The Giant Turtle In Zelda: Majora's Mask Was Based On The World's Oldest Twins
With more than thirty games in its long-running history, it's no surprise that "The Legend of Zelda" series boasts a number of secrets and stories behind the production of each entry. From the intricate "Zelda" timeline to the origins of Tingle, there's seemingly no end to the interesting tidbits that go into the creation of this venerable franchise's titles.
The YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming? has uncovered many of these tidbits, including the revelation that the developers of "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" based the game's Giant Turtle on the world's oldest pair of twins at the time (a record since broken by another pair of siblings from Japan). As pointed out by DidYouKnowGaming?, the Japanese magazine "Nintendo Dream" revealed information regarding the Giant Turtle's creative origins. Three different issues released in the year 2000 offered a plethora of details on "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," as well as the ties between the game and the Japanese twins Kinsan and Ginsan.
A tribute to the passing of Japan's Kinsan
For surpassing the age of 100, Kinsan and Ginsan (born in the year 1892!) became famous in their home country of Japan. During the development cycle for "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," however, Kinsan passed away at 107 years old. As a result, the title's NPC designer, Satomi Maegawa, drew inspiration from her face, or rather the twins' faces, for the Giant Turtle's appearance.
DidYouKnowGaming? offered their own theory regarding the possible reason behind one of Link's interactions with the Giant Turtle. With the turtle's look influenced by Kinsan's passing, DidYouKnowGaming? stated, "We think that might be why Link gives a long wave goodbye to the turtle at the temple. The designer didn't say that, but it's what it looks like to us. Saying goodbye to the famous Kinsan who lived to 107." DidYouKnowGaming? went on to point out that Kinsan's sister, Ginsan, died shortly after the launch of "Majora's Mask" at the age of 108.
While that's all DidYouKnowGaming? and the "Nintendo Dream" magazine had to say on the subject, some viewers in the video's comment section suggested that there might be more to the turtle and the twins. User OrangeCat posed the idea, "If the [Giant Turtle] is a tribute to Kinsan's passing, maybe the two trees on its back are an allusion to the fact that Kinsan was one of two twins? Maybe?" While mere conjecture, it makes sense that the twins could have inspired more of the benevolent creature's design beyond its facial features.