There are such a lot of video games in The Legend of Zelda franchise that the timeline can get just a little muddled. Right here is the total story defined.
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With regards to The Legend of Zelda and the sport franchise timeline, it instantly provides followers all over the place a migraine. It’s protected to imagine that the creators of the video games didn’t have a specific storyline in thoughts when creating the video games. That, or they determined it could be enjoyable to offer Steins Gate-level confusion with their varied (and inconsistent) timelines. With 20 official video games (together with the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom), many have veered from the preliminary timeline established in Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap, 4 Swords, and Ocarina of Time. However from right here, the storyline breaks into three totally different timelines, and that is the place it turns into difficult.
The primary readability followers of the franchise obtained concerning the timeline have been revealed in The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. And whereas it manages to puzzle all the pieces collectively properly, one other downside arises with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nevertheless, we’ll attempt to decipher the difficult timeline right here and offer you some semblance of a timeline. Whereas there are some prequel and sequel video games, we’ll attempt to concentrate on the principle timeline and the three they branched off into. From there, we’ll attempt to determine the place The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of Kingdom suits into the timeline.
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The Important Legend of Zelda Timeline
Okay, so the primary online game that reveals the origins of the franchise timeline is the 2011 instalment, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Right here, it’s defined that three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, created the universe out of chaos. Nevertheless, upon finishing their mission, they disappear, abandoning the Triforce with the goddess, Hylia. Who is aware of why these goddesses left the Triforce behind, however it’s highly effective sufficient that anybody who touches it may possibly have their want granted. After all, the catch is that they’ve a steadiness of the three virtues that every of the creation goddesses left behind: Energy, Knowledge, and Braveness.
So, what occurs if somebody doesn’t have an equal steadiness of those virtues? Nicely, the Triforce splits aside, leaving the toucher with the piece they embody most, and the opposite two elements are given to 2 random folks. And this doesn’t essentially imply these will probably be good people, because the Triforce doesn’t distinguish between good and evil. However anyhow, Triforce exposition apart, a bunch of demons and evil folks need to get their palms on the Triforce. A full-on struggle breaks out when the Demon King, Demise, awakens to take the Triforce from Hylia. Naturally, Hylia creates Skyloft to ship the remaining people with the sacred relic to reside within the sky so they don’t seem to be caught up within the struggle. Hylia defeats Demise and seals him away within the Temple on the Isle of the Goddess.
For the reason that seal is just not robust, a Sheikah is enlisted to protect it, a job handed down by generations of Shadow People. Sadly, Hylia can’t use the Triforce herself and, as a substitute, has her soul reincarnate right into a younger lady named Zelda. What number of years later is that this? We can’t let you know. However that is the place Zelda heads right down to the floor from Skyloft (properly, extra like dragged down by certainly one of Demise’s cronies, Ghirahim) together with her childhood good friend and our chosen hero, Hyperlink, following shut behind. And that is additionally the place the occasions of Skyward Sword start. Collectively, Hyperlink and Zelda defeat Demise, who makes use of his final breath to curse them to repeat the cycle of getting to defeat him. Mainly, the demon king could be reincarnated alongside along with his thirst to take over the world and his hatred for anybody with Hylia’s blood of their veins. From right here, Hyperlink absorbs Demise into Grasp Sword and leaves it within the Temple of Time.
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Now we’ve reached the occasions of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004) and The Legend of Zelda: 4 Swords (2002). Though the occasions are unimportant, they assist deliver the timeline collectively. Each video games concentrate on Vaati, an evil sorcerer who desires to make use of the Mild Pressure inside Princess Zelda. At this level, she had already established the Kingdom of Hyrule, with the Temple of Time now protected by the dominion partitions. Vaati opens the Sure Chest by breaking the Picori blade looking for the Mild Pressure. He frees a bunch of evil, turns Zelda to stone, after which is defeated by Hyperlink with the 4 Sword.
And this, after all, results in the occasions of The Legend of Zelda: 4 Swords, going down a century later and seeing the return of Vaati. Right here, Zelda is kidnapped by the sorcerer, and fairies instruct Hyperlink to unsheathe the 4 Sword. Because the lore of the magical sword states, Hyperlink is cut up into 4 warriors and so they head to the Palace of Winds the place Zelda is being held. They defeat Vaati, seal him within the 4 Sword after which it’s returned to its place in Hyrule. Hyperlink merges again into one individual, and this takes us to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Now, Nintendo throws a random centuries-old Hyrule civil struggle at us. The rationale for the wars is just not said, however it may be assumed that it was a needed battle to kick off the occasions of this recreation. As such, we see a girl entrusting her child to The Nice Deku Tree and, surprise-surprise…the child occurs to be Hyperlink. Quick ahead by a decade, after which we’re launched to Ganondorf, who seems to be the demon king, Demise (the logic). And that is the place it will get difficult. Hyperlink goes to the Temple of Time, opens the Door of Time, after which makes use of the sword OG Hyperlink positioned in Skyward Sword to open the door to the Sacred Realm.
So now, Hyperlink finally ends up taking a seven-year-long nap as a result of he sealed himself within the Temple of Time and leaves the door of the Sacred Realm vast open. Clearly, Ganondorf shoots his shot and tries to acquire the total Triforce whereas concurrently conquering Hyrule. He’s solely in a position to receive the Energy triforce whereas the Knowledge triforce goes to Zelda, and the Braveness triforce finally ends up with Hyperlink. After Ganondorf takes over Hyrule and corrupts the Sacred Realm and the Temple of the Sages, he kidnaps Zelda. When Hyperlink lastly wakes up, he rescues Zelda at Ganon’s fortress and wins the battle towards Ganondorf. That is the place the ridiculous timeline cut up comes into play.
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How The Legend of Zelda Timeline Obtained Triforced
It’s the consequence of the battle between Hyperlink and Ganondorf, in addition to the odd selections made by Princess Zelda after that messed issues up. First, Ganondorf makes use of the final of his Triforce energy to show himself into Ganon, the Demon King. Nevertheless, Hyperlink and the Seven Sages entice him and his third of the Triforce within the Sacred Realm as soon as once more. As soon as Hyrule is restored, Zelda feels responsible for Hyperlink dropping seven years of his life. So she makes use of the Ocarina of Time and sends him again in time to relive his childhood. Not solely is that this a wild resolution on her half, but it surely additionally creates two out of the three cut up timelines: the Grownup Timeline and the Little one Timeline.
The Little one Timeline is all the pieces that occurs to Hyperlink after Zelda sends him again in time. Right here, Hyperlink is ready to cease Ganondorf from breaking free from the Sacred Realm. Within the Grownup Timeline, it follows the occasions of what occurred in Hyrule after Hyperlink was despatched again. As a result of the hero is now not current, Ganondorf breaks free from the Sacred Realm and wreaks havoc throughout the dominion. It’s so unhealthy; the three creation goddesses are compelled to intervene. Then, the Fallen Hero timeline sees Hyperlink dropping to Ganondorf within the closing battle of Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf claims all three items of the Triforce and turns into the Demon King. For the sake of coherence and chronology, we’ll first have a look at the Little one Timeline.
The Little one Timeline
The occasions of this timeline start with the occasions of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masks. When Hyperlink arrives again in his authentic time, he places the Grasp Sword again on its pedestal and warns Zelda of the occasions to return. So, the princess palms him the Ocarina of Time and tells him to depart so Ganondorf doesn’t awaken on this timeline, which suggests the Seven Sages additionally don’t awaken on this timeline. Together with his trusty horse, Hyperlink enters a parallel world often known as Termina, the place some unhealthy issues are happening. An Imp possesses the Majora’s masks and makes use of it to deliver the moon crashing down on the world. Hyperlink makes use of the Ocarina of Time and a sequence of masks and defeats the imp, saving Termina. He continues his journey, depressed that nobody will bear in mind his deeds.
After one other 100-year time skip, we now get to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Ganondorf is lastly set to be executed, however the Historical Sages can’t kill him as a result of he possesses the Energy triforce, a 3rd of the Triforce. At that, Ganondorf kills one of many Historical Sages (apparently, his cuffs have been for show solely), and the remaining Sages ship him to the Twilight Realm. Right here, the demon makes a good friend named Zant, and so they plot to create one massive Darkish World out of the Mild and Twilight realms. Lengthy story brief, one other model (apparently a direct ancestor) of Hyperlink is discovered on this realm and may flip right into a wolf when getting into the Twilight Realm. Doggo-Hyperlink and the princess of the Twilight realm defeat Ganondorf and Zant.
Quick ahead one other 100 years, and we see Ganondorf resurrected as soon as once more in The Legend of Zelda: 4 Swords Adventures. Or fairly, he reincarnated with all of the reminiscences of his predecessor. Anyhow, he resurrects Vaati, who has been trapped within the 4 Sword all this time. To summarise the occasions of this online game instalment, Vaati, Ganondorf and a shadow clone of Hyperlink crew as much as destroy Hyrule but once more. The precise Hyperlink splits into 4 variations of himself, and the crew heads over, kills Vaati, and traps Ganondorf within the 4 Sword. All of the Hyperlink duplicates go away, and all the pieces is supposedly tied up with a neat little bow. Nicely, till you realise, there are two extra timelines to go.
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The Grownup Timeline
Beginning with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Hyperlink now not exists on this timeline and goes down in historical past as an excellent hero, turning into a legend. As talked about earlier than, Ganondorf escapes and wreaks havoc throughout Hyrule earlier than the three goddesses intrude and cease him by burying him on the backside of the ocean. So there may be one other large time skip spanning 100 years, and we at the moment are in an island setting. Ganondorf escapes his watery grave and searches for Princess Zelda. He can’t discover her, so he grabs the primary lady he sees with blonde hair and pointy ears. Lo and behold, it’s none apart from Hyperlink’s sister, Aryll. So, after all, he follows after with the assistance of pirate Zelda, rescues his sister, reassembles the Triforce of Braveness and defeats Ganondorf as soon as and for all.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass takes place instantly after the occasions of Wind Waker and sees the heroes proceed their adventures at sea. Setting out looking for a brand new world (regardless of the islands they presently reside on being completely tremendous) and encounter the Ocean King and his ghost ship. The Ocean King’s waters are in a special dimension, and Hyperlink manages to pay money for the Phantom Sword after which take him down. When he returns to his personal dimension, solely ten minutes have handed, and we’re all simply as irritated as Hyperlink. Anyhow, in some unspecified time in the future after this, Zelda establishes a brand new Hyrule on a continent they found throughout their adventures at sea.
So one other 100 years have handed, and we’ve reached the ultimate occasions earlier than this timeline ends. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sees a completely new Hyperlink and a ghost model of Zelda crew as much as combat towards a demon named Malladus (guess you have been anticipating to listen to Ganondorf’s title once more, weren’t you?). They defeat him within the Darkish Realm, after which Zelda will get her physique again, and the tribe who was defending Hyrule decides their watch is over and heads again to the Heavens. This brings the Grownup Timeline to a detailed and brings us into essentially the most miserable timeline from The Legend of Zelda.
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The Fallen Hero Timeline
Okay, so it is going to be considerably simpler to listing the names of the titles of every recreation in chronological order after which clarify the occasions that occurred for every, as there are fairly a couple of titles for this timeline. As already said, this timeline picks up after the Ocarina of Time instalment and has Ganondorf defeat Hyperlink and Zelda and acquire all three items of the Triforce.
The Legend of Zelda: A Hyperlink to the Previous (1991) & The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening (1993)
Right here, Ganondorf was in a position to take management of the Sacred Realm and remodel it into the Darkish World. He controls Hyrule by parading round as a wizard named Agahnim. He’s shortly defeated when a brand new incarnation of Hyperlink exhibits up. A short time later, Hyperlink goes on a cruise and shipwrecks on Koholint Island in Hyperlink’s Awakening. All of the occasions of this recreation develop into a dream, which is ironic contemplating the sport is named ‘Hyperlink’s Awakening’. This model of Hyperlink is just not heard from once more.
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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages (2001)
A brand new model of Hyperlink is reincarnated and faces off towards Ganondorf but once more. Lengthy story brief, Hyperlink defeats Ganondorf as soon as once more. It might appear the one miserable a part of this timeline to this point is the infinite loop we’re all caught in.
The Legend of Zelda: A Hyperlink Between Worlds (2013)
Happening a number of centuries later, the mirror world of Hyrule named Lorule sees a sorcerer named Yuga attempt to steal the Triforce to revive Lorule to its former glory. Nevertheless, after a while frolicking by work, Hyperlink and Zelda return the Triforce to Hyrule and use it to deliver peace to each worlds, leaving all events glad.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Pressure Heroes (2015)
This recreation simply sees Hyperlink attempt on totally different outfits within the kingdom of Hytopia. So, you would simply take into account this recreation to be filler. Not one of the occasions is important to the general timeline.
The Legend of Zelda (1986)
This takes us to the OG recreation, which, weirdly sufficient, additionally doesn’t have as a lot exposition as different video games. Basically, Hyrule is peaceable for some time till a king decides to cover the Triforce of Braveness, solely revealing the situation to his daughter, Zelda. Sadly, the king dies shortly after, and a brand new prince is subsequent in line to take over Hyrule.
With the assistance of a fairly suspicious wizard, the brand new prince tries to get the data from her, however as a substitute, she is put in everlasting sleep. However, earlier than doing so, she cut up the Triforce of Knowledge into eight shards and scattered them throughout the dominion. After which, guess who exhibits up? Sure, Ganondorf. And he wreaks havoc throughout the land. So, after all, this begins Hyperlink’s journey to gather the eight shards and finally defeat Ganon.
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The Legend of Zelda: The Journey of Hyperlink (1987)
Nevertheless, Hyperlink saved a special model of Princess Zelda within the earlier recreation, with the OG model nonetheless in a deep sleep. Her caretaker, Impa, tells him of the Triforce of Braveness and the Triforce of Energy, which he units out on an journey to search out, therefore the title of the sport. He returns with the total Triforce and wakes the sleeping Zelda. And this brings us to the top of the third timeline.
What about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?
Nicely, it may be argued that Breath of the Wild was an try and merge all of the timelines into one central narrative. We’re but to discover the occasions of Tears of the Kingdom, however we’re clear on the truth that Breath of the Wild takes place 10 000 years after the occasions on the finish of every of the three timelines. The narrative sees some technological developments (simply large struggle robots) and Ganondorf rising from the useless but once more. He makes use of the robots to destroy Hyrule (which, funnily sufficient, nonetheless exists). Zelda seals him away whereas they look forward to Hyperlink to seem and destroy Ganon. This finally occurs 100 years later, and at last, we’ve reached the top of The Legend of Zelda timeline.
This recreation and its upcoming sequel are assumed to merge all of the timelines as a result of all of the occasions from the totally different timelines are canon within the recreation. Merely put, the characters within the recreation reference occasions from the opposite timelines, such because the names of tribes from totally different dimensions in an alternate timeline, to present you an instance. There isn’t a method for this to happen with out the characters being conscious that there was a cut up within the timelines. And it could make sense that they knew in regards to the three timelines, as these are commonly reincarnated characters. To not point out, additionally they would know that point journey has its penalties. And in a world the place magic is actual, is it actually that far-fetched for them to by some means achieve entry to this data from a random wizard or sorcerer?
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