Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom and Majora's Mask have quite a lot in common, so it's no wonder that the latest title has plenty of references to the N64 game.

There are many Easter eggs and callbacks to previous games in the latest installment of the Zelda franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. One example is the Nintendo 64 title Majora's Mask, which originally released in 2000. Like Tears of the Kingdom, Majora's Mask was the direct follow-up to its predecessor, Ocarina of Time.

That's not where the similarities between Tears of the Kingdom and Majora's Mask end, as the two each take on much darker themes compared to the innovative Zelda games that came before it. As a result, there are many references to Majora's Mask hidden throughout the latest Zelda title, including these six Easter eggs that fans should keep an eye out for.

One of the more obvious callbacks to Majora's Mask in Tears of the Kingdom is the presence of the titular mask itself, which can be acquired and worn by players. In the Nintendo 64 game, the mask was worn by Skull Kid and is capable of ending the world, but in Tears of the Kingdom it simply reduces Link's chances of being noticed by an enemy.

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Unfortunately, obtaining this iconic mask will require a lot of effort from even the most hardcore Tears of the Kingdom players. It comes as a reward when players discover the Floating Coliseum in The Depths and complete its challenge, requiring them to defeat five Lynels in a row, which is enough to scare off many players who are less nostalgic for it.

Another major Majora's Mask reference is the Fierce Deity outfit, modeled after the form Link takes when he dons the Fierce Deity Mask during the final battle of Majora's Mask. Unlike the Majora's Mask itself, the Fierce Deity armor is much easier to find, with the three pieces scattered across Hyrule as part of the Misko's Treasure quests.

For fans eager to complete the look, obtaining all three pieces of the Fierce Deity armor will allow them to obtain the Fierce Deity Sword. By exploring the cave north of Foothill Stable, equipping the full armor will guide players to the sword's location. It's one of the best swords in the entire game, making the process of finding the pieces well worth it.

Many fans of the Zelda franchise may have forgotten that Majora's Mask is also the origin of one of the series' most iconic characters, Tingle. The adult man dressed as a fairy would appear in various towns, traveling via balloon to sell Link maps. The character serves a similar purpose later in The Wind Waker, deciphering charts to help Link's journey.

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As well as being the only Zelda character to get his own spin-off games, Tingle is referenced in Tears of the Kingdom with the inclusion of his iconic outfit. By completing one of the various Misko's Treasure quests, Tingle's outfit can be assembled in three pieces. It boosts the player's speed at nighttime, though it cannot be upgraded by Great Fairies.

Many of the geographical locations in Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are themselves references to characters or locations of previous Zelda games. For instance, in the region of Lanayru, many of the lakes are named after various Zora characters from previous Zelda games, including significant figures from Majora's Mask.

Three of the lakes in Lanayru are known as Mikau Lake, Lulu Lake, and Toto Lake. Majora's Mask fans will recall these as the names of the three bandmates who comprise the Zora band known as the Indigo-Gos. Mikau is the most notable of the three, as Link possesses his body in the game through the use of the Zora Mask.

The Blood Moon is a frequent occurrence in Tears of the Kingdom, randomly appearing in the sky to reset the land of Hyrule with enemies and treasure. However, Tears of the Kingdom isn't the first Zelda title to showcase some evil occurrences as a result of a terrifying moon. This was a major plot point of Majora's Mask, as the moon plays an integral role there.

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As part of the Majora's Mask ploy to destroy the world, the Moon, with a now-iconic menacing face, looms closer and closer to the land of Termina. This is similar to the appearance of the Blood Moon in Tears of the Kingdom, as players can notice it changing colors and growing larger in real time as it looms in the sky.

Great Fairies have appeared in many installments of The Legend of Zelda prior to Tears of the Kingdom, though they've taken on different forms in each one. However, their appearances in Tears of the Kingdom most closely resemble Majora's Mask, particularly in how they lean over the side of the fountain in a similar position to the Majora's Mask fairies.

Similarly to how they're summoned in Tears of the Kingdom, the Great Fairies in Majora's Mask must be awoken by gathering stray fairies from across Hyrule. The big difference between these two games' versions of Great Fairies is their function. In Tears of the Kingdom they upgrade armor, while in Majora's Mask they grant new weapons and abilities.

More: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom – Callbacks To Twilight Princess

Blaise Santi is a recent graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Dramatic Writing. He's had experience writing not only for screen and stage, but also for sketch and late-night. His hobbies have included video games, movies, TV, and comic books ever since childhood. Blaise currently lives in New York City.