The mask quest in four sales
The mask quest in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a chain of trades run by the Happy Mask Shop in Castle Town Market. You borrow a mask, sell it to the one person who wants it, pay the shop its price, and borrow the next mask. Sell all four and the shop lends you the Mask of Truth. It is all done as young Link.
| Mask | Buyer | Buyer pays | You owe | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keaton Mask | Death Mountain gate guard, Kakariko Village | 15 | 10 | +5 |
| Skull Mask | Skull Kid on the stump, Lost Woods | 10 | 20 | −10 |
| Spooky Mask | Boy in Kakariko Graveyard (day only) | 30 | 30 | 0 |
| Bunny Hood | Running Man, Hyrule Field | Fills your wallet | 50 | Wallet full, minus 50 |
All prices are in Rupees. Only the Skull Mask loses money, so have at least 10 Rupees of your own before you go back to pay for it. The Bunny Hood more than makes up for it: whatever wallet you carry, the Running Man fills it.
Mask quest checklist
Tick each step as you go. Your progress stays in this browser.
- Show Zelda’s Letter to the Kakariko gate guard
- Keaton Mask: sold to the gate guard, 10 paid back
- Skull Mask: Saria’s Song for the Skull Kid, sold, 20 paid back
- Spooky Mask: sold to the graveyard boy, 30 paid back
- Bunny Hood: sold to the Running Man, 50 paid back
- Mask of Truth received
- Forest Stage: Skull Mask, Deku Stick upgrade
- Forest Stage: Mask of Truth, Deku Nut upgrade
How to open the Happy Mask Shop
The shop is on the right-hand side of the Market as you come in from the drawbridge. Until the quest starts, the only person inside is a bearded customer wondering when it will open, and there are no masks to borrow.
- Get Zelda’s Letter from Princess Zelda in the castle courtyard.
- Go to Kakariko Village and climb the stairs at the north end to the gate to Death Mountain Trail.
- Show the letter to the guard there. He opens the gate and keeps talking: after a tip about shields, he mentions the new Happy Mask Shop and a mask his little boy wants. Read it through to the end.
- Return to the Market during the day. The owner is now behind the counter.
The shop only opens in the daytime. At night the door is locked and the sign reads “Now Hiring Part-Time. Apply During the Day.” In adult Link’s time the Market is in ruins, so the whole quest belongs to young Link.
How borrowing and paying back works
- One mask at a time. A borrowed mask goes into young Link’s trade item slot, which holds one item.
- Wearing a mask. Assign it to X, Y, I or II, then press X or Y, or tap I or II on the Touch Screen, to put it on. Talk to someone while you wear it.
- Selling. The buyer asks for the mask; answer yes. The slot then shows Sold Out.
- Paying back. Talk to the owner with Sold Out in the slot and he asks for his price before anything else. If you are short, he gets angry and you end up back outside. Come back with the Rupees.
- Next mask. Each mask goes on the shelf once the one before it has been sold. Once you have paid, you can borrow it.
Keaton Mask: the Kakariko gate guard
Sell it to the guard at the Death Mountain gate, the same one you showed the letter to. He buys it as a present for his kid and pays 15 Rupees. You owe the shop 10, so you keep 5. He leaves his post in adult Link’s time, so sell it while you are young.
Skull Mask: the Skull Kid in the Lost Woods
Enter the Lost Woods from Kokiri Forest and take the first exit on the left. A Skull Kid sits on a tree stump in that clearing. (The Skull Kids through the first exit on the right run the ocarina memory game, and they do not buy masks.)
He will only talk to you once you are friends. Stand on the small stump in front of him and play Saria’s Song; he gives you a Piece of Heart. Then wear the Skull Mask and talk to him again. He pays 10 Rupees, half of the 20 the shop wants.
Spooky Mask: the boy in Kakariko Graveyard
A boy wanders the graveyard behind Kakariko Village during the day, pretending to be Dampé the gravekeeper. He is not there at night, and time stands still in the graveyard, so play the Sun’s Song or wait for morning in Hyrule Field and come back. He pays 30 Rupees, exactly what you owe.
Bunny Hood: the Running Man in Hyrule Field
The Running Man appears in Hyrule Field only after young Link has all three Spiritual Stones: the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire. Before that he is nowhere in the field, by day or by night. You do not need the Ocarina of Time. Everything else about him, including his adult race, is on the Running Man page.
- 5 AM to 8 PM: he runs a wide loop around Lon Lon Ranch, counterclockwise as seen on the map: down the west side, along the south, up the east side and back across the north. You cannot talk to him while he runs.
- After 8 PM: he sits down on the next patch of flat ground and rests there until morning. This is the only time he will talk to you.
- Getting there: night falls at 6 PM but he keeps running until 8 PM, so after the Sun’s Song, follow him until he sits, then stand in front of him and talk.
Wear the Bunny Hood and he begs you to sell it. Say yes and he pays enough to fill your wallet. The shop then takes 50, which leaves you with 49 Rupees in the starting wallet, 150 in the Adult’s Wallet or 450 in the Giant’s Wallet.
The Bunny Hood is worth borrowing back later. While you wear it, Stalchildren do not appear in Hyrule Field at night. It does not make Link faster in this game.
The Mask of Truth and the other masks
Pay for the Bunny Hood and the owner lends you the Mask of Truth, the one mask that is never for sale. From then on every mask in the shop is free to borrow, including three new ones: the Goron Mask, Zora Mask and Gerudo Mask. They can be borrowed but never sold, and they only change what people say to you.
Wear the Mask of Truth and talk to a Gossip Stone to hear its hint. It is not the Lens of Truth: it does not show hidden walls or chests. The 3DS also has Sheikah Stones, which play hint videos; those work without any mask (see the Sheikah Stone hints).
Forest Stage: two capacity upgrades
Deep in the Lost Woods, a troupe of Deku Scrubs judges masks at the Forest Stage. Two of the masks win a prize:
| Wear | Prize | New limit |
|---|---|---|
| Skull Mask | Deku Stick upgrade | 10 to 20 sticks, or 20 to 30 if you already bought one |
| Mask of Truth | Deku Nut upgrade | 20 to 30 nuts, or 30 to 40 if you already bought one |
To get there, enter the Lost Woods from Kokiri Forest and take these exits: right, left, right, left, left. You come out in a clearing with two Deku Scrubs and a patch of soft soil. The open hole at the far end of the clearing drops you onto the stage. The judges only appear for young Link. Wear one of the two masks on the stage; once the scrubs have judged it, talk to the scrub who comes out to hand over the prize.
The other two upgrades are sold in the Lost Woods for 40 Rupees each: the stick upgrade by the Deku Scrub at the Lost Woods bridge, on the path between Kokiri Forest and Hyrule Field, and the nut upgrade in a Deku Scrub grotto on the way to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Order does not matter; the Forest Stage gives you the next step up either way. Unlike the N64 original, getting the Poacher’s Saw as adult Link does not stop the Mask of Truth prize.
Adult Link and Master Quest
Pulling the Master Sword pauses the quest: the Market is ruined and the Kakariko gate guard is gone. Once Sheik has explained it after the Forest Temple, put the sword back in the Temple of Time to return as young Link, and everything is where you left it.
In 3DS Master Quest the buyers, prices and the Mask of Truth are the same, but the whole world is mirrored, so every left and right on this page flips. The Skull Kid is in the first clearing on the right, the Forest Stage route is left, right, left, right, right, and the Running Man’s loop looks clockwise on the map.
For the rest of young Link’s gear, see the Ocarina of Time 3D item list; to find each area, use the Hyrule map.
Mask quest FAQ
Why is the Happy Mask Shop closed?
It opens after you show Zelda’s Letter to the guard at the Death Mountain gate in Kakariko Village. Until then the only person inside is a bearded customer waiting for it to open. After that, visit as young Link during the day: at night the door is locked, and in adult Link’s time the Market is in ruins.
Where is the Running Man who buys the Bunny Hood?
He runs a loop around Lon Lon Ranch in Hyrule Field, but only once young Link has all three Spiritual Stones. From 5 AM to 8 PM he runs counterclockwise around the ranch (as seen on the map), and you cannot talk to him while he runs. After 8 PM he sits down to rest, and that is when he will talk to you.
Do I need Saria’s Song to sell the Skull Mask?
Yes. The Skull Kid who buys it, in the Lost Woods clearing first on the left from Kokiri Forest, only talks to you after you have played Saria’s Song for him. Stand on the small stump in front of him to play it, then come back wearing the Skull Mask.
What happens if I can’t pay the Happy Mask Shop back?
Talk to the owner with Sold Out in your trade slot and he asks for the money first. If you don’t have enough Rupees he gets angry and puts you back outside. Nothing is lost: come back with the money. The Skull Mask is the one to plan for, because the Skull Kid pays 10 and the shop wants 20.
Can I miss the mask quest?
No. As adult Link the Market is ruined and the Kakariko gate guard is gone, but once Sheik has explained it after the Forest Temple, you can put the Master Sword back in the Temple of Time, return as young Link and carry on where you left off.
Does the Bunny Hood make Link faster?
No, that is Majora’s Mask. In Ocarina of Time the Bunny Hood keeps Stalchildren from appearing in Hyrule Field at night while you wear it.
What does the Mask of Truth do?
Wear it and talk to a Gossip Stone to hear what the stone knows. It is not the Lens of Truth and does not reveal hidden objects. It also earns a Deku Nut upgrade at the Forest Stage.
Is the mask quest different in Master Quest?
Only in direction. The shop, the buyers, the prices and the Mask of Truth are the same, but 3DS Master Quest mirrors the whole world, so every left and right flips: the Skull Kid is in the first clearing on the right, and the Forest Stage route is left, right, left, right, right.