Skyward Sword Sequel

Skyward Sword Sequel + Timeline Merge

Downfall Timeline

System / general details

• HD Rumble’s technical name is a Linear resonant actuator
• When in handheld mode, the Switch will have an unlock screen like a smartphone to prevent accidental waking.
• The Switch features a Quick Menu. Press and hold the HOME Button for at least one second to display the Quick Settings screen on top of all other screens, including the HOME Menu and any applications. Unlike the 3DS, the active software will not be suspended when this menu is invoked
• The Switch’s keyboard will feature predictive text such as those on iOS and Android
• System Settings will allow the user to edit the following settings:
  • Flight Mode Toggle
  • Enable/Disable Bluetooth
  • Manage Wi-fi
  • Manage NFC
  • Manage screen brightness
  • Screen lock
  • User Settings
  • Create/Edit Mii
  • Theme management
  • Controller management
  • System Update
• Miis will have more options for hair, eyebrows, eyes, facial hair, glasses, mouths, and skin.
• Miis will not store the creator’s name, their favorites, and their birthday anymore. Anyone can edit Mii characters
• Developers can create and sell Season Passes for their games
• This document confirms an X1 like SoC using Maxwell on the final retail version
• There are NO plans to provide an Internet Browser at this stage but developers are able to access a web applet to display specific websites within their game/app
• A maximum of 8 users can be registered on a system
• Friend requests and game invites CAN be sent from the console.
  • “Friend Presence is a feature that uses the Internet to convey information in real time about the online status of friends and the applications they are playing. Among possibilities, we see this being used in the application to check whether friends are in the joinable state, and to use the Friend List system feature screen to show what applications friends are playing.”
• A Nintendo Account can be linked to multiple Switches BUT save data is not automatically synchronised
• There are TWO dev kit devices: SDEV and EDEV
  • SDEV – Has built-in ports; no built-in battery
  • EDEV – Resembles the retail product exactly but is black color
• Game cards come in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB variations.

Online Matchmaking:

• This feature matches players for multiplayer games. It can be used to bring players together based on matching criteria from among unspecified numbers of users, or to create groups among friends only. Groups can be created temporarily for a multiplayer game, or they can be created as lasting entities usable as communities.

Ranking:

• This feature uploads scores so users can get the relative rankings. Rankings can be calculated for only a certain period of time, or for only the scores of players registered in a certain group, and the score information can be periodically reset.

Data Store:

• This is a network storage feature. Any data can be optionally saved to the game server. This saved data can be tagged, searched, and appended with ratings and the like.

Subscriber:

• This is a messaging feature based on the publish-subscribe pattern. It can be used to post messages on certain topics, poll for posts on certain topic, and otherwise share information within the application.

In my years though, I've formulated some opinions that may go against the conventional norm and rub others the wrong way. For example, I believe that if you put pineapples on pizza, you have committed a felony. I think that despite all their songs sounding the same, Nickelback is a damn good band. I don't see how people can call golf or poker a sport. The list goes on and on. But what about video games?? More specifically, what about The Legend of Zelda??

I definitely have a few unconventional thoughts about my favorite series, but first, a pretense. The list I'm about to drop on you guys is meant to get your eyes rolling, encourage healthy (and silly) debate, and let you get a glimpse into my blasphemous mind. It is not meant to disregard anyone's thoughts or beliefs regarding Zelda, nor be a platform for others to belittle anyone's thoughts either. Let's all have fun with our deepest, darkest Zelda secrets.

Without further ado... My Top 5 Unpopular Zelda Opinions!

5) There Should Only Be Two Timelines

The hero falls?? What?? I don't remember dying at the end of Ocarina of Time? I guess it makes sense that in order for Ganon to rise up and start ruling over everybody, Link would have to do the job, but c'mon. Can't we think of a better way to get there other than 'LOL you died, guess the world is f*****d now'?? To be honest, the whole timeline thing doesn't do it for me in the first place. I like seeing nods to past games as much as the next guy, but the series is literally called 'The Legend of Zelda' and legends get passed down and altered and changed over time, so you don't need this convoluted timeline to explain why there's the Temple of Time or Koroks in a few different games.

4) Fi's Farewell Scene > Midnas

I often see people say that Midna is their favorite side character in the Zelda series and talk about how emotional her departure back to the Twilight Realm was, and I'm like 'ehhhh'. Maybe it's because I just always kinda felt like Midna was a brat and hated her giggle, but I always watch that scene like 'Good luck back at home!' instead of with tears in my eyes.

Compare to to Fi, who everyone hates, and how emotional her goodbye scene was. I get that she was kind of annoying, but there's a certain sadness to know she can't ever be human and is destined to spend eternity trapped inside the Master Sword. The scene where she thanks Link for everything as she is resigned to her fate had my heartstrings tugged. It also helps that Fi's Farewell is one of the best pieces of music in the Zelda series. All in all, while Midnas scene was nice and perfunctory, Fi's was unforgettable, and one of my favorite moments in the series.

3) A Link to the Past Is Not The Best 2D Zelda

My first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time. I played it around Christmas time in 1998 and once I got into it, I was hooked on Zelda forever. It stands to reason that this will always be my favorite Zelda game for the nostalgia that it brings me and the joy I felt experiencing Zelda for the first time.

On the flip side of this, when I played A Link to the Past, it felt kinda... plain. Easy. Short. Simple. Now if you ask many a Zelda fan, they'll probably tell you that ALTTP is the best Zelda, and I assume that at least a few of those people have the same kind of attachment to that game as I do to Ocarina of Time. But I don't think it's the best Zelda. I don't even think it's the best 2D Zelda. I would say that even before A Link Between Worlds came out and completely outclassed it from top to bottom, I would have put both Link's Awakening and The Minish Cap ahead of it on my pecking order. Granted, all those games have a lot of years on Link to the Past, but to me, Ocarina is timeless, while ALTTP just feels dated.

2) Motion Controls Made Skyward Sword A Better Game

Going back to Skyward Sword for a second here. I've seen multiple comment sections on the Internets where people ballyhoo over the motion controls of Skyward Sword. "Too finicky, non-responsive, waaaahh." To this I say poppycock. I can't speak for everyone's experience with the game, but I can safely say that the only problem with the controls I ever had is when my cat, Zora, ate the wire for my Wii sensor bar and it took me a few minutes to figure out why my sword strikes wouldn't registering. Aside from that inconvenience, I never had a problem with them. Using a Motion Plus Wiimote, the action felt fluid and responsive.

I can see why some people maybe like just mashing a button to swing a sword, or could somehow prefer the Wii version of Twilight Princess's sloppy amalgamation of both as opposed to getting up and exerting some energy to make your sword swing, but for me, the precision of the combat is what really hooked me into the game. While I'm not saying that every instance where the motion controls were used was a 5-star experience (I'd rather take my chances and jump using my sail cloth than fly that f****n Loftwing), more often than not, the control mechanics worked. Who didn't feel like a badass lifting your sword Wiimote into the air, catching lightning, and delivering that Skyward Strike to Demise?! That's what I thought.

1) Toon Link Looks Stupid

This is the one I get the most flack for. Back in 2002 when The Wind Waker's graphical and artistic style was revealed, I was one of the many who said 'WTF is this?'. I, again like many, eventually warmed up to the design of the world, and by the time I was playing Wind Waker a year later, I thought that was a marvelous choice. I was not, however, one of those fans that seemed to worship Wind Waker and immediately dismiss ones opinion if you didn't gush over the art style.

As I've gotten older and had more time to reflect on it (and as other games using that graphical style have come out), I think I've reached this conclusion: While I love the cell shading in the world and environments, I think the character design is bad. Toon Link looks dumb. He's clunky and awkward looking; he looks like the offspring of Mr. Potato Head and a Link bobble head. Don't take this the wrong way - I like Toon Link, and I think that how dumb he looks adds to his charm. The problem is it's hard to take him seriously - if Wind Waker was a more comedic game, it would work, but Wind Waker is pretty heavy at the end. It's like watching Adam Sandler - great in funny movies, but little more of a stretch to believe in a serious movie.

It's not just Link that suffers from this either. Almost every humanoid character in the Wind Waker inspired line of games looks silly. They all have the same bobble-head thing going on as Link. It looks especially bad in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. While no one would ever call The Wind Waker anything other than beautiful, the same can't be said for its Dual Screen cousins. The technical limitations of the system made them not only look silly, but squished to size and choppy looking. Take Bryne for example - his concept art looks cool. But in game, he looks like the BFG on a Red Bull binge, so it was hard for me to take him seriously. I think cell shading has a place in Zelda, but I prefer it the Skyward Sword- or Breath of the Wild-style.

So there it is! It's probably a good thing I wasn't reading this in front of a live audience or I'd be covered in tomatoes. But now that I've revealed my most unpopular opinions in our beloved series, I want to know yours. What do your fellow Zelda fans give you crap for? Do you even agree with something on this list? I want to know! Let's have a (friendly and lighthearted) conversation in the comments below! Remember, nobodies wrong, and you know what everyone says about opinions - they're like a... actually never mind. Let's have fun folks!

1. Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Details

2. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask Remaster Bundle

3. Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC

4. Additional Breath of the Wild Compatible amiibo

5. Four Swords Adventures Switch Virtual Console

“The Great Plateau ended up being a culmination of what we wanted to include in the game to see if it's really going to pan out. Different cultures within the game and the NPCs were added in later, so we removed anything that isn't wild because it's really was the essence of this game.”

The Setting

A Tighter Story

A Small, but Meaningful Cast

Link’s Lost Memories

Action Scenes will have Narrative Drama

Link’s Departure from Ordon Village Explained

Exploring the Twilight Realm

Added Weapons from the Twilight Realm

Modernized Graphics

The Return of Midna

Puzzles are Unique to Each Location

The Premise May Be Similar, But the Presentation is Not

Puzzles are Rewarding

Puzzles are Not Exclusive to Dungeons

What is Nostalgia?

On a side note, user integration with VGRC is working. The login form to the right is broke, but if you are logged into VGRC right now, you should be logged in here. We’re working on fixing the form, but do know that integration is working with the news module, as the comments form on articles does work for registered VGRC members!

-More guides
-Screenshots for every game
-Buddy Icons
-LogonStudio Skins
-Magazine Cover Scans
-Wallpapers

...and a finished skin for our image gallery.

And that’s just off the top of my head!

But seriously folks, stay tuned. We have some awesome stuff planned for you over the next few weeks.

For everybody new coming in, the entire ZI and VGRC staff welcomes you in. Enjoy your stay as we work our way to become the best Zelda site out there.

As if that wasn’t enough, he goes and does it again, in 2:07.

Walk Through Walls is nothing new, however, as Zelda fans have been doing this for years to find secrets deep within the game. What else can be found, besides the ending sequence? Make use of the code 7E005EFF in your Game Genie (or ZSNES) and see what you can find!

When discussing the Legend of Zelda series, the Triforce is a common topic. It’s one of the main focal points of the series, but how much do fans really know about it? Many people find it hard to understand exactly what it is and does, because information about it is spread out over multiple games. By piecing together all the Triforce information given in the games, we can get a better grasp of the true nature of the Triforce.

The Legend of Zelda

In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being banded down from generation to generation, the legend of the “Triforce”; golden triangles possessing mystical powers. One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by Ganon, the powerful Prince of Darkness who sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split up the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm to save the last remaining Triforce from the cluthes of the evil Ganon.

~Legend of Zelda Manual

Due to space limitations, the original Legend of Zelda has little to offer in terms of information, but a few things can be determined from the manual:

• There are two Triforce pieces: The Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom.
• They possess “mystical powers”, but exactly what the powers are is not known.
• The Triforce pieces exist in a physical form. The Triforce of Wisdom is broken into eight pieces, and then re-assembled.
• When Ganon is defeated, his Triforce of Power appears in his ashes, showing that you lose your Triforce piece upon death.
  

The Adventure of Link

As with the original Legend of Zelda, Adventure of Link has little to offer us in-game, but the manual gives us some new insights.

Then, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything, but he could inherit the Triforce only in part.

~Adventure of Link Manual

There are three kinds of Triforce - Power, Wisdom, and Courage. When these three are brought together, the Triforce will share its maximum power.
Of the three, I have left Power and Wisdom in the kingdom. But the Triforce of Courage I have hidden for a reason.
Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires a strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary.
Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime. Therefore, I have decided to cast a spell on all of Hyrule. A crest will appear on a young man with that character who has been brought up correctly, has gained many kinds of experiences and reached a certain age. But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then?

~Adventure of Link Manual

There is actually a third piece, the Triforce of Courage, which forms the complete Triforce, and only when all three Triforce pieces are together will it be at its maximum power. At the end of the game, Link unites all three pieces together, and the complete Triforce is able to awaken Zelda, who is in an eternal sleep. This is the first example in the series of the complete Triforce exerting powers that the individual pieces could not.

Not everyone can inherit the entire Triforce though. Whether the prince was physically incapable of controlling all three Triforce pieces, or just deemed unworthy by the king is not specified. However, it takes a special inborn quality for someone to use the entire Triforce, and few have it.

And though it’s possible for someone to control the entire Triforce and use it for good, the Triforce can be used for evil as well. The Triforce appears impartial to whether its holder is good or evil.

A Link to the Past

Origins of the Triforce

A Link to the Past is the first game to explain how the Triforce came into existence. After telling the story of Hyrule’s creation by the gods of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, the manual and the game intro give us the origins of the Triforce.

Finally we know where the the Triforce came from. After creating Hyrule, the gods of Power, Wisdom, and Courage left behind the Triforce. Containing the essence of the gods, it is both omnipotent and omniscient.

The resting place of the Triforce was a sacred, hidden land. It would remain there until a worthy holder, or holders, would appear bearing a crest, or Triforce mark.

The Purpose of the Triforce

A Link to the Past explains what the “mystical powers” spoken about in Legend of Zelda are. This is the first look we get at the true purpose and nature of the Triforce.

Here we see that the Triforce is capable of speech, and encourages its holder to make a wish. The Triforce appears eager to fulfill its duty.

The Triforce grants the wishes of its holder, whether good or evil. It does not, and can not, judge between good and evil when granting wishes, because only the gods can do that.

A Link to the Past then gives us a possible example of the gods judging between good and evil.

If the Triforce falls into the wrong hands, a Hero will appear. Since we know that the Triforce itself does not judge good and evil, it’s likely that the emergence of a Hero is a work of the gods.

The Effects of the Triforce

The Adventure of Link manual asks what should happen if the Triforce would fall into the hands of someone who would not use it for good, and A Link to the Past answers that question. We are also shown what happens when it is used for good.

I do not know what Ganon wished for from the Triforce.
However, in time evil power began to flow from the Golden Land.

Welcome, Link…
I am the Essence Of The
Triforce.
... ... ...

The Triforce will grant the
wishes in the heart and mind of
the person who touches it.

If a person with a good heart
touches it, it will make his good
wishes come true… If an evil-
hearted person touches it, it
grants his evil wishes.

The stronger the wish, the
more powerful the Triforce’s
expression of that wish.

Ganon’s wish was to conquer
the world. That wish changed
the Golden Land to the Dark
World.

Ganon was building up his
power here so he could conquer
the Light World and make his
wish come completely true.

But now, you have totally
destroyed Ganon. His Dark
World will vanish.

The Triforce is waiting for a
new owner. Its Golden Power is
in your hands…

If someone with an evil heart touches the Triforce, it will reflect his heart, and transform the land where the Triforce rests into a Dark World flowing with evil. When someone enters this land, they too will become mirrored by the Triforce. Their outward appearance becomes a reflection of their heart. It will only cease to flow with evil if a master with a pure heart touches the Triforce.

Once the Triforce is touched, it will only serve and grant wishes to one master as long as he lives. Upon the death of its owner, the Triforce will await a new owner. Further evidence that the Triforce is aware of its purpose, and desires to be owned.

The Origin Story Retold

Ocarina of Time also tells the origin story of the Triforce, but goes into greater detail.

Here the gods spoken about in A Link to the Past are given gender and names: Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of courage. It’s also specified that they are golden, thus explaining the Triforce’s golden appearance.

When the goddesses left the world, the Triforce was left at their exit point. This resting place of the Triforce became the Sacred Realm. The term “Sacred Realm” is the actual name for the place where the Triforce rests. This name is not in contrast with A Link to the Past, as “Golden Land” was the term Nintendo of America chose to use in A Link to the Past, but it doesn’t actually appear in the Japanese text for the game.

The Prophecy of the Triforce

A Link to the Past shows us what power the Triforce yields when touched by someone capable of controlling it, but what happens when the person who touches it cannot control all three pieces?

While we know from A Link to the Past that the Triforce cannot judge between good and evil, it can weigh the forces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Only a person with all three forces in balance can govern all three pieces with the True Force, the full extent of the Triforce’s power.

If the person who touches the Triforce does not have all three forces in balance, then the prophecy of the Triforce will come true. The results of that are:

• They will only receive the piece reperesenting the force they most believe in. This is a possible reference Adventure of Link’s statement that the prince could only inherit the Triforce in part.
• The other two pieces will dwell inside two people chosen by destiny to hold them. This shows that the Triforces can exist in either a physical form, (as seen in the first three games) or a non-physical form.
• Triforce marks will appear on the backs of the hands of two people chosen by destiny. This references A Link to the Past’s concept of people “suitable of inheriting the power” and having crests.

If the unbalanced person wishes to obtain the True Force, he must find the two chosen ones, and take their Triforce pieces from them.

Near the end of Ocarina of Time, Ganon manages to find out that Link and Zelda hold the other two pieces. Bringing them together, he attempts to fulfill the prophecy.

Ganondorf’s words here hint that the Triforce itself desires to be united again.

Protective and Transforming Qualities

Using her Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda was able to perfectly disguise herself as a Sheikah. This shows that similar to the complete Triforce, the individual Triforce pieces have transformation powers. However, the effects of the individual pieces can occur outside of the Sacred Realm, and appear to be controllable by the piece’s holder.

Author’s note: This article has been revised and updated. You can view the original version from the article archive on our forums, located here.

The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

The Oracle games are notorious for their lack of connection to the storylines of other Zelda titles. Many don’t even consider them to be a part of the official Zelda storyline. Whether or not they are meant to be considered canonical, it’s always interesting to try figure out their placement with the given evidence.

The setting in the beginning of both of the games is as follows: The Complete Triforce is resting within a castle. The Triforce tells Link to accept a quest in the faraway lands of Labrynna and Holodrum. Link is sent to these places to rescue two Oracles and restore peace to the lands. It later turns out that Ganondorf’s surrogate mothers Koume and Kotake are planning to revive the monster Ganon by sacrificing princess Zelda.

An important story-line element is the Triforce birthmark on Link’s left hand which appears in only one other game under the circumstances where Link is not in the possession of a Triforce piece. This game is no other than Adventure of Link, the sequel to the original Legend of Zelda. This detail would already suggest that the Link in the Oracle games and the Link form original Zelda games are the same character. This is backed up by the fact that at the end of AoL Link has assembled the complete Triforce in North Castle and the pieces are floating in the air in the exact same formation in both games.

A more debatable detail is the fact that the revived Ganon wields the Trident of Power, a weapon that’s origins are explained in Four Swords Adventures. The same weapon has also appeared in A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, the BS remake of Legend of Zelda. Strangely, the Trident also makes an apperience in the official strategy guide of A Link to the Past, in the section that recaps the events of the first two games. Many would place all of these games post FSA if they are to be placed in the same timeline.

Obviously the complete concept of the Trident of Power wasn’t developed until FSA’s release. Flagship’s development team isn’t exactly known for it’s preciseness when it comes to storyline consistency either. This is why some have chosen to ignore the whole issue with the Trident. If however we are to take into account all the apperiences of the Trident in the examples mentioned above, it certainly points to the placement suggested in this article.

While these are important clues they do not specifically exclude the many possible placements. An often overlooked detail from the development process of the games and the developers’ original intentions reveal a possible connection to The Legend of Zelda nad Adventure of Link. These details are sometimes discarded in the name of in-game content being more reliable than all other sources.

Flagship had originally planned to make a trilogy of Zelda games that was to be called The Triforce Trilogy. The first game in the trilogy was to be a remake of the original Legend of Zelda, released 1986 for the NES. This would suggest that the developers were planning to retell, not only the first game, but to expand on the concepts introduced in it and its direct sequel, Adventure of Link (1988). The name of the Trilogy was later changed to The Mystical Seed trilogy. The idea was to have three games that the player could connect via passwords to access additional gameplay and a secret ending. By this time, the original concept of remaking older games was most likely already scrapped. The problem with the whole trilogy was that the linking between three titles became too complex and eventually was abandoned as it was impossible to program.

Flagship made the difficult decision to drop the third title and focus on the remaining two. It is unknown how far they were in development at the time. The cut was announced to the non-japanese gaming world late July 2000 which means that they were probably nearing completion since the games were released in February 2001. We can only assume that what was supposed to become a game of its own was used to make the two remaining games longer and add additional side-quests and content.

The storylines of the two games had to be rewritten since the idea of a remake trilogy wasn’t the plan anymore. This constant changing of direction was most likely one of the main reasons behind the lack of timeline connectivity in the games. Some traces of the original intentions are still present however, especially in Oracle of Seasons. Similar Dungeon design and matching bosses being the most obvious connections. OoS is widely considered to be chronologically the first Oracle game, this is shown in the story of the Pirates in the game amongst other smaller details. These details include subsequent serial numbers (CGB P AZ7E and CGB P AZ8E) of the games that seem to match the numbering of the games released up to that point. The manual of Ages skips a large part of the introduction that is teh same for both of the games and the Nintendo-licensed manga adaptation follows this order s well.

Returning to the original concepts of the Triforce Trilogy, the plot of the games that were to follow the remake of the original Zelda, assuming that the second game was going to tell the tale of AoL in some form or another, would have to have been set in a world where Hyrule is at peace. The whole Triforce is kept safe in either Hyrule Castle or North Castle, who some claim to be the same location, and Ganon being already slain and the original plan for his revival foiled. The setting matches perfectly with the plot of the Oracles. Since the plan to make a trilogy had failed, the people at Flagship probably used the only original story they had worked on and adapted it to both of the Oracle games forming a quadrilogy instead.

By the end of Adventure of Link the plan to revive Ganon by sacrificing Link has failed and peace has returned to Hyrule. Link has claimed the missing Triforce of Courage and brought it to Hyrule Castle and awoken the legendary sleeping princess Zelda. The quadrilogy would make quite a bit of sense story wise as well: Ganon’s supporters have a new plan to resurrect him outside of Hyrule where Link cannot interfere. But then the goddesses step in and send Link to put a stop to it.

As for the Triforce, it is commonly assumed that it returns to the Sacred Realm after granting the wish to the one who claims it. Now, can assume that at the end of AoL the Triforce is still in Hyrule, as the power of the artifact alone was said to be able to wake the sleeping Zelda from her eternal slumber, therefor Link had no need to make a wish and the triforce is not pictured to go anywhere. A Link to the Past is another case however. The wish was made in the Sacred Realm, which is the only place we ever see the Triforce in. One could argue that Link could have taken the Triforce back to Hyrule with him, since he had access to the Sacred Realm, but no evidence of this exists.

Now, let’slook at some of the points that are most commonly used against this placement. The first one is that Impa who appears in LoZ and AoL cannot be the same because she does not know Link in the beginning of the game. This argument ignores the fact that there are multiple Impas, in fact there is an entire lineage (see footnotes). The Impa in the Oracles is also very different looking, while the other characters retain their characteristics.

The second argument is that the Oracles fit seamlessly between Link’s Awakening and Legend of Zelda and go along well with the myth of the sleeping princess Zelda which was described in the backstory of AoL. The same pieces of evidence work for both choices just as well. It’s solely because of the original intentions of the developers and the birthmark that this article favors the the placement discussed above. The backstory of AoL also still fits in its place even if the Oracles are placed elsewhere.

The third point is that Zelda does not recognize Link in the linked Oracles game (for Zelda’s words see footnotes). This is the point where people most commonly give up, as there is no way Zelda (be it wither one) would greet Link like that unless she’s yet another Princess Zelda, which would be a far stretch. There is always the possibility that these are not the same characters from LoZ and AoL, but if we were to take this stance, it would negate some of the evidence stated above. If we insist that this theory is true, we can come up with explanations of all kinds, but unfortunately there is nothing very concrete we can produce without venturing off to the world of fan fiction.

As it is, this placement remains as one of the most popular views on the whole oracle ordeal, despite its issues. A theorist is often tempted to take the easy road and scrap such issues with the old “Flagship wasn’t thinking it through”, but taking this stance goes against the wonderfully nitpicky and pedantic nature of it all. The placement of the oracles remains one of the biggest mysteries in theorising to date.

Footnotes

Proof that there is a whole line of Impas and not just one, a quote from the AoL manual:

“There was a door in the North Castle called ‘the door that does not open.’ Only the descendants of the Impa family who served the king knew how to open the door.”

Zelda’s words to Link when they meet in the linked game:

Thank you for rescuing me. My name is Zelda. You are Link, right? I knew it at first glance.

Two links that include information about the development of the Oracles:

• IGN: Zelda’s Tri-Force Down To Two


• pocket.ign.com: Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power

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The site’s webmasters are working on the problem and should have the site running again in a matter of days. Meanwhile, ZeldaInformer welcomes all ZU users to use our discussion boards and other site features during ZU’s downtime. The site will most likely be reverted to the state it was last Monday morning, when the last backup was made.

Just a few comments:

• The Time Dungeon sounds cool.

• 80 hours?! Is that what that said? I’m not sure I believe that… maybe with collectibles. I hope he means with the collectibles.

• It’s nice to hear him reestablish how important the storyline is especially after pretty much saying it was the least important part to them back when TP came out.

• They have a timeline, just so you guys know.

• Online battle game? That could be interesting…

The following article is an opinion piece, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

As I am sure most any Zelda series theorist you meet on the street will tell you, the series creators have been rather fickle in their progression of the overall Zelda storyline, what we know as the Timeline. In many ways, I am inclined to agree with them. Over the course of development of a number of the series giants - The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess being foremost - the developers have shown that they are quick to change their minds about what sort of storyline any given Zelda title they have, and how that title should relate to the series at large. With The Wind Waker, the original idea seems to have been to place it as a prequel to Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess was supposed to fall between Ocarina and Wind Waker. Now we know that neither of these is the case.

The creators have attributed such drastic direction changes to a phenomenon they call “upending the tea table,” usually exercised by the beloved Shigeru Miyamoto, and usually very close to the end of development. This “upending” can involve gameplay features, character design, or even storyline, of all things. As one might expect, being forced to overhaul a project at crunch time often results in stress, sleep deprivation, and our two most favoritest things in the whole wide world: delays and/or rushed games. We had the chance to enjoy through the former with Ocarina and Twilight; the latter with Wind Waker. But, delays and rushed releases aside, it is this “upending of the tea table” that in large part contributes to the molding of that thing the call the Timeline.

As such, it might seem to some that many of the Timeline-related creator interviews are useless. After all, if the developers can change their minds about the story direction of any given game, why would it not be the same for the whole shebang? With storylines like Twilight and Minish Cap lacking anything we can truly call specific in-game references, it would not be all that difficult for them to do. And yet with such lack a rampant feature of the Zelda series, creator quotes are sometimes all we have as fans and theorists.

And yet it was not always that complicated. The sequel to the original Legend of Zelda game - The Adventure of Link - was clearly just that: a sequel. Its backstory featured a clear transition from the original, and the same incarnation of the hero, Link. There was no need to worry about a timeline; the series storyline was simple and straightforward. Then along came A Link to the Past. On the flavor text on the back of the game box, it was named prequel to Legend of Zelda, featuring the “ancestors of Link and Zelda.” So for the longest time, this was the gospel truth; A Link to the Past, despite having no direct storyline connections to speak of to its sister title, was lauded as the prequel, and that was that (though, to be fair, the backstory of the game lends itself to that placement). Link’s Awakening followed as the sequel to A Link to the Past, with its prologue placing it easily after the SNES giant.

Some three-quarters of a decade later, Ocarina of Time arrived in stores, designed to tell the story of the Imprisoning War, first heard of in A Link to the Past. In the end of that game, the evil thief Ganondorf is sealed in the darkened Sacred Realm, just as he appears in the outset of Link to the Past, so the intention seemed clear: Ocarina was a prequel to Link to the Past, just as the SNES title was to the original. Or was it that simple? A Nintendo Power journalist made the perhaps-unfortunate mistake of actually asking the mastermind, Mr. Miyamoto himself, how the games tied together. The answer Miyamoto gave?

Miyamoto: Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It’s not very clear where Link’s Awakening fits in - it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time.

Perplexing, to say the least; Mr. Miyamoto’s statements contradicted both Link to the Past’s box text and what seemed to be plain as day in Ocarina. The community first was torn over this very issue. Many, if not most, disregarded them entirely (and continue to do so to this day). Miyamoto, after all, gave nothing to support his timeline, and couldn’t even find a place for Link’s Awakening. Then again, he is the maker, so who are we, as fans, to disagree?

Here are a number of the reasons given for and against the statement (NOTE: whether or not they have any merit whatsoever is entirely irrelevant to my purposes; please don’t interpret this list as my support for or opposition toward any of these justifications):

For the Miyamoto Order:
1. He’s Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series. What he says is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against the Miyamoto Order:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. Miyamoto did not support his answer well enough. He must not be that well-informed.
3. This order is impossible. A Link to the Past is clearly before The Legend of Zelda.

Majora’s Mask was the next installment, and fit easily after Ocarina of Time without question - to a point. By this time, theories regarding the ambiguous ending of Ocarina had already begun circling through the fan base, and some of the more radical of these involved the so-called “ending” of Ocarina taking place in an alternate history in which Ganondorf never got his chance to take over Hyrule. The Wind Waker’s release would bring these theories into the limelight. Following its release, in the summer of 2002:

Question: Where does The Wind Waker fit into the overall Zelda series timeline?
Aonuma: You can think of this game as taking place over a hundred years after Ocarina of Time. You can tell this from the opening story, and there are references to things from Ocarina located throughout the game as well.
Miyamoto: Well, wait, which point does the hundred years start from? Aonuma: From the end.
Miyamoto: No, I mean, as a child or as a…
Aonuma: Oh, right, let me elaborate on that. Ocarina of Time basically has two endings of sorts; one has Link as a child and the other has him as an adult. This game, The Wind Waker, takes place a hundred years after the adult Link defeats Ganon at the end of Ocarina.
Miyamoto: This is pretty confusing for us, too. (laughs) So be careful.

These ideas seemed to fit best in the context of a split timeline (and were later confirmed to), so, for humor’s sake, I am going to pretend that that is all they have ever meant. However, in the light of the Miyamoto placement of the original titles (or even the early Link to the Past alternative) this posed some problems. The Wind Waker ended with a clearly dead Ganon, whereas both Legend of Zelda and Link to the Past began with a very much living one; and that’s not taking into account the complications posed by Hyrule being covered by a giant ocean.

As before, here are the reasons, for and against:

For the Split Timeline:
1. This content was discussed by Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto, the director/producer duo of the Zelda series. What they say is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against the Split Timeline:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. They did not support their answer well enough. It must not really be that important.
3. This order is impossible. All the Ganon games (including Majora’s Mask) clearly reference the events of Adult Ocarina.

(NOTE: “Strange… it sounds somehow… familiar…”)

Around the same time, Four Swords was released for the GameBoy Advance alongside a remake of A Link to the Past. Four Swords did not include any references to other titles in the series, and seemed to many to be a standalone game. At least until another intrepid journalist asked that age-old question. This was the answer he received:

Aonuma: The GBA Four Swords Zelda is what we’re thinking as the oldest tale in the Zelda timeline.

Of course, this interview was tied to the GameCube sequel, Four Swords Adventures, which seemed to feature the same Link from Four Swords, but did not fit well with the climate that would have to follow with it being the oldest tale. Four Swords Adventures had a lot in common with another older title, A Link to the Past. This caused the Four Swords placement, as well, to come under fire.

Reasons for and against:

For Four Swords as first:
1. This content was discussed by Eiji Aonuma, the director/producer of the Zelda series. What he says is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games (The Minish Cap, later) supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against Four Swords as first:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. Aonuma did not support his answer well enough. He must have been misinformed, or his statement must be outdated.
3. This order is impossible. Four Swords is clearly a direct prequel to Four Swords Adventures, which is clearly not before Ocarina of Time.

(Is this getting repetitive yet?)

For sanity’s sake, I am going to stop here. Every single major creator quote that has ever surfaced related to the timeline has come under fire with the same counterarguments, and is supported by the same justification. Interestingly enough, however, not all these quotes are accepted or denied by the fanbase - indeed, the fanbase largely cannot agree on which are good and which are bogus. There are really three extremes, and these quotes represent them all.

The Miyamoto Order quote represents that first extreme - those quotes largely ignored by the Zelda community, despite being largely neutral at the time the statements were made, despite not having been proven to be correct or incorrect by other sources, despite no changes in the chronology surfacing to make them less likely.

Never mind that the head of localization at Nintendo of America backed him up, using specific storyline events in the doing, never mind that recent developments have forced most of us to decide that A Link to the Past is no longer the sole sequel to Ocarina of Time, thereby leaving a gap that Legend of Zelda could easily fill. Miyamoto was clearly wrong, either that, or this order is clearly the result of a translation error.

While I was once of the camp that disagreed with the Split Timeline interpretation of the Wind Waker quotes, I will take the time now to applaud those of you brave enough to hold fast to that interpretation from the beginning. You were right; I was wrong. That said, though, I still must reprimand you all for falling into one of the extreme categories.

This second extreme is that of declaring something that is ambiguous as certain. It is indeed true that Mr. Aonuma said that Ocarina of Time had “two endings” back in 2002. It is not true that Mr. Aonuma made it perfectly clear that those “two endings” were “alternate” endings that took place on alternate timelines branching off from Ocarina. He could have been speaking of two endings “in different time periods” - the past and future. This ambiguity meant that he could either be referring to a Single or Split Timeline. In the end, thank goodness, Mr. Aonuma decided to use a more specific term - “parallel” - putting that headache to rest.

Both sides were guilty of this extreme to some extent (although, in fairness, I must say that the Split side was more arrogant on the issue). I hope we are all willing to admit this. We have not, however, all moved past it. A certain ambiguous quote related to The Minish Cap (which will not be discussed further here) is evidence of that.

The final extreme is less common, and really mostly involves the Four Swords games and those timeline cases in which retcons or “upending” may have taken place. Firstly I would like to point out the final interview quote I cited. Many people will simply take Aonuma’s answer as absolute fact, without double-checking the related content to verify the accuracy of the statement.

While I admit that no clear answer to the Four Swords mystery exists as of yet, I must say that the games do more clearly support Four Swords and Adventures featuring the same hero, as well as Adventures being closer to Link to the Past, which, given that Link to the Past is still squarely “sometime after Ocarina”, would rate the Four Swords statement incorrect. Simply taking the Four Swords quote as truth, given this, is in my opinion a farce.

Those who persist in disagreeing with the Split Timeline, even after the confirmation last winter, do so on equal grounds. Because earlier creator quotes tell us that Twilight Princess is after Ocarina and before Wind Waker, all evidence suggesting a new timeline is simply inadmissible. The earlier statement must be taken as true, newer statements notwithstanding, simply because that is the easier answer to accept.

And those are my thoughts, my grievances, and my opinions. All creator quotes may have equal merit, all of them may even be correct, but most people will not place them on an even keel. As such, the importance creator quotes have to the timeline, outside of one single, solitary, detailed-enough-to-be-interpreted-fairly-objectively Twilight-related quote, is fairly subjective. Quotes are not an expression of developer intent - they are the words of the developers, saying what we think they ought to be saying.

I leave you with this: Yes, the creators may change their minds a lot, and their stories may seem inconsistent at times, but that’s only because we - the fans - are so dead-set in our ways that we can’t understand why it would possibly be that way. Whether you fall into any of the extremes I pointed out above or not, please stop tearing their words to shreds in a vain attempt to add your own meaning to them. Let them speak for themselves. It is their creative vision that shapes the series, not ours. Why should it be any different with out-of-game content or interview information?

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The following article is an opinion piece, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

As I am sure most any Zelda series theorist you meet on the street will tell you, the series creators have been rather fickle in their progression of the overall Zelda storyline, what we know as the Timeline. In many ways, I am inclined to agree with them. Over the course of development of a number of the series giants - The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess being foremost - the developers have shown that they are quick to change their minds about what sort of storyline any given Zelda title they have, and how that title should relate to the series at large. With The Wind Waker, the original idea seems to have been to place it as a prequel to Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess was supposed to fall between Ocarina and Wind Waker. Now we know that neither of these is the case.

The creators have attributed such drastic direction changes to a phenomenon they call “upending the tea table,” usually exercised by the beloved Shigeru Miyamoto, and usually very close to the end of development. This “upending” can involve gameplay features, character design, or even storyline, of all things. As one might expect, being forced to overhaul a project at crunch time often results in stress, sleep deprivation, and our two most favoritest things in the whole wide world: delays and/or rushed games. We had the chance to enjoy through the former with Ocarina and Twilight; the latter with Wind Waker. But, delays and rushed releases aside, it is this “upending of the tea table” that in large part contributes to the molding of that thing the call the Timeline.

As such, it might seem to some that many of the Timeline-related creator interviews are useless. After all, if the developers can change their minds about the story direction of any given game, why would it not be the same for the whole shebang? With storylines like Twilight and Minish Cap lacking anything we can truly call specific in-game references, it would not be all that difficult for them to do. And yet with such lack a rampant feature of the Zelda series, creator quotes are sometimes all we have as fans and theorists.

And yet it was not always that complicated. The sequel to the original Legend of Zelda game - The Adventure of Link - was clearly just that: a sequel. Its backstory featured a clear transition from the original, and the same incarnation of the hero, Link. There was no need to worry about a timeline; the series storyline was simple and straightforward. Then along came A Link to the Past. On the flavor text on the back of the game box, it was named prequel to Legend of Zelda, featuring the “ancestors of Link and Zelda.” So for the longest time, this was the gospel truth; A Link to the Past, despite having no direct storyline connections to speak of to its sister title, was lauded as the prequel, and that was that (though, to be fair, the backstory of the game lends itself to that placement). Link’s Awakening followed as the sequel to A Link to the Past, with its prologue placing it easily after the SNES giant.

Some three-quarters of a decade later, Ocarina of Time arrived in stores, designed to tell the story of the Imprisoning War, first heard of in A Link to the Past. In the end of that game, the evil thief Ganondorf is sealed in the darkened Sacred Realm, just as he appears in the outset of Link to the Past, so the intention seemed clear: Ocarina was a prequel to Link to the Past, just as the SNES title was to the original. Or was it that simple? A Nintendo Power journalist made the perhaps-unfortunate mistake of actually asking the mastermind, Mr. Miyamoto himself, how the games tied together. The answer Miyamoto gave?

Miyamoto: Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It’s not very clear where Link’s Awakening fits in - it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time.

Perplexing, to say the least; Mr. Miyamoto’s statements contradicted both Link to the Past’s box text and what seemed to be plain as day in Ocarina. The community first was torn over this very issue. Many, if not most, disregarded them entirely (and continue to do so to this day). Miyamoto, after all, gave nothing to support his timeline, and couldn’t even find a place for Link’s Awakening. Then again, he is the maker, so who are we, as fans, to disagree?

Here are a number of the reasons given for and against the statement (NOTE: whether or not they have any merit whatsoever is entirely irrelevant to my purposes; please don’t interpret this list as my support for or opposition toward any of these justifications):

For the Miyamoto Order:
1. He’s Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series. What he says is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against the Miyamoto Order:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. Miyamoto did not support his answer well enough. He must not be that well-informed.
3. This order is impossible. A Link to the Past is clearly before The Legend of Zelda.

Majora’s Mask was the next installment, and fit easily after Ocarina of Time without question - to a point. By this time, theories regarding the ambiguous ending of Ocarina had already begun circling through the fan base, and some of the more radical of these involved the so-called “ending” of Ocarina taking place in an alternate history in which Ganondorf never got his chance to take over Hyrule. The Wind Waker’s release would bring these theories into the limelight. Following its release, in the summer of 2002:

Question: Where does The Wind Waker fit into the overall Zelda series timeline?
Aonuma: You can think of this game as taking place over a hundred years after Ocarina of Time. You can tell this from the opening story, and there are references to things from Ocarina located throughout the game as well.
Miyamoto: Well, wait, which point does the hundred years start from? Aonuma: From the end.
Miyamoto: No, I mean, as a child or as a…
Aonuma: Oh, right, let me elaborate on that. Ocarina of Time basically has two endings of sorts; one has Link as a child and the other has him as an adult. This game, The Wind Waker, takes place a hundred years after the adult Link defeats Ganon at the end of Ocarina.
Miyamoto: This is pretty confusing for us, too. (laughs) So be careful.

These ideas seemed to fit best in the context of a split timeline (and were later confirmed to), so, for humor’s sake, I am going to pretend that that is all they have ever meant. However, in the light of the Miyamoto placement of the original titles (or even the early Link to the Past alternative) this posed some problems. The Wind Waker ended with a clearly dead Ganon, whereas both Legend of Zelda and Link to the Past began with a very much living one; and that’s not taking into account the complications posed by Hyrule being covered by a giant ocean.

As before, here are the reasons, for and against:

For the Split Timeline:
1. This content was discussed by Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto, the director/producer duo of the Zelda series. What they say is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against the Split Timeline:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. They did not support their answer well enough. It must not really be that important.
3. This order is impossible. All the Ganon games (including Majora’s Mask) clearly reference the events of Adult Ocarina.

(NOTE: “Strange… it sounds somehow… familiar…”)

Around the same time, Four Swords was released for the GameBoy Advance alongside a remake of A Link to the Past. Four Swords did not include any references to other titles in the series, and seemed to many to be a standalone game. At least until another intrepid journalist asked that age-old question. This was the answer he received:

Aonuma: The GBA Four Swords Zelda is what we’re thinking as the oldest tale in the Zelda timeline.

Of course, this interview was tied to the GameCube sequel, Four Swords Adventures, which seemed to feature the same Link from Four Swords, but did not fit well with the climate that would have to follow with it being the oldest tale. Four Swords Adventures had a lot in common with another older title, A Link to the Past. This caused the Four Swords placement, as well, to come under fire.

Reasons for and against:

For Four Swords as first:
1. This content was discussed by Eiji Aonuma, the director/producer of the Zelda series. What he says is canon.
2. Other evidence related to the games (The Minish Cap, later) supports this order, even if certain obvious plot devices must be ignored.

Against Four Swords as first:
1. The interview was originally in Japanese. It must have been a mistranslation.
2. Aonuma did not support his answer well enough. He must have been misinformed, or his statement must be outdated.
3. This order is impossible. Four Swords is clearly a direct prequel to Four Swords Adventures, which is clearly not before Ocarina of Time.

(Is this getting repetitive yet?)

For sanity’s sake, I am going to stop here. Every single major creator quote that has ever surfaced related to the timeline has come under fire with the same counterarguments, and is supported by the same justification. Interestingly enough, however, not all these quotes are accepted or denied by the fanbase - indeed, the fanbase largely cannot agree on which are good and which are bogus. There are really three extremes, and these quotes represent them all.

The Miyamoto Order quote represents that first extreme - those quotes largely ignored by the Zelda community, despite being largely neutral at the time the statements were made, despite not having been proven to be correct or incorrect by other sources, despite no changes in the chronology surfacing to make them less likely.

Never mind that the head of localization at Nintendo of America backed him up, using specific storyline events in the doing, never mind that recent developments have forced most of us to decide that A Link to the Past is no longer the sole sequel to Ocarina of Time, thereby leaving a gap that Legend of Zelda could easily fill. Miyamoto was clearly wrong, either that, or this order is clearly the result of a translation error.

While I was once of the camp that disagreed with the Split Timeline interpretation of the Wind Waker quotes, I will take the time now to applaud those of you brave enough to hold fast to that interpretation from the beginning. You were right; I was wrong. That said, though, I still must reprimand you all for falling into one of the extreme categories.

This second extreme is that of declaring something that is ambiguous as certain. It is indeed true that Mr. Aonuma said that Ocarina of Time had “two endings” back in 2002. It is not true that Mr. Aonuma made it perfectly clear that those “two endings” were “alternate” endings that took place on alternate timelines branching off from Ocarina. He could have been speaking of two endings “in different time periods” - the past and future. This ambiguity meant that he could either be referring to a Single or Split Timeline. In the end, thank goodness, Mr. Aonuma decided to use a more specific term - “parallel” - putting that headache to rest.

Both sides were guilty of this extreme to some extent (although, in fairness, I must say that the Split side was more arrogant on the issue). I hope we are all willing to admit this. We have not, however, all moved past it. A certain ambiguous quote related to The Minish Cap (which will not be discussed further here) is evidence of that.

The final extreme is less common, and really mostly involves the Four Swords games and those timeline cases in which retcons or “upending” may have taken place. Firstly I would like to point out the final interview quote I cited. Many people will simply take Aonuma’s answer as absolute fact, without double-checking the related content to verify the accuracy of the statement.

While I admit that no clear answer to the Four Swords mystery exists as of yet, I must say that the games do more clearly support Four Swords and Adventures featuring the same hero, as well as Adventures being closer to Link to the Past, which, given that Link to the Past is still squarely “sometime after Ocarina”, would rate the Four Swords statement incorrect. Simply taking the Four Swords quote as truth, given this, is in my opinion a farce.

Those who persist in disagreeing with the Split Timeline, even after the confirmation last winter, do so on equal grounds. Because earlier creator quotes tell us that Twilight Princess is after Ocarina and before Wind Waker, all evidence suggesting a new timeline is simply inadmissible. The earlier statement must be taken as true, newer statements notwithstanding, simply because that is the easier answer to accept.

And those are my thoughts, my grievances, and my opinions. All creator quotes may have equal merit, all of them may even be correct, but most people will not place them on an even keel. As such, the importance creator quotes have to the timeline, outside of one single, solitary, detailed-enough-to-be-interpreted-fairly-objectively Twilight-related quote, is fairly subjective. Quotes are not an expression of developer intent - they are the words of the developers, saying what we think they ought to be saying.

I leave you with this: Yes, the creators may change their minds a lot, and their stories may seem inconsistent at times, but that’s only because we - the fans - are so dead-set in our ways that we can’t understand why it would possibly be that way. Whether you fall into any of the extremes I pointed out above or not, please stop tearing their words to shreds in a vain attempt to add your own meaning to them. Let them speak for themselves. It is their creative vision that shapes the series, not ours. Why should it be any different with out-of-game content or interview information?

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All other member functions still work. Don’t let this downtime drag you down… submit to us a user review now! I’ve moved the UR thread in here in the meantime. If there is a game you want to review that isn’t in the database, give me a yell and I’ll get it added. Arcade and blog functions still work as well, but it is likely any scores or posts will not carry over to the restored backup. Since the main site is on a separate database, however, anything done there (comments and user reviews) will remain in-tact when we get things restored.” - CaptainCornflake from this thread.

As you can see we need as much help as we can get. Post as much as you can to get the forums and the site back up to its rising glory. We’d all greatly appreciate it.

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The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

The Oocca are definitely one of the strangest new races ever introduced into the Legend of Zelda series. Their very existence has confused and angered fans. From their odd appearance to the claims of their great power, they are one of the more love it or hate it additions to the series. This dislike of the Oocca seems to come from a misunderstanding that I hope to rectify with this article.

Before I do anything else I’ll show you the legend of the Oocca as stated by Shad in Twilight Princess.

What most people seem to gather from this that the Oocca somehow physically created the Hylian people, which would make the Oocca a vastly superior race. Needless to say that doesn’t usually go over well, and people either dismiss it as a rumor or outright deny it. What I hope to do is explain the role of the Oocca by analyzing this legend, which is the cause of most of the confusion.

The legend starts out simple enough. Hyrule being made by the Hylians most likely refers to whenever the Kingdom was first established, as the Hylians couldn’t possibly have shaped the land itself. It could be referring to the events preceding Ocarina of Time, with the king unifying the country, or it could be something else. Its not important because it’s not in dispute here. Now for the closeness to the Gods, I believe that stems back to A Link to the Past with this quote from the manual.

So what I take from this is that the Hylian’s “Closeness to the Gods” is shown by their ability to hear messages from the Gods and their ability to use magic. This earned them a great amount of respect from other races which eventually translated to the Hylians believing themselves better then the other races, or “Closer to the Gods”.

Now we actually get to the Oocca. Now assuming what I established earlier as what “Closeness to the Gods” is was true, this is easily explained. The Oocca are arguably the most technology advanced race encountered in a Zelda game to date. This is demonstrated in two main ways: the City in the Sky and the Dominion Rod. The City in the Sky seems to harness the power of the winds to stay aloft indefinitely, while the Dominion rod breathes life into inanimate stone (this may or may not be magic, but as it is still very advanced, I’ll use it). It is also very possible that the Spinner is of their design, as Spinner based machines are found in the City in the Sky. This use of technology is in stark contrast to the more primitive Hylian people.

The Hylia, being a race based on religion and magic, would judge anything or anyone they came into contact with based on these. The high technology of the Oocca would appear to be a very advanced magic. Now if they assumed the race which had the most powerful magic was closest to the Gods, then the Oocca would be the most obvious choice to fill that role.

Now we get to the part that causes some people to hate the Oocca. I’d like to point out something first, notice how its says “some” people make this claim. This makes it seem like, within the realm of the game, this is only someone’s theory, and not a proven fact. However I will assume there are grounds to this theory and give two possible explanations.

The first concerns the Dominion Rod. As I stated earlier and as shown in the game this device is able to give inanimate objects what seems to be life. To anybody witnessing this rod being wielded it would appear that the user was able to breath life into the lifeless stone. Its not too great a leap from that to believing someone has the god-like power to create life. From there it would only take a simple misunderstanding to make someone believe the Oocca could have given life to the Hylians.

The second theory (and far more plausible to me) is that the Oocca helped create the Hylian Kingdom, rather then the race itself. It is stated by Impaz that the Oocca and the Hylian Royalty used to keep in contact with each other.

Seeing as we know the Oocca shared their technology with the Hylians (Dominion Rod, Clawshot, and possibly the Spinner) I think its safe to assume that they would have used their abilities to help the Hylian royalty. An example of this help could be in construction, as the Oocca seem to excel at building despite their physical limitations. Evidence for this can be seen in the presence of Spinner-based objects (machines, walls, respectively) in both the City in the Sky and in Hyrule Castle. With the knowledge of the Oocca to aid them, it would have been easier for the royal family to unify the tribes and found the Kingdom of Hyrule, the seat of Hylian power.

This obviously refers to the creation of the City in the Sky. In order to maintain contact with the Hylians from their city, they would have most likely used the Messenger of the Heavens (the role you take up in Twilight Princess), and as they gave the messenger the Dominion Rod, it further supports my theory of them sharing technology. Also supporting the theory is that it says they both created the Hylia and built their city simultaneously, which means they would have had to communicate through the messenger, who reported to the royal family.

So this places the “creation” of the Hylia and the founding of the kingdom (as a royal family can only be royal if they rule over a country) at about the same time. We know that Hyrule was founded after the Hylia came into being by common sense, and by this quote of the Deku Tree Sprout from Ocarina of Time.

So this shows that the creation of the Hylia was awhile before the founding of Hyrule, meaning the Oocca couldn’t have created the Hylia as a people, but could have help founded the Hylian nation.

So from what I’ve established here the history of the Oocca in relation to the Hylian people go as follows. First the Gods create the world, then they create life, more importantly to this topic the Oocca and the Hylians (the Oocca could have been made first as they seem to have had time to advance). The Oocca live separately from the other races, away from what would become Hyrule. The Oocca then establish a connection with the Hylians, more specifically the royal family, through the Messenger of the Heavens. The Hylians use this knowledge to unify and found Hyrule, while at the same time the Oocca create and dwell in the City in the Sky. The royal family maintain contact with them until the knowledge of how to is lost. Time passes until the events of Twilight Princess, where contact is made again

So I hope this clears up some misconceptions about the Oocca. They are not some all-powerful race who created the Hylians, they are simply allies of the royal family who helped found Hyrule. This way the previous history given in other games is not overridden, but added to. The Oocca remain an odd, hidden, but very influential part of Hylian history.

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For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the contest and the widget, please visit www.Zelda.com.

Source:Nintendo Press Release

They’ve also released this Phantom Hourglass countdown Widget.

The Zelda Universe is, and always will be, full of mysteries. From the ways in which the lands of Termina and Hyrule are intertwined, to the question of who Link was really searching in the opening of Majora’s Mask. There’s one mystery however, that many feel is one of the biggest oddities in the history of Hyrule: what caused the Zoras to evolve into the Ritos. At first glance, it would seem likely that the Zoras, a tribe of aquatic fish-like creatures, would thrive in the environment after The Great Flood. So why would a tribe of fish change in an environment that seems to be more suitable? Moreover, what could cause such a change to occur? Before we explore too deep into this matter however, there is one thing that is needed to be made clear: the Rito did in fact evolve from the Zora.

We know this is true for several reasons, mainly a quote from Laruto, the Zora Sage:

The one who carries on the Zora bloodline is Medli, who is a member of the Rito tribe.

To go along with this, on the front of her clothing is the emblem of the Zoras, otherwise known as the Zora’s Sapphire.

It’s obvious that during the years between Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, something happened causing the Zoras to take to the skies and grow wings. Was it natural? Or was it Nintendo feeling the need to add a new race to the series? If so, then why would they tie them to the Zora?

We all know from The Wind Waker that Hyrule has been extremely altered since it was last seen in Ocarina of Time. In the absence of a hero, the Gods resorted to flooding Hyrule to keep the Evil King Ganondorf away from the sacred land. In an oceanic environment, the Zoras would have easy access to such a place. It may be that the Gods felt Ganondorf might threaten the Zoras, who were capable of reaching Hyrule in its underwater state, so in turn they changed the Zoras into the Ritos, preventing the Evil King from ever doing such a thing. The fewer that know of Hyrule and its location, the safer Hyrule is.

There is a quote from Medli that some consider disproves this theory:

This seems to illustrate that the evolution between the two tribes was a gradual process, not an instant change suggested by the above theory. Unless of course, the Gods caused this gradual evolution to take place, and by making it seem natural, prevented anger towards the Gods. Fearing that if the Zora knew that they weren’t trusted by the Gods, this would cause outrage towards the Creators of Hyrule, which would not be needed in a time when the focus should be on ridding the land of the Evil King, Ganondorf. If you look at it that way, then Medli’s quote is meaningless.

It may be their location however, that caused the evolution to take place. In The Wind Waker, there is no sign of Zora’s Domain, as it was most likely lost in The Great Flood. Without a place to call home, the Zoras evacuated their Domain and began living on the recently abandoned Death Mountain. Remember, the mountain no longer serves as a habitat for the Gorons, as they have moved out into other regions of The Great Sea.

It’s here on Death Mountain, where the Zora people came in contact with Valoo, a close relative of sorts of Volvagia, and in turn changed the name of the island to Dragon Roost Isle. Valoo, who sits high atop this mountain, is described by the Rito as being the ‘sky spirit’, much in the same way that The Great Deku is called the spirit of the forest. We know from the he Great Deku Tree’s foretelling of Link’s heroic fate in Ocarina of Time that these spirits seem to have the ability to sense future events. With Valoo being a spirit as well, it’s likely that he also shares this ability, and by using it predicted that Ganondorf could possibly use the Zora to gain entrance to Hyrule. Now knowing this, he either changed the Zora himself, or drew help from the Goddesses of Creation in order to keep the land safe.

Both cases illustrate the evolution being a process ensued by the Gods, not by nature. If you take a moment to try and consider other reasons of the evolution, none seem to make sense. It would seem to make sense that the Zora may have evolved in order to gain benefits as hunters. Evolving into bird-like creatures is the perfect adaptation in an oceanic environment, as the oceans are full of that in which they hunt. In The Wind Waker, however, this is not the case. Despite your occasional Giant Octorock or Fishman, the sea is completely barren of fish. As quoted by the leader of the Salvage Corps:

Let us also take a moment to consider what has happened to the other races during the aftermath of The Great Flood. As we’ve come to learn in Phantom Hourglass, the Gorons and Gerudo are actually quite alive. You would think that the race in the most need to evolve would be the Gorons, yet they are seemingly unchanged from the events of Ocarina of Time, which took place hundreds of years earlier. If the Gorons found a way to survive, it’s reasonable to think that a tribe of what are essentially fish could find a way to live on as well.

It has come to be my opinion after gathering these facts, that the conversion of the Zoras into the Ritos was not the work of nature, but of the work of the Gods. Whether it was the work of the Creators of Hyrule―Din, Farore, and Nayru―to protect the legendary Kingdom of Hyrule, or the work of Valoo―the great Sky Spirit of Dragon Roost Isle―to protect his people from oncoming danger, I feel that these are the two strongest answers to the question of the Zora/Rito evolution.

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The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

At first, it would seem obvious that Link from Ocarina of Time was the first hero in Hyrule’s history. It has been stated several times by the developers that Ocarina of Time was the first story in the Zelda timeline (see footnotes), but could it be that a hero existed long before it? Was there in fact a hero before Ocarina of Time? Throughout this article, I will try to prove to you that there was a hero before the events of the Nintendo 64 classic.

We’ll start off with two quotes from in game text in Ocarina of Time: one from Sheik and the other from Kaepora Gaebora. Both seem to speak of what would appear to be a hero who existed long ago.

Let us begin with the quote from Sheik. After awakening in your adult body in the Temple of Time, she has this to say: “As I see you standing there holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time.”

This quote seems to suggest either that adult Link (1) looks more suitable to fit the title “legendary Hero of Time” or that (2) Link actually looks like this previous hero in his adult body. Calling Link legendary before even beginning the adult portion of his quest wouldn’t make a lot of sense, therefore it’s likely she meant the second option.

Now onto the quote from Kaepora Gaebora, who some feel is a reincarnation of an ancient sage, possibly even Rauru, the sage of light. The wise old owl has this to say: “Even I thought the tales of a boy who could travel back and forth through time was merely a legend.” The actual meaning of this sentence is unclear, as Kaepora Gaebora could have been referring to what Link had accomplished in the Spirit Temple prior to his monologue. A more plausible answer however, is that Link’s deeds reminded him of a previous hero. After seeing Link travel through time to solve a part of the Spirit Temple, he remembered the tales he had heard of a boy who had done it all before, possibly the same “legendary Hero” mentioned by Sheik. It certainly fits better than the first reason, as it’s unlikely these “legendary tales” were referring to Link from Ocarina of Time, as his journey was yet to be completed when this was said.

Just who is this supposed hero? One can’t be entirely sure, but whoever he is, he seems to be mentioned again throughout Twilight Princess. Twilight Princess’s precise placement in the timeline is disputed by fans, most likely because the only reason we have towards its place is a developer quote. And in the Zelda series, developers have been very fickle about the timeline, and one can’t always be sure they know exactly what they’re talking about. Nevertheless, as quoted by Eiji Aonuma, the director of Twilight Princess, in volume 211 of Nintendo Power:

NP: How is Twilight Princess connected to Ocarina of Time?
EA: Twilight Princess was developed with Ocarina of Time as its starting point, so there are aspects of the story that are based on Ocarina of Time. The main connection is that Twilight Princess is set [some hundreds of] years after Ocarina of Time.

Despite the concern over the authenticity of developer quotes, as well as the numerous changes of Twilight Princess’s place in the timeline throughout its development, many go with this placement, as it was said by Eiji Aonuma right around the time of the games release.

Onto the point however. Throughout Twilight Princess, an ancient hero is mentioned several times. Whether it’s the tunic you wear, or the bow you receive in the Goron Mines, they are both said to of been used by an ancient hero. Along with this, a quote from Renaldo, the Shaman of Kakariko Village:

“In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero…and your deeds bring them to mind.”

There’s that word again. No matter which definition of ancient you’re using, they all refer to something that took place a countless amount of years ago. If Eiji Aonuma’s quote is to be believed, that Twilight Princess is set about a hundred years after Ocarina of Time, then the word “ancient” doesn’t seem befitting. Even though “about a hundred years” in the Zelda Universe usually is more than a hundred years, why use the word ancient? The word would better describe something from thousands of years ago, not hundreds, and that’s why I feel the legendary hero spoke of by Sheik and Kaepora are one in the same with the ancient hero mentioned in Twilight Princess.

To further prove this claim, we will look at a theory from fellow Bomber Seran Aileron regarding the Temple of Time. He suggests that the temple may have been used to worship the Hero of Time, much in the same way that the Jewish Messiah was worshipped throughout the Judeo-Christian religion. While I agree that the Temple of Time is somehow connected to the Hero of Time, I believe they’re connected in a completely different way. Instead of the Temple being built to pray for Hyrule’s savior, it’s possible that the temple built to worship an already existing hero during that time.

Thousands of years before the events of Ocarina of Time, Hyrule may have been saved by this supposed hero, and after completing his quest, had a temple erected in his honor. This hero would soon be called “the Hero of Time”, and if everything said so far is to be believed, then it’s likely that the temple was named after him as well. If you think about it, why else would the Temple of Time be called what it is? If its only use was to enter the Sacred Realm, why call in the Temple of Time? I would say it’s because the temple, and everything else thats name is followed by “of time” for that matter, were named after the same legendary hero spoke of by Sheik, Kaepora Gaebora, and Renaldo.

If the temple was indeed built and/or named after him, it would certainly shine light on the origins of the Master Sword as well. Sometime after Hyrule was saved, and knowing the prosperity wouldn’t last forever, this Hero’s sword would of been placed in the temple, and whoever could pull if from the pedestal would be the one destined to do what its master did thousands of years earlier.

The pieces of information I’ve gathered may prove little by themselves, but when looked at as a whole, hopefully things make more sense. I don’t exactly know what this may prove, but I found it interesting and I hope you did too. Who knows, maybe we will see a game detailing these events sometime in the future!

Footnotes:

November 19th 1998, from Nintendo Power Source:

NP: Where do all the Zelda games fall into place when arranged chronologically by their stories?
Miyamoto: Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It’s not very clear where Link’s Awakening fits in—it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time.

Hyrulean Hotspots: The Temple of Time - By Seran Aileron

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In all directions, reddish-orange clouds hover above the horizon. High in the sky, a menacing moon rests, meters above the city below. A bell chimes, and echoes throughout all of Termina. Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon; none are deaf to the foreboding chime. As seconds turn to minutes, and minutes turn to hours, the clouds slowly creep toward Clock Town as the bell keeps ringing. Now illuminated by the bent rays of the rising sun, the clouds begin to turn a bright pink. The moon is about to kiss the top of the tower, where a small imp wearing a mask is dancing. In the final moments of the world, all is peaceful.

It is a scene we have all witnessed. For each of us who have played Majora’s Mask, there was a day when you decided to just wait for the end of the world. Some of us simply skipped to the final day and waited until the moon came down, to see what kind of destruction would ensue, while others of us simply wandered around, talking to people to get an idea of what they were thinking. Those who did the latter were able to hear some very interesting information about the personal lives of the people, and from the emotions the people displayed, had a feeling that the world was truly coming to an end.

Over the past week, I’ve been wandering through Termina’s final three days, manipulating people’s schedules and watching how they react to the knowledge that their world is coming to an end. I’ve completed side quests in one cycle, only to abandon them in the next. Each and every action and lack thereof made the characters speak and act differently. In my research, I noticed quite a few characters’ personalities changing from what they originally were at the start of the three days into one that was completely different. Another thing I noticed was that the people could easily be organized into different groups based upon their personality. In this article, I shall use quotes from various people of Termina to figure out what their personality is like, put them into groups with similar people, and make further inferences.

The first people you see when you enter Clock Town are the carpenters building the Carnival Tower. On the first day, you can see many of them walking around South Clock Town with beams, but on top of the Carnival Tower is a thin carpenter, who’s apparently the apprentice of the carpenter standing on the nearby stairs. If you speak to him he says that the moon has gotten bigger. On the second day, you can’t find him anywhere. He’s apparently fled from town, in fear of the falling moon. He, like many others, has simply abandoned everything to save his own life.

On the next day, you can see fewer carpenters working on the Carnival Tower. Apparently, the apprentice wasn’t the only one who decided to leave town. However, just like the day before, there is an irritated carpenter standing in front of a defense corps. recruitment poster. The man is so angry that when you try talking to him, he just keeps shouting to himself. “Bwah! I won’t run! I’m stickin’ with my parents! I’m diff’rent from you cowards!” It seems that, regardless of what’s going to happen, he wants to be with the people who have cared for and raised him all his life.

On the third day, there are now only a few carpenters left working on the Carnival Tower. Half of them are doubting whether the tower will get finished in time, and one of them is even telling his friend that he’s leaving town as well. Again, over by the recruitment poster, is the angry carpenter. “Bwah! I’m not gonna run! Not me! You got that? I’m Master Mutoh’s apprentice!” Waiting until nightfall will reveal that every carpenter has left, including the one who made it quite clear he wasn’t leaving. The only person who remains in South Clock Town, besides the gate guard, is Mutoh, the boss of the carpenters. Even by looking at him, you can tell he’s quite angry. If you speak to him, you see just how angry he is.

Mutoh, Boss of the Carpenters
“Cowards! All of you! Not a one of you stayed! My apprentice will be disgusted with all of you! Hmph! I’ll have a fine carnival without you… If you’re gonna fall, then fall already!”

Little does he know, his apprentice also fled from town, most likely with his parents. Let’s now rewind time, back to the Dawn of the First Day, and look for someone else to stalk for the next 72 hours. This is quite an easy decision, really. Each gate of Clock Town has a soldier making sure no children get out and no monsters get in. If you speak to them on the first day, they don’t really say anything interesting. They just tell you where you can get to by going through the gate they’re guarding. It’s not until the final day that they start saying anything interesting. If you talk to the gate guard in West Clock Town on the Night of the Final Day, he has this to say:

West Gate Guard
“Wait just a moment! Are you alone? Aren’t your parents still somewhere in town? Well, whatever you do, you had better get as far away from here as you can. And there are still people lingering in the stores… If only an evacuation notice had been posted, I would be able to force them all to leave…”

This guard apparently cares very much for the people, but sees that the only way he can save them is by using force to make them leave. It is such an unfortunate thing that someone sworn to protect the people can’t do a thing to save them… On the opposite side of town, in East Clock Town, there is another gate guard who has been spending some time thinking. If you speak to him on the Night of the Final Day, he says the following:

East Gate Guard
“Wait just a moment! If you believe that the moon truly is falling, you’d best leave town immediately! Those who remain in town either don’t believe the rumors or have given up all hope. It pains my heart to see children still playing in the streets because they have no idea what’s going on…”

This guard brings up some interesting points. Whenever there is a predicted natural disaster, there will be people who doubt the destructive power of what’s about to happen. These people tend to stay at home, only to fall victim to the disaster. Furthermore, whenever there is a disaster, children will likely not be informed. Their parents will simply say that they are all going somewhere, to try and keep from frightening the child. The fact that there are still children playing in the streets when this disaster is about to happen is very unsettling, as the guard says.

All the guards feel the same way. They wish to know what is going on and help the people, but because they can’t leave their posts, they are unable to do so. It is such an ironic thing, really, for those sworn to protect people to be unable to save them from their own demise. Some of the guards themselves wish to flee, but like so many other people, are unable to do so because of their duties.

Now that we’re at the end of another three day cycle, let’s go back in time again. Let’s look for someone else to follow, shall we? Well, we just discussed the carpenters and and soldiers, so why don’t we try finding the bosses of the two groups? Let’s head over to northern East Clock Town, and wait until the Mayor’s office opens. After the man with the large neck ruffle walks in the door, go inside. Walk to the door on the left, and step inside to be met with a loud ruckus. Talk to someone in the room to listen in on the conversation…

Viscen, Head of Defense Corps.
“Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the Mayor’s orders. The only ones left are public servants and committee members… Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!”

Mayor Dotour
“Ahh…hmm…well…”

Mutoh, Head of Carnival Committee
“You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall? The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, groundless theory. The soldiers couldn’t prevent the panic, but outside the town walls is where the danger is! You want answers? The answer is that the carnival should not be canceled! Isn’t that right, Mr. Mayor?”

Mayor Dotour
“Ahh…hmm…well…”

Viscen
“Are you serious, Mutoh?!? It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn’t caught your eye! At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty? Clearly, it’s your job to ensure the carnival’s operation, but that’s if people are here for it! Don’t drag the merchants and soldiers into this!”

Mayor Dotour
“Mmm…Hmm…”

Mutoh
“If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen! We councilmen will stick to tradition. This carnival will be a success! I’ve never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town! Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn’t she, Mayor Dotour?”

Mayor Dotour
“...Let’s not bring my wife into this.”

It’s quite a heated argument they’re having, isn’t it? Well, let’s take a closer look at it, shall we? Viscen, the leader of the town’s defense unit, is saying that the whole town needs to be evacuated. Most of the people have already left of their own accord, with the only remaining people being those who run shops and work for the city. Mutoh, on the other hand, does not believe the moon is falling. He is what is known in our world as a conservative. He wishes to stick to old traditions, and is often unable to accept anyone’s opinion but his own.

If you come back on the Final Day, you’ll see Viscen and another guard standing outside the Mayor’s office, discussing the Mayor’s decision to continue the Carnival of Time. If you go inside the Mayor’s office and speak to him, he tells you that Mutoh threatened to bring Madame Aroma into the debate, so that is why he decided not to cancel the carnival. If you’re wondering where Mutoh is, he’s at the Carnival Tower yelling at the moon. Again, we are at the end of our three days, so let’s go back in time.

Now that we’re back at the Clock Tower, at the beginning of a new three days, and a world now exists somewhere in which a two-headed Romani and fur-faced Kafei try to make sense of their mutated bodies amidst half a dozen copies of Anju, let us find someone else to pester for three days. Well, since we just listened in on Mayor Dotour’s meeting, let’s go see what his wife’s up to. She’s in the same building in East Clock Town, only she’s in the room on the right.

Remember that guy you had to wait on to get into the Mayor’s Office? Of course you do, since you just saw him when you went in the Mayor’s office again. Anyway, he’s got a meeting scheduled with Madame Aroma this morning. While he’s talking with the receptionist, go ahead and enter Madame Aroma’s office. Wait for the overly dressed man to enter the office and speak to Madame Aroma, then listen in on what they say.

The man introduces himself as Gorman, head of the Gorman Troupe. He then thanks Madame Aroma for allowing his troupe to perform at the carnival, only to learn that the opening performance has been canceled. Gorman is quite angry after hearing this news, so he’s going to leave. Follow him and you’ll end up at the Milk Bar. You can’t really do anything when you’re there, so just wait until the Milk Bar opens at 10:00 pm. Use the Romani Mask to get inside, then speak to Gorman. You’ll find that he’s already quite drunk. How very typical of people to drink their misery away…

Near Gorman there’s the same Zora who was inside Madame Aroma’s office. Speak with him, and he’ll say that he wants to do a sound check and will tell you to take the stage and play certain notes. Do this while wearing each of your transformation masks to find that you’ve been playing the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Hearing this tune will soften Gorman’s heart, and he’ll give you the Circus Leader’s Mask. We’re done here, so you can go outside.

Fast-forward to the Dawn of the Second Day with the Double Song of Time. Now we have to find Gorman again, which really isn’t that hard. Just go to the Stock Pot Inn, up to the second floor, and into the room farthest from you. Oh, but wait, he’s sleeping… If you get close and listen to him, he’ll mumble something about leaving tomorrow. Since he was up half the night drinking, he’s got a pretty bad hangover. He sleeps all day long, so just exit the Inn and fast-forward to the Night of the Second Day. Go back inside the Inn and to the same room, and he’ll be playing cards with the twin jugglers. When you talk to him, he tells you that he’s decided to leave tomorrow. He then asks if you’re going to flee, and if you have nowhere else to go, you should go to Gorman Ranch in the south. Then he says something which really says a lot about his personality…

Gorman
“My older brother… He’s a nice guy.”

Gorman is the kind of person that loves his family, no matter how much hardship they’ve put him through. Judging by his drunken rantings in the Milk Bar on the First Day, he apparently didn’t get much respect or recognition while growing up. Despite this, he’s done his best to lead a successful life in what it is he wants to do. If you then go to Gorman Ranch and wear the mask he gave you in the Milk Bar, you can see the cold glaress of the Gorman Brothers melt into warm, compassionate faces. Truly this is a family that loves and cares for each other, despite what experiences they may have had.

Time to go back again, so let’s play the Song of Time. As per usual, we’ll find someone to follow near the area we were last. Since we were at the Gorman Track, the next place where there’s people would be Romani Ranch. But, as we all know, the path to the ranch has been blocked by a large boulder. Find yourself fifty Rupees to buy a Powder Keg, then warp to Milk Road and blow up the boulder. Enter the ranch, and head up to Romani. Complete her training, then accept to help her defend the barn. While we’re waiting for 2:00 am to roll around, let’s go check on someone else in Romani Ranch.

Go to the western part of Romani Ranch, then enter the Cucco Shack. Inside is a weird-looking man named Grog sitting beneath a tree, surrounded by young cuccos. If you speak to him, he says that he heard from his grandfather that the moon is falling down. Despite him being aware that the moon’s destruction will reach all the way to the ranch, he doesn’t seem to care that much. Apparently, his only regret is that he won’t see the young cuccos as full-grown roosters. This is quite a simple man, it seems! Well, let’s make that wish of his come true. March around with the Bremen’s Mask to make the young chicks mature into roosters, and the man will become excited.

Grog
“I don’t really get it, but just seein’ these guys with a crest and all… I don’t have regrets about anythin’ anymore. I’m perfectly satisfied. Here… You can have this from me…”

It’s amazing how something so simple can make a person so content. The way he sits beneath that tree, he reminds me of the Buddha. In fact, he seems to have been enlightened by our simple deed. No longer concerned about anything in the world, he is free of remorse and can calmly accept his death. Truly a strange person he is.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s go back to the main ranch and wait for 2:00 am. When the time finally comes, Romani will leave her house and enter the barn. Shortly after, at 2:30, they will arrive. Fend them off until the first light of the morning chases them off, and Romani will reward you with a bottle of milk. There’s not really anything interesting going on until the Night of the Second Day, so fast forward to then. Cremia will be in front of the barn, in a wagon loaded with milk. She says she’s going to Clock Town to make a delivery, and offers you a ride. Go ahead and go with her, then defend the wagon from the Gorman Brothers. After you get to Clock Town, she’ll give you Romani’s Mask and a hug.

Go back to Romani Ranch, then fast-forward to the Dawn of the Final Day. Somewhere in the fields of the ranch, Cremia is tending to the cows. Talk to her, and she’ll tell you of some unsettling news she heard while in town. Speaking to her again lets you know more about what she thinks about it.

Cremia
“I heard this from people who were fleeing this way this morning… It’s terrible… They said that huge moon is going to crash down onto the town sometime tonight. I wonder if we’ll be all right here…

Actually… I know… We’re not safe here, either… I’m no expert on these things, but that’s the feeling I get. But… That’s how life goes, I guess. There are some things in life that you can’t change no matter how hard you try…”

Cremia, like some other people, has calmly accepted the truth of things. She knows that no matter where she flees to, it won’t make a difference. All she can do now is wait for the end to come. Let’s now fast-forward to the Night of the Final Day, and visit the barn. Inside, we can see Romani and Cremia. If you talk to them, you’ll hear the following conversation:

Cremia
“Oh… Good evening.”

Romani
“We’re milking the cows tonight! It’s “Chateau Romani.” It’s the first time I get to drink it!” Until now, my sister always said “Wait until you’re an adult.” But why now?”

Cremia
“......... You’ve become an adult now, Romani…I see it in you. I’m acknowledging it.”

Romani
“Then, does Romani get a mask,
too?”

Cremia
“Well, yes, I’ll make one for you…”

Cremia knows that Romani wants nothing more than for her older sister to consider her an adult, so Cremia has decided to acknowledge Romani as an adult before she loses the chance. Romani, like so many other children, is completely oblivious to the fact that the world is going to end. If you listen to them again, you hear Cremia tell Romani to sleep in the same bed as her that night. It seems that Cremia at least wants to embrace her younger sister, the one she’s had to raise for years as if she was her mother, as the world around them is destroyed. I truly find this to be one of the saddest moments in the game…

Let’s rewind time again to observe the people of Termina. This time, we shall follow Kafei and Anju, and the people involved with their romantic tale. First thing’s first, let’s head over to the Stock Pot Inn and wait for the Postman to deliver Kafei’s letter to Anju. After the Postman walks off, speak to her while wearing Kafei’s Mask. Meet Anju later that night in the kitchen of the Stock Pot Inn to receive a letter to Kafei. Mail it off, then continue with the quest in the normal fashion.

On the final day, enter the Curiosity Shop’s back room via the Laundry Pool. Speak with the Curiosity Shop owner to get a letter to Kafei’s mother, and then head off to Ikana Canyon to retrieve the Sun’s Mask from Sakon’s hideout. After you retrieve the mask, head back to Clock Town. It will be a while before Kafei arrives, so while you’re waiting, head over to the post office in West Clock Town. Go inside, and in the back you’ll see the Postman on his hands and knees, having a nervous breakdown. On his bed nearby, there is a letter. It says…

“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”

If you speak to him, he says that he wants to flee, but he cannot as it is not written on the schedule. The delivery schedule is the highest priority, he says. This is a man that takes his job seriously! Too seriously, in fact. When following your work schedule is more important than running away and saving your life, you know something’s wrong. Well, we have something more important than the delivery schedule, and that’s priority mail! The Postman will eagerly jump to his feet, ready to do what his job commands of him.

He’ll run over to the closet, grab his hat and bag, then hurry out of the post office. Follow him outside, and across town, to the Milk Bar. Don Romani’s Mask and follow him in. He’ll rush down the stairs, over to Madame Aroma, and will hand her the letter from Kafei. Get close to them, and then listen in on their conversation.

Postman
“I have a delivery for you, Postmistress!”

Madame Aroma
“Oh my, it can’t be! You’re still here?”

Postman
“To…to…to…tomorrow’s delivery is still scheduled!”

Madame Aroma
“What are you saying?!? Did you see the sky? It’s terrible!”

Postman
“But, but…”

Madame Aroma
“Oh, my! Well!!! What shall we do?!? It’s from Kafei!”

Postman
“It’s priority mail.”

Madame Aroma
“I’m so happy! To think something good would come in the end! Thank you. You flee now. That’s an order!”

Postman
“Understood.”

Madame Aroma is distressed by the fact that the Postman has not fled simply because it did not say so on the schedule. She then commands him to flee the city and save his life, and as the order is coming from a superior, he follows her instructions. He then turns around, goes up the stairs, and exits the Milk Bar. Outside, he’ll stand by the east gate for a moment. If you speak to him, he informs you that the Postmaster has ordered him to flee. Now free to set his own schedule, he hands you his hat and merrily flees from town.

Now that we have set the Postman free from the delivery schedule, let’s head across the street to the Stock Pot Inn. Head up to the employees’ room on the second floor, where Kafei and Anju should both be waiting. Shortly after you enter the room, they’ll begin their wedding ceremony.

Anju
“I…I have met you before. What a familiar scent. Long, long ago… Yes. We were still young. We made a promise… Didn’t we? The masks of the sun and the moon… We were to exchange them on the day of the Carnival of Time…”

Kafei
“Anju… I’m sorry I was late.”

Anju
“...Welcome home.”

Tatl
“...Tee-hee! They’re lovers, but they look just like a mother and child.”

Kafei
“Let us exchange the promised masks.”

Anju
“We have exchanged our oaths and have become a couple.”

Kafei
“You are our witnesses. Please accept this mask.”

You are then given the Couple’s Mask, the sign of their marital union. Speak to them again, and Kafei will tell you to take refuge while he and Anju greet the morning. This is the most emotional part of the game right here. Now that the two lovers have been united, nothing is capable of tearing them apart. Their love is so strong that they can face the end of the world, without any fear.

Now that we have the Couple’s Mask, we are ready to rewind everything one last time. Once you have returned to the Dawn of the First Day, head to East Clock Town. Go up to the Mayor’s office, and wait until 10:00 am. Follow Gorman inside the Mayor’s office, then head to the door on the left. Enter the Mayor’s room, and listen to the familiar debate. After they’re done talking, wear the Couple’s Mask and speak to the group to catch the everyone’s attention.

All
“Ah!”

Mayor Dotour
“The Couple’s Mask. What a nice reminder… So, a young couple has been married.”

Mutoh
“I wonder… Did my wife flee?”

Viscen
“What!?! What did you just say?!?”

Mayor Dotour
“Yes, yes, everyone. We are all worried for our families. Why don’t we end this meeting?”

Viscen
“But, Mr. Mayor!”

Mayor Dotour
“This will do. Whether you’re stubborn and will stay and guard your family, or if you’d prefer to run far away and seek shelter… That is for people to decide on their own.”

Mutoh
“........!”

Family. This is the most important thing to have when the world is about to end. Money and social status no longer mean anything. All that matters at this point is being close to those you love. If the world is to end, all you can do is huddle together with people you know and wait for the end to come. After all, you cannot take material belongings with you to the afterlife. All you can do is cherish the present moment, and there’s no better way to do that than let your friends and family know you love them.

Well, that’s the end of my article. Hopefully you’ve been playing along, or I’ve at least encouraged you to pick up Majora’s Mask again just to witness the sheer emotion of this game. No other Zelda game has ever been able to capture this much emotion within its characters or deliver this kind of message to the person holding the controller. There are many moments in this game where I’ve felt I could almost cry, and never have I experienced that in any game before. The people portrayed within this game have such real emotions that this game has had a profound impact on me.

Touched by this game, I think of Termina’s final moments whenever I see pink clouds at sunset. I think of the people, and remember their problems, and I feel their emotions. Anger, happiness, fear, and sadness, all at once. It’s almost an unbearable feeling, and all I can do is just stand there and stare off into the sky. All these are emotions that we can experience alone, or can share with others around us. In fact, these are feelings which bring people together. When people are angered by a new policy, they unite and rebel. When people are joyous for a wedding, they get together and celebrate. When people fear a disaster, they huddle together and await the outcome. When people are sad, they console each other.

Truly, Majora’s Mask is one of the greatest games of all time. It is very rare for a game to show such emotion, let alone make the player wonder. Such things are expected of books, but never from a video game. I have spent much time thinking about the end of the world, all because of playing this game. I think of how the people will react to the news, how they will panic, and how they will fight amongst one another. However, people all act differently, which is how chaos is formed. When everything around you is turned upside-down, it is impossible to know exactly what’s going to happen, but I know one thing. While the people around me frantically run around, destroying all that we have spent millenia to create, I just wish to enjoy the sunset one last time with someone I care for.

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The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64) is a side-story in the Zelda series that has sparked off a wide array of different theories based on the interesting background and characters, deduced from the significantly small amount of information provided by the game’s story, in contrast to most of the games that develop the main story of the series. The primary antagonist for the most part of the game, the Skull Kid, wearing the titular Majora’s Mask, was a seemingly insignificant NPC from the game to which Majora’s Mask is a direct sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64). The game delves into the story of the Skull Kid’s past and develops his character significantly. In this article, I aim to develop his character further, largely using seemingly unrelated evidence from the game’s final events, to point of actually establishing the Skull Kid’s own identity. Read on…

It is revealed in by several events in the game that the Skull Kid had a relationship with the Four Giants in the past, and a seemingly close one at that. This is most clearly revealed in the legend of the Four Giants, as told by Anju’s grandmother, displayed below:

“The Four Giants”
This tale’s from long ago when all the people weren’t separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times all the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them.

The imp was frightened and saddened. He had lost his old friends. The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds. And the people rejoiced and they worshiped the giants of the four
worlds like gods. And they lived happily…ever after…

The ‘imp’ is clearly depicted as a Skull Kid in the imagery that accompanies the story. The ‘heavens’ referred to in the legend could possibly be the land of Hyrule. The events of the legend appear to have taken place long ago, as few recall any such story, making it seem that Skull Kids are unaffected by the ravages of time, so it seems likely that the imp and the Skull Kid are the same entity, given the history between the two and the Four Giants. This is supported by the appearance of a Skull Kid that plays Saria’s Song in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN/Wii), set one or more hundred years after OOT‘s child ending (after which MM also takes place), suggesting that it is yet again the same Skull Kid. Indeed, the Skull Kid is referred to as an imp in several instances during the game, and the Skull Kid also confirms that he and the Giants were friends in the aftermath of Majora’s defeat, as he talks to the Giants briefly before they depart, suggesting that he is indeed the imp of legend, and confirms that he is the same Skull Kid as the one to whom Link gives the Skull Mask in OOT (“Eh-hee-hee…You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods…”).

As such, it is not difficult to understand why the Skull Kid is so upset, having lost his friends. It is likely that he was shunned by the peoples of Termina due to his peculiar appearance, which would have made it difficult for him to make any new friends, which would logically lead to his wronging of the people. This time, however, he had the power of Majora at his disposal, which allowed him to stomp on those who had shunned him with relative ease, even seemingly effortlessly sealing the Giants in what would likely have been the masks that they themselves wore during the Carnival of Time.

The Moon that hangs over Clock Town is a mysterious body. Prior to the events of the game, it had been slowly drawing closer to the surface of Termina, and is three days from impact upon Link’s arrival. The Moon’s origins are difficult to discern, but regardless, I am certain of one thing: the scene at the Moon’s core is a manifestation of the Skull Kid’s mindset.

Allow me to set the scene. There is an endless field, which rises into a lone hill at the centre, atop which stands a single tree. There are five children, all of whom are identical to the Happy Mask Salesman, albeit much younger versions of him, and wearing masks. Four of them, who wear the masks of the four Temple Guardians, run and play around the tree, at a distance from the fifth child, who sits alone at the trunk, wearing Majora’s Mask.

The tree on the hill is the sole object that breaks the field, much like Clock Town sits elevated in the centre of Termina field. Each child plays alone, separate from one another, similar to each of the Giants guarding one of the four compass directions. Each Giant was also sealed in one of the masks that the children are wearing. The child who wears Majora’s Mask sits alone, left out of play by the other three. The Skull Kid, who wears Majora’s Mask during the game, was left behind when the Giants left Clock Town for the four worlds. Also interesting are the questions that the children ask Link, the first and common to them all being:

“Masks…You have… a lot. You, too…Will you be… a mask salesman?”

This, coupled with their appearance, ties them unquestionably to the Happy Mask Salesman, who, interestingly, doesn’t have a double in Termina whom we meet during the course of the game. More interesting, though, are the individual questions asked by each child as their desire for masks is appeased, which seem to be direct references to the Skull Kid’s anguish. The questions are as follows:

“Your friends…
What kind of…people are they?
I wonder…
Do those people…
think of you…as a friend?”

This question reflects on the Skull Kid’s insecurities in regard to the Giants. As he reveals at the end of the game when he talks to the Giants, he had long been worried that they no longer thought of him as a friends after all the trouble he had caused for the people.

“You…
What makes you…happy?
I wonder…
What makes you happy…
Does it make…others happy, too?”

This is a reflection of how the Skull Kid longs to be accepted by others, and how he might one day find someone with whom to share joy, as he had once done with the Giants.

“The right thing…What is it?
I wonder…
If you do the right thing…
Does it really make…
everybody…happy?”

This is most likely the Skull Kid reflecting on the actions he has taken, questioning them, and possibly expressing regret, given all the suffering he had caused.

“Your true face…
What kind of…face is it?
I wonder…
The face under the mask…
Is that…your true face?”

MOST IMPORTANT: I believe this is a reference to his own appearance. In OOT, there are four different Navi descriptions for the Skull Kid, each one dependant on certain circumstances:

• As an adult: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn’t like grownups.
• As a child (before teaching him Saria’s Song): Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in the forest? He might be our friend if we do something…
• Before giving him the Skull Mask: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He seems unhappy to have no face…
• After giving him the Skull Mask: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He looks satisfied with his skull face.

One thing is certain from these descriptions: Skull Kids are born from children who lose their way in the Lost Woods, much in the same way that adults become Stalfos, from the account of a Kokiri girl in OOT. The face of a Skull Kid is a bland wooden surface with two black eyes and what appears to be a duck’s bill. Judging by the manner in which Navi refers to them, it would seem that it is not truly a ‘face’ at all, which would make sense, given that the child apparently loses its identity when it becomes this creature. The above quote seems to suggest that the Skull Kid is having an identity crisis: ‘the face under the mask’. I believe this refers to his bland, wooden Skull Kid face, and that his original face is his true face, his true identity.

Summing up these points, the conclusions I have drawn in regard to the Moon scene are as follows:

• The tree represents Clock Town
• The child wearing Majora’s Mask represents the Skull Kid
• The children wearing the Guardian Masks represent the Four Giants
• The scene thus represents the Skull Kid’s sense of abandonment resulting from the departure of the Four Giants

Now, logically, one has to take into consideration that, if all of these parallels are real and intentional, why do the children take the form of the Happy Mask Salesman?

There are three characters in the game that are notably also from OOT, namely Link, the Skull Kid, and the Happy Mask Salesman. The vast majority of the other non-player characters throughout the game are merely counterparts of their doubles from OOT, as Termina is intended to be a parallel world to Hyrule (this is the reason offered by Nintendo for the recycling of OOT‘s character models, but this is beside the point).

If any character in Termina were to be Link’s counterpart, it would most likely be the so-called ‘Fierce Deity’ (as translated by NOA, due to censorship - the character’s original Japanese name was ‘Onigami’, which translates directly as ‘demon god’), if only because the mask itself bears the likeness of Link’s adult self. The Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman, however, are a different story. While it is safe to assume that the Happy Mask Salesman is a Hylian resident of Hyrule, the Skull Kid is somewhat of an enigma, given his extensive history in Termina’s distant past. Neither character has a Terminan counterpart.

Coupling this with all of the above points, I propose that the Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman are the counterparts of one another. It is very possible, if not probable, that the Skull Kid was originally a resident of Termina in his past life. Only three characters have notably crossed between Termina and the Lost Woods; at least, three live ones have. When Link crossed through the ‘rabbit-hole’ if you will (the game is, after all, a very obvious take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) as a Deku Scrub, he came across a peculiar looking tree:

Tatl: “But enough about that for now… Come over to this tree and check it out!
It’s strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree…
It looks all dark and gloomy… almost like it could start crying any second now… How sad…”

She specifically refers to Deku Link’s similar appearance to the tree. One other character, the Deku Butler, also says that Deku Link looks very similar to his estranged son. Playing the Elegy of Emptiness as Deku Link produces a cast-off shell that also looks remarkably similar to the tree. All of this points unquestionably at the extreme likelihood that the soul of the Deku Mask belonged to that tree, who no doubt had his soul ripped from his body when the Skull Kid transformed Link. The point I’m trying to get across is that this Deku child was trying to leave Termina. His presence in the passageway proves that the path between Hyrule and Termina is not completely unknown to the residents of Termina - indeed, at one point in the game, one of the Gorons refers to a ‘Dodongo’s Cavern’, and given the possible knowledge of the passageway, it is quite likely that it is the same one from OOT.

But I forget myself - what I’m suggesting is that this child may have lost his way while playing one day and stumbled upon the passage. Since the passage leads directly to the Lost Woods, it isn’t too bold to assume that the child became lost and eventually became a Skull Kid. I propose that the child was the counterpart of the Happy Mask Salesman, and that the apparition of the children on the Moon is indeed the Skull Kid’s original form. I have done my best to gather evidence in favour of this. I apologise for being unable to provide artwork and images from the game to back up my findings - I have tried to be as descriptive in my writing as possible. I hope this proves to be an interesting read, and hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here ends the article.

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One of the most impressive locales in the whole of the Legend of Zelda series is the Temple of Time, first introduced in Ocarina of Time. The powerful choral music that serves as its theme makes for an epic atmosphere in an already epic setting. Its two main roles in the game—as a final destination during the child half and as a central headquarters and staging area during the adult half—are both delivered in a style never before seen in the Zelda series, for the Temple of Time is the first Zelda locale to have a true story behind it. While other locations are mentioned by name and given a gameplay function in the earlier releases, most notably the North Castle and Great Palace in The Adventure of Link, none of these places played more than a passing role in the development of the story itself. Important places in future installments followed this trend, such as the Tower of the Gods in The Wind Waker or the Arbiter’s Grounds in Twilight Princess, but none of them, I feel, captured the same magic.

Princess Zelda reveals early on in Ocarina of Time that the Temple of Time was erected by the ancient ones in ages past to serve as a sanctuary for the gateway to the heavenly Sacred Realm, the resting place of the Triforce of legends. The main objective of the first half of the game is to track down the remaining two spiritual stones so that the player can use the titular Ocarina of Time to open the Door of Time, behind which lies that holy portal. This took a similar plot device in A Link to the Past in which the player is charged with finding the three pendants needed to prove his worth so that he can claim the legendary Master Sword and expanded it and immersed it in story detail.

After opening the Door of Time, the player discovers that behind it lies the blade of evil’s bane, which serves as the final key to the Sacred Realm. Not knowing what will happen, but knowing that he must obtain the Triforce before the evil Ganondorf can, the player then draws forth the sword, revealing the true nature of the forces in place to protect the Sacred Realm—the player is sealed away in the Realm for seven years by the Master Sword’s power. Once he awakens from his seven-year slumber, the player realizes that the Pedestal of Time in which the Master Sword rested was designed to test the worthiness of those who might approach it—only the true Hero, the Hero of Time, can draw forth the sword from the stone. The Temple, then, is not only a sanctuary for the entrance to the sacred lands, it is also a proving grounds for the Hero of legends.

But is that really all there is to the Temple of Time? Twilight Princess showed us that this is not the case. Its presentation of the Temple of Time revealed that there was even more to this ancient edifice than Ocarina of Time had let on. The Temple of Time (moved from the city of Hyrule to the more remote Faron Woods) serves yet another role, guarding yet another sacred power—the power of the Oocca, supposed ancestors of the Hylians. That power is the Dominion Rod, which the player can obtain by manipulating the Master Sword pedestal in order to access a secret segment of the Temple of Time. So, indeed, there is more to that sacred place than at first meets the eye.

The Theory: What was the Temple of Time used for?

Many of the locales in the Legend of Zelda series, specifically and especially in the three-dimensional titles, are based on actual structures found in the real world. The Temple of Time is no exception—in fact, it is probably Ocarina of Time‘s foremost example of real-life influences on Hyrulean architecture. It has the look and feel of a Gothic cathedral, with its decorative stained-glass windows, its magnificent exterior, and the sacred altar positioned at the far end of the sanctuary. Hyrulean religion and history is, to a large extent, derived from Judeo-Christian tradition—the Creation story in its original form borrows heavily from the Biblical story of creation, the three Goddesses and the virtues they represent (Power, Wisdom, and Courage) correspond to the Christian Trinity, the Father, the Holy Ghost, and the Son (respectively), and so on and so forth. One can reasonably presume that the similarities between the Temple of Time and cathedral architectures are an extension of these derivatives, and that the Temple of Time was designed like a church because it functions somewhat as a church.

Obviously we can also presume such a function from the name of the place—the Temple of Time. A temple is, according to dictionary.com, “an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.” Within Ocarina of Time, we are told that water spirits are worshiped in the Water Temple, and forest spirits in the Forest Temple; it would only be reasonable to again extend this pattern to each of the elements in turn. Each of these Temples has its own steward race and sage protector as well, and, in fact, it seems that most of them are only reachable by members of that particular people. But what of the Temple of Time?—time is not an element in the same manner that fire or water is, and unlike the other temples, this one is much more accessible. Looking next at the temples in The Wind Waker, we see that the sages pray that the gods continue to bless the Master Sword (and all of Hyrule with it) with the light to banish evil. Obviously the Temple of Time does not serve this role, since obviously it is not needed to carry out the restoration of the Master Sword.

Therefore, given the Temple of Time’s already-established roles as the entrance to the Sacred Realm and the storehouse of the blade of evil’s bane, roles that the elemental temples do not play, I would say that the temple serves as a universal place of worship for the Hero of Time himself, and not a holy place where “spirits of time” are worshiped or where sages remain to pray for the gods’ intercession. The “time” factor exists primarily as a utility for the Hero of Time through his use of the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword. This function is more befitting, since its other uses already reveal that the Temple is a place of supreme importance, and, among the pantheon of Hyrulean deities, the greatest are the three goddesses, with whom the Hero is interminably connected. The Hero’s ability to appear when Hyrule is in danger, his designation as the “savior” all seem to point to his existence as a divine Messianic figure—a man, fully mortal, who yet transcends human mortality.

Were there many other such places dedicated to revering heroes of the past? I could only imagine that it would be so, but it grieves me that, being an action-adventure game first, and not an RPG, none of the games in the series feature more than one or two sites of reverence to the heroes of old—The Wind Waker featured perhaps the only other location to specifically do so through the Tower of the Gods. Looking at the Roman-based culture and the circulating tales of a legendary Hero as seen in Twilight Princess, one could guess that each city had its own temple dedicated to a patron hero. Kakariko has the spirit’s spring—Eldin is said to protect his province at the behest of the gods, and his name is derived from the goddess Din, suggesting a link between the two. Lake Hylia features a full-fledged shrine surrounding its spirit’s spring, and there seem to be regular pilgrimages there in times of need. The Goron mine, while obviously used to mine precious ores (or rocks for eating by the Gorons), doubles as a sacred place that guards the ancient Hero’s bow. However, this being the case, we still have not seen any direct examples of these places being used for any religious or ceremonial function.

How might the ancient Hylians have celebrated worship? The Wind Waker suggests that they did so through music:

This is the Wind Waker! It is a baton of sorts that was used long ago when the people played music in prayer to the gods. In those days, simply using it allowed one to borrow the power of the gods!

That Wind Waker you hold was used long ago to conduct us sages when we played our song to call upon the gods. In those days, it was always the king who conducted for us… Please… Tell the king that I will still play…even in the next world!

Did they consider the Hero to be a god? I cannot be sure. But I am sure that the power of the gods is, in most cases, intimately tied to the Hero and to his heroic destiny. The altar in the Temple of Time also responds to song, as its primary role in Ocarina of Time is to open the gates of time:

Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones
Stand with the Ocarina of Time
And play the Song of Time.

And each of the other Hyrulean temples, in turn, has its own song, each of them intertwined with the motif of Time:

The flow of time is always cruel…
Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it…
A thing that doesn’t change with time is a memory of younger days…
In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest.

Past, present, future…
The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time’s river…
The port for that ship is in the Temple of Time…
To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time’s flow…
Listen to this Requiem of Spirit…
This melody will lead a child back to the desert.

The sages, songs, and even the temples themselves, specifically this Temple of Time, all seem to be centered around the Hero of Time and his ability to travel back and forth between past and future in his efforts to save Hyrule. That the Ocarina of Time, three ‘symbols of virtue’ and the Master Sword are also needed to enter the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce also suggests that the Triforce was intended specifically to be wielded by one with the qualities of that chosen Hero.

All of this points to the Hero as an object of worship, or at least of saintly reverence, and, as such, I believe that the Temple of Time is the foremost site dedicated to such praise.

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In all directions, reddish-orange clouds hover above the horizon. High in the sky, a menacing moon rests, meters above the city below. A bell chimes, and echoes throughout all of Termina. Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon; none are deaf to the foreboding chime. As seconds turn to minutes, and minutes turn to hours, the clouds slowly creep toward Clock Town as the bell keeps ringing. Now illuminated by the bent rays of the rising sun, the clouds begin to turn a bright pink. The moon is about to kiss the top of the tower, where a small imp wearing a mask is dancing. In the final moments of the world, all is peaceful.

It is a scene we have all witnessed. For each of us who have played Majora’s Mask, there was a day when you decided to just wait for the end of the world. Some of us simply skipped to the final day and waited until the moon came down, to see what kind of destruction would ensue, while others of us simply wandered around, talking to people to get an idea of what they were thinking. Those who did the latter were able to hear some very interesting information about the personal lives of the people, and from the emotions the people displayed, had a feeling that the world was truly coming to an end.

Over the past week, I’ve been wandering through Termina’s final three days, manipulating people’s schedules and watching how they react to the knowledge that their world is coming to an end. I’ve completed side quests in one cycle, only to abandon them in the next. Each and every action and lack thereof made the characters speak and act differently. In my research, I noticed quite a few characters’ personalities changing from what they originally were at the start of the three days into one that was completely different. Another thing I noticed was that the people could easily be organized into different groups based upon their personality. In this article, I shall use quotes from various people of Termina to figure out what their personality is like, put them into groups with similar people, and make further inferences.

The first people you see when you enter Clock Town are the carpenters building the Carnival Tower. On the first day, you can see many of them walking around South Clock Town with beams, but on top of the Carnival Tower is a thin carpenter, who’s apparently the apprentice of the carpenter standing on the nearby stairs. If you speak to him he says that the moon has gotten bigger. On the second day, you can’t find him anywhere. He’s apparently fled from town, in fear of the falling moon. He, like many others, has simply abandoned everything to save his own life.

On the next day, you can see fewer carpenters working on the Carnival Tower. Apparently, the apprentice wasn’t the only one who decided to leave town. However, just like the day before, there is an irritated carpenter standing in front of a defense corps. recruitment poster. The man is so angry that when you try talking to him, he just keeps shouting to himself. “Bwah! I won’t run! I’m stickin’ with my parents! I’m diff’rent from you cowards!” It seems that, regardless of what’s going to happen, he wants to be with the people who have cared for and raised him all his life.

On the third day, there are now only a few carpenters left working on the Carnival Tower. Half of them are doubting whether the tower will get finished in time, and one of them is even telling his friend that he’s leaving town as well. Again, over by the recruitment poster, is the angry carpenter. “Bwah! I’m not gonna run! Not me! You got that? I’m Master Mutoh’s apprentice!” Waiting until nightfall will reveal that every carpenter has left, including the one who made it quite clear he wasn’t leaving. The only person who remains in South Clock Town, besides the gate guard, is Mutoh, the boss of the carpenters. Even by looking at him, you can tell he’s quite angry. If you speak to him, you see just how angry he is.

Mutoh, Boss of the Carpenters
“Cowards! All of you! Not a one of you stayed! My apprentice will be disgusted with all of you! Hmph! I’ll have a fine carnival without you… If you’re gonna fall, then fall already!”

Little does he know, his apprentice also fled from town, most likely with his parents. Let’s now rewind time, back to the Dawn of the First Day, and look for someone else to stalk for the next 72 hours. This is quite an easy decision, really. Each gate of Clock Town has a soldier making sure no children get out and no monsters get in. If you speak to them on the first day, they don’t really say anything interesting. They just tell you where you can get to by going through the gate they’re guarding. It’s not until the final day that they start saying anything interesting. If you talk to the gate guard in West Clock Town on the Night of the Final Day, he has this to say:

West Gate Guard
“Wait just a moment! Are you alone? Aren’t your parents still somewhere in town? Well, whatever you do, you had better get as far away from here as you can. And there are still people lingering in the stores… If only an evacuation notice had been posted, I would be able to force them all to leave…”

This guard apparently cares very much for the people, but sees that the only way he can save them is by using force to make them leave. It is such an unfortunate thing that someone sworn to protect the people can’t do a thing to save them… On the opposite side of town, in East Clock Town, there is another gate guard who has been spending some time thinking. If you speak to him on the Night of the Final Day, he says the following:

East Gate Guard
“Wait just a moment! If you believe that the moon truly is falling, you’d best leave town immediately! Those who remain in town either don’t believe the rumors or have given up all hope. It pains my heart to see children still playing in the streets because they have no idea what’s going on…”

This guard brings up some interesting points. Whenever there is a predicted natural disaster, there will be people who doubt the destructive power of what’s about to happen. These people tend to stay at home, only to fall victim to the disaster. Furthermore, whenever there is a disaster, children will likely not be informed. Their parents will simply say that they are all going somewhere, to try and keep from frightening the child. The fact that there are still children playing in the streets when this disaster is about to happen is very unsettling, as the guard says.

All the guards feel the same way. They wish to know what is going on and help the people, but because they can’t leave their posts, they are unable to do so. It is such an ironic thing, really, for those sworn to protect people to be unable to save them from their own demise. Some of the guards themselves wish to flee, but like so many other people, are unable to do so because of their duties.

Now that we’re at the end of another three day cycle, let’s go back in time again. Let’s look for someone else to follow, shall we? Well, we just discussed the carpenters and and soldiers, so why don’t we try finding the bosses of the two groups? Let’s head over to northern East Clock Town, and wait until the Mayor’s office opens. After the man with the large neck ruffle walks in the door, go inside. Walk to the door on the left, and step inside to be met with a loud ruckus. Talk to someone in the room to listen in on the conversation…

Viscen, Head of Defense Corps.
“Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the Mayor’s orders. The only ones left are public servants and committee members… Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!”

Mayor Dotour
“Ahh…hmm…well…”

Mutoh, Head of Carnival Committee
“You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall? The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, groundless theory. The soldiers couldn’t prevent the panic, but outside the town walls is where the danger is! You want answers? The answer is that the carnival should not be canceled! Isn’t that right, Mr. Mayor?”

Mayor Dotour
“Ahh…hmm…well…”

Viscen
“Are you serious, Mutoh?!? It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn’t caught your eye! At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty? Clearly, it’s your job to ensure the carnival’s operation, but that’s if people are here for it! Don’t drag the merchants and soldiers into this!”

Mayor Dotour
“Mmm…Hmm…”

Mutoh
“If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen! We councilmen will stick to tradition. This carnival will be a success! I’ve never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town! Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn’t she, Mayor Dotour?”

Mayor Dotour
“...Let’s not bring my wife into this.”

It’s quite a heated argument they’re having, isn’t it? Well, let’s take a closer look at it, shall we? Viscen, the leader of the town’s defense unit, is saying that the whole town needs to be evacuated. Most of the people have already left of their own accord, with the only remaining people being those who run shops and work for the city. Mutoh, on the other hand, does not believe the moon is falling. He is what is known in our world as a conservative. He wishes to stick to old traditions, and is often unable to accept anyone’s opinion but his own.

If you come back on the Final Day, you’ll see Viscen and another guard standing outside the Mayor’s office, discussing the Mayor’s decision to continue the Carnival of Time. If you go inside the Mayor’s office and speak to him, he tells you that Mutoh threatened to bring Madame Aroma into the debate, so that is why he decided not to cancel the carnival. If you’re wondering where Mutoh is, he’s at the Carnival Tower yelling at the moon. Again, we are at the end of our three days, so let’s go back in time.

Now that we’re back at the Clock Tower, at the beginning of a new three days, and a world now exists somewhere in which a two-headed Romani and fur-faced Kafei try to make sense of their mutated bodies amidst half a dozen copies of Anju, let us find someone else to pester for three days. Well, since we just listened in on Mayor Dotour’s meeting, let’s go see what his wife’s up to. She’s in the same building in East Clock Town, only she’s in the room on the right.

Remember that guy you had to wait on to get into the Mayor’s Office? Of course you do, since you just saw him when you went in the Mayor’s office again. Anyway, he’s got a meeting scheduled with Madame Aroma this morning. While he’s talking with the receptionist, go ahead and enter Madame Aroma’s office. Wait for the overly dressed man to enter the office and speak to Madame Aroma, then listen in on what they say.

The man introduces himself as Gorman, head of the Gorman Troupe. He then thanks Madame Aroma for allowing his troupe to perform at the carnival, only to learn that the opening performance has been canceled. Gorman is quite angry after hearing this news, so he’s going to leave. Follow him and you’ll end up at the Milk Bar. You can’t really do anything when you’re there, so just wait until the Milk Bar opens at 10:00 pm. Use the Romani Mask to get inside, then speak to Gorman. You’ll find that he’s already quite drunk. How very typical of people to drink their misery away…

Near Gorman there’s the same Zora who was inside Madame Aroma’s office. Speak with him, and he’ll say that he wants to do a sound check and will tell you to take the stage and play certain notes. Do this while wearing each of your transformation masks to find that you’ve been playing the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Hearing this tune will soften Gorman’s heart, and he’ll give you the Circus Leader’s Mask. We’re done here, so you can go outside.

Fast-forward to the Dawn of the Second Day with the Double Song of Time. Now we have to find Gorman again, which really isn’t that hard. Just go to the Stock Pot Inn, up to the second floor, and into the room farthest from you. Oh, but wait, he’s sleeping… If you get close and listen to him, he’ll mumble something about leaving tomorrow. Since he was up half the night drinking, he’s got a pretty bad hangover. He sleeps all day long, so just exit the Inn and fast-forward to the Night of the Second Day. Go back inside the Inn and to the same room, and he’ll be playing cards with the twin jugglers. When you talk to him, he tells you that he’s decided to leave tomorrow. He then asks if you’re going to flee, and if you have nowhere else to go, you should go to Gorman Ranch in the south. Then he says something which really says a lot about his personality…

Gorman
“My older brother… He’s a nice guy.”

Gorman is the kind of person that loves his family, no matter how much hardship they’ve put him through. Judging by his drunken rantings in the Milk Bar on the First Day, he apparently didn’t get much respect or recognition while growing up. Despite this, he’s done his best to lead a successful life in what it is he wants to do. If you then go to Gorman Ranch and wear the mask he gave you in the Milk Bar, you can see the cold glaress of the Gorman Brothers melt into warm, compassionate faces. Truly this is a family that loves and cares for each other, despite what experiences they may have had.

Time to go back again, so let’s play the Song of Time. As per usual, we’ll find someone to follow near the area we were last. Since we were at the Gorman Track, the next place where there’s people would be Romani Ranch. But, as we all know, the path to the ranch has been blocked by a large boulder. Find yourself fifty Rupees to buy a Powder Keg, then warp to Milk Road and blow up the boulder. Enter the ranch, and head up to Romani. Complete her training, then accept to help her defend the barn. While we’re waiting for 2:00 am to roll around, let’s go check on someone else in Romani Ranch.

Go to the western part of Romani Ranch, then enter the Cucco Shack. Inside is a weird-looking man named Grog sitting beneath a tree, surrounded by young cuccos. If you speak to him, he says that he heard from his grandfather that the moon is falling down. Despite him being aware that the moon’s destruction will reach all the way to the ranch, he doesn’t seem to care that much. Apparently, his only regret is that he won’t see the young cuccos as full-grown roosters. This is quite a simple man, it seems! Well, let’s make that wish of his come true. March around with the Bremen’s Mask to make the young chicks mature into roosters, and the man will become excited.

Grog
“I don’t really get it, but just seein’ these guys with a crest and all… I don’t have regrets about anythin’ anymore. I’m perfectly satisfied. Here… You can have this from me…”

It’s amazing how something so simple can make a person so content. The way he sits beneath that tree, he reminds me of the Buddha. In fact, he seems to have been enlightened by our simple deed. No longer concerned about anything in the world, he is free of remorse and can calmly accept his death. Truly a strange person he is.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s go back to the main ranch and wait for 2:00 am. When the time finally comes, Romani will leave her house and enter the barn. Shortly after, at 2:30, they will arrive. Fend them off until the first light of the morning chases them off, and Romani will reward you with a bottle of milk. There’s not really anything interesting going on until the Night of the Second Day, so fast forward to then. Cremia will be in front of the barn, in a wagon loaded with milk. She says she’s going to Clock Town to make a delivery, and offers you a ride. Go ahead and go with her, then defend the wagon from the Gorman Brothers. After you get to Clock Town, she’ll give you Romani’s Mask and a hug.

Go back to Romani Ranch, then fast-forward to the Dawn of the Final Day. Somewhere in the fields of the ranch, Cremia is tending to the cows. Talk to her, and she’ll tell you of some unsettling news she heard while in town. Speaking to her again lets you know more about what she thinks about it.

Cremia
“I heard this from people who were fleeing this way this morning… It’s terrible… They said that huge moon is going to crash down onto the town sometime tonight. I wonder if we’ll be all right here…

Actually… I know… We’re not safe here, either… I’m no expert on these things, but that’s the feeling I get. But… That’s how life goes, I guess. There are some things in life that you can’t change no matter how hard you try…”

Cremia, like some other people, has calmly accepted the truth of things. She knows that no matter where she flees to, it won’t make a difference. All she can do now is wait for the end to come. Let’s now fast-forward to the Night of the Final Day, and visit the barn. Inside, we can see Romani and Cremia. If you talk to them, you’ll hear the following conversation:

Cremia
“Oh… Good evening.”

Romani
“We’re milking the cows tonight! It’s “Chateau Romani.” It’s the first time I get to drink it!” Until now, my sister always said “Wait until you’re an adult.” But why now?”

Cremia
“......... You’ve become an adult now, Romani…I see it in you. I’m acknowledging it.”

Romani
“Then, does Romani get a mask,
too?”

Cremia
“Well, yes, I’ll make one for you…”

Cremia knows that Romani wants nothing more than for her older sister to consider her an adult, so Cremia has decided to acknowledge Romani as an adult before she loses the chance. Romani, like so many other children, is completely oblivious to the fact that the world is going to end. If you listen to them again, you hear Cremia tell Romani to sleep in the same bed as her that night. It seems that Cremia at least wants to embrace her younger sister, the one she’s had to raise for years as if she was her mother, as the world around them is destroyed. I truly find this to be one of the saddest moments in the game…

Let’s rewind time again to observe the people of Termina. This time, we shall follow Kafei and Anju, and the people involved with their romantic tale. First thing’s first, let’s head over to the Stock Pot Inn and wait for the Postman to deliver Kafei’s letter to Anju. After the Postman walks off, speak to her while wearing Kafei’s Mask. Meet Anju later that night in the kitchen of the Stock Pot Inn to receive a letter to Kafei. Mail it off, then continue with the quest in the normal fashion.

On the final day, enter the Curiosity Shop’s back room via the Laundry Pool. Speak with the Curiosity Shop owner to get a letter to Kafei’s mother, and then head off to Ikana Canyon to retrieve the Sun’s Mask from Sakon’s hideout. After you retrieve the mask, head back to Clock Town. It will be a while before Kafei arrives, so while you’re waiting, head over to the post office in West Clock Town. Go inside, and in the back you’ll see the Postman on his hands and knees, having a nervous breakdown. On his bed nearby, there is a letter. It says…

“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”

If you speak to him, he says that he wants to flee, but he cannot as it is not written on the schedule. The delivery schedule is the highest priority, he says. This is a man that takes his job seriously! Too seriously, in fact. When following your work schedule is more important than running away and saving your life, you know something’s wrong. Well, we have something more important than the delivery schedule, and that’s priority mail! The Postman will eagerly jump to his feet, ready to do what his job commands of him.

He’ll run over to the closet, grab his hat and bag, then hurry out of the post office. Follow him outside, and across town, to the Milk Bar. Don Romani’s Mask and follow him in. He’ll rush down the stairs, over to Madame Aroma, and will hand her the letter from Kafei. Get close to them, and then listen in on their conversation.

Postman
“I have a delivery for you, Postmistress!”

Madame Aroma
“Oh my, it can’t be! You’re still here?”

Postman
“To…to…to…tomorrow’s delivery is still scheduled!”

Madame Aroma
“What are you saying?!? Did you see the sky? It’s terrible!”

Postman
“But, but…”

Madame Aroma
“Oh, my! Well!!! What shall we do?!? It’s from Kafei!”

Postman
“It’s priority mail.”

Madame Aroma
“I’m so happy! To think something good would come in the end! Thank you. You flee now. That’s an order!”

Postman
“Understood.”

Madame Aroma is distressed by the fact that the Postman has not fled simply because it did not say so on the schedule. She then commands him to flee the city and save his life, and as the order is coming from a superior, he follows her instructions. He then turns around, goes up the stairs, and exits the Milk Bar. Outside, he’ll stand by the east gate for a moment. If you speak to him, he informs you that the Postmaster has ordered him to flee. Now free to set his own schedule, he hands you his hat and merrily flees from town.

Now that we have set the Postman free from the delivery schedule, let’s head across the street to the Stock Pot Inn. Head up to the employees’ room on the second floor, where Kafei and Anju should both be waiting. Shortly after you enter the room, they’ll begin their wedding ceremony.

Anju
“I…I have met you before. What a familiar scent. Long, long ago… Yes. We were still young. We made a promise… Didn’t we? The masks of the sun and the moon… We were to exchange them on the day of the Carnival of Time…”

Kafei
“Anju… I’m sorry I was late.”

Anju
“...Welcome home.”

Tatl
“...Tee-hee! They’re lovers, but they look just like a mother and child.”

Kafei
“Let us exchange the promised masks.”

Anju
“We have exchanged our oaths and have become a couple.”

Kafei
“You are our witnesses. Please accept this mask.”

You are then given the Couple’s Mask, the sign of their marital union. Speak to them again, and Kafei will tell you to take refuge while he and Anju greet the morning. This is the most emotional part of the game right here. Now that the two lovers have been united, nothing is capable of tearing them apart. Their love is so strong that they can face the end of the world, without any fear.

Now that we have the Couple’s Mask, we are ready to rewind everything one last time. Once you have returned to the Dawn of the First Day, head to East Clock Town. Go up to the Mayor’s office, and wait until 10:00 am. Follow Gorman inside the Mayor’s office, then head to the door on the left. Enter the Mayor’s room, and listen to the familiar debate. After they’re done talking, wear the Couple’s Mask and speak to the group to catch the everyone’s attention.

All
“Ah!”

Mayor Dotour
“The Couple’s Mask. What a nice reminder… So, a young couple has been married.”

Mutoh
“I wonder… Did my wife flee?”

Viscen
“What!?! What did you just say?!?”

Mayor Dotour
“Yes, yes, everyone. We are all worried for our families. Why don’t we end this meeting?”

Viscen
“But, Mr. Mayor!”

Mayor Dotour
“This will do. Whether you’re stubborn and will stay and guard your family, or if you’d prefer to run far away and seek shelter… That is for people to decide on their own.”

Mutoh
“........!”

Family. This is the most important thing to have when the world is about to end. Money and social status no longer mean anything. All that matters at this point is being close to those you love. If the world is to end, all you can do is huddle together with people you know and wait for the end to come. After all, you cannot take material belongings with you to the afterlife. All you can do is cherish the present moment, and there’s no better way to do that than let your friends and family know you love them.

Well, that’s the end of my article. Hopefully you’ve been playing along, or I’ve at least encouraged you to pick up Majora’s Mask again just to witness the sheer emotion of this game. No other Zelda game has ever been able to capture this much emotion within its characters or deliver this kind of message to the person holding the controller. There are many moments in this game where I’ve felt I could almost cry, and never have I experienced that in any game before. The people portrayed within this game have such real emotions that this game has had a profound impact on me.

Touched by this game, I think of Termina’s final moments whenever I see pink clouds at sunset. I think of the people, and remember their problems, and I feel their emotions. Anger, happiness, fear, and sadness, all at once. It’s almost an unbearable feeling, and all I can do is just stand there and stare off into the sky. All these are emotions that we can experience alone, or can share with others around us. In fact, these are feelings which bring people together. When people are angered by a new policy, they unite and rebel. When people are joyous for a wedding, they get together and celebrate. When people fear a disaster, they huddle together and await the outcome. When people are sad, they console each other.

Truly, Majora’s Mask is one of the greatest games of all time. It is very rare for a game to show such emotion, let alone make the player wonder. Such things are expected of books, but never from a video game. I have spent much time thinking about the end of the world, all because of playing this game. I think of how the people will react to the news, how they will panic, and how they will fight amongst one another. However, people all act differently, which is how chaos is formed. When everything around you is turned upside-down, it is impossible to know exactly what’s going to happen, but I know one thing. While the people around me frantically run around, destroying all that we have spent millenia to create, I just wish to enjoy the sunset one last time with someone I care for.

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The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64) is a side-story in the Zelda series that has sparked off a wide array of different theories based on the interesting background and characters, deduced from the significantly small amount of information provided by the game’s story, in contrast to most of the games that develop the main story of the series. The primary antagonist for the most part of the game, the Skull Kid, wearing the titular Majora’s Mask, was a seemingly insignificant NPC from the game to which Majora’s Mask is a direct sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64). The game delves into the story of the Skull Kid’s past and develops his character significantly. In this article, I aim to develop his character further, largely using seemingly unrelated evidence from the game’s final events, to point of actually establishing the Skull Kid’s own identity. Read on…

It is revealed in by several events in the game that the Skull Kid had a relationship with the Four Giants in the past, and a seemingly close one at that. This is most clearly revealed in the legend of the Four Giants, as told by Anju’s grandmother, displayed below:

“The Four Giants”
This tale’s from long ago when all the people weren’t separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times all the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them.

The imp was frightened and saddened. He had lost his old friends. The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds. And the people rejoiced and they worshiped the giants of the four
worlds like gods. And they lived happily…ever after…

The ‘imp’ is clearly depicted as a Skull Kid in the imagery that accompanies the story. The ‘heavens’ referred to in the legend could possibly be the land of Hyrule. The events of the legend appear to have taken place long ago, as few recall any such story, making it seem that Skull Kids are unaffected by the ravages of time, so it seems likely that the imp and the Skull Kid are the same entity, given the history between the two and the Four Giants. This is supported by the appearance of a Skull Kid that plays Saria’s Song in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN/Wii), set one or more hundred years after OOT‘s child ending (after which MM also takes place), suggesting that it is yet again the same Skull Kid. Indeed, the Skull Kid is referred to as an imp in several instances during the game, and the Skull Kid also confirms that he and the Giants were friends in the aftermath of Majora’s defeat, as he talks to the Giants briefly before they depart, suggesting that he is indeed the imp of legend, and confirms that he is the same Skull Kid as the one to whom Link gives the Skull Mask in OOT (“Eh-hee-hee…You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods…”).

As such, it is not difficult to understand why the Skull Kid is so upset, having lost his friends. It is likely that he was shunned by the peoples of Termina due to his peculiar appearance, which would have made it difficult for him to make any new friends, which would logically lead to his wronging of the people. This time, however, he had the power of Majora at his disposal, which allowed him to stomp on those who had shunned him with relative ease, even seemingly effortlessly sealing the Giants in what would likely have been the masks that they themselves wore during the Carnival of Time.

The Moon that hangs over Clock Town is a mysterious body. Prior to the events of the game, it had been slowly drawing closer to the surface of Termina, and is three days from impact upon Link’s arrival. The Moon’s origins are difficult to discern, but regardless, I am certain of one thing: the scene at the Moon’s core is a manifestation of the Skull Kid’s mindset.

Allow me to set the scene. There is an endless field, which rises into a lone hill at the centre, atop which stands a single tree. There are five children, all of whom are identical to the Happy Mask Salesman, albeit much younger versions of him, and wearing masks. Four of them, who wear the masks of the four Temple Guardians, run and play around the tree, at a distance from the fifth child, who sits alone at the trunk, wearing Majora’s Mask.

The tree on the hill is the sole object that breaks the field, much like Clock Town sits elevated in the centre of Termina field. Each child plays alone, separate from one another, similar to each of the Giants guarding one of the four compass directions. Each Giant was also sealed in one of the masks that the children are wearing. The child who wears Majora’s Mask sits alone, left out of play by the other three. The Skull Kid, who wears Majora’s Mask during the game, was left behind when the Giants left Clock Town for the four worlds. Also interesting are the questions that the children ask Link, the first and common to them all being:

“Masks…You have… a lot. You, too…Will you be… a mask salesman?”

This, coupled with their appearance, ties them unquestionably to the Happy Mask Salesman, who, interestingly, doesn’t have a double in Termina whom we meet during the course of the game. More interesting, though, are the individual questions asked by each child as their desire for masks is appeased, which seem to be direct references to the Skull Kid’s anguish. The questions are as follows:

“Your friends…
What kind of…people are they?
I wonder…
Do those people…
think of you…as a friend?”

This question reflects on the Skull Kid’s insecurities in regard to the Giants. As he reveals at the end of the game when he talks to the Giants, he had long been worried that they no longer thought of him as a friends after all the trouble he had caused for the people.

“You…
What makes you…happy?
I wonder…
What makes you happy…
Does it make…others happy, too?”

This is a reflection of how the Skull Kid longs to be accepted by others, and how he might one day find someone with whom to share joy, as he had once done with the Giants.

“The right thing…What is it?
I wonder…
If you do the right thing…
Does it really make…
everybody…happy?”

This is most likely the Skull Kid reflecting on the actions he has taken, questioning them, and possibly expressing regret, given all the suffering he had caused.

“Your true face…
What kind of…face is it?
I wonder…
The face under the mask…
Is that…your true face?”

MOST IMPORTANT: I believe this is a reference to his own appearance. In OOT, there are four different Navi descriptions for the Skull Kid, each one dependant on certain circumstances:

• As an adult: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn’t like grownups.
• As a child (before teaching him Saria’s Song): Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in the forest? He might be our friend if we do something…
• Before giving him the Skull Mask: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He seems unhappy to have no face…
• After giving him the Skull Mask: Skull Kid Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He looks satisfied with his skull face.

One thing is certain from these descriptions: Skull Kids are born from children who lose their way in the Lost Woods, much in the same way that adults become Stalfos, from the account of a Kokiri girl in OOT. The face of a Skull Kid is a bland wooden surface with two black eyes and what appears to be a duck’s bill. Judging by the manner in which Navi refers to them, it would seem that it is not truly a ‘face’ at all, which would make sense, given that the child apparently loses its identity when it becomes this creature. The above quote seems to suggest that the Skull Kid is having an identity crisis: ‘the face under the mask’. I believe this refers to his bland, wooden Skull Kid face, and that his original face is his true face, his true identity.

Summing up these points, the conclusions I have drawn in regard to the Moon scene are as follows:

• The tree represents Clock Town
• The child wearing Majora’s Mask represents the Skull Kid
• The children wearing the Guardian Masks represent the Four Giants
• The scene thus represents the Skull Kid’s sense of abandonment resulting from the departure of the Four Giants

Now, logically, one has to take into consideration that, if all of these parallels are real and intentional, why do the children take the form of the Happy Mask Salesman?

There are three characters in the game that are notably also from OOT, namely Link, the Skull Kid, and the Happy Mask Salesman. The vast majority of the other non-player characters throughout the game are merely counterparts of their doubles from OOT, as Termina is intended to be a parallel world to Hyrule (this is the reason offered by Nintendo for the recycling of OOT‘s character models, but this is beside the point).

If any character in Termina were to be Link’s counterpart, it would most likely be the so-called ‘Fierce Deity’ (as translated by NOA, due to censorship - the character’s original Japanese name was ‘Onigami’, which translates directly as ‘demon god’), if only because the mask itself bears the likeness of Link’s adult self. The Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman, however, are a different story. While it is safe to assume that the Happy Mask Salesman is a Hylian resident of Hyrule, the Skull Kid is somewhat of an enigma, given his extensive history in Termina’s distant past. Neither character has a Terminan counterpart.

Coupling this with all of the above points, I propose that the Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman are the counterparts of one another. It is very possible, if not probable, that the Skull Kid was originally a resident of Termina in his past life. Only three characters have notably crossed between Termina and the Lost Woods; at least, three live ones have. When Link crossed through the ‘rabbit-hole’ if you will (the game is, after all, a very obvious take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) as a Deku Scrub, he came across a peculiar looking tree:

Tatl: “But enough about that for now… Come over to this tree and check it out!
It’s strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree…
It looks all dark and gloomy… almost like it could start crying any second now… How sad…”

She specifically refers to Deku Link’s similar appearance to the tree. One other character, the Deku Butler, also says that Deku Link looks very similar to his estranged son. Playing the Elegy of Emptiness as Deku Link produces a cast-off shell that also looks remarkably similar to the tree. All of this points unquestionably at the extreme likelihood that the soul of the Deku Mask belonged to that tree, who no doubt had his soul ripped from his body when the Skull Kid transformed Link. The point I’m trying to get across is that this Deku child was trying to leave Termina. His presence in the passageway proves that the path between Hyrule and Termina is not completely unknown to the residents of Termina - indeed, at one point in the game, one of the Gorons refers to a ‘Dodongo’s Cavern’, and given the possible knowledge of the passageway, it is quite likely that it is the same one from OOT.

But I forget myself - what I’m suggesting is that this child may have lost his way while playing one day and stumbled upon the passage. Since the passage leads directly to the Lost Woods, it isn’t too bold to assume that the child became lost and eventually became a Skull Kid. I propose that the child was the counterpart of the Happy Mask Salesman, and that the apparition of the children on the Moon is indeed the Skull Kid’s original form. I have done my best to gather evidence in favour of this. I apologise for being unable to provide artwork and images from the game to back up my findings - I have tried to be as descriptive in my writing as possible. I hope this proves to be an interesting read, and hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here ends the article.

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Some really, really smart guy hacked the iPhone in order to play NES games. It’s cool, of course, but not really nessessary or easy to use for that matter. The game pad looks tiny and hard to use. I guess it is one step closer to games on the iPhone although Apple doesn’t plan on making their device a portable gaming machine.

Legend of Zelda:
Bosses
Characters
Heart Containers Guide
Items and Equipment

Adventure of Link:
Game Genie Codes

A Link To The Past:
Game Genie Codes
Prologue
Items and Equipment

Ocarina of Time:
Prologue
Items and Equipment

The Wind Waker:
Bosses
Items and Equipment

Lets thank The Bombers for all the content! They’ve been working tirelessly to get as much done as they can. Hopefully we can have every game filled as soon as possible.

Dennis, Dan, and I also have to get the content up which is a wee bit time consuming. Either way, we’re getting it on as fast as our lives allow.

The second special is the hero’s bow. Not much here since we’ve seen the hero’s bow in SSBM already.

Third is the bomb which all the site adds is “Are these bombs made by Barnes?” Is it trying to imply something? Probably not, not sure why it was necessary to put that.

Fourth is the afore mentioned spin attack which you can apparently “charge up…”

Fifth is Clawshot which can be used for tether recoveries which were mentioned in an earlier news post on the site. They’re essentially rope-like objects that can pull you back into the ring if you get pushed off the site.

You can check out some of pictures of the moves Here.

The second ad is from Japan. It kind of reminds me of the current Wii advertisements with the person playing and the game comes into the real world. It’s pretty nifty.

The next one is another Japanese ad and also one of my favorites. It shows a boy playing Majora’s Mask and the moon coming down on him as he’s playing. The music is well placed too. Although the “Nooooooo!” at the end is a little cheesy, it still shows the mood of the game well. It does seem that the “message” of these commercials is “Don’t play this game because it causes a rift in the time-space continuum causing the game to happen in real life.” Of course you still want to play the game.

This next one is just boring. No original concept, just some guy summarizing the game with footage showing what he’s explaining. It’s “meh” and I’m not really sure I would run to get the game if this is the only commercial I had seen. I also can’t figure out if the guy talking is british or american and trying to sound retarded.

The next one I am honestly not sure is a real commercial. It’s seems fan-made but I’m not really sure. It’s so called “Radio Zelda” talking about the end of the world being in 72 hours with footage of people freaking out in the background. It’s sort of lame.

And that’s all for today. I hope you enjoyed most of them (except for the one with the guy summerizing. That one is lame.) I really think Majora’s Mask had one of the best advertising campaigns. The way they conveyed the feel of the game into their commertials was a good tactic on their part. Too bad Majora’s Mask was at the end of the N64’s life. If it had come out earlier, it might have been a far better selling game. Well, C’est la vie.

ZeldaInformer now has a guide for The Bombers’ Notebook. Well, 3 entries of it, so far. It will be updated on a bi-daily basis as it is added to. The content is by Keenen and the lay-out is done by yours truly.

The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

This is a topic which has been rather hotly debated by many amongst the Zelda theorizing community for a long time now, and I believe that it shall continue to be questioned even if an answer is found. All that can be done until such a time is to theorize. That is what I intend to do in this article. I will explore a number of theories: some of which are my own, some of which have been the subject of great discussion in many forums, all of which can be used to argue one point which people still question even now, seven years after Link, the Hero of Time, first stepped into the mysterious land that is Termina, despite all of the evidence which works in its favor:

Termina is a parallel world.

Regardless of how it came about - be it the creative minds of the writers behind the Zelda series or a cheap and easy way to reuse some of Ocarina of Time’s characters and music - this is, without a doubt, a fact. But is parallel even the right word to describe what Termina is? Parallel lines run beside each other, but never meet. When they do meet, they are no longer considered to be parallel. Can the same be said for parallel worlds? One of the definitions for parallel in the ‘Collins Gem Australian English Dictionary’ states the following:

Parallel: adj. separated by equal distance at every point; precisely corresponding.

Another, from the ‘Macquarie Budget Dictionary’ says - from a Geometry perspective:

Parallel: Geometry. Lying in the same plane but never meeting no matter how far extended.

Finally, ‘The Concise English Dictionary’ dictates:

Parallel: n. a likeness, counterpart.

While these definitions mostly refer to parallel lines, these ‘other realms’ would not have been given the name ‘parallel’ unless they were thought to possess similar traits. However, it is impossible to state that these particular worlds, Hyrule and Termina, never meet, as Link travels - or, rather, falls into Termina from the Lost Woods in Hyrule. It is also impossible to say that they are exactly the same -as ‘parallel world’ would imply -, as it is clearly obvious that this is not the case. Perhaps a better way to describe Termina is that it is simply in another alternate realm to Hyrule, which can be accessed if one enters through a portal of some sort, as Link, Epona, Skullkid, the Happy Mask Salesman, Tatl and Tael, and perhaps others all did. Whether Termina is a parallel world or an alternate one, it shall henceforth be known in this article as parallel, so as to simplify my discussion.

The manual for Majora’s Mask, in the ‘Welcome to Termina’ section, states that:

‘Termina is a kind of parallel world that is similar to and yet different from the land of Hyrule, which was the setting for Ocarina of Time… the people Link meets here may look vaguely familiar at first glance.’

This is most probably one of the single most debated aspects of the parallel world theory. Some believe that it proves that Termina is parallel; others say it proves quite the opposite. I believe that this quote cannot be used as concrete evidence one way or the other. Things have been misconstrued in regards to Zelda before, such as the infamous ‘Wind Waker takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time’ comment. The only things which can be used as concrete evidence in this case are maps and in-game evidence. Looking at the map of Termina, there are a number of things which prove that the land is parallel, rather than being simply a land near Hyrule. For example, all of the Death Mountain area is frozen over. This could not have occurred in the mere months between the end of Ocarina of Time and the start of Majora’s Mask. In the manual, under ‘The Goron Tribe’, it reveals that the Gorons are used to harsh weather. One does not become accustomed to harsh conditions in the span of a few months. Also, the Zora live in the Great Bay area, which leads out to the sea. If the Death Mountain in Hyrule and the Death Mountain in Termina are the same mountain, as I imagine they would be if Termina was not parallel, how could Great Bay extend as far as it does, or lead out to sea for that matter? Termina must be in another realm for this to occur.

The map can also be used to discern exactly how Link actually got into Termina if not through a portal of some sort. He couldn’t have. Link enters Clock Town facing south, and had come from a cavernous forest area. The only thing which is north in Termina is snowy mountains. There is no forest to speak of. Also, when Link chases the Skullkid, he falls down into a cavern and then finds himself in a twisted hallway not unlike the ones in the Forest Temple, save for the fact that the whole room twists and distorts as he walks along it. The steel door then closes behind him. This whole sequence is said to be how Link finds the portal to Termina and enters it. I liken it to Alice falling down the rabbit hole and ending up in Wonderland. However, I do not believe that this portal is the only one which can get a person to and from Termina. I believe that in every location of Termina, there is a portal which leads to Hyrule, and this is supported by the words of the Goron who gives Link the Don Gero Mask when he mentions the Dodongo’s Cavern. There had to be people who knew of the portals in both Hyrule and Termina if a location from Hyrule could have been known to this Goron.

Another thing which I believe proves that Termina is parallel is the fact that almost all of the characters in Termina are identical to those in Hyrule. Now, I do believe that this is also partly due to Nintendo’s laziness, but it serves to illustrate my point. I believe that the people in Termina who bear likeness to the people of Hyrule are their equivalents. Anju is the equivalent of the Cucco Lady in Hyrule, Lulu = Princess Ruto, Gorman = Ingo, the Gerudo Pirates = the Gerudo Thieves, and so on. I also believe that the various locations around Termina are the equivalents of various locations around Hyrule. I believe that the places in both regions which share the same in-game music are ‘direct equivalents’, for want of a better phrase. For example, Zora Hall is the equivalent of Zora’s Domain, Goron Shrine = Goron City, the Woods of Mystery = Lost Woods, Ikana Valley = Gerudo Valley etc. I also think that the other locations around Termina have Hyrulian equivalents. For example, the Great Bay area is the equivalent of the Lake Hylia area, Woodfall area = Kokiri Forest area, Snowhead area = Death Mountain/ Kakariko Village area etc.

A final theory which I have about Termina is that it is beyond the Adult/Child timeline split and that time is also different in Termina as opposed to Hyrule. These theories are supported, in my opinion, by a number of things. For example, in the Wind Waker, there are a few things which seem to be from Majora’s Mask and thus Termina. The first of these things is Tingle. Termina would have had to have been destroyed by the moon in the adult timeline if it was affected by the timeline split, as Link was not there to save it - he was in the Sacred Realm. How, then, can Tingle be in Wind Waker centuries later? Some put it down to Tingle simply being an Easter Egg of sorts, but I believe that it is more than that. Tingle makes maps in both games - and sells them for an incredible high price (the purpose of which was revealed in Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, about him needing rupees to survive in his green-clothed form…), and he also wants to be a fairy in both games as well. He seems to recognize Wind Waker Link’s clothing as being similar to the clothing of the Link in Majora’s Mask. He also doesn’t appear to have aged a day.

Another thing which appears to have come from Termina is the Pictograph box. It has been upgraded, yes, but it is essentially the same device. Ocarina of Time did not feature this device, and it would be a huge coincidence if it was named the same by chance. Another thing, which I do not believe has merit enough to support my argument, but I think is still interesting nonetheless, is that the Hero’s Charm - the item which allows you to see the stamina of your opponent in Wind Waker - looks suspiciously like Majora’s Mask. I’m not suggesting that it is Majora’s Mask, as the two designs are different; rather I am suggesting that somebody who at least knew what the mask looked like designed the charm in a similar fashion. Majora’s Mask, as far as anybody knows, did not leave Termina except for when the Happy Mask Man or the Skullkid had it, but I would imagine that little damage was done with it outside of Termina. How can any of this be possible if Termina is not above the Adult/Child timeline split?

The reasons I believe that time in Termina is different to time in Hyrule are as follows: Firstly, I think it is obvious that a day in Termina is far longer to a day in Hyrule, which is likely due to the design of the game, but may be something more. As I stated previously, Tingle appears to be about the same age in both Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker. Coupled with my earlier argument - that Termina is unaffected by the timeline split - it makes sense to say that time in Termina is vastly different to time in Hyrule, which was why I once believed that the Great Flood had occurred while Link was in Termina, before I discovered that the timeline was split.

Conversely, the legend of the Four Giants states that the Skullkid was banished from Termina centuries before Majora’s Mask occurred. It is my belief that he returned to Hyrule, where he must have been born - a Kokiri, for they are the only things which can become Skullkids (to the best of my knowledge) - , and met Link there as well, which is supported by a quote in Majora’s Mask where he remembers Link’s smell. Upon his return to Termina with Majora’s Mask, however, centuries had passed. Secondly - and again, this will not hold a lot of merit in my argument but is interesting to point out -, the Keaton Mask which Link gives to the man standing by the gate to Death Mountain in Ocarina of Time is said to be the most popular mask in Hyrule at that time. Only months later, when Link goes to Termina, he is given another Keaton Mask, which was left by Kafei. When he shows it to the Happy Mask Man, he basically says that it is a ‘retro’ mask, for want of a better word. The two points which I have just stated contradict the first, but I can draw this conclusion from them: time in Termina is either much faster or much slower than time in Hyrule. Either way, it is different. Both are equally likely, but I cannot say which one is correct.

To sum up, Termina is, whether you like it or not, a parallel - or at least alternate - land to Hyrule. Even if the developers of the game were cheap when they decided to reuse some of the aspects of Ocarina of Time in Majora’s Mask - which I knew even when the game first came out seven years ago, when I was only nine - it doesn’t mean that the land isn’t parallel. There is undeniable evidence that supports this, regardless of how much people try to deny it. Perhaps when Link makes a return to Termina we will know more about the mysteries which surround the land, but for now, that is the only thing which is clear to us, and there is no point in trying to argue otherwise.

Useful links

• Contact author
• Suggest/request articles
• What are the Bombers? How do I join?

The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

This is a topic which has been rather hotly debated by many amongst the Zelda theorizing community for a long time now, and I believe that it shall continue to be questioned even if an answer is found. All that can be done until such a time is to theorize. That is what I intend to do in this article. I will explore a number of theories: some of which are my own, some of which have been the subject of great discussion in many forums, all of which can be used to argue one point which people still question even now, seven years after Link, the Hero of Time, first stepped into the mysterious land that is Termina, despite all of the evidence which works in its favor:

Termina is a parallel world.

Regardless of how it came about - be it the creative minds of the writers behind the Zelda series or a cheap and easy way to reuse some of Ocarina of Time’s characters and music - this is, without a doubt, a fact. But is parallel even the right word to describe what Termina is? Parallel lines run beside each other, but never meet. When they do meet, they are no longer considered to be parallel. Can the same be said for parallel worlds? One of the definitions for parallel in the ‘Collins Gem Australian English Dictionary’ states the following:

Parallel: adj. separated by equal distance at every point; precisely corresponding.

Another, from the ‘Macquarie Budget Dictionary’ says - from a Geometry perspective:

Parallel: Geometry. Lying in the same plane but never meeting no matter how far extended.

Finally, ‘The Concise English Dictionary’ dictates:

Parallel: n. a likeness, counterpart.

While these definitions mostly refer to parallel lines, these ‘other realms’ would not have been given the name ‘parallel’ unless they were thought to possess similar traits. However, it is impossible to state that these particular worlds, Hyrule and Termina, never meet, as Link travels - or, rather, falls into Termina from the Lost Woods in Hyrule. It is also impossible to say that they are exactly the same -as ‘parallel world’ would imply -, as it is clearly obvious that this is not the case. Perhaps a better way to describe Termina is that it is simply in another alternate realm to Hyrule, which can be accessed if one enters through a portal of some sort, as Link, Epona, Skullkid, the Happy Mask Salesman, Tatl and Tael, and perhaps others all did. Whether Termina is a parallel world or an alternate one, it shall henceforth be known in this article as parallel, so as to simplify my discussion.

The manual for Majora’s Mask, in the ‘Welcome to Termina’ section, states that:

‘Termina is a kind of parallel world that is similar to and yet different from the land of Hyrule, which was the setting for Ocarina of Time… the people Link meets here may look vaguely familiar at first glance.’

This is most probably one of the single most debated aspects of the parallel world theory. Some believe that it proves that Termina is parallel; others say it proves quite the opposite. I believe that this quote cannot be used as concrete evidence one way or the other. Things have been misconstrued in regards to Zelda before, such as the infamous ‘Wind Waker takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time’ comment. The only things which can be used as concrete evidence in this case are maps and in-game evidence. Looking at the map of Termina, there are a number of things which prove that the land is parallel, rather than being simply a land near Hyrule. For example, all of the Death Mountain area is frozen over. This could not have occurred in the mere months between the end of Ocarina of Time and the start of Majora’s Mask. In the manual, under ‘The Goron Tribe’, it reveals that the Gorons are used to harsh weather. One does not become accustomed to harsh conditions in the span of a few months. Also, the Zora live in the Great Bay area, which leads out to the sea. If the Death Mountain in Hyrule and the Death Mountain in Termina are the same mountain, as I imagine they would be if Termina was not parallel, how could Great Bay extend as far as it does, or lead out to sea for that matter? Termina must be in another realm for this to occur.

The map can also be used to discern exactly how Link actually got into Termina if not through a portal of some sort. He couldn’t have. Link enters Clock Town facing south, and had come from a cavernous forest area. The only thing which is north in Termina is snowy mountains. There is no forest to speak of. Also, when Link chases the Skullkid, he falls down into a cavern and then finds himself in a twisted hallway not unlike the ones in the Forest Temple, save for the fact that the whole room twists and distorts as he walks along it. The steel door then closes behind him. This whole sequence is said to be how Link finds the portal to Termina and enters it. I liken it to Alice falling down the rabbit hole and ending up in Wonderland. However, I do not believe that this portal is the only one which can get a person to and from Termina. I believe that in every location of Termina, there is a portal which leads to Hyrule, and this is supported by the words of the Goron who gives Link the Don Gero Mask when he mentions the Dodongo’s Cavern. There had to be people who knew of the portals in both Hyrule and Termina if a location from Hyrule could have been known to this Goron.

Another thing which I believe proves that Termina is parallel is the fact that almost all of the characters in Termina are identical to those in Hyrule. Now, I do believe that this is also partly due to Nintendo’s laziness, but it serves to illustrate my point. I believe that the people in Termina who bear likeness to the people of Hyrule are their equivalents. Anju is the equivalent of the Cucco Lady in Hyrule, Lulu = Princess Ruto, Gorman = Ingo, the Gerudo Pirates = the Gerudo Thieves, and so on. I also believe that the various locations around Termina are the equivalents of various locations around Hyrule. I believe that the places in both regions which share the same in-game music are ‘direct equivalents’, for want of a better phrase. For example, Zora Hall is the equivalent of Zora’s Domain, Goron Shrine = Goron City, the Woods of Mystery = Lost Woods, Ikana Valley = Gerudo Valley etc. I also think that the other locations around Termina have Hyrulian equivalents. For example, the Great Bay area is the equivalent of the Lake Hylia area, Woodfall area = Kokiri Forest area, Snowhead area = Death Mountain/ Kakariko Village area etc.

A final theory which I have about Termina is that it is beyond the Adult/Child timeline split and that time is also different in Termina as opposed to Hyrule. These theories are supported, in my opinion, by a number of things. For example, in the Wind Waker, there are a few things which seem to be from Majora’s Mask and thus Termina. The first of these things is Tingle. Termina would have had to have been destroyed by the moon in the adult timeline if it was affected by the timeline split, as Link was not there to save it - he was in the Sacred Realm. How, then, can Tingle be in Wind Waker centuries later? Some put it down to Tingle simply being an Easter Egg of sorts, but I believe that it is more than that. Tingle makes maps in both games - and sells them for an incredible high price (the purpose of which was revealed in Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, about him needing rupees to survive in his green-clothed form…), and he also wants to be a fairy in both games as well. He seems to recognize Wind Waker Link’s clothing as being similar to the clothing of the Link in Majora’s Mask. He also doesn’t appear to have aged a day.

Another thing which appears to have come from Termina is the Pictograph box. It has been upgraded, yes, but it is essentially the same device. Ocarina of Time did not feature this device, and it would be a huge coincidence if it was named the same by chance. Another thing, which I do not believe has merit enough to support my argument, but I think is still interesting nonetheless, is that the Hero’s Charm - the item which allows you to see the stamina of your opponent in Wind Waker - looks suspiciously like Majora’s Mask. I’m not suggesting that it is Majora’s Mask, as the two designs are different; rather I am suggesting that somebody who at least knew what the mask looked like designed the charm in a similar fashion. Majora’s Mask, as far as anybody knows, did not leave Termina except for when the Happy Mask Man or the Skullkid had it, but I would imagine that little damage was done with it outside of Termina. How can any of this be possible if Termina is not above the Adult/Child timeline split?

The reasons I believe that time in Termina is different to time in Hyrule are as follows: Firstly, I think it is obvious that a day in Termina is far longer to a day in Hyrule, which is likely due to the design of the game, but may be something more. As I stated previously, Tingle appears to be about the same age in both Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker. Coupled with my earlier argument - that Termina is unaffected by the timeline split - it makes sense to say that time in Termina is vastly different to time in Hyrule, which was why I once believed that the Great Flood had occurred while Link was in Termina, before I discovered that the timeline was split.

Conversely, the legend of the Four Giants states that the Skullkid was banished from Termina centuries before Majora’s Mask occurred. It is my belief that he returned to Hyrule, where he must have been born - a Kokiri, for they are the only things which can become Skullkids (to the best of my knowledge) - , and met Link there as well, which is supported by a quote in Majora’s Mask where he remembers Link’s smell. Upon his return to Termina with Majora’s Mask, however, centuries had passed. Secondly - and again, this will not hold a lot of merit in my argument but is interesting to point out -, the Keaton Mask which Link gives to the man standing by the gate to Death Mountain in Ocarina of Time is said to be the most popular mask in Hyrule at that time. Only months later, when Link goes to Termina, he is given another Keaton Mask, which was left by Kafei. When he shows it to the Happy Mask Man, he basically says that it is a ‘retro’ mask, for want of a better word. The two points which I have just stated contradict the first, but I can draw this conclusion from them: time in Termina is either much faster or much slower than time in Hyrule. Either way, it is different. Both are equally likely, but I cannot say which one is correct.

To sum up, Termina is, whether you like it or not, a parallel - or at least alternate - land to Hyrule. Even if the developers of the game were cheap when they decided to reuse some of the aspects of Ocarina of Time in Majora’s Mask - which I knew even when the game first came out seven years ago, when I was only nine - it doesn’t mean that the land isn’t parallel. There is undeniable evidence that supports this, regardless of how much people try to deny it. Perhaps when Link makes a return to Termina we will know more about the mysteries which surround the land, but for now, that is the only thing which is clear to us, and there is no point in trying to argue otherwise.

Useful links

• Contact author
• Suggest/request articles
• What are the Bombers? How do I join?

Adventure of Link: Boss Guide - Michael Davis
A Link to the Past: Enemy Guide - Keenen Truby

The Legend of Zelda

Enemies - Ilmari Arnkil

Adventure of Link

Spells - Keenen Truby
Heart & Magic Containers - Keenen Truby
Items & Equipment - Keenen Truby
Prologue - Keenen / Ilmari

Ocarina of Time

Skulltulas - Damir Halilović
Item Upgrades - Keenen Truby
Cheats - Keenen Truby
Big Poes - Keenen Truby
Masks - Keenen Truby
Ocarina Songs Damir / Keenen
Trading Sequence - Keenen Truby

The Wind Waker

Prologue - Alex Plant
Enemies - Alex Plant

Enemies - Damir Halilović
Heart Pieces - Damir Halilović

Characters - Damir Halilović
Dungeons - Damir Halilović
Bean Beds - Damir Halilović

Trading Sequence - Keenen Truby
Heart Pieces - Keenen Truby
Secret Seashells - Keenen Truby

Be sure to check out the upcoming updates for Phantom Hourglass. Our writers have plenty of material in the works! Here are the new updates:

Phantom Hourglass

Prologue - Alex Plant

Link’s Awakening

Prologue - Ilmari / Keenen
Items & Equipment - Keenen Truby
Cheat Codes - Keenen Truby

A Link to the Past

Fairy Fountains - Keenen Truby

The Legend of Zelda: Shops & Games - Keenen Truby
Link’s Awakening: Dungeon Keys - Keenen Truby
The Wind Waker: Game Controls - Alex Plant

Contrary to the common belief, the Zelda series has featured music from various composers, not just Koji Kondo. The others have been standing in Kondo’s shadow for decades without the recognition they deserve. This article aims to cover the lesser known Zelda composers and their impact on the series. They weren’t all fantastic, but most of them did well and certainly brought some variety and perspective to the musical aspect of The Legend of Zelda.

The score for the original Legend of Zelda was written solely by Koji Kondo. He was most likely selected for the job because of his highly popular Super Mario Bros. soundtrack which was released the previous year. However, Kondo didn’t write a single note for the follow up of the original Zelda game, The Adventure of Link. This is interesting, because the father of the series, Shigeru Miyamoto, wasn’t heavily involved in the game either. The game was basically made by a different team altogether with Miyamoto only acting as a producer and adviser.

The music for Adventure of Link was composed by a lesser known composer Akito Nakatsuka who had previously worked on the music of Ice Climbers, an arcade classic made by Nintendo. Nakatsuka borrowed parts from Kondo’s Zelda themes but created mostly an original soundtrack. Unlike Kondo’s work, his music has not been reused in any Zelda game to date. The only reworks of his compositions can be heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee’s Hyrule Castle and the Ice Climbers stage. The opening theme of Adventure of Link was heard briefly as a part of a Zelda theme medley in the Hyrule Symphony CD.

The lack of reference to Nakatsuka’s work is rather strange seeing as how many of the Zelda themes have been used over and over, eventually becoming fan favorites over the years where as Nakatsuka’s work hasn’t been touched upon at all. This might have something to do with the fact that Adventure of Link is often considered to be the black sheep of the series and is rarely referred to in any way at all.

The soundtrack of AoL was your typical NES composition consisting of less than 20 songs altogether. It is usually only remembered from the Palace Theme (thanks to SSBM) and naturally the opening screen music. The overworld music makes an attempt to remix the original Zelda theme which works, but does not reach the sense of adventure, achieved in the original melody. Some of the frequently repeated melodies are somewhat simple and do not have the catchy Zelda feel to them, which in turn makes the score less appealing to long time Zelda fans.

As I listen to AoL’s soundtrack, while writing this article, I’m beginning to realize why it hasn’t been reused in the other games. It’s just a mediocre NES composition that doesn’t stay with you when turn off the console. Some of the songs are also haunted by my childhood trauma of what this notoriously difficult game put me through. Though there are a couple of gems that would deserve to be heard again. The Village Theme is a nice tune that offers a break from the overworld music. Then there is the the Palace Theme which is easily the best track of the lot, hearing it in SSBM might have something to do with its popularity, but to me it was the one thing that kept me playing the game. So far only fan-made remixes of these melodies exist.

At least two songs in the japanese version were modified for the american and european releases. These tracks are the title music and the battle theme. The title music sounds like it was just improved rather than re-arranged to suit the musical taste of western players. The battle theme however is completely different. The japanese one is more monotonous but sounds a lot more like a Zelda piece, where as the one we have come to know sounds like it could be from just any NES title.

The next released game was A Link to the Past which saw the return of Kondo’s familiar style. The soundtrack featured countless tracks which have stayed with the series ever since. One could say that this was the soundtrack that shaped the music of Zelda. Koji Kondo created a powerful and memorable soundtrack that utilized the Super Nintendo’s maximum capabilities, only to step aside and give room for the sound team of Link’s Awakening.

The reason why Kondo was not chosen to work on the next Zelda title might have been because at the time he didn’t have any experience of composing music for the Gameboy. The team that took his place consisted of four Nintendo composers: Yuichi Ozaki, Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano and Kazue Ishikawa. They created a different sound, again borrowing the main theme from Kondo, to create one of the most memorable Gameboy soundtracks out there.

If you download the soundtrack (go ahead, it was never released on CD) the first thing you notice is that there are nearly 80 tracks of music! Some of them are short fanfares you hear when you obtain a special item, but mostly it’s just music. This game was the first to introduce individual dungeon themes and multiple songs to play with your ocarina. There was plenty of diversity and lots of tunes composed exclusively for cutscenes, something which was also pretty new in Zelda back in the day.

The DX version brought back a remixed version classic dungeon theme from the first Zelda, the music can be heard in the bonus dungeon of the game. There was also a secret song which was different for the japanese and western versions. In the original version Kazumi Totaka had included his trademark melody which is hidden in every soundtrack he has worked on. In the western version the secret melody was replaced by groovy remix of the Zelda theme. It can be heard by inserting “ZELDA” as the player’s name.

Soon after Majora’s Mask was released on the Nintendo 64, The Oracle of Seasons and The Oracle of Ages saw the light of day on the Gameboy Color. This soundtrack was put together by a duo working under the aliases Kyopi and M-Adachi. The true identities of these people are unknown as are the identities of the sound effect people Yokopo and M-Aoki. It is very likely that M-Adachi is in fact Masanori Adachi, the very same composer who created the soundtrack to Freshly Picked - Tingle’s Rosy Rupee Land. Adachi had also previously worked on such classic titles as Rocket Knight Adventures, Castlevania IV and Contra III. Strangely enough, the music and sound effects of the Oracle games are also credited to Pure Sound Inc., a mysterious corporation that has to my knowledge disappeared after the games’ release.

Japanese video game music composers sometimes worked under aliases. This was very common especially during the 1980’s but wasn’t at all usual in the 21st century. Apparently the early video game composers used these aliases so that they could secretly work for several publishers at the same time without getting into trouble for breaking their contracts.

Kyopi and Adachi’s take on the Oracles was a step back to the more traditional Zelda music which was a good choice for these type of games. The music in the games is all round good, one can hardly find anything to complain about. There’s enough variety and plenty of memorable themes. As was the case with Link’s Awakening, the Gameboy’s sound system doesn’t allow much creativity, but then again the tunes that these guys put together are just what the doctor ordered, so there wasn’t really any need to go nuts with the soundtrack.

Speaking of Link’s Awakening, one can definitely hear lots of connections between the two soundtracks, even matching melodies. Some tracks were even borrowed from Ocarina of Time, just like some of the characters. It was obviously an attempt to cash in on Ocarina’s success, which is sort of sad, but since the rest of the soundtrack was fantastic, I’m willing to forgive them. When compared to other Gameboy soundtracks of the time, this one was exceptionally good, and was well received among critics even though the speakers of Gameboy Color didn’t do the music the justice it deserved.

The Four Swords Adventures returns Zelda music to its roots. At times the soundtrack actually sounds like it was made 10 years ago, which is not a bad thing at all. The score was written by Koji Kondo and Asuka Ota. Unlike all the other composers, Ota is a fairly young composer, having made only one soundtrack for the Nintendo DS, prior to his work with FSA.

The soundtrack is bursting with adventure from days gone by. The samples sound better and there are more channels in the sound engine, allowing more complex melodies and harmonies. Still the spirit of the old games stays intact. Could a Zelda fan ask for more?

FSA also features many familiar themes from ALttP, that sound very close to their original counterparts. Actually the whole game resembles ALttP in more than one ways, it was made by the same team, that apparently wanted to pay a tribute to the SNES classic from 12 years ago. For a senior fan this either comes as a pleasant trip down the memory lane or as an annoying recycling of old ideas. Some of the themes were a bit stale but once again the amount of good pieces easily outweighs the bad.

The Minish Cap’s soundtrack was composed entirely by Mitsuhiko Takano, another new composer to the Zelda series. His music is at times very atmospheric and at times really gives the listener the GBA’s sound at its best, take the Wind Ruins music for an example. It’s too bad that half of the soundtrack doesn’t sound as good at all.

The parts that hurt my ears the most are where Takano uses non-midi sounds as a part of the composition. The sound is just so crude when compared to the sophisticated harmonies he creates with the midi. In case you’re wondering just what I mean I suggest you listen to two songs and see if you can spot the difference. First, listen to the Intro Story music, which to my knowledge is nothing but midi all the way. Next find a song called House, and concentrate on the bass line.

The soundtrack would have been a classic if Takano had just stuck to the midi instruments. In some cases he does make the combination work but those are too few and far between. Despite this flaw, the music is very impressive at times and makes for a good GBA soundtrack.

Koji Kondo finally achieved his dream of creating fully orchestrated music for the highly anticipated Twilight Princess. The soundtrack of TP is every Zelda fanatic’s every wet dream put together. The soundtrack is a brilliant mix of synthetic music and traditional film score. Most of the major locations and characters received an orchestrated suite which will hopefully released soon on CD.

The masterminds behind the soundtrack are Koji Kondo, Asuka Ota and Toru Minegishi. Together they have created a soundtrack so great I can hardly find words to describe it. While this certainly isn’t the first time Zelda music has been orchestrated, the soundtrack of Twilight Princess marks the first ever occasion where the orchestrated tracks were produced for the game itself. The key melodies of Ocarina of Time were arranged for a symphony orchestra after the game’s release. The album was called Hyrule Symphony and was never released outside Japan. Some Zelda tracks have also appeared on the Orchestral Game Concert albums along with other video game orchestrations.

The most ingenious achievement of Twilight Princess’ soundtrack is the musical contrast between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. Hyrule is filled with adventurous uplifting themes and exciting songs, along with long time fan favorites, creating a sense of great enthusiasm. Hyrule’s music has its relaxing side to it as well, making the place feel secure and familiar yet fresh and exciting.

Once you enter the Twilight Realm you no longer hear the pleasant sounds of Hyrule, instead you are confronted with a bizarre set of compositions that create an air of uneasiness and discomfort. This playing with the players emotions is what made the score a genuine masterpiece. Some of tracks take a very experimental direction which hasn’t been done since Majora’s Mask.

The musical references aren’t as subtle as they were in The Wind Waker, but they are there. Musically, Twilight Princess refers mostly to Ocarina of Time, borrowing a couple of tracks from other games as well.

Altogether the soundtrack is darker than your typical Zelda soundtrack. It also borrows heavily from film scores, which seems to be the trend with game music these days. I would complain that by imitating film music the video game composers are killing a musical genre they created, but how can I when it sounds so good? A great majority of songs on Twilight Princess’ soundtrack are “old school” songs which were done the same way as The Wind Waker soundtrack - with midi instruments. These tracks feel slightly out of place, because they are clearly artificial and from time to time make no attempt to hide it. However, even the midi tracks take a very cinematic approach to the music, giving the soundtrack a very epic feel.

Right now Kondo, Ota and Minegishi are the Zelda music dream team, I can only hope to see them involved in the upcoming Zelda for the Wii.

The music has come a long way from the bleeps and bloops of the early games. Each game represents its time, without breaking ties with the past. It really brings a smile to my face to see Mr. Kondo still involved in Zelda without leaving the new talents behind. If I had to guess, I think we’ll be hearing from him again, if not in Phantom Hourglass, then at least by the time of the next big 3D Zelda.

Author’s note (Sep. 22.07): I took the liberty of adding a newly discovered detail to the paragraph that talks about the Oracle composers. This was of course Masanori Adachi’s possible involvement with the games. While I was at it, I also added a couple of paragraphs discussing the Oracles’ soundtrack more thoroughly.

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A Link to the Past: Heart Pieces
A Link to the Past: Warp Tiles
A Link to the Past: Warp Points

The following article is only a theory, and is not meant to be taken as anything more than that. It only reflects the opinion of the writer, and not ZeldaInformer as a whole. That said, enjoy the article!

Part I - Koholint

“I AM THE WIND FISH… LONG HAS BEEN MY SLUMBER… IN MY DREAMS… AN EGG APPEARED AND WAS SURROUNDED BY AN ISLAND, WITH PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AN ENTIRE WORLD!”

- The Wind Fish

Koholint Island was the setting for the fourth installment in the Legend of Zelda series, Link’s Awakening. It told of Link washing ashore a strange island and his quest to wake the Wind Fish, so that he could leave that island. It is only near the end of his journey that he realizes that he is in a dream of the Wind Fish’s making. What is odd is that this dream is populated by many things that are associated with Link’s previous quest, as told in A Link to the Past*. This leads to the obvious conclusion that the dream is a shared one, with elements drawn from both minds. What this portion of the article is intended to do is point out the contents which specifically connect with Link, through the areas of geography, locations, and populace.

The first topic for examination is geography. While not initially apparent Koholint Island greatly resembles Hyrule, albeit distorted. Near the center of the island (though somewhat northeast) is Kanalet Castle, comparable to Hyrule Castle. At the west edge of the map is Mabe Village, akin to Kakariko. North of that is the Mysterious Woods, a representation of the Lost Woods. Far south of that is Toronbo Shores, comparable to the Desert of Mystery (its counterpart may also be Yarna Desert). All along the northern border is the Tal Tal Mountain Range, like Death Mountain. Located in the northeast are the River Rapids, which is comparable to Zora’s Waterfall (and the subsequent river). South of that is the Face Shrine area, which resembles the Eastern Palace region. Finally, southwest of that is Martha’s Bay, an analogue for Lake Hylia. The only major area that does not have a counterpart is Animal Village, which makes it unique to Koholint.

The next topic to address is location. While most locations were covered previously what is being referred to here are the places you can not fully see from the overworld map, dungeons. Two areas are of particular interest: Eagle’s Tower and Turtle Rock. They are similar in concept to two of the former game’s final dungeons: Tower of Hera (for the Pendants of Virtue portion) and Turtle Rock (for the Crystal Maiden’s portion). The similarities between Eagle’s Tower and Hera’s Tower are that they are both towers and both rely on crystal switch puzzles. The similarity between the Turtle Rocks (besides the name) is the unique aspect of having to create paths over gaps. In the Koholint version you had to push a block and control its movements over the gap, thus creating a path, while in the previous version you created a platform that rode on rails to different areas.

After that, we turn to the populace, the inhabitants of the island. One of the most considerable connections between Koholint and Hyrule exists in the form of Marin. Marin initially rescues you after you wash ashore, which is the reverse of your meeting with her counterpart, Zelda. Very soon after Link first wakes up, Marin says:

“What? Zelda? No, my name’s Marin! You must still be feeling a little woozy.”

- Marin

This illustrates that Marin greatly resembles Zelda, but the similarities do not end there. Zelda is known all around Hyrule, as she is its princess. Marin is known all around Koholint (especially in Animal Village), as she is very skilled in singing.

“Aaaah, Little Marin… I want her to come back again… Her song is the best…”

- Animal Village Resident

Also, both Marin and Zelda serve as the main character (the second most important characters after Link in their respective games) and as a possible romantic interest. This is demonstrated in Koholint more clearly then in Hyrule.

“You got Marin! Is this your big chance?”

- Link’s Awakening In-Game Text

“Hey, dude! What do you think of Marin? Uhh… I don’t know, I’m just a kid!”

- Mabe Village Resident

Though delivered in a joking manner, these lines both hint at something more between Link and Marin than just a casual friendship. Meanwhile, the similar assertion that there is something between Link and Zelda comes mostly from the comic and manga adaption** (I am trying to avoid fans’ “shipping” as a basis, but I do believe the example given is viable). These two characters, while unique in their own right, are very similar.

The Nightmares, particularly the final one, also show a strong connection to Hyrule. During the final battle the nightmare takes on many shapes. One of the first forms is of Moldorm, a memorable boss from the Tower of Hera. Another of those forms is Agahnim, whom Link fought twice in his previous adventure. Lastly there is the form of Ganon himself, complete with the trident. Though it could be said that they were just reusing enemies, I believe they are specifically supposed to be drawn from Link’s mind.

There are also other, more minor characters that could be based on others. Tarin, for example, while possibly just based off of Mario, seems to resemble Link’s Uncle. There is also Grandpa Ulrira, who like Sahasrahla is an old man who will give you advice from a great distance (Ulrira through telephones, Sahasrahla though telepathy). Connections between minor characters and their counterparts is far less clear, leaving Marin as still the best example.

The more we look into the world of Koholint, the more evidence reveals connections to Hyrule. What I cover here is probably not even the half of it. There are other, smaller details that could be analyzed, but this is the best and widest-known evidence available. It demonstrates that though the dream that created Koholint Island seems to dwell within the mind of the Wind Fish, it clearly is based off of Link’s memories and experiences. It is not just through the Wind Fish’s awakening, but through Link’s awakening as well does Koholint finally vanish.

“COME, LINK ... LET US AWAKEN…TOGETHER!!”

- The Wind Fish

Part II - Termina

Termina was the setting for the sixth installment in the Legend of Zelda series, Majora’s Mask. It is a mysterious land plagued by the mischief of the Skull Kid. It seems to have inspired more theories then most other topics in the series. The two most accepted theories of its nature are that Termina is either a parallel world or a neighboring country to Hyrule. This article will pursue a third, lesser known theory. It will demonstrate that the events of Majora’s Mask were a dream. It was a dream shared by the two most important characters in the story: Link and the Skull Kid. To delve into the dream-like attributes of Termina four topics will be explored: geography, populace, masks, and events.

The first topic to address is geography. Termina seems to be arranged in a very simple, structured way. In the center is Clock Town, with the Clock Tower at in most central point. From that town, in every compass direction, lies a region with a completely different terrain with a very unique climate. Each of these four areas is a twisted, chilling version of a normal environment. The forest has become a poisonous swamp, the mountains have become a frozen wasteland, the ocean has become murky and untraversable, and the valley is overwhelmed by the undead. This combination of fear and simplicity could lead one to believe the formation of Termina to be the product of a frightened child’s mind, which is just what the Skull Kid seems to be.

The second subject to discuss is the populace. One of the strangest things about Termina is that most of its residents look exactly like those of Hyrule. The two most prevalent offered theories on this is that they are either mirrored versions of their Hyrulean counterparts or just recycled models. Assuming this is a dream, something like the first option applies. Though rather then direct copies they are new people, new characters with somewhat familiar faces attached. It is important to note that no one that Link was really close with is represented here. There are no analogues for Zelda, Saria, the Sages, or the Kokiri. This leaves Termina to feel that much more foreign to Link. It also stands to reason that they might be drawn from the Skull Kid’s mind, as he was a resident of Hyrule, and could have seen many of these people. He may have even known them prior to becoming what he was.

The next issue to examine is the importance of masks, more immediately examining their importance to Skull Kid, who would be the source of Termina’s love of masks. Skull Kid seems to believe that the mask one wears becomes that person’s identity. An example of this is in Ocarina of Time when Link sells him the Skull Mask.

“Wearing this mask makes me feel really tough and scary!”

- The Skull Kid, Ocarina of Time

Another example would be Majora’s Mask itself. When he wears it he becomes the evil that the mask embodies, and seems to fully accept it. Within the realm of Termina, his logic applies to all. When Link dons one of the transformation masks, he takes on that other identity, be it Darmani, Mikau, or another. The same applies to the Giants. The masks they wear have transformed them into monsters, which is a reflection of Skull Kid’s attitude towards them. They angered him so he put them in a form that reflected how he thought of them, as the “bad guys”.

Lastly, and possibly most important, is the matter of the events. It is these specific occurrences that lend the most to this theory. Take the opening scene for example. After Skull Kid steals the Ocarina and Link gives chase, he winds up in a cave. In that cave is a deep chasm, and while Link is falling down it various images fly by him: masks, items, etcetera. After such a long fall Link falls softly on a flower, and is transformed into a Deku Scrub. He then continues to chase the Skull Kid through a twisted corridor until huge iron doors lock behind them. These strange happenings do not make sense in the context of traveling to another country, or even to another dimension. Such abnormalities are common in a dream world though, such as with Alice falling down the rabbit hole (which this part is frequently likened to).

The next example is what happens when Link fails. When the moon falls to the earth Link, like everyone else, is caught in the subsequent destruction. Yet afterwards he is somehow talking with the Happy Mask Salesman, and is given another chance.

“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”

- Happy Mask Salesman

How is it possible he could have survived such a thing? It should not be possible in reality (in the context of the game), but it is in the realm of possibility for a dream.

A further example would be the event of the Giants stopping the moon. While aspects of this event can be explained away as the paranormal nature of the Giants, it definitely has a dream-like “feel”. The Giants appear from nowhere, and as they approach the center they effortlessly pass through objects on the ground. When they do reach the center they raise their arms and stop the moon, whilst never physically touching it. Again, while this might not be solid proof it does lend to the dream-like feel of the game.

The last example is possibly the best of the group: inside the moon. After the moon is stopped and Link enters it, something wholly unexpected happens. Link arrives on a plain during a sunny day. There is a lone tree in the middle and children play around, while one child sits alone. Talking to, and giving masks to the playing children causes Link to enter various dungeons, where his skill with his alternate forms is challenged. After completing these and talking to the lonely child, Link receives the god-like Fierce Deity’s Mask so that he may “play” with the child, with Link taking up the role of the “bad guy”. Link is then taken to a strange room, whose color and atmosphere seem to be always changing, for a final battle with the insane Majora. After which the moon disappears, and is replaced by a rainbow. No matter how you look at it, these past events were incredibly strange, and only really make sense if they are put into the context of a dream, as dreams are not restricted by logic. Endless amounts of symbolism are drawn from this portion of the game, and dreams are nothing if not symbolic.

Some of the darkest, strangest things to happen in a Legend of Zelda game happen in Majora’s Mask. Everything seemed to have some second meaning, and it always felt as though there was something more beneath the surface. Whether this theory is true or false, its intention was to open your mind to the possibility. Things are not always as they seem, and a perfect example of that is the world of Termina.

Part III - Connections

At first glance you probably would not see too many connections between Link’s Awakening and Majora’s Mask. Both games have a rendition of ‘Ballad of the Wind Fish’, but that is hardly enough to show any real relationship between the two. Yet the more it is looked into it, the more similarities reveal themselves, and the more these two dream worlds seem alike. Though these similarities may be subtle, they still provide a strong case. The four documented here are populace, deities, items, and fate.

The first topic to look at is the inhabitants of each world. The connection here is obvious, the populations of Koholint and Termina are drawn from different incarnations of Hyrule (A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, respectively). On Koholint Island, Marin is an obvious representation of Zelda, while Tarin may be based off of Link’s uncle and Sahasrahla may have inspired Ulrira (and possibly the owl). There are not many examples since there were not that many characters to begin with, but Termina is a different story. Nearly every person in Termina looks like someone from Hyrule. The difference is that on Koholint, the new characters were based off of major characters, while in Termina they were based off of minor character. Nevertheless, it is still something both locations have in common.

Another similarity between the two lands is that they both have unique deities, separate from the prime three (Din, Nayru, and Farore). Koholint has the Wind Fish while Termina has the Four Giants. They also share important roles in their respective games. Link spends a majority of each game seeking the assistance of these god-like beings. Not only do you seek their help put you must save them as well, as they are both imprisoned by some evil. So powerful beings in need of aid is another likeness between the two.

The next issue is that of items, two to be exact. They are the Boomerang and the Ocarina of Time. While at first glance they are completely different, they do share a similarity: their power increased greatly from the game before it. First there is the Boomerang. In most Legend of Zelda games it is a weak weapon used mostly to stun enemies, this changes on Koholint. There it is the single most powerful weapon in the game, it is even capable of destroying the final boss in a single strike. Though even this increase in power is dwarfed by the next item.

In Hyrule, the Ocarina of Time’s primary purpose (storyline-wise) was to act as a key the Sacred Realm.

“Ganondorf’s target was one of the keys to the Sacred Realm…the hidden treasure of the Royal Family…The Ocarina of Time!”

- Zelda, Ocarina of Time

Its control over time seemed to only happen in combination with the Master Sword.

“As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, you hold time itself in your hands…”

- Sheik, Ocarina of Time

Even then the Master Sword seemed to be the true key to time travel.

“The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time’s river…”

- Sheik, Ocarina of Time

So how, in Termina, how does the Ocarina of Time seem to gain such control over time? This is usually attributed to a “Goddess of Time”.

“The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of Time, she will aid you…”

- Zelda, Majora’s Mask

Where was she during the events of Ganondorf’s rise to power, when she was really needed? This just seems to be an easy way to justify a huge leap in power which could be attributed to Termina being a dream. Dreams are not restricted by logic, so any item would be allowed to have incredible power, where very little existed before.

The last topic to examine is fate. Each land has a destiny, both spelling doom.

“TO THE FINDER… THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION… HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY… A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER’S EYE… AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE… CAST-AWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!”

- Shrine Mural, Link’s Awakening

“This swamp you are in has lost its guardian deity. But it was destined to fade anyway. Hoo-hoot…And that destiny is not solely limited to this swamp…”

- The Owl, Majora’s Mask

While each land shares the same fate, the difference lies in whether it comes to pass. Koholint does succumb to its fate, vanishing from reality, becoming little more then a memory. The only one to escape this doom is Marin, who takes the form of a seagull. Termina’s fate, in the ultimate end, does not come to pass. The moon is stopped and life is spared, its continued existence allowed.

The connections presented here should reinforce the previously stated claim of Termina being a dream world. Too many similarities and connections exist to dismiss this idea, while not enough exist to completely prove it. As such here is one final quote, taken from an inhabitant of Termina:

“Belief or disbelief rests with you.”

- Garo, Majora’s Mask

* - For the sake of this article I am assuming (time line-wise) that Link’s Awakening directly follows A Link to the Past.

** - Though the comic and manga adaptations and not considered official “canon” I believe they should be taken into consideration as they give a deeper look into the characters.