10 Reasons Why Majora's Mask COULD Have Been A Dream

Was the land of Termina and the events of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask real or not? This is a rather heated debate, and in fact, some insist there is no debate. But in this video Andy (Zeldom) will demonstrate why the Termina Dream Theory is PLAUSIBLE. If the theory could be proven solidly it would be can so the purpose of this video not a proof for the theory, but just to show why it exists and shut down some of the "evidence" commonly used to "debunk" these theories.

⭐The Tragedy of Time: A Legend of Zelda Narrative

⭐Article by Dathen Boccabella: LINK IN WONDERLAND: AN ANALYTICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN MAJORA’S MASK AND ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Thumbnail by @NebulAce1

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⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:13 1 - Developer Comments
5:44 2 - Alice In Wonderland Parallels
8:10 3 - The Tragedy of Time Narrative
8:55 4 - The Hero's Bow
10:29 5 - The Lens of Truth & Song of Storms
11:33 6 - How to Leave Termina?
12:34 7 - The Mirror Shield & Gilded Sword
13:19 8 - The Tree Stump
14:21 9 - Dreaming A World
15:43 10 - Easter Eggs

[thelionkim]

Something just occurred to me. In the movie Inception, they explain how in dreams, you just kind of go about your business in a place with no memory of how you got there. Dreams just "are", there is no beginning of the dream. In the opening of Majora's Mask, we find Link wandering the forest. We don't see him enter, he just exists and is already occupied with a task. Watching the intro again reminded me of how the dreams in Inception worked, kinda cool, eh?

Also, how does it feel to be smarter than 90% of the population, Andy? I love how you need to have a disclaimer in the title AND at the beginning of the video. People just can't handle arguing lol

[nillynush]

So long as we can agree that Link isn't dead in MM. He can't die as a kid, because it breaks the timeline.

[mr.gilgamesh]

It does feel like the land of Termina may be a dream. Although I do understand why people may not be so fond of this theory. Mostly because it can be a little disappointing.
I guess the idea of it being a dream or not, is up to preference since it almost seems like the story is more of an interpretive one. One thing is certain though. The amazing story that Majoras Mask has to offer isn't lost whether it is a dream or not.

[rosieleaverton]

I think I believe this theory, but to those who don't, remember: this is just a game. You can interpret the story however you want. No one is stopping you, and it doesn't matter how you interpret it. I think what I think, you think what you think.

[MichaelRocks]

I was never a huge fan of the "dream" theory for MM (and especially dislike the theory that Link is dead). However, you may have made a convert on one simple item. This is sort of parallel to what was said in the video. There are only 3 paintings in the entire history of Zelda (that I know of) that have that painting style on the stump, the stump, Skull Kids drawing in Termina Field, and the drawing on Link's house in OOT. Zelda is not afraid to show variations in art style, so it seems almost CERTAIN all 3 were drawn by the same person. This either means the house and the stump were drawn by Skull kid (which would just be odd) or they were all drawn by Link, which would make total sense if MM was just a dream/hallucination and Link was imagining these drawing but them coming out in his own personal art style.

[kevinfromsales]

I never agreed with this theory but I like the video anyways.

My theory is that either the hole or the gates before Clock Tower is a portal that took Link to this parallel world Termina, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist it just means that the people in Hyrule aren't aware of it's existence.

[PokeHokage]

I have a majora's mask dream and then 2 youtubers I'm subbed to upload a Majoras mask video lol

[ezzie]

Personally, I think Termina was created by Majora from Skull Kid's or Link's memories. It is for this reason that one of the most important characters in the history of Termina is the Skull Kid (and his relationship with the four giants). This theory would also explain why all the citizens look like their Hyrule counterparts and why Link doesn't have one. There are also a lot of odd things in Termina that perhaps could be explained by this, like the Skull Kid paintings in the spider house. Everything in Termina involves the Skull Kid, and who could create a land like this out of nowhere? Majora.
So, is the land real? Yes. Has it always been there? Probably not.
I agree with some parts of your theory, but instead of a dream it could have been created by Majora, he has god like powers so it wouldn't be too far fetched.

[Kaempfdog]

From my interpretations, Termina is a real location. I’ve brought up my interpretations in other videos, and I recently played Majora’s Mask again. Honestly, haven’t seen anything to change those interpretations.

That being said, and this goes for every time I’ve brought up my theory with you, I can’t discredit your interpretation. Zelda is famously ambiguous in lore. There are the obvious religious based areas like the Buddhism-based Ancient Cistern and the Bible based Stone Tower. Those are harder to deny. But the rules of the world are intentionally left to our interpretation. And it’s up to us to figure out what fits and what doesn’t. My theory fits my interpretations of the series just like yours doesn’t.

And the fact that neither of us have truly found something to discredit our or each other’s interpretation is only proof that both can work.

[jorgeoquendo]

I'm going to respond bit by bit as i watch the video because I'll forget as it goes on:

1. "parallel world can also mean dream because the definition of world relevant to this context is: (separate reality) and a dream is a different reality experienced"- There are two things to say to this. Firstly, does a "dream" constitute a "reality" or is a "dream" exactly that and not a "reality"? Something has to be real to be a reality, right? So right off the bat I'm not sure you can fit "dream" into "parallel world" using that definition. I think that's why people do what you say they're doing in the video: responding with those dev/manual quotes to disprove it's a dream. Because they understand that a parallel world and a dream are two separate things, so saying "its a parallel world" would run counter to saying "it's a dream" because they're different things. Secondly, lets entertain that you're right, that it *can* be interpreted that way. The next step would be to determine whether or not it *is*, right? Well in the case of link's awakening, koholint is explicitly stated to be a dream in the game. Why would they make another dream world, but this time not make it explicit or at all evidenced?

2. "It's similar to alice in wonderland and in that it's all a dream"- Even entertaining that it took *direct* inspiration from it, that wouldnt mean it's a 1:1 copy. It could copy/paste the whole plotline and still diverge at that very last scene where its all a dream.

3. "It works better as a dream because it fits with the idea of him having traumatic dreams in MM"- MM is already about feelings, even without it being a dream. It is a parallel world where link has a very emotional journey. This point (#3) makes it seem like if it's *not* a dream, then your theory that link underwent emotional inwards searching goes out the window. No, it's a parallel world where that happened. Its a plot point, the whole "forgive your friend" giant quote, the cremia hug, the moon children quotes, etc.

4. "OOT link isnt known as a hero in the child timeline"- But he is, as stated in the intro to MM. It says legends echo in hyrule about OOT link and that those legends are held dearly by the royal family. Its a fact that legends of his deeds in the AT echo in hyrule in the CT, stated explicitly. So the bow is his bow from MM. In the SS clip you showed, link obtained "the bow", in MM he gets the "hero's bow", in TP he gets the "hero's bow". Names matter, they've gone out of their way to name the bows. In OOT it's the fairy's bow, in others it's the bow of light, etc.

4.5: "The hero's bow is in WW too"- The hero's bow can be wherever, that doesnt really matter. It being in another timeline is besides what we're talking about, which is that it is sequentially found in the CT, one game before the other. If following a single continuity an item appears twice, similar looking with the same name, its probably the same thing and that has nothing to do with the one in WW, that being a whole other continuity where a different origin for that item could be the case.

5. "The lens and song of storms"- These are not the same things from OOT is the thing. Like, we recognize the song of storms, but in universe its almost certainly an entirely different melody, maybe even with a different name. Some good counter evidence is that when you "remember" the song of time it's stated to be being "remembered", even mentioning the corners of your mind. So in universe thats the same song. If thats the case, why not do the same for the song of storms? Because it's not the same song, they just reused assets from OOT. Note that the one in termina has a different effect to the one in OOT, it lifts curses. There's even a new in game reason for the rain/thunder, flat's tears and anger. Same with the lens of truth, in universe it could look like a horseshoe for all we know, they reused assets

6. "If its a parallel world, how does he make it out?"- That's the only entrance we *see*. Not necessarily the only one at all. We know the skullkid is able to go to and from at will, seen multiple times. We see him in OOT, we see him get banished by the giants in the old lady's story, we see him come back pre-MM when he met tatl/tael, we see him in hyrule in TP. We also saw link get out on horseback. All of this implies that the fall isnt the only way, which isnt surprising given the teleportation properties the woods exhibit. There's a portal to goron city in there

7. "I counter the point that link has his gilded sword and mirror shield in the ending cutscene by saying that's also part of the dream, right before he wakes up"- There's nothing to say to this, it can't be proven or disproven.

8. "If skullkid drew the dream link had on the stump then thats weird so i say Link drew his dream on the stump"- There is another white chalk drawing in the game, seen done by skullkid. Also, was that flashback of tatl's memories with tael and skullkid also part of link's dream? What about the history/culture of termina? Like the old lady telling us the giants created termina or the mask festival asking the giants for a bountiful harvest? That seems unlikely to me. There are also many npcs link never met in OOT.

9. "I say link could have dreamed up all the small details of the world because the windfish was able to"- The windfish is a god

10. "All instances of the mask in other games are just easter eggs, i also think the darmani carving in BOTW is an easter egg"- There's nothing weird about a carving of darmani being in BOTW. A possible explanation is that BOTW is in the CT. As i said earlier, we know legends of link were already echoing in hyrule prior to MM. We also see he went on to become a knight with a good array of hidden skills. His bow was passed down in the goron race as a sacred treasure. If his exploits in MM were known it wouldn't be weird for the soul of the goron who helped their hero to be immortalized in stone. Also, maybe even more relevant than that counter, a goron in MM mentions serloin from dodongo's cavern, implying the MM gorons go to hyrule sometimes. Which seems possible given we see a traveling goron named link in MM and we see from link making it back to hyrule on horseback that traversal to and from is just possible.

[andresbarquin]

Thank you for adressing the easter eggs! It is insane how many people take these as canon.

Amazing video as always. There is something I am curious about. As stated in the video, the hero of time was not remembered in the child timeline. This is considered fact by the majority of the zelda fanbase and I believed it fully as well. But recently, I have been searching for real evidence to suggest that this is true, and the only thing I could find was in hyrule historia. It doesn't seem like this idea is supported by the games at all. In TP, it is never stated that the hero's shade regretted being forgotten, rather he regrets not being able to pass on his skills, a regret he says he eased when teaching the hero of twilight the final skill. In MM, it never states or implies that links journey through time was kept a secret. It says the legent was held dearly by the Royal Family, but it never implies that only the Royal Family knows of links journey. If the Japanese text implies that link was forgotten then please let me know as I have not found any translations online. I just want to know if this is something that is backed up with real evidence or if it was just something stated in hyrule historia and people just went along with it.

[sindrevangenrobberstad]

You know, the most common nightmare I have – though the settings, people, and other details can vary a lot – always goes something like this:

There's an urgent and important task I need to do; I have to go somewhere to do it; I'm already short on time; all circumstances around me keep getting in the way of me getting there (roadblocks, lack of transportation, some other problem, etc.); the other people around me don't understand this/don't take it seriously; I always either run out of time or wake up before I get to accomplish the task at hand; I'm increasingly stressed the whole time before I wake up. I'm guessing this is quite a common type of dream for many people.

I don't know about you, but it lines up an awful lot with Majora's Mask's time limit. Perhaps every time the player resets the three-day-timer, it represents the end of that particular dream for Link. Whenever the timer runs out and Termina is destroyed, it's a particularly horrible nightmare for Link, the kind from which you wake up with a gasp and a cold sweat. Reaching the end is the rare privilege of a nightmare turning into a good dream. It's the last instance of this reoccurring dream of Link's, as his subconscious has now fully processed what it needs to in order to move on.

(PS: If you take a ride with Cremia a second time and she rewards Link with a...very bosom-heavy hug, that may be Link having a slightly different type of dream.)

[jaiadams]

I literally just wrote a story on this theory yesterday, , IT IS SOO TRIPPY that 14 hours later this was posted

[lonku]

Maybe this has happened to you before: After going through a stressful situation or a traumatic event one has dreams about it. Like having nightmares about that horror movie you just saw, or nightmares about still going to school even if you already graduated or living again that car accident you were on some time ago.

Now, imagine you sacrifice your youth in order to save the world, you do so but you are sent back to "Relive" that lost time. Now noone knows about what you did, noone but you, not only that but slightly after accepting that you lost your childhood and stopped feeling like a kid in the body of an adult, now you are in the opposite situation, an adult in the body of a kid. And once again you have to sacrifice that childhood time, running away from the kingdom to keep it safe.

I don't think one's mental health would be great after that.
And I believe that this is the reason behind the 3 day cycle and having yo constantly go back in time to help people and save Termina.
Link is going through that time traveling trauma even in his dream.







Sorry if this is difficult to understand, I am almost about to pass out after a long day.

[andresiturra]

I highly disagree on the easter egg point.

Ignoring conflicting evidence because it makes things complicated or contradicts an assumed fact just makes the lore be only the story in the games.

Amibo's canonicity is questionable, as it involves actual real world interactions, but enviornmental details are part of the world and therefore very usable as evidence.
If they aren't, then any detail shown in cutscenes or the world should be sumply disregarded and ignored. All that can be theorized about is text and dialogue; because enviornmental detail don't matter, right? They aren't part of the story. Part of the canon. I shouldn't have to explain why this is bad. Just think:
You want to make a theory about a book thrown on the floor? Detail!
Theory about how a character looks simmilar to another? Reference!
Common enemy uses an attack identical to the final boss? Coincidence!
Stone Tablet LITERALLY saying twilight princess ocurrs after the Windwaker? Contradicts the timeline so it is an easter egg!

This isn't to attack or insult anyone who thinks easter eggs by defenition can't be canon. I'm just saying the logical implications of that are that basically all theories are wrong or based on fake evidence.

And I'm not even saying that all easter eggs must be taken as absolute fact!
That poster of a zelda game must mean that the zelda franchise exists in this universe. (other series game)
The toilet hand in SS is a different hand to the one from MM and OoA. Maybe it is a similar curse? Or perhaps a species?
Maybe memories fade or are altered or characters lie or information is lost. Maybe timetravel or separate universes are involved if the easter egg really screws stuff up. Or perhaps it is all a coincidence?

In other words, easter eggs should be evaluated just like other evidence and then used to speculate and craft theories. Everything can be explained and nothing is truly definitive.

Ps. Sorry for taking up however it long it took to read this. It ended up being very long.

[mrdspelow]

Well looks like I’m playing Majora’s mask with this theory in mind.

But I personally like believing termina is real. No reason at all, I just like believing is real. But great video

[Sakabatou]

I cannot go along with Majora's Mask being a dream, only because he doesn't wake up at the end, and why keep it a secret when they didn't do that with Link's Awakening. I'm fine with a debate if Termina is another dimension, due to the fact that majority of the characters are in Ocarina of Time, even though that was to save time developing the game.

Everybody has his or her depiction, mine either being in the world of Hyrule or another world. As of now, I say Hyrule only because we never see Link traversing through a portal at the end, like in a Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds.  

Why keep it a mystery?

I still gave you a thumbs up.

[TBoneTony]

I take this theory the same when I think of Ocarina of Time Link being destined to marry Malon from Lon Lon Ranch.

These are just fan theories not meant to be taken too seriously and just having fun looking at the games and finding connections to see how strong each theory is regardless of how the Developers intended their games to be portrayed as.

For me, I just consider Link to be the Harem King in each of his Zelda adventures.

[theghostofjeffgoldblumdail]

Honestly, I think its better that questions like “is Termina real?” Don’t have a clear cut answer and the devs are intentionally leaving it ambiguous, its like timeline split in BOTW, it takes place in whatever timeline the player likes, or in a merged one, or in all of them as an inevitable outcome, which is my personal interpretation, it allows people to enjoy things how they want to, if there was a clear cut answer, people who don’t like particularly vibe with that would feel alienated. I personally think of Termina as a parallel universe featuring different versions of the people we know in Ocarina’s Hyrule, I don’t line the idea of it being a dream because in my opinion, it invalidates all the hard work Link and the player did because all the people you helped where erased when Link left, similar to Koholint Island, only the difference there is that Koholint disappearing is meant to be bittersweet, because yes the Windfish woke up from his nightmares and Marin got her wish of becoming a seagull, but everyone else is gone and Link is lost at sea. In the remake you even see Link visibly sad at Koholint disappearing and he has a whole crisis about not wanting to erase Koholint in the manga. Termina is not like that, you’re supposed to feel happy and accomplished that you helped everyone by the end, I like to think that Zora-Link played with the Indigogos at Anju and Kafei’s wedding, but if all of them were erased that sense of fulfillment is gone. But that is just my opinion, other people have their’s and there’s nothing wrong with that, I think its great that everyone can have their own experience and ideas they can take away from the same spectacular story.

[skele]

While I don't agree with this, at least it's better than the *sigh* Link is dead theory