History NightmareFuel / TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask

** While we're here, let's talk about the music itself. It starts with an airy-sounding sample, which is used in several other games, but is most notorious for its use here, and the rest of the track uses a rubato tempo[[note]]meaning a tempo that isn't steady[[/note]] with instrumentation that's very hard to identify. The only instrument that can be easily recognised is a harpsichord that periodically plays a riff every few bars. It is very difficult to process what is happening in the song or what could come next. Unlike lots of songs composed for apocalyptic situations, this one doesn't just try to sound scary. It also manages to be melancholic, final and in a way, accepting of death itself. To think this was composed by [[Creator/KojiKondo the same guy]] who made the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] theme tune.

** Stone Tower also has a very odd [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snap0994.jpg vortex/portal]]... thing in the sky. There's no explanation to it, it's never mentioned or brought up by anything in the game, it's just... [[NothingIsScarier there.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbMQfaG6lo8 This fan video]] gives a horrifying view of exactly how the Skull Kid came to possess the mask, along with heavily implying that Skull Kid didn't do it of his own free will; instead, the spirit of Majora forced him to put on the mask, then violently possessed him. Seeing Skull Kid screaming in agony while he spasms only makes it even more frightening. Even worse is that his transformation is almost reminiscent of Link putting on a transformation mask.

** Accompanied by the Clock Tower's tolls is the sound of earthquakes; a deep, low rumble that is heard almost everywhere. As the Moon nears the ground, the tidal forces between it and the surface of the Earth below are beginning to wreak havoc on places outside Termina. Imagine what life must be like over there...

** Furthermore, that music [[BackgroundMusicOverride supersedes any other background music that would otherwise be playing]], including the enemy battle music. It plays regardless of which place you happen to be in at the time. The dungeon music, as well as any music that plays during a BossFight or fades in over the track (I.e. ikana valleys music box or the indiego-gos practice sessions) are the only themes it doesn't replace, but if you're still working on a dungeon or are stuck on the first phase of a challenging boss monster by that point, you're probably screwed anyway.

--> '''Spider house man:''' That's my life's fortune. If you let me have it for that much, it'll be worth it. Anyhow, the need for rupees will soon be gone...
* Those creepy questions the moon children ask after completing each of their mini-dungeons. Take the Goht child's question for example: "You.. do you have any, friends? Do those people think of you as a... friend?..." It makes you wonder whether or not that's true. If you talk to them while being a Goron, Zora, or Deku Scrub, they will simply say "Show me your true face." If you give them a transformation mask when they ask you for a mask, they will react as if you tried to give them poison:

* Amplifying the horror in the 3DS version, [[RedSkyTakeWarning the sky becomes an even more bloody red shade]] on the night of the final day. No dawn can be seen through it once the fourth day comes closer, which only further adds to the fear and absolute ''hopelessness'' of the situation; that there isn't even any morning light to comfort those who see it just before their demise.

** Accompanied by the Clock Tower's tolls is the sound of earthquakes; a deep, low rumble that is heard almost everywhere. As the Moon nears the ground, the tidal forces between it and the surface of the Earth below are beginning to wreak havoc on ''everything''.

* Most character's reactions to the fate of the world? [[TearJerker Upsetting]]. The reaction of the man who finds the Oceanside Spider House and gives you money to let him take shelter in it ahead of time? ''Spine-chilling.''

-->-- '''WebVideo/JacobGeller''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2tXLsEUpaQ "Every Zelda is the Darkest Zelda"]]

--->'''Happy Mask Salesman:''' It's very simple! The boundless sorrow surrounding each mask comes rushing inside the wearer when they put it on, so the urge to scream is quite understandable, really.

--->'''Skull Kid/Majora:''' If that's something that can be stopped, just try and stop it!

-->'''Spider house man:''' That's my life's fortune. If you let me have it for that much, it'll be worth it. Anyhow, the need for rupees will soon be gone...

-->'''Moon Children:''' No! Not that! Take it away, quickly!

-->'''Moon Children:''' ...Take off that mask...

--->''[[ItsAWonderfulFailure And so the angry moon fell from the sky, annihilating this world and its many inhabitants.]]''\\

* Goht is not a particularly difficult boss, and is legitimately a lot of fun if you're playing as Darmani. However, try tackling him as Link or any transformation other than Darmani, and the fight becomes absolutely nerve-wracking. The only way to hit him is from a distance with fire arrows. Worse, unless you stand in the middle of the track where he can hit you, he'll never come close. You have to stand in the middle of the track as Link, and wait for him to charge you – and since it's an enclosed circular track, the only way to figure out that he's approaching is to feel the ground shake as he charges, getting closer and closer… and the AI is uncannily good at figuring out which way you're aiming, and coming at you from behind.

* If you have thalassophobia[[note]]A fear of large, deep bodies of water or what could be lurking in them[[/note]], fighting Gyorg will be absolutely terrifying. Especially since the main way of hitting him is to go into the water as Zora Link, strike the beast and get back up before he gets back up and attacks you. It gets even worse when he sends the mini-versions of himself after you. Doesn't help that he's a ThatOneBoss. The 3DS remake updates Gyorg's design to have a [[EyesDoNotBelongThere Majora-like eyeball in its throat]].

** Matter of fact, all of the boss redesigns are creepy, since all of them now have [[EyesDoNotBelongThere incongruous eyes as a weak point]]. Gyorg's is, as before said, in its throat. Goht's is in its back. The Blue Twinmold has eyes on its thorax, while the Red Twinmold has what might be one in its throat, like Gyorg. However, Odolwa's is the worst. He has a literal eye in the back of his head, which looks right at you in his introduction cinematic.

--->'''Voice in the cavern:''' ''What business have you in Ikana Kingdom, land where only the dead roam?''

--->"To die without leaving a corpse. That is the way of the Garo."

** This dungeon plays {{Bizarrchitecture}} to the point of bordering on AlienGeometries. First of all, it appears to be located at the top of the tower, but from the outside, the tower's top doesn't look big enough to actually house the place, making it seem like you're passing into a separate dimension or something. The "flipping" that the tower does is not given any explanation whatsoever. Inhabiting this bizarre and unsettling place are the leader of the ghost ninjas, a hostile bat-like Grim Reaper creature made of darkness, and...Twinmold, by far the largest boss ever encountered in a Zelda game, within a desert whose exact location is unknown, but which you enter by deliberately ''falling into the sky'', or at least what should be the sky, were it not an odd, pulsating vortex--also never explained.

** After the release of the 2015 3DS remaster, [[http://kotaku.com/why-does-link-cry-in-majoras-mask-its-pretty-dark-1692276196 a Nintendo employee posing as the Happy Mask Salesman]] let everyone in on just why Link is screaming like hell every time he transforms. The good news is that [[HopeSpot it's not because he's in physical agony from the change]]. The bad news is that the real answer is arguably ''even worse'':

[[caption-width-right:350: The iconic [[PainfulTransformation transformation sequence]] from the hit motion picture ''[[Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon "A Hyrulian Were-Zora in Termina"]]''.]]

--> '''Spider house man:''' That's my life's fortune. If you let me have it for that much, it'll be worth it. Anyhow, the need for rupees will soon be gone...

--> '''Moon Children:''' No! Not that! Take it away, quickly!

--> '''Moon Children:''' ...Take off that mask...

--->''[[ItsAWonderfulFailure And so the angry moon fell from the sky, annihilating this world and its many inhabitants.]]''
--->'''''[[BagOfSpilling All items and such gained these last three days are lost.]]'''''

* Clock Town Day 3 is an utterly panicked and frantic sounding song that is trying very hard to maintain the upbeat vibe the song normally gives off, but is underscored by a sinister string- a perfect reflection of Clock Town’s denizens. They’re all in a state of complete panic that they are desperately trying to cope with by pretending everything is fine… but deep down they all know their deaths are inevitable and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

** In Woodfall Temple, right before you free the Deku Princess from the bottle, in the same room that the King is in, a monkey that was blamed for kidnapping the princess is held hostage over a boiling pot. If you talk to the monkey over the pot, a little cut scene plays where he's complains about being captured. Then they lower him into the pot. And bring him back up. [[MoodWhiplash And he just hangs there, '''completely still''', eyes wide open in shock...]] until you talk to him again, or finish freeing the princess.

* Snowhead Temple is similarly stark and barren, with howling winds in the minimalistic BackgroundMusic hinting that the shelter of the temple is no shelter at all, and eerie echoes are clearly audible in the distance. It sounds like something from {{Film/Alien}} more than a Zelda game… and if you’re afraid of heights, it’s even worse. The tower is nearly as tall as Stone Tower, but unlike the latter area, it does have a bottom. One slip, and you’re heading for the lava pools in the basement.
* Gabora of the Mountain Smithy turns out to be a GentleGiant, but when Link first enters the smithy – the first building he’ll come across after venturing into the mountains - he’s greeted by a bellowing giant who looks a bit like an Iron Knuckle, waving a huge hammer around!
* Termina’s version of Biggoron is guarding Snowhead temple, using enormous gusts of wind to blow would-be adventurers and explorers back. Some players have asked why Biggoron never took a more active role in the events of the previous game. '''This is why.''' The curse on Snowhead took over his mind and made him into a pawn of its own sinister agenda. It’s all but stated that the Termina version of Biggoron, while mind-controlled, killed Darmani.
* Goht is not a particularly difficult boss, and is legitimately a lot of fun if you’re playing as Darmani. However, try tackling him as Link or any transformation other than Darmani, and the fight becomes absolutely nerve-wracking. The only way to hit him is from a distance with fire arrows. Worse, unless you stand in the middle of the track where he can hit you, he’ll never come close. You have to stand in the middle of the track as Link, and wait for him to charge you – and since it’s an enclosed circular track, the only way to figure out that he’s approaching is to feel the ground shake as he charges, getting closer and closer… and the AI is uncannily good at figuring out which way you’re aiming, and coming at you from behind.

** It may sound cliche, but the music for Ikana is so much worse [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riBu_RA8nls when played in reverse]]. It's noteworthy enough to be mentioned because this version actually sounds like it could potentially be an unedited song from the game, and the backwards chord progression especially lends itself to how blood-curdling the track sounds.

** Just the thought of what Pamela went through when her father was transformed. She has been trying to take care of her father who was turning into a Gibdo. What are the odds her father may have tried to attack his daughter and she was desperately trying to reach him? What’s more, assuming her father has been preventing himself from hurting her, what if he was unable to stop himself from hurting or even killing Pamela in his cursed form? No wonder why she lies to her father about what happened!

-->"To die without leaving a corpse. That is the way of the Garo."

* The titular Majora's Mask itself. First of all, it's a mask that was used in ancient hexing rituals. Next, it shakes its [[DemonicPossession "master"]] off, then proceeds to cause the Moon to crash into Termina by its own accord. After all that, in the Final Battle, it transforms into a ten foot tall demon that uses [[CombatTentacles tentacles]] grown from its arms as [[WhipItGood whips]]. And finally, and probably the most nightmarish of all, it's coveted by a [[FrozenFace constantly-smiling]] salesman who makes you wonder how he got the mask in the first place.

* There's a seemingly empty room at the inn that just has a hole in it. At midnight, a mysterious hand pops out of it, flailing about. There's [[TheSpook no explanation]] on who this hand belongs to or why they're in the hole. It's pretty creepy out of context, [[NightmareRetardant although]], the eeriness is kind of lost once you actually speak to the hand, as they just ask for some paper [[ToiletHumor and you realize the hole is a toilet]], all while the hand has some goofy sounding voice clips.

* The music that plays in Clock Town on the final day before midnight also deserves mention. while not fully in despair yet, it tries to be happy and upbeat as the first day, but at the same time there is a sinister string section under it to convey an underlying sense of dread. It conveys the idea that the citizens of Termina are desperately trying to ignore the fact that the moon may crash down on them before dawn and pretend that everything's okay, but know deep down that the world won't survive another day.

* Once you manage to cross the valley, there is a strangely colorful house in the upper reaches of the canyon being encircled by mummy-esque creatures known as Gibdos. It is zealously guarded by a little girl. In order to find out what's get any further, you need to get inside, but to do that, you need to make a visit to the wellspring of Ikana River. A sign posted outside it expressly warns you against this as it's haunted. Ignore this warning, and you'll get to meet Sharp, who gives the above quote before playing a song that will slowly kill you. You might think this is your cue to play the Song of Healing...which he then brushes off before continuing with his murderous melody.

** It's still possible to fail the Gibdo Dad scene even if you have your Ocarina out and are about to hit the last note. Unlike every other time in the game, taking out the Ocarina doesn't freeze everything--Pamela's father can be seen, still animated and getting closer.
** Just listen to the noise He makes when you "battle" him. Doesn't ring a bell? slow down the audio and it reveals that the moaning he makes is actually a sped up version of the redead/gibdo moan. as his condition worsens one can assume that that will cause his voice to deepen. And what's worse is that this is his only means of communication.
** Before you restore him to normal, a group of Gibdos circle the house demanding that "their friend" be given to them. This little girl who can't be older than eight was trapped inside a house at the edge of the civilized world with no one but her steadily corpse-ifying father, while the undead circled her home day and night demanding entry, for who knows how long. And if the Gibdo curse took him over completely...who knows what would've happened to her when the thing locked in her basement got out...?

** Also, Tatl, doesn't warn you about the Wallmasters, and seeing as how the areas they appear in are pretty dark, you might not see the shadow and your only clue to them might be that howling wind sound. Any Link--Goron, Zora, Deku--can be grabbed, and if they sneak up on you in the dark...
* Ikana Castle, the shell of an old military fort ruled by its king, absolutely crawling with the dead, from ReDead dancers to Garo Ninjas swarming every inch of it. Oh yeah--the Garo Ninjas. Have the Garo Hood on in certain spots, and they'll pop out, thinking their master summoned them, only to attack when they catch on. Eerie glowing eyes peering out from under hoods tell you only of harm headed your way, and judging by the fact they can be found in the castle, it's pretty clear who won the war back in the day.

** The Elegy of Emptiness Statues, especially the Link statue, which looks like it has the Happy Mask Man's grinning face. Notably, [[WebVideo/BenDrowned a certain work]] that is arguably the TropeCodifier for TheMostDangerousVideoGame revolves almost entirely around "Hey, this statue is fairly creepy-looking." The Zora's face resembles Edvard Munch's ''TheScream'', but scarier. The blank white eyes also make it look like a corpse. The Deku Link statue is at least somewhat less creepy than the other ones, especially since you aren't required to use it as often since it's too light to hold down switches. The Goron statue, on the other hand, is arguably as (or more) creepy than normal Link's statue, given its blank eyes and that huge scar.