Spoiler Goldenblade's Zelda Timeline Theory

[Goldenblade]

I have started this thread to establish a solid theory about the timeline of The Legend Of Zelda and to express my opinion. For anyone who thinks they have a possible timeline worked out, please comment and state your thoughts. If you have found a flaw in my timeline or any other timeline posted on this thread, comment. I have not played all the Zelda games, just the following:

LA (The original version)
OOT
MM
TMC
TP
PH
ST

Should you have any knowledge of games' timelines that I am unaware of, please share your knowledge with me here. My timeline is still being worked on, but roughly, i believe that the games come in this order so far:

LOZ
AOL
TMC
ALTTP
LA
OOT
MM
OOS & OOA
FS
TP
TWW
PH
ST

That is my theory so far. Please contribute and help me fix any problems with it, and hopefully, we can all come to a positive conclusion to what the Zelda timeline is.

The Zelda timeline in my opinion, is one of the most confusing and debatable things to ever exist.

 

[boko bob]

I'm sorry, but this goes against stuff that Nintendo confirmed themselves, like the exsistence of the split timeline.

 

[Capitaine]

LOZ
AOL
TMC
ALTTP
LA
OOT
MM
OOS & OOA
FS
TP
TWW
PH
ST

Okay, well, the first problem is that, with the exception of TP and TMC, you have all the games in order of release. You're also missing FSA. OoT is one of the closest to the beginning of the timeline as it explains where Ganondorf came from, where Link's tunic came from, etc. Then the timeline "splits" when Link is sent back in time at the end of OoT. When Ganondorf returns after being sealed in the Sacred Realm, the Hero of Time is no longer on that timeline (because Zelda sent him back in time to live on a different timeline), so no one is there to stop Ganondorf, prompting the gods to flood Hyrule. This leads into TWW, then PH, and finally ST. Meanwhile, on the timeline to which the Hero of Time was sent, he warns Zelda of Ganondorf's plans, so Ganondorf is captured and executed while Link leaves to search for Navi. However, the execution fails, so the Sages send him into the Twilight Realm. This leads into TP (after MM).

OoT - TWW/PH - ST
...\MM - TP

As for ALttP, it also takes place after OoT because Ganondorf was sealed in the Dark World in OoT (and he's trying to break out in ALttP). LA, LoZ, and AoL then take place after ALttP because Ganon returns to take the Triforce of Power back again, and the towns in AoL are named after the Sages in OoT.

OoT - ALttP/LA - LoZ/AoL

The Four Swords games then go in this order:

TMC - FS/FSA

as explained by the games themselves.

And OoS and OoA (OoX) can go after either ALttP or AoL because Ganon's trying to be revived after having been killed (which happens in ALttP and LoZ).

 

[Goldenblade]

well, link's tunic came from whoever the first hero of time was, and there's a reason i put them in that order of release, for just a basic start, then i rearranged the games so that it would connect better. for example, the minish are the reason that the hylians find rupees under rocks and grass, so the minish must have come before alttp, but there were no rupees under bushes and rocks in loz and aol, so i assumed that the minish hadn't come yet. also, i forgot to include skyward sword, which must take place between the time the minish came, which is not necessarily during tmc, but it's just an estimate. the minish originally came about 100 years before tmc happened, which, means that it was about 2 generations away. this means that link's grandfather was closely related to the hero from when the minish came, but that's besides the point. in skyward sword, you will be able to find rupees in bushes and stuff, but it is the origin of the master sword, so this has to be before alttp, and what i believe is la is a direct sequel to alttp, so oot takes place after la. i'll explain the rest in a while.

 

[425]

Note: There are spoilers to OoT, TP, and WW

First: It has been confirmed by Nintendo that the timeline splits at the end of OoT. When Zelda sends Link back, she creates an alternate timeline. The two are called the Adult Timeline (the sages seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm) and the Child Timeline (Link returns to the original time as a child and tells the king and Ancient Sages about Ganondorf's plan and imprison him in Gerudo Desert)

Also, it has been confirmed by Nintendo that SwS is first, followed by OoT.

So we can start with this:

-----------/
SS---OoT
-----------\

Then, we can also have been confirmed that on the Child Time, after OoT, the same Link is involved in MM. And, since the Ancient Sages are in TP, and Ganon is in the Mirror Chamber, not the Sacred Realm, we can tell that follows on the Child Timeline.

And we also can tell that Wind Waker belongs on the Adult Timeline, since it says at the beginning that the Hero had travelled through time, and that he didn't return. And then we also know that Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks follow WW, because of the obvious connections between the games.

So, now we can confirm:

----------WW/PH--ST
---------/
SS--OoT
---------\
----------/MM--TP

Start from there, and then see what you can piece together.

 

[Goldenblade]

the split timeline is not relevant in what i said. granted, i should have taken that into account, but even with the timeline split, that's what i think would have happened, just merged in one timeline. my mistake.

 

[425]

Sorry, but if you're making a timeline, the Split Timeline is kind of relevant.

Oh, and there's no way that LoZ, AoL, LttP, MC, and LA happen before OoT. We know from developer quotes that the order is SS--OoT--Split

Then:

AT: WW/PH--ST
CT: /MM--TP

 

[Goldenblade]

so, there are 2 links? one of which is adult, and the other is child? i should take into account that. right up until oot my timeline wasn't wrong, from what i've gathered, but tmc has to be when i said, because of the minish and the rupees under rocks. it's the small details that matter the most, i think.

 

[425]

so, there are 2 links? one of which is adult, and the other is child? i should take into account that. right up until oot my timeline wasn't wrong, from what i've gathered, but tmc has to be when i said, because of the minish and the rupees under rocks. it's the small details that matter the most, i think.

No, there are many Links. Basically all the Links from the games are different people, some are descendants, but most are reincarnations. The only games we know share the same Links are:
LoZ/AoL
OoT/MM
WW/PH

And most believe:
LttP/LA

All the other Links are separate people, the reason they are called Child and Adult Timeline is because we're looking at OoT Link. One ending is where Ganon is sealed in the Sacred Realm and he's an Adult, then Zelda sends him back in time and splits the timeline, creating another ending where Link, as a child, gets Ganondorf imprisoned in the Mirror Chamber.

 

[Goldenblade]

but if you're implying that la is after the oracles, that is not likely. i know that much. in regards to the split, that may explain the 2 different oracle games? and tmc has to happen before oot, otherwise, how did the rupees get under the rocks?

there is a way alttp is after tmc, and it's very much a possibility. you have a valid point, though, but what you said is what i mean, with mm being child from a split in oot, but how did link go back in time, warning of ganondorf's plan, without causing a paradox, eliminating link to have to seal ganondorf away in the evil realm, as he was already caught, then he wouldn't have to go back in time, and wouldn't have to do anything he did?

 

[425]

I've not played the Minish Cap, so I don't know the story, but I know that developers, such as Miyamoto or Aonuma, have confirmed that the earliest is SwS, followed directly by OoT.

And for the Oracles, I've not played those either, but I do know some believe that they are Gaiden stories of LttP, similar to how MM is a Gaiden of OoT.

EDIT: Oh, and for the split time, it's not a paradox because when Zelda sends Link back, it creates two parallel worlds.

 

[Goldenblade]

not possible. the minish, you see, are small people about the size of a child's thumb, that children can only see. they actually do good deeds for people, and hide rupees and hearts under rocks and bushes.

 

[425]

not possible. the minish, you see, are small people about the size of a child's thumb, that children can only see. they actually do good deeds for people, and hide rupees and hearts under rocks and bushes.

The developers have a master timeline, Miyamoto and Aonuma do. Only a few people are allowed to see it. They only tell a few little things about the timeline, but Aonuma has told us that SwS is first, followed DIRECTLY by OoT.

 

[Goldenblade]

hmm. and you are aware of the master timeline? interesting. let's see if we can't work out a possible timeline that we can all agree on. you've heard my theory, and i've heard yours. let's see what they have in common, and assume that that is correct, and work our way from there.

 

[425]

Let's start here:

"Yes, there is a master timeline, but it is a confidential document!... The only people that have access to the document are myself, Mr. Miyamoto, and the director of the title. We can't share it with anyone else! I have already talked with Mr. Miyamoto about this so I am comfortable with releasing this information - this title takes place before Ocarina of Time."

-Eiji Aonuma, Director, Skyward Sword (and several other Zelda titles)