The Termina Question

What are your thoughts on the existence of Termina? Do you believe it is an alternate universe, or that it is simply a neighboring country near Hyrule?

It's an alternate universe, since the characters within it are the same as hyrule's, just with different names.

It is an alternate universe, that's proven. Though I always used to think it was a neigboring country.

My beliefs on this are that Termina is a neighboring country, for a number of reasons;

1. If you look at a map of Hyrule, http://www.questforcalatia.net/Zelda...hyrule-map.jpg and a map of Termina, http://coco.raceme.org/videogames/ze...es/termina.jpg you will see that some of the landscape can match almost perfectly, if you place Termina to the west and Hyrule to the east. However, an argument to this theory is that the map of Hyrule is changing in each game.
2. Same races live in similar areas with similar allegiances. If it was a different universe, things wouldn't be the same, such as the fact that Gorons will not attack a Hylian on sight the way that a Gerudo would. People claim that since the people look almost exactly the same as people in Hyrule, it must be an alternate universe, but a possible explanation could be that 1, Majora's Mask was made using the same engine and in 2 years, so to create a bundle of original 3d characters at the time seemed unthinkable. The second reason is that it may have been a sense of irony that most Gorons, Zoras, Gerudos, etc, all looked nearly the same to game players, so perhaps the Hylian race should look the similar as well.
3. They worship the same goddesses. At Stone Tower, you can see triforce emblems on walls, so they know about the goddesses, worship them, (or at least they did in ancient times,)so it can't be a separate universe otherwise there would be other gods.

This is my opinion, I want to hear your beliefs and explanations!

I don't like to attribute any names or descriptions of Termina that are too specific, or lead towards assumptions. For example, the idea of 'Parallel', originally introduced in the Majora's Mask manual, is used only in reference to the people of Termina, yet in theorising we see an embellished view of this description.

I simply see Termina as another place, with seperate histories, customs and geography. The 'Parallel', in my opinion, extends only in regard to character models. In reference to alternative dimensions, ect, I don't use these terms because they don't describe what Termina actually is.

They worship the same goddesses. At Stone Tower, you can see triforce emblems on walls, so they know about the goddesses, worship them...

The Triforce symbols within Stone Tower are used in a blasphemous fashion. It is the opposite of worship, and for the sake of clarity recognition of the Goddesses appears only to be buried deep within Termina's past. The theory in regard to geography is hopelessly weak, but I honestly cannot be bothered posting another refutation to it.

I believe that it is just a universe that was created by the Happy Mask Salesman, not a real one, just one in Link's imagination. None of it was real, it was just like a big day dream....

p.s. i r jk

^lol

Look, we all saw Link falling in a big, black darkness. That's when he entered a different dimension. It's isn't a neighbouring country.

Originally Posted by Tochukaso

we all saw Link falling in a big, black darkness...

Link has fallen through plenty of deep, dark holes.

Originally Posted by Tochukaso

Look, we all saw Link falling in a big, black darkness. That's when he entered a different dimension. It's isn't a neighbouring country.

Despite the strange fall and the twisting corridor, we cannot label Termina a 'Dimension'. Equally however the evidence in favour of a neigbouring country is practically without basis.

Originally Posted by Hyperactivity

(Because of) the strange fall and the twisting corridor, we cannot label Termina... a neigbouring country.

Well we all know how the people in Nintendo obsess over Link falling through things to get places.

Originally Posted by MM Manual

Termina
This is a kind of parallel world that is similar to and yet different from the land of Hyrule.
[...]
Clock Town rests at the heart of this world.

It refers to Temina as a world, yet Hyrule as a land. This coupled witht the hole, the twisting hall, and the fact that there is a counterpart for almost everyone in Hyrule, I think it makes themost sense to say it's another dimension. This is also the generaly accepted idea.

^Mattocks, those quotes from the Manual are clearly up for interpritation. The 'world' description implies that it is not upon the same plane as Hyrule, but the desription of another dimension adds too many connotations. Addtionally, Termina itself is not a world, because there are other countries beyond it's boarders. The Garo, spies within the Ikana Kingdom, are said to have come from a distant, neighbouring country. This is stated ingame. Therefore Termina is a country within a world, not a world in itself.

Furthermore, the quotes from the Manual posted are incomplete. Directly after claiming that Termina was a 'kind of parallel world', it goes on to reference character similarites in the next sentence. That is where I regard the use of the word parallel important. Here is the full quotation:

This is a kind of parallel world that is similar yet different to the land of Hyrule, which was the setting for the Legend of Zelda, Oarina Of Time. Termina is a mysterious place, and the people Link meets here may look vaugely familiar at first glance.

Though the way Link enters Termina, one could come to believe that Termina is a neighbouring country to Hyrule, it is actually an alternate universe as the others have said. The inhabitants of Termina are exactly like Hyrule's so the two can't be neighbouring countries.

Hyperativity, I did read the rest of the quote, but I didn't quote it because I don't think it fully relates. I don't think that even if it is talking about the people that is any reason to believe it's a neighbouring country.

As for the deffinition of "dimention", call it what ever you want, another plane, exists between particles, w/e. But I don't think it refers to another planet, and I don't think it's readily accesable from Hyrule. The hole and hall I guess would be the 'gateway'.

I don't think that even if it is talking about the people that is any reason to believe it's a neighbouring country.

I don't understand what you are saying here. I don't think that Termina is a country geographically on the same plane as Hyrule, just to clarify. My only claim is that the Garo are explicitly said ingame to come from another distant country, meaning Termina isnt a world in itself. It is an ingame fact.

As for the description of a dimension, I only avoid it because it seems to lead towards other assumptions. You and I seem to agree that the best desription of Termina can be found ingame, directly experiencing it.

Originally Posted by Hyperactivity

I don't understand what you are saying here. I don't think that Termina is a country geographically on the same plane as Hyrule, just to clarify. My only claim is that the Garo are explicitly said ingame to come from another distant country, meaning Termina isnt a world in itself. It is an ingame fact.

Honestly, I don't blame ou. Had a lot of trouble articulating wha I was thinking...and failed. Let's just ignore that alright?

As for the Garo, I doubt this was ever intended regardless of the nature of Termina, but just a random thought. It's possible that Termina is a country in the world of Termina. Like NY, NY. Like I said though random thought.

As for the description of a dimension, I only avoid it because it seems to lead towards other assumptions. You and I seem to agree that the best desription of Termina can be found ingame, directly experiencing it.

Agreed!
*Cyber five*

It's think it's easily enough a parallel world. The only thing I have going for me is the direct statement in the manual, but there's nothing going against it.

I think it's an afterlife, people with same names died in Oot
-Skull Kid "takes care" of epona, and ends up in termina.
-Grog dies in the Lost woods.
-Sharp and Flat are already dead.

Link, HMS, and skull kid are the only ones with access to the portal.

I've always just assumed it was a neighboring country. As for the Terminans all looking the same as characters from OOT, Nintendo probably just got lazy.

It's definitely an alternate dimension of sort. This is heavily implied in the manual:

This is a kind of parallel world that is similar yet different to the land of Hyrule, which was the setting for the Legend of Zelda, Oarina Of Time. Termina is a mysterious place, and the people Link meets here may look vaguely familiar at first glance.

In-game evidence? Well just take a look at all the characters themselves. It's no mere coincidence that a lot of the characters in Majora's Mask look like their Ocarina of Time counterparts. Hence, "vaguely familiar" in the manual. The latter of the sentence, "at first glance" is stated because the people Link see's aren't actually Malon, Anju, etc., but rather, an people from some sort of alternate reality, hence the statement "parallel world that is similar yet different".

A fine example would be when Link first sees Tatl:

Originally Posted by Tatl

...Why are you looking at me like that? What, is there something stuck on my face? Will you stop staring and just open that door for me?!?

While it isn't necessarily explicit, it's rather apparent that Link thought that Tatl was Navi at first glance. Why else would he have starred at her? This, along with the fact that over half of the characters in Termina have a Hyrule counterpart cannot be simply taken as coincidence.