Poe Collector
From Zelda Wiki, the Zelda encyclopedia
| Poe Collector | |
|---|---|
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| Gender | Male |
| First appearance | Ocarina of Time |
| Latest appearance | Majora's Mask |
The Poe Collector is a recurring character in the Zelda series, making his debut in Ocarina of Time.
Contents |
Ocarina of Time
Biography
In Ocarina of Time, the Poe Collector, found only after Link has become an adult, is found in the guardhouse of the former Hyrule Castle Town, which has now become a Ghost Shop. He sits beneath a cage containing several Poe spirits and pays Link to bring him more. If Link catches a Big Poe and sells it to him, the Poe Collector will give him 50 Rupees and one hundred points. Once Link has amassed a thousand points, he will receive a bottle from him.
True identity
| Theory Warning | hide |
Since the Poe Collector is not seen anywhere when Link is a child in Ocarina of Time, many wonder if he may be one of a number of characters unaccounted for in the future.
Many believe that the Hylian soldier who can be found inside the very same building when Link is a child is in fact the Poe Collector. Evidence includes the fact that both characters seem to loathe order and prefer a more chaotic world.[1][2][3] The guard also mentions that studying ghosts is a hobby of his, possibly pointing to a future of collecting them.[4] In addition, there is a Triforce Symbol on the outfit of the Poe Collector, implying that despite pro-Ganondorf views, he may have some connection to the royal family -- like that of a guard. A Triforce may also be found behind the guard on a sheet of paper.[5] Some argue that it is unlikely a Hylian soldier would have been spared the fate of many of the people in Castle Town when Ganondorf took over, although considering that many people were able to escape the destruction, and how pessimistic he is about his own duty to the town's safety, it is not outside the realm of possibility that that he too managed to evade death.
A competing theory is that the little boy who roams the Kakariko Graveyard could have grown up to become the Poe Collector, seeing as the boy is nowhere to be found in the future. The boy seems to have an affinity for scary things,[6][7][8] and both he and the Poe Collector carry a stick. A counter-argument to this idea says that the boy is even younger than young Link, and yet the Poe Collector seems to be an old man a mere seven years in the future; while the Poe Collector never shows his face, and it is therefore impossible to tell exactly how old he is, the fact that he refers to Link as "young man"[9][10] would seem to indicate that he is quite a bit older than adult Link. Furthermore, the little boy seems displeased with having a cute face and wishes he looked scarier,[11] whereas the Poe Collector admits that he is not handsome and says he might be able to run a different business if he had better looks.[12] The little boy also doesn't seem to like trouble when Link attempts to move gravestones during the day,[13] which contrasts harshly with the Poe Collector's desire to see the world fall into disorder, but considering that seven years have passed, it's easily possible for the boy to have changed his attitude. It's also possible that he was afraid of ghosts as a child, as well as not wanting to get in trouble with Dampé.
Majora's Mask
Biography
The Poe Collector also appears many times in Majora's Mask. It is fairly safe to presume that the Poe Collector of Majora's Mask is not the same person, but, like so many characters in the game, is a Termina doppelganger of the Hylian character. He appears:
- At the ledge before Ikana Canyon, not allowing Link to pass until he presents the Garo's Mask.[14] The Collector will then summon a tree from the ground for Link to hookshot up to.
- At the Spirit House, holding the four Poe Sisters captive.
- At the Secret Shrine, holding three Dinolfos, a Wizzrobe, a Wart and the Garo Master captive.
Powers
The Poe Collector is little more than an odd Collector with an odd trade in Ocarina of Time, but in Majora's Mask, his history is almost completely unknown. Taken into account his positions around Ikana Canyon, it could be presumed that the Poe Collector is a handler and guardian of deceased souls. A certain power he possesses is the ability to fade away into nothing whenever it suits him, always when Link has met a challenge or requirement. It is not currently known if the Poe Collector in Majora's Mask actually collects the souls of the departed, a la Grim Reaper, or if they naturally come to him.
Trivia
- The Poe Collector bears a fair resemblance to the Garo.
- A rarely encountered glitch in Majora's Mask may result in no reward given after the four battles at the secret shrine. Should this glitch take place, the Poe Collector will not reappear at the end.
- The Poes will periodically wander out of the cages about the Poe Collector, going farther and farther out each time, until the Collector hits the cage with his stick.
- Playing the "Song of Healing" for him will cause him to lower the price of his minigame to 10 Rupees. He'll also note that not all spirits can be healed with the song.
Gallery
The Poe Collector in Ocarina of Time
The Poe Collector at Ikana Canyon
The Poe Collector at the Secret Shrine
The Poe Collector in Majora's Mask
References
- ↑ "Man, I am SO bored... Things would sure be more interesting if there were more... troubles in the world... Hey, that's just between you and me, OK? Anyway, maybe we can let off some steam by breaking these jars." — Guard (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Man, I am SO tired! The night watch is so boring! I wish some ghosts would come out or something...." — Guard (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Because of the great Ganondorf, it is a fine time for a business like this... heh heh heh... Oh...I can only hope the world gets even worse!" — Poe Collector (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Hey, I'm really interested in ghosts! Studying them is a hobby of mine, but you never know... the time might come when that kind of knowledge might be useful!" — Guard (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ Poe Salesman.jpg, Zelda Wiki
- ↑ "Little kids can't go on the "Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour" described on the sign. Since I can't do that, I'm just imitating Dampé the gravekeeper all day. But with my cute face, I'm not heart-pounding at all, am I?" — Graveyard Boy (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Gyaah! It's Dampé the gravekeeper! ??? Oh, it's just a mask. I get a different kind of fright from that mask than I get from Dampé... Will you give that mask to me?" — Graveyard Boy (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "With this mask, I'll be just like Dampé!" — Graveyard Boy (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Oh... you are quite an energetic young man." — Poe Collector (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Young man, if you catch a Poe, I will pay a lot of money for it... Heh heh hee!" — Poe Collector (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "But with my cute face, I'm not heart-pounding at all, am I?" — Graveyard Boy (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "If I looked as good as you, I could run a different kind of business...heh he heh..." — Poe Collector (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Don't cause trouble! I'll tell Dampé!" — Graveyard Boy (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "There's a strange old man who lives on the cliff face in Ikana Canyon. He won't let you pass until you have the Garo's Mask." (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Official Nintendo Player's Guide (Nintendo Power), pg. 87)
 Names in Other Regions 
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| German | 
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Geisterhändler |
