The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is definitely the weirdest game in the series, and that plays a big role in its charm. The unique nature of this game has led to the creation of fan theories that try to explain various features and details that are included. While most of these theories are likely untrue, and some have been confirmed as false in interviews over the years, it's still fun to take a look at Majora's Mask and the mysteries of its world.

Although Majora's Mask takes place after Ocarina of Time on one of the three timelines that split off from it, it has a completely different feel. You immediately step into a darker atmosphere with a somber tone when you enter Termina. Unsurprisingly, many fan theories reflect those darker and more depressing vibes that you find in the game.

10 The Happy Mask Salesman Is Dead

Post-Mortem Salesman?

The theory that the Happy Mask Salesman is dead is based on a character who doesn't appear often in Majora's Mask, so it's tough to prove or disprove it. Instead, the theory relies heavily on the themes that are present throughout the game. The theory is based on the idea that you help multiple spirits during Link's journey who are unable to find rest because they have unfinished business, and the Happy Mask Salesman is among those spirits.

For this theory, the unfinished business he has is Majora's Mask being stolen, and he needs it returned before he can rest.

When we meet the Happy Mask Salesman, we learn that his mask has been stolen by the Skull Kid. He's also upset because we're unable to retrieve it for him. For this theory, the unfinished business he has is Majora's Mask being stolen, and he needs it returned before he can rest. Considering the dangerous nature of the mask, it's just as likely that the Happy Mask Salesman is simply concerned about the destruction the Skull Kid can cause, and it's not related to death or unfinished business at all.

9 Cremia Has A Crush On Anju

Anju's irer?

It's a fairly common belief that Cremia, the older sister at Romani Ranch, has a crush on Kafei. When you visit the ranch, she mentions that she has a friend named Anju in town, and Anju is getting married soon. However, she doesn't seem to be that thrilled about Anju's wedding. This led to the belief that Cremia might have a crush on Kafei, and that her feelings for him are the reason that she isn't happy about the marriage.

However, Cremia doesn't explain why she's seemingly upset about Anju's wedding, and it could be just as likely that it's Anju she has a crush on instead of Kafei, especially since it's Anju's name she repeats when talking about it. Given the state of Termina, it could also be that Cremia is too concerned about the moon falling to be happy for her friend. Her sadness could even be due to the feeling of loss that accompanies a life event and the sense of ending one stage in life to start the next.

8 The Moon Children Are Related To The Ancient Tribe

Tribe's Lunar Kin?

This theory has multiple layers, and it ties into some of Majora's Mask's darkest secrets. The children you find on the moon resemble the Happy Mask Salesman, and even mention becoming mask salesmen in the future, too. Not only is it likely that they're somehow related to the Happy Mask Salesman, but it's possible that they're descendants of the tribe that sealed Majora into a mask in the past.

If a tribe put in the effort to seal Majora into a mask because of the potential damage she could cause, then it would make perfect sense for them to also create a way to guard that mask, making sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Collecting masks and selling them is the perfect profession for a group that wants to ensure dangerous masks are kept away from people who would misuse them. Plus, only having one person guard the mask could end poorly, so the moon children are ready to take the Happy Mask Salesman's place.

7 Termina Was Created By Majora's Mask

Mask Forged Land?

Since Termina is so different from Hyrule, the place we're used to seeing in Zelda, it's understandable that a lot of theories for Majora's Mask speculate about the nature of this location. When you think about how much influence Majora's Mask has on the world around it, and how it can take over characters like Skull Kid, it's not unbelievable to suspect the mask has the power to create a land based on its memories and the memories of its host.

We can also take into that the mask is strong enough to pull the moon towards the town over the course of three days. Then, there's the fact that the moon has a face and a world inside of it. It all feels surreal, so if it turned out that this location was made through the power of the mask and not naturally, then its oddities make more sense.

6 The Stone Tower Was Used To Seal Majora's Mask

Seal Majora's Power?

There are a couple of different ways to look at the Stone Tower, but one theory is that the Stone Tower was used by the ancient tribe to seal Majora's Mask. After this event, the mask was stored there until it fell into the Happy Mask Salesman's hands. The tower is the largest object constructed by people in Termina, and Igos du Ikana even says that its doors need to be sealed because darkness is flowing out of it.

The reason for the tower's size could be that it was needed for a ritual to seal the mask. If Majora is as strong as she's made out to be, it would take quite a bit of power to seal her away. Then, if the sealing was done in the tower, and then the mask was in the tower for an extended period of time, it's only natural that darkness would flow out when the tower's doors were opened. Majora's essence would've been stewing there for the entire time.

5 The Stone Tower Was Used To Summon Majora's Mask

Summoning Majora?

In opposition to the previous theory, this one suggests that the Stone Tower was built with the purpose of summoning Majora's Mask. However, putting it that way is also a little reductive. The idea is that the people of Termina were unhappy with the heavens, specifically the Golden Goddesses who created Hyrule in the origin story from OoT. So, the Stone Tower was made as a declaration of war against the goddesses, and it summoned a new being with power to worship: Majora.

This would explain the reason for all the Majora symbols on the tower and around it. Many pillars have an image of Majora's Mask, and even gates are shaped like Majora's Mask. Additionally, the creators needed to have some magical knowledge in order to create mechanisms that invert gravity. There's no reason for all the images of Majora's Mask to be at this location if it's not part of the tower's purpose.

4 Link Is Conquering Death

Beating Mortality?

This is another theory that has an opposing theory, but it's based on the importance of the Song of Healing, the masks and wishes of the dead, and the game's placement on the official Zelda timeline. Link has just saved Hyrule, and he's now back in time where nobody will know what he did for them. He even lost his one companion who ed the journey aside from Zelda: Navi. He's in a place filled with self-doubt, and Termina gives him a purpose.

With a new goal, he doesn't need to hold onto the past or search for Navi anymore, and he can move forward instead.

Then, we look at Link's actions during Majora's Mask, and he is conquering death in a way. He soothes souls with the Song of Healing, then takes the burden of that soul's unfinished business upon himself to complete. He has a purpose again, and he finds it through defying fate, which lets him conquer the death of the version of him who saved Hyrule. With a new goal, he doesn't need to hold onto the past or search for Navi anymore, and he can move forward instead.

3 Link Is Dead

Dead Hero Theory?

Instead of conquering death, this theory suggests that Link is dead. Link likely headed back to Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods to look for Navi, and without her guidance or the Deku Tree's protection, he would've been lost like any other non-Kokiri who enters the Lost Woods. If he was lost in the Lost Woods, then he'd become a Skull Kid or Stalfos, which we know is the fate of those who are lost in that location.

This theory suggests that Termina is Link's mind's way of coping with his death. Even the name of the location, Termina, is derived from "terminal," which is used to describe ailments that result in death, or the final stop on a journey, which both line up with the idea that this is a place for the dead. While Link's body decays into the Stalfos we see in Twilight Princess, his mind processes the situation in Termina.

2 Termina Is A World Parallel To Hyrule

Parallel Termina?

One of the most popular theories, this one uses the fact that a lot of character models are the exact same in both MM and OoT to suggest that Termina and Hyrule are parallel worlds. This makes it similar to Lorule, which is another world that's parallel to Hyrule. If the goddesses created one world, then there's nothing to say that they didn't create multiple other worlds, or that crafting Hyrule didn't led to the creation of other worlds as by-products.

The biggest question for this theory would be why there's no mention of the Triforce in Termina, even though Lorule had its own Triforce. There's also no mention of the goddesses in Termina, which means these legends either never existed or were lost to time over the years. However, tying this theory to the idea of the Stone Tower being used to declare war on the heavens could build a compelling case about Termina as a parallel world.

1 Majora's Mask Is About The Five Stages Of Grief

Five Grief Stages?

This theory can be connected to the theory that Link is dead, but it doesn't necessarily need Link to be dead to be plausible on its own. It's clear that themes of death are a big part of the game, even if you ignore all the fan theories about it. When you look at the stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, despair, and acceptance — and line them up with the events of each area, the idea that they at least had a strong influence on the design seems very viable.

The citizens in Clock Town deny that the moon is a problem, King Deku wants to take out his anger on the monkey, the Goron want to bargain for another chance, Mikau and his former band are depressed because of his death and the theft of Lulu's eggs, and the spirits of Ikana accept that it's time to move on. Each area fits with the stages of grief. As a result, you have a theory that's tough to deny.

Despite the rush the developers were in to create the game, there are so many details that make it a gem in the Zelda franchise. You can play it a dozen times, and you'll still notice something new in each playthrough. It's been 25 years, and there are still players like myself who are happy to say that our favorite game in the franchise is the mysterious Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.