Template:Species A Skull Kid is what a child becomes after getting lost in the Lost Woods; at least one Skull Kid appears in Template:OOT, Majora's Mask, and Twilight Princess.[1] They first interact with Link in Ocarina of Time, and later a Skull Kid plays a major role in Majora's Mask. Skull Kids dress in a red cloak and hat covering an underlayer of clothing comprised of a straw-like material (much like scarecrows), and play a flute, which they can also use as a weapon to shoot projectiles.
Appearances and Biography
Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, a Skull Kid can be found in the Lost Woods, in the area directly to the left of the entrance room. Whenever Link approaches, the Skull Kid will disappear from the area. To circumvent this, Link can befriend the Skull Kid by playing Saria's Song while standing on top of the stump across from the Skull Kid's position, and he will receive a Piece of Heart as a gift.[2] Another two Skull Kids can be found in the area directly to the right of the entrance, where there is a mini-game in which Link repeats a sequence of notes on his ocarina to win a Piece of Heart.[3][4]
While Z-Targeting, Navi mentions that the Skull Kid seems unhappy to have no face.[5] Some of the Kokiri remember hearing him complaining about his face, as well.[6] Upon first seeing Link wearing the Skull Mask, the Skull Kid comments that he would like it to make him appear a little tougher.[7] Link is able to sell him the mask as part of the Mask Trading Sequence, but the Skull Kid pays just ten rupees when the wholesale price is twenty, leaving Link to cover the difference.[8]
It is said that non-Kokiri who enter the woods become Stalfos upon getting lost.[9] However, there is speculation about whether or not Kokiri or Hylian children turn into Skull Kids. It is more plausible that the Kokiri turn into Skull Kids, due to the fact that they stay children for their whole lives, but also because Stalfos never appear within the Lost Woods, as well as that there already exist Stalchildren.
If Link encounters the Skull Kid as an adult, he will be attacked with poison needles shot from the Skull Kid's flute. Navi says that he is attacking because he does not like adults.[1] If Link kills him, the Skull Kid will collapse and disappear, leaving behind an orange Rupee.
Majora's Mask
The Skull Kid becomes a central character in Majora's Mask. Under the influence of Majora's Mask, which he stole from the Happy Mask Salesman, Skull Kid becomes a powerful sorcerer. Using this new-found magical might, he wreaks havoc on the four worlds of Termina, ultimately attempting to destroy it by bringing the Moon down upon the land. He appears to be the main antagonist through most of the game, though he himself is not evil and is merely being controlled by the powers of Majora's Mask.[10] Skull Kid is self-centered and has an affinity for mischief.[11] Due to his behavior and physical appearance, he is often called an imp.[12][13] The Skull Kid is resented by most Terminians because of the tricks he plays on them,[14] though he finds companionship in the sibling fairies Tatl and Tael. He is strongly implied to be the same Skull Kid as the one in the Lost Woods of Template:OOT.[15]
Background
Skull Kid is forsaken by the Four Giants
Long ago, before land of Termina was split into four worlds, Skull Kid befriended the Four Giants.[16] But on the day of the Carnival of Time, the guardian deities announced to the people of Termina that they would guard the land while laying dormant. With the world of Termina now split into four parts by the order of the Four Giants, each of the deities took one hundred steps towards their respective regions. They told their people that if trouble befell them, they could call the giants in a loud voice, declaring their plight.[17] Skull Kid, who had long been friends with the giants, was stricken by their departure.[18] The imp, feeling neglected and alone, began to spread his anger and frustration throughout all of Termina.[19] Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people of Termina called upon the Four Giants for aid.[20] The giants answered with an infuriated roar. They ordered the imp to leave Termina, otherwise they would tear him apart.[21] Frightened by the giants' anger and saddened by the loss of his old friends, Skull Kid returned to the heavens.[22]
Whether the Skull Kid actually "returned to the heavens", or this is merely a hyperbole in this story told by Anju's Grandmother, Skull Kid somehow reappears in Termina prior to the events of Majora's Mask. The two sibling fairies, Tatl and Tael, stumble upon the Skull Kid taking shelter from a storm in a tree hollow in Termina Field. He tells the fairies that "he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone."[23] Shivering from the cold, Skull Kid and the fairies huddle for warmth, and a bond between them is formed.[24]
Later on, Skull Kid encounters the travelling Happy Mask Salesman at the crossroads of Hyrule and Termina, the Lost Woods. He steals the evil Majora's Mask,[13] a powerful artifact used by an Ancient Tribe for hexing rituals.[25] The series of events that stem from this seemingly random occurrence constitute the plot of Majora's Mask.
Majora's Influence
Skull Kid steals Link's Ocarina.
In the prologue of Majora's Mask, Link appears riding on Epona in the Lost Woods. Along with Tatl and Tael, Skull Kid—now bearing Majora's Mask—ambushes the young hero much in the same way as the Happy Mask Salesman. Startled by their sudden appearance, Epona rears up and throws Link off, knocking him unconscious. While comatose, Skull Kid rummages through Link's personal effects and finds the Ocarina of Time. Fascinated by the object, he plays with the ocarina until Link awakens. He then jumps on Epona and rides away with the ocarina into an uncharted area of the woods.[26] Link pursues him, falling into the hollow tree trunk that serves as the passageway to Termina.[27] In a brief confrontation inside the cave, the Skull Kid informs Link that he "got rid of" Epona, claiming the young hero's horse was disobedient and he was doing Link a favor by doing so.[28] Using the powers of Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid traps Link within the body of a Deku Scrub.[29] He then leaves with Tael; Tatl is left behind. Link and Tatl forge an alliance and chase after Skull Kid, crossing the threshold into Termina.[30][31]
Skull Kid jinxes Link
Deku Link finds the Skull Kid atop Clock Tower at the end of the Final Day. He can make the Skull Kid drop the Ocarina of Time by targeting him and firing a Bubble Blast. With his ocarina returned to him, Link plays the Song of Time, turning back time to the first day. Link is returned to his normal self after learning the Song of Healing from the Happy Mask Salesman, who urges Link to retrieve the stolen Majora's Mask from the Skull Kid lest the world be destroyed by its influence.[32]
Granted tremendous power by the evil mask, the Skull Kid had imprisoned the Four Giants within their temples.[citation needed] Without their guardian deities and their respective temples tainted with evil, each of the four regions of Termina succumbed to various disasters.[33][34] Skull Kid was also responsible for harming the Great Fairy,[35] turning Kafei into a child,[12] and informing the Gerudo Pirates of the Zora Eggs.[36] He also threatened to break Professor Shikashi's instruments.[37] After following Tael's advice and releasing the Four Giants from their respective prisons in the swamp, mountains, ocean, and canyon, Link returns to the top of the Clock Tower at the end of the Final Day to confront Skull Kid once again. Link summons the Four Giants using the Oath to Order to stop the Moon. This causes Skull Kid to pass out, at which point Majora's Mask detaches itself from its puppet and rises into the Moon.[38] Link follows it to engage in one final battle.
Skull Kid without Majora's Mask
During the ending sequence of the game, following the defeat of Majora and the subsequent destruction of the Moon, Skull Kid, Link, the Happy Mask Salesman, and the Four Giants come together on the outskirts of Termina Field. The giants reassure Skull Kid—now free of Majora's influence—of their friendship with him.[39] After the giants return to their resting places, Skull Kid asks Link if they too could be friends, mentioning that he has the same smell as the "fairy kid" who taught him a song in the Lost Woods.[15][40] This suggests that the Skull Kid is the one by the tree stump near the bridge in the Lost Woods in Ocarina of Time, to whom the young hero sells the Skull Mask. Finally, the group goes their separate ways. The last scene shows a drawing on a tree trunk made by the Skull Kid himself of Link, the Skull Kid, Tatl, Tael, and the Four Giants.
Twilight Princess
Skull Kid in Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, the Skull Kid leads Link through the Lost Woods portion of the Sacred Grove until he reaches the resting place of the Master Sword. Along the way, the Skull Kid plays a cruel game of hide-and-seek with Link, and Link must find him several times before he will lead him to where he needs to be.
When Link returns to the Sacred Grove area later in the game, the Skull Kid will help him navigate the Lost Woods a second time, this time leading him through different areas to take him to the Temple of Time dungeon. His hiding spots will be more difficult to find. However, two factors give away his location: the light of his lantern and the sound of his instrument playing Saria's Song. Although the Skull Kid never physically attacks Link, he will summon Puppets to do the job. Every time he is hit in battle, he will summon more puppets, but he can be beaten quickly with the bow and arrows. After defeating him the second time, he will tell Link that was fun and vanish. On future visits to the Sacred Grove, lights similiar to Skull Kid's lantern can be seen in tunnels, but will vanish if Link enters the tunnel.
There is no confirmed relation between the Skull Kid of Twilight Princess and the others of its kind. However, the fact that it knows Saria's Song, which Link taught to the Skull Kid in Ocarina of Time, suggests that there is indeed a connection.
Non-canon Appearances
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Skull Kid appears as two Stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
| Name | Image | Artwork from | Effect in The Subspace Emissary | Usable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skull Kid | File:Skull Kid Sticker (MM).png | Majora's Mask | [Leg] - Attack +20 | All |
| Skull Kid | File:Skull Kid Sticker.png | Ocarina of Time | [Darkness] - Attack +7 | This sticker is only usable by Ganondorf |
Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U
Skull Kid, in his Majora's Mask appearance, appears as an Assist Trophy. When summoned, he flips the stage upside-down, inverting the direction of the players movements.
Theory
Given that Skull Kid recognizes Link from before Majora's Mask,[15][41] and that he has the same fondness for intimidating masks as the Skull Kid of Ocarina of Time, it can be inferred that these two Skull Kids are one and the same. Thus, the Skull Kid was present early in Terminian history before the world was split into four, then appeared in Hyrule during Ocarina of Time, and some time after returned to Termina for Majora's Mask. This Skull Kid must therefore possess the ability to travel back and forth between Termina and Hyrule at will. In Anju's Grandmother's story, it is said that the Skull Kid was ordered to depart from Termina and "return to the heavens" after provoking the Four Giants' wrath.[21][22] The "heavens" Skull Kid returns to could possibly be Hyrule.
In Ocarina of Time, Link taught Saria's Song to this Skull Kid. Given that the Skull Kid in Twilight Princess also knows the song, they may be one and the same. This is possible since the Skull Kid only appears in the Child Timeline after Ocarina of Time.
Depending on how long ago the sundering of Termina took place—which is never specified—Skull Kid could have aged centuries or even millenia by the time of Majora's Mask, and even more by Twilight Princess if it is the same individual. Hence, Skull Kid is immortal or at least very long-lived.
Trivia
- In most versions of Ocarina of Time and the Japanese Nintendo 64 version of Majora's Mask (and official artwork), Skull Kid has a plain black face. In Template:OOT3D and international versions of Majora's Mask, however, his head has a wooden texture.
- Moreover, Skull Kid has a beak in Majora's Mask, unlike his counterpart in Ocarina of Time, who simply has orange lips. In the remake, Ocarina of Time 3D, all Skull Kids were given beaks.
Gallery
- Skull Kid Artwork.png
Official artwork of the Skull Kid
Skull Kid playing his flute
Two Skull Kids in the Lost Woods
- SkullKidandMoon.png
Skull Kid gazes at the Moon
Skull Kid's drawing brings back memories
Skull Kid and the fairies huddle for warmth
Skull Kid and his new companions weather the storm
Memories of Skull Kid
Skull Kid without Majora's Mask
Skull Kid's face in the original Japanese version of Majora's Mask
Skull Kid steals from the Happy Mask Salesman
Skull Kid finds Majora's Mask
Skull Kid taunting from atop Clock Tower
Skull Kid brings down the Moon
Deku Link]fires a Bubble Blast at Skull Kid
Majora casts off Skull Kid and rises to the Moon
Skull Kid's drawing
The trumpet played by the Skull Kid in Twilight Princess
Concept art of Skull Kid from Hyrule Historia
The Skull Kid Assist Trophy from Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U
![Deku Link]fires a Bubble Blast at Skull Kid](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/0/01/Bubble_Blast.png/revision/latest?cb=20120410204539)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Skull Kid - Is this what happens to kids who wander into the forest? It looks like he doesn't like grownups." — [[Navi]] (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "You know Saria's Song! We should be friends! Here, take this!" — Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Follow along with our song on your Ocarina. We'll lead you into it." — Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "That was quite a nice session. As a token of our friendship, please take this." — Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Skull Kid - Is this what happens to kids who get lost in this forest? He seems unhappy to have no face..." — [[Navi]] (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "What a weird face! Speaking of weird faces, one of the forest kids was complaining about his face...." — [[Kokiri (while wearing the Skull Mask)]] (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Quite an unusual mask you have there. Hee hee! I like it! It may make me look a little bit tougher. Hey, why don't you give it to me?" — Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "He just gave you 10 Rupees for this 20-Rupee mask! You lost money on that deal!" — N/A (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "That guy isn't here anymore. Anybody who comes into the forest will be lost. Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee hee." — Fado (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "The power of the mask made him do it. It was too much for the Skull Kid to handle." — Tael (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "I was turned into this by a strange imp wearing a mask..." — [[Kafei]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods." — Happy Mask Salesman (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I'm sure it was because he was always playing tricks, so nobody wanted to play with him." — [[Tatl]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Eh-hee-hee...You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods..." — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds." — [[Anju's Grandmother]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "On the day of the festival that celebrates the harvest, the giants spoke to the people... "We have chosen to guard the people while we sleep..." "100 steps north, 100 steps south, 100 steps east, 100 steps west." "If you have need, call us in a loud voice by declaring something such as, 'The mountain blizzard has trapped us.'" "Or 'The ocean is about to swallow us.' Your cries shall carry to us..."" — Granny (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Now then... There was one who was shocked and saddened by all this. A little imp. The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds." — Granny (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "The childhood friend felt neglected, so he spread his anger across the four worlds. Repeatedly, he wronged all people." — Granny (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people sang the song of prayer to the giants who lived in each of the four compass directions." — Granny (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "The giants heard their cry and responded with a roar. "Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the protectors of the people." "You have caused the people pain. Oh, imp, leave these four worlds! Otherwise, we shall tear you apart!"" — Four Giants (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "The imp was frightened and saddened. He had lost his old friends. The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds." — Granny (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "He told us that he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone..." — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ "It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask." — [[Happy Mask Salesman]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ "What's with that stupid horse of yours?! It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it... There's no point in riding a thing like that, so I did you a favor and got rid of it... Hee, hee..." — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ "Whoa! Whoa! Skull Kid, wait for me! I'm still here!!! Tael, you can't leave without me!" — Tatl (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ "I am begging you! You must get that mask back quickly or something horrible will happen!" — Happy Mask Salesman (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "There's a rumor that the ocean is getting weird 'cause there's trouble off shore at Great Bay Temple." — [[Tijo]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "It all happened after somebody thrust open the doors of that Stone Tower." — Igos du Ikana (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Young one! Please hear my plea! I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid." — [[Great Fairy]] (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "I was turned into this by a strange imp wearing a mask... But I'm not hiding because I look this way." — Kafei (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Your manners seem much better than those of your mischievous friend from the other day. Hrnf, hrnf, hrnf! That ill-mannered troublemaker from the other day said he'd break my instruments..." — Professor Shikashi (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "A puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage. This puppet's role has just ended..." — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "You guys... You hadn't forgotten about me? You still thought of me as a friend?" — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Friends are a nice thing to have... Heh, heh. Could you be my friend, too?" — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- ↑ "Huh? This guy... ...Well, that shouldn't be a problem." — Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
 Names in Other Regions 
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| Language | Name | Meaning | |
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Japanese | Template:Japanese | Staru Kid |
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French | Skull Kid | |
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German | Horror-Kid | |
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Italian | Skull Kid Bimbo perduto Template:ExpGame |
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Spanish | Skull Kid | |
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