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Spoiler Could the Downfall Timeline be Link dying against Ganondorf in an alternate CHILD Timeline?

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I have little basis for this. I was hoping some of you could fill in the gaps.

Hyrule, especially the Sages, did do a whole entire war against Ganondorf in the CT, since it took several years to get to the point of executing him. This could have been the Imprisoning War from ALttP's backstory.

We don't see Link (Time) in the fight against Ganondorf in the CT, it could be possible that is because in one timeline, he died leading the war, resulting in GD being sealed in the Sacred Realm, and in the other, he lived, but had to be pulled from the war because he was seriously injured, to prevent GD from getting the ToC (end of OoT, post credits, shows CT Link with the ToC on his hand, so he has it).

Since Link (Time) is shown to straight up be missing an eye as the Hero's Spirit in TP, the potential death blow could have been that, and in the DT, it was more impactful or something, thus killing him.

The Sages of TP (the same ones in the war I'm theorizing that could be the Imprisoning War from ALttP backstory) are all men, which is exactly how they were described in ALttP.

Bonus points that might not fit as neatly.

Termina might be responsible for this. The Owl says Termina is both destined to be saved and destroyed. But divine intervention (Tatl asked the Goddess of Time for help as Link is playing the magic Song of Time) is allowing Link to rewind time while keeping his memories and some equipment, so it isn't a case of each time Link rewinds time, the previous version still exists somehow.

So how could Termina be saved and destroyed, if the end result is it being solely saved?

AT? Can't be. Skull Kid never put on MM, as he is still alive after the 7 year gap. This means Termina wasn't threatened by MM.

So that just leaves the DT, and would you look at that. Ravio has MM in ALBW. What if time travel occured in Lorule, just as it did in Hyrule, causing a CT/DT split?
 

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This theory doesn't work sadly because on the Child Timeline Ganondorf never got into the Sacred Realm. The backstory for A Link to the Past says he entered the Sacred Realm, got the Triforce, then the imprisoning war happened to seal him into the sacred realm.

The downfall timeline is either an alternate history of the unified timeline, or as some theorize, the downfall timeline could be the original history the unified timeline should follow, and Link's wish on the Triforce at the end of ALttP is what creates an alternate history of the unified timeline where the Hero of Time doesn't fail.
 
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This theory doesn't work sadly because on the Child Timeline Ganondorf never got into the Sacred Realm. The backstory for A Link to the Past says he entered the Sacred Realm, got the Triforce, then the imprisoning war happened to seal him into the sacred realm.

The downfall timeline is either an alternate history of the unified timeline, or as some theorize, the downfall timeline could be the original history the unified timeline should follow, and Link's wish on the Triforce at the end of ALttP is what creates an alternate history of the unified timeline where the Hero of Time doesn't fail.

ALttP also says the sages that sealed Ganon were all Hylian men. This is only true in the Child Timeline. No matter what, there has to be at least 1 retcon.
Also, the sages in TP are not the same sages in OoT, as they never awaken in the child timeline.
The sages in ALttP's backstory are not the sages from OoT, they are all Hylian men. This is true in TP's backstory. In fact, I literally called this out in one of the points in the op as support for the theory.
 
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Dio

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There was no war against Ganondorf in the CT as far as I am aware. He tried to assault Hyrule Castle just like in OOT but due to Link warning the king they were actually ready for him that time, subduing and imprisoning him.
 
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There was no war against Ganondorf in the CT as far as I am aware. He tried to assault Hyrule Castle just like in OOT but due to Link warning the king they were actually ready for him that time, subduing and imprisoning him.
Word of god says he was executed several years later, so it took years to get him subdued, implying war.
 

Dio

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Word of god says he was executed several years later, so it took years to get him subdued, implying war.

TPs sages describe his capture as being possible due to his blindness to danger which lines up with a sneaky capture rather than engaging in outright war. The only thing Link could know of help to the King is of that one particular planned assault on Hyrule that took place during OOT therefore that is the one that makes most sense for the capturing event.

It is possible they kept him imprisoned and chained up for years after
 
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TPs sages describe his capture as being possible due to his blindness to danger which lines up with a sneaky capture rather than engaging in outright war. The only thing Link could know of help to the King is of that one particular planned assault on Hyrule that took place during OOT therefore that is the one that makes most sense for the capturing event.

It is possible they kept him imprisoned and chained up for years after

Alright then. Bummer. Thought I was onto something for a moment there.
 
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This theory doesn't work sadly because on the Child Timeline Ganondorf never got into the Sacred Realm. The backstory for A Link to the Past says he entered the Sacred Realm, got the Triforce, then the imprisoning war happened to seal him into the sacred realm.

The downfall timeline is either an alternate history of the unified timeline, or as some theorize, the downfall timeline could be the original history the unified timeline should follow, and Link's wish on the Triforce at the end of ALttP is what creates an alternate history of the unified timeline where the Hero of Time doesn't fail.
This. Plus, how would you explain the fact that the OoT sages are remembered in Zelda 2 and BotW if they aren't awakened on the DT?
 

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I'm sure it'll be whatever Nintendo decides, since it's not in any of the games. :eyes:

Downfall just really isn't much of a thing right now, since it didn't exist until the Hyrule Historia and nothing in any of the games has ever actually dealt with or so much as addressed the idea of a Link dying.
 
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This. Plus, how would you explain the fact that the OoT sages are remembered in Zelda 2 and BotW if they aren't awakened on the DT?
I mean this in the nicest way possible. Please read every post before trying to disprove someone. I already countered this AND I already abandoned the theory because of what someone else said, since now Occam's Razor makes it more likely that the theory is wrong.

EDIT: Don't know what happened, but the second part of this somehow got cut off.

Anyways.

The town names are a coincidence, since there are more towns than just those, and Impa not being remembered is a nail in the theory that it is in remembrance of the sages. Also, if it really was about remembering the sages, they wouldn't have made the Water Town of Saria, but instead the Water Town of Ruto, because you know.
 
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I mean this in the nicest way possible. Please read every post before trying to disprove someone. I already countered this AND I already abandoned the theory because of what someone else said, since now Occam's Razor makes it more likely that the theory is wrong.

EDIT: Don't know what happened, but the second part of this somehow got cut off.

Anyways.

The town names are a coincidence, since there are more towns than just those, and Impa not being remembered is a nail in the theory that it is in remembrance of the sages. Also, if it really was about remembering the sages, they wouldn't have made the Water Town of Saria, but instead the Water Town of Ruto, because you know.
I am aware that you were disproven, just adding more points to the fray. I don't see you countering the tow names anywhere else aside from your post that you made after mine.

Also, it's not a coincidence, as there's interviews confirming that, in universe, the towns are named to honour the sages from OoT. There's also nothing to say that each town has to have the same element as each sage it's named after.
 
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I am aware that you were disproven, just adding more points to the fray. I don't see you countering the tow names anywhere else aside from your post that you made after mine.

Also, it's not a coincidence, as there's interviews confirming that in universe, the towns are named to honour the sages from OoT. There's also nothing to say that each town has to have the same element as each sage it's named after.

I never bought the town name thing, because Mido is a town name, and he sure as heck didn't do anything to be remembered, and again, Impa isn't a town name, but if there are interviews saying that was intentional, I'll concede.
 
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That's one of them; there's another one from around when OoT was released(about a week or so after), but I can't find it right now.
 
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in TP flashbacks TP Sages sealed Ganondorf in the Twilight i think this happens at the same time as Majora Mask

so Link never faced Ganondorf in the Child Timeline thats why when he becomes the Hero Shade he feels sorry that he isnt remembered as a Hero since in the Child Timeline the Ocarina of Time events never happened as Link warned to Zelda about the future at the end of Ocarina of Time
 

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