The falling moon of Majora’s Mask is a dooming presence, counting down the end of days. With the reminder hanging in the sky, not letting the end be forgotten, it is natural to give in and surrender to the end. In these dark times, there is one group that fights for justice, and to bring back a little bit of peace to Clock Town: The Bombers Secret Society of Justice. The small gang work to solve people’s problems. They might not be able to stop the moon from falling, but they work together to solve all the problems of the residents of Clock Town under the guidance of their leader, Jim.
Jim, like the rest of the Bombers Society, is modeled after the Graveyard Kid from Ocarina of Time. To stand out among his comrades and give the aura of a leader, Jim wears a red bandana. A simple but effective accessory to show his position of power. Combined with his rough personality, Jim radiates a tough appearance that won’t be pushed around. And if that wasn’t enough, Jim also possesses a blowgun. The leader can often be found practicing their blowgun skills trying to pop a purple balloon in Clock Town. And if you pop the balloon on him…then you might be worthy of his attention.
Most players first catch the attention of Jim when they pop the purple balloon as Deku Link. Impressed with your aim, Jim recognizes your talent as potential Bombers material. Instead of being mad, he sets Deku Link a challenge: to find five of the members of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice, aka a glorified game of hide-and-seek (they are just kids after all). And winning the game? Well, winning the game scores Link a code to the Astral Observatory and…that’s it. Normally the game of hide and seek would be enough to become a member of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice, but Jim and the others are hesitant to let Deku Link in.
“No Way! No Scrubs!” Jim and the Bombers chant. The Deku Scrubs continue to get a bad reputation. Jim might be impressed, might even play games, but letting a Deku Scrub join the society is where Jim draws the line. The story never explains if Jim had a reason for hating Deku Scrubs, but his dislike is apparent. There is a level of mistrust towards the Deku Scrubs and their sketchy business practices, and with Jim being the leader of a society for justice, it is no wonder that there is some friction.
However, if Link were to play the game as a child and not a Deku Scrub, winning has a much better outcome. Link still receives the code to the Astral Observatory but also gets a membership card and a nifty little item called the Bombers’ Notebook. The notebook is a useful item that acts as a guide to the player letting them know the schedules and locations of Clock Town residents. While practical for the player, it also serves a narrative purpose. It is the duty of every member of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice to help solve problems and, by giving Link this notebook, Jim expects Link to put his skills to use and help the people. Just not Deku Scrubs.
It is possible to gain membership and the notebook without playing the game of hide-and-seek again. Another way to impress Jim is to turn up to their secret location with the code. Jim will be so impressed that they initiate Link into the group right then and there. Trials, initiation, blowguns, and a tough crowd, the Bombers may come across as a tough gang causing trouble among the streets. However, the group of six are quite the opposite. They have the interest of the people at heart and at the end of the day, care about justice.
In the 3DS version of Majora’s Mask, Jim gets a little down played. Jim is not the one to give the notebook to Link, instead it is contributing to the Rumor Events that can happen around Clock Town to aid the player in what direction to go. This subtle change may seem helpful and act like a hint system but the narrative implications change the society’s goals from one of honor and justice, to little busy bodies spreading gossip around town.
A personal preference is the original Nintendo 64 version where Jim is the leader of a group that cares about justice and the well being of people. A leader who saw the evil in Skull Kid and wanted no part of that in his town. A leader who gave a hero a notebook and entrusted them with the lives of the townspeople. Jim may be small, may even be forgotten in the end, but his story is one that recognizes strength and uses it for the good of the people.
