In many ways, the world of Termina exists as a mirror to Hyrule; we see many familiar characters, enemies, and species make a reappearance in the nightmarish sequel to Ocarina of Time. If you’ve read the manga version of Majora’s Mask, you might remember the iconic scene where Link finds himself in Clock Town for the first time and is shocked as he finds the town filled with the doppelgangers of familiar faces from back home.
Because she is physically identical to her first incarnation, Malon, it’s easy to ascribe the same traits to Romani, who is actually very different from her ranch-abiding counterpart. And unlike Malon, Romani easily has one of the weirdest and most unsettling storylines of any NPC in the Legend of Zelda, and the more facts you learn about her story, the stranger it becomes.
Romani is a quirky, red-headed girl, who is extremely naïve and has a weird habit of talking in the third person. Strangely, she is one of few characters who appears to be blissfully unaware of the moon gradually descending on Termina. Romani lives at the Romani Ranch (her namesake) with older sister, Cremia, their dog, and a small herd of cows. Romani Ranch is relatively sheltered from the rest of Termina and for this reason, the ranch becomes a preferred escape location for those in Clock Town seeking refuge. Romani and Cremia somehow come into possession of Epona, presumably via Skull Kid, who claims to have disposed of Link’s horse at the beginning of the game.
Due to her young age, Romani has few responsibilities. She typically spends her days running around outdoors with her dog. She is a bow and arrow enthusiast; she isn’t very good at using it (and doesn’t even own any arrows) but has a good reason for practicing, as her home is under threat by invaders she refers to as “Them”.
Them are a species of floating, alien-like creatures that invade Romani Ranch with the intention of abducting the ranch’s cows. There’s no explanation as to where they come from, why they are after cows specifically, or why they continue to target Romani Ranch year after year. Romani herself provides little information about Them, aside from a brief cutscene and her subsequent appeal for Link’s help in defending the barn from the invaders.
Romani informs Link about the impending alien invasion and her fears over the safety of the ranch’s cows. As a preemptive reward for agreeing to help, Romani teaches Link a critical song, reuniting him with his beloved horse and inviting him to participate in a target practice mini-game. This is one of my favorite moments in Majora’s Mask; what a relief to finally receive “Epona’s Song” (one of my most utilized, second only to the “Song of Soaring”).
I personally experienced great difficulty in completing this side quest during my first playthrough. Them move fairly quickly, and you need to ensure that you are defending all areas of the barn (including the back, where Them tend to sneak up on you). This task is made easier by playing the Inverted Song of Time, which slows in-game movement by 30%. The downside here is the invasion will take longer, but Them will move a lot slower during that time, so pick your poison. Romani’s dog will serve as your faithful ally during the fight and will start barking wildly if one of Them gets too close to the barn.
Like other characters in Majora’s Mask, Romani’s story arc is heavily dependent on the player’s actions during the 3-day cycle, with several possible outcomes available. The most upsetting outcome to this quest will happen if you end up failing the mission; Romani will get abducted by Them and mysteriously returned on the Second Day but she will not be the same bubbly girl. If you arrive at Romani Ranch after Day 2, you will come face to face with a zombie-like Romani. She will be slack-jawed and strangely silent, and her memory will be completely wiped. You guessed it— the poor girl was mind-probed by the aliens.
If you are able to avoid this horrid ending by defeating Them, Romani will reward you with an extra bottle filled with Romani Milk. Speak to her later, and a slightly unsavory request will be issued by Romani, who insists that Link stay on as her assistant for the following year and suggests he come to live at the Ranch with her and Cremia (and even sleep in her bedroom!) Many Zelda fans have speculated about a possible crush that Malon has on Link in Ocarina, however I think it’s very likely that Romani does have a small crush on him, just based on this very pointed interaction.
If you visit the barn during Night of the Final Day, Romani will be gushing excitedly about the fact that her sister has finally agreed to let her try some of the intoxicating Chateau Romani, although she appears confused as Cremia had initially insisted she wait until becoming an adult. It is strongly implied Cremia wants to make Romani happy and subdue her before their doom. Cremia also promises to make her a handmade Mask, fully solidifying her status as an adult. I prefer not to think about this depressing ending, because after you defeat the final boss, the credit scene that follows is much more comforting; we see Cremia and Romani happily living at the ranch together in safety.
Protecting Romani and her cows is the first crucial step in completing the Romani’s Mask quest, one of 20 happy masks required for game completion, as well as the best possible ending sequence. There is an obvious sense of interconnectedness present in this storyline, as many others in Majora’s Mask, with Link acting as a savior for another family in crisis. (Check out my previous column about Pamela and her father for an eerily similar story!)
Unafraid to speak her mind, Romani is a brave and clever little girl who is also, at times, living in a fantasy world. However, she is in many ways underestimated by her sister, who only tries to protect her from the not-so-nice truths about life— truths which I believe she is mature enough to understand.
