General Timeline Theories (SPOILER ALERT)

[Jack Frost 0]

Wikepedia is rarely right....

since anyone can edit it, half of it's just a load of bullsh**

but, good theory

It is right quite a bit, but you also have to use good research skills, like following any links posted to see the material first hand.

Besides, timeline theories are full of it no matter where you go for the answer. For example, if you would ask me when Four Swords takes place on the Adult timeline, I would say it happens in the year 9000 ATS. Why? Because Miyamoto doesn't have an inkling of how the games all fit together either.

Sorry, I just had to soapbox for a bit.

Edited 16 Jan 2009 by Sheogorath (see edit history)

[Slagr 0]

What I had originally posted here was rather noobish and implied that you know nothing of theorizing, so I'll replace it with my line.

_______WW/PH

tMC-OoT

Edited 22 Apr 2009 by Slagr (see edit history)

[June 0]

Possibly:

Unknown 2/2-->MM-->TP-->UnKnown 1/2-->UnKnown2

and from links persepective: TP--> Unknown 1/2--> Unknown-->2/2--> Unknown2

This looks weird but bear with me:

Whenever I refer to link in the following, I am speaking of the Link from Twilight Princess

The unknowns refer to games yet to be released.

In Unknown 1/2 and 2/2, Which are the same game, but seperated by time, Link somehow gets thrown back 7-9 years.

In MM =, Link is looking for a lost companion (Midna?) and stumbles into an alternate dimension.

he could have been actually lookingfor a way into that dimension in hopes that the Twilight Mirror still existed and remain undisturbed in said alternate world. (The Link in MM being the same Link as in TP also explains the apparant "absence" of Navi (If she didn't exist in Tp, she couldn't in MM))

Perhaps Zelda, seeing Links depression since losing Midna, told him of a way into an alternate dimension, when in which the Twilight Mirror lay undisturbed.

During Link's travels to find this alternate dimension (Unkowns 1/2 and 2/2) link gets knocked back in time 7-9 years. during these adventures, he discovers the Ocarina of Time (Explaing why there are no songs learned at the begining of MM). along with the Ocarina, he learns of the location of the Alternate world and picks up the Kokori Sword.

Along his way to the AD (Alternate Dimension) he meets skull kid and the adventures of MM take place. After running all over the worlds of MM, Link Learns that the Twilight Mirror does not exist in Clock World (Explaing why he leaves at the end of MM) after this is where I'm unsure of what might happen (A.K.A. I have to many theories, each with their own special Time Paradox).

What do you think?

I thought his faithful companion would be Navi. You know how she leaves at the end of the game, OOT, right? I do understand. Midna was also with him for TP.

[Teto 2609]

I thought his faithful companion would be Navi. You know how she leaves at the end of the game, OOT, right? I do understand. Midna was also with him for TP.

And, in Majora's Mask, it's Young Link as opposed to Adult Link of Twilight Princess.

But w/e.

[Neku 1]

Hey guys.

I believe in this guys theory here:

*sigh* Its really hard to explain why I do, its just, it makes sense to me, what with all the different Links running around... and...

You might understand what I'm getting at if you watch it.

Actually, there used to be another kind of split timeline vid around somewhere, which focused on two different Hyrules: A and B. A was the dry Hyrule, such as OoT's. B was based around the flooded Hyrule in WW and PH, and how it came to be. The thing is, I can't seem to find the vid.

However, this probably automated message from Nintendo says that "there isn't a true frame of reference of time possible for the series." WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUT???!?!?

Basically, Nintendo have had enough of this debate and are refusing to tell us anything. However, we're gonna carry on until we get the truth, and nuttin' but the truth.

[Ivo-goji 0]

My personal Zelda Games Timeline is as fallows:

Ocerina of Time

Magora's Mask

Twilight Princess

The Minish Cap

Four Swords

Four Swords Adventures

A Link to the Past

Oracle of Ages

Oracle of Seasons

Link's Awakening

The Legend of Zelda (Classic Zelda)

The Adventures of Link (Zelda II)

The Wind Waker

Phantom Hourglass

I am currently unsure of the placement (and for that matter, the order) of the Four Sword games, though I place them roughly before Link to the Past. My ideas regarding the Timeline are largly governed by A: the movement of the Triforce through-out the series, B: Ganon(dorf)'s appearense or lack-there-of in each game, and C: the geographic location of different places in each game. Sense these three factors are the most prominent in the series, I hold them as being the best indicator of which game came after which. I will likely post an elaboration of this timeline and some other theorys of the Zelda chronology very soon.

[Slagr 0]

My personal Zelda Games Timeline is as follows:

Ocerina of Time

Majora's Mask

Twilight Princess

The Minish Cap

Four Swords

Four Swords Adventures

A Link to the Past

Oracle of Ages

Oracle of Seasons

Link's Awakening

The Legend of Zelda (Classic Zelda)

The Adventure of Link (Zelda II)

The Wind Waker

Phantom Hourglass

I am currently unsure of the placement (and for that matter, the order) of the Four Sword games, though I place them roughly before Link to the Past. My ideas regarding the Timeline are largly governed by A: the movement of the Triforce throughout the series, B: Ganon(dorf)'s appearance or lack-there-of in each game, and C: the geographic location of different places in each game. Since these three factors are the most prominent in the series, I hold them as being the best indicator of which game came after which. I will likely post an elaboration of this timeline and some other theories of the Zelda chronology very soon.

As far as the FS games go, the order is tMC-FS-FSA, but none really have to be directly sequential. For example, tMC is generally either before OoT or after WW on most timelines. If it's placed before OoT, then it won't connect directly to FS and it doesn't have to. With your line, which is similar to mine, tMC-OoT-MM-TP-FS is more likely than OoT-MM-TP-tMC-FS for numerous reasons, one of which includes the names of locations changing once rather than back and forth (Mt. Crenel to Death Mountain vs. Death Mountain to Mt. Crenel back to Death Mountain).

The biggest issue I see is your line's linearity. The devs have confirmed a split in the timeline after OoT, as follows:

__WW/PH

OoT

¯¯MM-TP

So just move WW and PH to a separate branch of OoT and it'll be very good.

[Fate's Shadow 0]

My opinion on the split timeline is that it seems to make sense but when in WW the 'Hero of Time' came forth and after defeating Ganon, was never seen again, I think that OoT's Link, after defeating Ganon in the future, went back in time to the OoT time and then afterwards, began the MM adventure. Either that or he traveled to the future after MM. As for tMC, I think it's more probable (as has been said before) that it occurred before OoT. FS probably occurred after TP as has also been said. Due to the split timeline being confirmed the base is probably

WW/PH

OoT

MM-TP

If you don't have that as your base then you're probably not going to be taken seriously. I can see both sides of it but, even though the split timeline was confirmed, I still lean a bit more towards the linear timeline.

[Chase 390]

There has to be a split timeline in order for Ocarina of Time to make sense. Why would Link bother with saving the future if it was for no effect? He could have just gotten Zelda to send him back in time with the ocarina and stopped Ganondorf before his reign.

[Fate's Shadow 0]

I don't see why there NEEDS to be a split. After all, perhaps after MM or before MM, after OoT, Link could have just gone forward in time to stop Ganon (again) in the distant future then gone back in time again. That way, after he did that he either would have started the MM adventure or just have 'retired' due to there being n imminent threat.

[Chase 390]

What was the purpose of him going forward in time to stop Ganondorf if it left no consequence either way? There'd be no reason for him to ever time travel unless the alternate future was truly affected.

[Fate's Shadow 0]

If he didn't go forawrd in time then Ganondorf might have killed everyone before anyone could stop him. You can't get much more 'there was a consequence to it' than saving the world.

[Arcane 12]

It makes no sense to kill Ganon and save the world, then go back in time, then go forward to kill him again. The point of going back in time is to prevent Ganon from ever gaining the Triforce of Power and laying waste to the world, which is achieved by not getting the Master Sword and travelling forward in time, and also to tell the King of Ganon's plan.

[Fate's Shadow 0]

To be honest, OoT doesn't even make sense! How does defeating him in the future stop him in the past? The Master Sword would send him back EXACTLY SEVEN YEARS which would be after Ganondorf already obtained the Triforce of Power. The way I see it, it's a sort of time paradox, that sort of thing will happen whenever you try to mess with time. Because if he never unsheathed the Master Sword he couldn't have beaten Ganon but Ganon never would have been a threat, thus by getting the Master Sword, he made the irreversible occurrence of Ganondorf getting the Triforce of Power. A time paradox is the only way that makes sense even if I don't believe in that in real life, it makes sense in a game.

[Arcane 12]

When you defeat Ganon, Link doesn't put the Master Sword back and go back seven years. Zelda, being the Sage of Time and all, sends him back to when they first met, or maybe a little earlier. I don't quite recall.