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Template:Species Cuccos (pronounced /ˈkuːkoʊ/ KOO-koh)[1] are chickens featured in several games of The Legend of Zelda series. They are well known for attacking Link if he attacks them for an extended period of time, and are sometimes known as the Cucco's Revenge Squad.

Characteristics and Weaknesses

A Link to the Past

Chicken
LttP undeadcucoo

In A Link to the Past Cuccos could be found in Kakariko Village. This game introduced their vengeful "revenge squad" behavior. Cucco-like monsters appeared in the Dark World, reacting to attacks with the same movements and sound effects, including the same "revenge squad" behavior.

Link's Awakening

Cuccos in Link's Awakening cannot be lifted or thrown without the aid of the Power Bracelet, and could mainly be found in Mabe Village. They can be killed using the Magic Powder or Magic Rod. This is the only 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.

Flying Rooster

A unique Cucco known as the Flying Rooster helps Link acquire the Key to the Eagle's Tower and then helps him get to the actual level itself. By playing the "Frog's Song of Soul," that Link learned from Mamu in the Signpost Maze, underneath the Weathercock where the Flying Rooster rests in Mabe Village,[2] the Rooster can be resurrected. While a normal Cucco in this game will do nothing special while lifted, the Flying Rooster will allow Link to fly over bottomless pits much like Roc's Feather. Unlike the feather, Link does not fall down until he throws the rooster. The Flying Rooster will follow Link around everywhere on the overworld map, but will not follow him into dungeons. The Flying Rooster can also be used to get one of the optional 26 Secret Seashells near Kanalet Castle.

Once Link has completed Eagle's Tower, the Flying Rooster will leave and make its new home in the Hen House of the mountain range, and will be owned by the Cucco Keeper who lives there.[3] The Flying Rooster is seen giving the man some flights in his house, and Link will no longer be able to use it.[4]

Ocarina of Time

OoT3D Cucco Icon
Cuccos

Link surrounded by Cuccos in Ocarina of Time

Cuccos could be found in a variety of places in Ocarina of Time, and again attacked Link in swarms if struck. As a new feature, Link could grab a Cucco and use it to glide slowly when jumping off a cliff. This technique is known as Cucco Gliding, and can be used several times throughout the game to earn Pieces of Heart. Unlike the Flying Rooster, Cuccos grabbed in this and later games cause Link to slowly glide downward instead of fly upwards.

OoT3D Weird Egg Icon

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.[5] She offers Link an egg that she had been incubating in return for looking for him.[6] After a day passes, a Cucco will hatch from the egg, although it is erroneously referred to as a "chicken"[7] (this was corrected to "Cucco" in Ocarina of Time 3D).[8] The Cucco is necessary for Link to awaken Talon inside the castle.[9]

Anju, who can be found in Kakariko Village, requests that Link helps return her missing Cuccos to their pen. If this task is accomplished, Link can earn a Bottle. When Link returns later, the Cuccos will found to be out of their pen once more. He can complete the task as many times as he returns to the village. Anju will instead give him fifty Rupees each time.

A second 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.[10] There is no discernible difference in appearance or behavior between these "Super Cuccos" and regular Cuccos.

Ocarina of Time also features Cojiro, the only known blue Cucco, and a smaller variant known as the Pocket Cucco.

Majora's Mask

In 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 and cannot effectively be used for gliding.

Oracle Series

File:Cuccos Chicks
The mother Cucco leading her chicks in the Oracle series

Cuccos in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons appear similarly and 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 be found at Mt. Cucco in Oracle of Seasons.

Four Swords Adventures

A Cucco in Four Swords Adventures

Cuccos in 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 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 attack Link if he is shrunk. Link can fuse Kinstones with the Cucco chicks on Swiftblade's house if he is in Minish form.

Twilight Princess

GoldCuccoFlyTP

Link using the Golden Cucco to reach the Sacred Grove in Twilight Princess

Cuccos in 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, similar to how Seagulls could be controlled with Hyoi Pears in The Wind Waker.

The Oocca are very similar to Cuccos in appearance and name. When Link grabs one in City in the Sky, they can even be used to glide like a regular Cucco.

A white Cucco known as Cucco Leader is the leader of all 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. If Link speaks to him as Wolf Link, he will sing a familiar rhyme, but with a twist.

Phantom Hourglass

Cuccos in 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 lethal force.

Spirit Tracks

Cuccos in 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 sells five of them to Link for 50 Rupees.[11] Link can only transport up to five Cuccos at a time.[12] Like with other cargo items, Link loses a Cucco every time the train is hit.[13] 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.[14] Rael wishes to study their vengeful behavior in order to "harness this unbelievable Cucco power for good of mankind."[15]

A Link Between Worlds

In A Link Between Worlds, Cuccos appear in Hyrule, 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 Piece of Heart. 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 Cuccos that function identically.

Tri Force Heroes

In 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 apon a squad of Cuccos to attak him, the Cucco will simply attack the Link for a short amount of time before becoming docile again.

Breath of the Wild



Hyrule Compendium Entry

047 (047) Cucco
BotW Hyrule Compendium Cucco
Description
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...
Common Locations
West Necluda
East Necluda
Recoverable Materials
Bird Egg

Specialized Behavior

Cucco's Revenge Squad

Cucco Revenge

Cuccos attacking Link

Ever since the introduction of the Cucco in A Link to the Past, if Link attacks a Cucco enough times, a large group of indestructible Cuccos will attack him; this flock of pestered poultry is rightly named the {{{2}}}. In most titles, attacking a Cucco up to 30 or more times will summon the attacking flock. The flock will continuously attack Link until he either perishes, waits 10 seconds for them to fly away or leaves the area, as Cuccos cannot follow Link into different maps. However, in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, the attacking flock will stay around forever until Link either perishes or leaves the area.

In A Link to the Past, Cuccos appear in both the Light World and the Dark World, making it possible for the attacking flock to appear in both worlds.

In Ocarina of Time, they appear in Lon Lon Ranch, Kakariko Village, and Zora's River. There are some, but few areas in which Link cannot get hurt by the Cucco's Revenge Squad, in which Link is still in the area. Some of these areas are, but are not limited to the Well in Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time, and a few steps back from the cage in the Astral Observatory from Majora's Mask. Link also cannot be harmed by Cuccos if he is on Epona. When a Cucco has been hit enough times, a cutscene will follow where it will crow for the revenge squad. If a Cucco is hit by even a single blast from a Bomb, it will immediately crow for them.

In all three Zelda games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, the squad also makes an appearance, protecting their injured brethren from further harm from Link.

While Cuccos are missing in The Wind Waker, Pigs also attack Link when provoked. Nearby Pigs will begin attacking Link, but more will not spawn.

The Cucco Revenge Squad disappears in Twilight Princess, as attacking a Cucco many times will result in being able to control the Cucco for about 10 seconds. The reason for the Revenge Squad's absence is unknown. Ordon Goats from Ordon Village also serve the same purpose as the Cuccos. When herding them, if Link whoops at them too much they will turn red, turn around and knock Link off of Epona. When possessing a Cucco, Cats will attack it.

The squad returned in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, and subsequent games afterward.

Cucco Gliding

Cucco Gliding originated in Link's Awakening and can be seen in other games such as Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Phantom Hourglass. In order to glide, Link must grab a Cucco, run off a ledge, and he will glide safely to the ground with the Cucco squirming and frantically flapping its wings.

Cucco gliding is used primarily to gain access to Eagle's Tower by helping Link acquire the Bird Key, using the Flying Rooster. Falbi's Flight by Fowl in Twilight Princess focuses on Cucco gliding. In Tri Force Heroes, Cucco gliding is used in some areas to progress forward in the Sky Realm.

Cucco Steal

In Four Swords Adventures, by using the Mystery Item a special Cucco behavior called the {{{2}}} can be triggered. When activated, a summoned Cucco will fly around, steal an item from an opposing player, and bring it back to the player who threw the Mystery Item. The item grabbed will differ across game modes; it will steal a Force Gem if playing in Hyrulean Adventure or a Heart if playing in Shadow Battle. Aside from traveling to the opposite screen of the offensive player there is no way to evade becoming a possible target.

Non-Canon Appearances

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Cuccos appear as items. When thrown, they release a group of Cuccos who will attack the targeted opponent and anyone else in the way. They also appear in their A Link to the Past appearance as enemies in the Nintendo 3DS exclusive mode, Smash Run.

Trophy Information

# Trophy Appears in Description How to unlock
3DS Logo WiiU
198
200
SSBfN3DS Cucco Trophy Model SSBfWU Cucco Trophy Model A Link to the Past

Ocarina of Time
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. Random
Cucco
209 SSBfN3DS Cucco Trophy Model 2 N/A Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time 3D
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 us. It's almost futile to fight back, and eventually they'll lose interest and stop driving you Cucco. Random
Cucco

Hyrule Warriors

File:HW Cucco
The playable giant Cucco from 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's Warrior. 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.

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's Warrior 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 player's Warrior 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.

In the Master Quest, Twilight, and Termina maps, as well as in the Boss Challenge and Ganon's Fury modes, a rare silver Cucco variant will sometimes randomly appear in certain battles. Upon defeat, it grants 10,000 Rupees.[verification needed]

The Boss DLC Pack also introduces an unlockable Challenge Mode called Cucco's Fury, which features a playable, giant Cucco. This mode is unlocked after clearing Survival Mode Lv. 3 of Ganon's Fury with an A-Rank. Unlike other characters, the giant Cucco is extremely limited in its 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. It also cannot use items. Similarly to Ganon in Ganon's Fury, the Cucco cannot be upgraded at the Bazaar and does not gain new weapons. Despite this, in-game data shows that it is equipped with a weapon called Cucco's Spirit, which is of the Light element.

One of Lana's special attacks with the Summoning Gates can also summon a giant Cucco to attack enemies.

Cuccos also assist Linkle in some of her attacks with the Boots.

In the 3DS port, the first chapter of Linkle's story has her leading an army of Cuccos in order to recover her stolen compass from the Skull Kid and to stop Ghirahim from summoning the fully revived version of The Imprisoned.

Trivia

Nomenclature

The name "Cucco" is most probably an onomatopoeia of the sound a chicken makes.

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name
Cucco Flying Rooster Template:ExpGame
Japan Japanese ニワトリ (Niwatori) Template:ExpGame
コッコ (Kokko) Template:ExpGame
Canada FrenchCA Poulette
Poupoule Template:ExpGame
Cocotte Template:ExpGame
Coq Volant[20]
French Republic FrenchEU Cocotte
Federal Republic of Germany German Huhn
Italian Republic Italian Coccò
ERROR: You must enter a country code. Korean 꼬꼬 (Kkokko) Template:ExpGame
Kingdom of Spain SpanishEU Cuco

Gallery

Video Gallery

Cucco trailer from Hyrule Warriors

See Also

References

  1. Template:Cite web
  2. "Here Sleeps The Flying Rooster" — Plaque on the Weathercock (Link's Awakening)
  3. "Wooo! Finally! This flying rooster is the greatest!" — Henhouse Keeper (Link's Awakening)
  4. "Wow! Amazing! That rooster is actually flying! It's just like I said, eh? Have you tried to hold him over your head? Cluck Cluck!" — Henhouse Keeper (Link's Awakening)
  5. "Are you going to the castle, fairy boy? Would you mind finding my dad? He must have fallen asleep somewhere around the castle. What a thing for an adult to do! Tee hee!" — Malon (Ocarina of Time)
  6. "Oh yeah, if you'll look for him, I'll give this to you. I've been incubating this egg very carefully... Tee hee!" — Malon (Ocarina of Time)
  7. "Look! A chicken hatched from the egg you were incubating! It's the miracle of life!" — N/A (Ocarina of Time)
  8. "Look! A Cucco hatched from the egg you were incubating! It's the miracle of life!" — N/A (Ocarina of Time 3D)
  9. "What in tarnation? Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?" — Talon (Ocarina of Time)
  10. "Well how about a little game? These three Cuccos I have here are special Super Cuccos! I'm going to throw these Cuccos into that there gaggle of normal Cuccos. If you can pick out these three special birds from among the normal Cuccos within the time limit, I'll give you something good." — Talon (Ocarina of Time)
  11. "My Cuccos are getting so big, it's almost time to start selling them! If you hear of anyone who wants to buy some Cuccos, please let me know! The price is 50 Rupees for five birds!" — Cucco Farmer (Spirit Tracks)
  12. "It looks like you already have a bunch of Cuccos roosting in your freight car! They get awfully upset if they're overcrowded, so we can't squeeze in any more." — Cucco Farmer (Spirit Tracks)
  13. "You might know already, but the Cuccos will run off if the carriage is hit. Some bandits even aim to hit your train and steal Cuccos, so watch out!" — Cucco Farmer (Spirit Tracks)
  14. "Would you bring me some Cuccos? The more Cuccos, the better. At the very least, I'd like five. Once you bring them to me, I'll give you something nice." — Rael (Spirit Tracks)
  15. "[Cuccos] are flightless. But when cornered, they can call their friends to unleash an amazing power. I want to study this phenomenon more closely... My goal is to harness this unbelievable Cucco power for the good of mankind." — Rael (Spirit Tracks)
  16. "C’mon, don’t Cucco out on me. Wanna try your luck for 200 Rupees?" — Fortune's Choice Guy (Lorule) (A Link Between Worlds)
  17. "We made it to the port! It's so much farther to walk when the bridge is out! Now that we're here, let's look up Linebeck! I've met him once or twice. Can't say I care for him. He's an awfully big talker for such a big cucco! OK, let's head to the port!" — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
  18. "What?! Is Linebeck shaking over there?! He's such a cucco!" — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
  19. "Ahhh! I get it. Linebeck's nothing but a frozen, clucking cucco... Why don't you wait there, shivering. Just get real comfortable. Maybe you'll lay an egg! BA-GAWWWK!" — Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
  20. "Ci-gît le Coq Volant." — N/A (Link's Awakening)

Template:ST Delivery Items

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