Daily Debate: Who is the Happy Mask Salesman?

Having dipped back into the warped waters of terminal Termina recently, I recalled just how disjointed, alien and strange so much of Majora’s Mask is, such is its charm. The most odd thing however is definitely the veritable chaos god that is the Happy Mask Salesman. His animations purposefully jump and change, he conjures an entire elaborate organ to teach Link the Song of Healing, and he’s the first/last thing you see upon a game over. Just who is this creature?

It’s been long theorized that Majora’s Mask is about Link’s death. Also, it relates to his failure as a hero in the timeline before devolving into a Stalfos mentor for a later, darker Hero of Twilight. Merely a theory, one thing that seems to ring true in many regards, is how the Happy Mask Salesman is separate from Link’s journey. No time passes under the Clock Tower, he’s not even seen outside until the ending, wherein he takes a few steps before vanishing entirely.

I’ve always found his character the most mysterious. A humble NPC boosted into some kind of strange, omnipresent character who seems distinctly inhuman. The completely non-canon manga pushes this a little further, where Fierce Deity Link calls him a “troublemaker” before he makes his exit from reality.

Did the Happy Mask Salesman incite the events? Is he some kind of metaphysical observer or guide, much like the Owl from Link’s Awakening? There’s a lot that can be theorized, but what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!