Ocarina of Time Why Does Link Defeat Ganondorf when He Knows He'll Put Back the MS Anyway?

[Aelic7]

First of all, Link pulls the Master Sword out of the pedestal and travels seven years in time. He (probably) knows that he'll end up putting back the Master Sword in the end, because he does not belong in that time. Why then does he free all the sages and defeat Ganondorf, only to go back in time and have the events of MM happen? Was he just following Zelda and Rauru's orders?

 

[cmeks]

it was probably him being chivalrous. Also, wouldnt YOU wanna save your world from disaster if you could? Also, he doesnt know what is going to happen next after he puts the sword back on the pedestal. so saying that the events of majora's mask should have affected links opinion was unlogical.

 

[SheikahWarrior]

I think he's saying, instead of awakening the sages and stuff, as soon as he knew what Ganondorf was doing why didn't he go back in time and tell young princess Zelda?

 

[OotLord1003]

You see, this is where the time parodox is.
Link (in the future) sends him into the sacred realm, "The Dark World", which is why we can conclude that ALttP comes after OoT's adult timeline.
BUt in the past, Young Link tells Young Zelda that Ganon will come back (in the past), I know it is VERY confusing, but you will understand if you REALLY look into it.

 

[KickinBird]

This is where I'm confused about the split timeline theory: didn't Zelda already know Ganondorf was evil in the past? So what would Link's going back in time and telling her solve? She already knew he was after the Triforce and wasn't a true ally to the King.... So what happened differently when Link went back in time?

 

[cmeks]

What happened differently when link went back in time was that ganon (or ganondorf) was sealed in the sacred realm by the sages at the end of OoT. Since the sacred realm is in a different dimension and timespace, the ganondorf from the past was now gone.

 

[KickinBird]

Ahhh.... so I guess this really answers both questions in the thread (now realizing that my question was almost completely off topic....)
So Ganondorf in the past just kinda.... disappears?

 

[Ember Incubus]

The following exist outside of Time and Space: The Sages, the Triforce, and the Sacred Realm. Ganon was scealed inside of the Sacred Realm by the Sages, when he got out, he was the same age because the Sacred Realm exists outside of Time and Space, but the Triforce also exists outside of Time and Space, so Young Zelda and Young Link still have their Triforce, and Ganon from TP and TWW is still young because he has not aged since where he was.

 

[LozzyKate]

First of all, MM wasn't related to OoT at all. The only relation was the fact that Link was looking for Navi in MM. I don't think Link new that what happened in MM was going to happen though. He just got mixed up in something he didn't try to get involved in. Link did what he did in OoT because he wanted to help and he wanted to learn more about who he was.

 

[Zenox]

Well, Ganondorf was plotting something evil. Everybody was telling him that he needed the Master Sword in order to stop his plan, so naturally he wanted it. I don't see a reason not to want it. Although, because he drew the Master Sword, Ganondorf's plot was swung into action, Link didn't know this would happen. Had Link not drawn the Master Sword, Ganondorf's plot probably would have failed as he would have never made it to the Sacred Realm, however, Link thought the opposite of this (only with less details) and thought he was saving everyone by drawing the sword. Because he drew the sword, terror became the only emotion throughout Hyrule and everyone was living in peril. Ganondorf created his castle in the ruins of Hyrule Castle and Link needed to create the bridge their using the sage's power, so he gathered the medallions. Once he finally did reach Ganondorf, he defeated him. The Master Sword is the only way to do this.

So basically, Link drew the sword not knowing that he causes Hyrule's downfall, thinking he'll cause the opposite and stop Ganondorf. Because of Hyrule's downfall and the Master Sword the only way to defeat someone with so much power, he needed the sword. I have no idea why you asked this. He doesn't care if he keeps the Master Sword or not, that wasn't a gift for himself. It was the only sword that could defeat Ganondorf once he held a piece of the triforce.

Asking this is like saying "Why did Doc Brown make the time machine if he was just going to get stuck in 1855?" Well, he didn't know he was going to get stuck in 1855, and Link didn't know he was going to put back the Master Sword, although he didn't care enough, he'd rather live his childhood to its fullest.

 

[Locke]

What happened differently when link went back in time was that ganon (or ganondorf) was sealed in the sacred realm by the sages at the end of OoT. Since the sacred realm is in a different dimension and timespace, the ganondorf from the past was now gone.

lolno ...TP backstory?



To answer the OP: If Link didn't defeat Ganondorf, he'd have left Hyrule under his rule, albeit on a different timeline. When he talked to Zelda in the past, it didn't rewrite the future in which he defeated Ganon, it created a new future.

 

[Shadsie]

Time Travel Pardox.

Also, perhaps Link had an idea that by going back to relive his childhood, he'd be effectively creating a second Timeline - a dimensional rift, two worlds. And... he wanted to save both. If he'd left Ganondorf un-challenged in the adult timeline, the people of that world would suffer, even as he's able to go and prevent the suffering in the child timeline.

Additionally, I don't think he could have just gone ahead and told Zelda as soon as he learned the Master Sword time travel trick because, at the point at which he pulled the sword, Zelda was gone, fled with Impa, right? I think when Zelda sent him back in finality she managed to send him back to a point before all the bad stuff went down - hence why he was able to find her and corroborate her story/help her prevent the coup.

 

[Zeruda]

He probably had no idea Zelda would sent him back. I certainly didn't. When she said she'd sent him back, I was like, "WHAT?!" It really threw me off. So, I figure Link didn't see it coming, either.

 

[Vanessa28]

Link never knew he would be sent back. He only learned when he pulled the Master Sword he was sealed away for 7 years. And later he also learned if he put the MS back he would go back in time which was necessary in the game. But it wasn't like Link was going to pull the MS and being fully aware of him being sent back by Zelda. Link knew he had to get the MS to defeat Ganondorf. That's why he grabbed the Sword not knowing he would be sealed away and open the Sacred Realm for Ganondorf. When zelda sent him back in time Link had to tell her about Ganon's plans and so he changed the course of the future. I do understand the timeline split can get confusing but when you look at it closely it does make sense.

 

[Ralis]

Well, um no offense, but the answer is kind of obvious. He's saving the world. Even if he went back in time, nobody else would. It would seem to him that they would, but truly, they would be living in the modern world, where they would be tortured, and forced to be Ganondorf's slaves, and follow his orders. There is one thing that relates to this thread that seems pretty pointless, though. Why would he ever pull the master sword out in the first place? Then Ganondorf wouldn't ever even have the Triforce of Power. And the only reason that he was sent forward in time, was because he wasn't old enough to kill Ganondorf. So if Ganondorf never got the Triforce, then why not just let some of the Hylian Knights finish up the job? And lets just say that somehow he did get the ToP, then why not just keep the Spiritual Stones away from? This kind of ruins the whole entire point of the game, now. So really, the only reason that he pulled out the MS from the pedastal, was because he was young, and just automatically did what he was told. ( Sorry if some of this is confusing, because it all has to do with the Time Paradox.)