Unmasking the Enigma Behind Majora's Mask
Credit: Nintendo
Within the Legend of Zelda franchise, “The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask” is a standout game that seemingly does not belong. People either love it or hate it for the same reason because it's so different. Why you may ask? There are few titles if any that have been able to uniquely tell a story as profoundly as “The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask”. Like most games in the Legend of Zelda franchise, they will often follow a certain formula where the character you play as, Link, is tasked with the goal of defeating Ganon and saving Zelda. Though in the case of Majora’s Mask, a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Ganon and Zelda do not play a major role in the game at all. It was a fresh breath of air in the franchise, but for many people the mechanics, story, and progression system were too much to handle. But there's more to the surface than meets the eye, and beneath the mask, hides an emotionally mature story that holds its own right to be called a masterpiece.
I wanted to take some time today to unmask the underlying themes of Majora’s Mask that broke the status quo and in its own unique way, present the story we all know and love. Picking off where the events of the Ocarina of Time left off, Majora’s Mask takes a different approach to the classic progression-based system of most Zelda games.
After the events of Ocarina of Time, Link sets off to find his fairy companion Navi and is subsequently robbed by Skull Kid wearing Majora’s Mask taking Epona and his Ocarina of Time. As he chases Skull Kid he is transformed into a weaker being: a Deku Scrub. He later meets the Happy Mask Salesman and gets the task of retrieving Majora’s Mask and the Ocarina of Time so he can return to normal. Link finds himself in the parallel world of Hyrule called Termina where players are greeted with a 3-day cycle locked in the confines of Clock Town.
The story is now more or less familiar as we see our hero once again, try to save the world. Originally your objectives were quite simple, to get Epona and Ocarina, and get back to finding Navi. However, as you are forced to learn the mechanics of the game and to learn more about the Townsfolk you eventually understand their fear and sorrow of the impending doom. You start to care, you want them to live on, you want them to see their loved ones, and you want them to realize peace. As you forge relationships with the residents of Clock Town, the looming moon, with its grotesque grin, is a constant reminder of impending catastrophe inching ever closer to the end of Termina and the lives of all who live there.
With these two forces, your growing affection for the Townsfolk and the impending doom of the apocalyptic moon, merge together to infuse Link and ourselves with an aligned purpose to save the world of Termina but more importantly, achieve a sense of peace for the people. That is where the true story lies within Majora's Mask, we are not saving a princess or defeating a villain, but instead helping the inhabitants of Termina face their own struggles. The rich cast of characters each with their own personalities, stories, hopes and dreams connect us with an element of empathy that is a stark difference from the typical narrative.
Majora’s Mask represents much more than your typical Legend of Zelda game. It delves into the themes of identity and acceptance presenting a story that resonates on a profound level. As you unmask the underlying themes and dive into the intricate gameplay, every moment spent aiding the citizens of Termina, adds to the emotional weight challenging us to look past the surface as you discover there is much more to being a true hero.
I wanted to take some time today to unmask the underlying themes of Majora’s Mask that broke the status quo and in its own unique way, present the story we all know and love. Picking off where the events of the Ocarina of Time left off, Majora’s Mask takes a different approach to the classic progression-based system of most Zelda games.
After the events of Ocarina of Time, Link sets off to find his fairy companion Navi and is subsequently robbed by Skull Kid wearing Majora’s Mask taking Epona and his Ocarina of Time. As he chases Skull Kid he is transformed into a weaker being: a Deku Scrub. He later meets the Happy Mask Salesman and gets the task of retrieving Majora’s Mask and the Ocarina of Time so he can return to normal. Link finds himself in the parallel world of Hyrule called Termina where players are greeted with a 3-day cycle locked in the confines of Clock Town.
The story is now more or less familiar as we see our hero once again, try to save the world. Originally your objectives were quite simple, to get Epona and Ocarina, and get back to finding Navi. However, as you are forced to learn the mechanics of the game and to learn more about the Townsfolk you eventually understand their fear and sorrow of the impending doom. You start to care, you want them to live on, you want them to see their loved ones, and you want them to realize peace. As you forge relationships with the residents of Clock Town, the looming moon, with its grotesque grin, is a constant reminder of impending catastrophe inching ever closer to the end of Termina and the lives of all who live there.
With these two forces, your growing affection for the Townsfolk and the impending doom of the apocalyptic moon, merge together to infuse Link and ourselves with an aligned purpose to save the world of Termina but more importantly, achieve a sense of peace for the people. That is where the true story lies within Majora's Mask, we are not saving a princess or defeating a villain, but instead helping the inhabitants of Termina face their own struggles. The rich cast of characters each with their own personalities, stories, hopes and dreams connect us with an element of empathy that is a stark difference from the typical narrative.
Majora’s Mask represents much more than your typical Legend of Zelda game. It delves into the themes of identity and acceptance presenting a story that resonates on a profound level. As you unmask the underlying themes and dive into the intricate gameplay, every moment spent aiding the citizens of Termina, adds to the emotional weight challenging us to look past the surface as you discover there is much more to being a true hero.
Hi Alex, I am someone who grew up playing video games, but never found my way into the legend of Zelda series. I always felt that the story of defeat Ganon and rescue the princess to be a bit repetitive and didn't play as a result. Your analysis of Majora's Mask is one I have heard in other circles, as most I have talked to noted the more foreboding nature of the game. I have a switch and if possible I might jump into this game now as I found the idea of pursuing peace for yourself and others to be a very interesting concept for the dungeon crawling formula of these games. Interested to see what the next game will be!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, I absolutely love playing Legend of Zelda. The first Legends of Zelda game I played was Twilights Princess when I was 12. Since playing Twilight Princess I have bought and played each game, including Majora's mask. I love the way you explained the game and how it connects to the previous game Ocarina of Time. Majora’s mask is the one of two Zelda games that I could not finish. I always got stuck on the last boss. I love video games and my two favorite games are Zelda and Pokémon look forward to reading more about the Zelda games and which one you will go into next.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, I really enjoyed reading your blog this week. I played the very original Zelda on the original Nintendo (I am old) the biggest installment of the franchise for me was ocarina of time but for my younger brother he LOVED Majora's mask and my aunt and grandmother would have him play it for them, I personally fall into the category of not liking it. I am not sure if that's a very fair evaluation though as I was in High School when it came out and thought game cube was for kids, I never knew the story line could be so mature and complex and almost want to break out the game cube and give it a play (yes we still have one along with the N64)
ReplyDeleteHey Alex, last week I read your first post and thought it was amazing but this analysis of Majora's Mask was amazing. As someone whos always gamed and heard bits and pieces about Legends of Zelda I was excited to see your post about the sequel to ocarina of time. I enjoyed how you explained the story of the game but as well explained its deeper meaning and even identifying the themes within the game. Thanks for sharing and I'll be back next week!
ReplyDelete