- "My boy will be very happy with this! You really are Mr. Hero!"
- — Keaton Mask Soldier
The Keaton Mask Soldier is a character from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is an unnamed Hyrulean Soldier who guards Kakariko Village when Link is a child. The Keaton Mask Soldier is one of the three Hyrulean Soldiers assigned to guarding Kakariko Village rather than Hyrule Castle, the other two being the Clock Soldiers, whose posts are at the entrance to the village and outside Impa's house. He is identical to all other Hyrulean Soldiers prior to purchasing the Keaton Mask from Link — after he buys the mask, however, he wears it over his face, making him distinguishable from other generic soldiers.
Biography[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
When Link first meets the guard at the Death Mountain Trail Starting Point, he teases Link because he cannot go up the Death Mountain Trail without receiving permission from the Royal Family of Hyrule. However, after Link shows the soldier the letter from Princess Zelda that grants him permission, he opens the gate and allows Link to pass. After this event, the soldier becomes much more friendly towards Link, and starts to worry about Link's safety while scaling Death Mountain. Death Mountain being an active volcano, the soldier tells Link that in order to safely climb the mountain, he should equip a proper shield. The Bazaar in Hyrule Castle Town, whose owner is an acquaintance of the soldier, sells Hylian Shields for a moderate price of eighty Rupees. The Keaton Mask Soldier tells Link that by mentioning him to the Bazaar owner, he is given a discount so it costs fifty Rupees.
After the soldier offers up this advice, he asks Link for a favor. He tells him that the Happy Mask Shop sells the Keaton Mask, which his son desires greatly, but he has no time to leave his post and go there. He then tells Link he would be very grateful if he would do him a favor and go get him the mask. If Link brings the Keaton Mask to the Hyrulean Soldier, he will pay Link 15 Rupees for it. If Link refuses to sell it to him, he is angered and orders the gate shut again. Once Link leaves the village or enters and exits a building, the gate will be open again and the soldier shows no signs of further ill will towards Link.
When Link is an adult, the Keaton Mask Soldier no longer guards Kakariko Village, and the gate he once guarded has been torn down. The reason for this is more than likely because after Ganondorf seized control of Hyrule, the Royal Family crumbled and the Hyrulean Soldiers were disbanded.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
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.
- "Hey! It's a Keaton Mask!! I asked my daddy to get me one, too!"
- — Boy in the Graveyard
It is possible that the son of the Keaton Mask Soldier is the Boy in the Graveyard; After giving the Keaton Mask Soldier Zelda's Letter, he asks Link if he could stop by the Happy Mask Shop and bring him a Keaton Mask for his son. If Link displays the mask to the Boy in the Graveyard, the child responds by saying that he had asked his daddy for one. This, as well as the fact that the Boy in the Graveyard, his mother, and all the Hyrulean Soldiers (including the Keaton Mask Soldier) disappeared when Link became an adult and the close proximity of the Keaton Mask Soldier's stationing to the boy's home, makes for a compelling argument for their father-son relationship and of his apparent marriage to the boy's mother.
Theory warning: Theories end here.