Before they are even seen, ReDeads make their presence known with low-pitched moans. They normally stand or sit in the fetal position until Link approaches, at which they will rise and slowly shuffle towards him. Whenn they get close enough, they will paralyze Link with a bone-chilling scream, jump onto his back, and bite his head and neck repeatedly. Interestingly, Link cannot become paralyzed in areas with a fixed camera position, such as Castle Town's ruined marketplace, possibly because of the way the camera usually zooms in when the monster screams.

ReDeads are quite slow, both in walking and recovering from an attack, making them fairly easy to slay. In addition, when a ReDead is slain, any other ReDeads in the area walk towards and crouch beside the fallen ReDead until its body fades away, ignoring Link and making killing the whole group easier; this behavior is never explained in the game, although plausible explanations could be that they are mourning its death or even eating its corpse.

Both ReDeads and Gibdos have a flaw; they're blind, meaning Link can walk by normally or with the Iron Boots, and will pass by unnoticed, with the exception of Deku Nuts. If Link pulls out or puts away any weapon, or runs about near them, they'll hear it and attempt to paralyze him with their vivid scream. If one attaches itself to Link, the only method of escaping is mashing the A and B buttons on the controller to escape, then stab it with the sword after being freed. The longer the ReDead is attached to Link, the more damage he suffers.

In Ocarina of Time, Link can play the Sun's Song to freeze them for a short amount of time. In Majora's Mask, light reflected off the Mirror Shield will kill them instantly. Wearing the Garo's Mask, Gibdo Mask, or Captain's Hat makes them dance and they will not attack Link. In Ikana Castle, the ReDeads perform several dances depending on the individual creature; a Garo Ninja offers a possible explanation of this peculiarity by stating that the ReDead of Ikana Castle were once a troupe of performers when they were alive.

There is also a Gossip Stone on the peir by the Octorocks in Ikana Canyon that says, "It seems that the ReDeads in Ikana Castle will dance when the Gibdo Mask, Garo Maks, or the Captains Hat is worn... But that does not change things much."