The Legend of Zelda's Storyline: Solving the Puzzle

[tay120n64]

The Zelda storyline is complex, and at times, intangible. Regardless, it is possible to make a coherent storyline out of it, and I present here my finished product: The Chronicles of Hylian History!

Periods of Hylian History
The Creation
The Triforce Wars
Hyrule’s First King
The Legend of Zelda
The Minish Cap
Ocarina of Time
A Flaw in Space/Time Creates Two Hyrules

Hyrule A
Majora’s Mask
Twilight Princess
Hyrule’s Capital Moves Northward
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda Animated Series
The Adventure of Link
Southern Hyrule Becomes Capital of Hyrule Again
Oracle of Seasons
Oracle of Ages
The Imprisoning War
A Link to the Past
Soul Calibur II
Link’s Awakening
Four Swords
Four Swords Adventures

Hyrule B
The Great Flood
The Wind Waker
Phantom Hourglass

The Chronicles of Hylian History
The Creation of Hyrule is first told in A Link to the Past and told again in Ocarina of Time. According to legend, the three goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru, created Hyrule and all surrounding lands and inhabitants. Having finished, they departed for the heavens, but not before leaving behind a relic of their power. The relic, known as the Triforce, was said to grant the wish of he who touches it. If a man with a pure heart touches it, Hyrule will experience great prosperity. If a man with an evil heart touches it, Hyrule will be plunged in shadow. The place where the Triforce rested became known as the Sacred Realm, or Golden Land.

The Triforce Wars are mentioned, though not by name, in The Minish Cap and Twilight Princess. After some years, the creatures of the new land began to hear of the Triforce. One by one, all went to search for it. Brother fighting brother, no one caring about anything but claiming that power for him/herself. The first beings to reach the Sacred Realm were known as the Twili. They used a dark power to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm and all of Hyrule. Disapproving of this, the gods sealed away their power and banished them to a realm of shadows, the Twilight Realm. Though the danger was gone, the fighting did not end. The peaceful Picori, growing ever tired of the constant wars, approach a young man of pure heart and valiant spirit named Gustaf. They give him a mighty weapon of their own creation, the Four Sword. Using this sword’s great power, Gustaf claims the Triforce and uses its power to bring peace to Hyrule.

Hyrule’s First King is mentioned in The Adventure of Link and The Minish Cap. Gustaf I used his power, wisdom, and courage to bring peace and order to all the races of Hyrule. In honor of the Picori’s assistance, Gustaf I creates a national holiday known as the Picori Festival. As he wanes in age however, he begins to worry about who will inherit the Triforce upon his death. Deciding that it would be too risky to give the entire Triforce to his son, Gustaf I consults his wisest counselor, Rauru. He tells Rauru that he would like to create a method of hiding the Triforce. In the end, the Temple of Light (a.k.a. the Temple of Time) is built as an entrance to the Sacred Realm, where Gustaf I places the Triforce of Power. Then, to seal the entrance, Gustaf I commissions a blade called the Master Sword that only those of pure heart can touch. As a final precaution, the heart of the Temple is sealed with the keys each going to the separate races of Hyrule: the Kokiri’s Emerald, the Goron’s Ruby, the Zora’s Sapphire, and the Ocarina of Time, the latter remaining in the house of the Royal Family. For hiding the Triforce of Courage, Gustaf I approaches the leader of the Sheikah. The two of them decide to hide it outside of the kingdom, constructing six monuments across the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Hyrule, finally hiding the Triforce of Courage in a Palace of Gold. The keys and secrets to the structures are left with the Sheikah. Following this gesture of trust, the Sheikah appoint a maid to watch over Gustaf I’s daughter, Zelda. Several years later, Gustaf I succumbs to overwork and old age, but not before telling his daughter of the hidden Triforce pieces.

The Legend of Zelda is told in The Adventure of Link. After the death of Gustaf I, the Prince, who was to inherit the kingdom, found himself the new possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom. However, the Prince desired all three pieces of the Triforce. Consulting his mentor, who was a wizard, the Prince learned that his sister Zelda knew the location of the pieces. He immediately questioned her, but she refused to tell. Furious, the wizard threatens Zelda’s life. Before the Prince can stop him, the wizard puts Zelda in a deep sleep, dying himself in the process. Grief-stricken, the Prince places his sister in a palace of white in the Northern Province. He then decrees that all females born into the Royal Family from this point on shall be named Zelda. This, according to tales passed down generations, is the Legend of Zelda.

Game 1: The Minish Cap
Many generations pass, and the Picori Festival is approaching. Legend says that every 100 years, the door to the Minish World opens, and rumors are flying that this Festival falls on that year! During the Festival, there is held a great tournament, the victor of which is allowed to touch the fabled Four Sword, which was said to be used by the great Hero himself! Link, a blacksmith’s son, is awakened by his good friend Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. Together, the two children make their way into Hyrule Castle Town, enjoying the festivities. Afterwards, the two retreat to Hyrule Castle to meet the winner of the tournament, a foreigner named Vaati. Vaati was not all he appeared to be, however. Vaati was, in fact, a Minish who had stolen the Minish Cap. The Minish Cap was created by a Minish elder named Ezlo to grant wishes. However, Vaati saw this as an opportunity to go to Hyrule and find the Light Force (a.k.a. Triforce), which he felt rightfully belonged to the Minish, or more appropriately, to himself. Breaking the seal on the Four Sword, Vaati unleashed monsters that had been sealed in the sword by Gustaf I during the Triforce Wars. He then traveled Hyrule searching for the Light Force, in the end taking Princess Zelda hostage. Meanwhile, Link teams up with Ezlo, who has been transformed into a talking hat. Together, the two of them get the Four Essences of the Four Sword, reviving its true power. Link then confronts Vaati before he can draw the Light Force from Princess Zelda. After Vaati is defeated, Link seals him in the Four Sword, and places the Four Sword back in its shrine. Having returned to normal, Ezlo gives Link a green hat before returning to the Minish World.

Game 2: Ocarina of Time
More generations pass, and with them come a great war. The last King of Hyrule having died without naming a successor, many tried to ascend to the throne. It was a relative of the Royal Family, a man by the name of Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, who brought peace to Hyrule, becoming king, and signing a treaty with the leader of the Gerudo, Ganondorf. Ganondorf desired above all things to become ruler of Hyrule, and using the King’s trust, he traveled the country searching for clues about the Triforce. Sensing he was distrustful, Princess Zelda sent a young Kokiri Child named Link to recover the keys to the Sacred Realm. Already possessing the Kokiri’s Emerald, Link traveled to the Gorons and the Zoras, helping them, and thus earning the jewels. When he returned to the castle, however, he found it under siege by Ganondorf. As Zelda rode away with her maid Impa, she tossed the Ocarina of Time to Link. Link immediately ran to the Temple of Time, opening the Door of Time and drawing out the Master Sword. Unfortunately, because Link was too young to wield the Sword of Evil’s Bane, his soul was sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years. However, the door to the Sacred Realm was wide open, allowing Ganondorf to gain the Triforce of Power. He soon learned that he had only attained part of the Triforce, and researching for answers to why, he discovered that when a piece is used by someone who is unbalanced, sometimes the other pieces attach themselves to others who contain the qualities respective of that particular piece. He immediately began to search for Princess Zelda. After seven years had passed, Link was awakened by Rauru, the Sage of Light, who told Link that the only way to stop Ganondorf was to awaken the descendants of the Six Sages. Getting help from Sheik, the last survivor of the Sheikah, Link traveled to the five temples, finally gaining access to Ganondorf’s Tower. Sheik then reveals himself to be Princess Zelda, and immediately gets kidnapped by Ganondorf. Link fights his way to the top of the tower, where the Triforce pieces in the three of them begin to resonate. After a long battle, Link, Zelda, and the Six Sages seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm.

The Flaw in Space/Time is created by Princess Zelda and Link’s actions at the end of Ocarina of Time. After Ganondorf’s defeat, Zelda sends Link back to his own time, separating the Triforce of Courage from him. The Triforce of Courage, being so unceremoniously torn from its host, splits into eight pieces and disappears across Hyrule. The Hyrule that Link leaves behind, with the sealed Ganondorf and the broken Triforce piece becomes known as Hyrule B. The Hyrule Link returns to, which is before he and Zelda meet, becomes known as Hyrule A.

Hyrule A

Game 3: Majora’s Mask
Having warned Zelda and the King of Ganondorf’s actions, Link decides to go after Navi the Fairy, who left him when they returned to their own time. As an extra precaution against Ganondorf, Zelda gives Link the Ocarina of Time, and, riding on Malon’s horse, Epona, Link travels deep within the Lost Woods in search of Navi. To this day, it is not known whether Link ever found Navi, or if he even returned to Hyrule.

Game 4: Twilight Princess
Acting on Link’s warning, the King of Hyrule banished Ganondorf from the kingdom and took extra precautions to keep him away from the Triforce. The Temple of Time was moved deep into the forest, and the Ocarina of Time was sent out of the kingdom with Link. Unfortunately, the King could not predict what would happen when he and the Sages attempted to move the entrance to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf returned to Hyrule with a massive army, but the King of Hyrule was ready, and Ganondorf was captured and sentenced to death. The Six Sages were to carry out the sentence, but when Ganondorf was pierced with the Light Sword, the Triforce of Power, which had found a new home in Ganondorf, protected its host, and sensing his unmatchable power, the Sages had no choice but to split his body, mind, and spirit and banish him to the Twilight Realm, but not before Ganondorf killed one of their own. A couple more generations passed, and a young farm boy named Link was sent to Hyrule Castle to deliver a sword. When he reached the borders of Hyrule, however, he found it covered in Darkness. Apparently, Ganondorf had used the greed and despair of a Twili lord named Zant to come back to power and conquer the Twilight Realm, with his next target being the Realm of Light, Hyrule. It was his intention to merge the realms of Light and Shadow to create Darkness. With the help of Midna, who was princess of the Twilight Realm, Link dispelled the Darkness by awakening the four Light Spirits across Hyrule. Each of them guarded a piece of an ancient power that was once used to conquer the Sacred Realm, the Fused Shadow. However, the item doesn’t seem to affect Zant, who says his power comes from his “god.” Link and Midna then seek out the Mirror of Twilight, which is the only entrance to the Twilight Realm. However, the Mirror has been fractured, and the two are sent by the Sages to fetch the remaining pieces before entering the Twilight Realm and confronting Zant. After Zant’s defeat, Link and Midna head to Hyrule Castle, where Princess Zelda is held captive by Ganondorf. After a long battle, Ganondorf is slain, Midna returns to her true form, and the Triforce Pieces of Power and Courage disappear. Midna then returns to the Twilight Realm, using her power to destroy the Mirror of Twilight completely so the realms of Light and Shadow remain separate for good.

Hyrule’s Capital Moving Northward, though never stated or proven, can be vaguely seen in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link. Hyrlue begins to suffer an economic decline, with its inhabitants suffering strange diseases, and unruly monsters led by a Dark Wizard creating havoc wherever they went. Many inhabitants of Hyrule left the country, sailing to other lands like Holodrum and Labrynna. Deciding that the capital was lost, the King of Hyrule moved the capital northward near North Palace, where a spellbound Princess slept eternally. Meanwhile, the Dark Wizard, declaring himself to be Ganon reborn, used the Triforce of Power to make Southern Hyrule his dominion.

Game 5: The Legend of Zelda
Learning of the existence of other Triforce pieces, Ganon kidnaps Princess Zelda. Predicting this outcome of events, Zelda splits the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and sends her maid, Impa to find a warrior who can collect the pieces of the Triforce and save her from Ganon. While searching, Impa is attacked by Ganon’s monsters and saved by a traveling warrior named Link. She sends Link to find the Triforce and rescue Zelda. Link succeeds, slaying Ganon and taking the Triforce of Power in the process.

[Alternate Ending: The Legend of Zelda Animated Series. An optional inclusion, in this case Zelda is saved, but Ganon is not defeated and he still has the Triforce of Power. It is several months, or possibly a year before Link and Zelda defeat Ganon and recover the Triforce of Power.]

Game 6: The Adventure of Link
Over a year passes and it is Link’s sixteenth birthday. He awakens to a strange mark on the back of his left hand in the shape of the Triforce. Consulting Impa, Link learns that it is his destiny to find the Triforce of Courage according to a prophecy passed down by her Sheikan ancestors. Though it was written in an ancient script, Link read it as if he understood it perfectly. It told of six structures across Hyrule that he must activate in order to enter the Great Palace in Eastern Hyrule where rested the Triforce of Courage. It also told of the danger and chaos the Triforce would cause if used before the Chosen Hero attained it. Impa told Link that the Princess in North Castle would be sure to awaken if the Triforce was whole. Taking this as his strongest motivation, Link traveled the two continents of Hyrule, lifting the barrier around the Great Palace. When he reached the heart of the Palace, Link found the greatest challenge of all waiting for him, his shadow. Fighting for what seemed like days, Link emerged victorious and returned to the North Palace to awaken Princess Zelda. She rewarded him with a kiss, and it is said they got married and came to lead Hyrule into an era of great prosperity.

Southern Hyrule Becoming the Capital of Hyrule Again, though never stated or proven, can be vaguely seen in A Link to the Past and Four Swords Adventures. With the power of the Triforce, Hyrule was led into a period of peace and prosperity not seen in centuries. It was the decision of the King of Hyrule to reclaim Southern Hyrule as capital as a testament of unifying the land. After doing so, the Triforce was left in the North Palace, protected by many powerful forces.

Game 7: Oracle of Seasons
There came one day a youth close to the Royal Family named Link who was startled to find the mark of the Triforce upon the back of his hand. Though he was an intelligent and studious child, he could not find any answers to this in any of the texts in the Royal Library. He consulted the Princess’s maid Impa, who seemed to know such things. She took him to the King, who told Link he was being chosen by the Triforce, and must go immediately to it. He was given a horse and permission to enter the North Palace. When he confronted the Triforce however, he was sent into a distant land called Holodrum. There he met, of all people, Impa. It turns out she was sent to Holodrum the same day Link left for the North Castle. Impa introduced him to Din, the Oracle of Seasons, but after a few minutes of fun, a dark General named Onox stole Din away, throwing the seasons into chaos. Impa introduced Link to the Maku Tree who sent Link on a quest to recover the Rod of Seasons and acquire the Essences of Nature to restore the seasons and defeat General Onox. After much questing, Link confronts General Onox and saves Din, but he and Impa feel that there is something more sinister going on.

Game 8: Oracle of Ages
After saving Holodrum, the Triforce sends Link to Labrynna. Once he arrives, he is shocked to see Impa getting attacked by Octoroks! After saving her, they go to a sacred grove where a beautiful woman is singing. She introduces herself as Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. Impa then begins to fade away and is replaced by Veran, a powerful sorceress. Veran takes Nayru back in time 400 years. Looking around, Link sees things start to change around him. Taking advice from Ralph, a friend of Nayru’s, as well as the real Impa, Link goes back in time to rescue the Maku Tree. Back in the present day, the Maku Tree sends Link after the Essences of Time and the Harp of Ages. Using the Harp, Link travels back and forth through time in order to stop Veran from destroying Labrynna in the past. Near the end of his quest, Princess Zelda appears in order to keep the people hopeful. Although Impa disapproves of this, she allows the Princess to stay. After Link defeats Veran, however, two witches appear and kidnap Zelda. They reveal themselves as Twinrova, mother of the fallen Ganon. Using the Flames of Destruction, Despair, and Sorrow, they plan to sacrifice Zelda to revive Ganon. Link manages to stop Twinrova from sacrificing Zelda, but at the last minute, she sacrifices herself, and Ganon returns. Though his body and spirit returned, his mind did not, so he was irrational and destructive. Link used this to his advantage to slay him and escape with Zelda. Link shared a heartfelt goodbye with everyone he meet on his journey before boarding a sailboat back to Hyrule. Back in Hyrule, those who stood guard at the North Palace say they saw something “shimmering and golden” fly up into the heavens.

The Imprisoning War is mentioned in A Link to the Past. After many years, there came a group of infamous thieves in Hyrule. It was said these thieves were once members of the Gerudo tribe, which had for a long time been peaceful. One of the leaders of this group, Ganondorf Dragmire, eventually stumbled upon the entrance to the Golden Land on Death Mountain. Word of this spread throughout Hyrule fast, and many thieves, brigands, and people who desired power entered the Golden Land hoping to get their hands on the Triforce, but it was already too late. Ganondorf had attained the Triforce, using its power to taint the Golden Land. The Triforce, in order to serve Ganondorf’s wishes, merged the Twilight Realm with the Golden Land, creating the Dark World. The power of the Twilight Realm forced all the inhabitants of the Dark World to change to fierce monsters, including Ganondorf himself. Having become Ganon, the King of Darkness, he began his assault on the Light World. This became known as the Imprisoning War. In the end, the King of Hyrule sent Seven Sages to seal the entrance to the Dark World before Ganon emerged. Having done this, Ganon’s forces in the Light World were quickly driven off, and Hyrule maintained a short peace.

Game 9: A Link to the Past
There came a period of natural disasters in Hyrule. Out of nowhere, a powerful wizard named Agahnim dispelled the disasters and earned himself a seat at the right hand of the King. After a few months however, there came unexplainable disappearances in Hyrule, ending with the disappearance of the King himself! One night, a teenage boy named Link, who was living with his uncle, had a dream about the Princess. She was asking him to come to the castle and save her. When he awoke, he found his uncle leaving the house with the family sword and shield. Taking a lamp, Link followed his uncle, meanwhile getting telepathic directions from Princess Zelda. He found his uncle in a secret entrance to the castle barely alive. He gave Link his sword and shield and told him to save Zelda at all costs. Link fought his way to the dungeons of the castle and managed to escape with the Princess. At the Sanctuary, Zelda told Link the only way to stop Agahnim from opening the gate to the Dark World was to get the Master Sword. She sent him to see Sahasrahla, a wise man living in Kakariko Village who had great knowledge of Hylian legends. Sahasrahla sent Link on a quest to attain three pendants to prove his worth. Once he had done so, Link drew the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Lost Woods. Returning to the Sanctuary, Link found that Zelda had been taken to Agahnim. Fighting to the top of the castle, Link watches in horror as Agahnim sends Zelda to the Dark World, at last breaking the barrier made by the Seven Sages. Link manages to slay Agahnim, but not before he sends Link into the Dark World, himself. Heeding telepathic messages from Sahasrahla, Link travels to seven dungeons across the Dark World, freeing the seven maidens that were sent there by Agahnim. Once they were all safe, Link was able to confront Ganon and, with the power of the Master Sword, destroy him. Becoming the new master of the Triforce, Link wished for peace and prosperity to return eternally to Hyrule. The Dark World transformed back into the Golden Land, although the Twilight Realm had disappeared forever. Back in Hyrule, the King had returned and Link’s uncle was in perfect health. As Link looked around the country, old temples had been restored to their former splendor. It looked as if Hyrule had attained peace at last.

[Optional Chapter: Soul Calibur II. Sometime after Link had saved Hyrule, a strange wizard appeared, spreading curses and misfortune throughout the populace. Enraged, Link chased the wizard through time and space to a strange land where a powerful sword called Soul Edge was said to spread discourse and pain. Link used his knowledge and skill in weaponry to find the Soul Edge and destroy it before finally returning to Hyrule.]

Game 10: Link’s Awakening
After several years had passed, Link felt he could do no more good in Hyrule. With the King’s permission, Link took a boat of the shores of Hyrule searching for adventure. On his way back to Hyrule, Link came upon a fierce storm that shipwrecked him on an island known as Koholint. He was saved by a young maiden named Marin. She took him to the beach where his ship wrecked, but all Link found were his sword and the shield Marin’s father Tarin found for him. Just then, an owl swooped down and told Link that the only way to leave the island was to consult the Wind Fish, who was sleeping at the top of Mt. Tamaranch in the center of the island. Throughout Link’s journey on Koholint, he began to suspect that this whole thing was nothing more than a dream. Many inhabitants, including Marin, believed that if you woke the Wind Fish you would have your any wish granted. She wanted to be a seagull. Using a song Marin taught him, as well as the eight Instruments of the Sirens, Link opened the Wind Fish’s Egg. At the heart of the egg, Link met a being that called itself Nightmare. It took strange forms that frightened Link greatly. As he fought, the Nightmare took the forms of both Agahnim and Ganon. Despite his worst fears, Link still prevailed, and he and the Wind Fish awoke together. As Link looked up at the Wind Fish from his single piece of driftwood in the middle of the ocean, he could swear he heard a seagull singing the Ballad of the Wind Fish above him.

Game 11: Four Swords
Generations flew by, and though the Picori Festival was no longer practiced in Hyrule, its consequences were not forgotten, and there came a time when Vaati’s seal was beginning to weaken. A young Princess Zelda took her good friend Link to investigate and was swept away by the Wind Sorceror Vaati to the Palace of the Winds. Grabbing the Four Sword, Link split into four and fought through Vaati’s legions to rescue Zelda and reinstate Vaati’s seal in the Four Sword.

Game 12: Four Swords Adventures
Several months passed, and there came strange powers flowing from the Four Sword’s Chamber. Zelda consulted Link as well as the Six Maidens as to what to do. They decided to investigate, coming face to face with Dark Link. Having no choice but to draw the Four Sword, Link destroys Dark Link, but releases Vaati in the process. Link then travels Hyrule, releasing the maidens, only to learn that releasing Vaati was merely a distraction by a more imminent threat. When Link reached the temple in the Forest of Darkness, he and the maidens found that the Trident of Power, once used by a Dark Lord who almost sent Hyrule into Darkness, was missing! When they arrived in the desert, they were told by the Gerudo tribe that one of their own had defected from the tribe attempting to achieve great power. Eventually, Link had saved the Six Maidens and Zelda, and found the Four Essences of the Four Sword, unsealing Vaati’s palace. In front of Vaati’s palace was a massive pit of darkness, from which were crawling hundreds of Dark Links! Link and Zelda managed to destroy it before entering the palace. They managed to find Vaati and destroy him completely, but as they were leaving, they were drawn into a confrontation with Ganon. However, Ganon was no match for Link and the power of the Maidens. He believed that the Trident was the source of the Dark Lord’s power, when it was actually something much more powerful. The Maidens then sealed Ganon within the Four Sword, hoping that the seal would be as powerful as the seal on Vaati, which lasted many canturies, perhaps millennia, before finally weakening.

Hyrule B

The Great Flood is told in The Wind Waker. After the Hero of Time saved Hyrule from Ganondorf, the people believed the evil was gone forever. However, Ganondorf eventually broke free from his prison in the Sacred Realm. But when the people begged for the Hero to reappear, he did not come. The people begged the gods to intervene. Because Ganondorf had a piece of the Triforce, he could not be directly affected by the power of the gods. Therefore, the gods instructed the people to move to the mountains. The gods then flooded the land of Hyrule, leaving nothing but scattered islands across a Great Sea. The Master Sword was placed in the basement of Hyrule Castle by Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule to protect the old kingdom, and to seal Ganondorf’s powers.

Game 3: The Wind Waker
There was a tradition on a certain island called Outset that whenever a boy reached the age of twelve, he would be dressed in the garb of the Hero as a show of respect. It was just such a day for young Link. He was not happy to be dressed in such uncomfortable clothes, but he had no choice. As he went outside to see his sister, he saw a massive bird fly overhead, chased by a pirate ship. The ship landed a hit on the bird, and the girl it was holding fell into the forest on the top of the island. Link immediately went to save her, but when they emerged from the forest, Link saw the bird fly off with his sister! The pirate leader, Tetra, agreed to take Link to the Forbidden Fortress, where girls with long ears were being taken and held captive. Link found his sister, but was unable to save her, instead coming face to face with Ganondorf, who threw him into the sea. Link was saved by a talking boat, who explained Link’s current situation, asking if Link would do anything to save his sister. Agreeing, Link and the boat, the King of Red Lions, sailed across the Great Sea, gathering the Pearls of the Goddesses to open the way to the resting place of the Master Sword, the only weapon capable of defeating Ganondorf. In Hyrule Castle, the King of Red Lions reveals himself as Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the former King of Hyrule. Link then heads to the Forbidden Fortress to confront Ganondorf. However, Link learns that the Master Sword has lost most of its power and needs to be revived. As Tetra attempts to save him, Ganondorf realizes that Tetra is really the descendant of Princess Zelda and that she has the Triforce of Wisdom. After that, the King hides Zelda in Hyrule Castle. Link and the King then go off to find the descendants of the Sages to revive the Master Sword. Finding the Sages of Wind and Earth, Link uses the fully powered Master Sword to search for the missing Triforce of Courage, finally dredging all eight pieces from the depths of the ocean. Link makes his way down to the ancient Hyrule, entering Ganondorf’s Tower. However, Link is hardly a match for Ganondorf, and Link loses the Triforce of Courage almost as soon as he got there. Link watches in horror, lying motionless on the top of the tower, as the Triforce reforms and Ganondorf approaches it. At the last minute, the King of Hyrule appears and uses the power of the Triforce to drown ancient Hyrule and give the children hope. The Triforce glows brightly and ascends into the sky. All around them, water begins to come down in torrents, as Ganondorf laughs maniacally. With Tetra’s help, Link defeats Ganondorf, turning him to stone with the Master Sword embedded in his skull. Link and Tetra then are transported to the ocean surface as they watch the King fall further away. When they arrive on Outset Island, Link decides to leave with Tetra to form a new, better Hyrule.

Game 4: Phantom Hourglass
As Link and Tetra travel the seas, they come upon the fabled Ghost Ship, which confines Tetra. Diving after her, Link gets caught up in the ocean's currents and finds himself deserted on an unfamiliar island. With the help of the Ocean King, Link manages to rescue Tetra and return to the Pirate Ship. However, it turns out Link and Tetra were only gone for ten minutes! As the Ghost Ship disappears, Link wonders about the new friends he made, and what that strange world they entered truly was.

[Jason Tandro]

Damn, somebody takes his Zelda seriously. This is very interesting stuff. I've been trying to chronologize the Zelda series for a while, but this is the most reasonable answer I've seen yet.

BTW: Congrats on entering your Zelda Animated Series in the timeline. The Animated Series is to Zelda lovers as slavery is to America. We aren't proud of it, but we can't deny that it existed. Lest it happen again...

[tay120n64]

Well, I have been working on it since Link's Awakening came out, and I've been through so many revisions, thinking about it makes me physically sick. My biggest breakthrough was when I discovered the "Split-Timeline" theory after Ocarina of Time. That explained alot, but no matter how hard I tried I could never explain A Link to the Past. Every game from Ocarina on made it harder and harder to place. I finally just made up some bs about Hyrule's capital and the Triforce that can neither be proven or disproven. Worked pretty well, eh?

(btw, if you're interested, my previous theories are on my 1up page. http://www.1up.com/do/contributionIndex?publicUserId=5535729&type=blogs&Dispatch=Iframe)

[thefencemaster]

I've read over this many times, and I cannot seem to find anything horribly out of place. This is the most solid time line for these games that I've ever seen before. Very nice work