Tael is a Fairy in Majora's Mask.[2] He is the younger brother of Tatl.[1] He is a deep purple in color, vastly different from the bright hue appearance of most other Fairies.
Biography[]
Prior to the events of Majora's Mask, Tatl and Tael were flying around Termina Field looking for shelter on a stormy day. They suddenly find a lonely Skull Kid under a log, shivering. Tael and his sister soon become friends with him, and when the Skull Kid began to show his mischievous side, the two Fairies decided to follow through it. At the beginning of Majora's Mask, they follow the Skull Kid, now wearing the evil Majora's Mask, to the Lost Woods, where Tael and Tatl ambush and startle Epona, causing Link, the Hero of Time, who was on a quest of searching for Navi, to fall off unconscious. Skull Kid then proceeds to steal Link's Ocarina of Time, in which he wanted to try playing the instrument but Tatl scolds him. When Link wakes up, the Skull Kid escapes with Tael and Tatl as they ride away on Epona. After Link is transformed into a Deku Scrub, Tatl gets in his way to impede him from going after the Skull Kid, which causes her to get separated from both Skull Kid and her brother. Tael does not appear again until Link and Tatl venture to the top of the Clock Tower on the Final Day, where they find him and Skull Kid.
It is through Tael that Link and Tatl discover that the Four Giants are needed to stop the Majora's Mask-possessed Skull Kid and Termina from its impending doom.[3] Skull Kid, however, hits Tael for speaking out of line, angering Tatl.[4] After Link calls upon the Four Giants using the Oath to Order, Tael and his sister are finally reunited until Majora's Mask detaches itself from the Skull Kid and travels to the inside of the Moon. Link then decides to go after the Mask to destroy it. In an act of bravery, Tael decides to accompany the young hero to the Moon since, as he does not want to be always running away.[5] Tael is however stopped by Tatl, who goes in his stead.[6]
Eventually Link, with the aid of Tatl, successfully free the Skull Kid from the influence of Majora's Mask by eliminating Majora itself in a rough battle, allowing the two sibling Fairies to be friends with the Skull Kid once again. After Tatl says her goodbyes to Link in a rocky manner, Tael can be last seen comforting his sister.
Personality[]
Unlike his older sister Tatl, Tael has a more innocent and timid personality, unable to stand up to the Skull Kid's constant abuse.[7] Tael, however, also understands better than Tatl all the suffering that the Skull Kid has gone through and why he does such terrible things. While Tatl blames Skull Kid's weak will and him having no strength of heart for his actions, Tael realizes that it was Majora's Mask itself that made their friend act that way.[8][9]
Trivia[]
Tael (second top left) compared to all other Fairies of the Nintendo 64 games including Navi and Tatl (top row)
- Tael's dark color scheme is unique for a Fairy, most of which give off a white or gently hued light. He is the only Fairy in the entire The Legend of Zelda series to appear this way, possibly because he is male. This coloration seems deliberately in contrast with the light color scheme of his sister, Tatl, as well as Navi in Ocarina of Time.
- In the beta version of Majora's Mask, Tael was originally white with a purple glow around him.
- Compared to Navi and his older sister Tatl, Tael has a distinctive flying sound effect to distinguish him from the two.
- Like Tatl, expresses himself with bell-like noises, but in a slightly lower pitch.
- He is the only essential Fairy among the Hero of Time's adventures that Link never had a direct relationship with.
- Tael and Leaf from Phantom Hourglass are the only known male Fairies in the franchise.
Nomenclature[]
Tael and his sister's names are puns off the word "tattletale".
 Names in other regions  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | ||
 | FrenchEU | Tael (MM | MM3D)[10][11] | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. | |||
Gallery[]
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Majora's Mask early screenshot featuring a white Tael -
Artwork of Tael with Tatl from Hyrule Warriors
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Tael Adventure Mode Sprite from Hyrule Warriors
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Tael with Tatl and Navi
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Tael with Skull Kid and Tatl in Hyrule Warriors
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Tatl playing with Tael in Skull Kid's Victory Animation in Hyrule Warriors
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Tael catching the Lunar Ocarina with Tatl in Hyrule Warriors
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "You! If I wasn't dealing with you, I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother!" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 244(MM)
- ↑ "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry...The four who are there... Bring them here..." — Tael (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Nooo!! What are you doing to my brother? Skull Kid, do you still think you're our friend after that?!!?" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I'll go!!! ...I don't always want to be running away! If only I had been stronger, the Skull Kid wouldn't have..." — Tael (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I understand. I'll go!" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "You hit my brother over and over! I'll never forgive you!!" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "It's 'cause he doesn't know his place! On top of having a weak will and no strength of heart... he's a fool!" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Wait...Sis...Don't... Don't be so hard on the Skull Kid. ... He was lonely... ...the Skull Kid. ... The power of the mask made him do it. It was too much for the Skull Kid to handle." — Tael (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Les Éditions Soleil, pg. 244
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Les Éditions Soleil, pg. 244