Suduiko, A. (2014, November 13). Majora’s Mask should terrify you, and this is why. With A Terrible Fate. https://withaterriblefate.com/2014/11/13/majoras-mask-should-terrify-you-and-this-is-why/

Summary

The second entry in Suduiko's "A Comprehensive Theory of Majora's Mask" ([[Comprehensive Theory Majora's Mask]]).

Notes

Majora ([[Majora's Mask]]) is dark and nightmarish not just because of the aesthetic choices, but also because there is an existential disconnect as well. There ultimately exists no evil in the game.

Unlike Ocarina of Time ([[Ocarina of Time]]), where Ganondorf is portrayed as the great archetype of evil who must be stopped, Majora doesn't have an analog. The closest we get to a villain is the Skull Kid, a disturbed child posessed by the spirit contained within the mask of Majora.

Even Majora is not evil, but rather a lonely child with too much power who gets destroyed by Link playing as the Fierce Deity.

The takeaways here:

1. Majora is a lonely child, just like the Skull Kid. They both want connection and closeness, and are acting out as children do when they are not given the love and connection they require.
2. The actual battle between good and evil isn't literal, as portrayed in Ocarina. Rather it's a game, cooked up in the mind of a lonely, potentially abused, child. Once the battel is removed from Majora's rules of play, it's only deeply sad.

Citations