Happy Mask Salesman

The , also known as the Happy Mask Shop Owner, is a recurring character in .
==Biography==
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In , the Happy Mask Shop Owner opens the Happy Mask Shop in the Market after Link delivers Zelda's Letter to the Death Mountain Trail Gatekeeper in Kakariko Village. Once the shop is open, Link can speak to him to become a "happiness salesman." This starts a Mask Trading Sequence where Link can borrow each of the Shop's Masks and sell them to people. After selling all four Masks, Link receives the Mask of Truth, which allows him to understand what Gossip Stones say. Along with this, he can return to the Happy Mask Shop to borrow all of the Masks he has previously sold as well as four new Masks.
Throughout the Trading Sequence, the Happy Mask Shop Owner is usually in a cheerful mood, encouraging Link as he is selling the Masks. However, if Link does not return with enough Rupees for the sold Mask, the Happy Mask Shop Owner will become angry and threaten the young hero. If Link returns to the Happy Mask Shop later, he will no longer be upset.
The Happy Mask Shop Owner disappears after Ganondorf takes control of Hyrule Castle and forces the residents of Hyrule Castle Town to flee, when Link becomes the Hero of Time. He is last seen during the ending credits celebrating at Lon Lon Ranch.
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Prior to the events of but after Ocarina of Time, the Happy Mask Salesman was traveling through the woods in search for new Masks. However, he was ambushed and knocked out by the Skull Kid and his two Fairy friends, Tatl and Tael. While the Happy Mask Salesman was unconscious, the imp stole the notorious from his bag and became possessed by its evil powers as he wears it.
When Link arrives in Termina while searching for Navi, he himself is also assaulted by the Skull Kid, who steals his and rides away with Epona. Link chases after the Skull Kid, who turns him into a Deku Scrub. Tatl, who was left behind by the Skull Kid and Tael, decides to follow Link. The two of them make their way to the Clock Tower, where they meet the Happy Mask Salesman. He reveals that he has been following Link, and that he knows of a way to return him to his former self. However, he first needs to reclaim his Ocarina from the Skull Kid. In exchange, the Salesman asks Link to return the "precious mask" that was stolen from him within three days, before he has to depart from Termina.
Just a few hours before the Moon falls, Link and Tatl confront the Skull Kid at the top of the Clock Tower. The hero retrieves his Ocarina and plays the Song of Time, which transports him back to the beginning of the three day cycle. He then returns to the Happy Mask Salesman with his Ocarina, who teaches him the Song of Healing, a melody that heals troubled spirits and turns them into Masks. After the song is played, the spirit of the Deku Butler's Son is encased in the Deku Mask and Link returns to his Hylian form. Having fulfilled his promise, the Happy Mask Salesman asks for his end of the deal. After learning that Link failed to retrieve Majora's Mask, he becomes distressed, and picks up and violently shakes Link out of frustration. He tells Link of the great lengths that he went through to obtain the Mask, as well as its true nature. He explains that if the Majora's Mask is not immediately taken back from the Skull Kid, something horrible will happen. He begs Link to recover the Mask for him, once again stressing the fact that he must leave in just three days, which is the day of the Carnival of Time, as well as the time remaining before the Moon ultimately crashes into Clock Town. As Link and Tatl set off to recover Majora's Mask, the Happy Mask Salesman waits patiently inside the Clock Tower for their return.
Once Link successfully defeats the evil inside Majora's Mask, the Moon vanishes, thus saving the land of Termina from destruction. The Happy Mask Salesman finally reclaims his Mask, which has seemingly lost its evil power for good. As he is in the middle of his travels, he bids farewell and implies that Link should return to Hyrule. After commenting on the number of people who Link made happy, he walks away and disappears.
As he had already met the Hero of Time before in Ocarina of Time, the Happy Mask Salesman seems to know a lot about Link and his previous adventures, mentioning that retrieving Majora's Mask should be of no difficulty to someone like him. Moreover, if Link wears any mask, including the Deku, Goron, and Zora Masks, and speaks to him with it on, he will say something about that mask: what emotion it is filled with, its rarity, or something special about it. If the young hero talks to the Happy Mask Salesman without wearing a Mask, he will become angry at Link for not obtaining the Majora's Mask as demanded, and then tells how many hours remaining before the Moon crashes into Termina.
In , the Happy Mask Salesman also gives Link the Bombers' Notebook after they first meet.
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In , the Happy Mask Salesman owns the Mask Shop on the outskirts of Lynna City. He is starving and will give Link the Doggie Mask in exchange for something to eat, namely the Tasty Meat from the Tokay cook. His appearance is almost identical to previous games, the one notable difference being his ears which are rounded and not pointed.
==Other Appearances==
=== (Himekawa)===
In the , the Happy Mask Salesman's role appears the same as in the game. Towards the final battle with Majora's Mask, he is shown far more sinister than previously. After the battle, the Happy Mask Salesman appears before Link still wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask to take his mask. Link strikes out at him with his Sword and tells him to leave, slicing various masks in half, possibly in an attempt to strike Majora's Mask. He misses, however, and the mysterious man picks up the mask and fades away laughing.
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In , the Happy Mask Salesman appears as a Sticker.
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In , the Happy Mask Salesman appears as a Spirit with the ability, Trade-Off Attacks 🠅, which grants a Fighter the ability to start battles with higher attack power, but with 30% Damage already dealt to them.
==Trivia==
*The Happy Mask Salesman has nine Masks attached to his bag in Majora's Mask. One of them features the face found on the Mirror Shield and another one is based on from the Super Mario franchise.
*The Happy Mask Salesman's angry face in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask has become an infamous meme in The Legend of Zelda series community, as many call it one of the most frightening expressions ever seen in any of the franchise's many characters, and some even claiming he has the look of a psychopath.
**Ironically, it is strongly implied he could be mentally insane, based on his behavior in Majora's Mask and its Akira Himekawa manga adaptation.
**His mad smile is comparable to that of the supervillian Joker from the DC Comics comic book series.
*The giggling laugh of the Happy Mask Salesman is similar to that of the late pop superstar Michael Jackson.
*Hacking into the files reveals that the face models used for the Moon Children is that of the Happy Mask Salesman. In the original N64 game, their faces had no texture whatsoever.
*The Happy Mask Salesman's "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" in Majora's Mask is one of the most iconic quotes in the series.
*The Happy Mask Salesman appeared as a guest in a Miiting released to promote .
**Viewing his Mii data file, his creator name is zeroed out to "?やべ", likely meant to be "Ayabe", implying the Mii was made by Naoko Ayabe, who is credited as an illustrator on the game. His birthday is also set to December 31st, which could not be a placeholder, and must be intentional. As the Happy Mask Salesman is associated with "the end", and December 31st is the end of the year, this makes sense.
==Nomenclature==
==Gallery==
File:Happy Mask Shop.jpg|Happy Mask Salesman in his shop in Ocarina of Time
File:Skull Kid Steal.png|The Happy Mask Salesman ambushed by the Skull Kid in Majora's Mask
File:MM Happy Mask Salesman Angry.png|The Mask Salesman with an angry expression in 
File:MM Happy Mask Salesman Pleading.png|The Mask Salesman pleading to Link in 
File:MM Happy Mask Salesman Worried.png|The Mask Salesman with a worried expression in 
File:MM Happy Mask Salesman Piano.png|The Mask Salesman teaching Link the "Song of Healing" in 
File:MM3D Happy Mask Salesman Model 2.png|The Happy Mask Salesman in Majora's Mask 3D
File:MM3D Nintendo Direct 7.png|The Happy Mask Salesman angrily shaking Link in 
File:OoA Link Obtaining Doggie Mask.png|The Happy Mask Salesman giving Link the Doggie Mask in 
File:Mask Salesman.jpg|The Happy Mask Salesman in the manga
File:MM (Himekawa) Fierce Deity attacks Happy Mask Salesman.png|The Happy Mask Salesman scared into hiding as Fierce Deity Link tries to destroy the Majora's Mask off his hands in the Majora's Mask manga
File:HappyMaskSalesmanMii-MiiStudio.png|Official Mii of the Happy Mask Salesman (Miiverse user "HappyMaskShop")
de:Besitzer des Fröhlichen Maskenladens
es:Vendedor de La Máscara Feliz 
fr:Vendeur de Masques