I would like to propose a timeline. There is a lot of discussion about timeline theories, but I would like to actually propose one which I think does a better job incorporating all of the elements of all of the games than any timeline I've seen. I did not create this timeline, but I've given it a great deal of thought, and it has simply emerged as the most convincing.
Note: This timeline is split. There are plenty of threads arguing about whether the timeling splits. I think it is the only way to produce a consistent timeline especially given WW and TP; however, rather than giving a detailed argument for split timelines, I will argue that this particular split timeline is good.
The timeline is...
MC-FS-OoT- Then OoT creates a split leading to
Child- MM-TP-FSA-ALttP-OoS&OoA-LA
Adult- WW-PH-LoZ-AoL
There are sooooooo, many arguments for this timeline, and the reason I like it is that too many things just fall into place, but I will give a few arguements for the general structure.
Presplit: This is fairly uncontroversial. In MC Link aquires his green hat. I've heard the complaint that it is a different link in different games, so the hat doesn't matter, but that is a misunderstanding. The archetype of the hero embodying the triforce of courage aquires the hat. There have been heros of courage before Link in MC and there will be others later, but Link in MC is the first to have a hat, and the image sticks with the hero. For that matter so does the name. FS follows fairly easily, and OoT is usually considered one of the earliest. I have separated FSA from FS for reasons I will explain.
Adult side: WW and PH are basically given by in game information. WW follows Oot and PH follows WW. We know this. In a split timeline, WW has to be in the adult timeline because Gannon has been defeated. Now there are two really good reasons for putting LoZ and AoL next. First, the Hyrule in the 8 bit games is coastal, but it isn't in any other games. This is more than a minor geographical difference. Hyrule is not exactly the same in any two zelda games, but an ocean is a big addition. This suggests that they are set after the waters in WW recede. Second, the towns in AoL are named after sages which would not have been sages in the child timeline.
child side: MM and TP are fairly uncontroversial. FSA is where it is primarily for two reasons. First, Ganon aquires the trident, so FSA must be before ALttP, and second, the intro shows young girls as sages. In ALttP we find out that the sages decendents are maidens who no longer have the power of their ancestors. This fits perfectly with FSA where we see maidens who are apparently in the same bloodline, yet being earlier in the timeline, the power has not yet disipated. So on the child side we have a bloodline of maidens decended from the sages in TP. On the adult side, these sages are killed and Link awakens new ones who later have towns named after them. The oracles games come after ALttP because ALttP ends with the triforce pieces united, Ganon dead, and Twinrova still alive from OoT (because link never killed her on the child side). The oracles ending also shows Link sailing away on a boat similar to the one in LA, so it follows naturally that LA comes next. Also, LA is a dream that very closely resembles ALttP, so as a side point, it may be the same link in ALttP, OoS, OoA, and LA.
I know this post is already long, but I will give one more point and let whoever feels like wading through this give opinions.
Point: This timeline perfectly tracks the location of the master sword and the triforce.
Master sword: On the adult side, The WW has the master sword in the temple of time right where link left it in OoT, then it is left at the bottom of an ocean and does not come back in LoZ and AoL. On the child side, The master sword is in a pedestal in the forest grove that was apparently once the temple of time where link left the sword in OoT. In ALttP, the sword is still in the forest.
Triforce: this is much more complicated so I won't give the whole story, but basically each game that ends with a split triforce has it still split in the next game and each game that ends with a unified triforce has it unified in the next game. The only exception is the transition from WW to LoZ. In this case we rely on the AoL backstory which explains why the triforce is split between the games. As a final side note, placing the AoL backstory in "new hyrule" after the WW flood helps explain the confusion about the "first Zelda." She is really only the first Zelda of the "new hyrule."
OK. I'd love to say more, but I think I've given you guys enough to digest. So I hope this convinces some people and you like the timeline. I expect that some people will have suggestions and objections that will make for good discussion. This is great too.
Note: This timeline is split. There are plenty of threads arguing about whether the timeling splits. I think it is the only way to produce a consistent timeline especially given WW and TP; however, rather than giving a detailed argument for split timelines, I will argue that this particular split timeline is good.
The timeline is...
MC-FS-OoT- Then OoT creates a split leading to
Child- MM-TP-FSA-ALttP-OoS&OoA-LA
Adult- WW-PH-LoZ-AoL
There are sooooooo, many arguments for this timeline, and the reason I like it is that too many things just fall into place, but I will give a few arguements for the general structure.
Presplit: This is fairly uncontroversial. In MC Link aquires his green hat. I've heard the complaint that it is a different link in different games, so the hat doesn't matter, but that is a misunderstanding. The archetype of the hero embodying the triforce of courage aquires the hat. There have been heros of courage before Link in MC and there will be others later, but Link in MC is the first to have a hat, and the image sticks with the hero. For that matter so does the name. FS follows fairly easily, and OoT is usually considered one of the earliest. I have separated FSA from FS for reasons I will explain.
Adult side: WW and PH are basically given by in game information. WW follows Oot and PH follows WW. We know this. In a split timeline, WW has to be in the adult timeline because Gannon has been defeated. Now there are two really good reasons for putting LoZ and AoL next. First, the Hyrule in the 8 bit games is coastal, but it isn't in any other games. This is more than a minor geographical difference. Hyrule is not exactly the same in any two zelda games, but an ocean is a big addition. This suggests that they are set after the waters in WW recede. Second, the towns in AoL are named after sages which would not have been sages in the child timeline.
child side: MM and TP are fairly uncontroversial. FSA is where it is primarily for two reasons. First, Ganon aquires the trident, so FSA must be before ALttP, and second, the intro shows young girls as sages. In ALttP we find out that the sages decendents are maidens who no longer have the power of their ancestors. This fits perfectly with FSA where we see maidens who are apparently in the same bloodline, yet being earlier in the timeline, the power has not yet disipated. So on the child side we have a bloodline of maidens decended from the sages in TP. On the adult side, these sages are killed and Link awakens new ones who later have towns named after them. The oracles games come after ALttP because ALttP ends with the triforce pieces united, Ganon dead, and Twinrova still alive from OoT (because link never killed her on the child side). The oracles ending also shows Link sailing away on a boat similar to the one in LA, so it follows naturally that LA comes next. Also, LA is a dream that very closely resembles ALttP, so as a side point, it may be the same link in ALttP, OoS, OoA, and LA.
I know this post is already long, but I will give one more point and let whoever feels like wading through this give opinions.
Point: This timeline perfectly tracks the location of the master sword and the triforce.
Master sword: On the adult side, The WW has the master sword in the temple of time right where link left it in OoT, then it is left at the bottom of an ocean and does not come back in LoZ and AoL. On the child side, The master sword is in a pedestal in the forest grove that was apparently once the temple of time where link left the sword in OoT. In ALttP, the sword is still in the forest.
Triforce: this is much more complicated so I won't give the whole story, but basically each game that ends with a split triforce has it still split in the next game and each game that ends with a unified triforce has it unified in the next game. The only exception is the transition from WW to LoZ. In this case we rely on the AoL backstory which explains why the triforce is split between the games. As a final side note, placing the AoL backstory in "new hyrule" after the WW flood helps explain the confusion about the "first Zelda." She is really only the first Zelda of the "new hyrule."
OK. I'd love to say more, but I think I've given you guys enough to digest. So I hope this convinces some people and you like the timeline. I expect that some people will have suggestions and objections that will make for good discussion. This is great too.
