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Spoiler Musings of a Champion: The Power Source of the Timeless Sheikah Tech

Ryuken

Ace Adventurer/Truth Seeker
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This theory will make three points:
1) The goddess of Time's identity is Hylia.
2) Hylia powers the Timeshift Stones from Skyward Sword.
3) The Sheikah Technology in Breath of the Wild are powered by these same Timeshift Stones.
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The first point is relatively simple, and its answer can be found in Skyward Sword. The goddess Hylia, like the other three goddesses, possesses divine power with an element, and her element is Time.

Ancient Robot: This is the Temple of Time. Within it
is the sacred Gate of Time made by the
goddess, bzzt.
In the Lanayru Province, this robot confirms that the Gate of Time here was created by Hylia. The Gate of Time runs on the divine power from her since the only way to reactivate the gate located in the Sealed Temple is with a Skyward Strike from the Master Sword, a weapon she once wielded as the Goddess Sword during the Ancient Battle.
Hylia.png
All four goddesses now have names: Faron, the goddess of Courage, Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom, Din, the goddess of Power, and finally Hylia, the goddess of Time.
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Now for the second point, we must establish a connection between the Sheikah, Hylia, and the Ancient Robots. Take it away, Impa:

Impa: Zelda, at the command of the goddess,
I passed through the Gate of Time.
I did so to protect you and aid the fight
to prevent the world's destruction.
The last remnants of Demise are
decaying slowly within the [Master Sword].
Someone must stay behind to watch
over this blade.
His spirit must not reawaken.
He must never be allowed to threaten
the world again.

This is the nature of the task given to
my tribe.
As a member of the Sheikah, the
goddess's chosen guardians, I gladly
welcome this duty.
Hylia and the Sheikah were very close, and the Sheikah would do whatever it took to protect Hylia and the land of Hyrule. Impa, of course, was tasked to watch over the Sealed Temple where the Gate of Time and the pedestal for the Master Sword resided. But what of the other Sheikah? What happened to them?

There is some evidence suggesting that the Sheikah once resided in the Lanayru Province. The Timeshift Stones bear a mark on them that looks very similar to that of the Eye Symbol. And despite the fact that the only residents you see of the barren land are robots, there had to be someone who created them.
Hundreds of years in the past, these working robots performed various tasks for the people of the region. Now they litter the mining facility, having broken down and fallen into decay long ago.
- http://www.zelda.com/skywardsword/mobile/ancient-robots.html
I posit that the Sheikah were the ones who created them, especially since one of the robots, as I've quoted before, was tasked with guarding the Temple of Time.

Ancient Robot: It's my job to patrol outside the temple,
vrrm! If you want to reach the Gate of
Time, you will need to pass through
that door, bzzap.
Now they couldn't create the robots without the help of Hylia. The Timeshift Stones not only allow the robots to be brought to life, but they also allow Link to travel back hundreds of years in the past- when Lanayru was once brimming with life and technology- something that would not be possible without the power of the goddess of Time running through these ancient relics. On a slightly unrelated note, the Timeshift Stones and Orbs do have a slight resemblance to the Shrine Orbs (AKA the Sheikah Heirloom) and the attackable Switches, but we'll get to that in a bit. For now, know that Hylia powers the Timeshift Stones the Sheikah of Lanayru Province use to create their ancient technology in order to aid the goddess.
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Several conclusions can be drawn from the first two points, but the one I want to focus on lies within Breath of the Wild: my third point. Regardless of whatever timeline this game supposedly takes place in, the Sheikah have remained relatively quiet across them all. There was a sudden resurgence of them 10,000 years prior to BoTW, and eventually, they crafted the Sheikah Technology Hyrule would come to use not only to improve their quality of life, but in the fight against Calamity Ganon. Now where did all this technology come from? Why was it so effective against Calamity Ganon? And most importantly, how has this technology been able to last for over 10,000 years?

Well, it's all thanks to the Timeshift Stones powered by the goddess of Time herself. It's entirely possible that the Sheikah mined these stones from deep within the caverns and mountains of Hyrule, much like the Ancient Robots did in Skyward Sword, and integrated them into their daily lives as Sheikah Technology. Immense research and money was poured into the tech until they were able to craft the Divine Beasts and Guardians to oppose Ganon. Thanks to the Hylia-patented Timeshift Stones, the ancient cores running through these machines can last for a very long- perhaps indefinite- period of time, which is why they still glow after a Guardian is destroyed. The Ancient Shrines created for the hero thousands of years ago are still intact, with all their puzzles, orbs, and switches still in their spots. This is a testament to not only the craftsmanship of the Sheikah, but the timelessness of the ancient stones powering these shrines.


Here's a video of a person defeating Beast Ganon without using the Bow of Light. Now of course, Calamity Ganon can be severly weakened by the Divine Beasts, but in this fight, he can be defeated thanks to the Ancient Arrow, which is undoubtedly the most powerful item that can be crafted with Sheikah Tech. They're the only weapons besides the Light Arrows from the Bow of Light that can damage Beast Ganon; arrows that have, mind you, the strength to smite any evil, often regarded as one of the strongest items in any Zelda game. You would need the Master Sword or an item enchanted by a goddess to compete with them: a goddess like the one who empowered the Timeshift Stones, who shared a close bond with the Sheikah, who would be reborn as Zelda time and time again...
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A goddess like the goddess of Time: Hylia!

Closing Thoughts:
I've played through the main quests and DLC in BotW and have picked up on the many references to Skyward Sword. From Fi's spirit being heard in the Master Sword to the Sacred Flames theme being played when you clear the Master Trials... the list goes on. There are obviously references to the other Zelda games, but once I realized one of the major plot points was a reference to the first game chronologically in the Zelda timeline, I took that as a hint. If SS somehow took place near the end of the timeline, many would probably place BotW right after it. But I digress. Sheikah Technology is the most advanced and fascinating tech we've ever seen in a Zelda game, and I hope that we get to see more things like it in the future.

So what do you guys think of my first theory on the forums? I will do my best to respond to any criticism and rebuttals since I wish to sharpen my theorycrafting skills for the future.
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Now, begin your cross-examination!
 
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Jirohnagi

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Um the robots and timeshift stones weren't made by Hylia, by Lanayru the Thunder Dragon (so somewhat indirectly), The dragon states he gives all his robotic creations a name and the timeshift stones are physically mined in the desert region and processed in the mining facility. It seems more a case of they discovered an object with an innate ability to halt time in an area and then worked on refining it, reason i think this is due to ALL timeshift stones taking you back to a specific point in TIME not space but time. It doesn't matter where you are because the stone was mined at a point in time and so it remembers that time and when hit with an object such as the master sword activates.

On to how this occurs, i think it's actually FI who powers the Timeshift stones and orbs as you have to hit the stones with the sword and as we've seen the Sword Spirits seem to have a lot of power but only in a limited area.

This is mostly just conjecture but meh with a series as plotholed as zelda it's a good theory ^^

(also i liked the way you presented it)
 

Ryuken

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Thank you, @Shironagi . You do raise a good point about the stones' innate abilities, but as for the others, I have an explanation in mind.
the robots and timeshift stones weren't made by Hylia, by Lanayru the Thunder Dragon (so somewhat indirectly), The dragon states he gives all his robotic creations a name

I wouldn't say that. Lanayru refers to the robots as his "friends" and not his creations, but that's beside the point. He does name each series of robots and even gives some unique names, but since they are mass-produced, he can't get to all of them.
Fi: This robot is part of the LD-301 Series
of artificial life-forms. As just one of a
number of mass-produced robots, it
was not assigned a name.
A manager needs his workforce, after all. A workforce like the Sheikah. Also recall that Hylia was the one who appointed Lanayru, the Thunder Dragon, to watch over the land. It'd be odd for an appointed guardian to insert time-related minerals for his people to discover in the land, wouldn't you say?
On to how this occurs, i think it's actually FI who powers the Timeshift stones and orbs as you have to hit the stones with the sword and as we've seen the Sword Spirits seem to have a lot of power but only in a limited area.
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Incorrect. Fi herself explains how the Timeshift Stones activate:
Fi: Master, I have important information
for you. There is a 90% chance the
object you see over there is a
Timeshift Stone.
If you could deliver an impact to it by
some means,
it could have a significant
effect on the ship.
Fi: You can reach the Timeshift Stone
on the deck through the ventilation
shaft in the ceiling.

I believe it will be possible to shoot
through the grate with a small
projectile, such as an arrow.
These timeshift stones activate by impact from any means whether it be a bomb, arrow, or slingshot, like normal switches. Now the range they affect is naturally limited, but can also be amplified and manipulated after being refined in the facility. Their innate abilities appear as if they were designed that way from the beginning, so I doubt Fi, who was ALSO a being appointed by Hylia, would have a hand in this somehow.
 
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Joined
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At no point is Hylia confirmed to be the Goddess of Time, nor does she exhibit any ability to manipulate time herself... she merely possesses the knowledge to construct and use objects that do (think of it like mankind and electricity... we cannot manipulate electricity ourselves, but we can construct and use devices that can do it for us).
Based on the abilities that she (reincarnated as Zelda) has been shown to use unaided, it seems far more likely that her element would be light.

While the Sheikah were most likely responsible for creating the timeshift stone powered technology from SS (due to the similarities to Sheikah tech, and the presence of the Sheikah symbol), I personally don't think it is the same power source that powers the Sheikah technology of BotW.
Timeshift stones appear to be a finite resource (similar to fossil fuels) in that they will eventually run out, which explains why the vast majority of the timeshift stone powered tech had stopped working by the time of SS, and there is very little sign of it after that... whereas the power source for the Sheikah tech of BotW appears to be a renewable energy source (it won't run out, like solar energy) as the ancient furnaces have been burning for over 10,000 years, and draw power from the environment, like renewable energy.
This could also explain the Sheikah's absence through so many of the games... if they had almost exhausted the timeshift stones in Hyrule they would most likely have gone off to find another source, and would have continued travelling from one source to another as each ran out until they discovered their renewable energy source, which was probably when they returned to Hyrule.
 

Ryuken

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Interesting stuff.
At no point is Hylia confirmed to be the Goddess of Time, nor does she exhibit any ability to manipulate time herself... she merely possesses the knowledge to construct and use objects that do (think of it like mankind and electricity... we cannot manipulate electricity ourselves, but we can construct and use devices that can do it for us).
Based on the abilities that she (reincarnated as Zelda) has been shown to use unaided, it seems far more likely that her element would be light.
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That... does make sense, since we've seen Zelda use the power of light multiple times throughout the games. HOWEVER, Hylia could still have a hand in those Timeshift Stones since they take you to a specific point in time, which is identical to how she designed Gate of Time. Also, recall that the Ancient Arrows in BotW are just as strong, if not stronger, than the Light Arrows from the Bow of Light since not only do they vaporize enemies (like the Light Arrows from Wind Waker), but they can be used to defeat Beast Ganon.
Timeshift stones appear to be a finite resource (similar to fossil fuels) in that they will eventually run out, which explains why the vast majority of the timeshift stone powered tech had stopped working by the time of SS, and there is very little sign of it after that... whereas the power source for the Sheikah tech of BotW appears to be a renewable energy source (it won't run out, like solar energy) as the ancient furnaces have been burning for over 10,000 years, and draw power from the environment, like renewable energy.
This could also explain the Sheikah's absence through so many of the games... if they had almost exhausted the timeshift stones in Hyrule they would most likely have gone off to find another source, and would have continued travelling from one source to another as each ran out until they discovered their renewable energy source, which was probably when they returned to Hyrule.
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This statement is what I'd like to call a paradox. It doesn't mean you're completely wrong, though, since the land and its tech have in fact withered down. HOWEVER, recall that the Ancient Robots and the tech are powered by these "finite resources." When Link hits the Timeshift Stones by any impact, the Stone "switches on," which restores these machines to life. The stones themselves seem to be working completely fine, too. The architecture and the land may become rustic and whithered, but that doesn't mean their "fuel" has. Just because a clock has it handles fall off or the gears inside it become too rusty or broken to move doesn't mean the batteries it uses stop working.

Perhaps the Sheikah were not aware of all of the Timeshift Stones' abilities at that time. Then, when their descendants started mining many centuries later and discovered them, they were able to find more of its abilities and harness them.
 
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HOWEVER, Hylia could still have a hand in those Timeshift Stones since they take you to a specific point in time, which is identical to how she designed Gate of Time.
I get the feeling that the restriction on when the Gate of Time took you to is a result of Timeshift Stones having likely been used in it's construction, rather than being an intentional design choice.

This statement is what I'd like to call a paradox. It doesn't mean you're completely wrong, though, since the land and its tech have in fact withered down. HOWEVER, recall that the Ancient Robots and the tech are powered by these "finite resources." When Link hits the Timeshift Stones by any impact, the Stone "switches on," which restores these machines to life. The stones themselves seem to be working completely fine, too. The architecture and the land may become rustic and whithered, but that doesn't mean their "fuel" has. Just because a clock has it handles fall off or the gears inside it become too rusty or broken to move doesn't mean the batteries it uses stop working.
You're assuming that the Timeshift Stone's use as a power source is directly related to it's timeshifting ability, but that may not be the case... the timeshift ability may simply be restoring the stone itself to it's past state (like everything around it) and it's in that past state that it is still able to produce power.
It's also worth noting that Timeshift Stones will glow blue while under the effect of another Timeshift Stone, even if their own timeshift ability is not active, and one of the robots warns that the blue stones are dangerous, so it seems the blue glow is representative of their energy production function.

The only robots that are able to function without being under the effect of timeshifting are Scervo, Dreadfuse, and Scrapper... Scrapper we know to have stopped functioning due to a lack of oil, rather than a lack of power, so he would have still had some power left, and Fi comments that she admires how Scervo was still functioning, suggesting that he probably shouldn't be, so it's possible that he (and Dreadfuse) had been conserving power.
One of the robots also comments that they have to keep mining Timeshift Stones because it is their power source, implying that they would run out of power if they stopped mining, which would only happen if the Timeshift Stones were a finite source of power.
 

Ryuken

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I see that signature isn't just for show.
I get the feeling that the restriction on when the Gate of Time took you to is a result of Timeshift Stones having likely been used in it's construction, rather than being an intentional design choice.
Well, if the Gate of Time did use Timeshift Stones, then the problem would be the fact that these "finite resources" have been able to help the Gate of Time last for hundreds of years. Sure, it could function like you say it did at the start of creation, but it would need to be constantly worked on, maintained, and refueled somehow throughout all this time AND without the Sheikah or Hylia having any part in it (since they would not be around by the time SS's events take place).

Of course, that is if we go by YOUR theory.
 
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Well, if the Gate of Time did use Timeshift Stones, then the problem would be the fact that these "finite resources" have been able to help the Gate of Time last for hundreds of years. Sure, it could function like you say it did at the start of creation, but it would need to be constantly worked on, maintained, and refueled somehow throughout all this time AND without the Sheikah or Hylia having any part in it (since they would not be around by the time SS's events take place).
Firstly, the Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple was inactive until Link reactivated it (and we can assume the one in the Temple of Time had also been in a similar state)... this would have conserved power and removed the need for maintenance.
Secondly, when Impa presumably deactivates the Sealed Temple gate in the past, it disappears in the present, suggesting that they may only be single use, so may well use a finite energy source.
Thirdly, just because Timeshift Stones were used in the construction of the gates does not mean they serve as their power source... they may have only been used for their time manipulating ability, with something else having been used as their power source.
 

Ryuken

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You have put forward a pretty compelling argument and theory, @DragonEleven . There's just one thing you've yet to address:

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This arrow has the same power as the Light Arrows in this game, being able to obliterate nearly every enemy in one hit and being able to damage Beast Ganon. In my theory, this is made possible due to Hylia's divine influence on the Timeshift Stones and therefore the Ancient Technology. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
 
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This arrow has the same power as the Light Arrows in this game, being able to obliterate nearly every enemy in one hit and being able to damage Beast Ganon. In my theory, this is made possible due to Hylia's divine influence on the Timeshift Stones and therefore the Ancient Technology. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Your theory is the only thing making any sort of connection between either type of arrow and timeshift stones.
We could speculate that the energy used to power the ancient technology could in fact be divine energy... both appear to be infinite, and it appears to be possible to gather both from the surrounding area (this is how the ancient furnaces produce the blue flame, and appears to be how Link charges the Skyward Strike, which also has a blue glow)... this would explain why both types of arrow are so similar.
 

YIGAhim

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The idea is interesting, and another thing to point out is that in almost every adventure Link travels through time to get the Triforce.
 
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Even though there are some minor issues in the theory, i like it as a whole. The way most of the series works, I have always assumed that energy with similar color is usually the same type, possibly from the same source. My first thought, when playing Breath of the Wild, was time shift stones. (Well my first thought was actually how great the game looks on an 80 inch TV.)
 

Ryuken

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Even though there are some minor issues in the theory, i like it as a whole. The way most of the series works, I have always assumed that energy with similar color is usually the same type, possibly from the same source. My first thought, when playing Breath of the Wild, was time shift stones. (Well my first thought was actually how great the game looks on an 80 inch TV.)
I try not to go that route when it comes to making connections. An argument built on the color of something tends to blindside one to the other issues. The only other 3D Zelda game we've seen where technology is an essential part of the game/story is Skyward Sword, so that's what came to mind when I saw the Sheikah Technology.
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And I didn't mention this in the theory, but the reason why I brought up the Goddess of Time was because she's the deity everyone would probably be worshipping across ALL the 3D Zelda games, including Majora's Mask.
 

Jirohnagi

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The idea is interesting, and another thing to point out is that in almost every adventure Link travels through time to get the Triforce.

That was only prevalent in OOT and SS, ALTTP he obtained it via changing dimensions and murdering ganon, ALBW he swapped dimensions and murdered Yuganon and stopped an idiot.
 

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