Majora's Mask: The Ultimate Trauma Narrative 

It hits even harder when you find out that OoT/MM Link is the Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess... the first time you encounter him, the first song he sings to you is the Song of Healing. He understands TP Link is hurt, traumatized, and trapped in a body that isn't his own... of course the first thing that comes to mind for the Hero of Time would be the Song of Healing 😢

If you played Twilight Princess, you learn that Link needed healing himself.

I always found the Butlers son the darkest part in almost any game. Majoras mask literally kills one boy then traps another boy in his body as a joke.

"Trauma is a disorder of time". Totally blew my mind. I don't know why I've never made that connection, especially with these games. Wonderful!

Never played it but played ocarina. The saddest scene i saw was the deku butler and finding out what happened to his son. While everyone is celebrating in the credit scene he's mourning his dead son :(

This is quite possibly the freshest analysis of Majora's Mask that I've seen yet. I've seen the "five stages of grief" thing over and over, and it's nice to see a fresh perspective. But... sadly... Link isn't saved from his own trauma. After this journey, he goes right back to looking for Navi, and as we see in Twilight Princess, he's died a forgotten hero; lingering in shame and regret as a shade. It's only after his descendant, the Hero of Twilight, learns the techniques he cultivated in his tragic lifetime, that he's finally able to rest and move on. The one thing to come out of it? His old friend, the Skull Kid, guards the sword he once wielded. Even a hundred years later, Skull Kid's loyalty to his friend remains.

The small girl trapping her father into the closet when he turned into a monster was the biggest, heart-breaking moment for me, especially when he finally returned back to normal and they hugged each other. imagine being this young and surrounded by monsters, alone. that girl is very brave, and stood firm during her nightmarish time. majoras mask is full of such rich characters. it is the best game of all time for me, just for the emotions it evokes.

it's worth noting the similarities between Link and Skull Kid here. Both feel alone, surrounded by people they can never relate to and abandoned by their friends. I would argue 'forgive your friend' could easily be telling Link to forgive Navi for leaving him alone. It's a really interesting parallel, imo.

I just realized,as you were talking about the cycle of anger, that you could consider Navi leaving Link as a direct parallel to the way that the giants abandoned the skull kid. That maybe Link felt that same despair of abandonment, and could have gone down that same path of cruelty and evil, but for his circumstances. If that's true, then "forgive your friend" could even be a directive to Link to forgive Navi for leaving him, or even (more of a stretch?) Zelda for handing him this lonely fate. This video rocks, such a great take.

Another point towards Link and the player needing their own reason to continue is that every heroic deed that we accomplish is attributed to the hero who's mask we are wearing. You are never recognized for who you are.

Honestly, what sticks with me the most from this game is the conversation between Romani and her sister after saving the cows from the alien abduction. On the Final day, they're milking the cows and Romani get to finally drink some of the Chateau Milk, which possibly has alcohol in it. Cremia always told her she could drink it when Romani would be an adult. The reasoning behind why she'll let her drink it is a bit more dark when you think about it.

As a psychiatrist, I think this beautifully put clinical concepts of trauma into an understandable form!

Even 20 years ago I knew that Majoras Mask was special. I still remember helping Cremia fend off the attackers a second time, and seeing Link simply recieve a hug. Such a simple gesture, but it felt so intimate and genuine. That somebody really acknowledged Link not only for helping them, but as a person that mattered.

The story arc that I've never seen anyone talk about online which always haunted me in MM was Lulu losing her eggs to the Gerudo. It coincides with Mikau dying and even as a child, I got the impression the game implies there was a romance between them and he was the father. The scene when you first meet her staring at the ocean and being too sad to sing seems to be one of the very rare examples where a video game touches on the topic of miscarriage and child loss. MM is so dark on many levels (death, depression, sibling relationships, parental relationships) that miscarriage is a logical theme to include as well. The Zora storyline seems to be dedicated to that. Of course the game's ending is "happy" with the babies being brought back to the lab but the entire narrative also has eerie echoes of IVF treatment and the hope and grief that goes into it. Incidentally, BOTW and TOTK also have strong references to miscarriage through all the jizo statues scattered across the land. Goddess Hylia statues seem strongly inspired by jizo, especially as each town dresses the statue in clothing (the one wearing a red bib in Kakariko village is closest to real life traditions in Japan).

To me, the moment the game truly gripped me emotionally was when, during the final moments of the last day of Romani Ranch, the older sister basically admits to allowing her little sister to drink the alcoholic Shadow Romani in order to get her to pass out and fall into a deep sleep she'd never wake up from so she wouldn't suffer the terror and pain of the end of the world. She literally drugs her sister just so she wouldn't live and die through a horrible fate. And while she would sleep her last night, the older sister would watch the world end. That moment haunts me to this day.

Your analysis here...hit me right in the solar plexus. There was an Ocarina of Time comic that really resonated with me. Link fights Dead Hand. Tears of sheer terror are running down his cheeks, but he fights courageously despite that and wins. Impa comes down and commends him, saying he's grown into a 'fine man.' He hands her the Lens of Truth. Puzzled, she points it at him. His adult body is a façade. Mentally, he's still just a brave little kid trying his best. He didn't _grow_ into that adult body -- he was thrust into adulthood overnight. He sacrificed his entire childhood. This video feels like the natural evolution of that.

To truly forgive someone, you must understand their transgressions and the nature of their suffering. At the end of Ocarina of Time, Navi suddenly floats away without much context leaving Link behind. He too, has been abandoned, is lost and searching. The only person in the world who could save Skull Kid from his own inner demons is a person also suffering the pain of abandonment. This is a lesson of empathy we could all stand to learn from. Thank you for your beautiful video. I am moved.

My Majoras Mask moment is the little girl in the music box house in Ikana, hugging her dad after I returned him to normal, and her dad's haunted look as he asks what happened. And she says "it was just a bad dream". Who knows how long he was like that.

To me, forgiveness is fine for a simpler reason also. Skull Kid was a hurt, angry kid. He took the mask to be a rotten kid…then Majora influenced him. That influence fed on Skull Kid’s existing pain: first a mask, then a horse, then dooming Link to be a Deku, then revenge on the people and place who hurt him. He escalated, as his connection to Majora grew. And we can see through flashbacks and stuff that Skull Kid isn’t evil, mischievous sure but not wicked. But Majora…an evil unlike any other (who also adopts Skull Kid’s emotions and wants friends to play with, likely because Majora went insane living within the mask for who knows how long). But the scene that does it for me is when Majora casts aside Skull Kid as a worthless puppet. His own ambitions outgrew Skull Kid and he cast aside the hurt little fella, once again Skull Kid is shunned and abandoned by someone/something close to him. He had given himself to Majora fully by that point, but it wasn’t enough, HE wasn’t enough. So yeah, I’m the end when you find him cowering and ashamed, that’s real. What? Are you gonna kill him for being abandoned and abused and manipulated and taken advantage of? No, all you can do is forgive him. After, he only wants love (and the mask is safely out of his reach and you just whooped the evil out of it). Skull kid is the embodiment of hurt people hurt people

"when the patient reclaims her own history and feels renewed hope and energy for engagement with life, time starts to move again" Thank you for this beautiful video.

In a world as complex and chaotic as this, simultaneously nothing matters (as it can and will be undone) and everything matters (because it can be the butterfly flap causing a hurricane elsewhere in time). This is empowering.

I recently lost my dad to cancer and the RU-vid algorithm seems to be sending me to videos that help me think about dealing with the pain and the grief. This videos has helped me keep in mind good ways to work through my trauma, by being there for my family and trying to be a good husband and dad, and what to avoid as well as try to recognise in others and hopefully be able to forgive the people who've hurt me. Thank you for making this.

I love your take on Link being a healer, it fits the archetype of the Wounded Healer. What a beautiful addition to the depth of the story

Never played Majora’s Mask but the way that the characters act so human and natural is what I think causes players to feel so many different emotions while playing. The game makes you feel like the characters are legitimate people and that’s what makes the game so impactful whenever things happen to them, whether it’s good things or bad things.

I'm still happy to see how much relevance Majora's Mask has had over the years. Old fans, new fans, the narrative, the secrets, the creepypasta, even the things we missed as a kid. I love this game so much.

"Even justified anger has a Will of it's own" Wow 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

One of the greatest failings in many time loop stories is when they don't adress the loss of bonds. Every interaction, every laugh, every fight, everything is gone. When you lose a friend like that, when they no longer know you, you mourn. The idea that someone out there made a plan, a run, where you can save EVERYONE in this game in a single three day cycle is amazing. And it gave me hope. I like this game for the same reason I liked Hey Arnold!, and the movie Amélie later on, they were about a protagonist who touched the life of the people around them. Made them a little bit better, helping, or sometimes just listening to them.

i have had the song of healing as a tattoo for about 10 years now and it's been one of the most fitting things I've done for myself in a weird way

This video really struck something in me. When I was a teenager, an adult did something horrible to me, though I don’t want to say what in a RU-vid comments section lol. But for a while, I was potentially heading down the same cycle that Skull Kid was. A desire to control those around me out of fear of losing them. A confusing mix of sadness, anger and misplaced love that I didn’t know what to do with, Thankfully I had the courage to drag myself out of that mindset. It’s been years now, I’m 20 this year and I still can’t find myself to forgive the adult who harmed me. I don’t think I ever really can. But instead, I’m on the path of forgiving myself, and I think that will be enough to heal, as I think I’m the person who I ended up hurting the most. My actions weren’t right, but they were understandable. I was only a teenager after all. What I’ve done has already happened, I cannot change that, but I can change my future. :)

This is a far better interpretation than him being dead the entire time

As I've gotten older, I feel like the major theme of the game is relief. Relief from the anger, sadness, grief, or even just general boredom. You only need relief, or more appropriately, healing, when things aren't well, and many of the people in Termina aren't well. So many of the characters lives are burdened by something happening that could be relieved, even if it isn't the thing that's bothering them the most. The song of healing plays a major part in the game, but you rarely even use the song outside of mainline story events. You can't just magically play a song and heal everyone from their hurt, and they put a major focus on you taking action, no matter how small, to help someone in need rather than magically waving it away. Getting a goron his last meal, because he's stuck on a cliff and freezing. Helping Cuccoos to mature so their caretaker can see them grow up before they all die to the moon. Literally just hearing someone out, venting their frustration about their jealousy of a dog and the guilt they feel for succumbing to it when they stole its mask. It puts an emphasis on the little things we take for granted every day that make our lives a little bit better that we only realize in retrospect, or when they're gone. There's also some things you really _can't_ fix. It doesn't shy away from telling you that there's some issues where no matter what you do, someone will get hurt, and you can't help everyone.

When you said "What could give Link's life more meaning than saving the world?" that gave me a new perspective on breath of the wild's Link as well. He's been locked away from the world for 100 years, his family and everyone he knew is dead, he lost his house, his sword, he lost his "clothes*, he has quite literally nothing left to lose at the beginning of the game.

What if “Forgive your friend” was referring to Link forgiving Navi for leaving :’(

17:49 I remember the first time I ever played this game, seeing a little masked boy with purple hair running around Clock town was so weird and unusual, and I really wanted to find out why. Later when I played the game again, beating it, and doing all the side quests, it really broke my heart doing Kafei and Anju's entire quest. I absolutely love Majora's Mask.

I'm blown by how thoughtful, throrough, and poignant this essay was. Instant sub. Can't wait to see what you'll release next!

Honestly the best Majora's mask take I've ever seen ❤

I think my 'majoras mask moment' was seeing cremia deciding to give romani some of the chateau romani, so she could feel like an adult before they died. The second time I had a Moment while playing this was the girl protecting her father in the music box house, and then finally the anju and kafei side quest, after I lost the mask to hakon the first time; watching kafei be stuck there having failed his mission and knowing anju would be there waiting for him, in vain, yeh those three moments really messed with me. And then at the end when you see the butler and his son, and then it clicks that, that was his son, really hurt. I think red dead redemption 2 is the most recent game that had profound affect on me like Majora's mask did to me as a kid.

I was with a man for 10 years, and during that 10 years I was subjected to abuse. I received the worst of it when I was 4 months postpartum. I left him and spent the next two years in my own cycle of anger. And then i forgave him. People get mad when I say that because they think it means I went to him, but I didn’t. I just got tired of being angry and trying to change him and letting my life revolve around that. Forgiveness may not have changed him (though it very well could in some cases) but it set me free. With all that being said, to forgive doesn’t mean you have to come in contact with the person who hurt you, especially if they were abusive. I would actually highly recommend you not contact your abuser at all but rather work on forgiveness from a distance.

Definitely a well written, voiced, and edited video essay. You can see the amount of thought going into this. Deserves way more attention and views in my opinion

When I was 18, I played Majora's Mask for the first time in nearly a decade. I was in a very bad place, dealing with past trauma and in denial that I was about to experience more very soon. I was diving into a game from my childhood in the hopes of finding some comfort. Instead, I found myself understanding the theme of the game for the first time. By the end of that playthrough, I was in tears, realizing how badly I needed the catharsis. So I started a new file and played it again. And again. It became my favorite Zelda game, and to this day, 14 years later, no other game has budged it from that spot. The continuous story from Ocarina to Majora is, to me, one of the most meaningful stories in the Zelda saga. I replay them once a year as a reminder that time moves ever onward. Even the worst days of our lives must pass behind us and be relegated to memory, just as the good days do. To heal is to open ourselves up to the future, to the good and the bad alike, and have faith in your ability to weather both. "The flow of time is always cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it. A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days." "Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time, that is up to you."

This game was frustrating as hell to start but also the most rewarding to finish. The Stone Tower Temple is easily the greatest temple design I have ever seen on any Zelda game. Visually and musically. Ikana Canyon / Valley is unlike nothing else.

When this came out I still had my whole family. I was 11 when it came out. I got it for Christmas from my sister. I loved it so much. Every year I replayed this and ocarina. I’m 34 now. So that’s a solid 20+ years of double play throughs of both these N64 legends. Anyway, at 18 my mom died from cancer days before I graduated high school and my dad died when I was 21 from cancer, as well. After both of their deaths and watching so much lore on this specific game it just made me think that the developers just wanted us to think of this game as what we wanted. And for me… what I needed was for it to be the 5 stages of grief. And if, for someone else, it wasn’t that, then it was whatever THEY needed this game to be. It got me through such trauma. So, really… that’s how I feel about the meaning behind it.

As a survivor whose favorite game is Majora's Mask, it's really nice to see such a unique take among the dozen or so out there already. The audio seemed fine to me and the scriptwriting was superb. Thank you for making this. I really love the renaissance the game is having lately, with a lot of people finally giving it credit for what it has always been, a story about suffering, gratitude, empathy, kindness, and love. Part of reconnecting with yourself that many survivors go through is the realization of all the kindness you can do for others at no cost to yourself, with no expectation of reward except that person's happiness. The fact that in MM these acts of kindness are rewarded with gratitude in the form of a piece of heart, a mask, a hug, other things that a character has free access to is in my mind just evidence of how you can get back bits of yourself and become stronger by being grateful and kind.

To summarise the Skull Kid's situation: he misinterpreted the departure of the giants as being rejected by them, when in reality, they had an ordinance to comply with as the guardians of Termina. Unfortunately, the Skull Kid was not able to grasp the reality of the situation, and the pain caused by the perceived rejection began to tarnish his heart. Although he found new friendship and solace in Tatl and Tael, the Skull Kid was still hurting from the idea of having been abandoned, seeking to justify his pain by playing mischievous pranks on people. However, upon obtaining Majora's Mask after knocking out the Happy Mask Salesman in the woods, the Skull Kid's shenanigans take a more radical turn...but it's not until the end of the game that the actual culprit is exposed. When Tatl eventually realises that the Skull Kid was being exploited by the evil spirit possessing the mask, she is also able to resolve her grudge against him... And as the Skull Kid finally realises that the four giants had not rejected him, he too is released from the frustrations that were caused by a mere oblivious misunderstanding... The forgiveness that we are witnessing, as such, is therefore about the unfolding realisation of a misunderstanding. The four giants knew that the Skull Kid was not the true perpetrator, and therefore inclined that Talt and Link should not see him as their enemy: "Forgive your friend", because he is possessed by an evil spirit of destruction and not responsible for his malicious acts...

I played this game when I was ten. I was a child with trauma that I still deal with to this day. I painfully related to skull kid so much as I never had friends. I was an very anxious kid who was extremely lonely and something about it also made me feel so understood. From such a dark game it was strangely comforting once I got over that fear of it. I've played this game a dozen of times even played multiple randomizer runs. I have memorized almost very detail there is to it. I'm now 32 and currently playing it once again haha. This game has a very special place in my heart. I love it to bits.

I have recently been the aggressor in a situation as I was severely traumatized growing up. This video of one of my favorite games, and your analysis over it, I dare say has helped to heal me. I identify with the Skull Kid in so many ways... And I'm finally coming out on the other side. Being forgiven, loved, and supported by friends and family alike. Thank you for posting this video and doing this analysis. If those who love us can forgive us... Maybe forgiving ourselves doesn't have to be so hard. It is never too late to heal from trauma. Sorry for how emotional or cheesy I may sound, but I thank you with all of my heart for this. ❤

I might be a couple of years older than you, but it’s nice to hear another woman relate to this game in a similar way that I did. I’ve always felt alone as a female gamer in my late 30s. But I digress, I loved your analysis. I was a respiratory therapist on a critical care air transport team during OIF, and I can relate to a lot of the things you mentioned about trauma and feeing lost, finding meaning, and so forth. And agree that the wedding quest is the best. I tried to do it every time I reset. I went by Anju on forums chatting about the game as a teen. What a nice video, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Dude I'm sobbing. This was Brilliant. It always made me so sad how lonely, abandoned and angry the Skull Kid was. Him being consumed by Majora's Mask parallels Smeagol/Gollum being consumed by the Ring.

This, this is excellent. Quality analysis of the game, excellent delivery of your points, and excellent editing to keep my attention focused on the topic. (Sound quality is not an issue, I can assure you.) Thank you for making this video, as a person still recovering from trauma, this has helped me put the process in context. More people need to watch this.

This channel deserves more recognition for content like this! Video was very interesting :D

The reason MM holds a solid and dear 2nd place in my all-time favorite Zelda games (the 1st place belongs to Link's Awakening) is because Majora's Mask spoke to me. And I am sure it spoke directly to many of you too. It is a very well done game that allows you to retell an always different story with different characters throughout the 3-day cycle each story actually lasts. Romani & Cremia. Anju & Kafei. Lulu's children in need of rescue. Pamela and his dad. It's always a different storyline you can always replay, with different results each time. It's a cleverly designed game product of the technical limitations of the console. Each decision lays out a different results in the world you're currently living. In the end, you realize you cannot please and help everyone every time, and even though it is possible in MM if you time your targets carefully, even doing that will teach you you'll only get tired from running so much. It's a mirror image of the world, a "what if" turned into a game, regarding a what would happen if you could travel back in time and try to help as many people as you can. You just can't. You'll soon learn you cannot heal people while healing others at the same time. You just can't. Live with that. Learn to live in the world and feel good for trying to do your best, but don't overdo it, and don't feel bad for not being able to help everyone. Sometimes, people must learn to heal themselves, and you cannot heal people who don't want to partake in their own healing. Awesome analysis.

I've connected with Skull Kid for so much of my life. I've even previously used him as an online persona. As somebody who has felt like an outcast for so long, it pains me to see his traumatic experience in this game. My favorite game of all time. And to hear you say "The great triumph in Majora's Mask is healing the Skull Kid" made me feel so entirely seen and understood. This is wonderful. Thank you.

Hi y’all! Notes and updates below: -I am sorry that Closed Captions are not available just yet. I am working on getting those up ASAP. -I continue to work to improve my audio. This new mic sounds better than my old one, I think. But still, vocal fry and air supply continue to be barriers. I promise I am continuing to work to improve this. Thank you for your patience and support. -Multiple people have commented on the spoiler warning for an old game. With a new Zelda game recently released, we have new Zelda fans joining the ranks every day, and they haven’t played the early 3D titles. Just trying to be polite to the newcomers.

I kind of thought the Giants were talking to Link about Navi when they said "Forgive your friend". Telling him to forgive Navi for leaving, and to let go of her. But also that's probably not it since she's not relevant in this game lol

When you described the way you returned to the inn after the Keeton quest, you unlocked a forgotten or maybe suppressed memory of doing the exact same thing myself as a teen. Had to suppress tears, especially since that camera angle you use was the very place I stood. Somehow I forgot that part, and typically remember the quest on the Keeton side, the child side as he was turned into a child that looks like a child playing a game of pretend, especially where he was hiding out. Like my mind prefers to remember it as the fun innocent side instead of the sadness. I love that the entire feeling of the game is so beautifully summed up at the beginning, though. The words "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" will be with me until the day I meet my ultimate fate. And the words "Dawn of the final day, 24 hours remain" comes to me at every meaningful deadline in my life, even those of joy such as my own wedding roughly 9 years ago. I think the 3 day cycle and its impact act like the stamp that drives this game's imprint onto our souls. Its pressure give weight to the game's events, and even the joyful moments press on you like a warm embrace. Sorry, I got a little deep there for a moment. Let me play the song and reset to a more joyful place and time. ❤❤‍🩹🥰

This is probably the best analysis I've ever watched on a video game (or any art really.) Connecting this game with the trauma narrative is genius and aligns with my research on trauma. When I was younger I was always deeply impacted by this game's story but couldn't quite understand why. You put the whole game in a perspective that brings me right back to my childhood and spoke out loud what I could only sense symbolically back then. It made me realize that this game was so powerful for me because of my own traumas and witnessing the cycles of trauma (and aggression) play out in myself and others lives. Literally I was in tears at the end partly out of nostalgia but also because I felt a genuine forgiveness for people in my past when you said "forgive your friend." The last 10-15 mins was very powerful for me. Truly an amazing video! Thank you 🙏❤

Ive recently recovered from trauma thanks to a close friend and this definitely hits close to home. Half of the stuff said on skull kid was kinda mirrored in their behaviors when their fear of abandonment kicked in months after I got to know them and dissappeared which genuinely terrified me never having forged such a close connection, I eventually found out near 4 weeks in that they were in even deeper trauma than me and decided Id forgive them but they came back a week after that and I wanted to bring up I knew the truth but then they started avoiding me and acting passive aggressive but it was near 2 months after that where I finally wanted to tell them that its ok because I knew it was all rooted in fear and just validating that unconditionally really did change them after that. They still have minor episodes but now theyre more comfortable on bringing up their struggles in a healthier way and Im really happy overall that we made somewhat of a recovery together. Its brought out some really heavy doubts the first 3 weeks and made me relive so much of my emotional abuse I wanted to numb out even 5 years after it happened, Ive genuinely never felt so heavily hurt by 1 action. But once I found out why everything happened I found out that I did have value and even before they dissappeared they were already starting the healing process (and myself partly) its just I accidentally triggered them, in an odd way those 2 months of silence were a good patience test and all the time I needed to reground myself finally so I could properly reconnect in a meaningful way and try to heal them too, and 3 months in Ive never been happier with not only a permanent renewed look on life but knowing I finally made a difference on something that I wanted to tackle. Even after everything I still hold them in the highest regard and in spite of that error I trust them 100% because theyve shown me before and after it went ugly that they do care just trauma can really cause them to do things that self fulfill their deepest fears.

This game has been one of my favorites for well over 20 years at this point, It has had such an inpact on my life, how I think about things, how I interact with the world, the story of the game has shaped my very core being and for that i'm greatful.

I found MM to be more compelling than OOT. I felt much more connected to the characters and invested in MM.

My moment is on the last day when Cermia says she’s going to give the milk stand in for alcohol to Romani so she doesn’t pass painfully when the moon falls. It’s absolutely gut wrenching and gets me every single time

It takes a certain kind of 'broken' person to love Majora's Mask. To this day it remains my favorite game of all time _because_ it speaks to, what I now understand in my adult life, as nihilism. It is the meaninglessness of all of your actions as Link. In the end, all you do, or rather, what you've through and done, _won't_ matter at all. Nothing that you do sticks, but it is important that you do them regardless because you want to help others move on from the pain and trauma that hunts them; a trauma that _you_ as the player know won't go away because of the time loop. It is truly meaningless and futile yet very important to keep pushing on. You seek to help others accomplish that which you can't do (let go) because even Link, at the end of the game, doesn't move on. He goes right back to searching for Navi, and we know that eventually leads him to.

Love the video, it's wonderfully crafted! Majora's Mask is a special entry in the Zelda series for me. I've struggled with depression for years, every relapse feels so traumatic, and I feel like I lose so much time to these dark periods in my life. The themes, the mechanics, and connections through the characters really hits home. No matter how many times I revisit Majora's Mask, the game still shakes me up emotionally, and has me turning inward with just a little more strength to face my own demons.

16:34 the “moment” that strikes my chord with Termina is playing the goron lullaby for the elder’s son😭. I went through a similar situation as a child, so easing his pain hit home for me, reconnected me, gave me purpose.

the music in Majora's Mask hits in very special way. somber but beautiful at the same time. Truly a classic. Video game music really knows how to make you feel emotion threw there sound.

Who thought that some simple analysis of Majora's Mask would reach so deeply... genuinely made me cry. Thank you.

My most memorable moment was right at the very end of the kafei and anju questline. I forgot to give anju the pendant of memories and was absolutely devastated to see kafei standing there alone. In the most relatable way a trauma torn person can rationalize their guilt was one single phrase, "Its all my fault."

I made this connection between the Southern Swamp and Link's Deku form. When we go through trauma, we often take on a version of ourselves we must use to survive. For link, this is personified in his Deku form. When he must save the Swamp, he takes on this form to traverse the toxic water. In a similar way, we revert to certain "forms" to get through tough situations. But when the water goes back to normal, his Deku form cannot traverse the water as readily as his human form. In a similar way, the person we became to survive trauma is not suited for our normal day-to-day life. We must revert to our former self to efficiently navigate through the day. Probably over-analyzing but idk

My "Majora's Mask moment" was that flashback cutscene about the Skull Kid. I loved that character and always felt sorry for him; he was just a kid who went through a bad experience and didn't know how to properly handle his emotions, and ended up hurting people as a result. I wanted to free him from Majora and let him know that I (well, Link) could be his friend, and he didn't have to feel so alone. I played the game and did the side quests, but it was Skull Kid I felt I was playing for.

Your interpretation is just incredible. A fresh take on a game that doesn't age. There's one thing about the Deku Butler that's not as much discussed that always gets me. He's my favorite character in any Zelda game, and there's something about him that always makes his story even more sad. Whenever you wear a transformation mask, everyone close to the deceased who knew them well mistakes Link for that character: The Goron Elder and his son mistake Link for Darmani, and Lulu mistakes Link for Mikau. But the Deku Butler never mistakes Link for his son. This is a father who 100% knows his child, and while he comments on a resemblance, he's never fooled. It breaks my heart that he's the one character that doesn't get a happy ending.

My moment of Majora´s Mask is all the Mikau´s healing. He on his last moment of breath and sing with all his might to comunicate all what´s inside his own hearth for not acomplished the rescue of his son´s and dying in regret leaving his childrens and her wife alone, and when we play the healing song we´ve see what he wanted to do, insanely sad an devastating.

Majoras Mask was my favorite Zelda game growing up. I can't tell you how many times I played it. When I was down or troubled I would redo the dungeons and just swim around in the ocean over and over. It was my favorite thing to do.

3:15 THANK YOU!! I get so flipping tired of every Majora Analysis video talking about the structure of grief when the game clearly goes above and beyond that! Edit: Wow, this may be my favorite deep dive into the meaning and take away from this game, fantastic video!

This is an amazing analysis of both the overall themes of the game, and the nature of the characters within! Especially Skull kid, you're thoughts have really elevated the character for me. Thinking back, I've seen some commentaries try to tackle explaining these things, but only vaguely. I haven't seen any that've been able to do so, so clearly and well thought out. And not all in one, video that's not the length of a feature film. It's always very telling how much effort is put in when something is both well thought out and concise. Very impressive!

The last night after midnight was such an emotional time. Everything from the music,to seeing everyone final moments. Anju & Kafei had me in tears. This video was good. I'm waterworks.

This video spoke to me on a very deep level. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it

Amazing video and great work in the analysis! I’m so glad to see someone cover this about Majora. I too have dove into the game over and over growing up even though it is confusing and frustration (now without my 3DS I just read the dialogue though), and I felt that the story is more about the Skull Kid’s healing than anything else. The only part of the story I ever cared about was when he says he will be friends with everyone again. I would like to add my personal interpretation of the Skull Kid as a character. Canon LoZ material confirms that Termina is a world created by the Skull Kid with the help of the mask. Termina is a world where the people strongly resemble their Hyrule counterparts, but with different names and stories. Everyone is the same, but they are in pain. Canon LoZ material including the game includes the story that the giants abandoned the skull kid, but I don’t really think it’s a literal story. Skull kids are born when a child is lost in the lost woods without a fairy. The skull kid from MM is the same skull kid Link tried to befriend in OoT by teaching him Saria’s song. Because of these strings of evidence, along with the world of OoT’s Hyrule, I believe that it is impossible for the giants story to be literally true. They do not exist outside of Termina. Termina was created by the Skull Kid with the power of Majora. Therefore, I think it’s moreso an allegory for his actual trauma. He was a child lost in the woods without anyone to guide him, similar to Link. He may have been abandoned by his parents (if the giants story has any more literal merit) and left to die in the forest. He steals Majora’s mask out of anger for everyone around him, for never saving him, for leaving him alone, for never stopping to say hello or doing anything to help him: that is, aside from Link. Tatl and Tael become his fairies for navigating the woods. He greatly values their company as parental figures. It is unknown when this happens and whether or not they exist outside of Skull Kid’s created world. Regardless, he uses the mask to make a land where everyone he may have remembered from the little time he wasn’t a lost child was also suffering. They never helped him. The only people spared from this wrath are the Mask Salesman (the creator of the original skull mask which he valued greatly), the fairies (who act as older siblings that take the role of absent parents), and of course, the one person that ever stopped to befriend him: Link. Skull Kid never forgot Link. He mentions him in the end of the game as the boy who taught him the song. Although they were friendly, Link too disappears from Skull Kid’s life; so now he must earn the imp’s trust again by playing in his sick twisted game of twice weekly apocalypse. There’s also the whole aspect of what Majora is. I do believe the mask literally exists in the game separate from Termina and the Skull Kid (confirmed in A Link Between Worlds). It was potentially created by the same tribe that made the mask in Twilight Princess (forged shadow I think?). The mask holds immense power and is able to create and destroy its wearer’s own pocket worlds. This is what Termina is. Termina *is* the Skull Kid’s recovery journey. It’s an unhealthy one full of inflicting unnecessary suffering, but the strength of Link to heal the world around him influences the Skull Kid. Eventually, his own actions force him to confront those he was most angry at: whoever left him abandoned in the woods as a child. But he forgives them. And everyone forgives him. I don’t know if the writers of the game thought of any of this when writing it, and it doesn’t really matter to me if they did. I love how this game has spoken to something in so many people: about death, about trauma, about healing, about loneliness, about meaning in limited life, etc.

I experienced an huge amount of drama in 2020 and 2021. It almost consumed me. Therapy, medication, meditation and some friends who believe in me, I made it out of that. My empathy is not a weakness, it's my biggest strenght. MM was my first Zelda i owned with 10 years old and completed. I recently all masked and completed it on switch. I still listen to the song of healing when I am stressed. The only thing that really heals me from the inside, is my recently rediscovered faith in god.

This is my favorite video. I’ve had trauma and guilt and this video has helped me understand my experience and give me a mental device to process it. I had a lot of chronic stressors and setbacks that made me feel disconnected from myself and others. I didn’t feel emotionally like I used to because it felt like a meaningless effort and made for interpersonal struggles. But I reached out to people and have found inner strength from overcoming the obstacles and now feel moved to help others. I graduate with a psych degree in three weeks and feel like I now find part of my identity in providing something to others. Thank you 😊

This is by far one the best videos on Majoras Mask I've seen. Thank you for bringing back some great and frustrating memories and giving them a fresh outlook.

I came here expecting it to be a little bit close to home, but that ending nearly made me tear up. I love this. I love this video so much.

Thank you for this. I’ve had trouble understanding over the past near twenty-three years why this game resonated with me so strongly as a teenager (and has kept its graces there in my top three Zelda games ever since) but your analysis has been very illuminating. Kudos

this is one of the best takes i've seen on MM, loved every bit of the video, so much meaning in this game god

Thank you for posting this seriously it’s the best majoras mask video I’ve seen! Not to mention your voice is so soothing !

This deserves SO many more views. This video made me view this game and some of my own experiences differently. Thank you.

Brilliant video! I've played Majora's Mask so many times and I was still able to learn new things about it from your analysis. Your dissection of Skull Kid's trauma hit close to home and let me appreciate Majora's Mask from yet another new angle. Great stuff!

This is undoubtedly the best video I've seen discussing this game. It feels so on point. Incredible job.

This is honestly such a beautiful well crafted video video. It made me cry and made me realize so much about my own journey with healing.

This is exceptional. On all levels. I can’t wait to see the success that this video brings to you and your channel. And I know I’m not the only one already looking forward to your next upload…

Thank you very much for this fresh, insightful, thoughtful, and empathetic interpretation of this masterpiece of a game. You have def earned another subscriber with this!

i gotta say, this was one of the most beautiful and well done videos ive seen regarding zelda MM. Well done.

this is the best game analysis of majoras mask I've seen thus far, as someone who has used this game to better interpret my own trauma and grief, this hit home! your interpretation of oot link and skull kid is very spot on as well! id love to see more content like this from you keep up the great work :D!!!

This is a fantastic, thought-provoking video, I thought for sure I was watching a larger channel. Hope this work brings you a lot of recognition!

Keep this up please you have amazing potential I can’t wait to see where you go from here ❤

Just finished Majora Today. Got to this video and had a great and interesting time watching. Keep it up!

Just wanted to let you know this is now my favorite analysis I've seen of this game, and you have a fantastic voice for narration! This was a pleasure to listen to and to watch.

This is an amazing retrospective on one of my favorite games! 💚 This channel looks very underrated; keep up the great work and I know you'll soon explode in popularity.

Hermana, me encantó tu video, gracias. Como una sobreviviente de algunos traumas feos y también como una ex-agresora, me conmovieron mucho tus palabras. Sería hermoso que, cuando estén listos los subtítulos, también se pudiesen traducir al español para así compartirlo con mi amigues. Aguante la sanación y resignificación del trauma :)

This video deserves so many more views. Absolutely brilliant.

Thank you so much for this video. I’ve been having a lot of hardship lately and this video made me smile and your voice was very calming.

I.. I have never cried more in a Zelda game than doing the Anju and Kaffei quest. It was just beautiful