The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a classic from the N64, and its terrifying visuals and nihilistic themes still lead players to label it the darkest Zelda title. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, Skull Kid steals Majora's Mask from the Happy Mask Salesman. Visually iconic to the franchise, the haunting imagery of the mask's harsh geometric detailing and two large yellow eyes contribute greatly to Majora's Mask's reputation, alongside the game's apocalyptic main story.
There's no shortage of classic Zelda enemies that reappear to frighten in Majora's Mask, and the game forces players to constantly steel their nerves in the face of the sinister, sneering Moon. At the end of three days, players must watch this terrifying visage eradicate the NPCs and locations they've worked so hard to save, with no choice but to restart the cycle and try a new tactic. Faced with the reiterated threat of an inevitable, violent end of the world regardless of what futile actions the player takes, Majora's Mask does not pull punches in of thematic darkness. However, while Majora's Mask features disturbing visuals and creepy story elements, it's far from the only Zelda game to do so.
Other Zelda Games Have Darker Moments Than Majora's Mask
Hyrule is no stranger to war in Zelda games, so many entries revolve around the impacts of war on day-to-day life and the aftermath of conflicts. Twilight Princess involves Link's friends gathering to form a competent militia for the Resistance, and players enter Breath of the Wild one hundred years after the darkest hour happens with Ganon taking Hyrule Castle. TP is notorious for its unnerving graphics, featuring distinctive aesthetic shift for both the enemies and NPCs alike - in contrast to the cartoonish graphics of many previous Zelda games, Twilight Princess NPCs have distorted features, visible signs of wear and tear, and muted color palettes. Despite this, though, TP still isn't the darkest game.
What Makes Breath Of The Wild The Darkest Zelda Game
Thematically, the darkest elements in Zelda come from the deceptively brightly-colored world of Breath of the Wild. Some players hope that Tears of the Kingdom won't be so dark, since Breath of the Wild shows life in Hyrule clawing its way back after the worst-case scenario already happens: Zelda can't unlock her powers, Calamity Ganon comes back, all the champions and the king die, Link falls in battle, and the castle is taken. Link eventually reunites with Zelda after she spends 100 years fighting Calamity Ganon by herself, but the damage is done - no amount of side questing can bring back the dead.
Similar to Majora's Mask, players can only revisit the game pre-Calamity Ganon boss fight, so it's difficult for players to feel like they make any ultimately meaningful contributions by going the extra mile to complete every quest. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity even needed to create a less dark alternative timeline. It's also possible that BOTW's two Calamities bookend almost every Zelda game, though this is unconfirmed because of the general mystery surrounding the series timeline. Thus, players could argue that the darkness of the multiple tragedies unfolding in each game are compounded within the larger timeline from Breath of the Wild, not only beating out, but including the events of Majora's Mask.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube
