- "This tale's from long ago when all the people weren't separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times all the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them. On the day of the festival that celebrates the harvest, the giants spoke to the people... "We have chosen to guard the people while we sleep... 100 steps north, 100 steps south, 100 steps east, 100 steps west."
- — Anju's Grandmother
The Four Giants are characters from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Gargantuan, orange-skinned, humanoid figures, they are the guardian deities of Termina. Each of the Four Giants guard one of the four regions of Termina: Woodfall, Snowhead, Great Bay, and Ikana. In Clock Town, the socioeconomic center of Termina, an annual Carnival of Time is held to honor the giants and ensure a fruitful harvest.
Abilities[]
As to be expected of their enormous size, the Four Giants possess a great deal of physical strength which when combined with each other, can even stop the Moon that Majora drops onto Termina. They did however, seem to be in a physical struggle when the Mask itself abandons it's host and directly entered the Moon. They are also helpless to the Mask's cursing powers, and were sealed by it until Link helps them.
Biography[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
A long time prior to the events of Majora's Mask, the Four Giants lived in harmony among the united people of Termina; in particular, they befriended one specific individual — a small imp. However, as the world grew, the Four Giants divided Termina into four regions, in which four of the races of Termina would live, which would be guarded and watched over by the Four Giants as they slumbered. Before departing, they told the people that should any troubled or bad times befall them, they could call upon the giants with the "Oath to Order".
However, their friend, the imp, misunderstood their intentions, and thought that they were abandoning him. Angered, he began to play horrible tricks, and tormented the people of Termina. The Four Giants, being the protectors of the people, gave their friend the choice to either return to the heavens or be torn apart by them. The imp returned to the heavens, but somehow managed to descend to Termina again in the form of a Skull Kid. The Skull Kid's mischief continued, and he eventually obtained Majora's Mask, a mysterious mask containing intense destructive power. Driven by the evil spirit within the mask, he used its power to seal his former friends into four masks, which were to be guarded by the bosses of the four dungeons of Termina. He then used his powers to pull Termina's Moon from its orbit in an attempt to destroy Termina.
When all seemed to be on the verge of certain destruction, Link, the hero of Hyrule, finds his way into Termina and is told of Majora's Mask by the Happy Mask Salesman. To save Termina from its impending doom, Link manipulates time with his Ocarina of Time, returning himself to the dawn of his First Day in Termina whenever the land is about to be destroyed. He is eventually able to free the Four Giants from captivity. Once he does this, Link makes his way to the top of the Clock Tower in South Clock Town on the night of the final day before the Carnival of Time. Here, Link plays the "Oath to Order" on his ocarina, summoning the Four Giants. The deities use their power to stop the Moon from crashing into Termina; however, as everything seems to be right again, Majora's Mask abandons the Skull Kid and transports itself to the Moon, possessing it and causing the Four Giants to struggle beneath the force of the Moon's newfound power. Link chases after Majora's Mask and defeats Majora, the entity inhabiting the mask. The next day, the Four Giants explain why they left to the Skull Kid and restore their friendship with him before departing once more for their respective territories.
If Link attempts to stop the Skull Kid on the Final Day without having freed all of the giants, only the giants that Link has freed will come to the Clock Tower. Although they attempt to stop the Moon from crashing, their efforts prove futile, and Link only receives a minute (in real-time) to either save and warp back to the First Day or allow the Moon to crash.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Other appearances[]
Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.
Hyrule Warriors[]
The Four Giants appear as 4 special Item Cards in the Termina Adventure Map (Majora's Mask DLC), that open up a new section of the map when all four are used on the square with the Clock Tower.
Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.
Non-canonical appearances[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
The Four Giants make an appearance in the Termina: Great Bay stage. Similar to the events of Majora's Mask, they all appear in the background of the stage, preventing the Moon from crashing down on Termina, though rather than stopping it entirely, they thrust it back into the sky, where it looms until it falls again. The Four Giants also appear as a collectible trophy.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.