Cucco

Cucco
Cucco's model from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Series	The Legend of Zelda
First Appearance	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Year Created	1991
Created by	Nintendo EAD

Cuccos are a recurring species in The Legend of Zelda series, first appearing in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. They are similar real-world chickens and are a commonly kept by intelligent species or races for their eggs, making them a common sight in farms and villages in the lands of Hyrule. Despite this, they differ from chickens in a few key ways. Cucco wings are stronger than a chicken's, capable of gliding through the air while carrying the weight of a fully grown Hylian man, though most are generally poor fliers, with the exception of the Blue and Gold breeds. While Cuccos are typically passive, to the point that they are popular pets among Hylian children, they can be surprisingly deadly if abused or mistreated. If Link dares to attack a Cucco repeatedly, it will call the "Cucco revenge squad" summoning a flock of Cuccos that cannot be defeated and will persistently peck away at his health until he leaves the area or enters a building. Additionally, in certain games, even enemies can also be attacked by the Cucco swarm if they deal too much damage to one.

The Legend of Zelda series

A Link to the Past

In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Cuccos could be found in Kakariko Village. This game introduced their vengeful "revenge squad" behavior. Skeletal Cucco-like creatures appears in the Dark World, reacting to attacks with the same movements and sound effects, including the same "revenge squad" behavior as the regular Cuccos.

Link's Awakening

In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Cuccos cannot be lifted or thrown without the aid of the Power Bracelet, and can mainly be found in Mabe Village. They can be killed using the Magic Powder or Magic Rod. This is currently the only mainline Zelda game in which Cuccos can be killed. On Koholint Island's mountain range, a hen house can be found housing the Cucco Keeper and several Cuccos. A Cucco named the Flying Rooster also helps Link acquire the Bird Key which opens the entrance to the Eagle's Tower and then helps him get inside the actual level itself.

Ocarina of Time

There is a lot of place where Cuccos can be found The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and again attacks Link in swarms if struck too much. Link can now grab a regular Cucco and use it to glide slowly when jumping off a cliff.

When Link first encounters Malon in the Town Market she tells him of her father who had come to the Castle to deliver milk but probably fell asleep whilst doing so. She offers Link a Weird Egg that she had been incubating in return for looking for him. After a day passes, a Cucco will hatch from the egg. This Cucco is necessary for Link to awaken Talon inside the castle.

Anju, who can be found in Kakariko Village is also a Cucco breeder in this game and will give an Empty Bottle to Link if he bring back her Cuccos to her. Another Bottle, filled with Lon Lon Milk, can be won in the Super Cucco Game. This minigame is only accessible as a child at Lon Lon Ranch, and requires Link to pick Talon's three "Super Cuccos" from among a brood of regular Cuccos. There is no discernible difference in appearance or behavior between these "Super Cuccos" and regular Cuccos. this game also features Cojiro, the only known blue Cucco, and a smaller variant of Cucco known as the Pocket Cucco.

Majora's Mask

In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Cuccos appear and function the same as in Ocarina of Time. The Cucco Shack at Romani Ranch is home to a number of Cucco chicks, which Link helps to mature into adulthood using the Bremen Mask. There is also one Cucco in the Barn. However, other than maturing the baby Cuccos to obtain the Bunny Hood, Cuccos serve no purpose in this game.

Oracle series

Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons function identically to those found in Link's Awakening, however they cannot be killed. An interesting attribute of Cuccos unique to the Oracle series is the effect Mystery Seeds have on them. If a Cucco has not called in the Revenge Squad when it is hit by a Mystery Seed, it will be reverted to a baby form of itself which will continue to swarm Link. However, this baby form cannot damage Link. If the Cucco has called in the Revenge Squad, then it will instead triple in size, hurting Link through physical contact until he leaves. When a Cucco is enlarged like this, it becomes impossible to pick up, and will immediately begin to attack Link if he attacks it again. Flying Roosters can also be found at Mt. Cucco in Oracle of Seasons.

Four Swords Adventures

Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures are similar to the ones in A Link to the Past, attacking Link with a Cucco Revenge Squad when attacked.

The Minish Cap

The Cuccos of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap are mostly the same as in A Link to the Past, though there are golden Cuccos that appear only for a minigame along with small yellow Cucco Chicks. The Cuccos play a part in a mini game where Link has to capture the Cuccos before the time runs out. The golden Cuccos are the most hyper and will escape the Link's grasp much more frequently than the white Cuccos. If Link hits a Cucco when it is trapped in a corner more than about 20 times, it will run around the whole of Hyrule Town and may cause Link harm. The Cucco chicks will also be agressive toward Link if he is shrunk. Link can fuse Kinstones with the Cucco chicks on Swiftblade's house if he is in Minish form. They also appear as a randomly unlockable figurine in this game.

Figurine description

"With a boisterous crow and a cute crest, these feathered friends are the most popular pets in Hyrule. The baby chicks like small bugs."

Twilight Princess

Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess now come in white, brown and other realistic chicken colors. When attacked repeatedly, the Cuccos no longer call in the revenge squad. Instead, attacking them allows Link to control the Cucco for ten seconds.

A white Cucco known as Cucco Leader is the leader of all the Cats in the Hidden Village. Unlike other Cuccos, he is not arrogant, but seems to genuinely care for all the Cats and wants them to be happy.

Rusl lent Link a shiny Golden Cucco with faster flight abilities that allowed Link to reach the Sacred Grove. Unlike other Twilight Princess Cuccos, the Golden Cucco cannot be controlled by striking it repeatedly.

Phantom Hourglass

Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass appear and function similarly to their counterparts in Ocarina of Time. The Revenge Squad comes at Link at much higher speed than any other game, making them a more dangerous.

Spirit Tracks

Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks appear and function similarly to their counterparts in Phantom Hourglass. The Revenge Squad comes at Link for as long as the attacked Cucco is red. Additionally, they are one of the cargo items that can be transported in freight cars. A man who raises Cuccos in northwestern Hyrule Castle Town can sells five of them to Link for 50 Rupees. Link can only transport up to five Cuccos at a time. Like with other cargo items, Link loses a Cucco every time the train is hit. Link earns a Force Gem by bringing a total of ten Cuccos to a man in Aboda Village. Later on, Link gains another Force Gem by bringing five of them to Rael at the Sand Sanctuary. Rael says that he wishes to study their vengeful behavior in order to "harness this unbelievable Cucco power for good of mankind."

A Link Between Worlds

In The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Cuccos appear where the Cucco Girl runs the Cucco Ranch minigame near Kakariko Village. In it, Link is tasked with avoiding large numbers of Cuccos of different sizes in a given amount of time to win Rupees and a Hearth Piece. The minigame has several difficulties which increase the time and number of Cuccos to be avoided. Cuccos can also, in some cases, be used to glide to places that cannot normally be reached, such as rooftops. A few Maiamais are obtained this way, as well as treasure. Lorule features black and pink types of Cuccos that function identically to their Hyrulean counterparts.

Tri Force Heroes

In The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, Cuccos appear in the Sky Realm. They are primarily used for gliding from one platform to another. If one of the Links attacks a Cucco, instead of calling upon a squad of Cuccos to attack him, the Cucco will simply attack the Link for a short amount of time before becoming docile again.

Breath of the Wild

A Cucco from Breath of the Wild

In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cuccos are often seen in populated areas. They will peacefully wander around, occasionally pecking at the ground, presumably in search of insects. Like in previous games, if Link leaps off a high surface, they will allow him to glide short distances. When gliding for significant distances with a Cucco, Link's Stamina Gauge will deplete. Because of the open world nature of the game where the player can travel anywhere freely, this is one of the few games you can actually kill a Cucco. If you bring a Cucco to Death Mountain and throw it into lava it will die.

Cuccos are mostly said to be raised for their Eggs, but they are sometimes kept as pets by the people of Hyrule. If Link attempts to hit them with a weapon, they will squawk and attempt to flee, sometimes dropping Bird Eggs when this happens. However, if Link does this four times, the harassed Cucco will summon a swarm of Cuccos. While under attack from this swarm, it is possible for Link to rest at a Campfire or Cooking Pot. Doing so will effectively end the attack from the swarm. This also work for enemies who hit the Cuccos out of negligence. Like most creatures, they have an entry in the Hyrule Compendium.

Hyrule Compendium Entry

"Villages often raise these birds for their eggs, but some people actually keep them as pets. They can't fly but can flap their wings mighty furiously if picked up. They're usually calm creatures, but if you're persistent in your torment of them... Well..."

Hyrule Warriors series

Artwork of a Cucco in Hyrule Warriors.

Hyrule Warriors

In Hyrule Warriors, Cuccos appear as neutral units on the battlefields, usually with only one spawning. When attacked and having been damaged enough, they will turn hostile and start spawning more Cuccos that will follow and attack the player. Unlike many previous appearances of Cuccos, they are not invincible and can be defeated. However, they have a significantly high amount of health and high attack power. A golden Cucco, which serves as an enemy general, may usually be summoned among the third wave of Cuccos.

Cuccos also appear in Lana's Summoning Gate moveset; her special attack involves summoning a giant Cucco to charge through her foes while she rides a normal-sized Cucco to safety. Her victory animation has her petting a Cucco that pops out of the gate, only for another to walk by. Soon, dozens of Cuccos have emerged from the gate, forcing Lana to flee.

In some Adventure Mode battles, instead of a normal Cucco spawning, the golden variant will appear from the start, visiting Keeps and looking for food in them to power itself up. The player will be tasked to stop it before reaching full power. In other battles, a pair of Cuccos may fight over a Keep until it is claimed. In this situation, the playe may choose to quell the fight before a victor can be declared. If the Cuccos are not calmed, the victor will immediately capture the Keep, and populate it with an army of Cuccos. This army will then begin to campaign towards other Keeps, sending Cuccos as raid parties until the Cucco army has captured a total of three Keeps.

A different Adventure Mode battle involves having to escort a Cucco chick to its mother, the Mama Cucco, while keeping it safe from enemies in the process. Escorting the Cucco chick back to its mother will summon Cucco reinforcements to join the Allied Force. However, if the chick is not teamed up with Mama Cucco in time, the Cucco will turn hostile.

A Dark Cucco.

The Master Quest DLC added Silver Cuccos, which look similar to the gold variants, but are rarer and pacifistic, dropping only experience points. The Boss Pack DLC also introduced a Challenge Mode called Cucco's Fury, which is unlocked after clearing Survival Mode Lv. 3 of Ganon's Fury with an A-Rank. In Cucco's Fury, a Giant Cucco is playable, though it is incapable of using items and has an extremely limited moveset, consisting of only a two-hit pecking attack as its normal combo and a tackle as its Strong Attack. Its Special Attack summons flocks of Cuccos to stampede enemies around a wide area. Ganondorf's "Standard Armor (Boss)" is a Cucco Recolor can be unlocked in Challenge Mode as part of the Boss Pack DLC. Dark Cuccos also exist and are similar to Dark Link in concept but for Cuccos.

Hyrule Warriors Legends

Cucco also appear Hyrule Warriors Legends and play much the same role as they did in Hyrule Warriors. Linkle also comes from a farm village renowned for their Cucco-raising skills. The in-game description for her Crossbows states that the weapons were originally used to defend Cuccos from predation by Wolfos.

In "Linkle's Tale: The Girl in the Green Tunic", Cuccos appear as Linkle's allied units. In addition to normal white Cuccos, there are also Brown Cuccos which act as Cucco captains. It is also possible to turn Cucco Chicks into Golden Cuccos by guiding them to a Feeding Ground marked on the map.

As part of the Linkle's Awakening DLC, there is a new moveset for Linkle called Boots, which are described as a pair of Winged Boots infused with the power of lightning and the fury of Cuccos. During certain attacks and combos, Linkle can summon her Cuccos to assist her. She can also use Cuccos during certain combos and attacks to briefly fly in order to assist her in performing aerial kicks. One of the Cuccos also appears in Linkle's victory cutscene and is almost mistakenly stepped on by Linkle, who was distracted while practicing with her boots, causing her to lose her balance as she clumsily attempts to avoid it. As Linkle sits on the ground, the Cucco jumps on top of her head and perches itself atop Linkle head. Several Cuccos also appear in Marin's victory cutscene.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

Since Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a compilation of both Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legend, the Cuccos comes back and fulfil the same roles they did in both games.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

The Cuccos don't play a prominent role in combat for any of the available warriors in the roster or by themselves, but Link will occasionally jump off the Sheikah Tower with a Cucco in place of a paraglider. With the game being based on the events before Breath of the Wild, the Cucco will adopt its design from that verse.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, it is an item where if attacked, a horde of Cuccos attack that player. They are also a Smash Run enemy in 16-bit form. They have two trophies, one exclusive to the 3DS version.

Trophy Descriptions

Item

• NA: "Why exactly a Cucco flees is anyone's guess. Maybe it knows what will happen when it is attacked and is trying to save you from that boundless rage. Once angered, it will call its flock and attack the last player to hit it. If thrown, whoever it hits will suffer its flock's wrath."

• EU: "These chicken-like birds don't seem to be aware that there's a fight going on, and if they get hit too often, they'll explode with rage! They'll call in a bunch of their mates to relentlessly peck whoever touched them last. Of course, that could be the person they were thrown at - not just the thrower!"

Enemy

The Trophy exclusive to the 3DS version.

• NA: "Now here's a creature that's just poultry in motion. It usually minds its own business, but if you attack it, the chickens will come home to roost -- by body-slamming you over and over... and over... A pretty fowl tactic if you ask me. it's almost futile to fight back, and eventually, they'll lose interest and stop driving you Cucco."

• EU: "Now here's a creature that's just poultry in motion. It usually minds its own business, but if you attack it, it'll call on all its little bird friends for help - a pretty fowl tactic if you ask us. However, just let them get on with body-slamming you and don't fight back, and eventually they'll lose interest and stop driving you Cucco."

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Cucoos came back in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate where they serves the same function as they did in the past game and will attack any player that cause them enough damage.

Other Games

Bayonetta 2

Cucoos themselves never appear in Bayonetta 2 but Rodin makes a reference to them in one of his random dialogues when Bayonetta enter the Gates of Hell. He refers to the fact that he is playing this "crazy game", refering to A Link to the Past, and how he need to "sprinkle some magic powder on a chicken", which is obviously refering to the Cuccos.

Diablo III

Cuccos were added as a pet for the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III. It was added alongside a Ganondorf themed armor and a Triforce portrait frame as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and Blizzard Entertainment.