The Legend of Zelda franchise features mysterious characters represented only by one hand in several games. Such as in Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Ages and Skyward Sword. These characters, characterized by a pale hand peeking out from a toilet, ask Link for toilet paper and offer him various objects in exchange, being harmless but unusual NPCs. Although these characters in the world of The Legend of Zelda seem harmless, the reality behind their inspiration from Japanese folklore is even more disturbing. Well, they are based on stories of hands grabbing people from inside toilets.
From ScreenRant, they have carried out a study of the appearance of “mysterious hands in the franchise”:
- Majora’s Mask:
- Location: Posada del Puchero
- Request: Toilet paper at midnight
- Reward: Heart
- Oracle of Ages:
- Location: Lynna City
- Request: Toilet paper in the bathroom
- Reward: Stinky Bag
- Skyward Sword:
- Location: Knight Academy Bathroom
- Application: Toilet paper
- Reward: Five Gratitude Crystals after receiving a letter
Background information:
- Most of these entities lack details, but in Skyward Sword, “Phoeni” is revealed to be the spirit of a girl with unfulfilled wishes, according to Fi’s dialogue.
- Inspiration: These characters have roots in Japanese folklore about ghosts. The influence comes from Japanese legends, such as the Kappa, who dragged people through toilets located next to rivers.
Scary Inspiration:
- Terrifying Origin: Japanese legends tell of hands grabbing from toilets, similar to aquatic monsters in Zelda, such as the Kappa, which dragged its prey into the water from toilets near rivers.
- Cultural References: Other legends such as Hanako-san, the ghost of a girl in baths, and Manekute no Yurei, known as the “Inviting Hand”, are considered possible sources of inspiration for the hands in the Zelda saga.
Most of these Japanese ghost stories end with the creature killing its victim. Fortunately, this is not the case in The Legend of Zelda and they’re just NPCs… right?
