Spoiler My thoughts on the LoZ timeline and lore

[HeroOfWisdom]

The Legend of Zelda has existed as a video game franchise with extensive lore for many, many, many years. And we've figured out most of the timeline and lore. But there are some(correction, so many) things that we still don't understand. Like, sure, many are already in denial that Skyward Sword Link(or, as he is referred to by many-espically in the Linked Universe AU-Sky/The Hero of the Sky) is the original Link, and that there is actually a version of Link from one of the mangas/comics that is actually the first Link but even so, how would that explain Demise's curse from the end of Skyward Sword, when you beat the game and seal away Demise into the Master Sword?

Now, I'm not MattPat(or whatever his name is), but I think I've figured some of this out. So, we know that apparently there were Links and Zeldas before Skyward Sword. And we know that reincarnation is something that Demise had to work with when he cured the Triforce. Well, it could very well be likely that the ancestors of Link and Zelda(and/or perhaps even their previous incarnations) were the ones to temporarily seal away Demise and allow Hylia to send the Hylians up into the sky, where they built the community known as Skyloft(and probably several others). Then it just so happened that they weren't forced to reincarnate and have a destiny of fighting Demise until the end of time until Demise cursed them during Skyward Sword.

I'd like to mention now that I have not in fact played all of the games, and I don't know all of the lore, but I know quite a bit, and I am not in support of the time loop theory.

Anyway, the main point of problem is the BotW+TotK+AoC chunk of the timeline. Based on what we know, the ancient Sheikah tech such as the Sheikah Slate, the Guardians, and Divine Beasts began to be created at most 50-100 years before the events/piece of the timeline during which Rauru and Sonia were the King and Queen of Hyrule. This is why four of the Sages wore masks that resembled the Divine Beasts that their descendants would later pilot. We also know that their Divine Beasts didn't get completed until after the Demon King Ganondorf was sealed away because each Divine Beast was named after their respective Sage. It is also implied that there is about (at least) a 10,000 year between that begginging part of this chunk of the timeline and the game/games that come directly before it in the canon timeline.

9,900 years later, Calamity Ganon awakens. Due to Calamity Ganon not being at the full level of his potential power, and the ongoing existence of Ganondorf, it's safe to say that this is one of those many times that a piece of the Triforce was fractured into more than one piece, and that when Link finally defeated him 100 years later, that piece went back to Ganondorf.

Over a span of at least 6 years, Ganondorf then began regaining his power, until finally, we reach TotK. However, it is implied that there were ancient civilizations such as Gorondia. Which means that it was longer than an extra 10,000 year gap that we are missing, for it to be suitable for the Gorons to spend several hundred thousand years at some point living in the Depths, and also to give suitable time before and after that time period for them to begin living/be living on the surface of Eldin.

At the moment, that's all I have for my thoughts, and im open to further debate and discussion on my thoughts here. I just wanted to get all of these thoughts and theories out before I forgot them all.

 

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

So, we know that apparently there were Links and Zeldas before Skyward Sword.

I know a lot of people hang their hat on the mangas being non-canon, so it this statement has basis on something else, particularly in game, that might help. I have yet to read the mangas, so I am ambivalent to their status to the lore.

 

[GwJ]

We're told by Demise himself that no humans stood against him during the time of his battle with Hylia. His temporary defeat and sealing was at the direct hands of Hylia. The manga also directly contradicts Skyward Sword as far as I know because of the inclusion of the Master Sword itself prior to its creation. There are a couple things in the game alluding to potential past heroes but if there was, it wasn't like the SS manga where he fought against Demise.

Also, it's definitely not confirmed that the Ancient Sheikah tech predates the founding of Hyrule here. Mineru states it's unlike anything she's ever seen and there are no explicit Sheikah shown or referenced in the cutscenes. Everything in the game basically implies the Sheikah emerged shortly after rather than beforehand. You have it backwards about the Imprisoning War Sages wearing masks that resemble the Divine Beast masks. The Divine Beast masks are the ones meant to resemble the Imprisoning War ones. There's no indication the Divine Beasts existed back then and if those masks already existed, they would've just worn those. The masks the IW Sages wear reflect the Zonai style because of the time period and the Divine Beast masks reflect the Sheikah style because they're from the era of the Ancient Sheikah.