SKYWARD SWORD SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Article now edited for clarity. Removed punctuation and grammar errors. (R)
Alright, *pulls pants up* time to analyze this timeline Nintendo released. The Legend of Zelda 25th’s Anniversary Book, Hyrule Historia, details the timeline of the Legend of Zelda series. The book is released by Nintendo and edited by Eiji Aonuma, therefore the credibility of the information is 100%.
So how close were your original theories?
Somewhat close, but nothing substantial. I had a four way split in the timeline, but would have been three way if I reconciled the fact that Zelda I occurred after A Link to the Past. I also assumed each game outside of the Wind Waker timeline, but after Ocarina of Time went through Majora’s Mask. This is not correct, as we shall see.
The Beginning
In the beginning, three golden goddesses descended upon the area that would become the world. Din, Nayru and Farore created the “earth”, the beings that would live upon it, and the law. When they were done with their labors, they ascended to the sky and departed to the heavens at one particular point. This point, when their impact hit it, created the Triforce, a mystical power that could grant wishes. The official legend says that the wisher must have the three forces of power, wisdom, and courage in balance. If he does not, the Triforce will split and reside in those of destiny who have the greatest amount of their respective force: power, wisdom, or courage.
Hylia
The goddesses created a sort of sub-goddess named Hylia, whose job it would be to watch over the people of the land and to guard the Triforce. One day, evil began seeping through the cracks of the earth, attacking the people that lived upon it. Among their cruelty was Demise, the ultimate epitome of evil and malice. He desired to use the sacred triangles for himself, and set to conquer the Triforce and the world. The land was in chaos, and a war occurred that would never be rivaled in ferocity again.
The Battle against Demise
During this battle with Demise, Hylia gathered all of the surviving humans onto an outcropping of rock and sent it towards the heavens and above the clouds. She figured that they would be safe there, as she sent the Triforce skyward with it. With the remaining races of the earth, Hylia beat back the demons (and Demise) and defeated them. Demise was not defeated however- and Hylia’s powers were weakened.
Skyward Sword
As a last resort, Hylia sacrificed her immortality to become a mortal so that the Triforce could be used to stop Demise (leading to the speculation that Gods cannot use the Triforce). Before reincarnating, she sealed Demise in the form known as “The Imprisoned” and sealed him within a seal. This seal did not hold long, and would eventually be kept under control for thousands of years by Zelda, the reincarnation of Hylia. In the story of Skyward Sword, Zelda is rescued by Impa, a Sheikah and is told of her destiny. To keep a check on Demise, she seals herself in the past for thousands of years, to be reawakened again by Link when he wishes on the Triforce to eliminate Demise in their time.
Return to the Surface; The Minish, Four Sword and the Interlopers
The people of the sky never set forth on the land before, and soon settled there. Eventually, through time the land became the Kingdom of Hyrule. The events of [The Minish Cap] and [Four Swords] took place, where great evil clouded the land at the hands of a wizard known as Vaati. A young boy named Link will rise (as the hero’s reincarnation) and seal Vaati within the magical four sword. Sometime between these games and the Hyrulean Civil War, the interloper conflict ensued. Greedy and dark men pursued the legend of the Triforce, and had to have it for their own. They developed powerful dark magic in the form of the Fused Shadow, which was powerful enough to get the attention of the goddesses. In response, they created four light spirits, (with at least three of them) helping to seal away the ancient evil. The goddesses created another artifact: the Mirror of Twilight. These interlopers were banished permanently to the Twilight realm through the mirror. This ended the interlopers’ ambitions. Evil was not defeated, however.
Hyrulean Civil War and Ocarina of Time
Races and peoples still quarreled among themselves in search of the Triforce. A civil war broke out among the races of the land. With the help of the Zora tribe, the King of Hyrule united the kingdom under one banner. A gravely injured mother brought her baby boy to the forest in order to escape the fires of war. A deity known as the Great Deku Tree sensed this was a child of destiny, and agreed to take care of him as a Kokiri.
Ocarina of Time is where everything begins to get hairy. Up until this point, every single eventuality occurs with the above events. Time travel inherently messes a lot of things up and confuses a lot of people. I will try to go through this as easily as possible.
Link opened the way to the Sacred Realm in order to to beat Ganondorf to it. Unknowingly, when he pulled out the Master Sword, it sealed him for seven years inside of the Sacred Realm because it did not feel he was old enough to be a hero yet. In this time, Ganondorf touches the Triforce and gets the force of Power, because his heart is not in balance. He corrupts the land of Hyrule over seven years in search of the remaining parts, but his efforts are ultimately in vain because Link is sealed away in the Sacred Realm.
The Wind Waker Saga
This Link defeats Ganondorf, his demon form Ganon, and the sages seal him away into the Sacred Realm. This Hyrule is commonly known as the Adult Timeline. Zelda sends Link back in time, and we will return to this fact in a moment. For now, assume she sends him back. This Hyrule no longer has a Link, but certainly has a Zelda and a Ganon. This Ganon is sealed within the Sacred Realm, and it will take him around 150-200 years to break out of it.
When he does, a hero does not appear. Yet again, the goddesses are forced to intervene, and flood Hyrule. The Master Sword creates a barrier within the area it is enshrined in, and freezes time there. The world is flooded, and people begin life a new atop the mountains that are now islands. After [Wind Waker] and Ganondorf’s demise (no pun intended), the adventures of [Phantom Hourglass] and [Spirit Tracks] take place, and for now ends that part of the timeline.
A Link to the Past Saga
We now need to rewind back to the point where Link pulled out the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time. He left behind an original world when he went to the future. The Master Sword and the Temple of Time allowed him to go 7 years into the past or 7 years into the future. When Link returned to the past to obtain some items he could not get in the future, he altered the course of history. No longer could he return to his “original” time of not gaining this item here, or doing this temple there. Eventually, he will leave behind this world with a Zelda and a Ganon, and Ganondorf makes his assault on Hyrule for the Triforce, known as the Imprisoning War.
Ganon is sealed in the Sacred Realm along with the Triforce (derp). When he touches the golden power, it does not split. Ganon receives the full power of the Triforce, however he is still locked away in the realm. He communicates with an alter ego in the normal world known as Agahnim and corrupts his mind. So begins the story of [ A Link to the Past]. Ganon will be defeated, and the Triforce is recovered by Link and wished upon. He wishes the undoing of everything Ganondorf has done to the Sacred Realm.
Then came the [Oracle Games]. Somehow, Twinrova from [Ocarina of Time] is revived, and plots to resurrect Ganondorf. It captures Zelda and hopes to use her as a vessel to revive Ganon. It fails due to the actions of the same Link from [ALTTP], and instead uses itself to resurrect Ganon. They got half their wish- Ganon was revived, but was a mindless killing machine that had no real conscience. This Ganon is defeated, and it seems that Hyrule returns to peace for a time.
Then came [Link’s Awakening] and his journey outside of Hyrule.
The most confusing part of the entire timeline, for me, is right here. After [ Link’s Awakening] comes the original [Legend of Zelda] and the [Adventure of Link]. SOMEHOW, Ganon is revived again and spreads war to secure the Triforce (again). He is defeated by Link. In [Adventure of Link], Link prevents the attempted resurrection of Ganon and defeats his shadow, known as Dark Link or Shadow Link. With the end of [Adventure of Link], Hyrule is at peace, and the timeline ends.
Twilight Princess Saga
Rewind to the Hyrule that the Hero of Time returns to. Zelda sends him back in time from that Hyrule to this Hyrule. In this saga, Link meets with Zelda and tells her about what happened in the future. She gives him the Ocarina of Time to keep it far away from Ganondorf. Link leaves Hyrule and goes on a journey to find his lost friend Navi. The woods he travels through transport him to an alternate dimension. This land is known as Termina. Then the events of [Majora’s Mask] take place. After this, we have zero clue what happens to the Hero of Time.
Zelda accuses Ganondorf of his ideas to betray the kingdom and obtain the Triforce. Ganondorf mounts an attack on Hyrule, but during the process is subdued and bound. The Sages execute him, but as they do, the Triforce of Power glows on the back of Ganondorf’s hand. When Link returned to this time, he carried with him the Triforce of Courage, which, in that time, was still part of the overall Triforce. This caused a disturbance that even Ganondorf felt, and split the Triforce. Ganon received his piece as well did Zelda. He breaks free and kills a Sage. As a last ditch effort, the sages activate the Mirror of Twilight and send him into the Twilight Realm, which becomes corrupted over some time.
The events of [Twilight Princess] take place. Some time later, Vaati breaks out of the four sword, and Ganon is revived. This new Link defeats both in [Four Swords Adventures] and peace is restored to Hyrule.
Article now edited for clarity. Removed punctuation and grammar errors. (R)
Alright, *pulls pants up* time to analyze this timeline Nintendo released. The Legend of Zelda 25th’s Anniversary Book, Hyrule Historia, details the timeline of the Legend of Zelda series. The book is released by Nintendo and edited by Eiji Aonuma, therefore the credibility of the information is 100%.
So how close were your original theories?
Somewhat close, but nothing substantial. I had a four way split in the timeline, but would have been three way if I reconciled the fact that Zelda I occurred after A Link to the Past. I also assumed each game outside of the Wind Waker timeline, but after Ocarina of Time went through Majora’s Mask. This is not correct, as we shall see.
The Beginning
In the beginning, three golden goddesses descended upon the area that would become the world. Din, Nayru and Farore created the “earth”, the beings that would live upon it, and the law. When they were done with their labors, they ascended to the sky and departed to the heavens at one particular point. This point, when their impact hit it, created the Triforce, a mystical power that could grant wishes. The official legend says that the wisher must have the three forces of power, wisdom, and courage in balance. If he does not, the Triforce will split and reside in those of destiny who have the greatest amount of their respective force: power, wisdom, or courage.
Hylia
The goddesses created a sort of sub-goddess named Hylia, whose job it would be to watch over the people of the land and to guard the Triforce. One day, evil began seeping through the cracks of the earth, attacking the people that lived upon it. Among their cruelty was Demise, the ultimate epitome of evil and malice. He desired to use the sacred triangles for himself, and set to conquer the Triforce and the world. The land was in chaos, and a war occurred that would never be rivaled in ferocity again.
The Battle against Demise
During this battle with Demise, Hylia gathered all of the surviving humans onto an outcropping of rock and sent it towards the heavens and above the clouds. She figured that they would be safe there, as she sent the Triforce skyward with it. With the remaining races of the earth, Hylia beat back the demons (and Demise) and defeated them. Demise was not defeated however- and Hylia’s powers were weakened.
Skyward Sword
As a last resort, Hylia sacrificed her immortality to become a mortal so that the Triforce could be used to stop Demise (leading to the speculation that Gods cannot use the Triforce). Before reincarnating, she sealed Demise in the form known as “The Imprisoned” and sealed him within a seal. This seal did not hold long, and would eventually be kept under control for thousands of years by Zelda, the reincarnation of Hylia. In the story of Skyward Sword, Zelda is rescued by Impa, a Sheikah and is told of her destiny. To keep a check on Demise, she seals herself in the past for thousands of years, to be reawakened again by Link when he wishes on the Triforce to eliminate Demise in their time.
Return to the Surface; The Minish, Four Sword and the Interlopers
The people of the sky never set forth on the land before, and soon settled there. Eventually, through time the land became the Kingdom of Hyrule. The events of [The Minish Cap] and [Four Swords] took place, where great evil clouded the land at the hands of a wizard known as Vaati. A young boy named Link will rise (as the hero’s reincarnation) and seal Vaati within the magical four sword. Sometime between these games and the Hyrulean Civil War, the interloper conflict ensued. Greedy and dark men pursued the legend of the Triforce, and had to have it for their own. They developed powerful dark magic in the form of the Fused Shadow, which was powerful enough to get the attention of the goddesses. In response, they created four light spirits, (with at least three of them) helping to seal away the ancient evil. The goddesses created another artifact: the Mirror of Twilight. These interlopers were banished permanently to the Twilight realm through the mirror. This ended the interlopers’ ambitions. Evil was not defeated, however.
Hyrulean Civil War and Ocarina of Time
Races and peoples still quarreled among themselves in search of the Triforce. A civil war broke out among the races of the land. With the help of the Zora tribe, the King of Hyrule united the kingdom under one banner. A gravely injured mother brought her baby boy to the forest in order to escape the fires of war. A deity known as the Great Deku Tree sensed this was a child of destiny, and agreed to take care of him as a Kokiri.
Ocarina of Time is where everything begins to get hairy. Up until this point, every single eventuality occurs with the above events. Time travel inherently messes a lot of things up and confuses a lot of people. I will try to go through this as easily as possible.
Link opened the way to the Sacred Realm in order to to beat Ganondorf to it. Unknowingly, when he pulled out the Master Sword, it sealed him for seven years inside of the Sacred Realm because it did not feel he was old enough to be a hero yet. In this time, Ganondorf touches the Triforce and gets the force of Power, because his heart is not in balance. He corrupts the land of Hyrule over seven years in search of the remaining parts, but his efforts are ultimately in vain because Link is sealed away in the Sacred Realm.
The Wind Waker Saga
This Link defeats Ganondorf, his demon form Ganon, and the sages seal him away into the Sacred Realm. This Hyrule is commonly known as the Adult Timeline. Zelda sends Link back in time, and we will return to this fact in a moment. For now, assume she sends him back. This Hyrule no longer has a Link, but certainly has a Zelda and a Ganon. This Ganon is sealed within the Sacred Realm, and it will take him around 150-200 years to break out of it.
When he does, a hero does not appear. Yet again, the goddesses are forced to intervene, and flood Hyrule. The Master Sword creates a barrier within the area it is enshrined in, and freezes time there. The world is flooded, and people begin life a new atop the mountains that are now islands. After [Wind Waker] and Ganondorf’s demise (no pun intended), the adventures of [Phantom Hourglass] and [Spirit Tracks] take place, and for now ends that part of the timeline.
A Link to the Past Saga
We now need to rewind back to the point where Link pulled out the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time. He left behind an original world when he went to the future. The Master Sword and the Temple of Time allowed him to go 7 years into the past or 7 years into the future. When Link returned to the past to obtain some items he could not get in the future, he altered the course of history. No longer could he return to his “original” time of not gaining this item here, or doing this temple there. Eventually, he will leave behind this world with a Zelda and a Ganon, and Ganondorf makes his assault on Hyrule for the Triforce, known as the Imprisoning War.
Ganon is sealed in the Sacred Realm along with the Triforce (derp). When he touches the golden power, it does not split. Ganon receives the full power of the Triforce, however he is still locked away in the realm. He communicates with an alter ego in the normal world known as Agahnim and corrupts his mind. So begins the story of [ A Link to the Past]. Ganon will be defeated, and the Triforce is recovered by Link and wished upon. He wishes the undoing of everything Ganondorf has done to the Sacred Realm.
Then came the [Oracle Games]. Somehow, Twinrova from [Ocarina of Time] is revived, and plots to resurrect Ganondorf. It captures Zelda and hopes to use her as a vessel to revive Ganon. It fails due to the actions of the same Link from [ALTTP], and instead uses itself to resurrect Ganon. They got half their wish- Ganon was revived, but was a mindless killing machine that had no real conscience. This Ganon is defeated, and it seems that Hyrule returns to peace for a time.
Then came [Link’s Awakening] and his journey outside of Hyrule.
The most confusing part of the entire timeline, for me, is right here. After [ Link’s Awakening] comes the original [Legend of Zelda] and the [Adventure of Link]. SOMEHOW, Ganon is revived again and spreads war to secure the Triforce (again). He is defeated by Link. In [Adventure of Link], Link prevents the attempted resurrection of Ganon and defeats his shadow, known as Dark Link or Shadow Link. With the end of [Adventure of Link], Hyrule is at peace, and the timeline ends.
Twilight Princess Saga
Rewind to the Hyrule that the Hero of Time returns to. Zelda sends him back in time from that Hyrule to this Hyrule. In this saga, Link meets with Zelda and tells her about what happened in the future. She gives him the Ocarina of Time to keep it far away from Ganondorf. Link leaves Hyrule and goes on a journey to find his lost friend Navi. The woods he travels through transport him to an alternate dimension. This land is known as Termina. Then the events of [Majora’s Mask] take place. After this, we have zero clue what happens to the Hero of Time.
Zelda accuses Ganondorf of his ideas to betray the kingdom and obtain the Triforce. Ganondorf mounts an attack on Hyrule, but during the process is subdued and bound. The Sages execute him, but as they do, the Triforce of Power glows on the back of Ganondorf’s hand. When Link returned to this time, he carried with him the Triforce of Courage, which, in that time, was still part of the overall Triforce. This caused a disturbance that even Ganondorf felt, and split the Triforce. Ganon received his piece as well did Zelda. He breaks free and kills a Sage. As a last ditch effort, the sages activate the Mirror of Twilight and send him into the Twilight Realm, which becomes corrupted over some time.
The events of [Twilight Princess] take place. Some time later, Vaati breaks out of the four sword, and Ganon is revived. This new Link defeats both in [Four Swords Adventures] and peace is restored to Hyrule.
--end the saga--
--end timeline--
Hopefully Hyrule Historia fulls in some missing details.
Hopefully Hyrule Historia fulls in some missing details.
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