Poe Collector

The Poe Collector is a mysterious character that appears in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. He is wearing white clothes and a purple robe covering his head and carries a wooden staff around with him. A bright red dot is visible under the hood of his robe; this combined with his claim to be able to read minds may imply that he is wearing a Mask of Truth. The Poe Collector is interested in the paranormal and shares a similar demeanor to them.

In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Poe Collector has the Triforce symbol on his clothing, although this was removed in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, similar to the Composer Brothers.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link can only encounter the Poe Collector as an adult. The Poe Collector is the operator of the Ghost Shop, where he is found sitting on a bed at the upper-left corner. When first encountering the Poe Collector, he mentions that he finds beauty in darkness and destruction, admiring how much of both have caused to Hyrule from Ganondorf. While talking, the Poe Collector says "Heh" a few times in most sentences, followed by ellipsis. He sits surrounded by cages with various Poe Souls, which due to being incorporeal tend to slowly float out, though after a short period he hits his cane against the shelf to startle them into returning. It is heavily implied he is the same Hylian Soldier found in the same room when Link is a child, as the soldier secretly admits he would enjoy a more chaotic world and expresses an interest in studying the paranormal.

The Poe Collector is optional side-character. Link can sell individual Poe Souls and Big Poe Souls, contained in an Empty Bottle, to the Poe Collector for Rupees. The Poe Collector pays 10 Rupees for each Poe Soul and 50 Rupees for each Big Poe Soul. For each Big Poe Soul that Link sells, the Poe Collector adds 100 points to Link's card. If Link sells all ten Big Poe Souls, giving him 1,000 points, the Poe Collector deems Link a "genuine ghost hunter" and rewards him with an Empty Bottle.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Poe Collector has a slightly larger role. Once again, he has an unsettling demeanor but is only helpful towards Link. He is encountered three times around Ikana Canyon. The Poe Collector is first encountered on the Road to Ikana, where he prohibits Link from entering Ikana Canyon unless he has the Garo's Mask. When Link obtains it, the Poe Collector summons a withered tree near the ledge of the hill, allowing Link to latch onto it with the Hookshot and enter Ikana Canyon. The Poe Collector then vanishes.

When Link enters Ikana Canyon, the Poe Collector is located at the Spirit House, where he keeps captured spirits. The Poe Collector tells Link that Ikana Canyon is home to wandering spirits, in search of someone who can save them. At the Spirit House, the Poe Collector hosts a mini-game which costs 30 rupees, where Link must defeat four Poe Sisters within 3 minutes and without his health meter dropping below three hearts. If Link completes the challenge, the Poe Collector rewards Link with a Piece of Heart and claims his soul has been healed as well before vanishing again.

Lastly, the Poe Collector is encountered at the Secret Shrine. He informs Link that he successfully managed to restore serenity to the spirits in Ikana Canyon. The Poe Collector tells Link that more creatures in the Secret Shrine are waiting for him. The creatures are four mini-bosses that Link must fight, specifically the ones that previously guarded each main dungeon's arrow item. If Link defeats them, the Poe Collector rewards Link by leaving behind a Treasure Chest containing a Piece of Heart and then vanishes.

While the game never fully elaborates on the Poe Collector's nature, it is implied by the manner in which he vanishes that he may be a wandering spirit himself in this depiction, albeit more openly benevolent than most of the others. Additionally, Sakon's claim that Pamela and her father are the only living residents of Ikana Canyon supports this. The PRIMA Games guide for The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask posits that he is a Garo, likely basing this on his hood with glowing features under it.