What is Majora’s Mask’s Moon? - Zelda Theory

[@Zeltik]

Thanks for watching! What do you think about Majora's Mask's moon? Check out Wily's video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4uUgWqJpKd7rq8

[@Bonnielikescats]

Hello Zeltik, are you ever going to continue your links to the past series?

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

Ed ...!!!!!:>

[@Cliffordlonghead]

Awesome Video

[@jacobanderson8219]

Not related to the conversation here, but have you ever listened to the musician known as The Noble Demon? She's done a lot of damn good orchestral arrangements of everything Zelda, but she's unfortunately not that well known despite the quality of her pieces.

[@owenerickson8947]

I thought the expression came from the Moon itself, not Majora. Majora isn’t possessing it, just pulling it down. The moon’s grimace is it fighting with all it has, battling to protect its people- and losing to Majora’s dark might. It cries as it falls, hoping it can be stopped before it destroys its followers, until Link defeats Skull Kid and Majora takes direct control.

[@kenhollis6197]

This was a fascinating theory that I hadn't thought of before. That the moon is crying because it's being forced to destroy what it means to protect is particularly moving. And supposing that the moon is a guardian deity, the fact that Majora was able to control it as well as imprison the Four Giants makes Majora all the more frighteningly powerful than it already was.

[@drwily]

yeah the idea behind it is cool

[@marctaco2624]

Gardian dieties are suprisingly easy to control or kill in this franchise

[@angelmendez-rivera351]

@@marctaco2624 I mean, that's true in most franchises based in Japanese mythology, because that's kind of how deities work in Japanese mythology.

[@RED-9448]

It's not evil, it just wants to hug Termina with a little too much force

[@TaMarvio2129]

lol

[@robertsalazar3450]

Grouphug

[@AlvinaYunoa]

Face-plant*

[@drwily]

hahahahha one good hug

[@BR-jw7pm]

So it’s a celestial Elmyra Duff?

[@cioplasmmajic8327]

There's actually a theory that the Fierce Deity is the personification of the moon itself. The armor does have a crescent moon on one part of his breastplate. This matches up with Majora being the sun, because of the sunbeam spikeslaser powers.

[@crunchysalmons]

i think the moon on the armor is very relevant but every single theory on the diety fails to explore all its symbolism, also majora is very sun-like

[@fenixchief7]

@@crunchysalmons probably because, as with most works of fiction, the inspiration comes from a myriad of sources.

[@ArceusDX]

We already know what the Fierce Deity is though, Aonuma already told us, it's the combined emotions of everyone in Termina that Link has helped.

[@roaringthunder115]

Yeah

[@nickijobes8228]

at first this sounds like bogus supreme, but you really convinced me with spikelaser powers!

[@BaronSterling]

Little correction, the moon isn't destroyed in the ending, it's just teleported back up to its natural distance in the sky.

[@lordseelenfresserdemonking1168]

*same*

[@tumultuousv]

@@lordseelenfresserdemonking1168 same what

[@Michael_Koko]

same

[@The_SUN1234]

just like in sonic adventure 2 with space colony ARC

[@Man_Aslume]

​@@tumultuousv *S* *A* *M* *E*

[@chaoticneutralsheep]

In a book about the game from Japan it says the inside of the moon is the only dream part of Termina. It is supposed to represent the mind of the Skullkid, who's grief and anger has been twisted by Majora's mask. The moon children like to play games and ask those strange introspective questions: "your true face", "what is right", "what is a friend" those are the thoughts that torment the Skullkid. That's why there is a tree, and a field symbolising the Kokiri forest with one child sitting: the Skullkid, and four children playing: the four giants who cast the Skullkid out. The moon is connected to the spiritual side of Termina, and when their world was overtaken by fear, Majora's mask was given the opportunity to corrupt the moon. I believe the Fierce Deity mask may embody what the moon is: Terminan's happiness. That's why there's marking of the moon covering the deity's armour and the mask has lunar white eyes. Another interesting piece of information is Majora embodies the sun, the mask emblem is sun shaped in the battle arena and certain attacks are sun related. The moon existed before according to the Terminan's, and possibly had a neutral face as opposed to being faceless, the mayor had the same moon face chair in the original concept art too.

[@chaoticneutralsheep]

@A B Majora's mask has memories of those that have held onto it, and the happy mask salesman carried it for some time before Skullkid showed up. Link is also another young character and this makes the dream world show only the moon children in a way he can interpret them. In the Nintendo Miiverse during 3D Majora's mask release, someone in Nintendo speaking for the happy mask salesman said this: "I'm not too sure, but judging by the fact that they live on the moon, surely they cannot be normal children...? I have not met them in person, but I am pretty certain they must be some figment created by Majora's Mask. Perhaps they look like children because Link is himself but a child? Oh, look, they have the same hairstyle as me. So young, and yet so stylish!"

[@venusrubedo]

🏆

[@billbertboyce324]

Lol, the Skull kid isn't called "star kid" in the japanese. He's called "stalkid". As in *stal* fos or *stal* dra.

[@lindenbree9188]

I've always assumed the moon's scary face is actually a grimace. The moon is straining against being pulled to Termina, it's struggling against the power, in vain, and that's why the face looks so strained. I also assumed the moon doesn't actually disappear at the end of the game, I figure it was teleported back to where it's supposed to be. Because getting rid of it... I mean I feel like having a moon is kind of important?

[@sanity_sadness4669]

I mean, yeah. But to be fair, it’s a video game.. and Zelda doesn’t exactly follow the rule of physics already. So I guess “no more moon” can’t exactly be ruled out

[@Elementianhero22]

You're right. If you do the 4th Day/0th Day glitch and look up at the sky, you can still see the moon above Termina, in its position from when the game was supposed to have 7 days instead of 3.

[@iceman00behave]

That's an interesting theory that I have never considered.

[@SalocityMarketing]

In the 3D version it looks like an grimmace but in the original version is actually looks like its bracing for impact and looks more scared than angry

[@raydhen8840]

@@SalocityMarketing Yeah part of why I prefer original N64 over 3DS, or any latter versions of the moon is (and it's not nostalgia bias, minds you): Instead of 100% looking pissed (and constipated) in the remake, N64 Moon got that blank, 1000 yard stare. Which can conveys so many things. It looks unsettling, but at the same time, terrified, due to its own imminent death along with its people (Why else would it shed a tear?)

[@BR-jw7pm]

Majora’s Mask is my fave Zelda game. It’s always cool to hear new and interesting thoughts/facts about older games!

[@drwily]

same here bro, mm is gold

[@BR-jw7pm]

Dr.Wily it’s amazing the game is so good considering it was made in under 1 year (or 1.5 years) on a dare

[@Keanine]

I always figured that the moon gets warped back up into the sky, as it turns into that ball of light that moves up into the sky. Obviously the effects are crude so its hard to tell for sure, but its an old game so it's forgiven lol

[@bawbehh]

Considering on day 4 the moon is real tiny way up in the sky, id assume that was what was supposed to happen

[@enecofan888]

Me too

[@ashtree3023]

In the N64 version (I hate how people ignore that one) the moon CLEARLY teleports away. It’s the teleporting animation. It’s the teleporting sound same as when you finish a boss fight and enter the portal. It’s teleporting back up to where it’s supposed to go.

[@Keanine]

@@ashtree3023 Huh, I'd forgotten how different both of them are until I just went back to watch. I wonder why they added that disintegration effect in the 3D version?

[@drwily]

hmmmm could be

[@GameMasterKyro]

The moon's face actually changes after Majora enters it: aside from the eyes starting to glow, its mouth also opens, making it appear enraged. Beyond that, something worth noting is that until recently, the moon likely may not have been close enough for most people to notice that it had a face: the astronomer, who uses the telescope, doesn't seem to react, but ordinary people, like the twin jugglers, did. In addition, its proximity may be what allows the Tears to actually make it to the surface. The planet's gravity may not be strong enough to pull them in from so far away, and even if it could, they are small enough that they would probably burn up completely in the atmosphere before they make it.

[@ShnouplaMcShmeep]

But,the astronomer already have a tear of thé Moon just right next to him

[@NottherealLucifer]

The same "No one in the entire game mentions it having a face being abnormal" point still undermines your argument. The moon symbols at the mayors office show it with essentially the same facial expression, albeit less intense, as if it were far enough away to not notice the malice. The eyes are the only part we can definitively connect to Majora's magic, the rest can be assumed to be normal.

[@B3313fan]

That makes sense

[@okami6399]

I remember seeing the moon “cry” for the first time as a kid and felt so bad, it was utterly terrifying to see that face looming over Link constantly but those tears made me wonder if that expression was a sign of its misery and frustration of not being able to do anything. The tears and the face made me think it was sentient and around that time I ended up personifying the moon, referring to it with female pronouns due to all the mythology of the moon being a feminine force.

[@walls_of_skulls6061]

So sad honestly

[@ls7205]

what kind of kid were you? I was eating dirt when I was a kid.

[@walls_of_skulls6061]

@@ls7205 kid can mean 15

[@crunchysalmons]

and they convey all that with subtext. wow. yes i believe thats the intention with naming it a tear, it gives you unconscious sympathy for even your perceived adversary

[@brendanauri]

No you didn’t

[@aegis8212]

As I was first playing Breath of the Wild, I was looking for any Majoras Mask references that might be there, and decided to stare at the moon for a long time, thinking that there would be an Easter egg with the Blood moons or something. Instead, I ended up noticing something kinda interesting that might be a subtle nod. When the moon hits midnight, it rotates around 90 degrees and starts to head towards the horizon. The craters seemed to look vaguely like the imprint of a face, 2 eye divots, a longer crater that looked mouth-ish, stuff like that. It’s definitely not flat out eyeballs and teeth, but to me it seemed interesting nonetheless. Then I looked at a picture of the real moon and realized that the one in BotW wasn’t just a copy of the one irl, meaning that any details on it would have been deliberately put there by a developer. Plus the fact that the real moon doesn’t shift 90 degrees at midnight. I haven’t seen any theories about this detail ever crop up online, so I thought maybe a channel like this could take a look at the moon and confirm that I’m not just seeing things haha.

[@Moon_Presence]

@@minitumen He said Breath of the wild, not ocarina of time.

[@tylermartin6013]

I can’t switch between Zeltik’s voice and Dr wily in the same video haha. It’s like listening to rain sounds going to bed and then all of a sudden a weird Al song comes on. With all due respect to both creators.

[@drwily]

damn, harsh

[@Hussman493]

@@drwily I mean, it's different, but it's yours. Be proud of it.

[@MarshallTheArtist]

🤣

[@AnAdorableWombat]

Or like listening to a meditation sleep song and then a loud piano gleam comes in and wakes you up

[@RiZaDilly]

​@Dr.Wily It's all love mate ❤️

[@OmoiSenpai]

I guess those small suns that need the mirror light to turn on had to be inspired from somewhere :P

[@puppystatus]

Except those are also in OOT and there’s no moon there 🤷‍♂️

[@markstahl1464]

@puppystatus OoT has a moon. It rises and sets just like the sun.

[@thaumana8489]

The German guidebook from the N64 version had the tendency to add additional 'background story details' about certain game elements, but these were loose interpretations made up by the respective editorial team, so obviously shouldn't be considered canon. Still, as a kid I took every info from this book at face value and I remember a paragraph regarding the tears that the moon apparently cries because it is shattered by Termina's unavoidable fate. That sentence left a strong impression on me for years since it was the only tiny bit of information about the mysterious ambivalent nature of the moon, especially since its role and omnipresence was more terrifying throughout the game.

[@mellowyello1478]

The Moon, to me, always looked as if it was terrified or in severe pain being dragged down to Termina.

[@SalocityMarketing]

especially in the N64 version

[@Yasuo_Uehara]

The Moon's expression to me looks like someone who is in anger and pain at the same time

[@thefollower2933]

That also much more noticeable in the N64 version.

[@poobface4218]

"What is anger but not the deepest pain?" -Sum smart ass

[@Violet_Storm76]

It looks constipated to me but that's just me tryin to be funny

[@drwily]

yeah i can see that

[@AbeM.]

The tear thing always told me it was being used against its will, not an evil entity, I also never considered it to be destroyed, just “returned”. So I hope it had a happy ending.

[@drwily]

personally i never looked at it in such a way until i did this video with zeltik

[@poogy42]

It's possible that before Majora interfered, the moon had phases similar to ours but rather than the earth casting partial shadows on our moon, the face of their moon would gradually change expression. Therefore the "blue" in "once in a blue moon" refers to the moon appearing sad, and happiness was brought to it by having a carnival to celebrate the new season of harmony. It could also be said that rather than sadness, the moon might appear to be slumbering as shown on one of the masks on the happy mask salesman's bag. It looks almost identical to the one in the mayor's office, only with the opposite expression.

[@millersaur]

Underrated comment!

[@poogy42]

@@millersaur i appreciate it! 🙏

[@dynabuilder]

blood moon means you're fucking dead

[@KevinGarcia-Karatzu]

I love any fun facts, theories, and Easter Eggs involving Majora's Mask. Fav Zelda game of all time.

[@drwily]

same, mm is gold

[@crowstakingoff]

Looks like the face above the door to the Mayor's place was added in the 3DS version. Also, you can see a very similar looking moon-ish mask on the Happy Mask Salesman, except its expression there is more neutral, like it's sleeping.

[@Jordan3DS]

Yeah, you can't really make lore assumptions based on remakes, only the original version counts

[@Mari_Izu]

The one above the door was added on 3DS yes, but it's was already on Dotour's chair since N64. Happy Mask Salesman has a stone-like mask, but it's completely different than the one on Dotour's chair.

[@Mari_Izu]

@@Jordan3DS Remakes most of the time get shit added to enrich the lore/world, so they also count.

[@kevinfromsales9445]

I guess it was added as a subtle hint that the moon indeed always had a face just not an angry one

[@Jordan3DS]

@@Mari_Izu This particular remake wasn't even made by Nintendo, nor any of the people who made the original game. Any additions amount to fanfiction in that case

[@MasterCrawford343]

Do we know that the moon actually gets destroyed in the ending? It almost looks like it's being teleported, maybe back up to where it belongs

[@c.m.654]

That's what I always thought.

[@bawbehh]

That is what happens, on day 4 its very small and high up in the sky, back in its seemingly normal spot

[@drwily]

i have seen that in many comments and i agree with it

[@docgoid]

Majora’s Mask was my first video game ever and now that I’ve watched this, I’m even more excited for Majora’s Mask and and other n64 to be on switch later this month.

[@Not_Lenny88]

Woof. It’s always so jarring hearing zeltik next to other content creators.

[@DancingCrickets04]

I swear, NintendoBlackCrisis is the only other zelda youtuber whose voice doesn't make me want to die

[@TheRepentersChamber]

@@DancingCrickets04 yo MNB

[@WordsInVain]

01:16 Pay attention to how the energy ball inside the moon is ascending into the heavens, as though the moon's own spirit is being deliberately removed and taken back to where it came from...

[@Jess-I-Guess]

I've never really thought about this, I always just took it at face-value (pun intended). I overlooked what more there was to it, and just sort of saw the moon as an angry conjuring of Majora. Thinking about this more, though, it really does paint a different picture; I see the face so much differently. It's expression is not of anger and rage... It's pain. It's a guardian deity watching helplessly as it inches closer and closer to the people who revere it. Crying sacred tears of stone with each passing day. That could be why it takes three days: if Majora wants to just destroy termina, it would just do so. It is too relentless and violent to play games and wait. The three days are the moon struggling against Majora's influence, slowing it's descent. That's also why, at the end, the mask enters the moon to push it harder, forcing it against both the giants and the moon's own resistance.

[@briarmason8737]

I wouldn't put it past Majora to give a time limit to the world ending. Seeing everyone in Termina slowly realizing they're gonna die and there's nothing they can do about it seems pretty up its alley

[@erry9895]

I carved Termina moon. Took me around 80 hours, I have a deep connection now with it. Long time to look at that face!

[@theconnected7234]

they made the moon's face look so terrifying when in reality it was terrified of being forced into crashing

[@greenamber9827]

The Moon disintegrating at the end could actually be teleportation.

[@drwily]

yeah a lot of people are commenting that and it could be true

[@Fr33dan]

I always interpreted the moons expression not as enraged or mad but strained. Trying with all it's might to pull back into the sky but unable to do so because of Majora's influence.

[@drwily]

hmmm yeah i can see that

[@MrPsyJak]

The moon may not be evil but Dr Wily's voice is

[@belcoot1]

I didn't think that the Moon's face looked evil. I've always imagined it as wincing or straining against the power of majora, trying desperately to break the powerful pull from majora. And it knows it is losing , so it is crying, knowing the fate of itself and those under it if it fails to break free

[@Rizzob17]

It has been some time. I realize this may not effect everyone, but I am particular with what I would consider to be “narration” channels or channels that are largely exposition based. Zeltik, you have an amazingly smooth speaking voice and speak quite eloquently. When you do collaborations with other channels, while noble, it reminds me of an excerpt from LOTR- The two Towers, where Saruman is using his Voice to influence King Theoden and his men, which sounds wise and sensible, even if the men see through the trick, they still hear Gandalf’s voice as uncouth and hard on their ears, so to speak.

[@blakefarwell]

Great video! I only have one point to bring up: The moon looks as if it is grimacing. If he used to be happy and smiling, because he is protecting his people, I think he had more control than most people think. I think he was grimacing on purpose, as he didn’t want it to happen but he knew it would. I think that the only thing Majora affected was the orbit of the moon. The moon knew what was happening the whole time, hence his face being a grimace. The only time he was truly possessed was in the final boss fight, when Majora physically enters the moon to possess it.

[@drwily]

I hope everyone likes the video, and love you ed ;) (ed = zeltik)

[@TheFierceDeity]

Hi Wily. I just finished playing the trial of the sword that was apart of the expansion pass

[@GAMERS-hy9bq]

A crossover as old as time

[@brad-leelindo25]

Your video is next

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

Lol bet . What a champ

[@Binkus_.]

Don’t mind the people who are complaining about your voice alright!

[@joinmeforasmile4464]

I was binging your videos just now as a form of procrastination and when I was done, I was sad I could no longer procrastinate. This came at such a spookily perfect time!

[@drwily]

well glad it was fun and i hope you got the work done ;)

[@ToasterJam]

Wow that actually makes so much sense. Every theory just makes MM that much better honestly.

[@angelgranados4737]

The moon was in pain guys. It even cries.

[@ShelbyAQD]

I'm part of the crowd who always assumed the moon was being warped back into it's proper orbit at the end, though I will admit that the effects do look like it's being obliterated from within. The best logic I've ever come up with for the "inside of the moon" is that it's actually a pocket dimension or spiritual zone of sorts. Similar to the final duel with Demise seemingly taking place atop the sky, this inner moon area is more of a magical construct than a proper physical location. Going with the idea that the moon is a deity in its own right, this area could be its own sacred realm. And the moon children may be splintered avatars of the moon's persona, much like the stray fairies found throughout the game's dungeons. This, I think, suggests that the Happy Mask Salesman himself is really something like an oracle or incarnation of the moon.

[@pluspiping]

These are all fascinating theories. I love them. Thanks for sharing!

[@Vitamin_R]

The video's always felt like a no-brainer to me; the moon has a pretty pained expression and you see it cry within the first hour of playing the game

[@Vitamin_R]

I do love seeing new videos from Zeltik though

[@drwily]

yeah zeltik came to me with the idea, and when we started looking into it together i thought to myself, yeah this is a no brainer theory im surprised no one else had done it

[@Vitamin_R]

@@drwily in any case, great video and I loved seeing you two work together. Hope to see more of it in the future!

[@minitumen]

I always thought this particular Moon was a creation of Majora, and its expression was not of helpless desperation, but, just, maddened evil. I was sure the tears were just lunar rocks that by coincidence looked like tears.

[@minitumen]

But, yeah, I like the theory presented in the video a lot more, it makes much more sense.

[@chompythebeast]

The surreal absurdity of the moon with an angry face on it hurtling down onto the landscape and almost everyone in town seeming to completely ignore it is probably the number one reason (along with shared assets) why people often imagine Termina to be something of a figment of Link's imagination, or else perhaps some sort of Lovecraftian Dream World that exists on its own

[@tbhockeyboy]

Not only is the moon an unwilling pawn of Majora, but he's forced to watch the people of Termina while he destroys them. The tears make a lot of sense.

[@pancakes8670]

There's a theory that the weird smiling rock mask above the Mayor in his chair is what the Moon is supposed to look like.

[@Flaris]

Soul Eater fans: "What's weird about the moon having a face?"

[@ashclaw2306]

You just activated Nostalgia Resonance!

[@drwily]

hahahaaha

[@Esuerc]

Me: (listening to begining of the video) (The new voice cuts in) Me: No, thank you. Good day.

[@n64glennplant]

I enjoyed this episode so much, I always find you drop a video when I’m really in need of a good delve into Zelda 🙂

[@drwily]

glad you liked it!

[@DudeWerewolf]

Wily’s voice really just, took me out of this one. Yikes!

[@Tylerjrb]

The first time I played this game many years ago I was so young that I didn’t really understand it but the moon was always something that creeped me out. Just the face!My cousin explained to me that the moon was falling and it scared me to death, so much that half of the time I couldn’t bring myself to look at the moon and seeing it get closer and closer as the days went on just blew my mind. This is where I discovered the astral observatory for the first time and why the theme here means so much as it felt so safe. However the music in this game was amazing and I have never forgotten them. I never had chance to complete the game all those years ago. And having finally completed the game only but a few years ago for the first time ever it will forever be one of the if not the best game ever made close to or tied with ocarina of time. It was amazing and the amount of detail and depth for its time has always blew my mind.

[@lemonadesupreme1319]

I had to mute the video and turn on captions for this, that other dude's voice makes me cringe so hard I felt the need to clobber my head against a wall... sheesh

[@EpsilonD2]

1:09 I always assumed this was the Moon warping back to its original position, not being destroyed.

[@Shiny_Gaming]

Could be me, but i always interpreted the moons face as a struggling face, or putting all it's effort into something. the stupid kid i was as a kid thought it's giving it it all to finally fall into Termina, but with this video, to me it looks like the moon is giving it it's all to NOT Crash down

[@360entertainment2]

As a kid I kind of assumed that Ganondorf had something to do with the moon due to the face seeming kind of similar to his. It’s not the first time the franchise would’ve thrown a curveball like that, we saw this happen in A Link to the Past when Ganon was revealed to be the wizard Agahnim!

[@WordsInVain]

01:53 Does the game's game over cutscene imply that the moon is an illusionary weapon simply created to terrify the people?

[@avadoksorem2854]

I hope this is the last time you make a video collaborating with this Wily guy. He’s much too jarringly loud compared to your intellectual tone and his dialogue can even be come off as obnoxious at times.

[@Milty2001]

The scary thing about majora's mask is that the game encourages you to use your time wisely and help as many people as you can before it's too late but the thing is once you take too long on a quest the music plays faster and faster until you start to hear the bells then the game is like did you help/save everyone?, collected enough moons?, found all dungeons? No? Well too bad because if you don't do any of these everyone you know and love will die and it will be your fault and you can feel the pressure telling you to hurry up with whatever quest you're on or else you'll regret letting everyone die instead of giving you a game over and try again and I love it

[@ModelsAtWar]

The moon is actually up there after. Somebody on a boundary break/free roam KZbin channel went up there and saw a moon about 1/50th of the size it was before.

[@altermike3197]

People always said "Why does the moon have a face?!" When nobody questions a tree with a face

[@Oakman0211]

I honestly think they messed up the moon's expression in the 3DS remake. In the original you couldn't really tell what it was feeling. It looked angry, sad and scared all at the same time. The 3DS version just looks angry and because of that, it isn't as scary. It's always freakier not being able to tell what someone (or something in this scenario) is feeling. I wish they would have changed the eyebrows a bit in the 3DS version.

[@BossDoogles]

Seems like moon always had a face Majora just corrupted it. Perhaps the Moon deity was like Hyrule’s 3 goddesses. It created the world. And then left that plane of existence leaving behind the moon as reminder that it was always looking down on its creation as a loving and benevolent creator.

[@neox4735]

Title: what is majora’s mask’s moon? Me seeing the title: um… a moon? Me after watching the video: ah, i see… a SAD, GOD moon, got it

[@krelbin]

That's WHAT I SAID!

[@neox4735]

@@krelbin great minds think alike, i guess XD

[@drwily]

hahahahah, just your run of the mill sad god moon, you know

[@Nealios568]

My theory is that when link falls from a extensive height in the beginning of game, he fells into a coma where he's havin this random & funky dream

[@limericky8548]

Couldn't stomach the other guy's voice for more than a second. Holy shit.

[@axl256gamesx7]

Drwily's tone is a permanent sarcasm

[@hystoryan]

Great video! I just wish you would show some scenes from the original game and not just the 3ds remake. The moons face in the original game looked much sadder and conflicted than the remakes version in my opinion.

[@sierra121cyan]

It's grimacing because it's in pain at having to destroy the world. It's eyes are red and Majora's Mask-like because it's under the Mask's control.

[@thezodiacsystem2033]

I am very distracted at the fact the mayor has a frikkin adorable cow plushie on his desk. I want the plushie.

[@CyanicCore]

Always figured it had to be some version of the actual moon, potentially transformed somehow. The ending resolution feels like something that only happened to it for simplicity's sake.

[@Lishamisha22]

i really enjoyed this analysis. I was also surprised that I didn't notice the moon motif on the mayor's chair during my first play-through of this game.

[@ShadowWarriorLuke]

I'm reminded of an old webcomic that subscribed to the theory that the moon's expression is fear. It showed the moon falling to Termina with a monologue of "It's coming closer, everything will be destroyed," with the final panel revealing it to be coming from the moon itself as it thinks "The worst part is there's nothing I can do to stop it."

[@Rakshaka75]

Perhaps the moon doesn't disintegrate, but is teleported to another location; its rightful location

[@TheAthenaum]

Even though I have no reason to believe this, I like to think that the moon is Termina's incarnation of Demise. This time he's just a big space rock and he's pretty mad about it.

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

Never thought that a video would make me feel SORRY for that nightmare moon, but here we are.

[@drwily]

even the moon is a complex being in mm ;)

[@CommacazyFreak]

Grimace seems an accurate description for the sentient deity, more than anything it seemed like it was trying to resist the power of the Mask which could very well be why it takes the three days we have to save Termina rather than its immediate destruction, and the tears represent the knowledge the moon has of this inevitability.

[@coffeeninja88]

Your Majora's Mask theories are always my favorites. Maybe that's why that game is so good and particularly memorable. So many loose ends left up to interpretation. You're very good at what you do, either way.

[@drwily]

glad you liked it!

[@FeedMeSalt]

Tldr, No its not evil. It cries when it makes eye contact with you through the scope remeber? It's unwilling.

[@ecfeclipse]

I wonder what would happen if Ganondorf got ahold of Majora's mask. would they see each other as rivals since they want separate goals (subjugation vs destruction), would they try to influence or use one another's power?

[@urbosalittlebird8393]

Interesting theory Zeltik! Majoras mask is a special game, it's great to hear theories about it

[@drwily]

yeah there is a lot to cover, best theory game imo, so many odd things in it

[@robertsalazar3450]

Very unrelated, but has anyone ever wondered why gerudo symbols are on multiple blocks. Ganon is helping us progress on acident. And the triforce in the spirit temple. Yes i've been getting back into OOT.

[@silverboltscrapper]

Re-used assets, there are no intended lore implications for those.

[@lanparty6370]

My personal conspiracy theory is that the moon is Ganon/Demise haunting Link and symbolically vowing his inevitable return (And it works even better if you believe Termina is a dream and Link is dying/transforming into the Stalfos warrior from TP)

[@TnT_F0X]

The moon's making that face cause it's struggling against the Mask

[@hgreen8666]

It looks like an even more evil, angrier Ganon

[@brisky__]

1:20 my ears, my sensitive beautiful ears 😵‍💫

[@LeviasWolfe]

Wow...that's deep..."It forced a God to turn on its people..." Just...wow.

[@Tera_GX]

I've always been skeptical of whether the moon's face is actually in-world canon. I would think the moon's menacing face would be a big deal if they actually see it. Instead the opposite, a lot of people doubt the moon is actually a threat at all. In the content I've reviewed lately, that one single line from the juggler is the ONLY mention of the moon's face. It could be one of those things that only we the viewer see, and that one line is just an inconsistency among the massive amount of dialogue in this game. However I never gave any thought to that symbol above the mayor. The eyes in particular have a feel of consistency with the moon. And that symbol has been there since the original. So that does have me finally updating my opinion on that. Still a bit odd that the menacing face isn't a big deal in-world.

[@tumultuousv]

Termina's moon always had a face. Just not menacing

[@mouhbear6769]

Small Game Artist here. I can prolly explain some points. Size. The initial game was planned with more days and therefore with greater distance. Distances and scaling objects is always a matter of recognition for the player, if they would have made the moon in a more realistic size it would have been too large and since its a n64 all textures would be just large giant pixels, which leads to the point when the moon is too close there wouldnt be any recognition at all, just super giant large pixels. The giants needed to be scaled to the moon as well proportionally for the cutscenes and we would had the same problem there. In games its always a problem with huge gigantess objects because the most common solution for that problem is up the resolution scale for the texture sets of that object which obv. is not possible for the n64 era. They also had a polycount limitation for the weak hardware so the recognition would have been even worse with super large poly and large giant pixels for the player. Next the face. The moon doesnt need to have a face to be a deity. Ancient ppl gave stellar objects faces, bodies and more so its not suprising that they made a moon with a face since they worshipping it. The more realistic way to explain why it has a face is majora, majora is a twisted being. Using the worshipped moon for its weapon of choice he shaped the moons appearance appealing to his own imaginations, so the people looking up seeing a raging evil face like the horror kid felt betrayed by his friends (gods guardians you name it), projecting the same image to the moon so now it betrays the people of termania. Tears...well should be logic after that text, the moon feels sorry and helpless being used as a weapon of destruction. Peace.

[@obi-juankarlos2409]

Maybe the moon has always had that grin, but because it used to be way up higher than it is during the game, people assumed it was a friendly smile, hence the Mayor's symbol being a smiley moon. Like those creepy "Ren & Stimpy's close up" where it looks awful up close lol

[@AnAdorableWombat]

Or maybe it always had a smile but once it became under Majoras control, it became angry.

[@Tam00393]

The moon always looked to me like it was suffering, I can see anger in its expression, but I don't think it's angry with us, or with the people of Termina, but more angry in the sense of the 5 stages of grieve. The moon feels just as doomed as the people of Termina do, as much as Link does. I wonder how sentient the moon was? Was the moon aware of all the time traveling Link did throughout the game, just like the HMS seemed to be?

[@Aarvid_Hati]

I just love that your channel isn't only focused on botw. Most channels call themselves Zelda channels but that only focus on botw. It's really good to know that you at least doesn't only have eyes for that

[@drwily]

well thats because a lot of zelda channels popped up thanks to botw, while people like zeltik, commenwealth realm, zeldamaster and me have been around for much longer, easy 6 years or more

[@Aarvid_Hati]

@@drwily Yes but still, people should remember that this it's Zelda fandom... Not Botw fandom. Botw isn't the only Zelda in existence, people should remember that

[@narutosbelievin]

Didn’t think MM could get any more disturbing. Boy was I wrong.

[@XabiotuAccUsedWhenYTCensors]

Thanks for the video and now i know how evil majora is,first drowning Ben and making him real then this

[@harryguidotti3815]

Termina: *Gets Annihilated.* Moon: I'M SO SOOORRRRYYYY!!!!

[@sirreginald1414]

Someone should make a nightlight of that moon so it can project on your ceiling at night.

[@MsRen211]

The moon looked way scarier in the original vs the remake

[@SchmergDergen]

I swear Zelda theorists that aren’t Zeltik have the most annoying voices.

[@VardrunCRidleyKnight]

God, it’s so true. Or have really cringeworthy bits and acts they put on. There’s a reason Zeltik’s the only one I like.

[@mikeysrose]

MaskedNintendoBandit doesn't have an annoying voice.

[@drwily]

i know right

[@chuganoga1908]

Lol i agree some of them act like they live in the Zelda universe too it’s weird stuff man

[@preconvictions]

Monster Maze is even more calming

[@ronandread5141]

It's possible that there never was a face and they just have that moon symbol to symbolize how they see the moon .

[@ronandread5141]

Skull kid might have made that face as a mockery of their beliefs

[@elleenoel512]

That was awesome. The moon was one of the few elements of this game I'd never really given any thought. And Odalwa and Goht at least are supposed to be possessed guardian deities of their respective peoples, too, so this theory is fitting. I'm curious what stories could be found about Twinmold or Gyorg...

[@dallas_749]

0:24 edging 😩

[@Sk-qjtir]

I can't believe you didn't mention the mirror shield being a moon with a face, that reflects sunlight

[@drwily]

not sure what that could add, but we havent really looked into it to be fair

[@camposforce93]

Truly it is refreshing watching a video of the zelda series that is not breath of the wild finally something to change things things bit since there are so many secrets hidden in the old games that people tend to overlook due to the vast world of breath of the wild Hyrule.

[@firestarter6488]

Maybe if Nintendo actually made it easier for these new Switch-Era Zelda fans to play all their older titles in a way like other companies do with re-release collections, then they'd want to know more about these older games too.

[@camposforce93]

@@firestarter6488 there are some titles on the switch with the online feature and many many games on the 3ds and ds. I know getting the old games may not be cheap but even here in Latin America is not that hard nor expensive to get the older games so I don't think Nintendo need to re release them, a vast majority are easy to get except the very weird ones like zelda cdi or the non popular 4 swords and 4 sword adventures..

[@drwily]

glad you liked it!

[@TwinBlasters]

Could have done without Wily

[@drwily]

i know right

[@TwinBlasters]

The exaggerated inflections are difficult, people tell you this often in your comments (inflections are not the same as accent). It's like you reach too far for enthusiasm, or you're trying too hard to sound like a news anchor. It's just not for me

[@drwily]

@@TwinBlasters yeah fair enough but thats just my voice, you can ask zeltik or birdkeepertoby, however its fine

[@WildStrawberryy]

Fun fact i think: A Nintendo power guide calls the realm inside the moon a "Different reality"