A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Ocarina of Time's masked, brown ReDeads haunt tombs, ruins and dark dungeon chambers. Their paralysis and grabbing attacks make a slow creature dangerous at close range. The Sun's Song temporarily immobilizes them. Nearby ReDeads gather around a fallen one, but the game does not explain whether this is mourning, feeding or another response. That observed behavior should remain separate from an invented account of their culture or appetite.
Majora's Mask makes certain masks cause the Ikana ReDeads to dance and ignore Link; a Garo connects these inhabitants to former performers. Reflected light kills them in that game. The Wind Waker instead uses turquoise skeletal forms, for which reflected light briefly stuns rather than kills. Echoes of Wisdom changes the role again: a copied ReDead can stun nearby enemies with periodic screams, while its attacks use swinging arms. These differences matter more than assuming one identical zombie physiology throughout the series.
First appearances & development
ReDead appears in Ocarina of Time in 1998. Selected comparisons cover Majora's Mask in 2000, The Wind Waker in 2002 and Echoes of Wisdom in 2024. The Ikana performer's history is attached to that game's inhabitants rather than assigned to every creature carrying the recurring name.
Canon & continuity
Zelda Wiki reproduces companion advice, gallery descriptions and Echoes notebook material alongside game-specific behavior. Those reference-mediated witnesses support the comparison. Its speculative explanations of gathering around a corpse are explicitly excluded as established fact. No universal origin from murdered townspeople, transmissible infection or real-world funerary tradition is inferred.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Masked tomb inhabitants and Sun's Song interaction.
- 02
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Ikana dancing and reflected-light vulnerability.
- 03
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Skeletal form with temporary light stunning.
- 04
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Scream-based copied ally and arm attacks.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- ReferenceZelda Wiki: ReDead (The Legend of Zelda)Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
