Zelda franchise strategy guide/Enemies/Deku Baba

Deku Babas are a fictional species of enemy that appears in the Legend of Zelda series. They are carnivorous plants, with a venus fly trap-like mouth, and sprout from the ground whenever their roots detect any potential prey. They are known to lash out at an enemy with no provocation (possibly for food, like a Venus fly trap). Sometimes, their stems can be used to fashion Deku Sticks. They also sometimes contain Deku Seeds that are dropped when they die.

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Deku Baba

Deku Babas by game

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask

In Ocarina of Time, there are two main variations of Deku Babas. The first kind will shoot straight up (wiggling occasionally) and will yield Deku Sticks once "killed". However, the roots will remain, allowing the Deku Baba to regenerate (these are usually found in areas where a Deku Stick is required, as they can produce an infinite number of Deku Sticks). The second kind will lunge at Link and will be stunned by an attack. If killed normally, it will yield a Deku Nut. If stunned, it will produce a Deku Stick. Unlike the previous kind, these cannot regenerate.

Twilight Princess

Deku Babas in this game are similar to the second variation in Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask. However, if they hit Link, they will grab him in their jaws.

Related Creatures

Baba Serpent/Hebi Baba

Baba Serpents are only found in Twilight Princess. They look like regular Deku Babas with an orange coloration. Once the stem is cut, however, it will either crawl around and attempt to clamp its jaws onto Link, or, if Link is too far away, it will reattach itself to the roots.

Big Baba

Big Babas are massive variations of the Deku Baba found in Twilight Princess. They, too, are orange in color. They are Baba Serpents and Deku Likes combined. Once the head is killed, it will be destroyed, but the base will remain. The base will open up, allowing Link to throw a bomb into the mouth and kill the Big Baba.

Big Deku Baba

In Ocarina of Time, a larger, stronger species terrorized the village where the Kokiri lived. Link was able to remove them after destroying Phantom Ganon, an evil being created by Ganondorf, in the Forest Temple. All Big Deku Babas in the village were destroyed after that (the ones in the Forest Temple, however, remained). In this game, if destroyed normally, they would drop three Deku nuts. However, if they were slain when stunned by a Deku nut, the Hookshot, or sword attack, they would yield a Deku Stick.

Bio Deku Baba

Bio Deku Baba are vicious plants are located in the Great Bay and Stone Tower Temples, and can only be taken out by one hit with a Powder Keg or a very precise throw of Zora Link's fins. Anything else will sever the stem, allowing the plant to walk freely around its environment. On land this can be very irritating and difficult to time with any form of attack, although the sword works best, while underwater Zora Link's barrier attack is the best option.

Boko Baba

In The Wind Waker, no Deku Babas appear. Instead, a larger and more vicious kind of Baba called Boko Babas appeared. At a distance, they resemble Baba Buds, but if Link comes closer the head emerges and attempts to eat him. They are destroyed by stunning them with a jump-attack and then cutting the stem, which forms a Boko Stick. After obtaining the Boomerang, if you fire it at a Boko Baba it will die instantly. They can also be killed by several shots with the Hero's Bow. They appear mainly in the Forest Haven and Forbidden Woods. They usually drop their seeds after they are defeated. In the Forest Haven, there is a Korok who can make a Blue Potion (which restores all health and magic) with four of them if Link is carrying an empty bottle.

Diababa

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Twilit Parasite, Diababa, in its first form.

The boss of the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess. In the first form, two large Deku Baba heads come out of a pool of a toxic purple liquid. Link must use the Gale Boomerang to transport a Bombling to the head. In the second form, a third, even larger head comes out with an eye on its tongue. Ook will carry a Bombling that Link must again use the Gale Boomerang to hit the head, causing it to reveal its eye. Link must then slash the eye repeatedly with the sword.

Mini Baba

This species of Deku Baba is exclusive to Majora's Mask. They act very much like the unaggresive, regenerating species of Deku Baba. However, this form has no stem and thus will only yield Deku Nuts.

Twilit Deku Baba

Twilit versions of Deku Babas in Twilight Princess. They are almost identical to the Deku Babas or Baba Serpents of that game, except for their color. Their colour stays the same, and the only way to distinguish which Baba (Deku or Serpent) they are is only how they react to getting their stems cut.

Trivia

• Deku Babas are similar to the Piranha Plants from the Mario series.
• "Deku" means "wooden figurine", and Deku Babas are likely called that to emphasize they are plants. "Hebi" means "snake", and Hebi Babas are likely called that to emphasize their snakelike behaviour when cut off. However, "Boko" doesn't mean anything and it is unclear why Boko Babas are called what they are called (although it should be noted that enemies called "Bokoblins" appear that wield "Boko" Sticks).