It finally happened. For years—honestly, decades—the intersection of LEGO fans and The Legend of Zelda devotees felt like a pipe dream. We saw the rejected LEGO Ideas submissions. We saw the "leaks" that turned out to be clever renders. But the LEGO The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 (set 76252) isn't a rumor anymore. It’s a 2,500-piece reality that sits on a shelf and stares at you with that wooden, ancient wisdom.
It's expensive. Let's just get that out of the way. At $299.99, it’s a massive investment for a "toy." But calling this a toy feels sort of wrong once you start clicking the bricks together. It’s more like a physical manifestation of Nintendo's history.
The 2-in-1 Dilemma: Ocarina vs. Breath of the Wild
LEGO made a very specific, very tactical choice here. They didn't just give us one tree. They gave us the choice between the two most iconic versions of the character. On one hand, you have the classic, mustache-sporting Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time. It's nostalgia bait of the highest order. On the other, you have the pink-blossomed, majestic version from Breath of the Wild.
Building it is a commitment.
If you go the Ocarina route, you’re building a piece of 1998. The face is expressive in that blocky, N64 sort of way. It even includes the side-build of Link’s House from Kokiri Forest. You've got the Small Link minifigure, and yes, he looks perfect. But here is the catch: you can’t have both at the same time. If you finish the Breath of the Wild version and decide you want the retro vibes instead, you are looking at a multi-hour teardown process.
Most people I know who bought this set agonized over which one to display first. The Breath of the Wild version is objectively more "beautiful" on a shelf because of those vibrant pink leaves and the Master Sword pedestal at the base. But the Ocarina version? That’s the soul of the franchise. It’s the first dungeon. It’s where the story started for millions of us.
What’s actually inside the box?
You’re looking at 2,500 pieces. That’s a lot of brown and green.
The minifigure selection is probably the biggest selling point for the collectors who don't even care about the tree itself. You get four distinct figures. There’s the Breath of the Wild Link in his champion tunic, and Zelda in her traveling outfit. Then you have the Ocarina versions: Young Link and Classic Adult Link. Seeing a legitimate, non-custom LEGO Master Sword for the first time is a bit of a core memory moment for Nintendo fans.
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It’s sharp. It’s silver. It fits perfectly in Link's hand.
Beyond the figures, the set is littered with "Easter eggs" that don't feel forced. You’ve got a buildable Gossip Stone. There’s a Gold Skulltula hiding in the foliage. You even get a Hylian Shield with the correct printing—not some generic knight shield. They even included the Sheikah Slate.
The Build Experience: Is It Frustrating?
LEGO trees are notoriously finicky. Ask anyone who built the LEGO Ideas Tree House. You spend hours sticking tiny leaf elements onto tiny branch elements, and by the end, your fingers feel like they’ve been through a Goron trial.
The LEGO The Great Deku Tree handles this a bit better, but it’s still a grind.
The base is solid. It uses a lot of Technic reinforcement because this thing is heavy. Once you get past the foundation, you’re basically sculpting with bricks. The "face" of the tree—especially the Ocarina version—is a masterclass in SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques. It uses curved slopes and hinges to create that sagging, ancient bark look.
One thing that might annoy some builders is the repetition. Because it’s a 2-in-1, the instruction manual is a literal tome. You have to be very careful about which "path" you’re following. If you accidentally mix up the internal mechanisms for the mouth-opening feature (yes, the Ocarina version’s mouth opens), you’re going to have to backtrack through fifty steps. It’s not a build for a casual Saturday afternoon. This is a "clear the dining room table for a weekend" kind of project.
The Master Sword Pedestal
In the Breath of the Wild configuration, the Master Sword sits in its stone pedestal in front of the tree. This isn't just a static decoration. The designers built in a small mechanism that allows you to "pull" the sword, mimicking the trial Link faces in the game. It’s a small touch, but it’s the kind of thing that makes the high price tag feel a little more justified.
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Why the $300 Price Point Matters
We have to talk about the money. $299.99 puts this in the same league as some of the massive Star Wars UCS sets. For a long time, Zelda fans felt like they were being ignored while Mario got the giant Bowser and the NES console.
Nintendo and LEGO know they have a captive audience here.
There are no stickers in this set. Everything is printed. For LEGO purists, that’s a massive deal. When you’re paying three bills for a set, you don't want to be squinting at a sticker sheet trying to align a Deku Baba’s eyes perfectly. The fact that every detail—from the hearts on the UI-inspired display to the patterns on the shields—is printed directly onto the plastic is a premium touch.
But is it worth it?
If you are a casual fan, probably not. You could buy a used Switch and a copy of Tears of the Kingdom for the price of this set. But if you’re the person who has a Triforce tattoo or a shelf full of Amiibos, this is the centerpiece you’ve been waiting for. It’s a statement piece. It’s 12 inches tall. It’s wide. It commands the room.
Design Flaws and Honest Gripes
No set is perfect. Even one this anticipated.
The "back" of the tree is a bit disappointing. Like many LEGO buildings, it’s designed to be viewed from the front. If you place this on a coffee table where people can walk around it, they’re going to see a lot of exposed colored bricks and structural supports that don't look like a tree. It’s definitely a "back against the wall" display piece.
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Also, the Koroks.
You get several small, brick-built Koroks. They’re cute, sure. But they’re incredibly fragile. If you breathe on them too hard, their leaf-faces tend to fall off. I would have loved to see molded Korok figures, similar to the way LEGO handles small droids in Star Wars, but instead, we got these tiny, fiddly assemblies.
Then there’s the leaf color. The Breath of the Wild version uses a very specific shade of coral/pink. In certain lighting, it can look a bit "plastic-y" compared to the earthy tones of the rest of the set. It’s a minor nitpick, but when you’re aiming for a museum-quality display, lighting matters.
The Longevity of the Zelda x LEGO Partnership
This set feels like a test.
LEGO is watching the sales numbers for the LEGO The Great Deku Tree very closely. If this set flies off shelves, it opens the door for the things we actually want: a UCS-scale King of Red Lions, a modular Hyrule Castle, or maybe a Spirit Train.
The complexity of the Zelda IP is different from Mario. Mario is about play—jumping, sound bricks, and digital interactivity. Zelda is about the aesthetic. It’s about the world-building. This set proves that LEGO understands the difference. They didn't try to make this a "game" with an electronic Link figure. They made it a model.
Final Realities of Owning This Set
You’re going to need a lot of space. Because it’s a 2-in-1, you’ll also end up with a massive pile of "leftover" bricks regardless of which version you build. Don't throw those in your general LEGO bin. Keep them in a separate Ziploc bag inside the box. If you ever want to switch versions—or sell the set later—having those specific 500+ pieces organized is the difference between a fun afternoon and a nightmare of digging through thousands of parts.
Honestly, the best way to enjoy this set is to take your time. Don't rush the build to get to the end result. The joy of the Deku Tree is seeing how they managed to make organic, wooden shapes out of rectangular plastic.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers:
- Measure your shelf first. The set is roughly 13 inches (33cm) wide and 15 inches (38cm) tall in the Breath of the Wild configuration. It’s deeper than you think.
- Choose your era before you start. While you can rebuild it, it’s a massive undertaking. Decide if you want the pink blossoms of the modern era or the brown bark of the 90s before you open Bag 1.
- Check the printing. Since this set has no stickers, do a quick inventory of the printed shields and minifigures. If there’s a misprint (it happens even in premium sets), LEGO’s customer service is usually great about sending a replacement for free.
- Lighting is key. If you go with the Breath of the Wild version, a small warm LED spotlight makes those pink leaves pop in a way that overhead room lighting just can't.
- Keep the box. For sets of this caliber and price point, the box art is actually quite stunning, and it helps retain the value if you ever decide to part with your collection.
The Great Deku Tree isn't just a bunch of bricks. It’s a bridge between two of the most obsessive fanbases on the planet. It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and it’s slightly repetitive to build, but once Link is standing at the base with that tiny Master Sword, none of that seems to matter. It just looks right.