ReDead

Not much can be said about these strange zombie-like creatures, except that they are mostly only found deep in the earth or in deep, dank dungeons. They have fleshy yet skeletal bodies and it is questionable whether those are their real faces, or just Spooky Masks. They have a gaze that paralyzes anyone who looks with fear. They can also emit a piercing shriek to stun you, if your back is turned.

When they get close enough, they jump upon Link's back, wrapping their arms and legs around him and raping him, constricting him so they can bite, depleting many hearts and continuing until Link struggles free. Upon doing so, an unlucky or unskilled victim might be caught again by the paralysis and continued to be grasped, so make sure to quickly run out of range before attacking again. They're grasp is questionably the most harmful attack to be caught with in the game. They're especially dangerous in groups, as they continuously paralyze and capture Link in their grasp, making freedom difficult.

Luckily, the paralysis they instill is only temporary and can only be executed if they're 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 a safe feat. It's questionable what the live Redeads are doing to the dead one, some say they're mourning its death, some say they're eating it. It's unclear because upon gathering around the slain redead, there is no further animation, making they're intention unclear.

There are many ways to destroy these creatures: attack them from behind, freeze them by shining light on them, wear the Captain's Hat, Gibdo Mask, or Garo's Mask in Majora's Mask to make them dance and ignore Link entirely, or stun them by playing the Sun's Song. These enemies are found in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

They're related to Gibdos.

"The Wind Waker"
ReDeads also appear in The Legend of Zelda: 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 they're bones and skin. Same goes for their hips. This time, They have ears, and 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.

Their method of attack is the same as usual, the main difference being that they only grope Link for 9 bites, dealing only 1 heart of damage before they release Link, only to try to get him again. Perhaps in response to the power of previous Redeads?

They're immune to most items, so one would have to arrow or slash them. Using the Hookshot would be a mistake bringing Link straight into the grasp of the Redead. They also boast high defense, and a high drop rate of valuable items, but they're still slow, and one can use the same strategy as the previous games to easily finish them off.

They have the same shriek and stare that those who have encountered them have come to love or hate. The effect of seeing their face scream instead of merely hearing it is arguably more frightening. They are usually found in the Earth Temple. A lot of people think these creatures are the scariest creatures in Zelda.

Questionable Attack Method
Many gamers question the Redead's attack method, citing it to look inapropriate. It's been stated that they're biting Link's head, but their animation doesn't appear as biting, especially in The Wind Waker, where their mouths aren't even making contact with Link. This method of attack is often made fun of by fans.