In the majority of games in the Legend of Zelda series (particularly the ones where the sky is visible to the player), the Moon is simply a large, rocky astronomical body nearly identical to the real-world Moon of Earth, a natural satellite orbiting the planet upon which the game's setting is located. The Moon is typically seen rising up from one end of the horizon at dusk and travels across the sky before setting behind the opposite horizon at dawn.
Ocarina of Time
The Moon only appears during nighttime, where it remains full every night. Other than offering simple ambience, the Moon has no other noteworthy function. Flat the Younger, one of the composers of the "Sun's Song", wears a crescent Moon on his clothing.
Majora's Mask
The Moon plays a major role in the plot of Majora's Mask, being the means by which Majora plans to destroy all of Termina. Under the influence of Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid used his newfound magic powers to pull the Moon down from the sky, setting it on a collision course directly above Clock Town. Across the three-day cycle of the game, the Moon gradually descends further and further until, at 6:00 AM on the Final Night, the Moon crashes into Clock Town, obliterating it and all of Termina in a cataclysmic wall of fire unless Link either defeats Majora or plays the "Song of Time" to reset the three-day cycle.
The Moon's appearance is radically different from the Moon of the previous game, being darker in color and heavily cratered, and most notably sporting a massive, snarling face with flat dingy teeth, a pointed nose, and glowing red eyes set in dark sockets. This face never visibly moves nor speaks until the final act of the game, constantly snarling down at Clock Town as it falls. Professor Shikashi mentions that Moon's Tears are named due to them appearing to fall from "the moon's eye",[3] suggesting this face was a natural part of the Moon for the residents of Termina.
Along with his Fairy companion Tatl, Link sets out to find the Four Giants in each of the Temples found throughout Termina. After they free the Giants from the Skull Kid's curse, the young hero and his Fairy climb atop the Clock Tower at Midnight of the Final Day to confront Majora, who uses its power to speed up the Moon's decent, giving Link only five minutes to act instead of six hours. Link uses the Ocarina of Time to call upon the Giants using the "Oath to Order". One by one, the Four Giants appear at the four corners of Termina and approach Clock Town, raising up their hands to grab hold of the Moon and halt its descent, knocking the Skull Kid unconscious in the process.
At this point, Majora's Mask realizes that the Skull Kid has become useless, so it abandons the imp's body and transports itself inside the Moon via a beam of light that travels up into the Moon's mouth.[4] With the Moon now being possessed by Majora's Mask, it becomes too strong for the Giants to hold back and it threatens to continue with its plan of obliterating Termina.[5] While the Four Giants use all of their might to restrain the evil menace, Link and Tatl follow Majora's Mask into the Moon.[6]
Inside the Moon, Link and Tatl are brought to the Grassy Playfield where they can choose to fight Majora once and for all, or attempt to best the four Moon Dungeons beforehand.
Once Link defeats Majora's Mask, he and Tatl return to Clock Town and the Moon disintegrates, returning to the sky and restoring peace to Termina.
The Moon passes through nightly phases, waxing and waning between a full and new Moon across several days. The Ghost Ship appears near different Islands depending on the phase of the Moon. After obtaining the Ghost Ship Chart on Diamond Steppe Island, Link is able to track the Ghost Ship's movements and board it.
Kamo on Windfall Island challenges Link to bring him a picture of his favorite thing (described as "...the first perfectly round, pale thing you can think of"), which Link can complete by taking a pictograph of the full Moon.
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Moon appears in the background of the Great Bay Stage. As the match progresses, the Moon slowly descends until the Four Giants appear and push it back up. The Moon also appears as a Trophy.
High in the sky above the Clock Town Tower, a menacing moon slowly sinks towards the city. Shrouded in mystery and feared by all, it threatens to devour everything and everyone in a cataclysm of fire. Strangely, inside the moon is a beautiful, pristine plain broken by a single tree. The moon breaks after Link defeats Majora's Mask.
RandomCan be collected during Snag the Trophies in Classic Mode, picked up up in Adventure or All-Star mode, or using the Lottery to win them
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
In Hyrule Warriors, the Moon appears in "The Shadow King", where it is constructed by Fairies and summoned by the Great Fairy to knock Argorok out of the sky. The Moon can also be summoned when using the Clawshot into the air, pulling a smaller Moon down to crush enemies. Link can also summon the Moon when using the Great Fairy weapon as a combo attack. Young Link wearing the Fierce Deity's Mask can also summon the Moon, which is pulled by the Skull Kid and then sliced in half by the Fierce Deity. Skull Kid as a playable Warrior kicks a miniature Moon at his enemies to attack.
An 8-bit version of the Moon also appears on the Termina Map in Adventure Mode, which will crash and destroy Termina if the map is not cleared in time. The Moon will crash in 72 moves, similarly to the 72 hours in Majora's Mask. However, if the Four Giants Item Card is used and the hidden battle is completed on the Moon itself, the Moon will not fall down. The Moon can be prevented from crashing by using the Song of Time Item Card, however this also resets the map.
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
The Moon appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When summoned, the Moon will hurtle towards the Stage, becoming fiery and throwing debris from the Stage as it becomes closer. The Moon will then collide with the Stage, damaging anything in its path, before exploding in a flash and launching any Fighters that were close to the Moon.
The Moon also appears as a Spirit. It reprises its role in the background of the Great Bay Stage as well.
Trivia
During development of Majora's Mask, the Moon had no face on it.
Even when inside the Moon, in the Grassy Playfield, the dungeons, or the final boss arena against Majora's Mask, the earthquakes during the Final Day still occur.
↑That is one of the lunar rocks that has been blazing from the surface of the moon lately. They fall from what looks to be the moon's eye, so I call them Moon's Tears. They are rare stones, valued by many in town. — Professor Shikashi (Majora's Mask 3D)
↑A puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage. This puppet's role has just ended... — Majora's Mask (Majora's Mask)