Majora's Mask - Terrible Fate is a short film made by EmberLab, directed by Mike Grier, as a direct prequel to the video game The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, telling the origin story of Skull Kid. It features beautiful 3D animation, and music by Theophany. And it uses real settings (in Humboldt, CA) and models for the characters. However, it is not produced by Nintendo and so not part of the Legend of Zelda canon.
Though focusing mostly on Skull Kid, it also gives some more story to the Happy Mask Salesman, too.
It was released in 2016 and can be viewed here
. There's a behind-the-scenes here.
The music comes from Time's End II, which can be found here.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Attractiveness: The Happy Mask Salesman doesn't look nearly as creepy and weird as he did in the game, looking far cuter here.
- Adaptational Heroism: In the game, the Skull Kid attacked the Happy Mask Salesman in one of his pranks, which is how he came to possess Majora's Mask. But in the short film, the Skull Kid just happened to come across the Salesman who fainted from staring at the Mask. He also seems to be extremely reluctant to put it on, as if the mask itself is forcing him to do so.
- And I Must Scream: Quite literally, as while the Skull Kid was being possessed by the mask, he was SCREAMING in agony.
- Artifact of Doom: Majora's mask.
- Backstory Horror: Majora's Mask was one of the scarier LOZ games, but parts of this short aren't very kid-friendly at all.
- Body Horror: The film features a sequence of the Skull Kid becoming attached to Majora's mask, and it's pretty damn scary.
- Clingy MacGuffin: It's shown that not only will the mask not come off, but that it attached itself to Skull Kid's face by itself.
- Clock Punk: To fit with the time theme, the opening features the Happy Mask Salesman playing piano in what seems to be a clock tower, with some crossovers with Steampunk.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Skull Kid, from his origins to being possessed.
- Demonic Dummy: The mask, from visual indications of growing fire and the climactic musical cue, and the fact that it possesses Skull Kid.
- Demonic Possession: Heavily implied to be the case for the Skull Kid when he puts on Majora's Mask. As he removes his beak, his face is shown to be utterly terrified of the mask. He even trembles holding it, as if trying to resist putting it on. His body jerking around as he screams after he puts it on seems to indicate Majora's Mask taking control of him.
- Easter Egg: One of the masks on the Happy Mask Salesman's pack is Mario.
- Evil Laugh: The mask produces a very creepy one as it takes possession of Skull Kid.
- Foregone Conclusion: That the mask somehow ends up on Skull Kid.
- Friendless Background: Skull Kid seems to have been a loner, perhaps because of his wooden body and being featureless. In the film, he's approached by fairies in the forest and has a good time playing with them in a brief Hope Spot before the Foregone Conclusion happens.
- Laughing Mad: The film ends with the Happy Mask Salesman laughing because the Skull Kid become possessed by Majora's Mask and Termina will suffer for his hubris.
- Living Hat: Though a mask, Majora's mask is highly suggested to be one. It has some powerful effect on the Happy Mask Salesman and its eyes glow red at one.
- Meaningful Echo: Skull Kid being drawn out of his shell of sobbing by the fairies and then having fun is marked by characterisation of him starting to chuckle, and it's cute... until the same chuckle comes back after the mask attaches to him, and it's the trademark creepy laugh.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The Happy Mask Salesman seems to become crippled from staring at Majora's mask, and when Skull Kid comes up to help him he sees the mask and goes to investigate.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When the Happy Mask Salesman stops smiling, you can tell things are going downhill. He then takes Majora's mask off his pack to inspect it, and it seems to physically harm him — he goes from frowning to scared when Skull Kid arrives.
- Skull Kid himself as he approaches Majora's Mask and holds it. Throughout the short he's been sad when alone, or happy when playing with Tatl and Tael. When he removes the beak hiding his mouth and is shown to be horrified at the mask, it's clear there's something worse at work than Skull Kid's curiosity.
- Start of Darkness: Though the character of Skull Kid in Majora's Mask is complex, it's clear at the end of this film that there is some start of evil when Skull Kid and the mask become one.
- Weapon Wields You: The mask seems to discard of the Happy Mask Salesman and "choose" Skull Kid. It's also an Evil Weapon, gauging from how Skull Kid seems very hesitant to put it on. As if Majora's Mask is controlling its wielder.
