Fierce Deity is a presumed character that is part of The Legend of Zelda lore. The character first appeared in the title “Majora’s Mask” and is the spirit that is believed to inhabit the mask in question.
There are very few facts that have been released by game designers regarding Fierce Deity, but there are some assumptions that can be taken from events which occur in the game play and subsequent titles. For example: when Link dons a mask, he transforms into the shape of the spirit that inhabits the mask as they would have appeared in their lifetime.
When he puts on the Deku Mask, for example, Link turns into a form that is believed to be the son of Deku Butler. In the same way, the Fierce Deity Mask transformed Link into what becomes a warrior god, wielding a sword that can shoot sword beams.
We also know that in “Majora’s Mask,” Fierce Deity came from the world of Termina and gave Link the power of this character.
What If the Fierce Deity Theory Is Not About a Person?
Not every transformation mask that can be found in The Legend of Zelda cannon is attributable to a singular individual. There are masks that represent entire races and Link simply takes on a form that is similar to what that race looks like, with a few personal characteristics left after the transformation.
That means the Fierce Deity mask could represent a race of god-like characters instead of only one specific character.
The problem with the idea of the Fierce Deity being a race is that the mask is individualized instead of pluralized in its name. It is called the “Fierce Deity’s” mask, not the “Fierce Deities’” mask. Because the possessive form is being used, that implies that the mask belongs to a specific character that goes by that name.
How a New Game Helped to Expand the Theory
In “Breath of the Wild,” Fierce Deity equipment can be obtained within the game for Link to use. It is done by using the Majora’s Mask amiibo with the Rune amiibo. The resulting armor is described as being from a hero from a different world who had obtained powers that could only be described as god-like.
Mic also takes you through the process of obtaining the Fierce Deity items if you don’t have the amiibo or don’t want to wait multiple days to scan them.
Four pieces of equipment are available with this set: a sword, the mask, the armor, and boots.
The in-game descriptions for these items is what provides extra evidence to the existence of Fierce Deity as an actual character in the cannon for The Legend of Zelda.
For the Sword: “A peculiar, great sword allegedly used by a hero from a world in which the moon threatened to fall. It slashes wildly in battle, as if it were possessed by a fierce deity.”
For the Armor: “Legend has it that this armor once belonged to the hero of a world in which the moon threatened to fall. When you wear it, you will feel a fierce, god-like power flow through you.”
For the Mask: “Legends say this mask was once worn by a hero from a world in which the moon threatened to fall. It looks scary, but wearing it offers a fierce, god-like power.”
For the Boots: “According to legend, these boots were once worn by a hero from a world in which the moon threatened to fall. Wearing them offers god-like power.”
Although the term “legend” is used in the descriptions, there is some suggestion that the cannon supports Fierce Deity as a character. Majora gives Link the god’s mask, which implies that a deity stronger than Majora and potentially darker helped to create it.
The problem is that there is a split between the English-language cannon within the game and the Japanese-language version. The statements made by Majora, calling Fierce Deity a “true bad guy,” are not present in the non-dubbed version.
Additional explanations for the Fierce Deity theory are offered in the manga series that has accompanied the game over the years, but is not treated as official cannon for The Legend of Zelda.
Whether Fierce Deity is a true character, a plot fill-in to help the game work, or is a representation of an entire species of god-like people, there is no denying the power of the items that can be obtained that are associated with the name. For that reason, Fierce Deity will likely continue to live on in cannon in some official way.