Daily Debate: Which Anthropomorphic Tree from the Zelda Series is Your Favorite?

Games with a loose continuity like the Zelda series tend to be held together by common themes and characters rather than a continuous narrative. Elements like the Triforce, Link, Zelda, Gorons, and Zora, as well as common gameplay elements create a familiarity between games that are otherwise disconnected. One of these elements is anthropomorphic trees.

Now, trees with human-like qualities aren’t original to The Legend of Zelda. They can be found in classic fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings and even in biblical tales like Moses and the burning bush. However, since the introduction of the Talking Timbers in A Link to the Past, talking trees have been a staple in the Zelda franchise. Better known trees include The Deku Tree, who has act as a mentor to Link and as the guardian deity of the forest in multiple iterations, as well as the Maku Trees of Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, who guard Labrynna and Holodrum respectively.

In Zelda‘s latest outing, Tears of the Kingdom, the Deku Tree makes an appearance, as well as a new enemy, Evermeans. Evermeans are walking trees who may or may not be Yiga Clan Footsoldiers in disguise. Other lesser-known trees include the Tree Mimics from Cadence of Hyrule, Gasoringo of Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love, and the Baga Tree from the Ocarina of Time manga, who acts as an evil counterpart to the Great Deku Tree.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the Maku Trees because they play an active role in Link’s quest. They both give him hints as to where the next dungeon is and are helpful companions worth visiting more than once, even housing the Hall of Secrets within their trunks. If I had to choose between the two of them though, Oracle of Ages’ Maku Tree takes the top spot. She’s the only anthropomorphic tree in the series that in known to be female, which makes her unique, and she has a fun subplot where Link saves her from Moblins while she is a sprout. She then develops a 400-year-long crush on Link which is mostly played for comedic purposes. The only unique quality that Oracle of Seasons’ Maku Tree has is that he’s narcoleptic.

So, which anthropomorphic tree is your favorite? Maybe you like the wise demeanor of Ocarina of Time‘s Great Deku Tree, or the upbeat personality of the Deku Tree Sprout who grows into Wind Waker‘s Deku Tree. Maybe something more subtle like the Talking Timbers is more your style. Whatever it is, let us know in the comments.

Nick Miller

Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders.