"Let's play good guys against bad guys...yes, let's play that." [MM][Ending][Spoilers]

[u/zug56]

Just finished MM and therefore my run of the hero of time duology and Majora's Mask especially has left me with some interrogatives.

First of all, Termina "turning" into a log at the end. Is it another dimension Link entered? Or is it a figment of his imagination entirely?

Link, despite being mute in both games, seemed to me to be much more dissociated and in a dream-like state in Majora's Mask based on various reactions and whatnot to events and other stuff.

If everything was his imagination stemming from trauma, then the Fierce Deity might represent how he views his time as an adult in the other timeline: an unstoppable force capable of doing the impossible and bring everyone happiness, yet fleeting. The last missing piece of his fractured identity, symbolized by the transformation masks.

And what is the connection between Majora and the other kids? To me, they mirror the skull kid and the giants, but they also mirror Link and the sages.

Of course, I do know it's not Link's imagination, but there are still some questions I haven't figured out the answer for which are worth speculating about.

[u/TyrTheAdventurer]

Termina has always been established as a parallel world to Hyrule, its not some afterlife or no a dream world like Koholint. In the instruction booklet for MM it says "This is a parallel world that is similar yet different from the land of Hyrule". I believe Kaepora Gaebora also tells Link of the nature of Termina.

About the Fierce Deity, Aonuma clarified what 'spirit' actually resides inside it. When asked what soul was inside the mask he replied: "The best way to think about it is that the memories of all the people of Termina are inside of the Fierce Deity Mask." In basically FD it's like a manifestation of the Terminans.

Ultimately, I think MM is a story about healing is it's central theme. Link is lonely and search for his friend, and becomes cursed. The HMS heals Link (physically), and Link goes on to heal the citizens of Clock Town, Goron's, Zoras, Deku, Ikana, and through it all, Link inturn becomes emotionally healed and can continue living his best life.

[u/bubbascal → u/TyrTheAdventurer]

I agree with your analysis strongly, healing is a central theme and that's probably why MM is such a impactful game

[u/Stucklikegluetomyfry → u/TyrTheAdventurer]

Agreed, it’s also a game about grief, depression and coming to terms with loss (aka healing like you said).

The five stages of grief theory gets tossed around a lot in media fan theories but it’s actually very fitting to MM, when you think of the main areas, at least a lot more than most examples, though whether this was intentionally done by the creators or just a big coincidence is unclear.

At least one major character is clearly going through the main stage in each region, for example the Deku King angrily torturing the monkey for the alleged kidnapping of his daughter, and Lulu has become so depressed over the traumatic loss of her children that she has become entirely mute, and now does nothing but gaze at the ocean in silence.

While the five stages theory has largely been debunked, and the theory was about the dying coming to terms with their own impending deaths, not those left behind, it’s taken on a life of its own in pop culture.

[u/TyrTheAdventurer → u/Stucklikegluetomyfry]

IMO the stages of grief never really lined up with me. On the surface it sounds fine, but it seems to quickly fall apart because the inhabitants of Termina handle the moon falling and and their situations differently. Some are sad, some live in fear, some ignore the issue, etc and they aren't region specific

[u/Intelligent_Word_573]

I just interpreted the log at the end to be a drawing Link and/or Skullkid made to remember their friendship. Granted I’m not sure what the light show above Ikana prior to it was suppose to represent. If the theory about Hyrule being where the boss room is maybe it was to symbolize Link returning to the Lost Woods.

The model of the kids on the moon resemble the Happy Mask Salesman but Majora may have just chose him because it spent a long time with the Salesman. The questions the kids ask are likely meant to rattle Link but it’s possible they are all aspects of Majora just questioning Link because the Mask is wondering these things.

Doesn’t answer that question but here’s an almost 2 hour long video theorizing about the connections between the Happy Mask Salesman, the Horned Statue, and the moon god Tsukuyomi in Shinto religion. The description of the video has timestamps and links to the individual parts if that’s wanted.

This video theorizes Ghirahim was sealed inside Majora and the sequel video speculates, during the centuries of solitude, he made Skyward Sword Link into a god as a common knight could never beat his master. Doesn’t really take into account the developers saying the Fierce Deity represents the happiness of everyone in Terminal but I still enjoyed the theory.

[u/Lights-Camera-Axshen → u/Intelligent_Word_573]

If the theory about Hyrule being where the boss room is

Can you elaborate on this theory? Sounds interesting.

[u/Intelligent_Word_573 → u/Lights-Camera-Axshen]

This video goes through the theory starting at 9:36 and it later points out granny’s story has the Imp return to the heavens after being threatened by the four giants which the Encyclopedia also speculates Hyrule corresponds to. We also know the Garo are from an enemy nation of Ikana’s and that the Garo Master is seen standing on top of a hole in the ceiling which becomes the portal Link uses to fight Twinmold when the tower is flipped upside down.

The Triforce symbol appears on some Gold Bars in Sakon’s hideout and the treasure shop mini-game (seen at 19:45 in the video) which is not a case of asset reuse as Ocarina 3d only had blank bars of gold. It’s weird that that the blocks featuring the Triforce were removed from the remake (also not asset reuse as it’s completely original to MM) yet the Triforce was added to gold bars.

[u/mutually_awkward]

First of all, Termina "turning" into a log at the end.

What lol

[u/LoCal_GwJ]

Majora's Mask definitely is a pretty personal experience to the Hero of Time. It's a little hard to discern exactly what Termina is because of how personal the whole experience feels to him. Do the Terminians ACTUALLY all look like the same Hylians from OoT? Who knows. Did Majora's Mask + Skull Kid alter anything about the land? Who knows.

I think my perspective on the whole thing is Termina is a land in another dimension much like Lorule or even some of the other odd dimensions like the Twilight Realm or even the Sacred Realm. And I think since it would be an alternate dimension, it may be the case that they genuinely all do look like their Hylian counterparts.

It's entirely possible Majora's Mask tampered with Termina's natural state prior to Link arriving, but I do think Termina is a real place with its own history that Link factually did visit for a time.

As for Majora and the moon kids, I do think it's meant to represent Majora itself. Maybe Skull Kid's personality rubbed off on it, maybe it didn't; but I think what the moon is showing us is that Majora is kind of like a chaotic child that just wants to have fun. The way it expresses itself is pretty mean, but maybe mean in a "spoiled brat who doesn't comprehend fairness/empathy and lashes out a people to get what he wants" kind of way, and the moon children are a way for us to see into the psyche of Majora itself where we can see what he really wants: friends.

[u/TeekTheReddit]

Whether Termina is all in Link's head or is a metaphysical construct pulled from Link's head, I don't think it's particularly controversial to say that it's not a real place. Like Koholint island, it didn't exist before Link got there and it ceased to exist after he left.

[u/Nitrogen567 → u/TeekTheReddit]

I'd consider that to be a controversial statement for sure.

Termina is presented to us, and described as a "parallel world". A real place that exists beyond Link.

This is why characters not from Termina, like Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael have memories there from before Link came to it.

[u/VirileVelvetVoice → u/Nitrogen567]

Kafei tells us he has been in his child form for a month, and that it was the Skull Kid who did it

[u/Intelligent_Word_573 → u/TeekTheReddit]

Granny’s story shows Skullkid was already friends with the giants so at most you could say Majora caused Link to see the people he met in Hyrule without it actually being them.