Happy Mask Salesman

The Happy Mask Salesman (お面屋, Mask Shop Owner) has made several appearances throughout The Legend of Zelda series. He travels through different lands searching and collecting a wide variety of masks. He is most known for his erratic, sudden mood swings and is considered to be one of the more unnerving characters in the series, mostly because of his many mysterious and abnormal behaviors.

The Mask Salesman's origins are unknown, as he may either be from Hyrule or the parallel universe, Termina since he knows how to travel from one to the other. Near the end of Majora's Mask, Link travels to the Moon and meets masked children who somewhat resemble the salesman. One of them indirectly implies that they have either met or will become Mask Salesmen.

One of the more disturbing features of the Happy Mask Salesman is that he never stops smiling at any point. However, if Link does not have enough money to repay him for a sold mask in Ocarina of Time, his eyes will turn red and his expression turns to one of insane rage, before he essentially kicks Link out of the store. He only frowns once for a short period of time during his "rage" scene in Majora's Mask. Another bizarre feature is that he squints very hard, making it appear his eyes are closed.

Ocarina of Time

 * See also: Mask Trading Sidequest

The bizarre man known as the Happy Mask Salesman first appears in Ocarina of Time within the Happy Mask Shop in the Hyrule Castle Town Market. He only opens his shop after Link delivers Zelda's Letter to the guard standing near the entrance to Death Mountain Trail. Here, he hires Link to be a "happiness salesman" by borrowing each of the shop's masks and then selling them, thus bringing "happiness to everyone" while the Happy Mask Salesman profits off of the young hero's work. After selling all the four masks, Link receives the Mask of Truth, which allows him to understand what the Gossip Stones say. Moreover, he can borrow all the masks he has previously sold as well four new mask models.

The Happy Mask Salesman is usually in a good mood, cheering Link on as he's selling the masks ; however, if Link does not return with the money for the sold mask, the salesman's expression will suddenly turn to that of a deranged and berserk man as he rudely kicks the young hero out of the shop. Strangely, his behavior will return to normal once Link enters the shop once again.

Once Link turns into an adult and the Market is destroyed, the Happy Mask Salesman is nowhere to be found. Despite this, he can be seen during the ending scene celebrating at Lon Lon Ranch.

Majora's Mask
The Happy Mask Salesman plays a more prominent role in Majora's Mask. Prior to the events of Majora's Mask, he was continuing his search of masks as he traveled through the woods. However, he was suddenly ambushed by the Skull Kid and his two friends, Tatl and Tael. Still unconscious, the imp went through the many masks that the salesman possessed, and eventually took a cursed mask known as Majora's Mask.

Once Link arrives in Termina, he too is assaulted by the Skull Kid, who steals his Ocarina of Time in the process. A series of events occur and Link is turned into a Deku Scrub by the Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask, and the young hero along with Tatl eventually make their way into the Clock Tower. The Happy Mask Salesman appears from out of nowhere, and reveals that he has been following Link and his fairy companion since he knows of a way to return him to his former shape; first, however, he would need to claim back the ocarina that was stolen from him. In exchange, the salesman asks that Link also retrieve the "precious mask" that the Skull Kid stole from him, but he must do this in just three days before he has to mysteriously depart from Termina.

Eventually, with just a few hours before the Moon falls, Link and Tatl confront the Skull Kid at the top of the Clock Tower, where the young hero retrieves his ocarina and plays the Song of Time as he remembers Princess Zelda. With the Ocarina of Time in hand, Link returns to the Happy Mask Salesman, who keeps his promise and teaches the young hero a melody called the Song of Healing that heals troubled spirits and turns them into masks. Link's Deku form is encased into a mask upon playing the tune, which the salesman gratefully gives to him. Having fulfilled his promise, the Happy Mask Salesman asks for his end of the deal, but once he learns of Link's failure to retrieve Majora's Mask, he becomes severely perturbed and violently shakes Link out of frustration. He explains the great lengths that he went through to obtain the mask, as well as the true nature behind it, revealing that, if the mask is not taken away from the Skull Kid, "something horrible will happen": mainly, the destruction of Clock Town and Termina itself. He begs Link to recover the mask for him, once again stressing the fact that he must leave in just three days, which is coincidentally the same day of the Carnival of Time as well as the time remaining that the moon has before it crashes into Clock Town. As Link and Tatl set off to recuperate Majora's Mask, the Happy Mask Salesman waits patiently inside the Clock Tower for their return.

Once Link successfully defeats the evil inside Majora's Mask, the moon vanishes into thin air, never to be seen again, thus saving the land of Termina. The Happy Mask Salesman finally obtains his mask, which has seemingly lost its power and is now an ordinary mask. Since he is in the middle of his travels, he bids farewell, and seemingly suggesting Link that he should return to Hyrule. Before literally disappearing into nothingness, the salesman bows and remarks of all the people Link has managed to make happy.

The Happy Mask Salesman seems to know a lot about Link and his previous adventures, mentioning that retrieving Majora's Mask should be of no difficulty to "someone like [him]." Moreover, if Link wears a mask in and speaks to him with it on, he will say something about that mask: what emotion it's filled with, its rarity, or something special about it, without ever even leaving the Clock Tower. This ability could possibly be to truly demonstrate the Happy Mask Salesman's expertise when it comes to masks.

He is also notorious for his volatile temper, his wacky theme tune (which is in fact a remix of the Song of Healing) and his eerie ability to change position without moving. This may be to further enhance the character's strange, surreal appearance. In one scene, the Happy Mask Salesman plays on a massive organ that seems to appear out of nowhere. This organ is used to teach Link the Song of Healing, and the scene is considered to be one of the more comical ones in the series. After Link learns the song, the organ mysteriously disappears.

In relation to the moon
When Link arrives on the moon, there are 5 children, all who resemble the Happy Mask Salesman. All of them mention that they want to grow up to be mask salesmen outright or subtly. It is because of this that the Mask Salesman is sometimes theorized to come from the moon.

Oracle of Ages
He also reappears in Oracle of Ages, where he owns a mask shop on the outskirts of Lynna Town. He is starving, and will give Link the Doggy Mask in exchange for something to eat, namely the Tasty Meat from the Tokay cook. His appearance is almost identical to previous games, the one notable difference being his ears which are rounded and not pointed.

Masks
In Majora's Mask, the Happy Mask Salesman carries a large pack on his back, upon which can be seen a number of masks. Nine in total can be seen, as shown in the below set of images. They are numbered and described for clarity, along with descriptions of possible similarities. The masks numbered 2-5 can also be seen in the image above right.


 * 1) Humanoid face (shocked expression) - Similarities with the face shown on the Mirror Shield
 * 2) Stone-like face - A similar mask can be seen above Mayor Dotour's chair.
 * 3) Humanoid face (sad expression) - Believed by some to be a reference to Elvis Presley
 * 4) Red/black striped face - Believed by some to be a reference to Darth Maul
 * 5) Mario - Almost certainly a reference to Nintendo's famous protagonist
 * 6) Grotesque face (pale)
 * 7) Grotesque face (red)
 * 8) Red/green/black striped face - Similar to a mask worn by a Luchador
 * 9) Blue/yellow striped face - Believed by some to be a reference Falco Lombardi

Majora's Mask Manga
The Happy Mask Salesman is quite different in the Majora's Mask manga. Though his role appears exactly the same as in the game at first, towards the final battle with Majora's Mask, he is shown saying something far more sinister than previously seen of him:


 * "Heh heh... Looks like they're after the little demon. But this is when the real action begins! Once they bring me back that mask, I will no longer have a purpose in this world. I will scurry away quickly then! Heh heh heh heh..."

After the battle, the Happy Mask Man appears before Link (still wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask) to take his mask. Link, still wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask, strikes out in an attempt to slice the mask in two. He misses and the mysterious man picks up Majora's Mask and fades away laughing.

Given the information from both games and the Majora's Mask manga, it can be theorized that the mask salesman is not human, rather some other being entirely by the way he says, "Once I have the mask, there will be no purpose for me in this world," implying that he might possibly be from another world.

Trivia

 * Strangely, in Majora's Mask, it appears that the Happy Mask Salesman finds the Mask of Truth "frightful" because it can see into the hearts and minds of people. He also says the Mask of Truth is scary in Ocarina of Time
 * Some people believe that the Happy Mask Salesman is, to a degree, based on Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series. This is due to the Happy Mask Salesman's hair and constant smile.