"You got a Deku Stick! On the Select Item Subscreen, you can set it to (<), (v) or (>). Set it to (C) and swing it with (C)! When you want to put it away, stand still and press (A). You can carry up to 10 sticks, but don't waste them." — In-game description

Deku Sticks are recurring items in the The Legend of Zelda series. The dried stems of Deku Babas, they can be wielded as simple wooden sticks. Deku Sticks are primarily used to light torches. Once lit, Deku Sticks burn up when a certain amount of time has passed; they may be saved from burning up by putting them away or switching to another item. They can also be used as weapons, although they typically break after the first hit or when struck against a wall. They may be left behind by defeated Deku Babas, found inside broken pots or purchased in stores.

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Appearances

Deku Sticks can only be used when Link is a child. As an adult, Link can use Din's Fire or Fire Arrows to light torches in the place of sticks. Aside from being retrieved as spoils from defeated Deku Babas, they can be purchased in stores, for relatively high prices. Deku Sticks, although breakable, are the strongest weapon in Link's arsenal when wielded as a weapon during his youth, as a stick is twice as strong as the Kokiri Sword. If Link holds a Deku Stick near a butterfly and uses it to lead the butterfly away, it will transform into a Fairy.

Initially, the number of sticks Link can hold at any one time is ten. This number can be increased twice; one upgrade is purchased from a Business Scrub in the Lost Woods, and another may be obtained as a prize for wearing the Skull Mask on the Forest Stage. These can be obtained in any order, and extend the maximum limit up to 30.

Deku Sticks retain their appearance and function from Ocarina of Time, and can only be used when Link is in his Hylian form; however, they are not used to the extent they were in the previous installment. This is partially due to the Bow and Fire Arrows being obtained early on in the game's first and second dungeons respectively, which quickly replace them as the preferred method for lighting torches. However since they do not require magic, in some cases they can be used as an alternative to Fire Arrows, should Link be low on either arrows and/or magic. Like in Ocarina of Time, Deku Sticks can be obtained by defeating withered Deku Babas or cutting the stalks of normal Deku Babas. Withered Deku Babas can often be found in Hidden Holes, allowing Link to obtain Deku Sticks for free very quickly.

The Razor Sword and Goron Links punches deal the same amount of damage as a Deku Stick, the Gilded Sword deals 50% more, and the Great Fairy's Sword deals twice the stick's damage, limiting their applications later in the game. Deku Sticks may also be extinguished by drops of water falling from ceilings. Their use in transforming butterflies into Fairies remains the same.

Non-Canon Appearances

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

As part of the Majora's Mask Pack DLC, the Deku Stick appears as an Item Card in the Termina Adventure Map. It is used to light torches to reveal enemies on the Adventure Map.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.