Timeline Theory

Yeah, I know there have probably been too many posts over this particular subject. But I was just watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59D_HLjdfxc and it really got me thinking.

According to the video, the Timeline goes something like this:

1. The very first Zelda of Hyrule is put into an enchanted sleep, as told during the The Adventure of Link. The grief-stricken Prince declares that all females born into the Royal Family are to be given the name of Zelda, which begins the famed tradition.

2. The first Hero of Hyrule (NOT Link, someone named Gustav?) is given the sword of the Picori to halt the civil war the races of Hyrule are waging to obtain the Triforce. Eventually, (King) Gustav is successful and peace reigns for several hundred years. Then, the Minish Cap occurs, where the very first Link appears in the timeline. Eventually, after defeating Vaati and saving Zelda, he is given the traditional Green Hat by Ezlo, thus setting a precedent for every hero following him.

3. Ocarina of Time occurs many years later, and we all know how that turned out. The Split Timeline Theory is probably the one thing most Zelda fans can agree on.

4A. In this Timeline, Link is sent back in time, he warns Zelda of Ganondorf's intentions, blah, blah. Now, this is the part where most people say the game branches into Twilight Princess. However, the video claims that Link leaves Hyrule for Termina after warning Zelda but before Ganondorf is actually arrested. Link goes through Majora's Mask, and when he tries to return to Hyrule via the sea, his boat is wrecked in a storm and thus occurs...

5A. Link's Awakening. The entire thing can be interpreted as a dream representing Link's innermost fears regarding Ganondorf's return. After Link's Awakening, Link returns to Hyrule only to find that Ganondorf has actually won the war against the Hylians, even without having the element of surprise. Zelda broke her Triforce into 8 pieces to prevent Ganondorf from getting his hands on it, thus leading into...

6A. The Legend of Zelda (first game ever) Link collects the 8 pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom and battles Ganondorf (again), beats him, and restores peace to Hyrule. Later, The Adventure of Link comes, when Link is told of the original Legend of Zelda (see #1) and rescues that original princess. So now there are two Zeldas?

7A. Four Swords Adventures occurs, it could be interpreted that the Link and Zelda in this are the same from OoT or they are new ones. Then follows A Link to the Past, and finally one of the Oracle Games.

Okay, so that was from the Child timeline. The Adult timeline follows as thus....

4B. Twilight Princess. This is in contention, as the video was created when Twilight Princess was still in production. From TP's backstory, it seems more likely that it would fit in the Child storyline rather than the Adult one - this part is up for debate.

5B. Windwaker occurs since Link isn't there to save Hyrule once Ganondorf breaks free. Then follows Phantom Hourglass, and is capped by one of the Oracle Games.

Basically, to summarize a summary:

Minish Cap is the first in Hyrule's History, then Ocarina of Time.
The same Link and Zelda feature in Majora's Mask through The Adventure of Link.
The Oracle Games are parallel to each other, with one version in each Timeline.
The spot of Twilight Princess fits best in the Child timeline, but the video (for lack of knowledge) places it in the adult timeline.

I had always believed that Ocarina of Time came first, which is why I was surprised when the video placed Minish Cap before it. I have never played the Minish Cap, but from the video's explanation it seems logical. I also thought that Twilight Princess followed Majora's Mask (I still think it does) but the video also provides strong evidence as to why Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda could both come after Majora's Mask as well.

Soo, anything new or surprising? Or am I just flogging a dead horse here?

My brain imploded (I hate the timeline theories, all of them, but they're fun to hate ), buuut:
Isn't Link in the first Legend of Zelda a young brown-haired child, ambidextrous but somehow preferring his right hand?
Isn't Link's Awakening the same Link in a Link to the Past, which happened many years after Ocarina of Time?
Reach Hyrule by sea from Termina when it was (clearly? well, according to those who have the manual. I don't D:) stated that Termina was a parallel universe? (Thus it would make more sense to find another portal that goes round and round and upside down like crazy... the same portal would be a good idea, and since Link fell on a Deku-flower thing, I'm thinking he could've tried flying up there again at the end of the game, since the Deku mask is one he had kept..)

And didn't I see a pig-monster pic in some Minish Cap pictures? Wasn't that Ganon? Who was at first a man before his hatred (and greed, lol) turned him into a pig in OoT? Maaaaybe through the Dark World he can reach all worlds?Maaaaybe the Minish were the equivalent of the Kokiri in another dimension...? Ok, my brain imploded.
I have seen the video before, but I kept losing my attention to something else.
Anyway:

OoT > MM > TP
---------------------
'' > WW > PH

That's all I.... ''know''.

And I believe LoZ/AoL and LttP/LA happen way after PH.
But I KNOW Nintendo will screw with us by adding more nonsense into the upcoming game(s) XD

On the other hand:
Yay! I have ideas!
Again!
Crap.

I thought the Minish were the ones responsible for hiding all those rupees and stuff Link finds beneath rocks and plants? Since the Minish are known to hide stuff in bizarre places. Which would mean they've existed since Hyrule's beginning at least.

I really have no idea which Links are which. All I know if the Link in OoT is definitely, without a doubt, the same on in Majora's Mask. And that's about all I know.

As for the OoT > MM > TP and WW > PH timeline, I agree with you, but I thought the video brought up some interesting points. I think the timeline is a bit too whacked up to definitively create a logical order in which the various games occur.

Wait! Maybe the amount of time-traveling Link did in Termina created a bunch of parallel universes, resulting in each of the various games occuring. So it would be like:

OoT > MM > (hundreds of different timeline branches at this point)

Oogh, this hurts my brain. Introducing Time travel always creates conundrums and conflicts.

When it comes to the 3D Zeldas, this seems to be generally accepted by everyone with the exception of my own Malink theory in the Child Timeline of course.

1. WW is in the Adult Timeline after Zelda sent her beloved and precious Link back to the Child Timeline. Since its undeniable canon that Adult Timeline Zelda had no romantic relationship with Link whatsoever, Tetra is blood related only to Zelda and a mystery prince/royal nobleman? Who knows but it definitely was not OOT Link with the heart & mind of a forest child with 7 years of lost maturity thats for sure. WW Link is a hero chosen by destiny and not by bloodline to a previous Hero since OOT Link went back to the Child Timeline with virginity completely intact.

2. TP is in the Child Timeline after MM but its unknown of TP Link's actual bloodline to the Hero of Time when he finally grew up in the CT. I think there is more than enough subtle hints for TP Link to be descended from LinkxMalon but thats just me.

I always thought TP Link was the spiritual descendant of the Hero of Time, not directly his flesh and blood. But I can see where you're coming from, since TP Link grew up as a rancher in Ordon. I don't suppose it's ever revealed how TP Link came to live in Ordon? It seems odd that he's the only Hylian living in a village completely inhabited by humans, especially since Ordon was apparently only recently annexed by Hyrule.

I sort of figured that Link's parents lived in Ordon before dying of something like the plague or the flu (there are only three whole families in the village, Ilia's mother is nowhere to be seen, and there doesn't seem to be anyone over the age of 60 in the entire place) and that Rusl took care of Link after they died.


And though it's more of a crack theory than a legitimate one, I rather like the notion that the gods trapped Ganon, Link and Zelda in a loop of reincarnation for mucking about with the Triforce in OoT, and the only way to break the loop is to set everything right, which seemed to happen in WW.

That's interesting - I always thought Link and Zelda were in a reincarnation cycle (Not Ganondorf so much - he's the same guy every game, isn't he? ) but I never attributed the cycle down to the Goddesses' intervention. I always thought the Hylian Goddesses were more of benevolent creators, since Zelda/Link are the chosen of their respective Goddesses. Still, it is interesting to think about Farore and Nayru playing with their mortal pawns Zelda and Link in a never-ending cycle.

The reincarnation theory seems to make sense for sure. Its just the bloodline theories for OOT Zelda & Tetra and OOT/MM Link & TP Link seem to be more popular overall among Zelda theorists.

Well I'm convinced all Zeldas are related and none of the Links are. It's easier that way for me.
Don't see how it's hinted that TP Link descends from a MaLink relationship, only hints that they -tried- to please the fans by adding Ilia: a non-Hylian that's a mixture of Malon and Saria.

Anyway, weirdly, the fact that Link is the only Hylian in Ordon is something that pleases me.


Nah, it's the fact that OoT Zelda sent Link back in ''his own time'' for good that made the parallel universe, not the time travelling itself. I'm guessing.

Yeah...TP Link being descended from LinkxMalon is all theoretical for sure. But with the subtle hints within the games themselves and the fact that both OOT/MM and TP Link each have an Epona that is more hinted to a commoner/rancher lifestyle is good enough for me. Nonetheless, the theory that the Links are all reincarnations of each other with no bloodline connection is believable as well.