The Return of Majora - Zelda Theory

[@lobstur585]

IMAGINE this comment gets pinned

[@kattheneeko]

Good news, buddy

[@MonsterMaze]

Welp...

[@lobstur585]

I got pinned

[@lobstur585]

Ok

[@monsieurlefrog8706]

@@lobstur585 my guess is that it wont work again but you never know

[@keelanc1681]

The idea of botw link unknowingly using a mask that still straight up still has a vengeful spirit in it is very chilling, but also very funny because majora cant do anything bc hes stuck in hyrule.

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

That would be a very cruel irony for Majora.

[@Aichi1138]

@@rhysdajani3618 even if his will wasnt indomitable thanks to Demise's curse, The spirit of the hero is immortal and passes through the ages. Majora would have to not only dominate the current Link but EVERY Link that came before. And I can just see the Hero of time and the hero of legend Not taking at all kindly to the attempt

[@BlaxeFrost-X]

or rather because he doesn't have anything against hyrule and it's people, in fact majora might fear the kami killer ganondorf (jabu jabu and the great deku tree)

[@dorianwiesner4477]

@@BlaxeFrost-X Or because the demon of destruction respects, that Hyrule is the territory of the demon of conquer, Ganon

[@LokiTheClever]

@@rhysdajani3618 And the triforce of courage may make him immune to its effects

[@kileysevens9116]

Majora's Mask helped me move on from my mom's death. I understood the pain and anger of the Imp and of the characters Link was helping. It will always hold my heart.

[@zacktackett5739]

Literally, same. I love all Zelda games, but the emotional impact Majora's mask had on me puts it above the others.

[@Radien]

Majora's Mask is a fantastic game for learning to deal with grief. Perhaps the best. I certainly can't think of a better game about grief right now.

[@kileysevens9116]

@@zacktackett5739 I agree. There isn't another game I can think of that deals with grief and moving on better than that game.

[@kileysevens9116]

@@Radien Its so true. No game that deals with grief much better than Majoras mask. It shows various kinds of grief too

[@Mendouja]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@masterspongebat2387]

I like to believe the Mask is under the great sea in the Adult timeline.

[@MonsterMaze]

Let's go fishing!

[@masterspongebat2387]

@Whatever 😄 Good point.

[@zombiemanjosh]

@Whatever Maybe not, could be dense with evil. I've seen a whole body come out of that thing.

[@UhOhTheStoveIsOn]

@Whatever what if there’s a rock on top of it under the sea

[@andersasblom6452]

@Whatever Not if it was still sealed away in some dungeon somewhere during that time.

[@queazy03]

You forgot one of the most subtle things of all, the mask itself. Look at it, what do you see? It is a heart shape, with spikes protruding from it. It is a heart in pain, essentially a foil for regret and sorrow. The authors wrote Skull Kid, who regretting his friends the giants leaving him behind, and Skull Kid wears this mask of a heart with spikes protruding from it. Why? Because Skull Kid is a foil for Link, who regrets his friend Navi leaving him behind. In the end Skull Kid is briefly reunited with his friends, the giants, but tell him they must go but it is ok, live life to your well despite the parting. Happy Mask Salesman himself hammers this point home "Wherever a meeting is to occur, a parting must sure follow". This is the big lesson for Link, who does not want to part with Navi and chases/searches for her. The game is all about learning to say goodbye, either from people drifting apart or people dying. Some would say that the theme of saying goodbye is all about learning to grow up, and there is another subtle jab about this. You are Tingle. Rather, you are Link and Tingle is the Termina version of Link, and therefore Tingle is a reflection of Link and therefore the player. Although his function in the game is to sell maps to the player, his story is essentially "I want to dress up as a green fairy boy (Link) and go on adventures". Guess what the player does every time he turns on his Nintendo console and plays a Zelda game? The player becomes the green fairy boy Link and goes on adventures. This jab is further dug in with Tingle admitting he's 35 and his father is embarrassed by him doing those silly things in his outfit. Of course Tingle is a character played for laughs, so him being a funny age is part of his character, but it runs with the theme of "grow up" that the game tries to tell.

[@colepeltier8472]

Jordan Peterson approves this message.

[@DroneDefect]

Holy crap

[@vivasornaviv8940]

Good essay op

[@asrieldreemurrthe1st]

Y O U A R E T I N G L E

[@lifeartstudios6207]

hurts my soul, but you're right

[@Timbo360]

Majora’s Mask feels like a fever dream. The golden cartridge was such a cool idea too.

[@mikehachey1282]

Yeah the gold cart was cool, I wish I still had mine

[@beecees410]

ive sold my N64 like 20 years ago because my parents werent the wealthiest so if we wanted another console we had to sell our current one. but i still have that cardridge containing a 100% completed save file.

[@definitivamenteno-malo7919]

MM is what would happen if David Flynch would have made a Zelda. Have you ever heard about Twin Peaks?

[@rockk9753]

And that moving image of link too it was cool and original cartridge

[@CynicallyGone]

I got incredibly lucky last year and found a complete version of the collectors edition with the box and manuals. Not only a wonderful nostalgia fueled purchase, but it’s something I hope my kids will eventually enjoy too.

[@matthislk4583]

The theory that Majoras powers only activate in Termina is so genius

[@stefanoponce6090]

Yes! It makes so much sense. I've adored Majora's Mask ever since it came out and I never once thought of this.

[@sharpshooterxigbar5713]

Yes, and maybe The happy masks salesmans goal was to take it out of Termina so that it could never be misused? Sounds pretty solid.

[@painuchiha2694]

Yep Skull kid doesn’t seem influenced by the mask at the beginning until he got back to termina Im sure the mask in botw still has the evil entity inside If only link knew what he’s putting on his face lmao

[@Josuh]

I've played this game for years how did i not ever think about this not even once

[@sharpshooterxigbar5713]

@@Josuh Same. I really love monster mazes ideas and theories.

[@ew0k187]

Imagine if Ganondorf got a hold of this mask and won in his timeline. I’d definitely play that game.

[@Mysticgamer]

It'd probably be Nintendo's version of Dark Souls, or just Zelda 2 difficultly.

[@bahmot9501]

Would he be able to control the powers though ? Or would he be taken over ? Or a really cool possibility: What if they were constantly fighting for control among themselves ?

[@xxxhero7275]

@@bahmot9501 majora doesn’t take over completely, it takes your sorrows and turns that sorrow into vengeance. It isn’t evil completely it runs off the emotions of sorrow(which you heal throughout the game) The question isn’t can Ganon control the mask since there is no controlling the mask the question is what is Gabon’s sorrow and can he control his anger and sorrow enough to take over hyrule. In short I’m pretty sure Ganon wouldn’t change much at all while wearing majoras mask.......

[@imnothimm3375]

@@bahmot9501 I imagine you would defeat Gannonoorf and then there would be a cut scene showing the masks power exerting over him and then boom you have second form

[@trebmaster]

Blood moon with a face...

[@GoodBloodGames]

Beautiful intro.

[@rick5761]

Hey Good Blood, can't wait to see your majora's video, the OOT one was a masterpiece, continue your great job.

[@Zavi1313]

He's here, he's actually here 😍

[@MonsterMaze]

A celebrity appeared. Pikachu, go!

[@viorel1852]

It really is

[@ElZamo92]

He's basically plagiarizing Nerrel... those were almost the same words Nerrel said in his Majora's Mask 3D rant.

[@kupersimonton6967]

It would be cool if there was a spin-off game or future dlc that let you play as the mask salesmen and let you discover how he came to posses the mask.

[@MonsterMaze]

That would be heaven

[@kupersimonton6967]

@@MonsterMaze I think it would be genius taking on enemies and making your way through classic dungeons using new masks with different abilities.

[@majora1310]

Sadly you always play as link..... unless ....The happy mask salesman IS LINK!

[@Guntherson220]

Or a game that pre-dates OoT that sees the final boss use the Triforce to transform and states "I am done with my weak prior existence, [INSERT NAME HERE] Is dead I Am Majora!". And the games ends with Link and either a group of sages or Sheikah Monks sealing him in the mask.

[@feshpince7181]

DLC for an N64 game? uhhhhhh....

[@kayleethegeek88]

I keep forgetting that most zelda theorists don't have the millions of followers they deserve

[@Cman04092]

Hey man, you spelt billions wrong lol.

[@monsieurlefrog8706]

i think you meant trillions

[@WalnutAnimations]

@@monsieurlefrog8706 sceptillions

[@edgarcontreras3833]

Don’t really think you can even call this a theory though....

[@JohnDoe-vx9bo]

Well this guy doesnt even know the real origin of the mask.....the mask is a dragon scale that fell off a powerful magic dragon during battle. The tribe found it and painted a face on it. The powers come from the dragon....it's not a simple piece of wood created by some random tribe as he claims.....being ignorant about something is a bad place to start building theories from....

[@theobsessor11294]

I am literally dying for a chance to go back to Termina. I love Zelda games that have villains other than Gannon. It makes for both a refreshing change and opens a lot of avenues to explore Link without the foil of Zelda.

[@Saben.C-Spoon]

I love me some Ganon, but only when they do interesting things with him (TotK 👀) or it's Ganondorf instead of his beast form because they almost always do him justice. But I very much agree with Zelda, they rarely do interesting things with her and I tend to like the games that focus on Link more than her plot-wise (Majora or Twilight) and I find it really interesting when games have different villains, even if some don't work out

[@jond9406]

At the end of the video, it could be possible the Majora's Wrath may already be gone. If was shown and displayed as a historical artifact then it may have already received the attention it desired.

[@bahmot9501]

The fact that in BOTW the masks eyes *are* still glowing (whereas in A Link Between Worlds the eyes are dull and it appears to be incapacitated or at least inactive ) is frightening. And it can even display it's manipulative properties on the monsters said to be under the control of calamity ganon. Could this mean that in BOTW, not only is Majora still active inside the mask but that it's now powerful enough to snatch away control over monsters from calamity ganon itself ? That is horrifying to think about... pray to the golden deities that that thing never gets back to Termina.

[@gooeybea]

nerd

[@buss1205]

@@gooeybea I would rather be a nerd than a furry, even if it was the 90s.

[@gooeybea]

@@buss1205 awww is someone triggered by bugs bunny :3c

[@buss1205]

@gooeybea brother I am a grown man. I have no reason to be triggered by creepy animal people. And that is NOT bugs bunny lol

[@gooeybea]

@@buss1205 bugs bunny is a furry youre triggered by furries lol lmao

[@TriangleTrinity]

We’ve met with a wonderful fate

[@nukiradio]

Havent we?

[@CatalystsCompass]

Bruh you cant just make such a smooth sentence bro

[@graceartsy4414]

The fate being figuring out this gosh darn timeline

[@saber7534]

I want to point out that Majoras Mask may have some small remnants of Majora's powers left inside of it even after it was cleanse of Majora itself. The entity could possibly be gone, but a part of its energy remains inside of the mask. Is this the most likely answer? No, but it is a answer nonetheless for a child timeline placement of BOTW and the mask.

[@MonsterMaze]

Oh sure. I think it's great that there are multiple options. This video mostly illustrates how the mask's inclusion in BotW does not necessairly lock it into the Child TImeline. Which is already the Timeline most people point to.

[@saber7534]

I'll admit that I already lock it into CT but you do make a solid point nonetheless. Great work, you're A-Maze-ing... Why is everyone looking at me funnily?

[@mrgreatbigmoose]

@@saber7534, take the Downfall map, rotate it 45 degrees clockwise and overlay. It matches the BOTW map. Master Sword locations line up, volcanoes align, deserts and waterfalls match. BOTW could easily be downfall...or not. I'm a fan of locking it into Child Timeline.

[@RFDN0]

@@mrgreatbigmoose I also honestly place BOTW in the child timeline. My main reason for such actually comes from the adult timeline not being realistic because of new hyrule. And the downfall timeline basically being where Ganon won and aside from us having a new Ganondorf in the sequel we have lines about "Ganon getting pissed off because it keeps losing"

[@mrgreatbigmoose]

@@RFDN0, excellent points. BOTW2 had a Ganondorf at the edge of despair so yes, it's not going to be in a timeline where he won at least once.

[@its_addi]

who needs the song of healing to heal the wound of no recent zelda theories when you have the king of bokoblins uploading a new video

[@jest6094]

Majora's Power only activates when the eyes glow, that's when skull kid becomes Attached to the Mask, when he has no control over what he does. In the start he is able to take off his mask and do what he wants, and near the end, skull kid gets dropped off the mask when it does not glow, then as soon as he leaves, the eyes activate again.

[@acepouncett]

Amazing as always! I'd never even seen the shrine before. And Majora being a deity whose wrath came from its abandonment and neglect makes a great parallel to skull kid, being upset the giants no longer played with him, who it ultimately uses as a vessel.

[@emmik946]

I would *love* to see Majora come back for a future Legend of Zelda game. Maybe in Botw 2, or in a game after? Not the mask itself, but the actual entity behind it.

[@s7121n9s]

If they do that then they should bring in the entity of Fierce Deity Link since it's mentioned to be darker than majora

[@emmik946]

@@s7121n9s Coming back to this post I made, I definitely agree. I think what made Majora so cool was the mystery behind them, and maybe it should be kept that way. It would be REALLY cool to see the origins of the Fierce Deity, though; that's for sure

[@s7121n9s]

@@emmik946 I'm 100% sold. It's a story that's not been told. I'm over Hyrule lol

[@travisbougie4280]

What if the majora wanted link to defeat him so that he could escape The mask because the happy mask salesman doesn't say the majora is dead he just says it left the mask. Edit: this mainly popped into my head because he said that majora left the mask after all and by saying that it sounds like he said that majora wanted to leave the mask in the first place

[@WalnutAnimations]

Wow maybe 🤔

[@catharsis_exe]

I have a theory that Majora is the same darkness that was sealed at the bottom of the well in Kakariko Village. Furthermore, that Impa is the one who sealed Majora into the mask(after your assistance defeating it in the child timeline); and locked the mask away in the hidden shrine. A shrine I believe to be an Ancient Sheikah Shrine.

[@travisbougie4280]

@@catharsis_exe I don't think I've ever heard that theory but when you think about it it makes a lot of sense

[@dayshallcomeagain]

@@catharsis_exe Interesting but Majora's Mask was said to be sealed in ancient times, so I kind of doubt it, not to mention Impa doesn't seem that old.

[@jamesbrandon7654]

@@dayshallcomeagain Skyward Sword - Impa from the past is still present 1,000+ years later, still watching over Zelda in the Temple. Due to her abilities and magicks as a Sheikah, Impa surviving for 1,000 years isn't even that big a deal. But even still, Impa is a name often given to the leader of the Sheikah (likely as a means to honor the original Impa from SS), and it's likely the magicks are passed down as well. So it's not IMPOSSIBLE, per se... however unlikely it may be circumstantially.

[@pokemonfanatic45]

Another major thing I've always wondered is why does the fierce deity mask look like link? How did the tribe just to think to carve the mask in his likeness? Someone should make a video on that.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

There's a theory by Gamtos called "Majora's Mask-as seen by Gamtos", that explains it perfectly. The theory is that the fierce deity is not really a separate being from Link, but that the Fierce Deity IS Link, but in an enlightened form. The Fierce Deity is actually a figure from buddhist mythology. They are powerful, wrathful forms of enlightened buddhas who lead sentient beings on the path to enlightenment. The Mask itself is described as having the merits of all masks, and Aonuma himself described the mask as being filled with all of the memories of the people of Termina, which is interesting, because the only way you can get the mask, is by collecting every mask in the game, and then giving them all away, except for the transformation masks, to the four children running in the field around the tree on the moon, which is very similar to a buddhist tale where a person achieved enlightenment while sitting under the shade of a tree while being assailed by the demons of Mara. Each mask in the game is said to be filled with a certain emotion or feeling. The Keaton Mask is described as Kafei's mask of memories, the couple's mask filled with the love of a newly wed couple, and so on and so forth. In the Zelda series, emotions of happiness and gratitude can create energy, including physical manifestations of that energy in the form of gratitude crystals and force gems. This energy is called Force. But just like in star wars, there is a dark side to this force, called Malice. All the masks you collect and later give away are all filled with happiness of gratitude, thus creating force, fusing together to create the Fierce Deity Mask, which will allow Link to totally annihilate Majora, a being who feeds off of pain and suffering, and save Termina from a most terrible fate.

[@cbeckwith172]

And his armor... blue.... like BOTW link.... 👀

[@maelstrom201]

honestly though

[@TrinityCore60]

12:08- the sudden music cutoff here makes this scene. It’s so creepy and really sells the tone. Great work.

[@Ilyena]

The mask always seemed enticing to me. But so eerie at the same time.

[@JessicaRodriguez-gi2cl]

Damn the ending gave me chills. "However if someone would be stupid enough to bring the mask back to terminal someday....god...help us all" Very beautiful video I love it.

[@JohnDoe-vx9bo]

Except for the fact that he said the mask was a piece of wood......it is made out of a dragon's scale.....with a face painted on it.

[@xdsmile5359]

Anything can get retconned

[@brotbrotsen1100]

​@@JohnDoe-vx9bo only in the manga which isn't canon. Not even the manga Version of the fierce deity lines up with what the creator stated him to be.

[@nickynegron3515]

"You can't pass something down if it isn't the real thing." Me: but that wouldn't stop someone from doing it and making their family think a worthless piece of whatever is valuable for generations

[@puppetmaster1420]

Some people even do the opposite pass off the real thing as a knock off

[@nickynegron3515]

@@puppetmaster1420 Right? Such an idiot thing to do like the knock off is getting more than the real thing right? Lmao although occasionally and very rarely that is also true

[@jermtwitero]

Awesome interpretation and conjectute about Majora being a Kami, glad this was the first Majoras Mask vid you covered

[@echostwitt9648]

I had this strange thought: We know that the events of MM take place in an alternate or parallel universe, so the titular Mask might not exist in Hyrule. But what if the Fused Shadow from TP is the Hyrulian version of Majora's Mask? Both are items of extreme power created by an ancient civilization. Maybe the Fused Shadow was once controlled by an entity similar to Majors but was defeated by the light spirits before they split the Fused Shadows.

[@MonsterMaze]

There is definitely a strong similarity between the fused shadow and Majora's Mask. They could be based on a similar type of magic / power

[@Eleehas]

@@MonsterMaze Actually, there are more ties between the Hero of Time, the Twili, and the Fused Shadow and Majora's Mask than we think. One theory was that the Fused Shadow and MM both look similar and grant the wearer immense strength, but the MM gained sentience and was too strong, so it was sealed away and the weaker, but controllable Fused Shadow was a success. The Hero of Time PROBABLY came into contact with the Twili themselves, since he knew about the wolf transformation and placed howling stones for his descendant, since he might have traveled to the Twilight world, and that's how the Twili'a prophecy of the Sacred Beast began, since the Hero of Time would have been a beast in their world since he carried the Triforce of Courage.

[@ausgamecollector]

@@Eleehas In Hyrule Historia’s concept art for TP, Ganondorf’s original armour and chest plate heavily resembled Majora’s Mask. I agree there’s something more to this, but the narrative was simplified down or those ideas were “shelved” or not fully fleshed out during development. If you think about it the Fused Shadow, Fierce Deity Mask and Majora’s Mask, could be considered the mask equivalents to the virtues of the Triforce (Power, Courage & Wisdom, respectively.)

[@dayshallcomeagain]

I always believed that the interlopers didn't make Majora's Mask, as in the japanese version it states that the tribe was destroyed rather than vanishing into thin air, but rather the interlopers were inspired by the appearance of Majora's Mask and decided to integrate its design onto one of their dark creations.

[@ausgamecollector]

@@dayshallcomeagain It also appears that the FS has a third eye in the forehead, rather than two eyes like MM, even though the design is similar... (MM 2.0 perhaps 🤔) At a very holistic level, without overly-analysis of the overall potential connections, it could be assumed the FS and MM are counterpart relics, with one existing in Hyrule, one in Termina.

[@robertbarrows6687]

I have a feeling the Twilii were the ones who created Majora's Mask, potentially as a way to try to seal the Triforce. After all, Midna's helmet resembles Majora's Mask.

[@tristanneal9552]

The glowing eyes of Majora's Mask in BotW are sooo intimidating.

[@DeeEll1]

I think one very important detail you glossed over is that the happy mask salesman says "the EVIL has left the mask after all" not "the POWER has left the mask after all" which could imply that the mask still has some power after majoras defeat

[@dayshallcomeagain]

I like to think this little bit of power left is what makes the eyes glow and the monsters not attack you. Not enough to cause any real damage, but it still has some power left.

[@JohnDoe-vx9bo]

The mask is made out of a powerful magic dragon's scale....the scale fell off in battle. Then some tribe found it. And it was handed down through generations. But it's far from a simple piece of wood that this guy making this video claims....he's not a real Zelda fan. He thinks he is...

[@chrispork1443]

Majora’s Mask fools all four main monster types.

[@ProjectEchoshadow]

Four, like the four giants. His goal was to make fools of the four. He is likely satisfied with this, for now.

[@moss_and_ivy3517]

i have never heard of that hidden shrine before ... that's a whole load of new theory material

[@MonsterMaze]

Did you play the original only? Because in the N64 version most of that Majora imagery was missing in the shrine. They added that in the 3DS version. perhaps that is why you missed it ^^

[@kacperwoch4368]

I was wondering the same because I could not remember this place from the original game. Now the question is if this 3DS version is canon?

[@L337M4573RK]

The hidden shrine exists in both the N64 version (and its ports) and the 3DS version. It's understandable if you missed it during your play-through, but ONLY if you never attempted to obtain all of the Heart Pieces (for most players, this location is where they obtain their last one). The N64 version does have quite a bit of imagery on display in this location, but the 3DS version added a bit more while making it all stand out a lot better.

[@conlangknow8787]

i wonder are you irish?

[@moss_and_ivy3517]

@@MonsterMaze i haven't actually played either because money rip , but I've watched mutliple playthroughs and then watched theory vids that for some reason never mentioned it either . i should probably play it at some point and see for myself

[@partyrock4144]

It’s also hard to tell if the mask salesman found it in termina. “Sealed in darkness” could easily be referring to the shadow temple which is squarely in hyrule and is a place commonly used to hide things. It’s also highly likely that the fused shadow is something of a replica of majora’s mask what with that familiar eye also placing it in hyrule

[@thorshammer7883]

You should check out Xenogamer's video about who the Happy Mask Salesman is. In the video it is theorized that Termina was created by Majora and that Majora was native to Hyrule and that StoneTower Temple was the place where Majora was contained. In the Japanese Text Translation of the Happy Mask Salesman's dialogue it saids this: "What power does the mask hold? The race spoken of in the legend was destroyed. So we do not know." "The calamity brought by Majora's Mask was so great that our ancient ancestors who feared it sealed it within the Eternal Darkness so that it would not be misused." Here it's stated that the Ancient Tribe was destroyed by Majora and sealed in a dark realm like Ganondorf was. It maybe possible Majora created Termina itself overtime in the Dark Realm.

[@RobotGuy405]

Well, although I hate it, the official timeline states that Termina was indeed a creation of Majora's Mask. I hate that because there are so many things in the game itself that debunk this, but I guess you can't argue with Hyrule Historia.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

@@RobotGuy405 Technically, Hyrule Historia wasn't made by the Zelda team themselves, so you should take what it says with a grain of salt.

[@ChodyRay]

They only developed this game for a year? That's insane that they were able to create a timeless masterpiece in such short time

[@sidnew2739]

Well, they already had the engine and charakter-models.

[@MrsDizarky]

Your videos are just so so good, man. Everything about them is quality; the shots you get, the logic behind the theories, the smooth flow of the script and calm, compelling narration, the choice of music - I could go on and on. I always get pumped when you post because I know there's going to be so much to unpack and enjoy. It's clear you put so much time and effort into your videos 💚

[@JohnDoe-vx9bo]

Except he didnt know that the mask is a dragon scale that fell off during a battle. Some tribe found the scale with magical powers and they painted a face on it. It's not a simple piece of wood created by some random tribe like he says.

[@extremelyboredtatsumaki.495]

BOTW 2: Ganon wakes up. Link raises his new, ghostly hand. Ganondorf equips Majora’s Mask. FIGHT!

[@AgnusCavichioliPereira]

Can we have a Round 3 with Link also wearing the Deity Fierce Mask?

[@arodsrecordes4546]

Is he suggesting there might be connections to Majora's Mask the breath of the Wild 2?🧐

[@thelingeringdouche822]

The answer, much to my and many others' great disappointment, is no.

[@TheNintendoWizrad]

Thats what I thought of as soon as I read the title

[@marioplumber3378]

Man, i cant wait for the day we get more BOTW2 news, which means more theories which means more content.

[@TheNintendoWizrad]

@@marioplumber3378 well Aounuma confirmed we would see more this year so I'd say we are a few months out!

[@MonsterMaze]

I would be extremely surprised if Majora ever made a real comeback, especially since Aonuma has bad memories of the game due to the stress it caused him during development. But they could definitely make Majora come back AND have it make sense lore-wise ^^

[@theassassin8797]

This could be an alter ego of Gannon the happy mask salesman because he knows a little too much like Agahnim

[@TapticDigital]

You may already have a video on it, but I often wonder if Majoras Mask is just one large dream Link experiences when unconscious after falling off Epona when the Skull Kid ambushes him. It would explain the fact that it uses the same NPCs as OOT, as he is simply dreaming of faces he’s already seen. It could also explain why Termina is never mentioned in another game. I’m not a fan of “it was all a dream” outcomes in stories but it certainly seems to fit. I’m not set on saying anything is correct or incorrect though, I just really like your videos and think you have some really solid theories! 😀

[@TheElementalPhysicist]

*Mentions a forgotten tribe in a "Zelda Theory" video.* Me: *Sips mug* Must be the Zonai

[@ミみみみん]

also the swirl in the shrine at 8:21 -_- *nods and sips also* definitely the zonau

[@WonkelDee]

It’s actually theorized that the Zonai are the interlopers which turned into the twili, who may be the creators of majoras mask.

[@gh0stcknt]

literally my first thought

[@TheBreadPirate]

I used to be skeptical of your theory about the Breath of the Wild "Majoras Mask: being canon. But this sold it for me!

[@MonsterMaze]

Yay! That means a lot! And to think that this theory came from a completely different script haha

[@equivalenceprinciple1982]

While Majora's Mask may be tonally very different from Ocarina of Time, thematically, the two games are remarkably consistent. Ocarina of Time explores the external loss of Link's childhood and Majora's Mask explores the internal psychological effects of his adventure. At least, that's one way of interpreting it.

[@MonsterMaze]

Ocarina of Time: Adventurous and upbeat game, with a depressing subtext and ending Majora's Mask: Depressing game, with a happy ending

[@equivalenceprinciple1982]

@@MonsterMaze True, but Majora’s Mask essentially carries the same subtext of Ocarina of Time (or a continuation of it) though probably a bit more explicitly. If we take the ending of Majora’s Mask for example, each of the children’s comments are directly relevant to Link’s experiences in OoT and Majora’s Mask, ideas about the things that Links fundamentally sacrificed along his quests, phrased in childlike language, as if approaching an empathetic understanding. If you don’t get all the masks then the fight against Majora is decently hard. But if you do get the Fierce Deity Mask, then the fight is framed the same way as the fight against Ganondorf in OoT was: childhood vs adulthood. Majora’s moves are erratic and childish and the Fierce Deity displays overwhelming power over Majora: it’s essentially an adult punishing a child for acting out and then throwing a temper tantrum. There’s a lot of other stuff throughout the game but almost all of it continues the subtext of OoT.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

Something interesting I noticed is despite Majora's Mask being an incredibly dark game, Link is far more expressive, characterized and even lighthearted than he ever was in Ocarina of Time. The story itself starts out as Link embarking on a "personal journey", which already contrasts heavily with Link just saving the world not because he wanted to, but because someone told him to do it and that it was his "destiny" or whatever. His entire adventure in Termina begins simply because he wanted to find his friend, Navi. Link himself is far more childlike, from his adorable little wave to saying goodbye to his deku scrub form and the giant turtle, to the dramatic marching when wearing the bremen's mask and the dancing of the Kamaro Mask, to his internal dialogue to being hugged by Cremia, and his adorable salute he gives Captain Keeta in order to give him eternal rest. These little moments of Link showing his boyish, childlike nature in the midst of darkness and destruction really lifts some of the weight of the moon off your shoulders.

[@pipedream2556]

Majora not being inherently evil is the only explanation I've believed for why the boss fight played out the way it did: a mask, then an incarnation, then wrath. Majoras Incarnation implies this is what it would be like if it had a body, playful and silly. And then beyond that in the way that the incarnation is beyond the mask alone is that same silly being's anger. It only really adds up if Majora is naturally goofy but has internalsed a wrathful need for vengeance and that's WHY it's doing all this. That it's not a random need for destruction that's causing it to have this goal So yeah, I'm convinced

[@SAI-Max_D]

A quick thing about the terms Kami (神), Oni (鬼) & Kishin (鬼神): While everything mentioned about the Kami in this video was pretty much accurate, the word itself is mainly associated with their more positive aspects, with their more negative side sometimes being referred to as Yōkai (妖怪) - a good example being how deities tied to rivers like the Shinano-gawa (信濃川) were revered in regions where good irrigation was essential to the development & harvesting of crops, whereas other areas would suffer from harsh flooding. It's Important to note that, while Oni can be considered a type of Yōkai, they were never regarded as Kami unless their power was great enough to rival such a being, and only after instilling great fear in the local populace. As for why the first character in Kishin (can also be pronounced as Kijin) uses the kanji for Oni, these "Fierce Gods" are found not in Shinto mythology but are rather the Japanese transliteration of the Wrathful Deities found in the Mahayana branch of Buddhism; divine protectors who would take on an almost demonic visage in their efforts to destroy any-and-all obstacles to enlightenment, but were willing protect and even aid those who were misguided in finding the right path back to Dharma. A Zelda-focused KZbinr called Nayru uploaded a video referencing some info about the Kishin around a year ago, while also going into some of the design choices behind Fierce Deity Link's appearance. (Link: < kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIa0haGBZc2tg7c >)

[@dayshallcomeagain]

YES. FINALLY, SOMEONE GETS IT. How and where Link obtains the Fierce Deity Mask is also connected to Buddhism. Where Link gets the mask, from the child wearing the mask of majora sitting in the shade of a large tree with four other children running around, is very similar to another buddhist tale of when the Buddha achieved enlightenment while sitting under the shade of a tree while being assailed by the demons of Mara-Mara basically being the enemy of enlightenment. Note that the four children running around wear the masks of the bosses you killed, perhaps symbolizing the demons of Mara, and the only way to quote on quote "eliminate them" from the field is to give them all your masks(except the transformation masks, which they reject with disgust) and complete their minigames, thus paving the way to the fierce deity's mask, and thus Link's own enlightenment, just like the Buddha did. So when Link obtains the Fierce Deity Mask, he is thus receiving physical proof of his own enlightenment for his good deeds done for the people of Termina. Therefore, the Fierce Deity isn't really a seperate being from Link, rather, it is Link's title. Link, the Fierce Deity.

[@game-enjoyer13]

@@dayshallcomeagain I guess this theory also can support Aounuma’s own words “The best way to describe the mask is to think of it holding the thoughts of every soul in Termina” or something like that. It’s an accumulated enlightenment Link acquires, proving he’s willing to help anybody and just be a good man.

[@JohnDoe-vx9bo]

The mask is a scale from a magic dragon that fell off in a battle. Some tribe found it and painted a face on it and realized it had magical powers. It's not a simple piece of wood like so many so called "fans" think.

[@idontknow_1102]

I am a simple woman. I see Majora's Mask I click. Edit: Yes woman play video game wow. You can stop replying now.

[@adams3616]

Same

[@Your_Native_Mothman]

@@lakeno9551 hey woman can like games without wanting simps crazy right? i’m a girl and I love botw.

[@petronellataube2986]

@Lakeno am woman, MM is my favourite game of all time. It's really weird to see someone ask if they are looking for simps or trolling simply by existing.

[@petronellataube2986]

@@lakeno9551 we're not THAT rare

[@houndtwo0783]

@@lakeno9551 I’m a thirteen year old girl who loves loz and even went to the extremes to try the first game and who would happily go to school wearing a replica of majoras mask

[@ZelRando]

Since everyone pretty much knows I love Majora's Mask, it will come as no surprise that this video caught my interest for approximately 19 minutes and 8 seconds! A very well done video Monster! More like this please :P

[@MonsterMaze]

Thanks man! Keep up the great content btw. You're doing great!

[@rambobambibambobingobongob7908]

7:40 To answer your question, you don't really need a theory. Termina is an alternate dimension and Nintendo had confirmed this. Plus by playing the game, it makes otherwise zero-sense how getting lost in the woods will find you popping out of the bottom of a clocktower in the center of a town.

[@flatandmotionless4608]

dude what if in botw2 the zonai is the tribe that had the mask in the beginning

[@HylianWes]

Who knows! I saw a theory once that suggested that the ancient tribe, the Zonai and the interlopers are one and the same. In case of the interlopers, look at the design of the eye of Midna's helmet and the eyes of Majora's Mask.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Meh. Termina has a self contained answer to this. The Stone Tower Temple has a large statue to Majora in its central room. Not Majora's Mask, but Majora itself.

[@markcouture4726]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Yes, but it was put there by Majora...

[@randomtheorist251]

The one thing that doesn't make sense is the shape of the mask. Looking at it, you wouldn't think it would stay on.

[@lordtyrant1638]

Amazing vid. Majora has always been my favorite Zelda antagonist, and I have been hoping to see him make a comeback at some point. I'm hoping the resurgence in interest in MM that seems to be popping up convinces Nintendo to bring him back in Botw 2 or a spin off.

[@williammanzer21]

I loved this old theory of the mask sales man getting the mask from the castle after Ganondorf attacked the castle and chased Zelda. Then he took off afterwards and then that's when he ran into the skull kid.

[@RyouhGrim]

Loving the domain of effect theory, reminds me of something I did for a homebrew zelda tabletop rpg I made, including almost everything I liked because why not, and just finding how it could exist in a single world That was several years before BoTW was announced, so I made a new version when BoTW was out. Thanks for the great video.

[@t.b.cont.]

“Every majora has a mask” -the happy mask salesman

[@MigueUgartechea]

The best theory I've watched the whole year easily

[@MrGodsChaos]

Majoras mask is second favorite Zelda game. I really hope they bring Majoras mask back one day and go into more detail of how it came to be. Including the Fierce Deity Link

[@extremelyboredtatsumaki.495]

If BOTW 2 brings returning armours like Midna’s helmet back as dlc, it’d be amazing if they could have bonus abilities like using her massive weapon hair!

[@Ganondorf77]

With the release of Tears of the Kingdom, you can find in in a chest underground guarded Lynels. Which means that link unearthed it from where the tribe had it sealed away and also means that the tribe predates the kingdom of Hyrule

[@huppaduppa]

12:57 in Japanese, rather than asking to play "good guys and bad guys" they ask to play 鬼ごっこ, literally "play oni" as is the Japanese same of tag; "it" being an oni. While I double checked this in the raw text dump (it's actually written in hiragana rather than Kanji in this case which makes sense bc it's a young child speaking, おにごっこ) I also saw that lots of characters throughout the game refer to the skullkid as 小鬼, literary "little oni", which is kind of interesting.

[@ekszentrik]

They obviously want to preserve Majora as a one-off villain, because the mystique behind something like this is his whole shtick. But you could explore MM's energy via other ways. For example, by exploring the Happy Mask Salesman's backstory, or the race (or an adjacent one) of Majora. That way you keep the trope of the "entity so inscrutable he just appeared once in this franchise" alive.

[@strangerontheinternet291]

0:15 who else did the behind the counter glitch just to take pictures becuase butt=funny?

[@Growmetheus]

The third eye of majoras entity reminds me of Vaati, the wizard who came as several reincarnations. Almost as much as Ganon. He comes both before and after the game timewise. Vaati could have been sealed in it.

[@felix_remmie6048]

The only reason why didn’t get to play this as a child was because in order too play it you had to attach something to the 64 remote

[@ss5gogetunks]

You mean the rumble pack or the expansion Pack? The expansion Pak wasn't in the controller

[@jhagrab6102]

3 years later, I post this comment :D I'd probably say that Majora being a neglected deity would be pretty poetic in a sense. It matches with Skull Kid feeling neglected by the Four Giants, meaning that both Skull Kid and Majora's desires were one and the same. This would also match with 3 phases of Majora and why the Incarnate was extremely playful; much like Skull Kid was also just playful, which we see wit Tatl and Tael, and as payback would destroy the world (Termina in this case) after being neglected for so long. Then once the Four Giants returned, Majora's influence could no longer really feed into Skull Kid. The deity probably figured reconciliation was coming around the corner, and it goes "lol, no. Happy ending? HA!"

[@keiratheartistic]

9:47 "The fu*ks a kami!?" - Tfs Vegeta

[@RealWolfmanDan]

Majora's Mask 2 would be a dream come true

[@Corrosion15]

I know right. I whould love for nentendo to revisit Termina and Majora.

[@hououinkyouma5539]

Final hours is the most moving track

[@nullvoid7188]

Has anyone considered the reason why majoras mask didn't affect skull kids until after entered termina. was maybe cause they were still effectively in hyrule(heaven) and upon falling into termina (purgatory or hell) it was finally able to become more active since it was in a place it could exert more of its power.

[@dominicmoras4283]

I like to think that Majora's Mask being in Link's house in ALBW means Majora could have been beaten by ALttP Link and he kept the mask as a trophy of sorts. That's just a theory with little to go off of, but I'd love to see it explored in a future game!

[@gianhaas8656]

1:40 "the mask was sealed in darkness". In totk you can find the majoras mask in a Ancient colluseum in the Underworld (darkness)

[@MagillanicaLouM]

The idea of Majora being only powerful in Termina is cool

[@bronsteenproductions]

Wow the music/sound design of that intro was amazing. Well done!

[@aaronarmit4829]

Omg, I somehow have never beaten Majoras mask but boy do I love it. This was great my man. Love the insightfulness with your theory. I look forward to all the craziness that will be BOTW2.

[@Alcor-wf8gc]

13:37 "If it wasn't in the boss fight I would say it doesn't really look all that malicious" He says as Majora is moon walking *WAIT, MOON WALKING*

[@nekkidbuns]

Cool intro! Also, finally somebody takes the game's Japanese origins in account

[@r0d0s0vich]

The eyes on majoras mask are VERY similar to the “dragon eyes” we see in botw and especially totk, there is even a vague heart shape on dragons heads. So majora could have become a dragon at some point. It would also make the fused shadow having the same eyes make sense, the same people didn’t make them, but they both saw dragons and designed masks after them (or maybe made the masks with the parts of dragons)

[@capochiyo]

Brilliant! Finally, the Chosen One arrived out of his deep slumber and is here to tell us about the truth we all wanted for such a long time. May Hylia smile upon you, Don!

[@MonsterMaze]

Thank you! And may Hylia bless you!

[@Stickat2]

The majoras mask in BOTW doesnt fool just stal enemies, it fools ALL enemies. Least ones that have masks attributed with them. So bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, and even lynels.

[@foxstevens5725]

And this is exactly why none of us cared when you said you needed a break. You deliver solid content, well postulated and researched. In another vein, is it possible that Majora's Mask is a precursor to a Fused Shadow?

[@MonsterMaze]

Thank you so much for your kind words.. really. I needed that! Hitting a writer's block can be so frustrating, and taking breaks (although necessary) can also feel defeating sometimes.

[@foxstevens5725]

Maze, you just keep doing you. Were all just along for the glorious ride; the people who really care, will never fault you for taking breaks.

[@TimeSageX13]

I've played majoras mask about 1000 times, and I've never seen that mysterious shrine with the mask imagery all around

[@melgozagonzalesjoshuajazie8981]

Its behind the waterfall in ikanana where you use the hookshot/ice arrows

[@barthvader4316]

Dude this channel is aMAZEing! Don’t kill me

[@jeremiahwarren2812]

Don’t worry, I’m a fellow enjoyer of the art of puns, so the only danger to you is a “Kami”kaze

[@jeremiahwarren2812]

What? It’s “Oni” a pun!

[@PseudonymX]

RUN! NOW! You can still get away!!!!!!

[@jeremiahwarren2812]

@@PseudonymX Pseudon’t run! I’m not wearing any Masks of lies!

[@PseudonymX]

@@jeremiahwarren2812 Ok but dont say I didnt war(ren)d you when the people start complaining (The pun is pretty good though)

[@oligographer]

I really enjoyed this, not just the well-researched content but your cadence and tone throughout. It had good documentary vibes, nice work.

[@porcupinethecat5073]

It's also possible that Majora is still inside the mask at the end of Majora's Mask. After all, the text says "so the evil has left the mask after all..." The evil, not Majora itself. I think it's more likely that Majora was somehow appeased. After all, Link played its game, ending Majora's neglect. So, perhaps the Majora in BotW is willing to help the reincarnation of the child that appeased it by protecting Link from monsters? Especially since Link went out of his way to dig Majora up again? That's my headcanon, at least XD

[@drapoler]

18:08 Correction: “Hylia help us all”

[@mokarokas-1727]

@Jason Arrow - She's straight-up referred to as "goddess Hylia".

[@ГеоргиГергов-с5и]

correction: "Goddess of time help us all"

[@Vocable-Twins369]

[This is just how I play BOTW] I like to think that when link wears the mask he will notice how dangerous it is and wear it in hyrule and not on the island nearby to reduce the “risk” But also I the same person who treats link like a child after he lost his memory and that he likes masks

[@KryyssTV]

Some corrections. You say that this ancient tribe created the mask . The text reads: "It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe" There is no mention of them creating the mask, only using. It continues: "the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse". Notice that the MASK was sealed away somewhere not that Majora was sealed within the mask. We also cannot be sure that the entity is called Majora at all as the mask contains Odokwa, Goht, Gyorg and Twinmokd in addition to the entity we call Majora. Indeed the Moon Children all appear to represent entities within the mask. It is afterall Majora's Mask indicating it belonged to someone called Majora rather than being named after one of the entities trapped within. We don't tend to name prisons after a particular in-mate do we? It is also worth noting that LoZ also has The Book of Mudora which allows for translation of ancient text so perhaps Majora/Mudora was an ancient mage of fame. The point being that the mask contains a pantheon of deities who granted immense power to the wearer but fearing their dark influence the tribe hid the mask in the hopes nobody would find it - not that the deity within became evil AFTER it was abandoned. As for the mask appearing in other games; the fact the mask had religious significance means that like any idols there is very rarely just one. If Majora's Mask were created by this tribe or simply used the fact remains that they'd not end their practices simply due to disposing of this one mask - others could be made but none the same as the original.

[@dayshallcomeagain]

Maybe the ancient tribe could have been called Majora?

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

There is a precedent for mythological prisons only ever designed for one primary occupant to become named for them. Most prisons are meant for large numbers of people, so it's no wonder than no one of them gets the dubious honor of being the prison's namesake.

[@KryyssTV]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Except that the mask has 6 entities trapped within it in total. Not once do we ever have Majora named in-game or identified in any way. Even in the final boss battle the first phase is called Majora's Mask not Majora. You then have Majora's Incarnation which again isn't identified as Majora itself. That in itself is very telling too as if the entity that has manifested so far is not an incarnation of Majora, then it must be an incarnation of something else. The closest we ever get to the name Majora being used is the item description for the Fierce Deity mask which says "Could this mask's dark powers be as bad as Majora?" Which is a very unusual phrase as again you'd expect it to compare the Fierce Deity Mask to Majora's Mask as you are comparing two similar things. But this literally compares the mask to Majora thmself and not the mask that Skullkid uses.

[@chessycopter9619]

You’re so amazing at this! Don’t tell the other Zelda youtubers, but I think you’re the best Zelda theorist. Your videos are so well constructed and thoroughly researched! And I love this game too so I’m glad you did a video on it. Great work!👍

[@cartersauce1344]

Wasn’t there a backstory for the mask at the end of the manga? It showed how majora was a legendary beast that was killed and had its remains carved into the mask, not sure if its canon or not.

[@kingpz9739]

Manga not canon

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

Fantastic video. It brings up points I never even was aware of

[@link8148]

Your telling me that after I destroyed that thing, it's still around?

[@addictedtochocolate920]

Majora is most likely the Demon King of his world, only more chaotic, destructive, and highly unpredictable. If the Mask does play a part in the future of either timeline, Ganondorf wouldn't be ok with it destroying the world he wants to rule, so i can see only two ways in which this doesn't end up as a villain vs villain scenario: 1- Ganondorf uses the Mask thinking of it as just a tool, but, similar to wht happens with Skull Kid, Majora ends up controlling the Demon King, making him more evil than he ever was before. It would be interesting seeing Ganon as the servant for once, even if he doesn't realise it. 2- Ganondorf isn't present/has already been defeated, so Majora ends up in the hands of a future mayor character who maybe wants to use its power to prevent further catastrophes.

[@SerenitySpazQueen]

And since we have three timelines merged into BOTW we also have Schrodingers Termina Is it in one piece, or was it destroyed? We may never know ooOOoooo

[@alexoxo9008]

Wow I wasn’t so sure toward the beginning but you really convinced me by the end! Imagine a return to Termina one day... 🤔

[@derpthegr8689]

God I want another game like Majora or at least a remaster on the switch since I no longer own a 3DS

[@AngelofGrace96]

This is so creepy, but cool! I like the idea that the monsters are intimidated by the sense of power they can feel from the mask

[@MrArturpaes]

Secret what in Ikana? How the swiggity swaggity I missed that?

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Also, the central statue in Stone Tower Temple is a depiction of Majora itself, not the mask. Majora's Wrath, most specifically.

[@MrArturpaes]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 What?! Really? Jeez, I missed everything in Majora's Mask

[@tyeklund7221]

One problem I see with this theory. The HMS could only get to Termina by following Link. He can’t get there by himself. Therefore, I don’t think Termina is the realm of darkness Majora was sealed within

[@titanoctoclaw4922]

I thought majora's mask was just a nightmare link had after defeating ganondorf in OOT when he falls asleep in the woods but wakes up and continues his search for navi

[@ToTheWolvesTony]

I truly believe that’s what they were going for at first. Just an easy cop out type of next game, do not know exactly where to take the series so let’s just make link have a dream so that the events could be written off as not real if need be depending on the direction they were to take the story. They did not realize that fans would be wondering all these years later.

[@minaashido518]

Majoras mask calms all stal enemies that aren’t bosses and bokos, moblins,lizals and lynels