- "Anju trusted you. I shall also trust you. I am Kafei."
- — Kafei
Kafei (カーフェイ Kāfei?) is a character from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The runaway son of Mayor Dotour and Madame Aroma, Kafei is the focal point of the biggest side-quest in the game. He is one of the twenty people in the Bombers' Notebook. Kafei has the distinction of being the very first of a select number of characters in the series other than Link that can be controlled by the player.
Biography[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Little is known about Kafei prior to the events of Majora's Mask, though Shikashi mentions that he was a member of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice as a child. The Man from the Curiosity Shop also claims to have been a childhood friend of Kafei's; at one point, the Curiosity Shop Owner gave him a Keaton Mask as a gift.
Kafei eventually fell in love with Anju, a young girl whose family owns the Stock Pot Inn in Clock Town, and they became engaged. They promised that on the dawn of their wedding day, they would fuse together their Sun's and Moon's Masks to create a Couple's Mask, blessing their marriage. However, some time before the events of Majora's Mask, Kafei was transformed into a child by the Skull Kid. He sought the aid of the Great Fairy of Magic in North Clock Town, but was ambushed by the thief Sakon, who stole his Sun's Mask. Ashamed of his loss, he seemingly disappeared without a word to friends and family and hid in Clock Town's Laundry Pool, donning his Keaton Mask to hide his face.
From the Backroom in the Laundry Pool, which is positioned directly behind the Curiosity Shop, Kafei keeps watch on all goings-on in the shop, using a hole in the wall which is situated behind the headpiece of a suit of Iron Knuckle armor behind the counter. Biding his time, Kafei awaits Sakon's inevitable appearance in the Curiosity Shop, planning to follow him to his hideout, recapture his mask and fulfill his promise to Anju. On the dawn of the First Day, Kafei mails a letter, contents unknown, to Anju.
When Link speaks to Madame Aroma, Kafei's mother, in the Mayor's Residence, she mistakes him for a professional "detective" and gives him Kafei's Mask, which resembles Kafei, to allow him to inquire about her lost son. After Anju receives Kafei's letter and Link asks her about Kafei, Anju asks him to meet her in the Stock Pot Inn's kitchen at night. During their meeting, he is given a letter addressed to Kafei, which he puts in a postbox. The Postman delivers the letter on the Second Day, and after reading the letter, Kafei explains the whole situation to Link and Tatl. Link is given the Pendant of Memories, a sign that Kafei will meet Anju to join their masks together on the eve of the Carnival of Time, which he delivers to Anju, who promises to wait for his coming in her room.
On the night of the Second Day, Sakon appears at the Curiosity Shop if Link has not thwarted his attempt at stealing the Bomb Bags from the Old Lady from the Bomb Shop. Kafei quickly chases after him to Ikana Canyon and locates his hideout, where he waits for him to appear and open the door to the hideout. On the Final Day, the Man from the Curiosity Shop can be found in the Backroom. He gives Link Kafei's Letter to Mama along with Kafei's Keaton Mask. This letter, contents unknown, can be either given directly to Madame Aroma or given to the Postman for delivery in exchange for different rewards. In order to receive the benefits of both options, Link must repeat the entire sequence of events in another three-day cycle.
Kafei being reunited with Anju in the Stock Pot Inn's Staff Room
Kafei waits patiently for Sakon to enter his hideout, who appears and opens it at 7 PM on the Final Day, and both Link and Kafei enter it. Once inside, Kafei sees the Sun's Mask, but when he rushes to retrieve it, he triggers a safety system Sakon had installed in his hideout. Link and Kafei work together to stop the mask from slipping away and eventually get the Sun's Mask back. They head back to Clock Town and meet Anju in her room at the Stock Pot Inn, where Anju and Kafei exchange their Sun's and Moon's Masks and wedding vows. Link, being their witness, receives the Couple's Mask. They then await the destruction of Termina together. Also, if Link never gives the Pendant of Memories to Anju, but helps Kafei retrieve his mask, Kafei will still arrive at the Stock Pot Inn. But since Anju did not receive the pendant, she will not be there. Instead, Kafei will talk about his promise to Anju and how he was not able to keep it.
After Link defeats Majora, if Link has completed the entire Anju and Kafei quest, the two will be seen getting married in a post-credits scene. Although it is never confirmed if the curse on him has been broken, the viewpoint of Kafei in the cutscene seems much higher than a child's, implying that the curse was indeed broken.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end 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.
Animal Crossing[]
A shirt based on Kafei's shirt can be purchased and worn by the player. This shirt is Boris's initial clothing in Animal Crossing. Also available for purchase is Anju's Shirt.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
Kafei is featured as a sticker. His sticker grants a +10 bonus to shield recovery and can be used by any character.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Playability[]
As a player character, Kafei utilizes the same model and animations as Link's model, causing Kafei to react to events identically to Link, quite possibly unintended by the programmers. During the early hours of the First Day (when Kafei is delivering his letter to Anju in South Clock Town), if Kafei happens to be lined up between Deku Link and the dog running around the South Clock Town area, the dog's "attack" will knock Kafei to the ground as it would Link. In a similar manner, an explosion from a Bomb or the Blast Mask will make him flinch and flash red as he makes a coughing sound. Also, the sound of a shield rustling can be heard when he walks, despite the fact that he is not wielding one.
Theory[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
Kafei has red eyes, like those of Impa, Impaz, and Sheik. All known members of the Sheikah race have red eyes; however, whether or not this makes Kafei a Sheikah is unknown. Interestingly, his father, Mayor Dotour, does not have red eyes, and his mother, Madame Aroma, is constantly squinting, making it impossible to determine her eye color.
Another theory is that Kafei is Link's Terminan counterpart, much as Romani is to young Malon, Lulu is to Princess Ruto, etc. Evidence to support this may include the similar skill sets and flair for puzzle solving they share, as well as their mannerisms, build, and similar expressions their artworks display. However, the theory is refuted by the fact that these personality characteristics do not always carry over between Hyrulean and Terminan equivalents, and by the fact that the only consistent link between two such beings is their identical appearance, whereas Link and Kafei have vastly different appearances.
Theory warning: Theories end here.
Etymology[]
Kafei is possibly named after the Chinese word, 咖啡 (Pinyin: Kāfēi), which means coffee. If this is linked to his mother's name, Aroma, and Cremia, it is possible that they are all related to the word coffee; Cremia would be the cream added to coffee, and Madame Aroma would be the scent that the coffee gives off.