Let’s be real. Hyrule is dying. Or at least, it’s about to be.
But before Ganondorf turns the world into a lava-soaked nightmare, you’re stuck running errands for a guy in a purple shop who might be the creepiest person in the history of Nintendo. I’m talking about the Happy Mask Shop salesman. You know the one. That jittery, unsettling grin that hides a soul probably forged in the depths of the Lost Woods. This is where the mask game Ocarina of Time side quest begins, and honestly, it’s one of the most brilliant ways a game has ever forced you to actually look at its NPCs.
Usually, in RPGs, NPCs are just signposts. They tell you where the dungeon is or complain about the weather. But the mask quest? It turns Link into a door-to-door salesman. It’s weird. It’s tedious if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s also the only reason you get the Sinking Lure or the Giant’s Knife later on if you’re playing your cards right.
The Gritty Reality of the Happy Mask Salesman
You walk into Hyrule Castle Town. The music is upbeat, almost frantically so. You enter a small shop and see a man standing behind a counter with a backpack that looks like it weighs four hundred pounds. This guy wants you to borrow his masks and sell them to people across the land. The catch? You don't get a commission. You pay him back exactly what the mask costs, and you keep... well, nothing but the "joy" of helping people.
It’s a bizarre business model.
The first step is the Keaton Mask. Most players grab this because it looks cool—it's basically a Fox mask from Japanese folklore (the Kitsune). You have to take it to the Death Mountain trail guard in Kakariko Village. Why does he want it? Because his kid is obsessed with the Keaton character. It’s a tiny, humanizing moment for a guard who otherwise just stands there blocking a gate. He pays you 15 Rupees. You take that back to the shop, and the cycle continues.
Why the Mask Game Ocarina of Time Quest Matters for Your Inventory
A lot of people think this quest is just flavor text. It's not. If you ignore the mask shop, you’re locking yourself out of some of the most helpful (and some of the most useless, looking at you, Gerudo Mask) items in the game.
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After the Keaton Mask, you move on to the Skull Mask. This one goes to Skull Kid in the Lost Woods. It’s a melancholy interaction. You drop down into that little clearing, put on the mask, and he gets excited. It’s one of the few times you feel a connection to the creatures in the woods before they eventually become hostile or disappear in the adult timeline.
Then comes the Spooky Mask. This is where things get a bit dark. You have to sell it to the kid in the Kakariko Graveyard who hangs out there during the day. He wants to be scary. He wants to look like Dampé the Gravekeeper. It’s a weirdly morbid request from a child, but that’s the N64 Zelda charm for you. It’s never just "happy." There’s always an edge to it.
Finally, the Bunny Hood. In Majora’s Mask, this thing is the GOAT. It makes you run like a caffeinated cheetah. In Ocarina of Time, it doesn't do that for Link. It does, however, hold the key to finishing the quest. You have to find the Running Man. He’s jogging circles around Lon Lon Ranch. You can’t catch him during the day easily; you usually have to wait until he stops to rest at night. When you sell it to him, he pays you an absurd amount of money—enough to fill your wallet to the brim.
The Mask of Truth and Secret Lore
Once you’ve sold all four masks and paid back the salesman, you unlock the Mask of Truth.
This is the real prize.
Throughout Hyrule, there are those weird one-eyed stones called Gossip Stones. Usually, they just tell you the time if you hit them with a sword. But with the Mask of Truth? They spill the tea. They tell you about the secret lives of the NPCs. They tell you that the Zora shopkeeper is actually quite old. They tell you about the rivalries between the different races. It’s the closest thing the game has to a "lore dump," and it’s entirely optional.
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Most people miss the depth here because they’re rushing to the Forest Temple. But if you take the time to wear that mask and talk to every stone, the world of Ocarina feels three times larger. You start to realize that the NPCs have histories, fears, and weird habits that Link wouldn't know about otherwise.
The Mechanics of Trading
- Keaton Mask: Sell to the Kakariko guard. He's bored and wants to please his kid.
- Skull Mask: Take it to the Lost Woods. Look for the lone Skull Kid on the stump to your left when you enter.
- Spooky Mask: The graveyard kid. He’s there during the day, mimicking the gravedigger’s walk.
- Bunny Hood: The Running Man in Hyrule Field. He only stops to rest when the sun sets.
- Specialty Masks: Once the main quest is done, you can borrow the Goron, Zora, or Gerudo masks.
The Gerudo mask is particularly interesting. If you wear it and talk to people, they react with fear or suspicion. It shows the political tension between the Hylians and the Gerudo. It’s a subtle touch that most modern games would highlight with a giant objective marker, but here, it's just a detail you happen to stumble upon if you're curious enough to play dress-up.
Addressing the Misconception: Does it Change the Ending?
I've seen forum posts from 2004—and even some recent Reddit threads—claiming that completing the mask quest changes the ending or unlocks a secret dungeon.
Let's clear that up: It doesn't.
There is no "Mask Temple." There is no secret boss. The reward is the Mask of Truth and the ability to borrow the other race-based masks for unique dialogue. However, it is a prerequisite for certain heart pieces and the overall "completionist" feel of the game. If you’re playing the 3DS version, the mechanics are identical, though the graphics make the Happy Mask Salesman look even more terrifyingly expressive.
The quest is about empathy. It’s about Link, a boy who is an outsider in his own home (the Kokiri Forest), trying to understand the people of the world he’s tasked with saving. By wearing their faces—literally—he learns who they are.
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How to Finish the Quest Quickly Without Losing Your Mind
If you're replaying this on the Switch Expansion Pack or an old N64, don't do what I did as a kid and wander aimlessly. The Running Man is the biggest bottleneck.
Wait until you’ve finished the first three dungeons. Get the Zelda’s Lullaby and Sun’s Song out of the way. The Sun’s Song is vital because it lets you manipulate time to find the Running Man when he’s actually sitting down. If you try to chase him while he's sprinting, you'll just get frustrated and probably throw your controller at the wall. He’s faster than Link. He’s faster than Epona if you’re not careful.
Also, keep an eye on your wallet. If you sell the Bunny Hood and your wallet is already full, you lose out on the massive "overpay" he gives you. Make sure you’ve bought your Deku Shield or upgraded your capacity before handing over that mask.
Final Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you want to master the mask game Ocarina of Time quest today, follow this workflow:
- Clear the Keaton Mask immediately after getting the letter from Princess Zelda. The guard is right there on the way to Death Mountain.
- Grab the Skull Mask before you go too deep into the Adult Link timeline. It’s easier to navigate the Woods as a kid.
- Use the Sun's Song to force the Running Man to spawn near the path to Gerudo Valley in the evenings. This saves you roughly twenty minutes of mindless running across Hyrule Field.
- Talk to every Gossip Stone once you get the Mask of Truth. Start with the ones in the Temple of Time and move out to the villages. The dialogue is unique and actually adds context to the "Great War" mentioned in the intro.
The mask quest isn't just a side mission; it’s a bridge to the themes of identity and memory that eventually define Majora's Mask. It’s the developers at Nintendo testing out a mechanic that would eventually become the entire foundation of the sequel. Skipping it is like skipping the soul of the game.
Go back to that creepy shop. Borrow the mask. Talk to the weirdos. It’s worth it.