Poe Collector

The Poe Collector is a character in and.

Ocarina of Time
In, the Poe Collector, found only after Link has become an adult, is found in the guardhouse of the former Castle Town Market, 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 100 points. Once Link has collected a thousand points, he will receive a Bottle from him.

Majora's Mask
In, the Poe Collector is first encountered at the ledge before the Ikana Canyon. Here, he refuses to allow Link to pass unless he possesses the Garo's Mask, the Captain's Hat, or the Gibdo Mask. He tells Link that the Garo's Mask can be found near Milk Road, in the possession of a black-hearted individual. Once Link has obtained the mask, the Poe Collector summons a tree before disappearing, which can be reached with the Hookshot.

The Poe Collector can later be found atop the hill in Ikana Canyon manning the Spirit House, where he has captured wandering spirits. Here, he offers Link to train in order to temper his skills for fighting the Skull Kid for a price of 30 Rupees. If Link plays the "Song of Healing" for him will, the Poe Collector will lower the price of his minigame to 10 Rupees. He will also note that not all spirits can be healed with the song.

After Link has obtained the Light Arrows, Link may enter the Secret Shrine, where the Poe Collector is once more found. He offers Link to rematch several enemies, such as three Dinolfos, a Wizzrobe, Wart, and the Garo Master.

Theory
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. The guard also mentions that studying ghosts is a hobby of his, possibly pointing to a future of collecting them. 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. 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,  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"  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, 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. The little boy also doesn't seem to like trouble when Link attempts to move gravestones during the day, 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.