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Who is the Imp?

Uwu_Oocoo2

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I'm not sure if this really qualifies as a theory, but is something confusing I had noticed. Consider this quote from Majora's Mask-

Now then...There was one who was shocked and saddened by all this. A little imp. The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds. "Why must you leave? Why do you not stay?" The childhood friend felt neglected, so he spread his anger across the four worlds. Repeatedly, he wronged all people. Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people sang the song of prayer to the giants who lived in each of the four compass directions. The giants heard their cry and responded with a roar. "Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the protectors of the people. You have caused the people pain. Oh, imp, leave these four worlds! Otherwise, we shall tear you apart!" The imp was frightened and saddened. He had lost his old friends. The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds. And the people rejoiced and they worshiped the giants of the four worlds like gods. And they lived happily...ever after..

When I had first read this, I assumed that it was talking about Skull Kid. Obviously looking back this makes no sense, considering Skull Kid had only recently turned violent and that he had followed Link into Termina, and wasn't there at the time this occurred. It could be that the events simply repeat themselves with a different person, but Skull Kid specifically says
You guys... You hadn't forgotten about me? You still thought of me as a friend?... I thought they didn't want to be friends with me... But... They hadn't forgotten about me...

So I'm wondering... what if the imp was Majora? When the giants tell you to help their friend, they may be referring, not to Skull Kid, but to the spirit of the mask he is wearing. Skull Kid identifies with this and thinks of himself as the Giants' friend, because he was one with Majora for so long. We know this about Majora from the Happy Mask Salesman
The mask that was stolen from me... It is called Majora's Mask. It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask. 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.
After the Giants fell asleep, it's possible that the imp began causing trouble again until he had to be sealed away by a magical tribe (the twili? No, Oocoo, no theory rabbit trails. Rabbit trails bad). Let me know if you guys can think of any other possibilities!
 

ArchAngel217

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Um... Evidence I Have Found Against it Off the Top of my Head:
A. Skull Kid did not follow Link to Termina. He had been living there far longer than Link.
B. The Four Giants are good. It makes sense that Skull Kid was friends with them.
Evidence For It I Have Found For it Off the Top of my Head:
A. It makes sense that Majora would play that role - it was him who cursed them, anyways.
 

Uwu_Oocoo2

Joy is in video games and colored pencils
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Um... Evidence I Have Found Against it Off the Top of my Head:
A. Skull Kid did not follow Link to Termina. He had been living there far longer than Link.
I remember seeing something from the historia or encyclopedia saying he followed Link, I can't find in on the wiki but I'll double check the books.
 
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In this story specifically, you can see the Four Giants, and then you can see the back of the Skull Kid right behind the text box. It's possible that this was a different Skull Kid, but that's unlikely.

My reasons for thinking that it isn't Majora are admittedly non-canonical, but Majora has been traditionally described as a spirit or a beast both in game and in the manga where the physical entity known as Majora appears.
 

Spiritual Mask Salesman

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The imp in the story is Skull Kid. After getting Majora's Mask the reason why he targets the Four Giants is because he holds resentment toward them for leaving and thought they no longer wanted to be his friends. He would never actually try to harm anyone normally, but Majora's Mask corrupted him to do terrible things he otherwise would have never done.

This is no mystery, there are a lot of other things about Termina that are actually perplexing that I've spent time trying to figure out. For example, I've always tossed the idea around that the moon isn't actually a moon anymore. I posit that it was once the moon, and was a lot larger, but under Majora's Mask influence it has been weakened and is much smaller. At it's current size it no longer meets the criteria to be classified as a moon.
 
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I posit that it was once the moon, and was a lot larger, but under Majora's Mask influence it has been weakened and is much smaller. At it's current size it no longer meets the criteria to be classified as a moon.

I hadn't thought about that before. You are right, if the moon were orbiting at a normal distance, compared to other moons, it would have to be much larger than we see on the final day. One thing that comes to mind, though, is what if Majora is compacting the moon, instead of weeking it. this would make the moon denser, harder, and make the impact aria smaller, meaning that there would be far more of a destructive impact.
 

Uwu_Oocoo2

Joy is in video games and colored pencils
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Um... Evidence I Have Found Against it Off the Top of my Head:
A. Skull Kid did not follow Link to Termina. He had been living there far longer than Link.

This doesn't quite answer your question, but is something I found interesting while trying to think of an answer.
First, an excerpt from Skull Kid's page on Zeldapedia:
Firstly, upon encountering Link in the Lost Woods after having ambushed him, the Skull Kid appears to recognize Link, but deems it not to be a problem. Later, after the Skull Kid is removed from the influence of Majora's Mask, he tells Link that he smells the same as "that fairy kid who taught [him] that song in the woods": in Ocarina of Time, Link plays "Saria's Song" to a Skull Kid in the Lost Woods, who becomes his friend after this.
Additionally, Link sells the Skull Mask to this same Skull Kid, indicating a preexisting interest for masks which could have motivated the Skull Kid's theft of Majora's Mask. Lastly, after the end credits of Majora's Mask, the final image shown is a stump bearing carvings of the Skull Kid, Link, Tatl, Tael, and the Four Giants. After a certain amount of time passes, part of "Saria's Song" will play.
It's pretty obviously implied that this is the same Skull Kid from OoT. However, we only see Link teach Skull Kid Saria's Song and sell him the mask in the full events of OoT; meaning, after Zelda sent Link back, this event was erased. Yes, Link could have gone back and taught Skull Kid the song, but I find it funny that the Child Timeline seems to fit Skull Kid's story the least.
@MapelSerup this is EXACTLY the quote I had been looking for, thanks! Okay I get that the cutscene shows Skull Kid and that it's really a duh statement, but it could be purely representative since Skull Kid is being inhabited by Majora. It's an interesting possibility to consider, at least.
 
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The entrance to Termina is somewhere in the Lost Woods, and considering Skull Kids seem to have a mastery over the woods (much like the Deku (which begs the question about whether the Skull Kid is some kind of Deku)), it isn't too far-fetched to assume that the Skull Kid can go back and forth through the Lost Woods portal to Termina.
 

ArchAngel217

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@MapelSerup this is EXACTLY the quote I had been looking for, thanks! Okay I get that the cutscene shows Skull Kid and that it's really a duh statement, but it could be purely representative since Skull Kid is being inhabited by Majora. It's an interesting possibility to consider, at least.
Thanks for quoting me and not talking to me D
 
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Skull kid can go-between realms at will maybe??
The entrance to Termina is somewhere in the Lost Woods, and considering Skull Kids seem to have a mastery over the woods (much like the Deku (which begs the question about whether the Skull Kid is some kind of Deku)), it isn't too far-fetched to assume that the Skull Kid can go back and forth through the Lost Woods portal to Termina.

These portals, between realms, seem rather common. Hyrule seems to have more cracks than Neolithic pottery.
 

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