Gaming has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it’s all thanks to growing up with an older brother. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be the avid Zelda fan I am today. He formally introduced me to the series beginning with Ocarina of Time, and it’s almost hard to believe I was only two years old at the time of release! Watching him play at night in particular provided comfort and relief when I was feeling sick or had a difficult time falling asleep. Now I’m 26 years old, but I still have fond memories of watching my brother play Ocarina of Time, and later Majora’s Mask on the Nintendo 64. So of course, both of these Zelda titles hold a very special place in my heart.
As a child, I became mesmerized watching (and later playing through) Young Link’s adventures in Hyrule and Termina. I saw him as a character I could deeply relate to. It was almost like looking at a mirror reflection of myself in a way. Aside from also having blonde hair like Link, I found myself connecting to him in a lot of other personal ways. Growing up, I was bullied, harassed, and rejected among my peers — much like our young hero. I felt isolated and alone, but I was thankful to find solace in the world of video games. Young Link became a comfort character to me. Currently, he still remains my favorite incarnation of Link, as I’ll always have a soft spot for the Hero of Time (though the Hero of Winds is a close second!).
Following the Child Timeline after the events of Ocarina of Time, Link struggles to live a life of normality. Everything and everyone he once knew and loved is gone, including his own childhood innocence. There was no going back to his previous life in the Kokiri Forest, as his life was changed forever. Adding to his pain and woe, Navi suddenly leaves Link without any explanation as to why, let alone even saying goodbye to him. She was the only one to see what Link has lived through and experienced, but more importantly, the only one who remembered his heroic deeds. So naturally, Link felt heartbroken and alone in the world. Unable to cope with the loss of his beloved partner, Link sets out on a personal quest in search of her. Much to his dismay, Link’s search was cut short, as he had another date with destiny in the strange, mysterious land of Termina.
Link finds himself in a world where the residents resemble people he knows from Hyrule. He immediately takes notice of the ominous Moon in the sky, and discovers that it will fall in three days causing the inevitable destruction of Termina. I can’t imagine how Link must have been feeling when he first arrived in Termina, as it must have been terrifying not to know where he was. Not to mention being trapped inside the body of a lowly Deku Scrub, which is actually the Deku Butler’s son. While he possesses the Triforce of Courage, he is only a child. Luckily, he is not completely alone, as there is the Happy Mask Salesman, who seems to have followed him from Hyrule. The Happy Mask Salesman agrees to return Link back to his Hylian form in exchange for his precious item: Majora’s Mask. This certainly not the place or situation Link wants to be in right now, as he is still processing his traumas and grief, but he knows what he must do. The weight of the world rests on his shoulders, but he can’t allow the Moon to fall and kill all of these innocent people. Link knows what must be done.
Link has three days before the Moon falls into Clock Town, but by using the Ocarina of Time, he is able to travel back to the first day and avoid destruction. By doing this, he ends up repeating the same three-day cycle over and over again. After speaking to some of the residents, Link notices that most of the people are all dealing with their own personal problems. They are desperate for anyone to listen to their woes. Link, being the lovable hero that we all know, obliges to help them in however way he can – even if they will not remember him. As a reward, Link receives various Masks containing different properties and abilities. But more importantly, these Masks are special because they contain pure happiness; and it’s all because of Link.
One of my absolute favorite scenes in Majora’s Mask is one between Link and Cremia. The wholesome moment can be triggered randomly after receiving Romani’s Mask and completing Cremia’s quest a second time. In order to show her gratitude and appreciation to Link, Cremia will embrace him tightly. It seems like a simple gesture at first glance, but it goes much deeper than that. Cremia’s hug is one of the few times we ever see Link come into close, physical contact with anyone. Though he is the legendary Hero of Time, at the end of the day, he is still just a child — an orphaned one at that. Since birth, life has never been easy for Link. He forgot what it was like to be loved and held. Cremia’s hug is warm and likely reminds him of his mother, and for this brief moment in time, he feels nothing but pure love and bliss.
Though his journey was both physically and mentally draining, Link is rewarded for his hard work in helping the people in Termina. By exchanging all of the masks collected throughout Termina, the final Moon Child gifts Link the Fierce Deity’s Mask, which is said to contain the memories of all the people of Termina. Link takes on the godlike form of the Fierce Deity and defeats Majora with ease. With the Moon gone, the people of Termina rejoice and commence with their celebration at the Carnival of Time.
Everyone has their own theories and interpretations of Majora’s Mask. Mine has certainly changed as I’ve gotten older, and I’ve grown to appreciate the game even more for what it is. As for me, I like the theory that Termina represents the five stages of grief. It makes sense to me, especially with all Link has gone through and experienced. After all, he still has not gotten a chance to process his emotions of grief and loss from Hyrule. The loss of Navi just happened to add more salt to the wound. However, at the end of Majora’s Mask, I do feel that Link was finally able to conquer his grief.
While it is a mystery if Link ever reunited with Navi, I believe Link ultimately came to terms with reality and accepted that she is gone, as she already fulfilled her role in his life. As children, we don’t think about the possibility of losing or drifting away from our friends. Unfortunately for young Link, he has had anything but a normal childhood. Any person he formed an attachment to died or ultimately did not remember his heroic deeds in the end. A harsh truth to accept is that some people only play a temporary part in our lives. There’s a reason and purpose for everything, even if we don’t understand it initially.
Now, I can wholeheartedly relate to Link’s pain of losing Navi. Being left behind by someone you once considered a close friend is awful. You’re left alone in the dark wondering what went wrong. As with Link, I became filled with grief, and I desired closure surrounding the situation in question. I couldn’t think rationally as I searched for answers inside my head. Sadly, a hard life lesson I learned as I’ve gotten older especially is that sometimes you will never get the closure you want. In order to move on, you have to create closure for yourself. Link will always remember Navi and keep her close to his heart, but he is ready to close that chapter in his life. Link says his final goodbyes and makes his way back towards Hyrule, as he still has some growing up left to do.
