Introduced inOcarina of Time, the Skull Kids are mischievous little creatures that are native to the Lost Woods. Their strange designs, particularly compared to the other natives of the Lost Woods, the Kokiri, have made them stand out among other short-lived characters inThe Legend ofZeldaseries, particularly as one of the main antagonists inMajora’s Mask.
Related:Crazy Zelda Rumors That Turned Out To Actually Be True
Because the Skull Kids have only appeared in a handful ofZeldagames so far, there is a lot of information on them that is easy to miss. This is particularly the case for newer fans of the series, who have to go back to theNintendo 64 titlesto get the most information about them.
10They Are Transformed Children
According to Navi inOcarina of Time, theLost Woodshas a devastating effect on anyone who becomes trapped inside the labyrinthian region of the Kokiri’s homeland. While adults are said to transform in theskeletal Stalfos, children who become lost in the woods are instead turned into Skull Kids.
Although it isn’t specified whether the Kokiri can also succumb to this transformation, it’s safe to say that Link may have been transformed into a Skull Kid if he wasn’t under the constant watchful eye of the Deku Tree.
9They Hate Adults
Skull Kids are playful and sometimes mischievous creatures, as they are often shown playing with one another or simply making life hard for Link in every game they have appeared in. InOcarina of Time, they also have a burning hatred of adults, as they will attack Link on sight if he is in his adult form.
The reason for this is never explained, but it could have something to do with the nature of their transformations and the fact that adults cannot be turned into Skull Kids.
8They Have Only Appeared In The Child Timeline
Compared to other creatures seen inZelda, Skull Kids have appeared in fewer titles than would be expected, especially considering their importance inMajora’s MaskandTwilight Princess. The Lost Woods has appeared in nearly everyZeldagame so far, but Skull Kids have only appeared inOcarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and TwilightPrincess, the latter two both falling in theChild Timeline.
Related:10 Things Even Diehard Fans Didn’t Know About Princess Zelda
The reasoning for this is never given, though it is only one of a handful of mysteries surrounding theZeldacontinuity. It stands alongside the disappearance of the Deku race and how theRito and Zoraare able to exist in the same timeline given their connection to one another.
Throughout the events ofMajora’s Mask, it seems like the Skull Kid who is possessed by Majora is simply a random Skull Kid who stumbles upon theHappy Mask Salesmanin the Lost Woods. However, a line at the very end of the game would suggest that players have seen this particularly Skull Kid before.
After being freed from the control of Majora, Skull Kid says that Link smells like the same boy who taught him Saria’s Song, which can be done inOcarina of Time. This is also the same Skull Kid that Link could give a skull mask to in the mask trading sequence for the Happy Mask Salesman.
6He May Have Returned In Twilight Princess
InTwilight Princess, Link must delve into the Lost Woods to retrieve the Master Sword, as is standard for many iterations of the hero. One of the roadblocks in obtaining the darkness sealing sword is a Skull Kid who wants to play hide and seek with Link.
While it is never openly stated, this Skull Kid will play Saria’s Song on his horn to help Link find him. Saria’s Song is often associated with the Lost Woods, so it may not be the same Skull Kid that Link taught the song to inOcarina of Time, but there is a chance it is the same one.
5Bringing Down The Moon
One of the most chilling moments inMajora’s Maskis the bloodcurdling scream that Skull Kid unleashes on the final day, dragging the moon down towards Clock Town to destroy the world.
While the scream is still present in the Japanese version, the sound is tied to how close Skull Kid is to the screen during the cutscene. Therefore, when the camera pans away from him to show the moon beginning to descend, it briefly cuts outs.
4The Four Giants May Be Skull Kids
The history of Termina and the four giants is a little confusing, with the only real information being given by either the Happy Mask Salesman or Anju’s Grandmother, who tells Link the story of the four giants if he is wearing the All-Night Mask. The game’s manual gives a little more information, but it is still not as conclusive as many fans would like.
Related:Every Zelda Game On The 3DS, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
The land of Termina was created using Majora’s power and Skull Kid’s memories, which is why the citizens of Termina all have Hyrulean counterparts, though with different names and personalities. This may also be true for the four giants, who are old friends of Skull Kid and may also be based on other Skull Kids found in the Lost Woods.
3The Addition Of Beaks
The design for Skull Kids hasn’t been the most consistent inZelda, but one of the strangest things that has changed multiple times is their beak. InMajora’s Mask, once the mask is removed from Skull Kid’s face, he is shown to have a beak rather than the normal mouth he had inOcarina of Timeand is also shown with a beak in the drawing he makes of himself, Tatl, and Tael.
This seemed to be a retroactive change, as all Skull Kids were given beaks in the3DS re-releaseofOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask.
2The Return Of A Mouth
Strangely, the Skull Kid Link must play hide and seek within the Lost Woods inTwilight Princessdoesn’t have this retroactive design change. He has a distinctly creepy grin that wasn’t present on either version of a Skull Kid in the Nintendo 64 games.
There isn’t a reason given for this change, but Skull Kids are hardly the first creatures inZeldato have a massive design change between titles. In fact, the Zora have undergone multiple different designs over the years.
1Skull Kid’s Localized Names
When games are localized in various other languages, it’s not uncommon for the names of some things to be changed as some names don’t translate well into other languages. The Skull Kid seems to be one of these names, as it remains the same in every language, except for German.
In German releases ofThe Legend of Zeldatitles, the Skull Kids are instead called Horror Kids, which actually depicts their nature and transformative history better than their original names.
Next:The Legend Of Zelda: 5 Video Game Villains That Link Beats (& 5 He Loses To)
