Maiamai
Maiamai are a species appearing in A Link Between Worlds.
Biography
Maiamai are pink creatures with molluscan traits such as a snail-like shell and octopus bodies, though their young are shown to have fewer than eight limbs. With the apparent ability to travel among worlds and dimensions,[2][3] a family of Maiamai stopped in Hyrule during their voyage when the Mother Maiamai lost track of her 100 children, all of which were scattered across both Hyrule and Lorule.[4] Link finds Mother Maiamai in a Cave near Lake Hylia that has been blocked off to contain the "strange creature" within;[5] after introducing herself, she asks Link to help locate her Lost Maiamai, and gives him the Maiamai Map to track the number of Lost Maiamai remaining in each region.
The Lost Maiamai have wound up in a variety of situations—many beneath Rocks, on top of Trees, underwater or stuck in sand—while some have become suctioned onto walls with such strength that Link cannot pull them off by hand. They make high-pitched squeaking noises, which help to notify Link to their locations;[6] when Link is close to a Maiamai, he will turn his head toward the source of the noise.
One of the abilities of Maiamai is to make things more "Nice" by inhaling them, shaking around while glowing with a bright light, then spitting them out. For every ten Lost Maiamai Link finds, Mother Maiamai will use this process to upgrade one of his Items into a "Nice" version, provided he owns the Item and is not merely renting it from Ravio. After all of the Maiamai have been recovered, Mother Maiamai will make Link more "Nice" by upgrading his Spin Attack ability to the Great Spin. Shortly after this, the family of Maiamai decide to continue on their journey and leave to another dimension.[7] However, a single baby Maiamai will stay behind in the cave, telling Link that she is the 72nd that he saved,[8] and asking the young hero to wish her luck on being as good of a mother as Mother Maiamai.[9]
Nomenclature
The name "Maiamai" comes from the Japanese word マイマイ (Maimai), meaning "snail". The name is also a play on the phrase "My, oh, my!", which is said by Mother Maiamai.
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | |
 FrenchEU | Ti'gorneau | |
 FrenchCA | Meille | |
 German | Maimai | |
 Italian | Maimai[10] | |
 SpanishLA | Maimai | |
 SpanishEU | Maimai | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
Gallery
-
A Lost Maiamai stuck to a wall
-
Map of all Maiamai locations in Hyrule
-
Map of all Maiamai locations in Lorule
See Also
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 55
- ↑ "My, oh, my! What business have you with Mother Maiamai? Forgive me if my spirits aren't flying so high. We were on a great voyage through all the worlds, my tykes and I..." — Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "You came just in time! It's a bit sudden, but we must bid you good-bye. I'm off to a different dimension with my Maiamais!" — Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Then I lost sight of my little Maiamais! All 100 of my babies, by and by!" — Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Do Not Enter! Do Not Blow Up Wall! Very Strange Creature Inside!" — Sign (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Could you find all of them? You'll hear my children crying—calling for their Mother Maiamai!" — Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "It's a bit sudden, but we must bid you good-bye. I'm off to a different dimension with my Maiamais!" — Mother Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Hello there, Link! I'm the 72nd Maiamai you saved! Thanks for all your help. Mom and the others have gone off. But I—? Well, I stayed behind. Time for me to be my own Maiamai." — Lost Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Hopefully I'll learn to be as good of a mother as my Mother Maiamai. Wish me luck, Link!" — Lost Maiamai (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Hai ritrovato una maimai smarrita. La riporterai da mamma maimai, non è vero?" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds, Italian localization)