Skull Kid (species)

A Skull Kid from Twilight Princess
Skull Kid
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Skull Kids are mysterious scarecrow-like creatures known for their childlike tendencies and hatred of adults.

Information

Little is known about the origins of the Skull Kids. Their primary residence is the Lost Woods. This leads Navi to speculate that children who became lost in the forest became Skull Kids. In all other appearances, Skull Kids have usually lived in wooded areas. They are known for a keen sense of mischief. They are usually friendly to other children, but when confronted by an adult they become hostile and attack. Skull Kids also have musical talent, usually playing the flute, but they also use flutes as weapons to fire Deku Seeds at enemies in the manner of a pea shooter.

Appearances

In Ocarina of Time, there are three Skull Kids found in the Lost Woods. The first two will play musical notes and challenge Link to keep up, awarding him with a Piece of Heart if successful. Another Skull Kid also gives Link a Piece of Heart if he teaches him Saria's Song and will buy the Skull Mask from him (this is believed to be the same Skull Kid who later appears in Majora's Mask).

A Skull Kid appears as the primary antagonist of Majora's Mask. It is unclear whether the Skull Kid originated from Hyrule (in which case he was likely the same Skull Kid from Ocarina of Time) or from Termina, although he primarily appears in Termina in the game.

There is also a lone Skull Kid in the Sacred Grove area of Twilight Princess. He plays a game of hide-and-go-seek with visitors, running back and forth wielding a lantern and alternating between playing Saria's Song on his flute and summoning wooden puppet enemies to distract his playmates. After being caught enough times, the Skull Kid retreats to a circle of logs, where Link must battle him directly, although the Skull Kid utilizes some sort of teleportation ability to evade most attacks. Link must confront the Skull Kid twice while visiting the Forest Sanctuary: first when he arrives in wolf form, and then when he returns in his Hylian form. After beating him the second time, Skull Kid tells Link it was fun and repays him by showing him a "new place" (the path to the Temple of Time) before disappearing.

The same Skull Kid also appears in the second-to-last challenge of Link's Crossbow Training, where Link must defend himself against the Skull Kid's puppets. The Skull Kid can be shot to earn automatic crossbow shots.

Trivia

• In Ocarina of Time, they leave behind orange Rupees when killed.
• Two stickers of the Skull Kid appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, using art from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. The Skull Kid from Majora's Mask also appeared as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.