Majora’s Mask is possibly the most satisfying Zelda game when it comes to tying up loose ends. Each character we meet over the course of the game has their own unique predicament and troubles that go along with it. By the time the credits roll, we have the satisfaction of seeing a nice resolution for all of these characters that we’ve helped along the way. But there are, of course, some exceptions, and one character who receives relatively little attention and resolution is the NPC Link the Goron (also known as Link-Goro, due to his tendency to add the goro suffix at the end of each sentence).
This travelling Goron, with his large backpack and bow tie, first appears in Clock Town on the First Day, and makes his way to the Stock Pot Inn. Link-Goro takes the time to book his room in advance, and as we hear repeatedly, this is the only legitimate way of securing a room. Emphasis on the word legitimate. Given that there is a super important carnival coming up in a few short days, and with just two rooms in this humble inn, it’s fair to say he played it smart.
Well, there is a pretty hysterical loophole here that the player can exploit for their own profit. After overhearing Anju’s conversation with Link-Goro, we learn that he has the same name as Link (note that his name will always follow the player’s chosen character name). Once we learn this, we can show up a few hours before he does and steal the booking right out from under him. This ends up being quite the fruitful little scam once we discover the silver Rupee waiting inside a chest in the room.
Thus, poor Link-Goro becomes a casualty in Link’s exploits and is turned away by Innkeeper Anju, who seems just as confused as he is about the mix-up (but doesn’t actually do anything other than offer an apology). Link-Goro proceeds to sleep outside the inn, on the ground, whilst snoring loudly and mumbling about the air smelling of rain, a prediction which comes true the next day.
Let’s not kid ourselves here when it comes to abusing the Song of Time to make some major Rupees. In fact, I would argue that the game encourages it, given its emphasis on time travel. After all, a lottery isn’t so hard to crack when you realize the winning numbers are always going to be the same. When I was a kid, my favorite aspect of Majora’s Mask was manipulating the flow of time and using information that I learnt throughout the game to change events in my favor. Conning NPCs out of their rupees may not seem very nice, but it was pretty darn fun at the time.
By the Dawn of the Second Day, Link-Goro is gone and we are left to assume he is making his way home to Goron Village in the Snowhead Region. However, we never actually see him anywhere in Snowhead or elsewhere, so we’re left wondering what happened to the poor fellow. Whether you took pity on him or just saw him as another cash cow, you have to admit the bowtie-wearing Goron stands out from most of his kind. There might be some speculation among fans as to who Link-Goro actually is and where he comes from. Personally, I think his hat resembles the one worn by the Clock Town Postman, so I like to think of Link-Goro as some kind of travelling-salesman-delivery-guy.
One of my favorite authors, Shaun Tan, wrote a story called “Eric”, about a quiet foreign exchange student who comes to stay with an Australian family. The family takes some time showing Eric all the sights and introducing him to their culture. Then, one day out of the blue, Eric leaves without so much as a “how do you do”, but leaves a secret little gift behind as a sign of gratitude for the family’s hospitality. I’ll leave you with a quote that I think sums up the curious story of Link-Goro: “None of us could help but be bewildered by the way Eric left our home: a sudden departure early one morning with little more than a wave and a polite goodbye.” I can’t help but think of Link-Goro when I recall this story. Personally, I would have liked to see a resolution for this character, but perhaps it’s best left to the player’s imagination.
