Happy Mask Salesman

The Happy Mask Salesman is a recurring character in. He travels through the lands searching for masks to add to his collection and sell at his shop. As his title implies, he almost always has a cheerful, smiling demeanor, and is interested in spreading happiness to others. However, the Mask Salesman does have moments of anger, such as when Link does not give him the money from the masks he sold in the Ocarina of Time Trading Sequence, and fails to retrieve Majora's Mask from Skull Kid. Because of this, some consider his behavior to be erratic and unnerving.

The Happy Mask Salesman is considered by many to be one of the most mysterious characters in the series. This is mainly due to his possession of Majora's Mask, and his unexplained knowledge. Most notably, he has information on Majora's Mask and the Ancient Tribe it was used by. He is also aware of Link's time travel in Majora's Mask, and knows of his previous adventures. Along with this, he seems to have a wide amount of knowledge of masks, as he is able to give a description of each new mask that Link shows him.

The Mask Salesman's origins are ambiguous. It is unknown whether he is from Hyrule, the parallel universe of Termina, or another land entirely. Near the end of, Link travels to the Moon and meets masked children who resemble the salesman. One of them indirectly implies that they have met a Mask Salesman.

Ocarina of Time
In, the Happy Mask Salesman opens the Happy Mask Shop in Hyrule Castle Town Market after Link delivers Zelda's Letter to the guard standing near the entrance to Death Mountain Trail. Once his shop is open, Link can speak to him to become a "happiness salesman". This starts a Trading Sequence where Link can borrow each of the shop's masks and sell them to people, thus bringing "happiness to everyone." After selling all four masks, Link receives the Mask of Truth which allows him to understand what the Gossip Stones say. Along with this, he can return to the Happy Mask Shop to borrow all of the masks he has previously sold as well as four new mask models.

Throughout the Trading Sequence, The Happy Mask Salesman is usually in a cheerful mood, encouraging Link as he is selling the masks. However, if Link does not return with the money for the sold mask, the Salesman will become angry and threaten him. When Link returns to the shop, he is no longer upset.

As an adult, Link visits the market to find it in ruins. At this point in the game, 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
In, the Happy Mask Salesman plays a more prominent role. Prior to the events of Majora's Mask, he was traveling through the woods, presumably continuing his search for masks. However, he was ambushed and knocked out by the Skull Kid and his two friends, Tatl and Tael. While the Salesman was unconscious, the imp stole Majora's Mask from his bag, and became possessed by its evil powers.

Once Link arrives in Termina, he too is assaulted by the Skull Kid, who steals his and rides away with his horse. Link chases after the Skull Kid, who turns him into a Deku Scrub. Tatl, who was left behind by Skull Kid and Tael, decides to follow Link. The two of them make their way to the Clock Tower, where they meet the Happy Mask Salesman. He reveals that he has been following Link, and that he knows of a way to return him to his former shape. However, he first needs to reclaim his Ocarina from the Skull Kid. In exchange, the Salesman asks Link to return the "precious mask" that was stolen from him within three days, before he has to depart from Termina.

Just a few hours before the Moon falls, Link and Tatl confront the Skull Kid at the top of the Clock Tower. The young hero retrieves his Ocarina and plays the "Song of Time" as he remembers Princess Zelda. The Song of Time transports Link back in time, to the beginning of the three day cycle. He returns to the Happy Mask Salesman with his Ocarina, who teaches the him the "Song of Healing", a melody that heals troubled spirits and turns them into masks. After the song is played, the Deku Spirit is encased in the Deku Mask, and Link returns to his Hylian form. Having fulfilled his promise, the Happy Mask Salesman asks for his end of the deal. After learning that Link failed to retrieve Majora's Mask, he becomes distressed, and shakes Link out of frustration. He tells Link of the great lengths that he went through to obtain the mask, as well as its true nature. He explains that if the mask is not taken back from the Skull Kid, "something horrible will happen" (referring to 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 the day of the Carnival of Time, as well as the time remaining before the moon crashes into Clock Town. As Link and Tatl set off to recover 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, thus saving the land of Termina from destruction. The Happy Mask Salesman finally obtains his mask, which has seemingly lost its evil power. As he is in the middle of his travels, he bids farewell, and implies that Link should return to Hyrule. After commenting on the number of people who Link made happy, he walks away and seemingly disappears.

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 and speaks to him with it on, he will say something about that mask: what emotion it is filled with, its rarity, or something special about it. 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 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 piano that seems to appear out of nowhere. This piano is used to teach Link the "Song of Healing." After Link learns the song, the piano mysteriously disappears.

In, the Happy Mask Salesman also gives Link the Bombers' Notebook.

Oracle of Ages
In, the Happy Mask Salesman owns a mask shop on the outskirts of Lynna City. He is starving and will give Link the Doggie 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.

Miiverse Interview
In 2015, Nintendo employee MariChan conducted an interview with the Happy Mask Salesman on Miiverse in celebration of. Along with questioning the Mask Salesman about himself, the two discussed changes made in, and various aspects of the world of Termina. The Salesman was friendly and spoke of spreading happiness, but was secretive about his life and business. Before the interview was concluded, he implied that he might appear in a new Zelda game. Nintendo has not followed up on this statement, so it is not confirmed that he will appear in a future game, but many see it as a likely possibility.

Majora's Mask Manga
In the, the Happy Mask Salesman is quite different. Though his role appears exactly the same as in the game at first, towards the final battle with Majora's Mask, he is shown far more sinister than previously. After the battle, the Happy Mask Salesman appears before Link (still wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask) to take his mask. Link strikes out at him with his Sword and tells him to leave, slicing various masks in half, possibly in an attempt to strike Majora's Mask. He misses, however, and the mysterious man picks up the mask and fades away laughing.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In, the Happy Mask Salesman appears as a Sticker.

Trivia

 * The Happy Mask Salesman's piano in Majora's Mask is often mistaken for an organ, because the instrument has a large vertical soundboard and a triple-manual keyboard. Organs usually have two or more keyboards, and the vertical soundboard can be mistaken for pipe registers.
 * The Happy Mask Salesman has nine masks in total attached to his bag. One of them has the same face that is on the Mirror Shield, and another is based off of Mario.
 * The Children of the Moon appear to use shrunken down versions of the Mask Salesman's model. In, their faces are the same as his under their masks, but in the Nintendo 64 version, their faces are blank.
 * Vaati's laugh in uses the same voice clip as the Salesman's laugh.
 * Unlike many characters from, the Happy Mask Salesman doesn't appear to have a Terminian counterpart. The Mask Salesman who followed Link into the Clock Tower is the same person as the Mask Salesman from.