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The Pig Mask Army (spelled Pigmask Army in the fan-translation) is an army and the main antagonistic group in Mother 3. It is an organization founded by Porky Minch, the Pig King, which makes attempts at world domination through the use of Happy Boxes. The army's activity is seen several times throughout the beginning of the game, but it is not until the fourth chapter that their initial goal to take over the Nowhere Islands is revealed, where it has become a success. However, this endeavor does not prove to be enough for Porky, who tasks the Pig Mask Army with extracting the seven Needles in order to awaken the Dark Dragon, a creature which resides underneath the Nowhere Islands. It is revealed later in the game that the Pigmasks were brainwashed to be sadistic, uncaring for other life (in the form of making Chimeras, attacking children, and burning down things) and to like Pokey Minch and agree with his methods.

Overworld Pork Tank

The Pork Tank, a tank used by the Pig Mask Army

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Pork Tank 2

The secondary in-battle sprite of the Pork Tank, after it begins billowing black smoke

The Pig Mask Army is responsible for introducing new technology and infrastructure to the islands, and for resurrecting Claus, the brother of Lucas, in the form of the Masked Man, as well as for other sinister activities. Its bases are positioned throughout the Nowhere Islands, most notably the Chimera Laboratory, Thunder Tower, and in New Pork City. Its members are also known to take breaks at the Club Titiboo venue.

Other notable members of the Pig Mask Army include its commander, the Masked Man, the Pork Trooper, a high-ranking member of the army, and Fassad, who helped convince the people of the Nowhere Islands to receive the Happy Boxes. It is also revealed during the game's eighth chapter that Fassad revealed to Porky the existence of the Seven Needles, as he was formerly a Magypsy guardian of the Needles named Locria.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

The various titles among the Army's soldiers include simple PigmaskscaptainscolonelsmajorsNavy SQUEALs (a parody of "Navy SEAL"); their commander, the Masked Man; and their leader, Porky Minch. Oddly, the weakest Pigmask has the biggest gun, the captain has a smaller gun, the major has a gun with a smaller tip, and the colonel doesn't seem to have a gun because the higher the Pigmask rank is the more the Pigmask cares about muscles instead of guns. This likely explains why the Colonel and/or the Major try to strike a character's joints.

Pigmask soldiers appear to be ordinary people when unmasked, as evidenced by the Pigmask who removes his helmet in Lydia's house. This is because Pigmasks were supposedly ordinary villagers from another time period, sent forward in time and brainwashed. There is also an unused sprite of a Pigmask with female attributes, possibly meaning that female Pigmasks were planned at one time.

Trivia[]

  • The Pig Mask Army may have been based on the Wehrmacht/SS of Nazi Germany, based on a number of similarities:
    • They are both an armed organized force, controlled by a cruel dictator.
    • The Pigmask salute is aesthetically similar to the Roman salute performed by members of the Wehrmacht/SS.
    • Both organizations conducted cruel biological experiments, though in their case they experimented on animals.
  • Their uniforms and helmets also bear a resemblance to Imperial Stormtroopers from the Star Wars movies.
  • The motto of the Pig Mask Army is "Nose is flower. Flower is love." This comes from an issue of Dengeki Nintendo 64 magazine, promoting EarthBound 64. This motto does not appear in-game of the final release on GBA, and it is unknown if it appeared in EB64 either, or if it was just made up for the magazine.
  • The original name for the Pigmasks in EarthBound 64 was, at first, going to be "Pig Warriors", this was changed to "Pigmasks" by 1999.
    Pigmask-Ad

    A mock-up advertisement for the Pig Mask Army from Dengeki Nintendo 64 magazine.

  • Owing to their name origin, the Pig Mask Army's various members have vocals that sound similar to porcine squeals and grunts.

Gallery[]

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