Legend of Zelda Legend of Zelda Timeline

[Spidey-Bat]

This was being discussed in the Zelda thread earlier so I thought I'd make a thread for it. Especially since GameTrailers just released Part 6 of the Retrospective which was their theory to the timeline. I'll write it here so it's easier to follow for those who watch it.

-The 3 Goddesses; Din, Nayru, Farore; create Hyrule. In the sacred realm, they leave the Triforce. The 7 Sages are formed and created the temples (Time, Forest, Fire, etc.) and Master Sword to protect the Triforce. (Prologue of OoT)

-The races of Hyrule start a war searching out for the Triforce. The Minish created the Picori Sword and gave it to Gustal to end the war. Gustal becomes the first King of Hyrule. The Picori/Four Sword is placed in a pedestal and ever 100 years a tournament is held in which the winner touches the sword. (Prologue MC).

-The actual Legend of Zelda (not the game). The Legend says that the King of Hyrule's son, the Prince, desired the Triforce. An evil wizard told the Prince that his younger sister, Princess Zelda, knew of its whereabouts. Zelda refuses and the Wizard puts Zelda into a deep sleep, which kills the Wizard int he process. The Prince moves Zelda to the North Castle altar and declared that every daughter born into the royal family be named Zelda. (Prologue Zelda II).

-Events of Minish Cap (Gustal is the Hero of Man, not Time). He wore a green tunic but no hat. Ezlo gives Link in MC a cap at the end of the game).

-Events of Ocarina of Time. (Features first appearance of Ganon, the King does not know of his evil intentions beforehand).

SPLIT TIMELINE
There are 2 endings to Ocarina of Time.
"Hyrule A" is when Link is sent back as a child before he met Zelda.
"Hyrule B" is the Hyrule Link left behind when he was sent back. This Hyrule has an adult Zelda and a sealed Ganon, but no Link.

HYRULE A TIMELINE:

-Hyrule A begins with Link and Zelda meeting and telling the King of Ganondorf's plans. Link leaves Hyrule before the war and searches for Navi who left him in the Temple of Time. This leads to...

-Events of Majora's Mask.

-Events of Link's Awakening (After saving Termina, Link attempts to return to Hyrule, via sea. Gets shipwrecked.)

-Events of Legend of Zelda (Link returns to Hyrule and finds Ganon won the war and gained Triforce of Power. Zelda spits her Triforce of Wisdom which Link must collect. During Link's absence, the people of Hyrule move north which explains why there are no towns in LoZ).

-Events of Legend of Zelda II (Sleeping Zelda is the original Princess Zelda from the Legend. Link finds Triforce of Courage.)

-Events of Four Swords Adventure (Features new Zelda and Link. Introduces Vaati. Ganon is revealed as Vaati's puppet Master. Ganon acquires Trident of Power.)

-Events of Link to the Past (After FSA because Ganon uses Trident.)

-Events of Oracle of Ages/Seasons (Assuming past games re-set Triforce. Link checks on Triforce. Deals with someone attempting to resurrect Ganon. Is a parallel to Oracle of Ages/Seasons in Hyrule B).

HYRULE B TIMELINE:

-Hyrule B is under the assumption Link told the King of his adventure as an adult in OoT. This is passed down as a legend, not a historical occurrence. Ganon breaks his seal and starts a war for Hyrule.

-Great Flood

-Events of Wind Waker (Ganon retains Triforce of Power. Tetra, Zelda's descendant, retains Triforce of Wisdom. A new Link has to find Trifoce of Courage.)

-Events of Phantom Hourglass (fits in timeline provided Ganon is not resurrected and the Triforce goes undisturbed).

-Events of Orcale of Ages/Seaons (Assuming past games re-set Triforce. Link checks on Triforce. Deals with someone attempting to resurrect Ganon, Takes place parallel to events of Oracle of Ages/Seaons).

Twilight Princess is not in the timeline because no one has completed it and it could ultimately disprove this and any other theories.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I personally don't consider the games not developed by Nintendo EAD to be part of the timeline. It's just is too confusing to put them in a coherent place.

- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

 

[hippie_hunter]

Wow, Game Trailer's timeline was complete bulls**t!

They completely ignored the loop timeline theory

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Wow, Game Trailer's timeline was complete bulls**t!

They completely ignored the loop timeline theory

Not really. They have a different split timeline. Rather than 2 Links in the same Hyrule, there are two Hyrules.

 

[DACrowe]

I personally disagree with the two timeline theroies. I've finally come to the conclusion that most of the 2D Zelda games (especially Orcales and Four Swords) kind of don't really fit in the continuity and were made before OOT pretty much like Mario games with loose ideas based on the same unviverse and formula. OOT is where Nintendo actually started to try and create a continuity.

So here is how I see it:

Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Twilight Princess
Wind Waker
Phantom Hourglass

 

[Spidey-Bat]

You can't really fit TP into any position at this point.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Not really. They have a different split timeline. Rather than 2 Links in the same Hyrule, there are two Hyrules.

Ocarina of Time Loop Theory
​

According to this theory, nothing in the past or future is changed by Link's time travel, and there is not a split timeline. When Link is sent back at the end of OoT by Zelda, instead of replacing himself in the past or being sent to an alternate timeline, he co-exists with his past self at the same time, in the same timeline. Link A is what Link is called before to being sent back by Zelda. Link B is what his "double" is called after being sent back by Zelda. We will now follow the events of both Link A and Link B step by step, starting with Link A:

1. Link A leaves Kokiri forest, meets Zelda, collects the stones, and pulls the Master Sword.
2. Link A sleeps in the Temple of Light for seven years.
3. Link A gathers Forest, Fire, and Water medallions. (Lets just say that three days pass. I'm just throwing out a number, though, so don't be offensive if you think it took him longer )
4. Link A replaces the MS and travels to three days after he previously pulled the MS as a kid, creating a "clone."
5. Link A goes to the well and gets the Lens of Truth. (One day passes. Again, random number)
6. Link A pulls MS and returns to one day after he replaced the MS at point 4.
7. Link A gathers Shadow Medallion. (One day passes. You get the drill.)
8. Link A replaces MS and returns to one day after he pulled the MS at point 6.
9. Link A helps Nabooru at the Spirit Temple. (One day passes.)
10. Link A pulls the MS and returns to one day after he replaced it at point 8.
11. Link A gathers Spirit Medallion.
12. Link A seals Ganon.
13. Zelda sends Link back to where he is doing the well or Spirit Temple. Link A now becomes Link B.

Now, this is where it gets confusing. Link A, after being sent back, although he is, in essence, the same person, will now be called Link B so that we can tell Link A and Link B apart. Link A and Link B exist At The Same Time, In the Same Timeline. If you can get that, then you should understand the theory. We will now follow the events of Link B step by step. Please remember that the follow events are happening at the same time in the same timeline as the above events.

1. Link B goes to Zelda in the courtyard. He possibly tells her about the future events to come. That may be how Shiek seems to have near infinite knowledge of Link A's whereabouts.
2. Link B does his own thing in the shadows for a few months
3. Link B borrows Epona while Link A is napping.
4. Link B goes to Termina.
5. Link B returns from Termina three days later and returns Epona to Lon Lon Ranch so Link A will be able to ride her.
6. Link B does his own thing in the shadows while, at the same time, the above events (Link A's actions) are happening.
7. Link A is sent back. He no longer exists in the future after this point. Only Link B is left. He continues into the future until he dies of natural causes (or bigfoot, aliens, or mimes).

 

[hippie_hunter]

Also, I can find several things wrong with what they've said:

1. They put Aonuma's quote of the Wind Waker's place after Ocarina of Time 100 years after the events of Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker takes place hundreds if not thousands of years after Ocarina of Time.

2. Link's Awakening takes place after A Link to the Past and continues the adventures of the Hero of Legend not the Hero of Time.

3. Termina is a parallel dimension, not a separate kingdom, if that were the case, Termina and Hyrule would have had the same moon and different citizens not parallel versions of them.

4. A Link to the Past occurs before the first Legend of Zelda game and Zelda II.

 

[Majik1387]

Ocarina of Time Loop Theory

​

According to this theory, nothing in the past or future is changed by Link's time travel, and there is not a split timeline. When Link is sent back at the end of OoT by Zelda, instead of replacing himself in the past or being sent to an alternate timeline, he co-exists with his past self at the same time, in the same timeline. Link A is what Link is called before to being sent back by Zelda. Link B is what his "double" is called after being sent back by Zelda. We will now follow the events of both Link A and Link B step by step, starting with Link A:

1. Link A leaves Kokiri forest, meets Zelda, collects the stones, and pulls the Master Sword.
2. Link A sleeps in the Temple of Light for seven years.
3. Link A gathers Forest, Fire, and Water medallions. (Lets just say that three days pass. I'm just throwing out a number, though, so don't be offensive if you think it took him longer )
4. Link A replaces the MS and travels to three days after he previously pulled the MS as a kid, creating a "clone."
5. Link A goes to the well and gets the Lens of Truth. (One day passes. Again, random number)
6. Link A pulls MS and returns to one day after he replaced the MS at point 4.
7. Link A gathers Shadow Medallion. (One day passes. You get the drill.)
8. Link A replaces MS and returns to one day after he pulled the MS at point 6.
9. Link A helps Nabooru at the Spirit Temple. (One day passes.)
10. Link A pulls the MS and returns to one day after he replaced it at point 8.
11. Link A gathers Spirit Medallion.
12. Link A seals Ganon.
13. Zelda sends Link back to where he is doing the well or Spirit Temple. Link A now becomes Link B.

Now, this is where it gets confusing. Link A, after being sent back, although he is, in essence, the same person, will now be called Link B so that we can tell Link A and Link B apart. Link A and Link B exist At The Same Time, In the Same Timeline. If you can get that, then you should understand the theory. We will now follow the events of Link B step by step. Please remember that the follow events are happening at the same time in the same timeline as the above events.

1. Link B goes to Zelda in the courtyard. He possibly tells her about the future events to come. That may be how Shiek seems to have near infinite knowledge of Link A's whereabouts.
2. Link B does his own thing in the shadows for a few months
3. Link B borrows Epona while Link A is napping.
4. Link B goes to Termina.
5. Link B returns from Termina three days later and returns Epona to Lon Lon Ranch so Link A will be able to ride her.
6. Link B does his own thing in the shadows while, at the same time, the above events (Link A's actions) are happening.
7. Link A is sent back. He no longer exists in the future after this point. Only Link B is left. He continues into the future until he dies of natural causes (or bigfoot, aliens, or mimes).

Wow, I've fully played Ocarina of Time but I haven't fully played Majora's Mask, yet this makes sense to me.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Also, I can find several things wrong with what they've said:

1. They put Aonuma's quote of the Wind Waker's place after Ocarina of Time 100 years after the events of Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker takes place hundreds if not thousands of years after Ocarina of Time.

2. Link's Awakening takes place after A Link to the Past and continues the adventures of the Hero of Legend not the Hero of Time.

3. Termina is a parallel dimension, not a separate kingdom, if that were the case, Termina and Hyrule would have had the same moon and different citizens not parallel versions of them.

4. A Link to the Past occurs before the first Legend of Zelda game and Zelda II.

The point is more that WW takes place a LONG time after OoT.

Since Link's Awakening is a dream and they place it after MM, you could say that MM is a dream as well.

 

[hippie_hunter]

The point is more that WW takes place a LONG time after OoT.

Since Link's Awakening is a dream and they place it after MM, you could say that MM is a dream as well.

Majora's Mask was definetely not a dream. He went off searching for Navi and returned to the Lost Woods when the game was over. So not only did he return to the land of Hyrule already, there was certainly no need for him to return to Hyrule by sea, when he was right next to the entrance between Hyrule and Termina.

Also ancient Hyrule didn't even have a coast line. And why would Link even abandon Epona?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Majora's Mask was definetely not a dream. He went off searching for Navi and returned to the Lost Woods when the game was over. So not only did he return to the land of Hyrule already, there was certainly no need for him to return to Hyrule by sea, when he was right next to the entrance between Hyrule and Termina.

I never finished Majora's Mask. Then let's take out Link's Awakening from the GT timeline. When Link returns to Hyrule, he is in the Underworld that was in LoZ.

Also ancient Hyrule didn't even have a coast line. And why would Link even abandon Epona?

There had to be more land outside of Hyrule. There had to be an ocean to provide water through Zora's Domain.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I never finished Majora's Mask. Then let's take out Link's Awakening from the GT timeline. When Link returns to Hyrule, he is in the Underworld that was in LoZ.

The Links from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past/Link's Awakening, and the Legend of Zelda/Adventure of Link are three completely different Links. I think that the original Link was just wandering around the crappy southern Hyrule and he happened to run into Impa.

Do you really think that Hyrule was just the little map in OoT? There had to be an ocean outside

Well there was certainly an ocean around outside of the ancient Kingdom of Hyrule considering that it got flooded

 

[Spidey-Bat]

The Links from Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past/Link's Awakening, and the Legend of Zelda/Adventure of Link are three completely different Links. I think that the original Link was just wandering around the crappy southern Hyrule and he happened to run into Impa.

They could be depending on a certain theory. But OoT, Majora, LoZ, and LoZII could all be the same Links.

Well there was certainly an ocean around outside of the ancient Kingdom of Hyrule considering that it got flooded

And it is possible that the people moved north to the area that was near the ocean as in LoZII.

 

[Shifty]

Spidey-Bat you forgot The Minish Cap which is the earliest game.

Ocarina of Time Loop Theory
​

According to this theory, nothing in the past or future is changed by Link's time travel, and there is not a split timeline. When Link is sent back at the end of OoT by Zelda, instead of replacing himself in the past or being sent to an alternate timeline, he co-exists with his past self at the same time, in the same timeline. Link A is what Link is called before to being sent back by Zelda. Link B is what his "double" is called after being sent back by Zelda. We will now follow the events of both Link A and Link B step by step, starting with Link A:

1. Link A leaves Kokiri forest, meets Zelda, collects the stones, and pulls the Master Sword.
2. Link A sleeps in the Temple of Light for seven years.
3. Link A gathers Forest, Fire, and Water medallions. (Lets just say that three days pass. I'm just throwing out a number, though, so don't be offensive if you think it took him longer )
4. Link A replaces the MS and travels to three days after he previously pulled the MS as a kid, creating a "clone."
5. Link A goes to the well and gets the Lens of Truth. (One day passes. Again, random number)
6. Link A pulls MS and returns to one day after he replaced the MS at point 4.
7. Link A gathers Shadow Medallion. (One day passes. You get the drill.)
8. Link A replaces MS and returns to one day after he pulled the MS at point 6.
9. Link A helps Nabooru at the Spirit Temple. (One day passes.)
10. Link A pulls the MS and returns to one day after he replaced it at point 8.
11. Link A gathers Spirit Medallion.
12. Link A seals Ganon.
13. Zelda sends Link back to where he is doing the well or Spirit Temple. Link A now becomes Link B.

Now, this is where it gets confusing. Link A, after being sent back, although he is, in essence, the same person, will now be called Link B so that we can tell Link A and Link B apart. Link A and Link B exist At The Same Time, In the Same Timeline. If you can get that, then you should understand the theory. We will now follow the events of Link B step by step. Please remember that the follow events are happening at the same time in the same timeline as the above events.

1. Link B goes to Zelda in the courtyard. He possibly tells her about the future events to come. That may be how Shiek seems to have near infinite knowledge of Link A's whereabouts.
2. Link B does his own thing in the shadows for a few months
3. Link B borrows Epona while Link A is napping.
4. Link B goes to Termina.
5. Link B returns from Termina three days later and returns Epona to Lon Lon Ranch so Link A will be able to ride her.
6. Link B does his own thing in the shadows while, at the same time, the above events (Link A's actions) are happening.
7. Link A is sent back. He no longer exists in the future after this point. Only Link B is left. He continues into the future until he dies of natural causes (or bigfoot, aliens, or mimes).

Not a fan of this Back to the Future Part II-like theory.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Spidey-Bat you forgot The Minish Cap which is the earliest game.

It's in the Timeline. It is before OoT which causes the split.

Here is a topic at the GameFAQs boards about the Timeline.
http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=928519&topic=31716612

 

[Kalit]

I have a question, why does link say he has never been to Hyrule Castle in TP? Well I guess he didn't really respond, but his reponse seems to be no, and everyone else assumes it as no too.

 

[Electro UK]

I was intrigued by Gametrailer's theory. The only thing that annoys me is Twylight Princess being in between OoT and WW (though yeah I guess that's why Hyrule's around). Just doesn't leave much to happen in TP

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I have a question, why does link say he has never been to Hyrule Castle in TP? Well I guess he didn't really respond, but his reponse seems to be no, and everyone else assumes it as no too.

As is the case with Zelda, we assume it is a different incarnation of Link. Some games have the same like (like OoT and MM). Others are completely different (like WW)