I have to agree. All my friends are saying that TP is awesome, but I quit after getting the third mask piece. I just couldn't finish it, unlike the classics, like Ocarina of Time, Link to the Past, etc.
I haven't played a Nintendo game in a while, but recently I got back into Zelda. I beat both Oracle of Ages and Seasons, now I'm onto Link's Awakening.
But my favorite character has to be Yoshi, by far.
Well it's because the hero can usually be the stereotypical one. The villain can be just about anything, so they should at least try to make him/her interesting.