Happy Mask Salesman's Masks are actually pretty sad...

I was just watching the cutscene where you learn the Song of Healing from the Happy Mask Salesman, and I noticed that he says he 'created' the Deku Mask to 'commemorate this day'.


(Skip to 3:22)

It suddenly occurred to me that the Happy Mask Salesman has the ability to create masks using the Song of Healing, presumably in the same way as creating the Goron and Zora Masks, by healing a broken soul, and allowing them to die peacefully.

So does this mean that the masks that he carries on his back were all created by him, to commemorate people's deaths?



Well, all the faces look pretty pained, and they are all recognisable as people. Maybe this is why the Happy Mask Salesman travels from land to land, to heal the pain of others? If so, I wonder why he's call the 'Happy' Mask Salesman...because that's a pretty tragic tale.

This brings me onto Majora's Mask. What if the Happy Mask Salesman wants the mask back because it commemorates someone he watched die? What if Majora was actually close to the Happy Mask Salesman?

There are plenty of masks that don't seem to be made from people who died.

It could happen he does that or he is the Grim Reaper of the Zelda world.That being the reason he save Link from dying if you let the moon fall because it's still not time for Link to die.

Originally Posted by SkullDude

There are plenty of masks that don't seem to be made from people who died.

Not necessarily died, but people who have regrets that must be fulfilled before moving on to the afterlife. Look at Kamaro, Grog, Gorman, Anju & Kafei. All these masks are meaningful in the sense of lifelong fulfillment.

Originally Posted by tlozbj

It could happen he does that or he is the Grim Reaper of the Zelda world.That being the reason he save Link from dying if you let the moon fall because it's still not time for Link to die.

I like this theory. But rather than being a cold Grim Reaper, I was thinking maybe an angelic spirit sent to heal people's pain.

I actually quite like this theory! And it makes sense considering all the other transformation masks are dead. But this raises question in regard to obviously Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity mask. Like you mentioned it's quite ironic he's called the "Happy Mask Salesman" if this is the true nature of his job. It could also explain why he's a bit... odd (MENTAL) also this is quite far-fetched but it could explain why his instrument is an organ, y'know with churches and all that.

Originally Posted by Toby

I actually quite like this theory! And it makes sense considering all the other transformation masks are dead. But this raises question in regard to obviously Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity mask.

Ah, yes, the Fierce Deity Mask... Well, we all know that the Fierce Deity and Majora were sort of archenemies, so maybe the Happy Mask Salesman was the middle-ground, and he was sent to end the feud, therefore allowing them to move on?

Like in the Charmed Tv series that there's no grim reaper but a angel of death maybe the HMS is that a angel of death not a souless grim reaper.That would explain how he teleported the organ inside clock tower and at the end he teleported to the entrance of clock town walk a little and then he disapear.The theory of him in being a angel of death would clear that up and clear the mystery of the HMS.

Has anyone else noticed that he also seems to be aware of the whole time travel aspect? Or is it just me? Or am I just pulling something out of nothing?

Originally Posted by Lozgeek

Has anyone else noticed that he also seems to be aware of the whole time travel aspect? Or is it just me? Or am I just pulling something out of nothing?

He seems to be aware of Link's past, present and future, which sort of hints that he is a omniscient figure. He could be an angel or a demon...or neither. But I definitely want to see him return to clear these theories up.

So that would mean he saw Mario die? I don't think all of the masks he carries are from dead people, but maybe from people who had some regrets, like Ningan the Lone Ninja said.

Originally Posted by lulles

So that would mean he saw Mario die?

Yup, why do you think Mario's not jumping around in Zelda land? He lived a life of sin, he rode the last remaining specie of dinosaur like it was a common show horse and he also almost brought the rare and graceful species of Testudines Hornicus to extinction.

He was always motivated by coin and experimenting with magic mushrooms, in the end they got the better of him and Mario just gave in.

Originally Posted by Toby

I actually quite like this theory! And it makes sense considering all the other transformation masks are dead. But this raises question in regard to obviously Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity mask. Like you mentioned it's quite ironic he's called the "Happy Mask Salesman" if this is the true nature of his job. It could also explain why he's a bit... odd (MENTAL) also this is quite far-fetched but it could explain why his instrument is an organ, y'know with churches and all that.

Actually it's not that ironic he being called the Happy mask salesman because:
Happy-he heals the souls of people so the souls can be happy
Mask-he transforms the soul or the sadness of the person into a mask
Salesman-He then sales the masks and restarts the cycle

So it's not so ironic the conection between his name and job.

Originally Posted by tlozbj

Actually it's not that ironic he being called the Happy mask salesman because:
Happy-he heals the souls of people so the souls can be happy
Mask-he transforms the soul or the sadness of the person into a mask
Salesman-He then sales the masks and restarts the cycle

So it's not so ironic the conection between his name and job.

Would you be happy if you had to travel across various worlds endlessly looking for broken souls or people who are forever trapped by there own sadness and there only release from said sadness is being transformed into a lifeless object?

Originally Posted by Toby

Would you be happy if you had to travel across various worlds endlessly looking for broken souls or people who are forever trapped by there own sadness and there only release from said sadness is being transformed into a lifeless object?

Yes because i can free them for their sadness and permit them to pass to the afterlife.And who knows maybe the mask is made of the sadness of the soul and the rest of the soul pass to the place were souls go in the zelda universe.So yes because i can help sad souls pass to the afterlife.

Originally Posted by Toby

Would you be happy if you had to travel across various worlds endlessly looking for broken souls or people who are forever trapped by there own sadness and there only release from said sadness is being transformed into a lifeless object?

lol

But he doesn't travel because of that. He travels because he likes collecting masks, not because he has to heal the sad souls of people. That being sad, I don't think all the masks he has were all gotten from dead people or from regretful people; he probably has "normal" masks as well.

Originally Posted by lulles

So that would mean he saw Mario die?

That's exactly what I thought! Yes, it seems Mario was filled with great sadness before passing, he never managed to save Peach in time to receive his 'cake'.

Anyway, I've realised that my theory about healing regrets works with most masks. The Mask of Scents was given by the Deku Butler, after you beat the maze, and he remarks that Link reminds him of his lost son. Clearly, playing games with you makes him feel like a father again, and so his regrets are healed...well, until he finds his son's corpse-tree.

Also, the Postman's Hat is given only when the Postman makes his final delivery to Madame Aroma and can finally evacuate to the ranch, meaning his regrets are fulfilled. The Bremen Mask is given after Guru-Guru finally confesses that he stole the mask, and is finally free of his burden.



However, I cannot explain masks such as the Keaton Mask, the Great Fairy's Mask or Don Gero's Mask. Any ideas?

Maybe the regret of the great fairy was to not be able to help the people when she was separated into stray fairies and when Link gave her the last stray fairy she was free of her burden of not helping the people and the great fairy mask was created.

Originally Posted by tlozbj

Maybe the regret of the great fairy was to not be able to help the people when she was separated into stray fairies and when Link gave her the last stray fairy she was free of her burden of not helping the people and the great fairy mask was created.

Exactly what I was going to say. As for the Keaton mask and the Don Gero mask... I'm not sure, since I don't remember well how you obtain them in the game. The Curiosity Shop owner gave you the Keaton mask, right? But under what circunstances?

An angel of death... that's a pretty cool theory! I've never considered that.

I have my own theories on this matter, but they're largely unfounded, and would be a massive spoiler, so I'm gonna keep them to myself.

Originally Posted by tlozbj

Maybe the regret of the great fairy was to not be able to help the people when she was separated into stray fairies and when Link gave her the last stray fairy she was free of her burden of not helping the people and the great fairy mask was created.

Yes! That explains why Kafei couldn't transform back into an adult, and she probably did feel regret for not helping him!