Postman

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Postman
MM-Postman.png
Artwork of the Postman from Majora's Mask

Race

Gender

Male

Occupation

Mailman

Games

Location

Majora's Mask
Clock Town
Post Office
Oracle of Ages
Post Office
The Minish Cap
Hyrule Town
Twilight Princess
Telma's Bar
Zora's Domain
Ordon Ranch
Elde Inn
Zora's River
Cave of Ordeals
Hyrule Field
Phantom Hourglass
Various places throughout the World of the Ocean King
Spirit Tracks
Various places throughout New Hyrule

Quests

A Challenge to Count On (Majora's Mask)
The Postman's Peril (Majora's Mask)

Related

Postmaster (employer)
Stamp (co-worker)
Marcy (co-worker)

The Postman, first appearing in Majora's Mask, is a common character seen throughout The Legend of Zelda series. He is the local mailman, and is very dedicated to his job. He is often seen rushing about in a mad dash to deliver letters.

While there are numerous postmen in The Wind Waker, none of them are known as the Postman directly. Ilari and Quill are two of the more popular Rito postmen in the game.

Majora's Mask

Majora's Mask is the inaugural appearance of the Postman. He resides within the Post Office of Clock Town, the main Hylian populated area in the game. The Postman operates on a very tight schedule, and thus any small delay could disrupt his entire day.[1] He operates under this condition. He shares the same model as the Running Man from Ocarina of Time.

First Day

The Postman delivering the letter to Anju

The Postman has a very common schedule for the three days in which Majora's Mask takes place. The Postman follows a strict schedule on each Day, which includes Letter Collection in the morning, Letter Delivery in the afternoon, and Practice in the evening.[2] On the First Day, letter collection begins at 9 AM, at which he checks every postbox in Clock Town in half-hour increments, returning to the Post Office at 12 PM. For the next hour, the Postman can be found inside the Post Office taking a nap, as according to him, the schedule says it is his nap time.[3] At 1 PM, the next part of the Postman's day begins: Letter Delivery. There was only one letter for the Postman to deliver, which was Kafei's letter to Anju. The Postman arrives at the Stock Pot Inn at 2 PM, when he delivers the letter to Anju, who is found at the front desk. If Link talks to the Postman while he is delivering the letter to Anju, he can hear an odd conversation between the two, in which Anju asks the Postman numerous questions about where the Postman got the letter from,[4][5][6] which all result in very ambiguous answers from the Postman.[7][8][9] This is in fact the beginning of the lengthy Anju and Kafei quest, which the Postman plays a vital role in. After successfully delivering the letter, the Postman heads back to the Post Office, arriving there at 3 PM. From that time until midnight, the Postman can be found inside the Post Office, where he is training.[10] He is running for exactly ten seconds in his mind, without looking at a clock.[11] He asks if Link wants to try, and explains how to do it to Link.[12] If Link successfully stops at exactly ten seconds, the Postman is amazed, saying Link has reflexes fitting for a postman.[13] The Postman rewards Link for his successful display with a Piece of Heart.[14] If Link wears the Bunny Hood during this mini-game, he can see the clock on the screen, making it much easier to get that Piece of Heart.[15] At midnight, Link is kicked out of the Post Office, and is locked out for the rest of the First Day.

Second Day

On the Second Day, the Postman's schedule has two different varieties, depending on whether or not Link is attempting to complete the Anju and Kafei quest. If he is not, the Postman schedule is fairly similar to his schedule the previous Day; he first exits the Post Office at 9 AM for Letter Collection, again travelling to each postbox in half-hour increments, returning to the Post Office at 12 PM. This is when the Postman's schedule varies. If Link is not participating in the Anju and Kafei quest, the Postman has his nap time from 12 to 1 PM. If Link talks to the Postman during this time, he learns that not one letter was mailed, which to the Postman is a big problem.[16] Since there is no mail to deliver, the Postman cannot perform his afternoon task of Letter Delivering, leaving him confused as to what he should do in the afternoon, longing for someone to tell him.[17] At 1 PM, Link is kicked out of the Post Office. If he tries to re-enter, he finds it to be locked. It stays locked for 11 hours, until finally the Postman re-emerges at 12 AM. If Link talks to him while he is out, he is told to be disrupting the Postman, in a fairly rude manner.[18] The Postman starts wandering around Clock Town, finally stopping at the postbox in South Clock Town at 1 AM. He deposits a letter, and then heads back to the Post Office, returning at 2 AM. For the rest of the Second Day, Link is locked out of the Post Office.

The Postman collecting letters from the postboxes

Final Day

On the Final Day, the Postman's schedule has even more variables, all focusing on whether or not Link is doing the aforementioned side quest. If he is not, the Postman starts his day the same way he does any other; he first leaves the Post Office at 9 AM, and travels to each postbox in Clock Town at half-hour increments. There is only one letter to collect on this day, which the Postman can be seen collecting from the South Clock Town postbox. At 12 PM, the Postman returns to the Post Office, and uses the next hour as his nap time. If Link enters the Post Office and speaks to him, the Postman reveals to Link that last night he wrote a letter to himself and deposited it into a post box.[19] He had just retrieved it during the morning's Letter Collection, and plans to deliver it in the afternoon.[20] At 1 PM, the Postman exits the Post Office, and begins the Letter Delivery part of his day. However, since they are no letters to deliver, the Postman does something very odd: he travels to each postbox found across Clock Town, and appears to just touch them, instead of fully checking for a letter. He does this in approximately 25 minute intervals, taking him only two hours to complete. He returns to the Post Office at 3 PM, and locks himself inside. The door remains locked until 6 PM, at which point Link can enter to find the Postman kneeling on the floor. He tells Link that he wants to flee, but it is not written on the schedule.[21] The delivery schedule is the Postman's highest priority.[22] On the bed, Link can find the letter that the Postman delivered to himself. It reads:

"To Myself, You have been doing a great job delivering the mail. I have a request for my hard-working self. All of the townsfolk have taken refuge. I want myself to flee, too. Even if it is not written on the schedule, I want myself to flee. Please... From Me"

At this point, there is nothing Link can do for the Postman, who remains kneeling down inside the Post Office until the Moon crushes Termina.

Schedule Alterations

The Postman plays a vital role in the Anju and Kafei quest, and as such, has plenty of schedule changes due to his participation. His First Day schedule remains the same, but things change on the Second Day. It is the same until 12 PM, but after that, it is completely different. At 12, the Postman can be found inside the Post Office, where he is taking a nap. If Link talks to him, he learns that only one letter was sent today[23] (which was the Letter to Kafei Link delivered for Anju). At 1 PM, the Postman begins the Letter Delivery part of his day, and exits the Post Office. Since the letter is addressed to Kafei, the Postman heads to the Laundry Pool, and arrives there at 2:45 PM. He rings the bell, which calls Kafei out of the Back Room. They meet on the bridge connecting the two sides of the area, where the Postman informs Kafei that he has a letter for him.[24] After the letter has been successfully delivered, the Postman heads back to the Post Office, arriving there at 5 PM. From 5 to midnight, the Postman is again training, and Link can also participate and attempt to acquire the Piece of Heart, if he hasn't already done so. At midnight, Link is kicked out of the Post Office, and cannot re-enter as it is locked. It remains locked for the rest of the Second Day.

Final Day

The Postman returning to Clock Town during the ending credits

On the Final Day during the Anju and Kafei quest, the Postman's schedule is fairly similar to his normal schedule. He follows the same schedule during the day, and says mostly the same things. However, during his nap time between noon and 1 PM, he tells Link that not a single letter was mailed,[16] instead of telling Link about the letter he sent to himself. The rest of the day goes the exact same, up to 6 PM, in which the Postman is again kneeling down beside his bed, wanting to flee. However, if Link has been following the Anju and Kafei quest, he would have received the Letter to Mama from the Man from Curiosity Shop. He can give this to the Postman, who immediately notices the priority mail seal, and decides to deliver it.[25] This mail is a letter from Kafei to his mother, Madame Aroma, who is coincidently the Postmaster. Once the Postman gets dressed, he heads off to the Milk Bar, where Madame Aroma can be found.[26] He tells Aroma that he has a letter for her, addressing her as the Postmistress.[27] She is shocked that the Postman hasn't fled yet,[28] to which the Postman replies by saying that tomorrow's schedule is still planned.[29] Aroma tries to explain the situation of the sky to the Postman,[30] but the Postman still insists.[31] At this point, Madame Aroma finally notices the letter the Postman is trying to deliver her, which she identifies as being from Kafei.[32]. After this, she relieves the Postman of his duties,[33] ordering the Postman to flee.[34] The Postman responds by saying he understands.[35] The Postman then leaves the Milk Bar, and stops just outside the east gate. If Link talks to him, he explains that he has decided to flee, an order from the Postmaster.[36] He exclaims that he is now free, and can set his own schedule.[37] Before he leaves, he gives Link the Postman's Hat, telling Link that he no longer needs it.[38][39]

If Link does successfully acquire the Postman's Hat, the Postman is seen in the ending credits returning to Clock Town.

Oracle of Ages

Postman-OoA-Sprite.png

The Postman in Oracle of Ages can be found within Lynna Village in Oracle of Ages. He can only be found within the Post Office in the Past; in the Present, the place where the Post Office was now holds Mayor Plen's House.

At any point in the game, Link can visit the Postman. He says that although he wants to deliver the mail, he can't if he doesn't have a clock to tell him the time.[40] Once Link acquires the Poe Clock from the Clock Poe in the Yoll Graveyard, he can enter the Post Office and give the Poe Clock to the Postman. After realizing it tells time, the Postman takes it from Link, giving him the Stationery as a reward.[41] This is the second exchange in the Oracle of Ages Trading Sequence, which eventually leads to Link acquiring the Noble Sword.

After this exchange, the Postman is off delivering letters. Thus, the Post Office is empty for the remainder of the game.

The Minish Cap

023 Postman
Fig023.gif

A very serious mail deliveryman. He continues to make every delivery right on time every day.

In The Minish Cap, the Postman runs around Hyrule Town delivering letters. If Link gets in his way, the Postman pauses for a moment before jumping over Link. Throughout the game, the Postman has various sayings that he says to Link if Link talks to him.

After Link has completed the Cave of Flames and entered Castor Wilds for the first time, Link is able to fuse a Blue Kinstone with the Postman. This triggers Marcy to contact Swiftblade to write a newsletter. Marcy can then be seen throughout the game within the Post Office.

Twilight Princess

The Postman seen in Twilight Princess has a very similar look to the Postman seen in Majora's Mask. Similarly to Majora's Mask's Postman, he runs around delivering mail. There are certain locations in Hyrule that when Link passes through them, the Postman will stop him if he has a letter to deliver. There are multiple different locations, including the gate that leads to Castle Town, on the Bridge of Eldin, on the Great Bridge of Hylia, in the Hyrule Field north of Castle Town, and in the Hyrule Field in the Faron Province. The Postman stops Link as he passes by these spots no matter what, even if Link is in wolf form, the Postman is somehow able to recognize it as Link, and stop him so he can deliver the mail. This ability is never explained in-game.

The Postman is first seen while Link is on his way to the Eldin Province. However, the Eldin Province is covered in Twilight, so the Postman stops Link in Hyrule Field. He tells Link to go no further, as he says a "black wall" blocks the way ahead.[42] He remarks that he had planned to deliver a few letters, but that it now seems impossible.[43] Before heading off in the opposite direction, he hands Link his first letter,[44] which is a letter from the Postman. The letter tells Link how the Postman will deliver Link's letters: by running to him at high speeds.[45]

Postman as seen in the Ordon Ranch barn

The Postman also has six secret locations where he is not delivering mail to Link. The first is in Telma's Bar, in the small section to the right (Wii) of the entrance. Here, he can be heard trying to decide what to order.[46] The second location is in Zora's Domain, where he can be heard trying to determine to whom he should deliver a letter addressed to a Mr. Zora.[47] The third locale is in the barn at the Ordon Ranch, where he is feeding a messy letter to an Ordon Goat.[48] The Postman is seen again in the kitchen area of the Elde Inn, where he is attempting to dry a letter he dropped into the hot spring.[49] The fifth location is in Zora's River, where he can be seen on one of the ledges during Plumm's mini-game. The sixth and final location is also the most bizarre. He can be found on the upper ledge of the 50th floor of the Cave of Ordeals. However, the Postman only appears on the ledge on Link's second time through the Cave of Ordeals, not the first. He says to Link that he thinks Link is lost, and then mumbles that, "It's got to be around here somewhere..."[50] It is unknown what he is referring to.

Phantom Hourglass

The Postman in Phantom Hourglass, unlike his previous appearances, bears a similar resemblance to those of the Rito race. Although appearing mostly human, he has wings and is able to fly like any other Rito. If at any time a Postbox shows a sign of having a letter addressed to Link, the Postman shows up and reads the letter to Link himself. Because of this new postal service, there is no Letter Collection Screen.

The Postman is first seen on Cannon Island, where he can be found sitting on the Postbox waiting for Link.[51] Once Link approaches, he introduces himself as the Postman, telling Link he is likely going to see Link around throughout the game.[52] From then on, all interactions with the Postman are for delivering letters only. The Postman is not involved in any side quests at all.

The Postman also rewards Link if Link completes a certain number of Big Plays in multiplayer mode, usually by giving Link some Treasure.

Spirit Tracks

In Spirit Tracks, the Postman has a very similar appearance and role as he does in Phantom Hourglass. Although, unlike his Phantom Hourglass counterpart, the Postman in Spirit Tracks does not have wings, and thus cannot fly. He instead runs to deliver letters and other various parcels, like his previous incarnations.

The Postman is first seen in Castle Town while Link is on his way to his engineer graduation ceremony. He delivers Link's first letter; a letter from the Postmaster. The Postman is seen again on numerous occasions throughout the game, everytime delivering Link a letter. Unlike in Phantom Hourglass, the Postman does not actually read the letters out loud, as folks thought that was rude. Instead, the Postman will simply hand the letter to Link and allow him to read it himself.[53]

See also

Gallery

References

  1. "If my schedule is disrupted by even a few seconds, letter delivery will be delayed... Public service is very hard." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  2. "This Week's Schedule Morning: Collection Afternoon: Delivery Evening: Practice The Week's Motto: Don't slack off --the heavens and the wife are watching. --Mayor Dotour" — Sign inside Post Office, Majora's Mask.
  3. "According to my schedule, it is now my nap time." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  4. "This letter, wh-where did you?!?" — Anju, Majora's Mask.
  5. "Th-that's not what I mean! From the postbox where?!?" — Anju, Majora's Mask.
  6. "Please tell me!" — Anju, Majora's Mask.
  7. "From the postbox." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  8. "From the postbox somewhere." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  9. "It's a secret." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  10. "On Day 1 or 2, visit the Post Office between 3:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. to play the postman's timing game." — Nintendo Power Majora's Mask Strategy Guide, pg. 117
  11. "Do not disrupt my training! In my mind, I am running for exactly 10 seconds without looking at a clock." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  12. "Press (A) to start. Count 10 seconds, and the precise moment you think you've hit 10 on the dot, press (A) again." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  13. "That is amazing! You have reflexes suitable for a postman!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  14. "As thanks for showing me something impressive, I give you this." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  15. "If you wear the Bunny Hood, you'll be able to see the timer ticking down." — Nintendo Power Majora's Mask Strategy Guide, pg. 125
  16. 16.1 16.2 "This is a problem...A real problem. Not a single letter was mailed..." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  17. "What should I do this afternoon... I wish someone would tell me." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  18. "...You're disrupting me!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  19. "Last night, I wrote a letter to myself and deposited it in a post box..." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  20. "I just retrieved it. This afternoon, I shall deliver that letter! Hrr, hrr!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  21. "Ohhh...I want to flee! B-but, it's not written on the schedule." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  22. "T-to me, the delivery schedule... It's the h-highest priority." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  23. "There was only one letter today. It is so sad..." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  24. "I have a letter for you." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  25. "Th-this is a priority mail seal! This is the highest of priorities. I shall deliver it!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  26. "After putting on his uniform, the postman will deliver the letter to Madame Aroma at the Milk Bar." — Nintendo Power Majora's Mask Strategy Guide, pg. 118
  27. "I have a delivery for you, Postmaster!!!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  28. "Oh my, it can't be! You're still here?" — Madame Aroma, Majora's Mask.
  29. "To...to...to...tomorrow's delivery is still scheduled!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  30. "What are you saying?!? Did you see the sky? It's terrible!" — Madame Aroma, Majora's Mask.
  31. "But, but..." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  32. "Oh, my! Well!!! What shall we do?!? It's from Kafei!" — Madame Aroma, Majora's Mask.
  33. "When [Madame Aroma] receives the letter, she'll relieve the postman of his duty." — Nintendo Power Majora's Mask Strategy Guide, pg. 118
  34. "Thank you. You flee now. That's an order!" — Madame Aroma, Majora's Mask.
  35. "Understood." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  36. "I have decided to flee. It is an order from the Postmaster." — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  37. "I am now free! I can set my own schedule!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  38. "I don't need this anymore, so here...I'll let you have it!" — Postman, Majora's Mask.
  39. "If you talk to [the postman] afterward, he'll graciously give you his Postman's Hat." — Nintendo Power Majora's Mask Strategy Guide, pg. 118
  40. "This isn't good! I want to deliver the mail on time, but I can't do it if I don't know the time!" — Postman, Oracle of Ages.
  41. "Hmm? Tick, tock? That tells time! Are you giving me this clock? Don't say a word! Of course you will! What a big help! Here's your reward. Now I'm off to work. I'm a workaholic!" — Postman, Oracle of Ages.
  42. "Go no further! There is a black wall ahead that blocks the way!" — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  43. "I thought I would deliver a few letters, but it seems impossible..." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  44. "Now that I have introduced myself, please! Take this letter and read it at your leisure!" — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  45. "About Mail Delivery If I have a letter for you, I will approach you at high speed! Please do not flee!" — Letter from Postman, Twilight Princess.
  46. "What to order, what to order... I do believe I will start with meat." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  47. "Now, this is made out to a "Mr. Zora," so I don't really know who ought to receive it..." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  48. "We can just let the goats eat a messy-looking letter like this." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  49. "I dropped a letter into the hot spring and now I can't read it! Gotta blow this thing dry..." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  50. "I think you are lost. It's got to be around here somewhere..." — Postman, Twilight Princess.
  51. "However, you can enjoy a quick run-in with the Postman, who sits atop a postbox near Eddo's Garage." — Prima Games Phantom Hourglass Premiere Edition Strategy Guide, pg. 54
  52. "Hey! Nice to meetcha! And not like I don't want to greetcha, but I'm here to deliver your mail... Not talk your ear off! Yep, the Postman lives for special dee-livery! And your name is... Got it right here... Er, isn't it [Link]? I'm sure I'll be carrying special deliveries for ya at some point! So...I'd appreciate it if you didn't, ya know, shoot me with a slingshot. Thanks for understanding! I may also need ya to sign for deliveries. Thanks! On that note, see ya 'round the sea, sir!" — Postman, Phantom Hourglass.
  53. "Me? Oh, I'm no good at long-winded introductions. I'm just an average guy who works the postman gig to get by. You can call me Postman. All my friends do. Now that you know my name, next time I see you, don't be shy! Say hello! Speaking of names, you're [Link], right? I've got a letter for you, so I'll just jump right in and read it aloud. Oh, wait--that's the way we USED to do things. But no more! Apparently, some folks thought our reading their letters out loud was rude. So now our policy is to just hand-deliver the mail unopened." — Postman, Spirit Tracks.