Zelda 30th Anniversary | Top 5 Masks

By Az Elias 20.11.2016

Masks in The Legend of Zelda may have been introduced in Ocarina of Time as a side-quest, but it was the game's sequel, Majora's Mask, that popularised them and turned them into a core gameplay mechanic. Link's whole adventure revolved around donning masks to trigger certain situations and transform into entirely different species. Often used to reward in heart pieces, some masks were more important than others, sometimes opening up a way to progress the storyline, whilst other times adding more insight into the backgrounds of particular characters in the world of Termina. Continuing the series' 30th anniversary celebration at Cubed3, we pick out five of our favourite masks.

All-Night Mask

One of the less useful masks in Majora's Mask, the All-Night Mask prevents the wearer from sleeping. Link can utilise it to stay awake through an old woman's story, which will result in a bit of history for the player and a heart piece for Link.

Despite its limited use, the mask has a strong physical presence, being obtainable only by having 500 rupees and letting the clock run dangerously low, looking rather creepy, and having an in-game history as a torture device. The mask must have resonated with some, as it makes a cameo appearance in a shop in The Wind Waker.
- David

Blast Mask

Perhaps the most disturbing mask of them all in Majora's Mask is this exploding device. Filled with gunpowder, the Blast Mask is obtained from the elderly woman from the Clock Town Bomb Shop, after Link saves her from getting robbed by a thief. With a simple press of a button, the mask blows up, letting off an explosion like those of any other standard bomb Link can use, damaging him in the process.

It is perfect for bomb backup if Link has run out of the items in his inventory, but it is difficult to overlook the suicidal tendencies it places on the user. A bit of a dark mask in its own right, but one that proves to be incredibly useful in desperate situations… provided Link has the health to survive the explosion.
- Az

Bunny Hood

Mention the Running Man and most people will simply think of the dance. For some of us, however, it has a much deeper meaning, evoking the most frustrating moment of our childhood; the impossible race in Ocarina of Time. Even when we thought we had him outsmarted by using our Ocarina to teleport, he was always smugly waiting for us in the Lost Woods. How could this be? Well, we enabled it by selling him the Bunny Hood, but we were never able to feel its true power… Until Majora's Mask, that is.

In Majora's Mask, the Bunny Hood grants the player twice the movement speed and twice the jumping distance. The sense of freedom achieved with the mask meant that many chose to give it its own permanent C-button. It also became a signature item in the Super Smash Bros. series, increasing the fighter's speed whilst making them look ridiculous.
- Chris G

Fierce Deity's Mask

Should Link find all of the masks and turn them in to the child by the tree on the moon, he will be rewarded with Majora's Mask's final prize: the Fierce Deity's Mask. The last of the transformation masks, this one turns Link into his strongest form. Resembling adult Link from Ocarina of Time with a new coat of paint, little is known about the Fierce Deity other than that his power makes the fight against Majora (and the rest of the bosses) a walk in the park.

This absence of lore has led to a plethora of fan theories and interpretations, but most will agree that his white/gold tunic, face paint, and helix sword make him one of the coolest forms of Link to date, and his inclusion as a costume in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and a special attack in Hyrule Warriors confirms it.
- David

Mask of Truth

Part of a special trinity of sacred items created by the mysterious Sheikah tribe, the Mask of Truth allows its wearer to telepathically speak to the Gossip Stones dotted about the fields of Hyrule and Termina, letting Link learn secrets of the lands and their inhabitants that otherwise would be kept quiet.

In Majora's Mask, its ability to talk with animals provides Link with a means to bet on the most fancied dog in the races at Romani Ranch. Cheating it may be, but what Mamamu Yan, the owner of the racetrack, doesn't know can't hurt her, can it? Clearly as mysterious a mask as its creators, the Sheikah, there is no doubt far more to the Mask of Truth than we may ever know.
- Az

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