. Interestingly, the paralysis does not work in the ruined Marketplace.

Fortunately, the paralysis they instill is only temporary and can only be executed if they are facing Link. The creatures are quite slow, both in walking and recovering from an attack, making them fairly easy to slay. As an added bonus, if a ReDead is slain, any other ReDeads in the vicinity, will gather around the fallen ReDead until it fades away, ignoring Link and making killing the whole group easier. It is unknown what the "living" ReDeads are doing to the dead one; they may be mourning its death or eating it. Upon gathering around the slain ReDead, there is no further animation, making their intention unclear.

In Ocarina of Time, the player can play the Sun's Song to freeze them for a short amount of time. In Majora's Mask, light reflected off the Mirror Shield will kill them instantly. Wearing the Garo's Mask, Gibdo Mask or Captain's Hat will make them dance and they will not attack you. In Ikana Castle, the ReDeads have several variants of dance, depending which ReDead the mask in question is used on. A Gossip Stone offers a possible explanation of this peculiarity by stating that the ReDead of Ikana Castle were once a troupe of performers when they were alive.

The Wind Waker


ReDeads also appear in The Wind Waker as turquoise tribal-like zombies. This time, they're even more skeletal, their torso consisting of their bony ribs and spine with no flesh or organs in between their bones and skin. The same applies to their hips as well. Another alteration from the first generation of ReDead are their ears, which bear large golden hoop earrings. Their bodies are covered in white tribal markings, their eyes are black and lifeless and glow red when they unleash their paralyzing screech. Also, their mouth is no longer a black circle, but rather a full set of teeth and gums. Since they do not have masks, as in previous games, they were given their scary facial features.

Their method of attack is the same as usual, the main difference being that they only deal 1 heart of damage before they release Link, only to try to attack him again.

They are immune to most weapons, so they must be approached and slashed with the sword. Bombs are also effective, and can be thrown safely at a distance that will not get the ReDead's attention. Using the Hookshot is unwise because it brings Link straight into the monster's grasp. The Mirror Shield can be used to stun them if there is light nearby. They also boast high defense, and a high drop rate of valuable items, but they are still slow, and one can use the same strategy as the previous games to easily finish them off.

Their scream and stare have been revamped considerably. The shriek now sounds utterly inhuman, as opposed to the human-like screams used in earlier games, and their dark, empty eye sockets suddenly glow red when the ReDead spots its prey. They are usually found in the Earth Temple and underneath the private cabana. They are also seen in The Ghost Ship and Ganondorf's Castle.

Twilight Princess


In Twilight Princess, ReDeads return as ReDead Knights. They are demonic warrior monsters found in the Arbiter's Grounds and the Cave of Ordeals. They can be killed by two bomb arrows or with a jump strike. At first, they are lying down, and they are invincible. Then, when they stand up, they are vulnerable. They have a paralyzing scream, like in most games, which leaves you open for attack (although in Twilight Princess, their shriek is very low pitched, compared to the high pitched screams of their predecessors). If their scream wasn't enough, they have tattered red cloaks, and carry huge, rusty, bandage-covered swords that they drag behind them. They are mummified, and their small, round faces look almost featureless from a distance.

However there is a cunning, and nearly painless way to avoid them if in the right place at the right time. After you gain the Hidden Skill #3, the Back slice, rapidly press the A button, and turn the analog stick in the direction you want to go. Then, as they bring down their sword, you will evade the attack and slice them. That leaves them vulnerable to attack. This technique can be dangerous if there are several ReDeads grouped together. Another useful method is by using your Ball and Chain, keep your distance and throw, you usually don't take any damage. They can also be killed in your wolf form by L-targeting and pressing A towards it and rapidly biting it twice. Take heed however, in numbers, such ReDead Knights will gang up on Link and create a much more frustrating battle as time goes on. One way to fight when the ReDead Knights gang up on Link is to change into a wolf and target a ReDead Knight. When one of them scream, target it and rapidly press A. The moment the scream is over,  Link will jump attack the ReDead Knight.

Their bandaged appearance apparently caused a number of fans to mistake them for Gibdos.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
ReDeads appear inside the Hyrule Temple and randomly from broken crates. They suck energy from the player, and they are most commonly found in Adventure mode, while the player is trying to find the Triforce to end the stage. They can be knocked out by the player (ReDead KO), netting 800 bonus points.