Daily Debate: What Word Would You Use to Summarize the Themes and Story of Majora’s Mask?
Posted on October 28 2021 by Sean Gadus
Majora’s Mask is one of the most experimental Zelda games, with radical departures from the rest of Zelda series in terms of game mechanics and storytelling. The masks system (and quests required to gain some of masks) gives the game a different feel from Ocarina of Time, which is much more focused on its main quest. Additionally, the extremely detailed three day cycle in Majora’s Mask helps create a tightly organized world that has rarely been replicated in gaming. From a narrative perspective, the story of a world on the brink of Armageddon explores strong emotions and tragic situations rarely seen in the rest of the Zelda series.
In grade school and high school, one activity I always enjoyed in English class was exploring the themes and key ideas within a story. We once did an activity in which we boiled down the main ideas or themes of a story to a few words or sentences. This was an activity that made me think about what the essence of a specific story was. With this in mind, if you had to boil down the themes or story of Majora’s Mask to one word, what word would you choose?
The first word I thought of was “time”. The game is built around the mechanics of moving back and forth within the “Ground Hog’s Day” three day cycle. The relentless nature of time provides a sense of urgency for the player. The game must be completed over multiple time loops, which encourages the player to set goals with the time they have. Another word was “mortality”. Many of the characters in Majora’s Mask are confronted with the reality or possibility that their lives are coming to an end. The spirits that Link meets to obtain the Deku, Goron, and Zora Masks are all dead or dying, and this provides the player an opportunity to reflect on the impermanence of life. Additionally, the people of Clock Town must also confront the impending crash of the moon and their own potential demise. In Clock Town, many of the characters act completely different on the third day compared to the first or second, revealing how they feel about the approaching apocalypse.
What do you think? What one word would you use to describe the themes or story of Majora’s Mask? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Featured Art: njgking75
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
