You don't have to finish side quests to beat Majora's Mask, but the game makes it harder if you skip them
The main story of Majora's Mask — collecting the four transformation masks and stopping Skull Kid — can be completed without touching a single side quest. You can go straight from the opening to the final boss fight if you want to. But the game is designed so that side quests give you real tools and resources that make the main quest much easier. Skipping them means playing with fewer rupees, fewer heart containers, and fewer mask options when you need them most.
The choice comes down to your own patience and what kind of experience you want. Some players enjoy the focused challenge of a straight run through the main story. Others find that doing side quests first makes the harder boss fights feel less punishing. Neither approach is wrong — the game supports both.
Key Takeaways
- Side quests are optional for finishing the main story, but they reward you with heart pieces, rupees, and masks that make boss fights easier.
- The Bomber's Notebook tracks side quests and shows you which NPCs have unfinished business, making it easier to find them across the three-day cycle.
- Some side quests give you transformation masks (like the Fierce Deity Mask), which are powerful enough to change how you approach certain bosses.
- You can always come back to side quests later — the game does not lock you out of them once you reach certain story points.
- The time limit of three in-game days applies to the main quest, not to side quests, so you can spend as much time as you want on them before resetting.
What side quests actually give you
Heart pieces are the most common reward. You need four pieces to make one full heart container, and many side quests hand out one or two pieces each. If you skip side quests, you will start boss fights with fewer total hearts, which means less room for mistakes. Some players find this adds tension they enjoy; others find it frustrating.
Rupees (the in-game currency) come from side quests too. You need rupees to buy potions, arrows, and bomb upgrades. Without side quest money, you either go into fights with fewer supplies or you spend time grinding enemies for cash instead of doing quests. The Bomber's Notebook actually tracks which NPCs will give you rupees, so you can hunt for money-giving quests specifically if you want to.
Masks are the biggest difference. The Fierce Deity Mask — one of the most powerful items in the game — comes from completing a specific set of side quests. You can beat the final boss without it, but having it available changes the fight completely. Other transformation masks like the Garo Mask and the Postman's Hat come from side quests too, and they unlock areas or shortcuts you would otherwise miss.
How the Bomber's Notebook helps you track side quests
The Bomber's Notebook is a journal that tracks every NPC in the game and their schedules. When you talk to someone, their entry fills in with information about what they do each day and what they want. This is useful because Majora's Mask's three-day cycle means NPCs move around and change their routines — without the notebook, you might miss someone entirely.
The notebook marks which NPCs have unfinished business (a heart icon next to their name). This tells you at a glance who still has a side quest available. You can also check what time of day each NPC is in a specific location, so you do not waste time searching for someone who is not there yet. If you want to do side quests efficiently, the Bomber's Notebook is the tool that makes it possible.
Completing all entries in the Bomber's Notebook is itself a side quest with a reward, but that is separate from the individual NPC quests. You can ignore the notebook entirely and still finish the main story — it just makes side questing much slower.
The difference between main quests and side quests in the three-day cycle
The three-day time limit is one of Majora's Mask's defining features, but it only applies to the main story. Once you have the four transformation masks, you can reset time as many times as you want without losing progress on the main quest. Side quests, on the other hand, reset when you reset time — if you are in the middle of a side quest and you play the Song of Time, that quest goes back to the beginning.
This means you have to finish a side quest within a single three-day cycle, or start it over. Some side quests take only a few minutes; others take an hour or more. Planning which side quests to do in which cycle becomes part of the strategy. You might do quick quests early on, then tackle longer ones once you have more resources and know the map better.
The main story quests (the dungeons and boss fights) do not reset when you reset time. Once you beat a dungeon, it stays beaten. This is why you can take as long as you want on side quests without falling behind on the main story — the main story waits for you.
Which side quests are worth doing before the final boss
If you want to do some side quests but not all of them, focus on the ones that give you the most useful rewards. The Fierce Deity Mask quest is the biggest one — it requires you to collect all 24 masks in the game, which is a long project, but the mask itself is worth it if you want an easier final boss fight.
Heart piece quests are worth doing if you have time, because extra hearts make every fight easier. The Bomber's Notebook will show you which NPCs give heart pieces, so you can hunt for those specifically. Rupee quests are useful if you are running low on money for potions and supplies.
Some side quests unlock shortcuts or new areas that make the main quest faster. For example, the Garo Mask lets you access a shortcut through Ikana Canyon. These are worth doing if you plan to replay the game or if you want to explore everything, but they are not necessary for beating the main story.
Playing without side quests: what gets harder
The four main dungeons and their bosses are designed to be beatable with the resources you get from the main story alone. You will have enough rupees for basic supplies, and you will have enough hearts to survive if you play carefully. But you will have less margin for error.
The final boss fight is the place where skipping side quests hurts the most. Without the Fierce Deity Mask, you have to use the regular transformation masks, which are less powerful. Without extra heart pieces, you have fewer chances to take hits. Without rupees from side quests, you might run out of potions mid-fight. None of these things make the fight impossible — they just make it harder.
Some players enjoy this challenge. Others find it frustrating and prefer to do at least some side quests first. There is no wrong choice — it depends on what kind of game you want to play.
How to decide whether to do side quests
Ask yourself what you want from the game. If you want to see the story and beat the main bosses as quickly as possible, skip side quests and go straight through. If you want to explore everything and see all the NPCs and their stories, do as many side quests as you can. If you want a balanced experience with some challenge but not too much frustration, do the side quests that give you heart pieces and the Fierce Deity Mask.
You can also change your mind mid-game. If you get to a boss fight and you are struggling, you can reset time and spend a few cycles doing side quests to build up resources, then come back to the boss. The game does not punish you for changing your approach.
Remember that side quests in Majora's Mask often tell stories about the NPCs and their lives. Some players find these stories interesting and do side quests for that reason alone, separate from the rewards. If you like the characters and the world, side quests are worth doing just to spend more time there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do side quests after I beat the final boss?
No. Once you beat Majora's Mask, the game ends. If you want to do more side quests, you have to start a new game. This is why some players do side quests before the final boss — they want to see all the content in one playthrough.
Do I lose side quest progress if I reset time?
Yes. When you play the Song of Time to reset the three-day cycle, any side quest you were working on goes back to the start. You have to finish side quests within a single cycle, or restart them later. Main story progress (dungeons and transformation masks) does not reset.
What happens if I skip the Fierce Deity Mask quest?
You can still beat the final boss without it. The Fierce Deity Mask is powerful, but the regular transformation masks work fine if you play carefully and use potions. Skipping it just makes the fight longer and requires more precision.
How long does it take to do all the side quests?
That varies widely depending on which quests you do and how efficiently you do them. Some side quests take five minutes; others take an hour. Collecting all 24 masks for the Fierce Deity Mask quest can take several hours across multiple playthroughs. You can do as many or as few as you want.
Do I need the Bomber's Notebook to find side quests?
No, but it makes it much easier. Without the notebook, you have to talk to every NPC and remember their schedules yourself. With the notebook, you can see at a glance who has a quest available and where they will be at what time. It is a quality-of-life tool, not a requirement.