• Welcome to ZD Forums! You must create an account and log in to see and participate in the Shoutbox chat on this main index page.

Ending of Ocarina of Time

Mases

Lord of the Flies
Administrator
Site Staff
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Location
West Dundee, IL
This usually goes hand in hand when speaking of timeline theories. The more commonly accepted theory on the timeline involves the split-timeline, where at the end of the Ocarina of Time, there were really two endings.

One as adult Link, where he has defeated Ganon and restores peace to the land of Hyrule. Ganondorf is sealed in the Sacred Realm. Link is then sent back in time to relive his child years. Time still exists in the adult Link era, just with no Link. Ganondorf eventually escapes the Sacred Realm, hyrule floods, and the Wind Waker takes place.

Another one takes place as young link. After the ending of Ocarina of Time, Young Link is sent back in time seven years so he can relive his childhood. After which, he somehow gets to the Land of Termina and Majora's Mask takes place, and much later, Twilight Princess.

My question is, did Nintendo really think this through when it actually happened? Did they have any idea of a split timeline with two worlds progressing through time at the same time? Or was this just a common fan reaction. Much later in 2006, Aonuma confirmed this split. Is there really a split? Is there an actual timeline of events relating these few games? Any alternate ending opinions for Ocarina of Time? Does it all even matter?
 

Alder Dragon

Classic Gamer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
I think the timeline of Zelda is the worst aspect of the series, or at least the thing that should have been better thought out. I don't think Nintendo planned for this, at least, it is really unlikely in my opinion. If they did plan on making a split timeline, I think they would have made it more obvious. I don't think Nintendo planned much of Zelda's timeline at all, with obvious regards to Wind Waker -> Phantom Hourglass, Ocarina of Time -> Majora's Mask, etc.

For example, there is the idea that after Link's Awakening, Link had to run around and collect his items again - which leads to LoZ. I highly doubt that when nintendo was creating LoZ, they were planning this.

I personally don't focus on a timeline at all, I just play the games for the games. If there ever is an official timeline released, I'd be happy to look into it and learn more about how the games link together. But for now, I'm not really concerned.
 

Onilink89

Nyanko Sensei
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Location
The Netherlands
i think there is a split timeline but i don 't think OOT caused it. if so then adult link never excisted 7 years in the future so how does the people know the legend about it in WW? and at the ending why does young link goes to zelda (so asume the young zelda remembers everything). anyway the reason because link was in the future in the first place was he was too young to be accepted a hero of time and he soul got trapped in chamber of sages.

my point of vieuw he didn 't travel 7 years in the future or there should be 2 link 's right? so he was trapped 7 years. so he is going upstream and downstream, he not taking one huge hop to the future.
 
S

Seamusmaximus

Guest
I asumed that MM took place in the 7 year gap in the middle of. By this I mean that link progressed untill the point in OOT where he is transported forwards 7 years, during those seven years MM takes place, though link sees it as happening after OOT, and has memorys of OOT happening, thats why he is looking for navi. After MM finnishes the end of OOT actually takes place, and TP takes place sometime after that. However, there are still some problems with this, and I'm still trying to figure out how some elements work out chronalogicaly.:hmm:
 
C

cpunerd96

Guest
I once read a fan story about what happened after OOT. Link, when he turns young at the end of OOT, warns Zelda of Ganondorf and his evil plot. If he hadn't went to Termina afterwards. the story says. He could have watched what he had live throughout those seven years and guided him or whatever. So, really, Majoras Mask was going on at the same period as OOT. THink about that next time you play OOT.
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
To be honest i don't think that they we're planing on having a timeline, it seems that each of thee games are their own games and newer gamers can play newer zelda games. They really should have never made link go into the past after OoT.
 

linkman8

True and Noble
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Location
United States of America
That's what some say, is that there is no storyline whatsoever, but hasn't Nintendo said that there is a storyline? I mean Aonuma even hinted at parts of the storyline, especially with OOT.
 

Mases

Lord of the Flies
Administrator
Site Staff
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Location
West Dundee, IL
In issue 165 of Nintendo Power (February 2003), the Wind Waker was featured on the cover of the magazine, corresponding to its release on the gamecube.

There was an interview with Eiji Aonuma within this article.

Aonuma was the Assistant Director of Ocarina of Time as well as the Director of Majoras Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, & Phantom Hourglass.

He wrote, concerning the ending of Ocarina of Time...

"If you think back to the end of Ocarina of Time, there were two endings in that game in different time periods. First Link defeated Ganon as an adult, and then he actually went back to being a child."

He goes on to say that the Wind Waker takes place 100years after the events of Adult Link.

I suppose this all but confirms that there is in fact a split timeline, according to Aonuma at least. I actually think if you interviewed a lot of the big shots behind the Zelda series over the years, they would all have different opinions on the ending of the Ocarina of Time and the Zelda Timeline. So just because Aonuma says so, I don't think it is true. I think that he was just tending to the hardcore Zelda fans like us, who break down the timeline detail by detail. It was the most logical point, according to him, so he went ahead and said it.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
I dont rely on what Aunoma has to say so much when it relates to Zelda timeline/storylines, he didnt start helping the Zelda production team until Ocarina of Time.
 
R

Rheks

Guest
Haha, I also think the timeline was like "What the heck?" It's going from years later then years before. xD
 

Kybyrian

Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Location
Amherst, MA
Gender
Didn't I already answer this one?
Hmm, so in one ending Hyrule and floods and Windwaker takes place, and in another Link rides off and ends up in Termina? I'm not too sure about this.
 

Onilink89

Nyanko Sensei
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Location
The Netherlands
as i said in my first post, if there were really two links then the triforce would not have split in 8 pieces in the first place. so i also have my doubts that about that this ending is the cause of a split timeline. the main reason is because link traveld upwards and downward trough time just because his spirit was 7 year sealed because he was to young.

to put is simple:

1: upwards and downwards trough time
Past<---------->Future

2: Past ---(travels trough time)--->Future
Past<---(travels back in time)---Future

with number one is that the future is still his own time because his spirit was sealed, thats what i mean with upward and downward, it is clearly explained in the game.

with number two, lets just say he takes a jump 7 years in the future. if that were so i would i no doubts about the split timeline because then there should be two links. one in the past and one in the future. at the ending link beats ganondorf as an adult. if this theory is correct then ganondorf will still excist in the past causing one endless cycle.

i hope some people can understand my point of vieuw here.
 
Last edited:

linkman8

True and Noble
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Location
United States of America
I can see what you're coming from, but I don't know if Nintendo would make it that complicated for us. I'd just assume that the timelines keep moving forward and there is no loop.
 

Mases

Lord of the Flies
Administrator
Site Staff
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Location
West Dundee, IL
I believe the theory about this is that after Link defeats Ganon and is sent back to the past. He warns Princess Zelda who warns the thing, preventing the vents in the future ever from happening. Thus Ganon is sealed away, while Link heads off to Termina.

I believe that is the basis of the split-timeline theory. It is very plausable, but not exactly sure I agree with everything with it. There is the space time continuum, as in the movie Back to the Future. If Link does something as a kid, than it would effect the future.


So if all of what happened had happened, and then Link is sent back in time after defeating Ganon, wouldn't there be two Link's in the past? One that is in Kokiri Forest and just beating the Deku Tree, while the other is the Link you play as who was just sent back in time. If you've seen the movie, Back to the Future, you'd understand a bit where I'm coming from with this angle of looking at it.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom