Smart Pop Classics: Unmasking Grief

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “Unmasking Grief” from The Psychology of Zelda, authors Larisa A. Garski, F. Cary Shepard, and Emory S. Daniel apply the five stages of grief model to The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, resulting in a transformative understanding of the beloved game. 

Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow.”
—Happy Mask Salesman (Majora’s Mask, 2000)

Loss is a part of life, and for every loss, w...