Skull Kid (character)

The Skull Kid is a recurring character in the Legend of Zelda series. A member of the Skull Kid race of creatures, the Skull Kid is a mischievous being who takes delight in playing tricks on others. He serves as the primary antagonist for a majority of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and it is believed by many that he makes his first appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Skull Kid can be found playing his flute in a clearing in the southern part of the Lost Woods. If Link approaches him as an adult, the Skull Kid attacks him on sight, as Skull Kids fear adults. If Link approaches him as a child, however, the Skull Kid is docile and does not attack him; however, if he is hit with a projectile weapon, he will dodge the attack and disappear until Link leaves and re-enters the area. When he is a child, Link can play "Saria's Song" for the Skull Kid; when this occurs, the Skull Kid, also a friend of Saria's, befriends Link, and as a token of their newfound friendship, presents him with a Piece of Heart.

After the two become friends, Link can sell the Skull Mask to the Skull Kid as part of the Happy Mask side quest. However, due to the Skull Kid's mischievous nature, he pays Link only 10 Rupees, despite the fact that the price was 20 Rupees, forcing Link to return the full price to the Happy Mask Salesman, using his own money to make up for the lost profit. The Skull Kid is very happy to receive the mask, and takes pride in the fact that his friends are jealous of it. Strangely, after the Skull Kid receives the mask, all the other Skull Kids seen in the game are seen wearing the mask as well.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Skull Kid is the primary antagonist for a majority of the game, being the one apparently responsible for the series of disturbances and disasters that have recently plagued the land of Termina, and seeking to destroy the entire land by pulling the Moon out of its orbit and sending it on a collision course with Termina. This Skull Kid is widely believed to be the very same character as the one appearing in Ocarina of Time, owing to several hints found in the game, despite no official statement of this fact.

On a quest to find a friend he lost during the events of Ocarina of Time, Link travels deep into the Lost Woods astride his horse, Epona. Suddenly, two fairies named Tatl and Tael appear and frighten Epona, causing Link to fall off, making him lose consciousness. The Skull Kid, wearing a mysterious mask, then appears from out of nowhere, and proceeds to search Link for valuable items. He steals the Ocarina of Time and attempts to play it; meanwhile, Link regains consciousness and, having noticed the Skull Kid, attempts to sneak up on him. The Skull Kid steals Epona and attempts to escape; Link is able to hang onto Epona for a short while before falling off. He chases the Skull Kid into the forest, and enters a huge tree, in which is located a huge pit into which he falls. At the bottom of the pit, Link finds the Skull Kid, who informs him that he "got rid of" Epona, as she would not obey his commands. He then proceeds to use the power of the mask to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. As the Skull Kid is set to leave, Link attempts to give chase once more, but Tatl is able to deter him; unfortunately, this causes her to be separated from her brother Tael and the Skull Kid as the door closes behind them. In desperation, Tatl agrees to work together with Link as his fairy companion for them to make their escape. Link uses the powers of his new form, along with Tatl's advice, to make his way out of the tunnel complex, and into a large underground chamber. As they attempt to exit the area, the Happy Mask Salesman appears before them. He tells Link that he can restore him to his Hylian form if he recovers his stolen ocarina, as well as the mask the Skull Kid stole from him, without revealing too many details. However, he tells them that they have only three days to complete this task, as he will be leaving at that point.

Exiting the underground chamber, they find themselves in Clock Town, the suburban center of Termina. They are eventually able to access the top of the Clock Tower, where they find the Skull Kid. Link is able to retrieve the Ocarina of Time, but is unable to retrieve the stolen mask. He uses the "Song of Time" to travel back in time to the dawn of the First Day he arrived in Termina, thereby avoiding the land's imminent destruction upon the fall of the Moon. He then returns to the Happy Mask Salesman, who teaches him the "Song of Healing", restoring his Hylian form. Upon hearing that they failed to retrieve the mask, however, the Happy Mask Salesman is severely distressed, and informs them of the destructive powers of Majora's Mask, and how imperative it is that it is returned to him. They are also provided with further details of how the Skull Kid ambushed the Happy Mask Salesman and rummaged through his bag of masks, ultimately finding Majora's Mask. Whether this was a random crime perpetrated by the Skull Kid without the express intention of stealing this particular mask, or if he was driven by the demonic power inherent in the mask, is unknown, though certain hints are given regarding the latter explanation. Following advice received from Tael, Link and Tatl go on a quest to rescue the Four Giants, guardian spirits of Termina who have the power to halt the falling Moon, and have been imprisoned by the curses of Majora's Mask. Along the way, they learn of how the Skull Kid came to meet Tatl and Tael, and witness the many calamities caused by, or attributed to, the Skull Kid. Aside from how the seemingly inevitable collision between the Moon and Termina affects all denizens of Termina, the four outlying regions of Termina: Woodfall, Snowhead, the Great Bay, and Ikana, have been plagued by different environmental crises, all of which are undone once Link rescues the Giant guarding the region. Other crimes are not specifically attributed to the Skull Kid, and may indeed be the work of someone else, such as the big boulder blocking the way to Romani Ranch, which was more likely committed by the Gorman Brothers rather than the Skull Kid. It is unknown how many of these crimes, which range from petty vandalism and threatening to steal to attempting to destroy everything, were perpetrated under the influence of the mask, especially since the Skull Kid's mischievous acts have apparently been occurring for some time. It is made clear though that at least the more severe of the Skull Kid's wicked deeds were due to the influence of Majora's Mask.

From Anju's Grandmother, they learn the story of the Four Giants and their friend, the mischievous little imp known as the Skull Kid, who was greatly saddened by their leaving, a sadness which in time turned to great hate and contempt, and may have influenced the Skull Kid's decision to steal Majora's Mask. In his anger, the Skull Kid caused more and more trouble for the people of Termina, until they summoned the Four Giants from their sleep, and the Giants banished the Skull Kid. As more of the giants are rescued, they implore Link to "help their friend" by playing the "Oath to Order" at the time of utmost need. Having rescued all of the Four Giants, Link returns to the top of the Clock Tower and summons them. Not having the strength to battle the combined power of the Four Giants, the Skull Kid faints, and the Moon's progress is halted. As Tatl and Tael are reunited, and Termina seems to be safe, however, the mask, revealed to have been a separate sentient entity all along, abandons the Skull Kid and retreats into the Moon, activating it once again with the intent to consume everything. Link follows after it, and after he defeats the many forms of Majora, it is ultimately destroyed, and the Moon disappears; the mask is left powerless, and returned to the Happy Mask Salesman. As the Four Giants leave once more, the Skull Kid realizes that his old friends had not forgotten him, and that he must let them go. He declares Link his new friend, and at the end of the game, he is revealed to have carved an image of himself, Link, their two fairy friends, and the Four Giants into a stump in the Lost Woods.

Majora's Mask: The Abridged Series
Skull Kid plays a prominent role in this popular YouTube series. As in the source game, he has been possessed by Majora's Mask and plans on destroying Termina with the moon. However, he also specializes in witty comebacks and invented the CD-i. He is described as talking like "someone whose throat enjoys pain."

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Skull Kid is featured on two stickers. The first sticker gives a +20 bonus to leg attacks and depicts him as he appears in Majora's Mask. The second sticker gives a +7 bonus to darkness-based attacks and depicts him as he appears in Ocarina of Time. Like all stickers that grant bonuses to darkness-based attacks, the second sticker can be applied only to Ganondorf.

Other names
In manga and early translations, his name is roughly translated as Star Kid, coming from the name "Sutaru Kiddo", since the Japanese spells foreign words phonetically. However, this was an error; the character is known as "Stalkid" in Japan, a derivative of the traditional Zelda enemy Stalfos.

Theory
It is widely believed, and heavily implied in Majora's Mask, that the Skull Kid that appears in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are one and the same. While no outright statement is ever made regarding this, it seems beyond a reasonable doubt this is what Nintendo intended. 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 the 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 taught "Saria's Song" to a Skull Kid in the Lost Woods, who became his friend after this. Lastly, after the end credits of the game have played, the final thing seen in the game is a stump into which is carved the images of the Skull Kid, Link, Tatl, Tael, and the Four Giants. After a certain amount of time has passed, a part of "Saria's Song" is heard.