- "If you get close to it, it will hide in the grass..."
- — Navi
Mad Scrubs are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They are an aggressive variety of Deku, who attack things from a distance using Deku Nuts. They are distinct among Deku in that they are covered in reddish-orange leaves and have a greenish-yellow body.
Appearances[]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[]
Mad Scrubs are found primarily in the Sacred Forest Meadow when Link is a child. They guard the path to Saria and constantly bombard Link as he travels to see her, firing three shots at a time. If Link is near one, it will not rise from under its flower. Link can damage a Mad Scrub either by deflecting its nuts back at it with his shield, or by firing a projectile from a distance. Once damaged, Mad Scrubs will leave their flowers and run away from Link in short spurts, eventually doubling back and attempting to burrow into their flower again and resume their original attack pattern. While out of their flowers, Mad Scrubs can be defeated by most forms of attack. Although reflecting a Mad Scrub's nuts back at it is the simplest strategy, they can also be forced out of their flowers if Link approaches and attacks with his sword while they are spitting a volley of nuts, and for a short time afterward.
When Link returns to the forest as an adult, Mad Scrubs appear in Kokiri Forest rather than the Sacred Forest Meadow. In Master Quest, they appear more commonly in places like Inside the Deku Tree and Dodongo's Cavern.
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“If you get close to it, it will hide in the grass...” |
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask[]
Mad Scrubs can be found guarding Deku Palace and Woodfall against intruders. They are identical in appearance to their Ocarina of Time counterparts, but fire Deku Nuts one at a time in an arcing trajectory, and their nuts can not be reflected. The nuts can prove to be a problem for Link's Deku form because they can arch through the air to hit him. Link can defeat a Mad Scrub from mid air by dropping a Deku Nut on it. Mad scrubs can also be attacked at close range, as they do not retreat beneath their flowers when approached. A number of Mad Scrubs can also be found in the Deku Shrine, but they do not attack Link, presumably since he is welcome in the shrine as opposed to being an intruder as he is in the other areas.
Tatl's Note[]
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“Even though it's weak, it sure likes to attack!” |