The mask concept of this game was also most likely inspired by Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan see the masks as a symbolic manifestation of their inner enemies. They do not believe that anyone has any enemies (externally), but that the only enemies we have are internal. In the game, we are led to believe that Skull kid is antagonist, or enemy. Then we figure out that Skull kid is only being used as a puppet by the mask. So the mask must be evil, it must be the enemy. But the evil aura that the mask mask possessed was a manifestation of the inner darkness of the Skull kid. Also, the majora’s mask is in the shape of a heart. The Skull Kid must confront the darkness within to overcome his suffering. Which happens by the end of the game, and the happy mask salesman noted that the evil aura of the mask has finally left it. At this point, the Skull Kid has finally overcome his inner darkness. In OoT, when Link is in the water temple, he faces Dark Link, which is the same symbolic representation. Navi tells Link to conquer his dark self. And so in OoT Link has already conquered his darkness, in Majora’s Mask he is someone that is helping the Skull Kid to conquer his inner darkness as well. The Skull Kid or Majora was never Link’s enemy, Link was just someone who wanted to stop the cataclysm and to help/free all beings from suffering Our protagonist Link is the bodhisattva. One who has achieved nirvana but has delayed it to free all sentient beings from suffering. In the ending credits, the everyone is all happy and you see the Deku Butler mourning the tragedy of his son. Letting us know that it’s pretty much impossible to save everyone from their suffering. This is reinforced throughout the game whenever Link helps someone in a sidequest, time will restart due to the 3 day cycle, and everything starts back to square 1.
This comment felt like I wrote it ha I’m just here to say that was a good comment man and yea he has delayed it to help others. Ha also fierce deity has eyes when puttin on the mask. Showing he isn’t blinded he is aware.
Probably going to seem very random, as a young kid that the Jackie Chan cartoon actually teaches this in detail, and even makes sure to differntiate between Oni masks, and other ancient Chinese and Japanese artifacts. Very ahead of its time, and not preachy about it. I thought that the fact that these amazing monsters were based on ancient creatures or legends was so just cool, and I still do. Makes it seem more real. Watching this video totally took me back to learning about that and even researching more about it on my own as a kid. Never thought I'd see them again :).
Also, great catch on the water temple and Link fighting his shadow self.. I sort of got the meaning, but never connected it in this way. Great comment.
This is something Japanese developers do so well compared to Western developers. Games like Zelda and Dark Souls, let their design and symbolism do the storytelling rather than directly telling you.
Yeah I tried so hard to decipher it but so much of the game is probably only symbolic and meaningful personally to the creators themselves and will never truly be understood which always leaves it with an air of mystery and also personal interpretation of the person who plays it. This is how symbolism has been used for thousands of years. There is no one right answer
There's actually a lot of Buddhism in the Zelda series. A big part is how reincarnation seems to work. The main characters aren't rebirths of their previous selves so much as avatars. Zelda is an avatar of Hylia, for instance, and Ganon/Ganondorf is an avatar of Demise. And Link seems to be an avatar of some kind of spirit of the hero. It's really interesting, and it explains how you can have multiple Zeldas hanging out at the same time (as in Adventure of Link) or two Links (as in Link Between Worlds and Twilight Princess).
I don’t think Zelda is necessarily the avatar of Hylia. In Skyword Sword we find out that Hylia does not exist in her spiritual form anymore. Zelda is Hylia. Hylia does not exist somewhere else non-physically. Ganondorf/Ganon is also not the avatar of Demise. Ganondorf is separate for the most part. Demise curses Zelda and Link at the end of Skyword Sword that his hatred will follow them. The “soul” of Demise is sealed in the Master Sword but his hatred in incarnate within Ganon. Though to be clear it is possible that Ganon could be permanently killed. Ganondorf is almost certainly dead by the end of Windwaker and Twilight Princess. The Ganondorf we see in Tears of the Kingdom is a different person. Link is a bit more difficult to define. Demise’s curse says that so long as the incarnation of Hylia and the one with the “soul of the hero” exist then his hatred will as well. But Link does not seem to be reincarnated in the way Hylia is through Zelda. Each Link is his own person. It just seems that in times of need the “soul of the hero,” which is most likely the original Link from Skyward Sword, comes back to help Zelda.
Zelda is for girls tho , well and bottoms , it’s on Nintendo. Only girls got Nintendo consoles , boys got PlayStation and Xbox . I only knew girls with fake cube and switch wii etc
Maybe, taking a shot in the dark here, maybe link needed to experience the 5 stages first hand and provide peace to get to his own enlightenment. (Making this up as I go) link is never the person in any game to say he can't do anything or let tragedy get in his way to be a hero. Termina would be the only way for him to actually experience those stages.
Great analysis! I always felt that Link falling down into Termina had hints of lower world vs higher world mythology to it as well. Just as Skyward Sword references the story of the buddha in paradise and the spider's thread down to hell in the cistern where a rope leads all the way down to a lower, darker world with monsters. Skull Kid is also said to have "returned to the heavens" by Granny when she's telling the story about how the four giants expelled him. If Termina is a lower world, then Hyrule, as the world above, seems to be its "heavens."
I had the same thought as well, Lockstin and Gnoggin did a fantastic video some years ago about the connections between Termina and Lorule from A Link Between Worlds, it's a fascinating look, to be sure.
To be honest even though the devs didn't fully envision a timeline at the beginning I think it's one of the most "Tolkien esque" stories out there, meaning in the sense that it's meant to feel like a magical but existing world with cultures and languages and so on and evoke similar feelings to a religious experience in the same way Tolkien's work does The Hyrule historian trilogy of books are also just great display pieces for a shelf
je suis d'accord, c'est sûr, j'aime beaucoup le nouveau jeu vidéo Zelda même si je n'y ai pas encore joué. Je sais que j'aimerais bien y jouer. Je n'ai joué qu'à quelques jeux Zelda Nintendo mais j'aime la plupart d'entre eux.
@@burningbronze7555 Hyrule Historia, Arta & Artifacts, and the Zelda Encyclopedia. Conveniently, the main colors of the books are green, red, and blue, respectively
I'm sorry, I mean this with 0 hatred or negativity. Do people really have a religious experience from Tolkien's writing? I've felt that way with a few video games, as silly as that may sound. This makes me want to read my first Tolkien book. It sounds like a wonderful feeling to discover through reading.
I'm 31 and still love these old zelda games. I played them as a child. My parents bought majoras mask and we kids couldn't play it until they beat it. This game will always bring me back to those days. It's so cool to hear you explaine a childhood favorite with such depth.
i also like the thought of link giving up all his masks in exchange for the fierce deity mask as a pretty direct metaphor for parting with earthly attachments to reach enlightenment. i'm sure this was stated elsewhere, i'm just excited haha. super cool video!
Now THIS is some synchronicity! I literally just got the itch a day ago to play Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening, and here you are Max! Glad you're going through these, and PLEASE check out Link's Awakening.
Wow!!!!! I absolutely love this analysis and the connections here. This could be one of the underlying reasons why this game speaks to so many people...the concept of letting go of our attachments and achieving enlightenment is something deeply rooted in many ancient religious teachings. This desire exists within all of us, I believe. Amazing work!!!! ❤
Yeah that’s definitely the bodhi tree. It’s said when Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment the whole world erupted with blossoming lotuses. If you check at 17:30 that tree definitely has what look like a few white lotus flower blossoms sprouting from it. Cool!
For your first shot at a Zelda video, this is pretty great :) There's actually a line from one of the Business Scrubs that seems to refer to the Fierce Deity and its frightening demon-repellant visage. "Rumor has it, demons aren't afraid unless they see something that looks the same as themselves."
Wow, this video was fantastic! The best ive seen on MM. As far as Zelda goes, Skyward Sword is known for some notable religous influence; Dragon dieties, Japanese Magatama, and an entire Buddhist temple come to mind.
This is my second-favourite Zelda Game, so I'm very happy to have seen what you had to say about and I was pleasantly surprised that it was Buddhism of all things that permeated the theming in this one! Twilight princess would be my pick for the next Zelda game TBH.
Majora's Mask is my favorite game of all time. And i must say, it brings me great pleasure to see a wholesome interpretation that I've never heard of before. What an amazing video.
When you spoke of the 5 elements of Buddhism (Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Void) it reminded me that those are the exact elements represented in the game Legend of Dragoon. I think your analysis of that game would be intriguing.
the fact that you've only really just started to get into the series and already you sound like an expert and have something to add to the lore and discussion is a big achievement, keep up the good work!
I am happy to see old games videos from Max! As I am currently playing Majora's Masks I'll keep this video for later but I will still do my part for the algorithm~ 💛
I’d like to add, the center Myo-o, Fudo Myo-o is the patron saint of swordsmen in Japanese Buddhism. His Sanskrit name is Akalanantha or the immovable one, and he upholds Buddhist law. He is also an incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva. This is such a cool video, I always appreciated the themes of good deeds and ascension in this game- after getting into eastern mysticism later in life it brings me joy to see my favorite game as a kid being a gateway to this path. Great video, definitely subscribing!
Between this and how Majora's Mask is a game about solving trauma, I have a newfound appreciation for the creators of this game because so much thought was put into it. I've never played MM as I could never get around the 3 day cycle and the game for me is WAY too cryptic compared to OoT, but I respect the fans for it as well as other aspects of the game (GREAT OST!). As for "solving trauma" another youtuber made a video about that and she makes fantastic points on how the game is about Link healing from losing Navi, as well how Link was traumatized from the whole OoT ordeal, being forced to grow up 7 years, the theft of his childhood by having to fight as a kid, and all the evil he faced. Majora's Mask is a game that was meant to help Link heal, he no longer was a "Hero" he became a "Healer". Makes sense why a powerful song like the Song of Healing is given to you so early. What really stood out to me though about this game was how Skull Kid and Link were 2 sides of the same coin. Link was finding good ways to deal with trauma, and thus helping people which was helping Link himself. Skull Kid (though under the influence of Majora), dealt with trauma negatively by causing pain on everyone, which only made Skull Kid feel lonelier than ever because he was driving everyone away. This youtuber made such a great point about the fact, and tbh I can't recall a time either, on not just how dark Majora was as a villain, but how sick of a villain it was, no other game, let alone in the Zelda franchise, had a villain like that. Most villains just want to conquer the world, or are comically evil, a cliche type of evil in some way shape or form. Majora on the other hand, was sadistic. It's no wonder how most Zelda fans I talk to label Majora as the most evil villain of the franchise. It doesn't want to conquer the world, it just wants to destroy everything/everyone/and cause pain.
I don't think Termina completely disappeared at the end, considering that the end credits show a town celebrating and link leaving. Considering that there is a Zelda title that all takes place in a dream, that came out before Majora's Mask, which made it clear it was in a dream, and that the world would end as soon as Link woke up. Unless they made it obvious that Termina was a dream world, it would be more likely that it's a real place that Link moves on from, and find his way home.
Really appreciate the conclusion. I grew up between London and Sri Lanka, the latter of which has Buddhism as it's predominant religion. I played Majora's Mask while on vacation in Sri Lanka, during the Vesak Full Moon. It was such an esoteric piece of media representation that extended into such a unique real world celebration. Combined with the themes of the game, I look back on it with a fond, bittersweet magical playthrough experience.
Ya know this has huge Alchemy Shinto and Godai connections especially in Tears of the Kingdom. I made a Alchemy Part 1 video before tears came out and Working on a Sequel video about it even and this video popped up, making me realize most what i said in my video or my current research, i feel like im onto something! Thank you! Great watch and i love your content, it inspires me to do better on my own editing and research!
Majoras mask is one of my favorite top games ever alongside with Legend of Mana and Castlevania SoTN. Soooo happy to see that you made a video about it ^^ Cheers! PS: You just blew my mind!
With a focus on the spiritual quest within Majora's Mask, this game goes beyond what a typical game might offer. Exploring themes rooted in Eastern philosophies, the introduction of the Fierce Deity Mask - a blend of Hindu and Buddhist concepts - reflects the idea of achieving 'the ultimate realization.' By wearing this metaphorical mask, Link is mirroring one's own journey towards Enlightenment. While masks serve as mere accessories in many games, Majora's Mask raises the question, 'What if one mask could give you everything?' The answer to this question being that you're left with only your truest self. #Zelda #MajorasMask #Philosophy
Awesome analysis and great video! So thrilled to hear you're playing Zelda. I love your videos, so this video in my feed was such a treat to see. Appreciate your work,- keep it up!
I've barely gotten into Zelda as well. Played almost all the way through Ocarina back in the day but that's it. I'm def checking out MM after watching this! A couple minor but fun tidbits: the color scheme thing is a thing across cultures and beliefs. The specific connotations they rep may change, but it's almost always those colors representing elements, directions, etc. The fourfold thing which the fifth encompasses. The symbols on "wrathful diety" Link's chest: The upward triangle can mean many things, but one of which is elemental fire, which is sometimes seen as a stand-in for spirit (the white) or at least the element 'closest' to spirit. And the crecsent moon, besides everything you mentioned can be a symbol for the buddha itself which has escaped Samsara. On many visual depictions of Samsara like the ones you showed here, you can find the Buddha standing next to the crescent moon, outside of the cycle, pointing the way to enlightenment. Great vid, as always!
I gotta say, as a guy who loves the art of storytelling, I love your channel for always reminding me what classics I'm still missing. I just started Lost last week btw. There's just too damn many things and never enough time.
The moon also resemble the giants minus the limbs and facial hair. Making the Moon a "5th giant" of sorts, while Link becomes a huge version of himself as the Fierce Deity to imply being a "6th Giant".
Right when you brought up "Space" being one of the elements I said "OH MY GOD THE MOON" This is such a cool video Max. Thank you, sincerely. Some of my favorite content anywhere.
I love how even as a kid I felt like I somehow picked up on the fact that this game represented something sacred. And now the older I get and the more we analyze it all feels so meaningful. Such a cool & amazing feeling, and grateful to share it with you all
I have to be honest, I was eating sardines on a toast while watching this and I could not follow. But your editing is on point and awesome, I agree with everything even if didn't actually understand. Your work is awesome!
Damn I can't imagine playing MM as an adult for the first time, welcome to the club! Sounds super cool since you probably caught so much even on first playthrough
Great video as always! The past few years have had a great boom of esoteric analysis of games and Zelda does consistently end up towards the top of the list. Skyward Sword also has several connections to Buddhism and the more I think about it the more I can see it in others of the series too. I don't think there is much to laugh at about the presence of the 4 classical elements, other than how powerful they can be! Going from OoT to MM is kind of like a turning point in the series from 3 to 4 and it sort of vibrates in this area often. Water and Fire are so strongly opposed they commonly stay separate, but there is some limitlessness of the conjunction or distinction between heaven and earth where their oscillation often makes them appear as one.
Loved the video! I suggest you tackle Link's Awakening. Or, if you want to be further ambitious, a full psychological introspection into the Hero of Time.
Looking at the mapping between directions and bosses, we've got Odolwa in the south with the mask on the red (not yellow nor blue) mandala; Goht in the north with the mask on the green (correct for one system, would be red in the nyori image) mandala; Gyorg in the west with the mask on the blue (not red nor yellow) mandala; Twinmold in the east with the mask on the yellow (not blue nor green) mandala. I don't think I can come up with a perfectly logical link between each region and the associated element. The Southern Swamp is initially poisoned, which I don't think really fits any element, but lots of puzzles involve flight (air), and the Deku King wants to burn (fire) the monkey, and sure, this region does kind of have more fire and torches than other regions. Snowhead can temporarily be thawed with fire and ultimately becomes lush and green, with Snowhead Temple itself being blocked by wind (air) from the sleeping Goron, and I think I've seen elemental systems where greenery is mostly associated with air. The most natural element for the Great Bay is water, and I can't really make a case for anything else. Ikana Canyon is very dry and part of healing it involves water, but my instinct would be to relate that region to earth, especially with the burrowing worm boss. With Great Bay and Ikana Canyon being correct, and since I could really go either way between fire and air for both the Southern Swamp and Snowhead, I can come up with something consistent albeit kind of a stretch. None of this comment is intended as a critique or disagreement. I just love this game and speculating about it.
Excellent video as always! I know the whole series has frequently, and sometimes overtly, borrowed from Buddhism, but it’s still very interesting to hear specific connections. And of course you managed to bring new info to light. As for what game should come next, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, but Skyward Sword seems like a good fit for your style of videos.
Dang I was about to hit the Subscribe button because of your knowledge of how these games and anime productions reference occult and lesser known religions - I love that stuff! Turns out I already subscribed to you! I checked the PFP and I remember some of your autism videos. You're amazing!
This is an intriguing analysis, to be sure. I think you also see those four colors represented for the Giants themselves, tying the Fierce Diety to this White center is also highly fitting thematically for reasons you explained excellently. While I personally believe that Termina is its own world (there is no reason this journey towards enlightenment erases the people and places of Termina) for a fair number of reasons (historically based, high emotional states of characters, the Deku Butler's son), this theory is still highly applicable. Protective guardians actually protecting something is a lot more appealing to me than protective guardians existing in a frayed mindscape.
Very synchronistic I needed to hear this today from 8:33 Onwards.. I had already begun the video last week but, didn't watch it all and forgot about it.. From here on is where it resonated with me 10:02 The use of Masks and attaining your higher true self. Bravo sir! 👏
Such an excellent video. Genuinely original ideas brought forth in an interesting way. I love that ending with the Fierce Deity's sword. For what game to do next, I think Link's Awakening may be a good fit. I've always been a big fan of that one and I think it would be a good fit for your style
I love the alagorirs in MM. Another video essay said MM is a lesson on forgiveness. And what is forgiveness? Striving to let go, or detach, from negative feelings, so we become our best selves.
I don't believe Termina is transitory simply because the four Giants have been protecting it for centuries, maybe millenia, during which they met the Skull Kid, later abandoning him to resume their duties. If Termina only exists during the events of the game, then Skull Kid's whole motivation makes no sense.
I just wanted to make a quick note: when you talk about the Fierce Deity looking like Link and equate some similarity with this to Atman-Brahman and later with this to a Buddha's Dharmakaya, I see one particular "inconsistency", which lies in the fact that the principal means that the Buddha taught to reach supreme enlightenment was "Anatman" or "no-self", as opposed to "atman" in Brahmanism. Therefore, when you compared both of them together as similar, I pondered if, deep down, such comparison between Buddhism and Hinduism could be drawn so closely, because of these fundamentally distinct (and opposed) concepts as their core. Overall, your videos are always spectacular and thank you for making me ever more interested to be looking into video game culture and our religious experiences. Peace.
Great video Max! Since the "It Was All A Dream" trope was brought up in the video, I IMPLORE you to play Link's Awakening! I would also very much like to see you cover more SMT material; I'd be particularly interested in your takes on the 3DS games, especially Devil Survivor 1&2.
Originally, the game was meant to have a seven day cycle but they ended up shortening it because they only had a year to make the game. (Seriously, when you look at how rushed this game was, its status as one of the greatest games in the franchise is nothing short of a miracle.)
Ah, man. It feels really good seeing a youtuber explain this to people. Even before MM3D came out, I was in forums discussing this with plenty other people, and I'm so glad you brought it up. During the release of MM3D, they gave interviews that explained the Fierce Deity Mask, and one of the reason the 3D version has more narrative cohesion by making the Notebook include EVERYONE you can interact with that's marginally of consequence, is that the Fierce Deity IS the "negative" emotions of the people of Termina. Just amazing.
id think skyward sword would be a good candidate. theres mentions in it of a cycle of rebirth of the main villain, and an entire dungeon themed around buddhist hell
Small note regarding your content, about a year or two ago, I may or may not have left a comment telling you that while I do enjoy your analysis, the presentation (your speech style mostly) made it, well, not hard, but harder to listen to you, as I felt you lacked tone in your voice, I recall your manner of speaking being monotone and your rhythm very rigid. I've kept watching regardless, but I noticed recently that your speech has been steadily changing and I can't help but applaud that and the occasional joke you insert, I find those very refreshing. Good luck to you! The insights you have are wonderful and this community would certainly be worse off without you!
If you can handle the trauma and adult themes, I'd love to see a video on Fear & Hunger. There is so much alchemical thought and symbolism in that series.
Oh that was cool. As a die hard Zelda fan I tend to watch random videos on Zelda and came across yours today. This was very enlightening 😂. Seriously though good job. I loved the video.
Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game. Zelda is my #1 game series of all time. I'm a gamer because of Zelda. I remember when Ocarina of Time came out back in the 90s.
Three reasons theorists can’t see ZE as legitimate are: • MM’s backstory mentioned that Skullkid was previously in Termina(prior to stealing MM) and “departed for the heavens”(presumably Hyrule), - Link, SK & HMS are standing in Termina Field during the ending(not to mention Link’s woodcarving of him & SK), and - The Deku Butler’s son was unable to be saved, as he was affected by MM beyond the reaches/ Land of Termina (he sits outside of ClockTown, almost over the threshold between Hyrule>Termina). Nonetheless, I really like this explanation for the overall symbolism and Fierce Deity.
The three day cycle was originally going to be 7 days but was later cut down. It was inspired by a movie that had the same mechanic of redoing the same day over and over.
I know I'm nitpicking for asking this, but why do the boss masks only match up at the end of the game, but not the regions you fight them in? Do they fit in a different pattern? For example, the mask for great bay's boss has the color blue to represent east but is in the west, the boss for stone head has the color yellow and south but is found in the east, and woodfall's boss has the color red for west but is in the south. Only snow head's boss only fits this pattern with green for north. I'm also confused where the colors for the stray fairies fit into this since they have similar differences (again, only the north ones are green in the n64 version), not to mention the northern and southern stray fairies were changed in the 3ds version. I want to be clear and say I don't think you're wrong, I'm just confused. Maybe the colors just need to be present, not necessarily the order?
Haven't even watched the video yet and I already gave it a like. This is a topic I've wanted someone to cover for years. Update: If you want a really interesting connection to eastern ideas I'd say do a video on Skyward Sword. Pretty much all Zeldas or at least most use a lot of Ideas from Shinto and Buddhism together and Skyward Sword has very strong connections. More than most Zelda games. If there is one thing I highly suggest when doing Zelda analysis videos is make sure you double check with the Japanese version of the game. A lot of times localization or censorship will change the meaning of the story or make it harder to understand. They use very specific wording in Zelda games and sometimes it gets cut from the English games. Skyward Sword is no exception.
tbh i never understood why so many fans of the zelda series hate the idea that termina was created by skull kid/majora because Link's Awakening did the whole "it was all a dream" thing and everyones good with it.
Great video, thank you. Majora's Mask came out when I was 9 and helped shape my personality, it will always be one of my absolute favorite games. I would love to see a video on Link's Awakening, it has a really interesting story that ties into dream myths, it's another one of my favorites.
@@Khan-ig5rx I didn't mean to sound so bossy, you didn't have to change it on my account. It is a very old spoiler that I agree most long-time Zelda fans probably take for granted, but there's still a chance Max has avoided it this long. It's kind of amazing these games were able to convey so much atmosphere and set a tone on such limited hardware.
@@Galamoth06 Haha you're fine, I wasn't offended, you brought up a good point. And agreed, the small collection of vintage games I hold onto includes nearly every Zelda they made for the Gameboy and GBA. Link's Awakening always stuck with me, the connections to Eastern and Native American mythology are pretty interesting.
@@Khan-ig5rx The Oracle games are fantastic too. When I replay them I have no problem playing them back to back, then back to back again in reverse order. They're so good that four consecutive playthroughs aren't even tedious (for me, anyway).
I mean i think you nailed it 100%. in all my years of playing this game n trying to decipher what the hell the symbolism was, I think this is the most cut and dry explanation. I mean you could even go further with it, in that only after link gives up all his earthly possessions (masks) is he finally able to ascend to enlightenment. I will say if anyone wants to attempt to tie this back into game lore, you could argue that link's desire to find navi and his discontent with his own childhood is what tethers him back to the mortal plane and inadvertently causes him to die and become the hero's shade
The mask concept of this game was also most likely inspired by Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan see the masks as a symbolic manifestation of their inner enemies. They do not believe that anyone has any enemies (externally), but that the only enemies we have are internal. In the game, we are led to believe that Skull kid is antagonist, or enemy. Then we figure out that Skull kid is only being used as a puppet by the mask. So the mask must be evil, it must be the enemy. But the evil aura that the mask mask possessed was a manifestation of the inner darkness of the Skull kid. Also, the majora’s mask is in the shape of a heart. The Skull Kid must confront the darkness within to overcome his suffering. Which happens by the end of the game, and the happy mask salesman noted that the evil aura of the mask has finally left it. At this point, the Skull Kid has finally overcome his inner darkness. In OoT, when Link is in the water temple, he faces Dark Link, which is the same symbolic representation. Navi tells Link to conquer his dark self. And so in OoT Link has already conquered his darkness, in Majora’s Mask he is someone that is helping the Skull Kid to conquer his inner darkness as well. The Skull Kid or Majora was never Link’s enemy, Link was just someone who wanted to stop the cataclysm and to help/free all beings from suffering
Our protagonist Link is the bodhisattva. One who has achieved nirvana but has delayed it to free all sentient beings from suffering. In the ending credits, the everyone is all happy and you see the Deku Butler mourning the tragedy of his son. Letting us know that it’s pretty much impossible to save everyone from their suffering. This is reinforced throughout the game whenever Link helps someone in a sidequest, time will restart due to the 3 day cycle, and everything starts back to square 1.
This comment felt like I wrote it ha I’m just here to say that was a good comment man and yea he has delayed it to help others. Ha also fierce deity has eyes when puttin on the mask. Showing he isn’t blinded he is aware.
Probably going to seem very random, as a young kid that the Jackie Chan cartoon actually teaches this in detail, and even makes sure to differntiate between Oni masks, and other ancient Chinese and Japanese artifacts. Very ahead of its time, and not preachy about it. I thought that the fact that these amazing monsters were based on ancient creatures or legends was so just cool, and I still do. Makes it seem more real. Watching this video totally took me back to learning about that and even researching more about it on my own as a kid. Never thought I'd see them again :).
Also, great catch on the water temple and Link fighting his shadow self.. I sort of got the meaning, but never connected it in this way. Great comment.
@@ZeranZeranJackie Chan's adventures was so good.
love how majoras mask not explaining itself allowed its art to really come through and shine.
This is something Japanese developers do so well compared to Western developers. Games like Zelda and Dark Souls, let their design and symbolism do the storytelling rather than directly telling you.
Yeah I tried so hard to decipher it but so much of the game is probably only symbolic and meaningful personally to the creators themselves and will never truly be understood which always leaves it with an air of mystery and also personal interpretation of the person who plays it. This is how symbolism has been used for thousands of years. There is no one right answer
There's actually a lot of Buddhism in the Zelda series. A big part is how reincarnation seems to work. The main characters aren't rebirths of their previous selves so much as avatars. Zelda is an avatar of Hylia, for instance, and Ganon/Ganondorf is an avatar of Demise. And Link seems to be an avatar of some kind of spirit of the hero. It's really interesting, and it explains how you can have multiple Zeldas hanging out at the same time (as in Adventure of Link) or two Links (as in Link Between Worlds and Twilight Princess).
Or two Ganondorfs after the revelation in ToTK. One locked beneath the castle for all time and the others rising and falling during that time
Great point.
avatar is a concept within hinduism tho
I don’t think Zelda is necessarily the avatar of Hylia. In Skyword Sword we find out that Hylia does not exist in her spiritual form anymore. Zelda is Hylia. Hylia does not exist somewhere else non-physically.
Ganondorf/Ganon is also not the avatar of Demise. Ganondorf is separate for the most part. Demise curses Zelda and Link at the end of Skyword Sword that his hatred will follow them. The “soul” of Demise is sealed in the Master Sword but his hatred in incarnate within Ganon. Though to be clear it is possible that Ganon could be permanently killed. Ganondorf is almost certainly dead by the end of Windwaker and Twilight Princess. The Ganondorf we see in Tears of the Kingdom is a different person.
Link is a bit more difficult to define. Demise’s curse says that so long as the incarnation of Hylia and the one with the “soul of the hero” exist then his hatred will as well. But Link does not seem to be reincarnated in the way Hylia is through Zelda. Each Link is his own person. It just seems that in times of need the “soul of the hero,” which is most likely the original Link from Skyward Sword, comes back to help Zelda.
Theres a lot of greek too.
I'm extremely happy to see you branching out to another series I love. Always a pleasure to see you covering things like that.
Zelda is for girls tho , well and bottoms , it’s on Nintendo. Only girls got Nintendo consoles , boys got PlayStation and Xbox . I only knew girls with fake cube and switch wii etc
Max's analyses are always autism fueled masterpieces
No truer statement has ever been made.
*analyses 🧐
This is true said the blind man to the def man lol I'm just kidding yes max is by far on of my favorite TH-camrs
You got that right, and I adore it! Dang, the script is genius!
i laughed way too hard at "autism fueled masterpiece"
If you're gonna continue with zelda, Twilight princess is a gem for analysis, such a great story
Agreed :)
Really fascinating to hear this kinda interpretation. Usually you hear about how Termina is the 5 stages of grief.
But that's just a theory...!
.... A GAME THEORY!!!!! XDDD
Easier when we are western. These folks grew up saturated in this culture and it seem to have subconsciously injected it into their work.
It’s all connected friend
Maybe, taking a shot in the dark here, maybe link needed to experience the 5 stages first hand and provide peace to get to his own enlightenment. (Making this up as I go) link is never the person in any game to say he can't do anything or let tragedy get in his way to be a hero. Termina would be the only way for him to actually experience those stages.
Great analysis! I always felt that Link falling down into Termina had hints of lower world vs higher world mythology to it as well. Just as Skyward Sword references the story of the buddha in paradise and the spider's thread down to hell in the cistern where a rope leads all the way down to a lower, darker world with monsters.
Skull Kid is also said to have "returned to the heavens" by Granny when she's telling the story about how the four giants expelled him. If Termina is a lower world, then Hyrule, as the world above, seems to be its "heavens."
I had the same thought as well, Lockstin and Gnoggin did a fantastic video some years ago about the connections between Termina and Lorule from A Link Between Worlds, it's a fascinating look, to be sure.
To be honest even though the devs didn't fully envision a timeline at the beginning I think it's one of the most "Tolkien esque" stories out there, meaning in the sense that it's meant to feel like a magical but existing world with cultures and languages and so on and evoke similar feelings to a religious experience in the same way Tolkien's work does
The Hyrule historian trilogy of books are also just great display pieces for a shelf
je suis d'accord, c'est sûr, j'aime beaucoup le nouveau jeu vidéo Zelda même si je n'y ai pas encore joué. Je sais que j'aimerais bien y jouer. Je n'ai joué qu'à quelques jeux Zelda Nintendo mais j'aime la plupart d'entre eux.
Trilogy of books?
@@burningbronze7555 Hyrule Historia, Arta & Artifacts, and the Zelda Encyclopedia. Conveniently, the main colors of the books are green, red, and blue, respectively
I'm sorry, I mean this with 0 hatred or negativity. Do people really have a religious experience from Tolkien's writing?
I've felt that way with a few video games, as silly as that may sound. This makes me want to read my first Tolkien book. It sounds like a wonderful feeling to discover through reading.
@@jaidens.g.1920 I can't believe I never noticed that! Just like Din, Nayru, and Farore. How cool.
I'm 31 and still love these old zelda games. I played them as a child. My parents bought majoras mask and we kids couldn't play it until they beat it. This game will always bring me back to those days. It's so cool to hear you explaine a childhood favorite with such depth.
i also like the thought of link giving up all his masks in exchange for the fierce deity mask as a pretty direct metaphor for parting with earthly attachments to reach enlightenment. i'm sure this was stated elsewhere, i'm just excited haha. super cool video!
Now THIS is some synchronicity! I literally just got the itch a day ago to play Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening, and here you are Max! Glad you're going through these, and PLEASE check out Link's Awakening.
Wow!!!!! I absolutely love this analysis and the connections here. This could be one of the underlying reasons why this game speaks to so many people...the concept of letting go of our attachments and achieving enlightenment is something deeply rooted in many ancient religious teachings. This desire exists within all of us, I believe. Amazing work!!!! ❤
It does speak to a lot of people. 🙃
Yeah that’s definitely the bodhi tree. It’s said when Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment the whole world erupted with blossoming lotuses. If you check at 17:30 that tree definitely has what look like a few white lotus flower blossoms sprouting from it. Cool!
For your first shot at a Zelda video, this is pretty great :)
There's actually a line from one of the Business Scrubs that seems to refer to the Fierce Deity and its frightening demon-repellant visage.
"Rumor has it, demons aren't afraid
unless they see something that
looks the same as themselves."
Doomguy!
Wow, this video was fantastic! The best ive seen on MM. As far as Zelda goes, Skyward Sword is known for some notable religous influence; Dragon dieties, Japanese Magatama, and an entire Buddhist temple come to mind.
This is my second-favourite Zelda Game, so I'm very happy to have seen what you had to say about and I was pleasantly surprised that it was Buddhism of all things that permeated the theming in this one!
Twilight princess would be my pick for the next Zelda game TBH.
Majora's Mask is my favorite game of all time. And i must say, it brings me great pleasure to see a wholesome interpretation that I've never heard of before. What an amazing video.
The fact that videos still come out trying to analyze this game 23 years after its release... Quite a game.
When you spoke of the 5 elements of Buddhism (Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Void) it reminded me that those are the exact elements represented in the game Legend of Dragoon. I think your analysis of that game would be intriguing.
the fact that you've only really just started to get into the series and already you sound like an expert and have something to add to the lore and discussion is a big achievement, keep up the good work!
I am happy to see old games videos from Max! As I am currently playing Majora's Masks I'll keep this video for later but I will still do my part for the algorithm~ 💛
You didn't mention the fact that majora's final form gets a Third Eye
I’d like to add, the center Myo-o, Fudo Myo-o is the patron saint of swordsmen in Japanese Buddhism. His Sanskrit name is Akalanantha or the immovable one, and he upholds Buddhist law. He is also an incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva.
This is such a cool video, I always appreciated the themes of good deeds and ascension in this game- after getting into eastern mysticism later in life it brings me joy to see my favorite game as a kid being a gateway to this path. Great video, definitely subscribing!
FINALLY you covered an analysis on my all time favorite series and for that I must thank you!!
Between this and how Majora's Mask is a game about solving trauma, I have a newfound appreciation for the creators of this game because so much thought was put into it. I've never played MM as I could never get around the 3 day cycle and the game for me is WAY too cryptic compared to OoT, but I respect the fans for it as well as other aspects of the game (GREAT OST!).
As for "solving trauma" another youtuber made a video about that and she makes fantastic points on how the game is about Link healing from losing Navi, as well how Link was traumatized from the whole OoT ordeal, being forced to grow up 7 years, the theft of his childhood by having to fight as a kid, and all the evil he faced. Majora's Mask is a game that was meant to help Link heal, he no longer was a "Hero" he became a "Healer". Makes sense why a powerful song like the Song of Healing is given to you so early.
What really stood out to me though about this game was how Skull Kid and Link were 2 sides of the same coin. Link was finding good ways to deal with trauma, and thus helping people which was helping Link himself. Skull Kid (though under the influence of Majora), dealt with trauma negatively by causing pain on everyone, which only made Skull Kid feel lonelier than ever because he was driving everyone away.
This youtuber made such a great point about the fact, and tbh I can't recall a time either, on not just how dark Majora was as a villain, but how sick of a villain it was, no other game, let alone in the Zelda franchise, had a villain like that. Most villains just want to conquer the world, or are comically evil, a cliche type of evil in some way shape or form. Majora on the other hand, was sadistic. It's no wonder how most Zelda fans I talk to label Majora as the most evil villain of the franchise. It doesn't want to conquer the world, it just wants to destroy everything/everyone/and cause pain.
I don't think Termina completely disappeared at the end, considering that the end credits show a town celebrating and link leaving. Considering that there is a Zelda title that all takes place in a dream, that came out before Majora's Mask, which made it clear it was in a dream, and that the world would end as soon as Link woke up. Unless they made it obvious that Termina was a dream world, it would be more likely that it's a real place that Link moves on from, and find his way home.
Where are my fellow 9 guys who have never played GTA?
Im one
Here
Here.
Here
What does that strange acronym mean?!
I never equated the Fierce Deity sword with a lemniscate. That was a new outlook for me. I always associated it with the double helical shape of DNA.
Really appreciate the conclusion. I grew up between London and Sri Lanka, the latter of which has Buddhism as it's predominant religion. I played Majora's Mask while on vacation in Sri Lanka, during the Vesak Full Moon. It was such an esoteric piece of media representation that extended into such a unique real world celebration. Combined with the themes of the game, I look back on it with a fond, bittersweet magical playthrough experience.
Ya know this has huge Alchemy Shinto and Godai connections especially in Tears of the Kingdom. I made a Alchemy Part 1 video before tears came out and Working on a Sequel video about it even and this video popped up, making me realize most what i said in my video or my current research, i feel like im onto something! Thank you!
Great watch and i love your content, it inspires me to do better on my own editing and research!
Majoras mask is one of my favorite top games ever alongside with Legend of Mana and Castlevania SoTN.
Soooo happy to see that you made a video about it ^^ Cheers!
PS: You just blew my mind!
Awesome,
As for which zelda game to tackle next, i’d love to see stuff on wind waker and twilight princess too!
With a focus on the spiritual quest within Majora's Mask, this game goes beyond what a typical game might offer. Exploring themes rooted in Eastern philosophies, the introduction of the Fierce Deity Mask - a blend of Hindu and Buddhist concepts - reflects the idea of achieving 'the ultimate realization.' By wearing this metaphorical mask, Link is mirroring one's own journey towards Enlightenment. While masks serve as mere accessories in many games, Majora's Mask raises the question, 'What if one mask could give you everything?' The answer to this question being that you're left with only your truest self. #Zelda #MajorasMask #Philosophy
Awesome analysis and great video! So thrilled to hear you're playing Zelda. I love your videos, so this video in my feed was such a treat to see. Appreciate your work,- keep it up!
I've barely gotten into Zelda as well. Played almost all the way through Ocarina back in the day but that's it. I'm def checking out MM after watching this!
A couple minor but fun tidbits: the color scheme thing is a thing across cultures and beliefs. The specific connotations they rep may change, but it's almost always those colors representing elements, directions, etc. The fourfold thing which the fifth encompasses.
The symbols on "wrathful diety" Link's chest: The upward triangle can mean many things, but one of which is elemental fire, which is sometimes seen as a stand-in for spirit (the white) or at least the element 'closest' to spirit. And the crecsent moon, besides everything you mentioned can be a symbol for the buddha itself which has escaped Samsara. On many visual depictions of Samsara like the ones you showed here, you can find the Buddha standing next to the crescent moon, outside of the cycle, pointing the way to enlightenment.
Great vid, as always!
I gotta say, as a guy who loves the art of storytelling, I love your channel for always reminding me what classics I'm still missing. I just started Lost last week btw. There's just too damn many things and never enough time.
The moon also resemble the giants minus the limbs and facial hair. Making the Moon a "5th giant" of sorts, while Link becomes a huge version of himself as the Fierce Deity to imply being a "6th Giant".
Right when you brought up "Space" being one of the elements I said "OH MY GOD THE MOON"
This is such a cool video Max. Thank you, sincerely. Some of my favorite content anywhere.
I had the thought some time ago that instead of Link putting on the Fierce Deity mask, the Fierce Deity should have taken off his Link mask.
Good job on the thumbnail, higher quality than all of mine.
I love how even as a kid I felt like I somehow picked up on the fact that this game represented something sacred. And now the older I get and the more we analyze it all feels so meaningful. Such a cool & amazing feeling, and grateful to share it with you all
I have to be honest, I was eating sardines on a toast while watching this and I could not follow. But your editing is on point and awesome, I agree with everything even if didn't actually understand. Your work is awesome!
This is easily the most scholarly, academic lore video I’ve seen for the Zelda franchise
Very happy you decided to tackle zelda. I hope you enjoyed them. I think twighlight princess would be the best one to tackle next.
Damn I can't imagine playing MM as an adult for the first time, welcome to the club! Sounds super cool since you probably caught so much even on first playthrough
I'm so ecstatic that you are doing a Majora's Mask video.
I saw dragon's dogma on the bottom, Matt knows of its existence confirmed!
Great video as always! The past few years have had a great boom of esoteric analysis of games and Zelda does consistently end up towards the top of the list. Skyward Sword also has several connections to Buddhism and the more I think about it the more I can see it in others of the series too. I don't think there is much to laugh at about the presence of the 4 classical elements, other than how powerful they can be! Going from OoT to MM is kind of like a turning point in the series from 3 to 4 and it sort of vibrates in this area often. Water and Fire are so strongly opposed they commonly stay separate, but there is some limitlessness of the conjunction or distinction between heaven and earth where their oscillation often makes them appear as one.
Loved the video! I suggest you tackle Link's Awakening. Or, if you want to be further ambitious, a full psychological introspection into the Hero of Time.
Very pleased to see my face, or in this case the face of DJ Crazy Times, on TH-cam again.
Looking at the mapping between directions and bosses, we've got Odolwa in the south with the mask on the red (not yellow nor blue) mandala; Goht in the north with the mask on the green (correct for one system, would be red in the nyori image) mandala; Gyorg in the west with the mask on the blue (not red nor yellow) mandala; Twinmold in the east with the mask on the yellow (not blue nor green) mandala.
I don't think I can come up with a perfectly logical link between each region and the associated element. The Southern Swamp is initially poisoned, which I don't think really fits any element, but lots of puzzles involve flight (air), and the Deku King wants to burn (fire) the monkey, and sure, this region does kind of have more fire and torches than other regions. Snowhead can temporarily be thawed with fire and ultimately becomes lush and green, with Snowhead Temple itself being blocked by wind (air) from the sleeping Goron, and I think I've seen elemental systems where greenery is mostly associated with air. The most natural element for the Great Bay is water, and I can't really make a case for anything else. Ikana Canyon is very dry and part of healing it involves water, but my instinct would be to relate that region to earth, especially with the burrowing worm boss. With Great Bay and Ikana Canyon being correct, and since I could really go either way between fire and air for both the Southern Swamp and Snowhead, I can come up with something consistent albeit kind of a stretch.
None of this comment is intended as a critique or disagreement. I just love this game and speculating about it.
Link's Awakening would certainly be a treat.
Excellent video as always! I know the whole series has frequently, and sometimes overtly, borrowed from Buddhism, but it’s still very interesting to hear specific connections. And of course you managed to bring new info to light. As for what game should come next, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, but Skyward Sword seems like a good fit for your style of videos.
Dang I was about to hit the Subscribe button because of your knowledge of how these games and anime productions reference occult and lesser known religions - I love that stuff! Turns out I already subscribed to you! I checked the PFP and I remember some of your autism videos. You're amazing!
This is an intriguing analysis, to be sure. I think you also see those four colors represented for the Giants themselves, tying the Fierce Diety to this White center is also highly fitting thematically for reasons you explained excellently. While I personally believe that Termina is its own world (there is no reason this journey towards enlightenment erases the people and places of Termina) for a fair number of reasons (historically based, high emotional states of characters, the Deku Butler's son), this theory is still highly applicable. Protective guardians actually protecting something is a lot more appealing to me than protective guardians existing in a frayed mindscape.
The Lokapala are also depicted in LaMulana as the wise men. I didn't know from what that term originated.
Thanks for the vid!
Very synchronistic I needed to hear this today from 8:33 Onwards.. I had already begun the video last week but, didn't watch it all and forgot about it.. From here on is where it resonated with me 10:02 The use of Masks and attaining your higher true self. Bravo sir! 👏
Such an excellent video. Genuinely original ideas brought forth in an interesting way. I love that ending with the Fierce Deity's sword. For what game to do next, I think Link's Awakening may be a good fit. I've always been a big fan of that one and I think it would be a good fit for your style
I love the alagorirs in MM. Another video essay said MM is a lesson on forgiveness. And what is forgiveness? Striving to let go, or detach, from negative feelings, so we become our best selves.
I don't believe Termina is transitory simply because the four Giants have been protecting it for centuries, maybe millenia, during which they met the Skull Kid, later abandoning him to resume their duties. If Termina only exists during the events of the game, then Skull Kid's whole motivation makes no sense.
When I see your videos pop up I always like before watching because all your work has been great.
YESSS! Thank you!
Great work. I’m glad you got to enjoy the series.
I just wanted to make a quick note: when you talk about the Fierce Deity looking like Link and equate some similarity with this to Atman-Brahman and later with this to a Buddha's Dharmakaya, I see one particular "inconsistency", which lies in the fact that the principal means that the Buddha taught to reach supreme enlightenment was "Anatman" or "no-self", as opposed to "atman" in Brahmanism. Therefore, when you compared both of them together as similar, I pondered if, deep down, such comparison between Buddhism and Hinduism could be drawn so closely, because of these fundamentally distinct (and opposed) concepts as their core. Overall, your videos are always spectacular and thank you for making me ever more interested to be looking into video game culture and our religious experiences. Peace.
Great video Max!
Since the "It Was All A Dream" trope was brought up in the video, I IMPLORE you to play Link's Awakening!
I would also very much like to see you cover more SMT material; I'd be particularly interested in your takes on the 3DS games, especially Devil Survivor 1&2.
The next Zelda I'd recommend as far as symbolism is concerned is Link's Awakening.
I hope you cover more Zelda games in the future 💜
Originally, the game was meant to have a seven day cycle but they ended up shortening it because they only had a year to make the game. (Seriously, when you look at how rushed this game was, its status as one of the greatest games in the franchise is nothing short of a miracle.)
Ah, man. It feels really good seeing a youtuber explain this to people. Even before MM3D came out, I was in forums discussing this with plenty other people, and I'm so glad you brought it up.
During the release of MM3D, they gave interviews that explained the Fierce Deity Mask, and one of the reason the 3D version has more narrative cohesion by making the Notebook include EVERYONE you can interact with that's marginally of consequence, is that the Fierce Deity IS the "negative" emotions of the people of Termina. Just amazing.
id think skyward sword would be a good candidate. theres mentions in it of a cycle of rebirth of the main villain, and an entire dungeon themed around buddhist hell
Awesome analysis, keep it up Max!
Small note regarding your content, about a year or two ago, I may or may not have left a comment telling you that while I do enjoy your analysis, the presentation (your speech style mostly) made it, well, not hard, but harder to listen to you, as I felt you lacked tone in your voice, I recall your manner of speaking being monotone and your rhythm very rigid. I've kept watching regardless, but I noticed recently that your speech has been steadily changing and I can't help but applaud that and the occasional joke you insert, I find those very refreshing. Good luck to you! The insights you have are wonderful and this community would certainly be worse off without you!
If you can handle the trauma and adult themes, I'd love to see a video on Fear & Hunger. There is so much alchemical thought and symbolism in that series.
0:00 this totally applies to cinephiles and music nerds too. I’m both and I’ve never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey or listened to an album by The Who
In Hinduism, it important note that an Atman does not become Brahman, The Supreme Absolute.
It's happening!!!! 3 days now here
Great content. So good I had to rewatch it immediately. Hope you do more Zelda.
I feel like Max could make an amazing Asura's Wrath video
Oh that was cool. As a die hard Zelda fan I tend to watch random videos on Zelda and came across yours today. This was very enlightening 😂. Seriously though good job. I loved the video.
You have such a soothing voice. It helps me to calm down for bed.
Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game.
Zelda is my #1 game series of all time. I'm a gamer because of Zelda. I remember when Ocarina of Time came out back in the 90s.
4 Dungeon bosses are the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Max's viewers: Not everything is about the elements! Max, Homer Simpsons State alchemist: This is not equivalent exchange.
I literally wanted to search up similarities between Zelda en Buddhism today and you posting this is godsend
5:30 "we are perpetually traped. In a neve ending spiral of life and death"
-2B
Thank you for talking about Vairocana, the whole vajrayana school of buddhism is extremely interesting and rich with culture
Three reasons theorists can’t see ZE as legitimate are:
• MM’s backstory mentioned that Skullkid was previously in Termina(prior to stealing MM) and “departed for the heavens”(presumably Hyrule),
- Link, SK & HMS are standing in Termina Field during the ending(not to mention Link’s woodcarving of him & SK), and
- The Deku Butler’s son was unable to be saved, as he was affected by MM beyond the reaches/ Land of Termina (he sits outside of ClockTown, almost over the threshold between Hyrule>Termina).
Nonetheless, I really like this explanation for the overall symbolism and Fierce Deity.
The three day cycle was originally going to be 7 days but was later cut down. It was inspired by a movie that had the same mechanic of redoing the same day over and over.
Excelent analysis, it was brilliant
Excellent video! My choice for the next Zelda game would be Link's Awakening. That one never gets enough love
I know I'm nitpicking for asking this, but why do the boss masks only match up at the end of the game, but not the regions you fight them in? Do they fit in a different pattern?
For example, the mask for great bay's boss has the color blue to represent east but is in the west, the boss for stone head has the color yellow and south but is found in the east, and woodfall's boss has the color red for west but is in the south.
Only snow head's boss only fits this pattern with green for north.
I'm also confused where the colors for the stray fairies fit into this since they have similar differences (again, only the north ones are green in the n64 version), not to mention the northern and southern stray fairies were changed in the 3ds version.
I want to be clear and say I don't think you're wrong, I'm just confused. Maybe the colors just need to be present, not necessarily the order?
This is the kind of analysis I’m talking about instant sub watching all of your videos
Haven't even watched the video yet and I already gave it a like. This is a topic I've wanted someone to cover for years.
Update: If you want a really interesting connection to eastern ideas I'd say do a video on Skyward Sword. Pretty much all Zeldas or at least most use a lot of Ideas from Shinto and Buddhism together and Skyward Sword has very strong connections. More than most Zelda games. If there is one thing I highly suggest when doing Zelda analysis videos is make sure you double check with the Japanese version of the game. A lot of times localization or censorship will change the meaning of the story or make it harder to understand. They use very specific wording in Zelda games and sometimes it gets cut from the English games. Skyward Sword is no exception.
tbh i never understood why so many fans of the zelda series hate the idea that termina was created by skull kid/majora because Link's Awakening did the whole "it was all a dream" thing and everyones good with it.
Id like to see you cover the Hero's Shade from Twilight Princess
Even Majoras Mask's horns are the correct colors.
I like the theory that the 4 zones reflect the stages of grief
Great video, thank you. Majora's Mask came out when I was 9 and helped shape my personality, it will always be one of my absolute favorite games. I would love to see a video on Link's Awakening, it has a really interesting story that ties into dream myths, it's another one of my favorites.
Don't spoil it for him. A huge part of what makes Link's Awakening special is learning the truth organically as you play...
@@Galamoth06 That's a good point, I guess I've played that game so much I just took the information for granted. I will edit my post.
@@Khan-ig5rx I didn't mean to sound so bossy, you didn't have to change it on my account. It is a very old spoiler that I agree most long-time Zelda fans probably take for granted, but there's still a chance Max has avoided it this long.
It's kind of amazing these games were able to convey so much atmosphere and set a tone on such limited hardware.
@@Galamoth06 Haha you're fine, I wasn't offended, you brought up a good point.
And agreed, the small collection of vintage games I hold onto includes nearly every Zelda they made for the Gameboy and GBA. Link's Awakening always stuck with me, the connections to Eastern and Native American mythology are pretty interesting.
@@Khan-ig5rx The Oracle games are fantastic too. When I replay them I have no problem playing them back to back, then back to back again in reverse order. They're so good that four consecutive playthroughs aren't even tedious (for me, anyway).
I mean i think you nailed it 100%. in all my years of playing this game n trying to decipher what the hell the symbolism was, I think this is the most cut and dry explanation. I mean you could even go further with it, in that only after link gives up all his earthly possessions (masks) is he finally able to ascend to enlightenment. I will say if anyone wants to attempt to tie this back into game lore, you could argue that link's desire to find navi and his discontent with his own childhood is what tethers him back to the mortal plane and inadvertently causes him to die and become the hero's shade
Buddhism doesn't play well with atman concept though. Voidness would make more sense due to no mask being worn and not having irises.