Majora's Mask: Kafei

[The Jade Fist]

Alot of people ponder and speculate why there is no mirror universe version of Link.

But a thought occurred me, that Kafei is representative of Link.

Both were once grown men, now turned into to children.

While maybe not a direct clone of Link like some other characters in Majora's Mask, its a similairty thats hard to not connect.

I was pondering this, if he was meant to be Link's alternate, because he's the only other person you can control even if for a short time, and the unusually specific plight that both share.

 

[Salem]

Plus he has funky looking hair colour, just like Link and his uncle from alttp...

 

[The Jade Fist]

Plus he has funky looking hair colour, just like Link and his uncle from alttp...

Then again Link had pink hair in Alttp, so idk if those are connected.

It would be cool if it was an intentional choice though.

 

[Beauts]

This is quite a cool observation, and one I never would've thought of myself. I would say it's entirely possible that Kafei is in some way a representative of Link. It makes a lot more sense in my opinion than Link's Termina counterpart being Tingle *shiver*

 

[Salem]

This is quite a cool observation, and one I never would've thought of myself. I would say it's entirely possible that Kafei is in some way a representative of Link. It makes a lot more sense in my opinion than Link's Termina counterpart being Tingle *shiver*

So Tingle is a "dark" link:O

 

[Beauts]

So Tingle is a "dark" link:O

Haha, no, I think the idea is he is a parody of OoT Adult Link (a grown man wishing he had a fairy and convinced he is magical). Dark Link is meant to be evil, and although there is that hilarious theory that Tingle is actually the evil grand master of WW, I really don't think he is haha. Just the idea of Tingle being Link's counterpart makes me shiver. However, I can kind of see where the Kafei idea comes from.

 

[Terminus]

Then again Link had pink hair in Alttp, so idk if those are connected.

It would be cool if it was an intentional choice though.

He actually had light brown hair in everything official, the SNES just had a highly limited color palette.

 

[ILU]

Yes yes, this "representation of Link" role for Kafei is an old and well-known one. I don't know that I'd consider him Link's parallel, but I would agree that his emotional situation and inner-struggle would be a parallel. By the time Majora's Mask takes place, Link's childhood had already been ripped away from him. Realistically, despite Zelda's noble and selfless gesture of sending Link back to relive his childhood, such a thing would be impossible after being forced to grow up so fast. He may once again live in a child's body, but a child's innocence can never be regained. For Link, it was gone forever.

I believe that his inner struggles are expressed through Kafei, which is a very unique and clever way of expressing such a concept. Kafei has the heart and mind of a man, but he is forced to experience the struggle of being acknowledged as man while appearing to be a child. He couldn't even face his fiance in that form until the end. And she didn't even balk at his form. Instead, she saw him as the man she loved, despite his childish appearance. I believe this concept of maturity plays a large role in Majora's Mask, and I think that Link's struggle with his own identity is resolved in two parts:

1) seeing Kafei accepted as a man by the one person to whom it truly mattered
2) being acknowledged as an adult by Cremia

The stark contrast between child and adult was already made apparent in Ocarina of Time through gameplay areas like the Spirit Temple or Well/Shadow Temple, where you experience differences in strength and ability based on visiting said areas in different forms. However, Majora's Mask approached the same subject in a completely different style through story, which helped define it as a sequel as well as a unique game of its own. Kafei's role was important to both the development of Termina's inhabitants and to Link himself.

 

[Randomlink7]

I like your theory about Kafei. I have never thought much about it, just thought it was a character that they placed in there. It does make some good sense, he is the only other one you can control for a little.

 

[strongzelda]

Interesting observation... They could be related... Link does have pink hair in Alttp.