Majora

Lore & Background

The lore surrounding Majora's Mask is rooted in the events of Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule depicted as darker and more unsettling. The mask was stolen from the Happy Mask Salesman by a Skull Kid, who used its power to manipulate the sky, causing a grimacing moon to descend inexorably toward the world. This evil can bring about the end of the world, creating a threat predicted to impact at dawn on the day of the Carnival of Time. The mask's influence afflicts four distinct regions: Woodfall is poisoned, Snowhead suffers eternal winter, Great Bay's waters are contaminated, and Ikana Canyon is terrorized by the undead. The Happy Mask Salesman later explains that the mask contains a powerful evil, though the specific origins or the nature of the entity within are not detailed beyond its capacity to cause global destruction.

In Their Own Story

The story begins several months after Ocarina of Time in the Child Era timeline. Link searches for his missing companion, Navi, but is ambushed by a Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask and his fairy companions, Tatl and Tael. The Skull Kid steals Link's horse, Epona, and the Ocarina of Time, then curses Link into a Deku Scrub. Guided by Tatl, Link enters Clock Town to retrieve the mask. After three days of failure, Tael instructs him to awaken the Four Giants while the moon nears impact. Link plays the Song of Time to return to the first day, retaining his weapons and masks but resetting most quests. The Happy Mask Salesman breaks Link's curse with the Song of Healing, only to rage upon learning the mask was not recovered. He reveals the mask is Majora's Mask and dispatches Link again. Throughout the three-day cycle, Link navigates the four regions to stop Majora's magic, reuniting with Epona along the way.

Reader's Guide

In gameplay, Majora's Mask drives a 72-hour cycle lasting about 54 minutes in real time. Players must use knowledge from previous cycles to solve puzzles and unlock dungeons. Link retains weapons, equipment, masks, learned songs, and proof of dungeon completion after resetting the timeline with the Song of Time. The game introduces transformations via three primary masks: Deku Link can fly and skip on water; Goron Link can roll at high speeds and walk in lava; Zora Link can swim faster and generate electric force fields. Other masks provide situational benefits, such as the Great Fairy's Mask for locating fairies or the Stone Mask for invisibility. The Bombers' Notebook tracks 20 characters with fixed schedules, helping players manage interactions. Owl statues allow temporary saves and fast travel via the Song of Soaring. The game requires the Expansion Pak to support its complex mechanics and graphical enhancements.

Did You Know?

• Majora's Mask was completed in less than two years, a tight schedule that necessitated reusing character models from Ocarina of Time.
• The game features a perpetually repeating three-day cycle (72 hours) that lasts approximately 54 minutes in real time.
• Unlike Ocarina of Time where masks were optional sidequests, Majora's Mask relies on them centrally, with 24 total masks including transformations into Deku Scrub, Goron, and Zora forms.
• The game requires the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak add-on to support its complex mechanics, such as the repeating cycle and extensive mask system.
• An enhanced remake for the Nintendo 3DS, titled The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, was released in 2015.