The Happy Mask Salesman (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

The Happy Mask Salesman is one of the most prominent characters featured in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Despite appearing in a single game within a prolific franchise, he has become a fan favourite character, leading to at least as many cosplays and theories as the main trio of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. He meets Link, the protagonist, early in the game and, despite helping the player early on, his true motives are never defined, leading to a lot of speculation to his true nature.

Mysteries are an enormous part of narrative. Genres are built out of trying to figure out murder culprits or a character's past. However, more often than not, a character's reveal will be disappointing, and far less powerful than the speculation behind it. Many times, a dark, edgy, cloaked character will be revealed to be the last of his kind, or seeking revenge for his slaughtered family, removing the mystique of a character to culminate in a clichéd backstory or motivation. However, The Happy Mask Salesman is given nothing when it comes to development and reveals. While this could be perceived as a lack of attention to his character, making him little more than a glorified NPC, it is clear through his dialogue that there was a lot of thought put into who he is. He implores Link to obtain the titular Majora's Mask, and after regaining it, sounds as though he still considers it a loss, as "the evil has left the mask." Had he simply been a man selling masks, he would have been written as grateful, but the point was made to have him portray disappointment. The particular attention given to his erratic animations, reticent dialogue, and eerie positivity elicit much more fan exploration and speculation than many other characters with undefined origins and desires.