Review: Is The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 LEGO Set Worth the Money?

The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 set from LEGO released in September 2024, and fans could hardly contain their excitement. Over the years, fans who occupy the middle of the Zelda-LEGO Venn diagram have been forced to be creative, building My Own Creations (MOCs) to fill the hole in LEGO’s catalog and submitting their own dream Zelda sets to the LEGO Ideas platform. However, Nintendo finally bridged the gap in their intellectual property (IP) offerings. Super Mario and Animal Crossing have been major successes, so it was time for Zelda to shine.

After spending many hours building the project and viewing it as an art piece in my home, I think it’s time to pick apart what Zelda’s first LEGO set did right and wrong. We have a lot of thoughts here for tenured and aspiring LEGO professionals to help you decide whether or not this set is worth the financial and time investment.

I have built many LEGO sets in the past, which is important to note for my review’s perspective. However, Zelda Dungeon’s very own Managing Editor, Judy Cooper, has offered valuable insights as a first-time builder too! I constructed the Breath of the Wild version, and she put together the Ocarina of Time model.

With that, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details of both builds!

 

The Specs and Contents

The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 (set 77092) is a whopping 2,500 pieces, with many spares of the smaller 1×1 parts if your cats steal some. This is not part of the box count. The whole package retails for $299.99 USD. It comes in a gorgeously designed sleek, black box with the two models pictured, one on each side. The dimensions of the finished product vary depending on which way you go, with the Breath of the Wild version substantially larger than his ancestor.

The gimmick of this set is its 2-in-1 nature. Builders can pick between the Deku Tree design from Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild. To be clear: you can only build one model at a time (which we will go into more depth later). The box also includes four minifigures: Young and Adult Link from Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild versions of Link and Princess Zelda. 

Inside are a total of 24 bags (which may be a mix of plastic and paper as LEGO transitions to more sustainable packaging) and a behemoth 420-page paper instruction manual, which you can peruse here if you’re curious on the details. It is also available in a digital format if you prefer to use a tablet or phone. In the manual is a bunch of flavor text for fans to enjoy, the piece list, and, of course, the building instructions.

Before diving into the process, let’s address the Vah Ruta in the room…

 

The Value for the Price

The price tag is the most disheartening red flag about this set. As if Zelda fans weren’t inundated with countless opportunities to spend their hard-earned cash in 2024, another $300 USD out of the wallet is a pretty intense commitment. 

This is especially true for people who primarily describe themselves as Zelda fans and not LEGO enthusiasts. 

“As a first time LEGO builder, I didn’t expect to receive just so many pieces in this item. Opening the box gave me a little bit of a shock and at first I felt somewhat intimidated. I did immediately notice that all of the bits and pieces were divided up into bags though, and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that there would be some sort of method to the madness.” — Judy

Alternatively, I was thrilled at the number of pieces and bags, and dumping them all on my table was like opening an early Christmas present. With that in mind, is this set worth it for fans of LEGO and Zelda? And is it worth it for fans of Zelda, but not LEGO?

“In the end, I think I spent around 12 hours building Link’s House, the area where the Master Sword sleeps, and Ocarina of Time‘s Great Deku Tree. I spent £260.00 (approx. $346.00 USD) on this 2-in-1 Zelda LEGO. Would I say that it was worth the price? As a collector’s item, surely. It’s a wonderful piece of official merchandise that really does look fantastic. As a person who has never bought a LEGO set in her life, I’d hesitate to say that 12 hours of fun and frustration should come in at such a cost.” — Judy

For context, this is on the upper end of LEGO’s ceiling (for sets that are not discontinued). Many of the sets geared for ages 18+ and the Creator Expert line are thousands of pieces for hundreds of dollars. For example, the largest set currently available is the LEGO Eiffel Tower with 10,001 pieces for $629.99. However, even more critically, the LEGO Millennium Falcon is the most expensive set the site currently stocks, and it has 7,541 pieces for an astounding $849.99.

As you can see, the piece count doesn’t necessarily equate to the price. This is what makes determining the value of this set so interesting. We have to acknowledge several critical influences in what inflates the value of the Deku Tree.

First is the intellectual property (IP). The Zelda IP, much like Star Wars, carries a premium price despite the piece count. Therefore, some of the value you’re paying for is the Zelda brand. How much you’re personally willing to invest in this factor is subjective. For many, it might be worth it because of the novelty. This might wear off if future sets continue to be this expensive, but it’s hard to predict.

The other influence is the 2-in-1 nature. As discussed, you aren’t quite getting two LEGO sets for the price of one. Instead, you’re paying for the opportunity to build two LEGO sets for the price of one. To assert, you cannot build the Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild models simultaneously. You can build a lot of the foundation, but switching it up requires some serious deconstruction and piece organization to give it the proper makeover. To display them both, you would have to buy two sets. 

Having been in the LEGO hobby for a while, I found the price more justifiable. Even then, I still think it could have been cut, especially for Zelda’s first set — first impressions matter, after all. It’s all dependent on how much you value these aforementioned factors and how much you enjoy the process of putting together a LEGO.

 

Building the Foundations

But, what did that building process look like? Even though you can only display one version of the Tree at a time, there are elements from each game you get to construct regardless of which path you take. From Ocarina of Time, you get to make Link’s House. It stands alone separate from the primary foundation. 

“The instruction booklet contained some history on Zelda, which was a nice touch. After reading that, I jumped right into the first part of the build — Link’s House. The instruction booklet was really clear on what was required from the relevant numbered bag to get started. I will note that the bags are filled with LEGO pieces that also come with smaller bags filled with even smaller LEGO pieces inside. I found everything I needed to put Link’s House together, along with some really cute Zelda LEGO-themed weapons and items, and I certainly felt a sense of achievement as I finished building. This section took me a couple of enjoyable hours, since I took my time.” — Judy

Building Link’s House starts the project on a wonderful foot. Not only is it an accessible way to get started (it’s easy to stop for a break after this small portion is complete), but it has many playful details Zelda fans will adore. The ladder flips up and down, Navi is floating by on a clear pole to simulate her flying, and Link has a box of adventuring goodies in the back. There is a tiny Hookshot, bomb, and more. This hints at one of the build’s major highlights — the details. The team clearly did their best to incorporate elements from the series to make it feel more than your average tree LEGO.

You also get to make some of Korok Forest from Breath of the Wild, which attaches to the front of the Tree’s base if you go that route. Its main attraction is the Master Sword pedestal, which is intensely satisfying to place when finished. The area has many of the game’s quintessential mushrooms and Silent Princesses, and you can also assemble several Korok friends, including Hestu. It is incredible how accurate this figure looks when put together. One of my personal favorite elements of this monstrous set is the fact Hestu’s maracas have tiny pieces inside. Make him dance, and you’ll hear a song! Giving him a shake made me feel like a little kid.

“Next up, I got stuck into a smaller section of the LEGO build which was dedicated to the Master Sword as it sleeps in front of the Great Deku Tree in Breath of the Wild. This part was more complicated than Link’s House, and I used some bigger pieces of LEGO that eventually wouldn’t even be seen in the build. Personally, I enjoyed building this section more than Link’s House because it was filled with colorful pieces that made me feel more creative. The end result of Link and Zelda standing around the Master Sword, with Hestu and his maracas in the background, was simply gorgeous. I must have spent a couple of hours on this build as well, but the time just flew by.” — Judy

During this phase, you also build the baseplate and some of the bottom parts of the Deku Tree. This process comprises the first 156 pages of the manual. Then, like a choose-your-own-adventure book, it directs you to the pages of your building destiny.

 

Building the Deku Tree

“Finally, it was time to build the big guy — the Great Deku Tree. I was most excited to build the version from Ocarina of Time, so I spent some time flipping through the instruction manual to make sure I wasn’t wasting my time on the wrong build. Finding the right place to start was really easy, as again, the manual told me which numbered bags would be used. The pieces came in such an array of shapes and sizes that I knew I was going to become confused as some point — and I was right.” — Judy

Starting with such a large build might not be ideal for everyone, but it is doable. Some sections require you to open multiple bags simultaneously. Many LEGO assemblers make this easier by sorting pieces into groups of size and color. It makes scavenging for bits more straightforward. At least you have your passion of the Zelda series fueling you, which makes it easier to chug along the more frustrating elements.

“I put the base of the Great Deku Tree together without much fuss, and was delighted when I recognized parts of the build as I went along. There was the treasure chest that held the Slingshot, and there was the torch that lit the room. I was particularly excited when I discovered that I’d built the Great Deku Tree’s mouth and that I could control it opening and closing; I didn’t know that LEGO allowed you to build moving parts!” — Judy

Yes, this build features multiple elements with moving parts! The Deku Tree’s mouth and eyebrow moves if you flip a lever in the back of model. It encourages even adults putting this together to have a moment of play, which I appreciate. Each face of both Deku Trees are as accurate as LEGO could get it. They look somber yet wise, and the many bumps and branches definitely simulate the weathered appearance of this ancient character.

The sides of the Deku Tree also contain several secrets inside its trunk beneath easy-to-remove side panels. Building the Ocarina of Time model will get you a section with the Fairy Bow and another showing an Ocarina song. The Breath of the Wild version harbors a Sheikah Slate pedestal and Remote Bombs.

“Sometimes, while building the Great Deku Tree, I found myself smiling as I realised what smaller parts I was putting together. I really liked it when I realised I was building some Deku Baba as well as the Deku Sprout (he’s super cute). All in all, this section did take a lot longer, and I found myself fiddling and correcting some parts that I thought I had gotten right. I don’t think this was an issue with the instruction manual, or even that the build was overly complicated. I think I just needed to take more breaks than I had been, as silly mistakes were so easy to make.” 

You might be curious about what the back looks like, and it varies. The Breath of the Wild tree is an insight into Korok life. The bottom level features the shop, a Cooking Pot, and a bed. The upper level houses Walton, who gives you the same side quest as he does in the game in the manual’s flavor text. The Ocarina of Time build features a massive spider web and a dropping Skulltula in the back, which adds even more interactivity. Be sure to nab the Treasure Chest there while you’re at it.

Building the branches in both builds is the most satisfying yet tedious part. Placing individual leaves is time-consuming, but seeing it come together is one of the most rewarding parts. This is one of the places where builders may notice the Breath of the Wild version feels like the more visually appealing build. While both are nice to look at, the whole image of the Ocarina of Time model is more quaint and less intricate. Because it uses the same foundation from early in the manual, it even incorporates some of Breath of the Wild‘s flowers, which feels a little disjointed.

 

The Quality-of-Life Gripes

There were only three aspects of the building experience that hindered the set’s quality for me.

The first is the instruction book’s printing. I used the physical book instead of the digital instructions, which may have played a role in this. However, it felt important to mention some of the pieces the instructions demanded didn’t align with the color pictured in the book. Some of the shades of blue and green were slightly off. While this didn’t cause any serious building errors, it led me to pause a few times when I thought I wasn’t holding the right pieces. It may have also been a simple printing error.

Secondly, there were a few unintuitive building steps. In short, the manual told me to assemble sections in a specific order when it felt like there could have been an easier way to get there. This only happened a few times though. I would say, on the whole, LEGO instructions are comprehensive and sensible.

However, with the Tree’s moving parts, you have to create the levers and sliders. These are tricky sections, which require some finessing to get just right. Having built LEGO sets before, I paved my own path with some of the sections to make it more comfortable for myself. The order of operations didn’t make sense for some aspects, as doing it the way it was instructed would’ve made the assembly and adhering process more complex.

Even Judy echoed this in her commentary:

“When it came to this guy’s eyebrows, I spent the longest half-hour of my life trying to work out why they wouldn’t fit on his face. I turned them this way and that. I took them apart and built them again. I even tried to force them into place but couldn’t stand that they didn’t match the picture on the instruction book. I don’t know what happened, but after several rebuilds, the eyebrows were just right and they clicked satisfyingly into place. I sighed with relief and took that as my cue to take a break.” 

As mentioned, the Ocarina build has an awesome Skulltula on a web that drops down the trunk. I didn’t experience this aspect of the build, but Judy said:

“I did experience some further frustration when it came to building the moving part of the build that incorporated a Skulltula on a web. There’s a cog and lever-like part of this section that draws the Skulltula into the Great Deku Tree and then allows it to drop down again. Somehow, I managed to get the “web” stuck, so the Skulltula couldn’t move up or down. While trying to probe at the string, my clumsy fingers managed to loosen some parts, and I had to do a little rebuilding. This was annoying, but I was sure to check that everything was secure, and the Skulltula moved as it was supposed to.”

I had a few issues getting my Deku Tree’s mouth to completely close due to a small error in building. Ensuring everything is secure is pivotal for making everything look seamless, though it may become less of a priority the deeper you get into the manual.

Finally, despite how detailed the instructions are, there is no defined deconstruction method if you want to take advantage of building the other model. Let’s say you leave the Deku Tree standing for a few years and decide to change it up and experience the other build. You will likely struggle, attempting to tear it apart based on the image in the book alone. Sorting pieces afterward must be laborious, especially since some of the bags overlap. At this stage, I’m unsure if I’ll even build the alternative Tree because of how daunting that feels.

 

The LEGO Deku Tree as an Art Piece

It wouldn’t be a comprehensive review if I didn’t address that this set is meant for display. While there are elements of play to it, this is not the primary selling point for older builders. I’ve spent time with the Deku Tree as a fixture of my home, and it makes my heart smile every time I walk past it.

Now, if you’re looking for a replica of the Deku Tree, this isn’t where your $300 USD should go. Builders of this set will only see value in their time and in the artistic merit of this creation if they also appreciate and find humor in the LEGO aesthetic. 

I’ve built a number of LEGO sets since the start of my journey into the hobby, and this is not the most objectively attractive one (this honor, obviously, goes to their extensive and highly successful Botanical Collection). However, I personally think the LEGO skin on Zelda characters works extremely well.

The hard edges and cartoonish appearance evokes a particular charm I associate with the Zelda series. Who doesn’t go back to Ocarina of Time and find comfort and happiness in the visible polygons? I get a similar feeling from seeing the Great Deku Tree in LEGO form. It feels like this format was perfect for the whimsy of the Zelda series’ artistic versatility. 

 

The Final Thoughts

As alluded, the crossover of Zelda and LEGO fans will have immense joy putting this together. After overcoming the internal conundrum of which set to construct, assembling is a delight. If you allow yourself to get into the flow, then it’s a peaceful experience with only a couple of speed bumps. It’s a treat to see the attention to detail given by the collaboration, with so many Easter eggs and nods to the series’ legacy that long-standing Zelda fans will deeply appreciate. 

Judy’s summed up her feelings by saying:

“My verdict: The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 LEGO set is an enjoyable but expensive project that will inspire creativity in Zelda fans even if it comes from an instruction manual.”

If you want to feel the essence of building the Deku Tree on a budget, I would recommend the Bonsai Tree. It is also a wonderful art piece, and a far less expensive and labor-intensive build. It will give you a taste of what both versions could look like, because it has pink and green leaves to pick from, too.

Pros:

• The impressive size
• The moving parts
• Accurate minifigs
• Rewarding and lengthy building process
• Plenty of homages to the series for die-hard fans
• Experiencing the art of Zelda in a LEGO format
• Intricate design provides optimism for future sets

Cons:

• The price
• Inability to display both models simultaneously
• Labor-intensive deconstruction to take advantage of 2-in-1 feature
• The models are not equally detailed

However, if anything, the biggest pro for this set is the prospects for the future. I, for one, can’t wait to see what part of Hyrule they will bring to my hobby table next. 

This leaves us with our final rating.

Score: 7/10

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What did you think of the Great Deku Tree set? If you snagged one, which version did you build? Do you intend to make use of its 2-in-1 nature and construct the other set at some point? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below!