The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Himekawa)

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a manga by Akira Himekawa loosely based on the story of. It was released in Japan in March 2001 and made available in English through Viz Media on February 3, 2009.

A Legendary Edition also containing the was released in Japan on July 28, 2016 and in North America on March 14, 2017. It features new cover art and color pages.

Skull Kid and the Demon Mask
The story begins with the Happy Mask Salesman telling the Skull Kid about the mysterious and evil power of Majora’s Mask. Tempted by it, the Skull Kid steals the mask from The Happy Mask Salesman. Elsewhere, Link goes travels to a knightly order for swordsman lessons where he is laughed at by the other students for being a kid. As proof of his identity he shows them the Ocarina of Time. He ends up beating them all and holding his own against the master Osun. He then sets out on a quest to continue his training as a warrior, and to find his friend and traveling companion Navi. While traveling Epona gets startled by Tatl and Tael, throwing Link off and knocking him out. Skull Kid steals the Ocarina of Time; when Link wakes up he catches him with it, so Skull Kid jumps on Epona and rides off with her. Link chases after them, following them into a cave where he falls down a hole onto a Deku Flower. The Skull Kid, realizing Link is still following him, transforms Link into a Deku Scrub.

Link the Deku Scrub
The Skull Kid takes off with Tael, leaving Tatl behind with Link, who she blames for her abandonment. Link traps her in a bubble and demands to know the location of the Skull Kid and Epona. After being threatened, she reveals that she thinks the Skull Kid would have gone to Clock Town. Tatl leads the way and Link falls down a hole again, this time flanked on either side by ticking clocks, and lands in the Clock Tower. Link enters Clock Town and accidentally runs into Gorman, who he is shocked to find look exactly like Mr. Ingo. He's instantly confused by all the familiar looking people in a town so far away. Link tries to leave Clock Town but is stopped by a soldier who tells him it's too dangerous and laughs at him when he tries to argue. Then he gets chased by a dog, falls over, and is helped by Anju from the Stock Pot Inn, who tells Link that he is in Termina and that she's never heard of a country called Hyrule before. She also briefly discloses her relationship to the missing Kafei. Link then learns that the Skull Kid is planning to bring the Moon down on the day of the carnival, so he follows Skull Kid to the top of the Clock Tower.

The Happy Mask Shop
Tael urgently tells Tatl to bring four people to the Clock Tower, one each from the swamp, mountain, sea and valley. The Skull Kid brings the moon down and it crushes Clock Town, but then time begins reversing and all the damage is undone. Link seizes the opportunity to retrieve the Ocarina of Time and plays the Song of Time. His Ocarina turns into Deku Scrub Tuba as soon as he uses it. This returns Link to inside the Clock Tower and to his normal form with the Deku Mask on the floor in front of him. There he meets the Happy Mask Salesman who explains the origins of Majora’s Mask and that the Skull Kid stole it from him. The Happy Mask Salesman asks Link to get it back for him as he knows that he is capable of getting it. Tatl begs Link to accept the commision, for Tael. Link then exits the Clock Tower and realizes that they have actually gone back in time and only him and Tatl remember the moon falling. He finds Miss Anju, who has no recollection of meeting him. Link and Tatl then head off to the swamp where the water is poisoned and makes Link sick.

Odolwa: God of Woodfall
Link passes out in the poisoned swamp water and is rescued by monkeys, who wash him off in clean spring water. In return the monkeys ask for Link to save the Deku Princess who was captured by a monster. Link first decides to go see the Deku King and is able to get into the palace by wearing the Deku Mask. Once inside he discovers that the Deku King is threatening to burn several animals at the stake as he believes they are responsible for the princess’s disappearance. Link frees the animals but is then tied up and the Deku King is about to burn him to death when the monster Odolwa who declares himself the God of Woodfall. He breaks into the palace and reveals that he took the princess as a sacrifice because the Deku King had been neglecting his tributes to him. Odolwa then begins to destroy the palace. The monkeys untie Link and he defeats Odolwa who had the Princess trapped in a bottle. All that is left of Odolwa is a mask which releases a giant who tells them to “call him” and leaves. The swamp water returns to normal and the Deku Princess is safely released from the bottle and tells her father off for blaming the wrong people. She then asks Link to put his mask back on and after seeing him runs off crying; the Deku Butler then tells Link that with the mask on he looks like his deceased son, for whom the princess had feelings. Link and Tatl then head off to the mountain.

The Monster of Snowhead
On the mountain Link finds a dead Goron warrior with lingering regrets. The Goron warrior Darmani III tells Link his story of how he tried to stop the blizzard from Snowhead that threatens to destroy the Gorons and their Village, but he was defeated by Goht, the Masked Mechanical Monster of Snowhead. Darmani is also sad that he won’t see his nephew again, who looked up to him greatly. Link says he can play the ocarina to calm the Goron baby who is crying loudly because his uncle is not returning. Darmani wants to hear Link play, so Link plays the ocarina for him. The song eases Darmani’s aching heart, he tells Link to play it for his nephew; Darmani disappears leaving behind the Goron Mask. Wearing Darmani’s mask, Link goes to the Goron Village to see the baby who thinks Link is actually Darmani. Link sings him the song and teaches him to be strong and not to cry, as he has to say goodbye and leave forever. Link then goes to face Goht on top of the mountain and, with Darmani’s strength, succeeds. The second Giant is released from Goht’s mask and the terrible blizzard stops. Spring returns to the Goron Village, and Darmani is able to leave this world in peace.

The Great Bay
Link goes to the sea where he learns that a strange cloud has formed over Great Bay. A pirate ship approaches the shore on which a fight is taking place. As he’s watching, one of those involved falls from the ship, so Link rushes out to help them. Link drags the injured Zora ashore and learns that he is Mikau of The Indigo-Go's. Mikau informs Link that their vocalist, Lulu, had given birth to a strange egg and lost her voice when the pirates stole it. Mikau, realizing he is to weak to go on, asks Link to bring back her egg. Link agrees, so in return Mikau plays him a song. Link joins in on his ocarina; Mikau muses how he wishes he could play one more time with The Indigo-go’s before he disappears in a bright flash, leaving behind the Zora Mask. Link puts the mask on, which transforms him into Mikau, and goes after the pirate ship. Once on the ship Link knocks down a beehive to clear the area where the pirates are keeping the egg, then grabs it himself and attempts to get away. But he is confronted by one of the pirates, who fights him for the egg. The ship is then rolled by a giant turtle that has been awakened by the call of the egg. While the egg is taken to the laboratory, the turtle takes Link to Gyorg, the Gargantuan Masked Fish, who he defeats with Mikau’s help. The third giant is freed and the sea returns to normal. The turtle tells Link that Lulu’s voice will soon return and that Mikau may now rest in peace. Link goes to see Lulu with Mikau’s mask on and informs her that the egg is safe and then rehearses with The Indigo-go’s.

Anju and Kafei
Anju sits in her room, reminiscing about her lover, Kafei. They had promised each other that they would be married. The Moon glowers over Clock Town; it is the Third and Final Day.

Link is locked in fierce battle with Twinmold. Upon his victory, Link releases the fourth giant and demands to see his whole form. Tatl tells them they must return to Clock Town, following Tael's instruction. The fourth giant says to call them using their song atop the Clock Tower. Tatl hears the sadness in his voice, and perplexedly translates his message: "Forgive our friend."

Link quickly rushes back to Clock Town. He checks on the Stock Pot Inn, wondering if Miss Anju ever found Kafei. Upon his arrival, he catches a young man wearing a Keaton Mask snooping around and is shoved aside as the boy runs away. He drops a letter addressed to Anju, and it's from Kafei. Link excitedly runs to find Anju, who is just about to take refuge with her grandmother and mother. He hands her the letter that the kid outside had. With his letter to reassure her, Anju decides to wait for Kafei while her family goes on without her. Her Grandmother proceeds to tell Link the legend of the four giants. Interrupting the legend's conclusion, Anju's mother tries one last time to get Anju to leave with them, but she refuses. Link says he's going to go look for Kafei, and Anju asks Link to tell him that she believes in him and will wait for him. Before they depart, Anju's grandmother finishes the story and Link deduces that the giants were once friends with the Skull Kid.

Link spots the masked young man outside. A chase ensues and ends in the hideout at the Laundry Pool. Cornered, the masked boy attacks with strength that belies his youth. During the struggle, the Keaton Mask flies off of his face and the boy reveals that he is Kafei. He explains that he was turned into a kid by an imp wearing a mask and briefly recalls the night it happened. When Link explains that the Skull Kid is being influenced by Majora's Mask and that he is going to face the Skull Kid and stop the moon from falling, Kafei asks to come along.

In the final frame, the Happy Mask Salesman is shown eavesdropping on their conversation.

Stop the Moon!!
Kafei shows Link the Sun's Mask and explains its significance, as well as the significance of marrying on the eve of the carnival. Tatl tries to convince Kafei to go reassure Anju, but he refuses on account of his childish appearance. The Happy Mask Salesman continues to stalk them as they head off to face the Skull Kid. The town's inhabitants eye the moon with varying reactions.

The clock strikes midnight and the fireworks begin. Link and Kafei race to the Clock Tower and Link uses his Ocarina to call the giants. Kafei beseeches the Skull Kid to change him back, imploring him on the basis of his love for Anju, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. The Skull Kid laughs as he gives the moon one final pull towards Termina.

Under the threat of impending doom, Kafei regrets that he wasn't with the woman he loves to face the end. Just then, Anju arrives on top of the Clock Tower, explaining that Tatl told her the whole story. The lovers rush into each other's arms and embrace atop the tower. Link only looks on, feeling helpless to stop the falling moon.

Just then, the giants appear and stop the moon's decent, holding it steady just above the town.

Fierce Deity Link
Tatl and Tael reunite on the tower. Tatl tries to berate Skull Kid but Tael intervenes. The Skull Kid says that he never meant for them to die. He tells the story of his friends, the giants, and how they left him. He fought desperately, trying to get them to stay, but he was left behind and attacked by crows. In tears, he concludes that he was the only one that thought they were all friends and that Majora's Mask will be a better friend to him than they were.

Suddenly the mask takes control. It abandons the Skull Kid and attacks. When Link blocks the blow, the mask says he's interesting and asks Link to play with him. He gives Link the Fierce Deity's Mask so they can play and disappears into the mouth of the moon. Despite Kafei's protests, Link decides he will "play" with Majora's Mask and dons the Fierce Deity's Mask. After his intense transformation, he takes off after Majora's Mask into the moon.

The Moon Children run around him on the plain, trying to get him to play. With frightening speed and power, he dispatches them. Tatl is startled, but says she will follow Link no matter his shape. They find a child wearing Majora's Mask sitting at the base of the tree. A battle ensues, and Majora changes shape and runs around, demanding Link chase him. After a powerful strike, Majora gets angry and changes one last time.

With his godly strength, Link delivers the final blow. Majora disintegrates, leaving only the mask behind. The Happy Mask Salesman retrieves it at once, and finds himself staring up at the Fierce Deity. Link attacks, splitting the Salesman's masks apart. Laughing quietly, the Salesman disappears like a mist.

Link removes the mask and returns to normal. The moon goes back into the heavens, the carnival begins, and Anju walks down the aisle in her wedding dress. The giants console the weeping Skull Kid and tell him that they'll always be friends, even if they're apart. Epona appears and Link rides off, leaving Termina behind, saying that someday he'll return.

The Skull Kid carves an image of himself, the fairies, and Link on a stump.

Original Side Story
These extra few pages describe the creation of Majora's Mask and the death of Majora. Majora is depicted as a large shaggy dragon wearing armor, magic armor that grants wishes. An unknown warrior appears before Majora one day and Majora is under the impression that the warrior wants his armor, so that he may have his heart's desire. The warrior attempts to convince Majora otherwise but Majora is not willing to believe this. The warrior then reveals a drum and begins to play it, Majora is immediately thrown into a trance and dances for three days straight. Upon the completion of the third day, Majora dies from exhaustion. The warrior then takes the armor, but contrary to what many greedy adventurers would have done, he does not make a wish, and instead, carves the Majora's Mask out of it. This is speculated to be the reason why Majora wishes to end the world in three days and also why his second form, Majora's Incarnation, dances.

Trivia

 * After Link plays the Song of Time and returns to the first day, he notices that he no longer has the wound he had previously recieved to his arm. This appears to indicate that Link is not physically transported back in time. It is like that, instead, only Link's consciousness travels back, to enter his body from three days prior. This would explain why Link does not run into the version of himself from the prior loop.