The graveyard appears in some form in most Zelda games. Usually, an important item will be hidden either near the graveyard or beneath it. Ocarina of Time’s graveyard hides the Hookshot, Hylian Shield and the Shadow Temple. The graveyard in A Link to the Past hides the Magic Cape, an item that allows Link to become invisible and avoid damage. Between all the graveyards I’ve been in, both real and fictional, Majora’s Mask’s Ikana Graveyard holds the most interesting moments — exactly three days’ worth.
Ikana Graveyard is an area with three secret grottos hidden beneath gravestones. These graves are guarded by loyal Stalchildren. To open them, the player must obtain the Captain’s Hat hidden in the chest at the end of the graveyard. Captain Keeta guards this hat, and Link must beat him in a race to win it. This race is not the standard race to the finish. The twist is that walls of flame appear, and Link must defeat two Stalchildren to advance past them. I found a simple way to win this race: Have Link wear the Goron Mask, roll to the flame walls, defeat both Stalchildren with a single punch, and rinse and repeat.
Eventually, the player will reach Captain Keeta and punch him until he admits defeat. The battle will end and he will present the Captain’s Hat in one of my favorite moments in the game. After telling Link about the war and requesting him to convey the end of the war to his men, Captain Keeta asks if he is dismissed. Link responds by saluting the captain, allowing him to rest in piece.
The best way to complete the events of the Graveyard is to pair them with the tasks at Romani Ranch and various other sidequests in the game. This is because the events of the Graveyard are accessible at night, excluding winning the Captain’s Hat. Each night, three Stalchildren guard a different grave. If the player dons the Captain’s Hat, the Stalchildren will ask Link if they need to open the grave.
The grave on the first night features a horde of Bad Bats. Defeating them and lighting the torches in the room will reveal a chest and unbar the next room. The final area in this grotto is a theater with the stage closed off by a curtain. A lone Iron Knuckle guards the room. Defeating him will reveal Flat, who teaches Link the “Song of Storms,” one of the songs Link forgot he learned in Ocarina of Time. Flat asks him to heal his cursed brother, Sharp, with the song.
The second day is similar to the first. This grave’s grotto features floors and enemies that can only be seen with the Len of Truth. The labyrinth leads to a room I can only describe as horrific: Another Iron Knuckle sits in the room, alone, surrounded by piles of skulls. Defeating this Iron Knuckle will reveal a treasure chest containing a Heart Piece.
The final grave features Dampé the Gravekeeper, who allows Link to lead him around with Tatl’s light. The goal of this area is to lead Dampé to each of the strange sand pits in the room. Every time that Dampé digs into a pit, he will show disgust as either the hole will contain nothing, or it will contain a weird, blue flame. After revealing three blue flames, they will merge and turn into a Big Poe. Dampé runs out of the room (as he is scared of ghosts, of course) and leaves the player to fight the ghost. Defeating the enemy will reveal a chest containing a bottle, a treasure held in high regard by beavers everywhere.
Ikana Graveyard has many treasures and great moments to offer any visitors. If Captain Keeta can’t move the player, maybe learning the “Song of Storms” will. I recommend that players with strong inclinations toward grave sites and treasure visit this great graveyard.
