The Legend of Zelda has become one of the most captivating fantasy experiences in all of video game history. At the core of its story has always been a young boy fighting against evil, traversing an immense land brimming with excitement. But in the year 2000, something very different took place in the franchise. Two years after the iconic release of Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda would follow up with its next installment for the Nintendo 64, Majora’s Mask.

Picking up after the events of Ocarina of Time, the story opens with Link searching for his fairy companion Navi. As he rides his horse Epona, the woods around them permeate with gloom. The two are ambushed by two fairies and a Skull Kid; the latter is a woodland being of sorts in the Zelda games. What immediately stands out about Skull Kid is his mask; with its heart-shaped design, vibrant colors, and other eccentric features, the mask exudes a mystic appeal.

Skull Kid steals Link’s ocarina and Epona. Chasing after Skull Kid, Link enters a tree, stumbling and falling down a large black hole (kicking off this Alice In Wonderland-esque sequence). Skull Kid uses magic to transform Link into a plant-based creature known as a Deku, escaping with one of the fairies. The remaining fairy, Tatl, stays with Link and works with him to find Skull Kid.

Making their way to the land of Termina, Link and Tatl come into contact with the Happy Mask Salesman, who requests that Link retrieve the mask Skull Kid is wearing. After this conversation, Link and Tatl explore Clock Town in pursuit of Skull Kid. When the duo finally confront him, they realize that he is no longer in control of his actions – but that the mask is possessing him. The mask intends to use the moon to destroy Termina; just as the moon is about to crash into Clock Town, Link performs “The Song of Time”, sending him and Tatl back in time. The two find themselves back where they started when first entering Clock Town. When they meet up with the Happy Mask Salesman again, he tells them about the evil power that is Majora’s Mask. From there, Link sets out on a quest to defeat Majora.

Majora’s Mask is easily one of the more unique titles among The Legend of Zelda franchise. For one, while Ocarina of Time involved time travel, Majora’s Mask brings an intriguing twist to the mechanic. The majority of the game’s narrative follows a 72 hour period; at the end of that timeframe, the moon will crash down upon Termina (presenting an immediate game over). To prevent this, and regardless of where Link is on his journey, “The Song of Time” will have to be played to reverse time. This in itself is an interesting element to a Zelda game; imagine being in the middle of a dungeon and having to reverse time and start over. Link will be able to hold onto key items, but any rupees and dungeon keys that may be on him will be lost when restarting back in Clock Town.

Another awesome component to the game is that of the masks Link can collect and wear. Many of these masks include special abilities. Among all the masks Link can find, there are three central to the game’s story: the Deku, Goron, and Zora masks. Each of these allows Link to transform his being, offering the chance to use abilities associated with that race. As a Deku, Link can enter and pop out of special flowers to glide for a brief period of time; the Goron mask allows Link to use a special roll attack, while the Zora mask allows him to breathe and use magic underwater. As part of Link’s adventuring tools, these masks present exciting ways for him to approach various objectives.

However, what truly makes Majora’s Mask so brilliant is its atmosphere and emotional narrative.

Looking back at past Zelda experiences, the closest the games have ever gotten to horror is that of their creatures and dungeons. In particular, there’s the terrific Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time and its chilling boss monster Bongo Bongo, as well as the Forest Temple and its boss Phantom Gannon. And while Twilight Princess also dwells in some ominous tones, Majora’s Mask is the Zelda experience to lean most heavily into horror. Beyond its use of monsters and creepy dungeons, however, the real horror of Majora’s Mask is that of the psychological.

From the moment Link falls down that Alice In Wonderland-like hole, there is a consistent weird aura surrounding the world of Termina. There are several NPCs throughout the game who come across as off-kilter; from wacky dialogue to bizarre behavior, many of Termina’s inhabitants are surreal. Similar to the murkiness found in the “future portion” of Ocarina of Time, the respective dungeons of Majora’s Mask linger with nightmarish appeal. While the aforementioned Bongo Bongo and Phantom Gannon make for chilling boss encounters in Ocarina of Time, each of the bosses found in Majora’s Mask bring their own eerie tension. Personally, I’ll never forget Goht; as a giant mechanical goat being with a mask resembling a human face, I found its figure to be unsettling.

Even traveling throughout the land of Termina comes with a sense of unease. Whereas Ocarina of Time has moments of delightful high fantasy adventure, Termina feels uncomfortable and grim. And of course, we can’t forget about the undeniably haunting moon and its menacing facial expression. As Link continues through his 72-hour journey, the moon’s eerie eyes and disturbing grim will always be found staring down at the land. 

But while these various elements contribute to the creepy atmosphere, it’s the game’s narrative and themes that further elevate the use of psychological horror. While not officially confirmed by anyone at Nintendo, there are several articles and fan theories that point to much deeper, more ominous readings of Majora’s Mask – such as the world of Termina representing the various stages of grief and that Link might be dead. 

When you breakdown each of the main locales Link visits, each of them reflects a stage of the Kübler-Ross model of grief. The stages involve Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Some of the people in Clock Town deny that the moon is descending closer; the Deku villagers in Woodfall are angry at a monkey who they blame for kidnapping their princess; a Goron ghost in Snowhead bargains with Link to revive him; Lulu from The Great Bay region exhibits symptoms of depression in regards to her stolen eggs; and in Ikana Canyon, Link must climb the Stone Tower Temple and eventually find the Light Arrows (climbing this structure and obtaining “light” can be read as a means of  “ascending towards acceptance”).

In regards to the notion that Link may be dead, there is one theory that particularly interests me. Upon chasing Skull Kid and falling down that hole, Link has died and the rest of the game represents him working through his own purgatory.

If one looks at Majora’s Mask through this lens, then Link’s adventure takes on an entirely different context; no longer is the game solely about a boy fighting against evil, it is about a boy trying to overcome his despair. The presence of grief also lingers among some of the game’s NPCs; Link will come across a variety of NPCs who will express personal woes. Each of these characters involve different emotional depths, all adding to the game’s somber nature. Even the whole concept of reversing time and reliving the same 72 hour period feels very on point with themes of grief and despair; grieving can feel cyclical at times while one is trying to heal. 

Yet in each darkness Link faces head-on, he brings a little more brightness to the world of Termina – his perseverance also leads to him finding hope and solace. The inhabitants of Termina eventually come to discover their own form of acceptance as well. For a game with so many external thrills, Majora’s Mask makes for a very intimate telling about internal suffering and healing.

It goes without saying that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an experience unlike any other among The Legend of Zelda franchise. While the time travel and masks make for interesting mechanics, the game’s presentation is what allows it to shine. Whereas some games strive to hit players with over the top horror imagery, Majora’s Mask works in a more subtle manner. The horror of Majora’s Mask is that of lingering dread. 

The world design, atmosphere, surreal characters, and emotional story all come together for one of Link’s darkest adventures. With it being 20 years since its release, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask remains one of the most fascinating and chilling experiences among contemporary gaming.