ReDead

ReDeads (リーデッド) are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. They are highly emaciated, humanoid creatures, closely resembling zombies. They are found in dark and distant locations such as grottos and dungeons. ReDeads are capable of completely halting the movement of their prey with their gaze when they come close; concurrently, they emit blood-curdling screams to terrify their unfortunate victim. They will then close in on their stunned victim and attach themselves to them to drain their life energy. ReDeads are considered to be among the most frightening enemies of the Legend of Zelda series.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
ReDeads are most commonly found in dark, seemingly desolate areas such as grottos and graves. They take on the appearances of emaciated corpses wearing a wooden mask. They latch onto Link and bite his head, a possible allusion to the belief that zombies eat brains. Their piercing screams will stun Link where he stands, even if he is in midair at the time. Inside the Royal Family's Tomb, Link must bypass several ReDeads in order to reach the tomb door on which the "Sun's Song" is engraved. When this song is played while in the vicinity of ReDeads, they are stunned for a period of time, allowing Link to avoid them rather than fight them. Interestingly, if a ReDead is defeated while other ReDeads remain in an area, they will approach it and crouch down beside it; their purpose for doing so is uncertain.

The ReDeads that appear in Hyrule Castle Town when Link is an adult do not freeze Link on sight, although they still let out their piercing shriek. This is due to the camera movement, which remains in a static position while in the marketplace. ReDeads are most abundant within the Shadow Temple; in Master Quest, even more so. Furthermore, ReDeads are also found in the Forest Temple and the Spirit Barrier section of Ganon's Castle.

In Ocarina of Time 3D, ReDeads have had their appearances revamped to look exactly as their concept art, with visible teeth and correct coloration. In addition to their new look, ReDeads and Gibdos now do at least 2 hearts worth of damage before they can be shaken off.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
ReDeads are identical in appearance to their Ocarina of Time counterparts. They are found exclusively within the Ancient Castle of Ikana and Stone Tower. They are suspectible to light, and are defeated instantly if a beam of light is reflected on them using the Mirror Shield. Upon defeat, they drop large quantities of Rupees. If a Gibdo is set on fire, a ReDead will be revealed to be underneath its bandaging when it is burned away.

If Link wears the Captain's Hat, Garo's Mask or Gibdo Mask when in the presence of ReDeads, they will start to dance, and will not attack Link even if he attacks them, making it possible to defeat them without a challenge. A Gossip Stone states that these ReDeads were once members of the Ikana Royal Family's dancing troupe. One of the dances the ReDeads perform is the Hopak, more commonly known outside Russia as Cossack dancing.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
ReDeads are teal-skinned, voodoo-esque zombie creatures with recessed eyes and elongated, hoop-bearing earlobes. Like their predecessors, they scream and paralyze Link on sight. Unlike previous generations, however, their shriek is louder and more dramatic. When they catch sight of Link, their jaws and arms stretch downward while their eyes bulge and turn red, creating a terrifying visage. ReDeads will bring fallen ReDeads back to life if they are lured toward one of them. They are found in the Earth Temple, Ganon's Tower, the Savage Labyrinth on Outset Island and the basement maze in the Cabana on the Private Oasis.

ReDeads no longer have the ability to stun Link if he is in mid-air at the time, such as when Link is parrying. Instead, Link's move should follow through, knocking the zombie off balance and giving Link a chance to go after it with a series of sword slashes to defeat it before it can retaliate. This is best done by performing a Jump Attack with the Skull Hammer, as it has longer range and connects much more frequently than a sword would. It should still be attacked with a sword after it is hit by the hammer. Link can also toss bombs at the ReDeads, though it takes three to defeat them. If there is a nearby shaft of light, Link (or Medli, when in the Earth Temple) can reflect light onto a ReDead using the Mirror Shield in order to paralyze it. However, the ReDead will be stunned only for as long as light is continually reflected onto it.

Interestingly, if Link shoots an arrow or throws his boomerang at a distant ReDead, it will turn to stare at Link, but he will not be stunned. Also, Link can L-target Redeads from a distance and hit them with the Grappling Hook to snatch large amounts of Rupees.

For whatever reason, ReDeads do not attack Medli, or even notice her.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
ReDeads resemble thinly wrapped mummies, wearing a type of heavily decayed light armor and wielding large swords, as opposed to the dessicated corpse appearance of those found in earlier installments, however, they retain their predecessors' ability to stun their prey. They are found in the Arbiter's Grounds and the Cave of Ordeals.

Instead of attaching themselves to a stunned Link and slowly draining his health, ReDeads will shriek at Link to stun him, proceeding to attack him with their large swords. ReDeads cannot be stunned by any means. However, an easy way to defeat them is to quickly dispatch them with a carefully placed bomb or two Bomb Arrows. Another more cost-effective way to defeat a ReDead is to hit it with the Ball and Chain twice; once as Link throws it forward and again as he pulls it back.

A ReDead's sword attack is not easily dodged, but it is possible to achieve this if the button that allows Link to sidestep while L-targeting is pressed rapidly. If successful, Link will be able to roll out of the way just as the paralysis ends, providing an excellent opportunity to perform a Back Slice. Also, ReDeads can be defeated instantly with one hit from a Jump Strike or Mortal Draw.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
ReDeads appear as enemies, and are found in the Underground Maze during Adventure Mode, or as enemies found randomly inside barrels or crates in Melee Mode (though the latter is a rare occurrence). They are quite durable, and require multiple attacks before being defeated, and are rather rubber-like when struck. The ReDead Trophy states that ReDeads are not reanimated corpses as is commonly believed, but rather beings created entirely by magic; however, the veracity of this information is doubtful, as Trophy information is often contradictory to known facts, and are not considered to be canonical.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A ReDead from Ocarina of Time is featured as a sticker. Its sticker gives a +5 bonus to weapon attacks and can be applied to any character.

Origin
It is possible that ReDeads were once regular, deceased Hylians who happened to be re-animated through exposure to dark magic, or that they are, like Poes, restless spirits wandering the world of the living. Considering the abundance of ReDeads found in the devastated Hyrule Castle Town of the future, as well as underneath the Kakariko Graveyard and inside the Shadow Temple, this theory seems plausible.

Burial Customs
The differences in appearance and habits between the different incarnations of ReDeads may suggest changes in burial customs over the passing of time. ReDeads found in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are sometimes encountered underneath graves, and appear to be wearing carved Death Masks over their faces. ReDeads found in The Wind Waker are decidedly teal-colored. Since these corpses were all buried below sea level, perhaps they were punished for evil doings, and forced to haunt Hyrule forever.