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Termina is the central region ofThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and one of the most popular locations in the series among fans. It shares some similarities with Hyrule, but it also has distinct differences that set it apart, which makes fans wonder what kind of place Termina is.
In an interview with Nintendo Dream,translated by Nintendo Everything, Aonuma clarified that ‘Termina’ comes from ‘terminal’ - “As it means a place where people come and go, terminal became Termina.” This perhaps explains Link’s brief experience in Termina before returning to Hyrule. But what is Termina exactly - a dream? A parallel world? Or something else entirely?
What Is Termina?
Termina is a region similar to Hyrule withdistinct areas where the various races of the land live. Link arrives in Termina after looking in the Lost Woods for Navi, when his ocarina and Epona are stolen from him by Skull Kid.
Termina appears to beconnected to Hyrule through the Lost Woods, as this is how Link discovers it. When Link comes to Termina,Clock Town is getting ready for the Carnival of Time, though the concerns about the moon falling have caused many of the townspeople to leave Clock Town.
The Regions Of Termina
Clock Town is the place where Link spends most of his time in Termina and isgeographically the center of Termina.
There are several other areas outside of Clock Town.
Termina Field
Though it has no notable residents,Termina Field connects each area of Termina.
Clock Town is directly in the center of it, with Snowhead to the north, Ikana to the east, Woodfall to the south, and Great Bay to the west. Romani Ranch is also southwest of Termina Field.
Romani Ranch/Gorman Racetrack
Splitting off Milk Road is Gorman Racetrack, with Romani Ranch further down the path. Gorman Racetrack is home to the unpleasantGorman brotherswho Link can race against in a minigame.
Romani Ranch is run by Cremia and Romani, with Mamamaru running the Doggy Racetrack and Grog taking care of the cuccos.
The Ranch is famous for its milk, Chateau Romani, which is sold at Clock Town’s milk bar.Aliens also invade Romani Ranch in the evening of the first day, attempting to abduct the cows and Romani.
Woodfall
Woodfall’s primary attraction isthe Southern Swamp, where Koume and Kotake (different from their Ocarina counterparts) conduct boat tours and run the potion shop.
Woodfall is also home tothe monkeys and Deku Scrubs, including the Deku King and Deku Princess. The Woodfall Temple resides in this area as well.
Great Bay
Great Bay is home to theZora and the Gerudo Pirates, who live in the Zora Cape and Pirates’ Fortress, respectively. The Great Bay Temple is also in this area.
Snowhead
While the Goron typically inhabit volcanic areas, they reside in Snowhead in Termina, which is covered in snow. Snowhead’s main locations includeGoron Village and Snowhead Temple.
Ikana
Ikana isan expansive region closely tied to Termina’s history. Ikana Canyon and Ikana graveyard are the primary locations.
Pamela and her father live in the Music Box House, though her father has tragically turned into a Gibdo. Other important locations includethe Ancient Castle of Ikana, Stone Tower, and Stone Tower Temple.
Anju’s Grandmotherretells stories of Termina’s pastconcerning its beliefs and traditions.
Carnival Of Time
Every year,Termina’s people celebrate the Carnival of Time in Clock Town“when the sun and moon are in alignment.”
The carnival honorsthe connection between nature and time, and the people ask for “fruitfulness” for the upcoming year.
During the festivities, the people wear masks that are made tolook like the four gods of Termina. The roof of the Clock Tower is opened, andthe people sing an ancient song to call the gods.
The Four Giants
In the past,the Four Giants lived among the people of Terminaand spoke to them on the day of the harvest festival. They told the people to call out to them if they needed help and set out into the four corners of Termina.
A “little imp” (Skull Kid)was saddened that his friends, the Four Giants, left,and lashed out at the people of Termina.
The people of Termina called out to the Four Giants to help them, who warned Skull Kid to leave or“we shall tear you apart!”
Skull Kid “returned to the heavens,”according to the tale, and the people continued to worship the Four Giants.
Is Termina A Parallel World?
Majora’s Mask was made in less than two years and reused many assets from Ocarina of Time, including the character models. Seeing the same faces with different personalities in Termina has caused fans totheorize that the region is a parallel world to Hyrule.
Hyrule Historia describes Termina as:
A strange parallel world where many of the inhabitants look identical to the people of Hyrule.
This was an easy way for the developers toexplain why a large number of the characters look the same as the ones used in Ocarina’s Hyrule. It also plays into Termina’s uncanny atmosphere.
Termina’s extended mythology leads credence to it being a parallel worldrather than a dream, as some theorize. It has a history and traditions that span many, many years.
In a2015 interview with GameInformer, Eiji Aonuma spoke about Termina, saying, “You know we described it as being a nearby land, but in feel,it’s almost like another dimension.”The reuse of character models largely contributes to the “feel” being “like another dimension.”
However,the existence of new characters, such as Kafei, the Four Giants, and Mikau,gives Termina its own identityrather than being just an ‘alternate’ version of Hyrule.
When asked about why the Indigo-Go’s play The Ballad of the Wish Fish, which implies Termina is a dream, like Kololint Island in Link’s Awakening, Aonuma said, “it was just a playful choice that referenced a previous game andnothing more than that.”
Does Termina Have A Triforce?
Compared to Lorule in A Link Between Worlds,Termina isn’t a direct mirror to Hyrule. It hasno Triforce or Hylian Royal Familyand has its own separate mythology with no connectionto the goddesses.
With no Triforce,there also doesn’t appear to be a chosen hero, which is why Link, from Hyrule, has to step in to save Termina from Majora.
Termina is presented as a parallel world, butit isn’t an exact reverse of Hyrule, as it possesses unique mythology and characters.
