Majora

"According to legend... the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great... the ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse. But now, that tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power... But I feel it."

- Happy Mask Salesman talking about Majora's Mask. "A puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage. This puppet's role has just ended..."

- Majora abandoning Skull Kid.

Majora is the titular main antagonist of the 2000 videogame The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It is an evil being that is responsible for possessing Skull Kid and trying to destroy Termina. It was obliterated by Link and with its powers gone, it turned into a normal mask that was given to the Happy Mask Salesman for good.

History
This history of Majora is organized into the latest "official Zelda timeline", this may change completely in the future as the timeline given is merely meant as an example, and there have been official timelines before it.

Child Timeline
This is the timeline where Link was sent back to the past and was able to warn the Royal Family of Ganondorf's treachery, leading to the events of Twilight Princess ' backstory.

Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask was once used by an ancient tribe in it's sinister rituals. However, the mask's power grew so great that it was sealed away within darkness until the mask was somehow acquired by the Happy Mask Salesman. One day, a mischievous Skull Kid stole Majora's Mask and proceeded to wear it. Not only did the mask enchant Skull Kid with it's power but, combined with his burdened feelings, it created the world of Termina.

The mask's intent was to destroy Termina by bringing down the Moon on top of Clock Town. For the majority of the game, Majora’s Mask remained worn by the Skull Kid who perched himself on the town's Clock Tower, drawing the Moon closer to Termina. Although the Skull Kid was unaware, Majora's Mask gradually began to take complete control of his mind, turning his harmless pranks on people to acts with malicious intent. Before the game's events, Skull Kid used the power of the mask to prank and curse others around him, such as an engaged man named Kafei who was transformed into a child. Eventually, Link found a way to stop Skull Kid by summoning the world's four guardian deities. But Majora's Mask refused to give up and abandoned it's "puppet" before entering the Moon itself, attempting to force it down onto the city.

Link and the fairy Tatl followed the mask into the Moon where it battled the pair using different forms. However it was defeated and the mask's dark power, along with the monster within it, faded away. The Moon in the sky disappears as the Happy Mask Salesman finally reclaims the now harmless Majora’s Mask, much to his delight. Also, with the mask's powers gone and Skull Kid having been able to make peace with himself, the world of Termina soon ceased to exist.

Decline Timeline
This is the timeline where Ganondorf killed Link in his final battle with him, leading to the Imprisoning War described in the backstory of A Link to the Past.

A Link Between Worlds
Majora's Mask can be found in Ravio's shop at Link's house, hanging on the wall as decoration. The mask has no power here and cannot be interacted with. However, if Link turns into an image he can walk on the wall behind the mask and make it seem as if he were wearing it. If Link's head is hidden behind the mask, an eerie music can be heard playing quietly.

Breath of the Wild
Majora's Mask is a collectible and wearable item in Breath of the Wild which is added to the game with the expansion pass. If Link wears it, enemies such as Moblins, Bokoblins, and Lizalfos will not attack him unless provoked. It has no effect on Guardians, and Lynels will see through the disguise after some time.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Majora appears in a stage (only playable in Event 47). If the player defeats three random opponents without losing both lives, they unlock Majora's trophy.

Super Smash Bros. 4
Along with Skull Kid, Majora appears as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. When Skull Kid is summoned, he works similarly like Tingle, but more sadistically. Its abilities include:


 * Flipping the stage upside-down.
 * Reversing the controls.
 * Turning every fighter invisible.

Hyrule: Total War / Hyrule Conqiest
Majora reappears in the Hyrule: Total War by UndyingNephalim as the main villain.

Oocca propaganda tells of Majora as the first to arrive in Hyrule. Majora supposedly started corrupting the work of the Goddesses, resulting in his banishment into Termina. Angered, Majora summoned the Druthulidi into Hyrule. In reality, Majora was the last Druthulidi to arrive, long after the Goddesses have left. He helped the Sages combat the Druthulidi, in exchange for power. After all of the Druthulidi were dead, banished or in hiding, the Sages locked Majora in Termina, earning his eternal hatred.

For Millennia, Majora spread his influence through his Church, causing chaos and absorbing civilizations into Termina (Ikana, Deku Scrubs). After all but one Druthulidi had been truly killed, Majora stepped into Hyrule and destroyed the Triforce, before being destroyed by armies of Hyrule, Sheikah, Gorons, Zora and Kokiri. With his last strenght, he created a moon that would crash into Hyrule. This moon was destroyed by Hylia, who sacrificed herself to save Hyrule.

Even after his death, Majora remained in Termina, supposedly forever locked.

Personality
Majora is known for being a highly disturbed and insane creature. After speaking for itself for the first time near the end of the game, it declares that the Skull Kid is just its puppet, suggesting that it was actually the mask's essence itself that craved so much misery and destruction. Every power that it used seems to suggest or induce insanity and pandemonium, such as the turning of Kafei into a child mere days before his wedding, the transformation of Link into a Deku, and various other bizarre and psychopathic problems that it caused. The grotesque visage also seems to indicate madness. At the Moon, in a very peaceful but surreal meadow, Majora and the four Boss Remains take on the form of children, with Majora sitting alone and staring at the ground. It asks Link to play a game of "good guys against bad guys", where Link is the "bad guy". In combat, Majora also has a tendency to laugh to itself manically, lets out high-pitched and rambunctious shrieks when injured, and all of its forms have a very shambolic and unsettling appearance.

When asking to play their game of "good guys against bad guys", Majora freely offers Link the Fierce Deity's Mask, so that he may become truly villainous and manipulative. It is suggestive that Majora has a condemnatory relationship with the being and wants to destroy him, or at least his incarnation. Majora's psychosis is only further evidenced by the offering of an item noticeably beyond his own power level. However, this is never fully elaborated upon in the game, so the nature of the two's relationship is speculative. This decision may also be made, because Majora was lonely, and was hoping that this present might make Link Majora's friend, so that he would be with others, since the other Lunar Children didn't let Majora play with them, or he just thought that he was being extremely cooperative and helpful as an excuse for every trouble that they caused.

Powers and Abilities
The full scope of Majora's powers are unknown. However, they are magical in nature with dark themes. Examples, are when the Skull Kid used the mask, to seal the four giants Termina's (gods) into mask with each temple. He also used the mask's magic to curse Link into a Deku and turned Kafei into a child. It even has the power to affect the afterlife, as it cursed one area of Termina with Poes and Undead.

The temples were also cursed and affected the land near each one. The Southern Swamp's water became poisoned. The Snowhead Mountain had a perpetual winter. The Great Bay's ocean had murky water. Ikana Canyon was cursed with Poes and undead. From different kinds of curses, to possessing a host as well the Mask that contains its power and spirit. Its power is also great enough to pull the moon, into Termina and was going to crash into Clock Town. After Link defeated Majora itself, the mask seemly lost its evil and dark magic.

In combat, Majora turns out to be a very powerful and formidable opponent, able to use his sharp edges to attack his enemies, animate Link's masks, launch attacks of fire, energy and taking a more powerful form with each defeat.

Trivia

 * Majora is possibly the only villain in the franchise with unclear motives. Rather than try to take over the land or gain amazing power, it seems to only wish to spread as much chaos and misery as possible.
 * It is entirely possible that someone may not have ever actually seen Majora, seeing as the bosses in the game are all merely things belonging to it. ie; Majora's Wrath.
 * In a non-canon Legend of Zelda manga, Majora was a draconic being who existed before time. A mysterious entity (possibly linked to the Fierce Deity) tricked it into dancing itself to death. He then carved the mask out of Majora's armor.
 * The name "Majora" is probably inspired by the ancient Brazilian society of a similar name, Marajoara, a culture that created masks, some of which look strikingly similar to Majora's Mask.