Happy Mask Salesman is... and his Purpose is... (FULL Theory of MM)

Who the Happy Mask Salesman is

The Happy mask Salesman is the Hyrulean Counterpart of Skull Kid and Vice Verse.

Lets work with some facts that we all know of...

1.Skull Kid comes from Termina. He was banished to Hyrule (basically).
2.The Happy Mask Salesman is the same Salesman from Ocarina of Time.
3.Termina is a world where parallels of Hyrule Citizens exist.
4.The Children in the Moon appear to look like the HMS.
5.The Children ask questions of Friendship; this usually is used as an indicator to tell us that the Kids represent Skull Kid.

Regarding Point 4: You can see the HMS's Hair and Ears on the child



All points combined seem to show us that Skull Kid's true face is that of the HMS.

キミの・・・本当の顔は・・・どんな・・・顔?
Your…true face…What kind of face…is it?
Your true face...What kind of...face is it?

お面の・・・・下の顔が 本当の顔・・・なのかな・・・
The face…under the mask…I wonder if that’s…your true face…
I wonder...The face under the mask...Is that...your true face?

If this is fact, then it seems that, as a child, Skull Kid was a mask salesman and was friends with the Four Giants (Anjean's story indicates this so these times must be REALLY Long ago).
For some reason, he would attempt to leave Termina but is lost in the woods and becomes a Skull Kid. He returns and slowly progresses into a troublesome prankster (especially, or specifically, after he lost his friends, the Four Giants). Years later, he is banished to Hyrule and, soon after, encounters Link.



Moving on...

Here are a few quotes from the children:

たくさん・・・お面・・持ってるね キミも・・・お面屋に・・なるの?
You have…a lot of…masks. Will you become…mask salesman…too?
Masks...You have...a lot. You, too...Will you be... a mask salesman?

(The choice word of "too" Heavily implies that the kid speaking is, himself, a mask salesman)

ねえ・・・お面・・・もっと・・・ほしい
Hey…I want…more…masks.
Hey...I want...more...masks...

*gives masks*

へへ・・・ありがとう・・・キミ・・・やさしいね
Heh heh…Thanks…You’re…nice.
Heh, heh...Thanks...You're...nice.

(this shows that masks are important to the children and seem to make them happy. Masks are important to the HMS as well)

キミの しあわせって どんな・・・こと?
What makes you happy…What… is it?
You...What makes you...happy?

キミの しあわせは・・・ほかのひとも・・・しあわせ なのかな・・・
What makes you happy…I wonder if it makes…other people happy, too…
I wonder...What makes you happy...Does it make...others happy, too?

(From this, i derived two things: 1. The wonderment of what makes people happy is indicating that the moon child is on a search to either make people happy or make people unhappy. Making people unhappy is the main activity of Skull Kid in MM but he, at times, shows repentance for his deeds. The question, after understanding that Skill Kid is not naturally Bad, represents Skull Kid's search for providing happiness which will be explored in the next part...)




The Purpose of The Happy Mask Salesman

...the second thing that i derived from the quote is that the Happy Mask Salesman is a good person who uses Masks to make a person's life better (or, in the case of MM, sets up events that surrounds masks). The HMS is a man that is obsessed with masks, so much so that his face even acts as a mask to his varying emotions, with no transition between faces. Yet, by his quotes, i will summarize what is being conveyed by myself Through commentary.

おお、やはり 仮面から 邪気が 無くなっている・・・
Oh, as I thought, the evil energy is gone from the mask…
Oh...So the evil has left the mask after all...

(It seems he expected it)

たしかに 受け取りましたよ
I really did get it back.
Well, now...I finally have it back.

(Yet he is shocked that it was accomplished/that Link made it)

さて、ワタクシは 旅の途中ですので これで・・・
Now then, I was in the middle of a journey, so I’ll be going…
Since I am in the midst of my travels... I must bid you farewell.

(What is his journey? At least we know he is on one)

出会いがあれば 必ず 別れは 訪れるもの ですが、その別れは 永遠では ないはず・・・別れが 永遠になるか 一時になるか・・・それは アナタしだい
When you meet, a parting will surely come, but that parting doesn’t have to last forever… The parting could last forever or only a short time… It’s up to you.
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.

(The message is for Link in regards to Navi, The Message is for Skull Kid in Regards to The Four Giants. He Knows their turmoils)

おや、アナタ ずいぶん たくさんの人を しあわせに してあげましたね
Oh, you have brought happiness to quite a few people.
...But, my, you sure have managed to make quite a number of people happy.


アナタの持っている お面には しあわせが いっぱい詰まっている これは 実に いい しあわせだ
The mask you have are stuffed full of happiness. That is truly a good happiness.
The masks you have are filled with happiness. This is truly a good happiness.

(I'll let the readers, now, take these quotes for what they are.)



The Happy Mask Salesman is on a Journey to make people happy, through masks. Now, does this mean he LET Skull Kid steal Majora's Mask and allowed Skull Kid to travel to Termina? Perhaps...

And, as we all know, the HMS Knew things about what had to happen with no real explanation as to why he knows. For ex: he knew Link needed back his Ocarina in order to complete the Objectives, He knew the Song of Healing because of how it releases people from their anguish and, thus, being the very tool that Link needed on his Quest, he knew of the power of Majora's Mask, etc.

Going back to the Moon children's question about what makes people happy...



In the end, it shows that his counterpart, though unlike him, is still searching for the right thing to do. I'll end with quote of the moon child asking a question on what is right.

正しいことって・・・どんな・・・こと?
The right thing…What…is it?
The right thing...What is it?

正しいことすると・・・本当に みんな・・・よろこぶのかな・・・
If you do the right thing…I wonder if it will really…make everyone happy…
I wonder...If you do the right thing...Does it really make...everybody...happy?

He's not the Happy Mask Salesman. With his devilish Grin.

He's the Happy Mask Salesman. Knowing (and proving) that Masks bring happiness.

All points combined seem to show us that Skull Kid's true face is that of the HMS.

But, at this point, the Skull Kid and Majora's Mask are no longer related. Majora found the Skull Kid too weak, and left it, right? So, why would it cause the children to take the forms of something it found weak? D:

(The choice word of "too" Heavily implies that the kid speaking is, himself, a mask salesman)

Hmm. Maybe this is just me, but I interpreted this as that he was referring to the HMS. I think, personally, that he caused the children to take the form similar to the HMS to mock him, to an extent. The Happy Mask Salesman wants the mask, and the mask wants nothing to do with him obviously, so . . yeah. I think it's referring to him. But, again, that might just be t he way I interpret it XD;

(this shows that masks are important to the children and seem to make them happy. Masks are important to the HMS as well)

Well, masks also make other people throughout the land happy :p I think it's a childlike aspect of them. Lol.

Now, does this mean he LET Skull Kid steal Majora's Mask and allowed Skull Kid to travel to Termina? Perhaps...

What....? This is kind of farfetched D: Why on earth would he do that? Oo;

I'm sorry, but I don't think the HMS = The Skull Kid. Nice theory though lol

Originally Posted by Erik Destler

But, at this point, the Skull Kid and Majora's Mask are no longer related. Majora found the Skull Kid too weak, and left it, right? So, why would it cause the children to take the forms of something it found weak? D:


Hmm. Maybe this is just me, but I interpreted this as that he was referring to the HMS. I think, personally, that he caused the children to take the form similar to the HMS to mock him, to an extent. The Happy Mask Salesman wants the mask, and the mask wants nothing to do with him obviously, so . . yeah. I think it's referring to him. But, again, that might just be t he way I interpret it XD;


Well, masks also make other people throughout the land happy :p I think it's a childlike aspect of them. Lol.


What....? This is kind of farfetched D: Why on earth would he do that? Oo;

I'm sorry, but I don't think the HMS = The Skull Kid. Nice theory though lol

LoL. nice response. Fair opinions.

Here's why i say that Skull Kid is represented by the children of the moon...
...it's because they're there. See, if Majora had Nothing to do with Skull Kid after he left him, then why are there children in the moon, running around and asking genuine questions? It's really the questions and mannerisms of the children that throw your initial interpretation of that scenario off.

Also, the HMS would do that so as to initiate the saga known as Majora's Mask

My biggest question is that if the Skull Kid is from Termina, why is he the one who knows Saria's Song (who lived in the Lost Woods, in Hyrule)?

Originally Posted by Lex

My biggest question is that if the Skull Kid is from Termina, why is he the one who knows Saria's Song (who lived in the Lost Woods, in Hyrule)?

because he is from Hyrule, haha. He apparently knew about Termina a LONG time ago, even before the world there was created, according to the story the old lady tells.

They aren't parallels because they are both from Hyrule. AND all of the parallels actually look exactly the same as each other, why would this be an exception? There is a strong tie between the two because the theme of the game is masks...The skull kid was into masks, the salesman was into masks, Link borrowed and sold masks... and besides, the only people in game who owned the mask are the salesman and the skull kid... im not even making any sense so Im going to quit, lol

Ah, OJ, you must see some of my theories revolving around the Happy Mask Salesman and MM.

Let's look at your starting points:

1.Skull Kid comes from Termina. He was banished to Hyrule (basically).

Skull Kid as in the race or the main character from MM? Firstly we don't even know if that one Skull Kid in OoT is the same one from MM. However there is much evidence to support this, most arguably at the end when he says something like "Hey that's the song that the fairy kid played" or something along the lines of that after you play Saria's Song, remembering from OoT Link can play Saria's Song to the Skull Kid. So yes, basically that's true.

2.The Happy Mask Salesman is the same Salesman from Ocarina of Time.

Yes...

3.Termina is a world where parallels of Hyrule Citizens exist.

Hugely debatable, but probable. Personally I believe it.

4.The Children in the Moon appear to look like the HMS.

Yes...

5.The Children ask questions of Friendship; this usually is used as an indicator to tell us that the Kids represent Skull Kid.

Alright, here's the thing. Throughout your theory you claim how the Lunar Children are similar to Skull Kid, but you're missing a few things. But you need to know that they're just their own characters, and if similar to anyone, I'm pretty sure (like you said) they are similar towards HMS. The Lunar children show kind of a cliché vibe, of friendship and morales. This leads up to the FD Mask, gotten by the fifth lonely Lunar Child...

Originally Posted by xoɹǝpnpɐpןǝz

Skull Kid as in the race or the main character from MM? Firstly we don't even know if that one Skull Kid in OoT is the same one from MM. However there is much evidence to support this, most arguably at the end when he says something like "Hey that's the song that the fairy kid played" or something along the lines of that after you play Saria's Song, remembering from OoT Link can play Saria's Song to the Skull Kid. So yes, basically that's true.

He actually tells Link he has the same smell as the fairy kid who taught him that song in the woods. If that isn't enough for us to definitely know that he is the same skull kid you teach that song to in the woods in OoT, then I don't know what is.

The skull kids wasn't banished to Hyrule, he was originally from Hyrule and returned there when he felt his friends (the giants) abandoned him. Then once he found Majora's Mask I guess he wanted some sort of revenge and went back to Termina, or he just ran there to get away from Link since he knew he could get away, then realized the mask had power or something like that, it doesn't really matter

Here is the Text Dump of The Grandmothers story about Skull Kid & The Four Giants.

The Four Giants, is it?

This is quite long, but it is a good
story for you to hear, so I'll read
it with some extra gusto.
Ahem...
"The Four Giants."
This tale's from long ago when all
the people weren't separated into
four worlds like they are now.
In those times all the people lived
together, and the four giants lived
among them.

On the day of the festival that
celebrates the harvest, the giants
spoke to the people...

"We have chosen to guard the
people while we sleep..."

"100 steps north,
100 steps south,
100 steps east,
100 steps west."
"If you have need, call us in a
loud voice by declaring something
such as, 'The mountain blizzard
has trapped us.'"
"Or 'The ocean is about to
swallow us.' Your cries shall carry
to us..."

Now then...There was one who
was shocked and saddened by
all this.

A little imp.

The imp was a friend of the
giants since before they had
created the four worlds.

"Why must you leave?"

"Why do you not stay?"

The childhood friend felt
neglected, so he spread his anger
across the four worlds.
Repeatedly, he wronged all people.
Overwhelmed with misfortune, the
people sang the song of prayer to
the giants who lived in each of
the four compass directions.
The giants heard their cry and
responded with a roar.
"Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the
protectors of the people."
"You have caused the people pain.
Oh, imp, leave these four worlds!
Otherwise, we shall tear you
apart!"
The imp was frightened and
saddened.

He had lost his old friends.
The imp returned to the heavens,
and harmony was restored to the
four worlds.

And the people rejoiced and they
worshiped the giants of the four
worlds like gods. And they lived
happily...ever after...

From this, it seems that Skull Kid was there for a VERY Long time. Since Before the Giants created the Four Worlds. Now, the only thing putting this all into debate is "The imp returned to the heavens...
Hmm...
What does Return mean and what does Heaven mean?

Originally Posted by Ojlink9

Here is the Text Dump of The Grandmothers story about Skull Kid & The Four Giants.



From this, it seems that Skull Kid was there for a VERY Long time. Since Before the Giants created the Four Worlds. Now, the only thing putting this all into debate is "The imp returned to the heavens...
Hmm...
What does Return mean and what does Heaven mean?

The sky. The heavens mean the sky.

Originally Posted by Twilit_Hylian

The sky. The heavens mean the sky.

What about this story and mythology in general would make you assume "the heavens" in this context is "the sky"? Sure, maybe there was another portal thing in the sky, maybe the moon... somehow, but its clearly talking about how he went back to Hyrule. What kind of story would say "then the imp returned through the portal to an alternate dimension..."? "The heavens" is "supernatural" sounding enough for us to assume he "left the world", and he did.

About the extremely long time he seemed to be there, maybe Termina is like Narnia in the sense that you can stay there for years and years but when you go back out its like you were gone a few minutes. I think by looking at the scene where Link ends up in Termina we can assume there is some sort of time warp between the two worlds.

Originally Posted by eiyuu_004

What about this story and mythology in general would make you assume "the heavens" in this context is "the sky"? Sure, maybe there was another portal thing in the sky, maybe the moon... somehow, but its clearly talking about how he went back to Hyrule. What kind of story would say "then the imp returned through the portal to an alternate dimension..."? "The heavens" is "supernatural" sounding enough for us to assume he "left the world", and he did.

About the extremely long time he seemed to be there, maybe Termina is like Narnia in the sense that you can stay there for years and years but when you go back out its like you were gone a few minutes. I think by looking at the scene where Link ends up in Termina we can assume there is some sort of time warp between the two worlds.

I Also assume the same thing only that Termina is the world that is fast in time.For example Termina = 100 years and Hyrule = 1 day.
Also, Look at these characters in TMC
http://www.zeldawiki.org/Mayor_Hagen
http://www.zeldawiki.org/Anju (appears in TMC, Go to the Bottom)

Now, first off, ANJU appears in TMC. The Same NAME as the ANJU from MM. In OoT she is nameless. Can she be like Koume and Kotake (since these three keep their names in between Hyrule & Termina)?

Secondly, the Mayor is strange and he creates masks... idk... could he be the origin to Majora's Mask? Could he be a past Happy Mask Salesman? Could he be something that relates to MM? hmm

Originally Posted by eiyuu_004

What about this story and mythology in general would make you assume "the heavens" in this context is "the sky"? Sure, maybe there was another portal thing in the sky, maybe the moon... somehow, but its clearly talking about how he went back to Hyrule. What kind of story would say "then the imp returned through the portal to an alternate dimension..."? "The heavens" is "supernatural" sounding enough for us to assume he "left the world", and he did.

About the extremely long time he seemed to be there, maybe Termina is like Narnia in the sense that you can stay there for years and years but when you go back out its like you were gone a few minutes. I think by looking at the scene where Link ends up in Termina we can assume there is some sort of time warp between the two worlds.

I meant in the general use of the word.

The Four Giants, is it?

This is quite long, but it is a good
story for you to hear, so I'll read
it with some extra gusto.
Ahem...
"The Four Giants."
This tale's from long ago when all
the people weren't separated into
four worlds like they are now.
In those times all the people lived
together, and the four giants lived
among them.

On the day of the festival that
celebrates the harvest, the giants
spoke to the people...

"We have chosen to guard the
people while we sleep..."

"100 steps north,
100 steps south,
100 steps east,
100 steps west."
"If you have need, call us in a
loud voice by declaring something
such as, 'The mountain blizzard
has trapped us.'"
"Or 'The ocean is about to
swallow us.' Your cries shall carry
to us..."

Now then...There was one who
was shocked and saddened by
all this.

A little imp.

The imp was a friend of the
giants since before they had
created the four worlds.

"Why must you leave?"

"Why do you not stay?"

The childhood friend felt
neglected, so he spread his anger
across the four worlds.
Repeatedly, he wronged all people.
Overwhelmed with misfortune, the
people sang the song of prayer to
the giants who lived in each of
the four compass directions.
The giants heard their cry and
responded with a roar.
"Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the
protectors of the people."
"You have caused the people pain.
Oh, imp, leave these four worlds!
Otherwise, we shall tear you
apart!"
The imp was frightened and
saddened.

He had lost his old friends.
The imp returned to the heavens,
and harmony was restored to the
four worlds.

And the people rejoiced and they
worshiped the giants of the four
worlds like gods. And they lived
happily...ever after...

I have what I believe is an interesting, though strange take on this story. I think that perhaps this is not what happened, but rather what might have happened. Perhaps this story is pseudo foreshadowing; all of it through the part where the imp (Skull Kid) torments the world could be the events before and during the game. However, the part after that could be providing a bit of irony to future events; the player knows Skull Kid's a jerk, and Majora's freaking psychotic, so it seems like it could be plausible that the Giants would be willing to tear him apart. His first friends left him, he abandoned his later, fairy friends, and it seemed like him being threatened with death and being banished forever would be a suitable ending to such a depraved and miserable character. But then there's the twist: that's NOT how it really ends. Skull Kid is forgiven, despite all of the things he had done wrong; it's a story of forgiveness, redemption, and breaking the stereotype of Zelda villains being hopelessly doomed evils which this legend had made us believe would continue.

Just an idea though; maybe it's all true and Skull Kid just got kicked out of the heavens down to Hyrule and came back when he had the power of the Mask to get revenge, and the giants just suddenly decided to forgive him even though his previous and probably far less dangerous antics almost got him executed.

BalladofGales: i disagree with the story ACTUALLY being of foreshadowing in the sense that the events she spoke of didn't happen. I DO agree that, in the context of MM, history repeated itself but with, like you said, a Twist. interesting theory.

Wait, was the old lady from MM's name Anjean?! (i think i spelled it wrong, Sorry ^^") But isn't that the name of the sacred sage from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks? Are the two characters related somehow? xD they both play the roll of old ladies telling a story and playing a sort of important roll in the story.. Gosh i love zelda [lol] i grew up with it, but i think Majorah's Mask is the hardest game i've played so far..

first and foremost its Hylian not Hyrulian but dont feel bad i used to call it hyrulian wen i wuz younger but i think the purpose of the HMS is to add a little bit of mystery and just to keep him around cuz hes in a few more games

Originally Posted by King Stalfos

first and foremost its Hylian not Hyrulian but dont feel bad i used to call it hyrulian wen i wuz younger

Hylian and Hyrulean are either different races or just different ways of speaking about the same race. But they ARE both mentioned however.

In OoT, ALttP and other early made games the common term for a person from Hyrule is Hylian. In later games such as PH and ST, they are referred to as Hyrulean/Hyrulian.
If that's just something the developers forgot about and changed over time, or something that has a lot of thought put into and plays a certian role in timeline-theorizing, is up to each theorizer to decide.

I, however, will stick by the latter Just to make things more interesting!

1.Skull Kid comes from Termina. He was banished to Hyrule (basically).

Wait, MM is AFTER OoT. How is that possible?

Originally Posted by Yoh

Wait, MM is AFTER OoT. How is that possible?

How is it possible it happens before OoT?
It is confirmed first on the Child Timeline... Do you not know about the split timeline?

After Link beats Ganon, Zelda sends him back to his on time so he can relive his childhood. The time when Link was still an adult and Ganon still exists though parallel to Link's original time and it is called the Adult Timeline. The Adult Timeline is proven because instead of the saved Hyrule vanishing after Link is sent back to his own time, they celebrate the defeat of Ganon at the end of OoT even the newly awakened Sages on Death Mountain. The split timeline is again confirmed with it's first game WW. In the WW BS, it talks about the Hero of Time and also that he did not come back to save them when Ganon's seal broke so the Goddesses flooded Hyrule. Also in the WW there is a lot of tributes and knowledge of the Hero of Time and the newly awakened Sages. Ganon compares you to the Hero of Time and recoginzes the Master Sword as the fowl blade that slayed him hundreds of years ago. The other games confirmed to be on the Adult Timeline are Phantom Hourglass and Sprit Tracks right after Wind Waker.

However, when Zelda sends Link back to his original time, it becomes the Child Timeline. She sends him to when he first leaves Korkri Forest and they meet in the castle courtyard in the final scene of OoT, but it shows Link still has the Triforce of Courage, proving the split timeline again. Two ending + one game = split timeline. MM is the first game in the Child Timeline you know the story Link leaves Hyrule to search for a fiend, falls into the parallel world of Termina. However Zelda in this game, has a different relationship with Link then she did in OoT, they are more like best friends in this game and she gave him the OoT as a sign of there friendship along with the Song of Time, not to stop Ganon and get the Master Sword, but because of there friendship, confirming again the split timeline. TP is the only other game so far to be confirmed on the Child Timeline. After Link meets Zelda at the the end of OoT, he tells the King of Ganon's fowl plans and the King has him arrested, why would the King buy the story of a young boy? Not every boy has the legendary Triforce of Courage, confirming again the split timeline Because of Ganon's fowl plans he is sentenced to death and this is the execution scene in the backstory of TP.

So this is the only part of the timeline confirmed by developers...

Adult Timeline
<Wind Waker-Phantom Hourglass-Spirit Tracks
Skyward Sword-Ocarina of Time Child Timeline
<Majora's Mask-Twilight Princess

If a timeline doesn't place those games like that it is wrong, because that is confirmed by developers. Everything confirmed by developers is canon unless they say something that makes it otherwise. As for the other games we use ingame evidence and logical conclusions to place them.

In my opinion The small children with masks are the different aspects of Majora's mind the children playing ignoring the violent child with Majora's mask if you look at that kid at first he is crying maybe majora was forced into the mask in some tribe like ritual as punishment for something. Tied to a tree with the mask on soul ripped out and forced into the mask my opinion is that you are not in the moon at all you are in Majora's mind and memories probably not true but only my opinion happy face -----> : )