Which Zelda is Darker? Twilight Princess or Majora's Mask?

[Niko Bellic 817]

Majora's Mask is darker because even when you stop the moon by playing Oath to Order, when you play the song of time you stop the moon yet again. Also, when you reverse time, people in the game keep reliving the last three days of their lives.

[Zarom]

Majora's Mask is the darkest Zelda. Why? Because the main reason is because almost all people are sad and they're just waiting to die. This is awful, don't you agree?

[Master Kokiri 9]

Majora's Mask is the darkest Zelda. Why? Because the main reason is because almost all people are sad and they're just waiting to die. This is awful, don't you agree?

Uh huh i agree completely zarom. Majora's Mask is darker. But not only cuz of what you pointed out but also because the entire world will end up destroyed.

[Waker of winds]

MM was a completely dark game. So sad and depressing... but then you appear and help the others.

You make a complete twist in their lifes.

Like I said before somewhere, the persons you must help are just plain miserable.
Anju & Kafei, Pamela's father, Darmani, Mikau, The Postman, Romani, all of them are looking for your help.

[x-Link-x]

I would say Majora's Mask would be the darkest of the two.

Just a few weeks ago, I was playing the game and for the moment all I could do was wait for certain event (why didnt I skip time is beyond me) and I just sat there taring at Link and then I started to think about all the events of the game. When one stops to think about them....a lot of them are sick and twisted! I mean, it doesn't seem much because its a game, a game for kids in any case but when one really stops to think about it, it can easily enough leave you eye-wide.

Take Kafei for example, he was turned into a child. Maybe that doesn't seem like that much but perhaps you should stop for a bit and think: its three days to your wedding and you've been turned into a chil, what the hell are you going to say to your fiance? Will she even believe its you!?

The moon came down and its hovering above your town staring down towards you with giant red eyes and a huge grin (it appears as a grin to me anyways). At Ikana there is a child taking care of her almost mummified Father, at any moment he can come out of that closet and turn her too! Your physical appearance is forcefully changed, your horse is stolen, you're forced to pass through the same three days over and over and over again.

You're to carry out the wishes of the dead, go down to a well and trade items with mummies (Gibdo) and this is only if you're Link. If you're anyone else then you're forced to live out the same three days over and over again without any type of clue of what is going to happen to the giant moon that floating above you, if there's even going to be a tomorrow and if there is even someone out there doing something to help you.

Then one of the other things that did kinda disturb me was at the end of the game, when the Butler is looking at the gloomy tree, it makes you think 'is that really his son?!', just think about it, your son being turned into a tree, you have no idea who did it, how did it happen and you didn't even get to say good bye to him and now there is probably nothing you can do to help him. Who knows maybe he's still consious and is crying out for you while you're staring but the fact that he doesn't have vocal cords doesn't allow you to hear him. I'd say that's horrible.

Perhaps I'm getting too carried away but those are just a few of my simple thoughts. <3

[Durion]

At Ikana there is a child taking care of her almost mummified Father, at any moment he can come out of that closet and turn her too!

If I remember correctly she didn't know where her father was, I don't think she was looking after him. I think he was experimenting on something and got stuck in some sort of closet, I can't remember what it was he got stuck in though.

I don't know really...come to think of it I think that both are as dark as each other, Each have there own forms of darkness, Majora's Mask has darkness based on destruction, I really don't know what the right words are though for TP's form of darkness, Maybe darkness based on fear.

[Megamannt125]

Majora's Mask, it's the only really Dark Zelda, some may argue that Twilight Princess is dark too, but this is completely false, in terms of story TP has a light story with minor things to make it seem dark (example the triforce scene and Ganondorfs death), but unlike Majora's Mask the overall game is not dark, Majora's Mask is a very depressing game with a dark story, most sidequests in this game are depressing on their own, there is also the giant moon that could kill them all.

And At DarkLink about the Mummy Father, she DOES know, she WAS caring for him, if he comes out of the closet and you wait too long she runs in the room and tells you to leave him alone and to forget what you saw, it's also the reason before she wouldn't let you in the house and you had to sneak in.

[Aurora]

lets put it this way,
MM, the world dies if you fail to complete the game

TP, the world gets taking over if you fail to complete the game,

hmmm, which ones darker... i wonder

[Nepolink]

I don't really know about Pamela and her father but my thoughts were Pamela is hiding her mummified father because of his look. Yeah, he was studying Gibdo's. There is also a poster something hanging in his room about the spies The Garo. Ikana was a real dark place for sure.

Majora's Mask was more darker than Twilight Princess. It was just sad to speak to all the people in the last day. I heard something about Majora's Mask gives Nightmares too people, don't know if it's true, but the last day track (Final 6 minutes) sounds sad and creepy the same. It really was a track for almost the end of the world.

Well, Twilight Princess was really dark too, but it doesn't match the destructive darkness from Majora's Mask. I enjoyed the way how everybody gets mad at Skull Kid, it was not Skull Kid, it was the dark Power of the Majora's Mask. Majora turned out as a creepy final boss.
Anyway, the darkest part was Ikana for sure specially the well. Trading items with Gibdo's, hmm, why does a Gibdo needs milk or a fairy anyway? o.O

[Aurora]

... twilight princess has a darker look than normal in a zelda game, but it has a sense of that if you dont do something, the whole world will die, but then again, as I said, you have no choice in majoras mask,... WHICH CLEARLY MAKES MY OPINION MAJoRAS MASK!!!!

[Megamannt125]

... twilight princess has a darker look than normal in a zelda game, but it has a sense of that if you dont do something, the whole world will die, but then again, as I said, you have no choice in majoras mask,... WHICH CLEARLY MAKES MY OPINION MAJoRAS MASK!!!!
No, Twilight Princess looks realistic, not dark at all, except maybe the twilight realm.

[Axle the Beast]

Twilight Princess is darker for me.

A lot of people say Majora's Mask is really dark, but I never really saw it that way. The events are strange and sad, yeah, but Link helps the people in every case. He soothes the souls of the dead and helps the living, lifting craploads of curses and solving problems.

As for Twilight Princess... the plot is quite dark. A peaceful village it raided by marauding monsters, the children are kidnapped, etc. It's far more violent than any other game in the series, and the character and creature designs are far more realistic, darker, and more disturbing.

Additionally, there's another key aspect to this. Atmosphere and presentation. Majora's Mask may have had dark aspects, but they were portrayed in a far lighter tone. Twilight Princess makes no such effort. Everything dark is presented darkly. Hell, to me, the whole game (even the happier moments) had a darker, sadder undertone to them.

I think the biggest factors are the disturbing designs and presentation. The undertones help too, though.

[Dragon565333]

This is actually hard cause both are dark but... I can't choose so I will Say Twilight Princess Because of the whole thing with Illia Losing her memory. My Friend started to cry during that whole part. Me I thought it was sad. And the whole twilight realm made it dark but then again I am still playing MM. But that is my opinion for right now.

[octorok74]

Majora's Mask by a landslide. What's can be worse then an alternate dimension to be destroyed be a moon in three days. Personally, I know Zelda could have taken down Zant in TP, but why she surrendered was up to her.

[Durion]

lets put it this way,
MM, the world dies if you fail to complete the game

TP, the world gets taking over if you fail to complete the game,

hmmm, which ones darker... i wonder

Your not thinking deep enough into it....the people that lived in the Twilight while surrounded by the Shadow Beasts thought they were in a living hell pretty much, An example being the citizens of Kakariko when they are hiding out in the Shaman's house, Another being the guy that gives you the latern....he was a scared by those little bugs, they're nothing compared to the Shadow Beasts.

MM gave you a quick painless death unless you knew the Moon was falling, TP gave you a chance to die in a large amount of ways but I won't go into this, The only one I can state is death by the Shadow Creatures or any other beings in the area...If I go any deeper I am entering the realm of Fan Fiction.

I personally would prefer to die a quick and painless death...not living in fear in an eternal Twilight. Once Link had failed there was no hope of this leaving. Really they are as both Dark as each other but which ever way you wuld want to live if your choice.


I don't really know about Pamela and her father but my thoughts were Pamela is hiding her mummified father because of his look. Yeah, he was studying Gibdo's. There is also a poster something hanging in his room about the spies The Garo. Ikana was a real dark place for sure.

Yeah, I think he just got trapped in that wardrobe. If memory serves she doesn't know where she is until she hears a his voice down stairs after you have played the Song of Healing.


Well, Twilight Princess was really dark too, but it doesn't match the destructive darkness from Majora's Mask.

Yeah, TP and MM are both based of very different forms of Darkness, Majora's Mask gave a sense of destruction throughout the game once you found out about the Moon falling into Termina. Twilight Princess gave off a sense of fear from when you first entered Hyrule Castle as Wolf Link, All the guards and as I've said before the people living in constant fear...etc.


Majora's Mask by a landslide. What's can be worse then an alternate dimension to be destroyed be a moon in three days. Personally, I know Zelda could have taken down Zant in TP, but why she surrendered was up to her.

In my opinion living in eternal Twilight surrounded by large Shadow creatures is worse...at least if you were killed by the Moon you didn't have to live the rest of your life in fear. I would hate living in fear all my life, It would make life too stressful and most would probably die of exhaustion if they got stressed (that last bit would be considered fan fiction though)

Its because she can't....Zant is kept alive by Ganondorf so her attempts would have failed. She was greatly outnumbered so she would most likely have fell to one of them, Even if she did kill them she would never have known that to truly kill them you need to make sure the last two die at the same time or within about half a second of each other. It was a good idea to surrender.

I doubt she would have been able to get the Master Sword either and since there are no other weapons in this game that can actually KILL Ganondorf she would have failed without it. The best she could do was hope for a Hero to come along.

[Brandikins]

Majora's Mask. It was very dark indeed. To this day, the theme song still kind of scares me. The fact of the whole world going to blow up was always a scary thought.

[Shnappy]

I'm going with Majora's Mask, without a doubt. Let's go through the games real quick...

Introduction

MM - Let's start at the beginning of the game. Link is riding on Epona, everything is all fine and dandy, until Skull Kid comes in, steals your Ocarina and Epona, and takes off, Link clinging on to Epona's leg for dear life. You then follow Skull Kid into a sort of cave. You see him there, holding your Ocarina, mocking you. You are then turned into a Deku, and have to find your way out of the cave. You then meet the mask salesman, who wants his mask back from Skull Kid. Okay then, simple enough. Then we go out into Clock Town, and we've got three days until the end of the world. Whoopee. Three days to get the Ocarina and Mask from Skull Kid in your helpless Deku form. While later, we learn that we can use the song of time to go back to the first day, and that we aren't trapped in Deku form, the apocalyptic concept is still very dark.

TP - How does TP start? Rather Jolly, I would say. The game starts with you talking to Rusl, and then when you have control you're doing "chores" and stuff around Ordon Village. You do some goat herding, then you do some fishing in order to feed (Sera's?) cat, play around with little kids using a wooden sword, and the only real conflict that happens in the opening stages of the game is the part where Talo get's kidnapped by a monkey. That's nothing compared to what happens later in the game. MM immediately gives you a taste of what the game's dark plot is, wheras TP had a rather happy inroduction.

Introduction - MM > TP

Plot

MM - Because of the introduction, we basically already know what the plot of MM is. You have three days to defeat Skull Kid and recover Majora's Mask to return to the Happy Mask Salesman, while trying to stop the Moon from crashing into Termina. An apocalyptic plot like this is darker than many M rated games. While those M rated FPS, gory games have dark plots, about war or other situations that involve the need to shoot others heads off, few of those games have the subject of the apocalypse. In Majora's Mask, the world is going to end in three days. In those other games, the world is being taken over by the antagonist and his companions/minions/servants. I think it's safe to say that MM has the darkest plot among most games released so far.

TP - TP has a plot similar to most other Zelda Games. The antagonist, in this case, Ganon/dorf accompanied by Zant, are trying to take over the land, in this game it's Hyrule, like most games. This kind of plot is what you see in most games. Bad guys want to take over the world. Though this may seem a bit darker than normal, because rather than just a normal "take over the world", Ganondorf and Zant have a goal to cover Hyrule in darkness. I'm still going to say that MM is darker on this one. While it may seem pretty morbid for the Hyrule to be covered in darkness, MM is the apocalypse, the world ending. That's more extreme than TP, so I think MM can be labeled darker in this situation.

Plot - MM > TP

Mid-Game Events

MM - MM has many events as you progress through the game that may not seem so cheerful all the time. Let's start with the first of the four main areas in that game, the Southern Swamp. The Deku people live in misery, as this area has been poisoned because of the disappearance of the guardian god. Link must help the suffering Deku's by defeating Odolwa and embracing one of the four giants. The next area is Snowfall. I found the atmosphere of this place pre-dungeon pretty miserable. Goron's cannot stand the cold. For them to be living in this freezing area seems pretty miserable. All the Goron's you meet here are in constant pain. In this area you also get the Goron Mask, which unlike the Deku mask, was made because of a great leader, Darunia, dying. There is so much death in this game compared to the other Zelda's. It's just something else. The next area is Great Bay. Right when you get here, you see, oh, guess what, a dying body in the ocean. You get the Zora's mask because of Mikau's death. And just like the previous two areas, the Zora's have quite a dilemma with their habitat. Great Bay is cursed and the ocean is in disorder. Once again, Link must go great distances to save the land. The last of the four areas is Ikana Canyon. Ikana canyon is known to be a cursed land, as it is home to the dead and filled with spirits who have much regret and hatred. After all four giants from the four area's are freed, you must go face the moon yourself, as it is about to crash into the earth. Overall, the events throughout MM are very morbid and dark compared to all other Zelda games, and all other games in general.

TP - As with the plot, TP's events throughout the game are similar to all other Zelda games. Most of the people throughout Hyrule seem to be rather happy in this game. They are going along, doing what they do in their everyday lives. Though some people in Hyrule are being affected by Zant and Ganondorf, and if Link doesn't stop them, everyone will be affected by the darkness Zant and Ganondorf plan to engulf the land with. I will say that TP has dark/morbid events throughout, but it doesn't compare to that of MM. There is just so much death and despair throughout that game, and that just seems to be much darker than any other Zelda game released to this day, and most video games released in general.

Mid-Game Events - MM > TP

Graphics

MM - As far as an overall feeling in the graphics goes, MM is pretty neutral on that. The graphics aren't particularly dark throughout, as they are basically the same as OoT. Some things about the graphics are pretty dark, though. Some of the enemies are pretty dark graphic wise, like Dexihands, Wolfos, Desbreko's, and more. Though overall, like I said, the overall tone of darkness in MM's graphics is average and nothing to make a particularly big point about.

TP - The graphics in TP are probably the reasons there is an argument over which game is darker. The graphics in TP were pretty dark, to say the least. The main thing here is the Twili. Everything with the Twili, when you are in Wolf Link and have to go through those twilight sections, was pretty dark. A lot of those enemies are pretty odd looking and gruesome/dark for a Zelda game. Also, the overall realism in the graphics just makes the game's graphics dark. For example, the Redead Knights, the Puppets, and the Baba Serpents can seem pretty odd graphic-wise in a realistic kind of way, and can give the game more of a dark feel. So overall, graphics are one of the things that TP beats MM in when we are comparing the overall feel of darkness in these two games.

Graphics - TP > MM

Ending - Resolve to Initial Conflict SPOILERS

MM - At the end of MM, when you beat the game, Link successfully stops the Moon from crashing into Termina, and everyone is able to go back to their everyday lives without living in constant fear of the apocalypse. When Link returns Majora's Mask to the Happy Mask Salesman, he says the evil has left the mask, and he mysteriously disappears, bidding farewel to Link. Then, Tatl explains to Link that he should get back to his original quest, and Link and Tatl part ways. At the end, Link rides into the Forest once more. Endings in games aren't really ever generally dark most of the time. The conflict was resolved, as with every Zelda game, and it ends in a way that there seems to be another adventure in store for Link. Overall, the ending wasn't dark, as most endings aren't.

TP - Like every other Zelda title, the conflict is resolved in TP. Once Ganondorf is defeated, Midna regains her true form, as the curse that was cast on her was released. Then, she returns to the Twilight Realm, shattering the Mirror of Twilight, breaking the only passage between the two worlds. Link returns the Master Sword to its pedestal, and all the children in Ordon Village return home to be with their families. Link, however, rides away from Ordon, possibly embarking on a new adventure. In both MM and TP, you have to say farewell to important characters, including the sidekicks that you had throughout the game. Neither of them are particularly dark in a way, so the final verdict is that the two endings are pretty much equal in said "darkness", as both of them resolve the conflict initiated near the beginning of the game.

Ending - Resolve to Initial Conflict - MM = TP

So, judging by my analysis and the opinions I stated, there are 3 aspects that are darker in Majora's Mask, and only 1 that is darker in TP. Some may argue that those 3 aspects should be grouped together to form a "Gameplay" aspect, but I think those aspects should be individual. The only thing that makes fans think that TP's darkness can be compared to MM's darkness is the graphics, and I think that in pretty much every other part of the games, MM is a darker game than TP.

[Brandikins]

Great post Shnappy. I agree, the begining of MM obviously shows the darkness in the game, while TP's intro is happy and normal. Ocarina of time's intro is kind of the same way, besides the omen of a dream Link had the night before. Overall, MM is much darker, and will probably be the darkest zelda there will ever be.

[TheHeroOfTime]

Yes i think that that MM is the Darkest Zelda because you go from a really happy time in OOT To the Darkness of MM

Twilight Princess on the other hand was also very dark but it was a different form of Darkness.

But my overall pick for the darkest Zelda game is MM

[Colin Creevey]

MM was definitely the darkest game. TP never got dark again after obtaining the Master Sword.

[RedToonLink]

uh i was going to say TP,But you guys changned my mind.it is sad how everyones waiting to die.

[Linksmyfavorite]

I go with Twilight Princess because there is actually a dark world. And Mr. Bellic you should have said "Which Zelda is darker? Twilight Princess or A Link to the Past?" that would have been a good one since they are essentially the same in a sense that there is both a light and dark world and you fight two different final bosses Agahnim then Ganon in ALTTP and Zant then Ganondorf in TP.

[Subrosian]

Majora's Mask was the darkest and strangest of them all.
Nintendo should make a M-rated sequel to it.

[dumb180]

I would say Twilight Princess. Majora's Mask, if you think about it, is kind of inspiring. Sure, there's lots of panic going on, but all around Termina, people are together, enduring the end with those they love. Beneath all the chaos, there's a subtle message of hope.

Whereas in Twilight Princess, you're just stuck in a purgatory like state (presumably) forever, hoping the monsters don't kill you. Sounds pretty bad to me.

[DesertDweller]

Yes, Majora's Mask was fairly dark. However, like someone else already said, while lots of people die, you do them a service by healing their soul (with an absolutely beautiful and melodic song, the Song of Healing)

I say it has a bittersweet theme. And, since I would hate to go with the crowd I'm gonna say it's not that dark.

So....gotta pick another one I've played. Only played three, so...

Wind Waker wins the Darkest Game Award? :P

[Y2K3]

In all honestly, I never found TP to be dark at all. It was more of a dark game wrapped in fluffy packaging. It could have been dark, but, to me, it just wasn't. Sad and lonely perhaps, but not all that dark.
MM, on the other hand was the end of the world. What was worse was the suspense. And everyone knew (whether or not they wanted to believe it) that the moon was falling and that it would fall in 3 days. There was doom evereywhere. Personally, that's scarier than 'Oh my, there's a scary bug in here!' or 'I feel scared for no reason.'

[basement24]

In all honestly, I never found TP to be dark at all. It was more of a dark game wrapped in fluffy packaging. It could have been dark, but, to me, it just wasn't. Sad and lonely perhaps, but not all that dark.

I would agree with that in retrospect. There were times that it felt like TP was somewhat hopeless when in the Twilight-twisted version of Hyrule, but then upon leaving it it felt like any other Zelda game. It did have a darker undertone than some games, but really MM is the darker title I would say. The constant pending doom really did it for MM.

I originally thought while playing through TP For the first time that it was a LOT darker, because I misinterpreted something Midna said about the Twilight. I really got the impression that once it fell over parts of Hyrule, the people it enveloped were lost forever. This was during the sewer excape under the castle. I thought the guards we were seeing were said to be gone forever with no chance of saving. So, if this were the case, and all those people were dead (especially Ilia) it would have been a VERY Dark game about failure. Instead, because you could rescue the people, it wasn't so bad in the end.

[Subrosian]

OoT also had a few dark moments in it. Mainly the Zora's home freezing over, the Great Deku Tree rotting away, and Hyrule 7 years in the future.
Hyrule Castle Town was FILLED with Redeads, Kokiri Forest was lifeless, and Kakariko wasn't so jolly anymore.

Another pretty dark game was ALttP, 'cause Ganon was gonna kill Zelda immediately, and Link's Uncle dies(?).

[Durion]

OoT also had a few dark moments in it. Mainly the Zora's home freezing over, the Great Deku Tree rotting away, and Hyrule 7 years in the future.
Hyrule Castle Town was FILLED with Redeads, Kokiri Forest was lifeless, and Kakariko wasn't so jolly anymore.

Another pretty dark game was ALttP, 'cause Ganon was gonna kill Zelda immediately, and Link's Uncle dies(?).

You've gone off topic, This is about which game out of Twilight Princess or Majora's Mask is darker...not which one you think is the darkest out of the series ;).

[Zemen]

TP definitely has darker graphics and some dark moments but the whole aura of MM was EXTREMELY dark. It's about a world that is about to be completely destroyed and all of the inhabitants have pretty much become depressed under these circumstances and can and can't come to terms with death at the same time. MM had a much darker storyline while TP had graphics that made it darker. If TP was done different it could have been a very hardcore game, but what was at stake in TP wasn't nearly as big as what was at stake in MM.

[Link_man]

There is no doubt that Twilight Princess is much more darker than Majora's Mask. I also find Twilight Princess more addictive too. I have it for my Wii and all I catch myself doing is playing the game with any free time I have. :)

[Link428]

It would be MM because everyone thinks they are about to die so its really a no brainer

[Hanyou]

Majora's Mask is darker, not because everyone thinks they are about to die, but because its presentation is more focused on the psychological aspects of Link's quest, as well as the direct impact of the events (and not always just the moon!) on many of the characters.

The fundamental problem with Twilight Princess is that its characters are so detached from everything that it is difficult to take their problems seriously. Whatever "darkness" is in the game is superseded by the indifference I felt to those characters.

[Kitsu]

Without a doubt, I would say Majora's Mask. There were a variety of aspects that make it 'darker'. This is not to say that Twilight Princess is not dark - it most certainly was, but I think the way the issues contributing to the darkness, were greater and presented in such a way in Majora's Mask, that made it much darker.

Psychological Aspects

Majora's Mask dealt more with psychological and internal issues - especially with Link - than Twilight Princess. Again, Twilight Princess touched on this sort of thing too, but it was more prevalent in Majora's Mask.

For example, in the beginning of the game, Link is literally tossed into another world that he knows nothing about, with people he does not know, and is in the height of an impending apocalypse. Link's search for his lost friend is abruptly ended and he is forced to save a world he is unfamiliar with.

Further, he only has three days to accomplish said task. This puts an incredible amount of pressure on Link, and stresses him mentally, and physically.

Also, there are all the little things, so to speak. Throughout his quest to save Termina, he encounters a variety of characters, each one relating to another. All of the lives of the characters are intertwined, therefore his actions in one of their lives ultimately affects others.

Another major psychological issue is the fact that each time he resets the Three-Day cycle, his interactions with the people (save for things in the Bomber's Notebook, Temples, etc.) are erased, and reset. Thus, he is the only one who remembers what had just happened. No doubt, this added a sense of loneliness.

---

Looking more closely at the other characters, they each have their own issues - even outside of the coming apocalypse.

Take Kafei and Anju for example. There's a major issue here, that Kafei can't see Anju, even though he has to soon because of their upcoming wedding, because he had his mask stolen, and more so because he has been turned into a child.
The issue complicates when Anju and her family eventually leave town to go to the ranch to hopefully evade the effects of the devastating impact that will occur soon.

This also leads into another point, that makes it 'darker'. The people of Clock Town (or at least Anju and her family) believe that if they move far enough from the impact site, they will be safe - obviously a desperate and sad situation.

---

Twilight Princess was dark in the sense that the Twilight Realm was expanding throughout Hyrule, having adverse affects on the Light World, and consequently its people. Hylians were transformed into shadow beasts, and so on and so forth.
Evidently, this is 'dark', and depressing.

In both games, there is a situation that present immediate problems - both apocalyptic. However, I don't feel Twilight Princess is as dark for a number of reasons.

One being that, in the Twilight Realm, it isn't quite as 'apocalyptic' as in Majora's Mask. In Twilight Princess, the people become Twilight beings, or Shadow beasts, and therefore the race isn't necessarily exterminated, as with Majora's Mask, where the whole world is destroyed by the moon.

Likewise, I didn't feel the same sort of psychological affect as I detailed about Majora's Mask. Sure, it was sad and emotional at parts, but it did not have the severe urgency that Majora's Mask did, whilst still managing to retain a sense of 'everyday life'.

[UsayEldaZay]

Majora's Mask was more dark in my opinion. There was a sense of urgency when you played (knowing the limited amount of time you had). Also, going inside of the moon and seeing that one...lone...tree. That was kind of creepy I thought. And that moon was quite the stalker. Walking around and then I look up and, hey, it's the moon. Twilight Princess was a game with a dark storyline but I don't think it was as dark as mm.

[Dungeon killer]

It would have to be Mm, the presure of the moon coming down on Termina and killing you and evry single living life from made me think it was a dark game.:nerd:

[Emicon]

Majora's Mask is much darker than Twilight Princess on so many levels. First of all, the main focus is about the end of the world. If you let the clock run out, you are forced to watch the Moon fall and destroy everyone. First time I let that happen I got chills and was disturbed for a little while. If you run around during the night of the third day, you can find various reactions to the moon falling. Personally, it made me sad when Anju would be at the ranch, crying because she left Kafei behind. Also, when the sword trainer was hiding in the back of his dojo. The game incorporates so many details to make the end of the world seem real.

MM also deals with death. We see how Darmani and Mikau have regrets after they have passed on. Darmani regrets he could not save and protect his people while Mikau cannot be with the band and leaves behind a girlfriend who has just lost her eggs (perhaps he fathered them?). They leave their responsibilities for Link, who has only three days to set them right.

What makes TP dark is the Twilight covering Hyrule, the children being kidnapped, and the Twili race being sealed away. However, none of those things seemed as real as trying to beat the clock so you could save the world. I felt that the tragedy and despair in MM touched the player more. Link couldn't ignore everything and the world would go on. Everything that happened was relevant to the player and determined is he would live or die.

[Kybyrian]

Honestly, I think that Majora's Mask is a lot darker of a game. Twilight Princess just didn't give me that sense at all. There were some really bad and dark times in Twilight Princess, sure, but there were also a lot of happy ones, and most of the time when you're traveling through places it doesn't seem all that dark at all.

In Majora's Mask, it seems like almost everywhere you went there was something dark. Of course, something could be done in some cases to make it seem a bit better, but that just doesn't cut it for me. It seems to me that the whole game was just really dark in general. All of Termina was simply falling apart, and the worst part was that while some people were in town not knowing what was going to happen, others were out there suffering at some point in the game, and then at the end everything was looking completely down. Even though there are pick-me-ups in the game it is simply still the darker Zelda game for me.

[Aki Graham]

There are lots of elements that make each game scary in it's own way:

1. Presentation
The graphics and light are a good way to make things creepier. Graphics play a big part in showing the actual content. TP has a lot of darkness in the literal sense, and in a certain, creepy way. It has the slight orange tinge to the twilight realm, and the floating... pixel things. So, TP wins in this category.
MM has the in-game 12 hours of darkness. Along with the temples, and that is pretty much it.
2. Music and Sounds
TP has some sad/creepy music, especially at night and when Midna is cursed. The twilight realm, however, doesn't have that creepy music, which is weird. The music in general isn't that scary.
MM, however, has lots of different scary music. During the final fight, the music is just plain insane. It has lots of signs of creepiness and insanity, to make it scary. The dungeons have spooky music also, so i have to say MM wins in this category. As a friend of mine says, during a horror movie, don't cover your eyes, but your ears. Music is a very influential thing on your mind.
3. The Plot
TP is about an evil overlord that isn't really that powerful trying to usurp the pure kingdom of Hyrule. He takes control of things by covering them in darkness, and scoring each region with deadly creatures.
MM is about an evil creature trying to destroy the world with the moon crashing into it. He/she is a deadly creature that has three different forms, and he can take control of people in his 1st form. He uses one of his possessions to cause chaos throught the world of Termina just because he wanted to, and is senile.

MM wins, IMO.

[lonely_moon]

Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess are dark in their own ways, and it's actually quite difficult to tell which one is darker than the other.

Majora's Mask was dark mainly because of impending doom (the moon) and how many of the characters were unhappy, fearful or ignorant in some way. Anju and Kafei were unhappy because their wedding plans had gone seriously awry, Romani tries to protect the cows from the aliens but ultimately fails, and her memory is wiped, with Cremia being in denial of the whole thing until it actually happens. Mutoh (is that his name? The one organizing the carnival?) is also in denial, as he believes the moon will not fall. The entire game actually paints a picture of denial, with the art style and music being bright and happy, but the story being absolutely depressing.

Twilight Princess was more open with its darkness, in a visual and musical sense at least. The colours were more muted, the music was melancholy and the whole presentation generally a dark fantasy. OK, so it could be chalked up to graphical advancements, I suppose. But anyway. There's dark elements in the story, definitely, with Ilia losing her memory, Twilight covering Hyrule and, most of all, Midna's story. Kicked off her throne by a maniac, turned into an imp and almost died at one point.

I think both games are as dark as each other. They just present their darkness in different ways.

[Mastersworddude]

I remember seeing a blog post a while back, about how MM was so dark it should have been rated M, but rated that because fact, the story is so dark.

[Luminary]

If you use your imagination, the first could be the darkest. :D

There are only a few people in the world, and none of them are young, as if there are no children left. They live in caves. There are no houses in the game.
The boulders that fall on Link in the Death Mountain area share the same design as a goron's back, are the boulders really evil gorons? Likewise, the zora are all ugly and evil.
No Zelda since the first has had so many monsters on screen so often.
The world is such a mess two monsters can be found hiding out, rather than fighting. One is starving and the other...just wants to be left along, telling Link to keep his hiding place a secret, then kicks him out.
The whole of east Hyrule is a haunted graveyard.
East of Death Mountain are the Lost Hills, that much like the Lost Woods, is a maze that traps people. Could is area have once been Kakariko?
The game has no Deku Tree, but one dungeon takes place inside a dead tree, a tree much larger than any other in the world...
Ah! Its terrible!






Of course, I'm jus' playing. :p

[peanutjoepap]

Twilight Princess is darker for me.

A lot of people say Majora's Mask is really dark, but I never really saw it that way. The events are strange and sad, yeah, but Link helps the people in every case. He soothes the souls of the dead and helps the living, lifting craploads of curses and solving problems.

As for Twilight Princess... the plot is quite dark. A peaceful village it raided by marauding monsters, the children are kidnapped, etc. It's far more violent than any other game in the series, and the character and creature designs are far more realistic, darker, and more disturbing.

Additionally, there's another key aspect to this. Atmosphere and presentation. Majora's Mask may have had dark aspects, but they were portrayed in a far lighter tone. Twilight Princess makes no such effort. Everything dark is presented darkly. Hell, to me, the whole game (even the happier moments) had a darker, sadder undertone to them.

I think the biggest factors are the disturbing designs and presentation. The undertones help too, though.

I agree with every word, MM had a dark story line but TP had both a dark story line and other dark aspects the the game. At first glance MM looks as light and for lack of a better word, happy as some other games. TP is dark because at times such as when Hyrule was in Twilight, you could really see that the people were afraid and had lost hope. You could sympathize with their struggle and how they uselessly tried to fight back. Much darker than having a moon with a constipated face crush every one.

[Aki Graham]

Twilight Princess is darker for me.

A lot of people say Majora's Mask is really dark, but I never really saw it that way. The events are strange and sad, yeah, but Link helps the people in every case. He soothes the souls of the dead and helps the living, lifting craploads of curses and solving problems.

As for Twilight Princess... the plot is quite dark. A peaceful village it raided by marauding monsters, the children are kidnapped, etc. It's far more violent than any other game in the series, and the character and creature designs are far more realistic, darker, and more disturbing.

Additionally, there's another key aspect to this. Atmosphere and presentation. Majora's Mask may have had dark aspects, but they were portrayed in a far lighter tone. Twilight Princess makes no such effort. Everything dark is presented darkly. Hell, to me, the whole game (even the happier moments) had a darker, sadder undertone to them.

I think the biggest factors are the disturbing designs and presentation. The undertones help too, though.

You only think that it's darker because capturing children is worse than deku scrubs. But in MM, a princess is kidnapped, a whole race almost dies of hypothermia, and an other whole race almost dies of starvation. And the fact that the moon will fall in 3 days time adds onto the fear/darkness. I'm sure that, if MM was on the Wii, it would be more intricately designed and dark. And if TP were on the N64, it would be less dark and intricately designed. No one is happy in MM, because you have to turn back time again every time you do something good, even at the end. No one knows you did anything good.

[Coriolis Effect]

I honestly think that Majora`s Mask would have to be the darkest. The people are seeing the moon begin to get lower and lower everyday. Some don`t notice. Some are in denile. Some are just waiting for death. When you do a good deed it just gets reset and you must make the people live the woes over and over to just help yourself (and them too,but they don`t know that).

[4VaatiTurtle]

In my opinion, they are equally dark, but for different reasons.
Majora's Mask ; This game is dark in a weird way. Unpleasant sounds, depressed characters. I would say more unusual, sad, weird darkness.

Twilight Princess ; Crazy black characters. Scary, chills places, and everything just shakes you up. Twilight Princess is like Metroid darkness. Everything is scary and freaky. There's a lot more action than exploring [in my opinion] for Twilight Princess.

I rest my Case

[Rensch]

I think Majora's Mask is darker story-wise. Twilight Princess is darker in graphical style.

[Mikenike]

I would say Majora's Mask. There are alot of people that die and moer suffering in that game than Tp. Like the ghosts of the guards, the lone dancing guy on the tree, and even thefts occur in the game.

[Xinnamin]

It depends on how you look at it. I feel that MM was darker but TP had the potential to surpass MM.

The reason MM was so dark, I feel, is because the game did such a great job with the character interactions, Anju and Kafei being the obvious example, but others as well. Cremia losing both her livelihood and in effect her sister due to her refusal to believe They existed. The postman desperate to flee but unable to leave his job for his sense of duty. Darmani and Mikau's deaths and the Butler losing his son to some unknown fate. The game really makes you feel connected with the characters, and as a result you sympathize with them and their apocalyptic fate.

TP, however, touches on darker themes in my opinion. There's a prevailing theme of fear in the first half, with all the people cowering in fear at the shadow insects in the Twilight, the children huddled and crying in Kakariko, the adults back in Ordon grieving the kidnappings of their kids (Beth's dad pops to mind). Then when Midna nearly dies, that really had a sense of fear in it with her pathetic looking state, and by that time the player really started to at least build enough of a connection with her to really feel an impact (I did at least). Honestly, watching a character you care about in that near death state struggling to breathe is, in my opinion, darker than walking in on some ghost whose story you don't know until later. A fear of the unknown, I feel, is darker than a fear of a known doom, since what's to say the people of Hyrule didn't think the world was coming to an end? The problem is we don't know what they were thinking the whole time, there was never enough character interaction for us to care about the character's fear. Plus, after the Master Sword, TP never really revisited that fear aspect until perhaps the last 2 dungeons. If TP had fleshed out the characters some more, then it could have easily surpassed MM in terms of its dark themes.

[Octo Rocked]

Majora's Mask is darker, not because everyone thinks they are about to die, but because its presentation is more focused on the psychological aspects of Link's quest, as well as the direct impact of the events (and not always just the moon!) on many of the characters.

The fundamental problem with Twilight Princess is that its characters are so detached from everything that it is difficult to take their problems seriously. Whatever "darkness" is in the game is superseded by the indifference I felt to those characters.

You hit it spot on there. Only for me, it's less of a psychological aspect and more of a character development one.

Sure, Twilight Princess did have a darker story than most Zelda games, and the ending did have some bittersweet elements, and the darker-colored graphics certainly give it a melancholy feel. I will grant TP that.

However, Majora's Mask had something that no other Zelda game has been able to recreate: an emphasis on characters. These weren't characters you were trying to save; they were actual people. They had schedules and routines. They had desires and ambitions. Almost every character had a personality and some sort of character development. These were real people you were trying to save. And to top it off, as many people as you can help, there were others (like the swordsman--you can save his life, but he'll still be a vain coward) whose problems went unresolved, and every time you reset time, their problems would become unresolved again. Also, notably, the game places a large emphasis on the number four. In Japan, "four" and "death" are homophones.

Ironically, even though it's (in my opinion) the darkest game, it's also the one that contains the most hope. While in other games there is little character development, Majora's Mask gives you the chance to actually help people with their problems. You heal the troubled souls of the deceased. You allow a troubled man to vent. You help a depressed Cucco farmer get his final wish. You clear misunderstandings and reunite Dekus with Monkeys. And quite possibly most importantly, you save a child from being abducted by aliens and keep a marraige from falling apart. The best part of all this is that, if you play the inverted song of time and use owl statues, Nintendo made it possible for you to accomplish all that needs to be done in one day, right before beating Majora. Sure, some things conflict, but the Cuccos will grow up on their own, and there will be more shipments of bomb bags. As dark as Majora's Mask is, it is also the most inspiring. Which is why it will always be my favorite of the games.

And on an unrelated note, this topic should really have a poll.

[Mikenike]

I loved the Insight and detail given here. The poster really opened up some of the feelings put over some players heads. Nice post Xin

[LozzyKate]

Twilight princess is by far darker. Majora's Mask was a tad happy in some parts and especially the ending. In Twilight Princess, darkness, evil, and twilight was going to rule Hyrule thanks to Zant. Midna leaves in the end leaving the game on a sad note. People were killed and it was shown Hyrule Soldiers being choked to death. How isn't TP darker?

[Tony]

Majora's Mask by far it's like a giant suicide/apocolypse trip that keeps repeating

[Linky]

Majora's Mask is WAY darker because the moon is evil all the characters look creepy and everyone is sad. Twilight Princess isn't as dark because just only half the parts of the game are dark, when it's not in twilight it's probably the happiest game in the series because it's peacful music and everyones happy. And even when it is twilight it's not dark like creepy just twilight dark...which is different than actually darkness

[StrangeWig]

You hit it spot on there. Only for me, it's less of a psychological aspect and more of a character development one.

Sure, Twilight Princess did have a darker story than most Zelda games, and the ending did have some bittersweet elements, and the darker-colored graphics certainly give it a melancholy feel. I will grant TP that.

However, Majora's Mask had something that no other Zelda game has been able to recreate: an emphasis on characters. These weren't characters you were trying to save; they were actual people. They had schedules and routines. They had desires and ambitions. Almost every character had a personality and some sort of character development. These were real people you were trying to save. And to top it off, as many people as you can help, there were others (like the swordsman--you can save his life, but he'll still be a vain coward) whose problems went unresolved, and every time you reset time, their problems would become unresolved again. Also, notably, the game places a large emphasis on the number four. In Japan, "four" and "death" are homophones.

Ironically, even though it's (in my opinion) the darkest game, it's also the one that contains the most hope. While in other games there is little character development, Majora's Mask gives you the chance to actually help people with their problems. You heal the troubled souls of the deceased. You allow a troubled man to vent. You help a depressed Cucco farmer get his final wish. You clear misunderstandings and reunite Dekus with Monkeys. And quite possibly most importantly, you save a child from being abducted by aliens and keep a marraige from falling apart. The best part of all this is that, if you play the inverted song of time and use owl statues, Nintendo made it possible for you to accomplish all that needs to be done in one day, right before beating Majora. Sure, some things conflict, but the Cuccos will grow up on their own, and there will be more shipments of bomb bags. As dark as Majora's Mask is, it is also the most inspiring. Which is why it will always be my favorite of the games.

And on an unrelated note, this topic should really have a poll.

Exactly what I was thinking (except, I didn't know that "4 and death" japanese thing :P).

I would add that, the main reason why we get so attached to the characters, is because we'd see and interact with then MUCH MORE than in OoT. And because of the "3 day" system, the player is basically obligated to notice what happens in the town (unless you're blind or something like that!). The big amount of interection between the majority of the citizens makes it feel like a real society.

@edit:
oh, and I think the Zelda games have always emphasized character interaction. It's just that Majora's Mask WAY overdid it.

[yann]

MM, it's deliberately a pessimistic game.
Even the music used in the game has a generally downwards feel to it.

[JosephII]

MM, it's deliberately a pessimistic game.
Even the music used in the game has a generally downwards feel to it.

Definitely, especially Clock Town on the Third Day. I especially loved how they mixed the happier melody with the demising music.

[athenian200]

I think that TP is darker, but I admit it's subjective. The main reason is that the entire game had this heavy, suffocating feel that reminded me of the Shadow Temple in OoT. It might be partially because for me, the game was full of "ghosts" from OoT, and in some ways felt like looking at a desecrated corpse in terms of story, and OoT on steroids during the dungeons. Especially since after WW, I never expected to see that version of Hyrule again.

Let me put it this way... the song I usually associate with the Shadow Temple is "Nightwish - End of All Hope." That song feels appropriate throughout ALL of TP. Especially when learning skills from the old Hero... I don't know how to describe it, but there two things in TP that seem to symbolize the experience. The undead Hero you learn your sword techniques from, and what Rusl says near the beginning:

"You have at last mastered all of the hidden skills. Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets. You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last... You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded... Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods. ...Farewell! Go and do not falter, my child!"


"Tell me...Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs... ...The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight..."

The whole game did have that lonely, regretful "Twilight" feeling he talks about here for me, and it felt so heavy and depressing that it almost made me ill at times.

[dizzy_me_up]

I wouldn't say one is darker than the other. It's more like two different types of darkness. Majora's Mask had a twisted, dimentia kind of dark. Everything just looked crazy and off the wall, while Twilight Princess sounds like Aonuma and Miyamoto went back and listened to some old Nine Inch Nails albums all throughout the production of it. It's intense, scary, and you truly sense the evil and atomosphere, while Majora's Mask seemed more chaotic and turned upside down.

[jbkarate9]

No matter what I will always say MM is darker. You have a giant moon slowly crashing to Termina. Nothing you can do to stop it. Besides time traveling back in time. Losing eveyrhting you have. On day 3 people are packing up and leaving. The carpenters staying to face their impending doom! Anju waiting for Kafei in hopes they can spend their happilly ever after together. Its alot for me. People on the first day realizing the moon is going to crash. Not having enough time to finish that one thing they wanted to do. Its alot.

[GerudoDesert]

Twilight Princess is a lot darker than Majoras Mask.

[Brother Darunia]

Totally agreed with Majora's Mask. Why? Everything you see in the game is sadness and death. Here are very important examples: 1.-Termina is related to the words "End, Doom, Death and Despair", 2.-If you fail, the moon is gonna fall and destroy everything that exists, 3.- This is the less important, I really cried when my counterpart went to the other world when healed... So sad.

[Mr.Verto]

Well TP was darker but colr darker not like Majoras Mask that IT was dark but its characters were dark too. They were waiting to die and fighting among themsleves

[Sstorm]

Majora's mask hands down. Throughout the whole game there is an overbearing feeling of hopelessness and sadness emanating from all the inhabitants of Termina. Although in TP the game had a similar sad feel it did not share the same hopelessness. The bottom line for me is that Ganondorf is not a sadistic being who commits terrible crimes for no reason at all. Everything Ganondorf did was to benefit him, while Majora simply wanted to end civilization and take as many lives as possible for the enjoyment of committing such an act. That is why MM is much darker than TP, because the chief evil is an insane being who does not think and process things rationally.