Majora's Mask Have We Seen The Last Of The Happy Mask Salesman?

[:Zelda:Druggie:]

The Happy Mask Salesman had arguably one of the most important roles in Majora's Mask. He was mysterious, he was creepy, and above all, set the scene for Link's quest in that particular game by sharing his oddly obtained knowledge of the cursed Mask. We saw many different sides of him, we saw the happy and smiley side, as well as the angry and creepy side. At the end of Majora's Mask, he left in a very odd fashion, to say the least, and I'm sure left many of you with hoards of unanswered questions. That being said, it came to my attention that after his mysterious leaving at the game's end, we never saw or heard of him in any way ever again. Most characters get some sort of easter egg in other games by either having descendants/ancestors, or some form of relatable character (such as Beedle, Linebeck, etc). We have received no information or hints at The Happy Mask Salesman since Majora's Mask, and I wonder if we ever will. There are obviously many questions to be answered about this mysterious man, and the backstory of Majora's Mask in general (dark tribe and such). I want to hear your thoughts on how the Happy Mask Salesman himself, or either a descendant or ancestor could fit into a future Zelda title, or if that would even work. What are your thoughts?

 

[BakerGuy]

Well. hmm.......... The happy mask salesman opens up shop in OoT for the first time and then he must have continued on his travels leading up to majoras mask... I think that he could be or his descendent could be in another game, but it could not be in a prequel to OoT (aka SS)

 

[geek4887]

Hmm, interesting idea. I miss the happy mask salesman, though. I do wish we see him in any way in a new game.

 

[Omega Fury]

He was only seen in two games including Oracle of Ages. Check it out on zeldawiki. I don't know what happened to him but he was sure strange.

 

[Ganondork]

Uhh, you fail to remember that he appeared in Oracle of Ages as part of the trading sequence.

Anyway, I think it's possible that he can make a comeback, but only after Majora's Mask. "I travel far in wide in search of masks," is what the Happy Mask Salesman told Link when he was a Deku Scrub in Majora's Mask. This opens up the possibility that he can make an appearance in a game that comes after Majora's Mask. In fact, he already has. He appeared in Labrynna in Oracle of Ages. Much like in Ocarina of Time, he owned a Mask Shop. As long as there are Masks to be found, the Happy Mask Salesman will more than likely be there.

The possibility of him being in a game before Ocarina of Time would be very slim. My theory is that he was once part of the Ancient Tribe, and was with the Tribe in any game before Ocarina of Time.

I like The Happy Mask Salesman and everything (As my avatar should make obvious) but in a way I believe that his actual appearance in a Zelda game wouldn't be wise. I don't think Nintendo should continue to recycle the Masks concept unless it's a minor sidequest.

 

[Majora's Cat]

The Happy Mask Salesman is exactly what video game audiences eat up. This individual is shady, bizarre and cannot be identified as good or evil. His first appearance came in the form of a bright young man in Ocarina of Time (as you all know). He established a strange lending program with the masks, where Link would borrow a mask and try to sell it rather than just buying it himself. He didn’t seem to be menacing in OoT, but I’m sure that those who have completed the mask sidequests in OoT can agree that he was an odd character.

Majora’s Mask is a different story, however. The salesman played a hugely different role in MM, becoming a distant mentor with a dangerous task for Link in the beginning parts of the game. He played the role of both Link’s superior and a man who desperately needs his help brilliantly. We can see that he has some issues with mental stability, because whenever he’s rattled he tends to take his anger out on Link. Regardless of this, we’ve all come to love that hunch-backed, neatly groomed Happy Mask Salesman. Despite his popularity with fans of the series, one question that I’m sure would come into view is this: could the Happy Mask Salesman be used again? Or would including him in another game be overkill?

Anyway, I think it's possible that he can make a comeback, but only after Majora's Mask. "I travel far in wide in search of masks," is what the Happy Mask Salesman told Link when he was a Deku Scrub in Majora's Mask. This opens up the possibility that he can make an appearance in a game that comes after Majora's Mask.

I somewhat agree with this. You did state that the Happy Mask Salesman once again takes the stage in Oracle of Ages, but he definitely plays a lesser role than he did in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Perhaps this is a sign that Nintendo intentionally downplayed the importance of the salesman after two significantly large roles in previous games.

Chances are that the Happy Mask Salesman will not be making another appearance. The Happy Mask Salesman has appeared in Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and Oracle of Ages so far. Now take a gander at the release dates for each of those games: 1998, 2000 and 2001. Notice that the release dates of these games are clustered together, meaning that the Happy Mask Salesman was a fresh a one hit wonder. A recent example of this perception would have to be during recent times with the cel-shaded Zelda games: Zeldas have been primarily focused on being bright, vivid and targeted toward younger audiences recently. Following the earlier release of the Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks both took after the cel-shaded epic that is the Wind Waker. This string of releases (including Skyward Sword, which has visuals that are a mix of WW’s cel-shading and TP’s realistic style) proves that whenever Nintendo has a fresh new idea, it tends to continue with it for a few years. This is exactly what happened with the Happy Mask Salesman – he was a great idea at first, but Nintendo became weary of his likeness after they felt he was being overused.

While he is one the series’ most mysterious and polarizing characters, it’s safe to say that his fifteen minutes of fame are over (just like Rebecca Black’s Friday). But his impact on the series can still be seen today, as he is an iconic figure that will forever stay in our hearts.

 

[Ronin]

The Happy Mask Salesman appeared in OoT in addition to MM (and OoA I suppose). But my chief point is this: The Postman made a return in TP, and Tingle did in MM. Both are equally peculiar characters, so I imagine we'd see the HMS, too. It'd be neat if he was in a new game (not an MM remake) where masks made a return as the main category. Maybe some old ones, maybe some fresh ones.

 

[:Zelda:Druggie:]

Just want to put the point across that I realize yes I did forget about Oracle of Ages. I like what Majora's Cat said about his almost "downgraded" role in that game as if to imply his run in Zelda would be over. I just find it odd we see no remembrance of him whatsoever, as we do with some other even less major characters . . .