The Legend of Zelda has explored a variety of themes throughout its long lifespan of nearly four decades, including heroism, sacrifice, the passage of time, fate, and free will. To emphasize these themes, the series has used a rollercoaster of undertones, going from the heights of childlike wonder and joy down to the depths of fear, despair, and terror. However, since the release of Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda has hardly returned to the horror themes that saturated the groundbreaking 2000 title. Although more recent installments — namely, Tears of the Kingdom — have hinted at exploring those themes again, they haven't quite paid off in the way that Majora's Mask did almost 25 years ago.