Spoiler Majora's Mask - The Tree Carving in the End Credits ...

[insanity76]

This is my first time theorizing an aspect of a Zelda game on the forum, so bear with me. And I hope this hasn't been brought up before, though I did do a search and nothing came up about it.

The carving on the tree stump at the very end of the credits shows Link, Tatl/Tael, the Giants, and the Skull Kid, to sort of symbolize Link and the Giants saving Termina. Only thing is that carving was on a tree stump in the Lost Woods, which as we know is in Hyrule. Do you think it's possible that stump could have originally been the tree with the proverbial 'rabbit hole' that Link enters when chasing the Skull Kid in the prologue, and that the carving is some form of a seal on the gateway between Hyrule & Termina?

I'm suggesting this because, considering that Termina is cited in the manual as a parallel Hyrule, maybe it was part of Link's destiny as the Hero of Time to save Termina as well. And once that part of his destiny was fulfilled and he returned to Hyrule (it also shows him riding Epona in the Lost Woods right before they zoom in on the carving), the gateway between the parallel worlds was sealed off.

Thoughts?

 

[DeletedUser9]

Well, interesting theory but...

There's no proof at all that it was in the Lost Woods. The forest at the beginning of the game was never identified. The reason a jingle of Saria's Song plays is because that was the song Link taught the Skull Kid in Ocarina of Time when they first met. The picture didn't really symbolize Link saving Termina so much as it was a whimsical drawing of all of them as friends. Remember the Four Giants were the Skull Kid's friends, as were Tatl and Tael, and now Link was too. In fact, since this is true, it's possible that the scene after the credits wasn't even in the same forest, but rather a forest in Termina. Or maybe Link just drew it in Hyrule (wouldn't see much reason why he'd do it there, but whatever). I'm not sure.

At any rate I doubt it functioned as a kind of seal or anything. There was no reason to seal Termina, as there was nothing wrong with Termina and no problem with people crossing between the two worlds. It also could not have been the stump that was the "rabbit hole", as this was a massive tree stump that Link fell into, not a normal-sized stump.

Link may have been destined to save Termina, but somehow I think it was just chance that he came across it after saving Hyrule. Or maybe when he returned to the past he was always supposed to journey to Termina. Maybe that's the ultimate reason Navi left (whether she herself knew it or not).

 

[Random Person]

*Insert Axle's statment here.*

My thoughts differ though in that I think Link was destined to save Termina. Or rather.... GASP.... I just thought of a great theory for MM. Seriously, in the middle of writing this post it came to me. Anyway. In my opinion, I think it was Link's destiny to save Termina in that there's is too much of a coincidence. Link is the only one with the proper traits and tools to do certain jobs. To say something happened at Random in Zelda is not something I do lightly.

 

[ConsoleGamesFTW]

Yeah, I don't think that picture at the end is supposed to mean anything special...its more trying to show the resolution to MM's main conflict or show the story of the game. To connect it to the parrallel dimensions between Hyrule and Termina is a little much...

 

[Locke]

We have reason to believe that both Link and Skull Kid returned to Hyrule after MM. Using Occam's Razor, we can assume they made no detours. However I can't really refute what Axle said about the jingle. I disagree but it isn't anything I can prove.

 

[j-pod89]

I think your theory is very clever. But I don't agree with axle there because there is a reason to seal the gate between termina and hyrule, everyone would have doubles! I guess thats that big of a deal for the gorons and zoras (although the gorons look like there wearing lipstick in MM) but for all those people like Malon and Talon and the cukko (did I spell that right?) lady, if someone in termina or hyrule found the gate, things would get real hairy. I think it it would make sense for link to close the gate.

 

[Swordbomb]

its cucco not cukko also that thirty really makes it hard how about 20 character limit

 

[Majora's Cat]

Your theory is good, but it's not really probable that the tree stump is a portal between Termina and Hyrule. Here's a few reasons why:

First off, as Axle and the others have stated, the woods in the beginning of Majora's Mask have not been identified as the Lost Woods. They are simply a mysterious forest that Link must traverse to reach the land of Termina. In fact, the Woods of Mystery are the incarnation of the Lost Woods from Ocarina of Time, so if anything, the Lost Woods would be there. The drawing is only of the Giants, Link, the Skull Kid and Tatl/Tael is only meant to symbolize their newfound friendship or to symbolize the "fun" times they had before Link departed. It could also be that the Skull Kid ingraved a moment in time at the very end of the game after Majora was defeated. The Giants go their separate ways, but before then, the Skull Kid makes up with them while Link watches from the sidelines. This very moment is perhaps the one he was trying to depict, perhaps the happiest of his life.

Also, it's not entirely certain that Termina is an alternate realm that is directly linked to Hyrule. What you're implying here is that Hyrule and Termina exist alongside each other like brother and sister, two universes that sit next to each other. Nothing was ever said about Link crossing over to a whole 'nother dimension of sorts - Nintendo wouldn't nearly be considerate enough to factor in us theorists' questions when crafting a Zelda game. There is no evidence that Link jumped from one realm into another, yet there is no evidence against such a thought. That being said, it still is possible that there is a gateway between Termina and Hyrule. It could be the tree stump, sure, but it could just happen to be an area where Link traversed before you gain control of his body.

Another thing, who ever said anything about Termina being a part of Link's destiny? As far as we know, only the Goddesses planned Link to be a hero. There was no talk of Link playing the "hero" bit in Majora's Mask. If so, then his fate would have been left to the Four Giants. I feel that the destinies laid out for Link (by Termina and Hyrule) are separate. Perhaps it wa just a coincidence that Link would happen to be the Hero of Time and save all of Termina. Considering that the land of Termina is much like an alternate Hyrule (and how they are co-exiting and intertwined and such), maybe Link's defeat of Ganon caused some sort of chain reaction, giving him the power to defeat Majora. Who knows?

Finally, Link is constantly "reborn" (not literally) and must defeat Ganon or other such threats in Hyrule. This has always been his destiny, as was passed on in the legends. Majora's Mask is a stand-alone experience. There are no stories of Link's heroics, no story of the great downfall of the game's main antagonist. Nothing. This may mean that Link might've not been destined to stop Majora. Link may just be so awesome that he was able to save Termina (just another thing to add to his list of accomplishments).

Either way, whether Termina and Hyrule are parallel dimensions and there is a gateway between the two or whether Link was destined to save Termina (and was foretold by either the Goddesses or the Giants), I think we can all agree that Link can do just about anything.