Kotaku: Is This the Official Timeline?

[Dio]

Nintendo's new Zelda art book is already finding its way into the hands of Joe Public, and inside is a Zelda timeline. For real. In an official Nintendo product.

And, according to one such person posting online (and helpfully translated by reader littsu), it reads like this. Note that the "split" is due to Ocarina's time differences and assumptions based on the different ways that story could have ended and branched off from his two ages: the Link to the Past split is Link failing, the Majora's split is Link defeating Ganon and branching off from his boyhood and the Wind Waker split is Link defeating Ganon and branching from his older years.

So, yeah, that suggests not only alternate universes, but two parallel universes spinning off the same single outcome.

Kotaku has an image of the timeline but I am unable to copy it so I will have to write it out this way:

..................WW-PH-ST
................ /
SS-MC-FS-OOT-MM-TP-FSA
............... \
.................. ALTTP-OOX-LA-LOZ-AOL

I rather like this timeline as I was never happy with placing ALTTP after TP because it says Ganon stole the triforce, and in TP it came to him. It also clears up my problem of having to place ALTTP after OOT on the Adult side because of the backstory of the Wind Waker. Do you like this timeline? Do you think it really is what Nintendo intended?

 

[Red Baron]

Kotaku has information from a person in Korea who got his hands on a copy of the book. There are no scans of the "timeline" yet, the image Kotaku posted is their mock-up of the information. i.e.: this is not 100% confirmed yet in my books, but it very well could be true. I'm curious what the exact details of Link's failure are (where in OoT it happens). Also it places Minish Cap between Four Swords and SS, please edit that in!

_______________ WW-PH--ST
______________/
SS--MC--FS--OOT-MM--TP--FSA
______________\
_______________ALTTP-OOX-LA--LOZ-AOL

 

[JuicieJ]

I...really don't think this is accurate. There's nothing to suggest three separate timelines. At all. And just what is this "failure" they're talking about? Link never failed at anything. He's always won. And, even if he did fail in an alternate universe, where does ALttP Link come from? If Link failed, he wouldn't have a descendant. This theory just doesn't add up in any imaginable way. But, if it's an official Nintendo product... We'll just have to see.

 

[Dio]

Also it places Minish Cap between Four Swords and SS, please edit that in!

Ah, thanks for pointing that out, I have done as you have asked.

I'm curious what the exact details of Link's failure are (where in OoT it happens)

Yes it is rather unclear. I hope Nintendo clears it up for us.

There's nothing to suggest three separate timelines.

No but there were many inaccuracies with the two we thought there were. The placement of FSA was pretty impossible, as well as the placement of ALTTP. And maybe ALTTP takes place after a possible reality where link dies in OOT, it's not too difficult to get killed in that game is it? I'm sure it's happened to all of us.

 

[Clearly]

I can't quite get my head around the 'failure' either. I mean, I've often thought about how it might be neat to have a Zelda game that follows an era where 'evil' actually conquered; but this isn't exactly the same thing, as it doesn't seem to add up under the existing circumstances.

If adult Link failed, then Ganon wouldn't be sealed in the 'Dark world'. He'd still be capering about in Hyrule (the Light world), only now even more powerful. It took all the sages to banish Ganon with the Master Sword jabbed in his face, and that was only while possessing the Triforce of power.

If child Link failed before opening the door of time, then Ganon wouldn't have gotten the Triforce at all.

I'll try and make it work... let's see, if Link failed to stop Ganon after opening the door; but was then killed by Ganon (along with Zelda), Sir Piggy would possibly have the whole Triforce in his possession in the sacred realm.... But then how was he trapped in the sacred realm, and why didn't they just trap him there in the Adult timeline when he got the Triforce of power?

It doesn't feel completely thought out, which sadly doesn't mean it's not legitimate though. We'll see.

 

[JamesBond007]

This won't work. Reason - Ganon's Trident. Again...

Maybe "Ocarina's Triple Split" could work like this:
---------/--TMC--FS/FSA--ALttP/OoX/LA--TLoZ/TAoL
SS--OoT--TWW/PH--ST
---------\MM--TP

No "Skyward Split", but instead when Link fails, Ganondorf doesn't attack immediately. He shows up much later.

 

[Dio]

If child Link failed before opening the door of time, then Ganon wouldn't have gotten the Triforce at all.

Not true at all, all Ganon would have done is warlock pawnched Darunia in the face and stole his stone, ate jabu jabu and found ruto inside with the saphire, and with the deku tree dead from his curse take the emerald, he has the keys to the door of time and enters. He then takes the triforce of power, the seal war happens and then ALTTP happens. SIMPLE.
Yes this is not a serious theory, but I'm just saying that Ganondorf would have found a way with or without link. He is an expert at manipulation, but he is also physically capable of doing things himself. He put a giant boulder over the entrance to Dodongo's cavern, so he must have some serious muscle power.

This won't work. Reason - Ganon's Trident. Again...

He has the Trident of power in one game. In no other game is it stated that his trident is the Trident of power. FSA takes place after TP. Ganon would have been reborn, not as a king but still of the Gerudo, and then taken the Trident.

 

[Red Baron]

I...really don't think this is accurate. There's nothing to suggest three separate timelines. At all. And just what is this "failure" they're talking about? Link never failed at anything. He's always won. And, even if he did fail in an alternate universe, where does ALttP Link come from? If Link failed, he wouldn't have a descendant. This theory just doesn't add up in any imaginable way. But, if it's an official Nintendo product... We'll just have to see.

While I'm in no way defending the validity of this timeline, is it ever stated that ALttP Link is a blood descendent of a previous hero? Based on our previous knowledge this timeline is outlandish and implausible but it's certainly far from impossible. I'm sure more scans will surface soon and clarify the validity (right or wrong) of this thing.

 

[Garo]

While I'm in no way defending the validity of this timeline, is it ever stated that ALttP Link is a blood descendent of a previous hero? Based on our previous knowledge this timeline is outlandish and implausible but it's certainly far from impossible. I'm sure more scans will surface soon and clarify the validity (right or wrong) of this thing.

The ALttP Link is a blood descendant of the Knights of Hyrule from the Seal War; if they are calling Ocarina of Time the Seal War (which, as people on this board have argued and come to the consensus that it is NOT), then Link would be the only figure even closely resembling a Knight of Hyrule.

This though just occurred to me though; Knights of Skyloft, Knights of Hyrule? Intriguing.

 

[Big Octo]

Another major problem I see is that FS and FSA are intended to be direct sequels (FS coming first), not FS being a sequel of MC.

 

[Clearly]

Not true at all, all Ganon would have done is warlock pawnched Darunia in the face and stole his stone, ate jabu jabu and found ruto inside with the saphire, and with the deku tree dead from his curse take the emerald, he has the keys to the door of time and enters. He then takes the triforce of power, the seal war happens and then ALTTP happens. SIMPLE.
Yes this is not a serious theory, but I'm just saying that Ganondorf would have found a way with or without link. He is an expert at manipulation, but he is also physically capable of doing things himself. He put a giant boulder over the entrance to Dodongo's cavern, so he must have some serious muscle power.

Riiiight. I completely forgot about the spiritual stones. What was the Master Sword the key to again?

 

[pokewarrior2000]

Maybe it will tell me if TP was before OOT

 

[JuicieJ]

No but there were many inaccuracies with the two we thought there were. The placement of FSA was pretty impossible, as well as the placement of ALTTP. And maybe ALTTP takes place after a possible reality where link dies in OOT, it's not too difficult to get killed in that game is it? I'm sure it's happened to all of us.

The alternate universe just seems like a cop-out, though. Like, "We can't think of anything original, so we're just gonna toss it to the side like this."

 

[Dio]

The alternate universe just seems like a cop-out, though. Like, "We can't think of anything original, so we're just gonna toss it to the side like this."

Yes, I agree with you totally that it's a cop out. But it's their own fault for not considering the timeline when making their games in the first place.

 

[TheGermanLegend]

It seems like for some odd reason Nintendo decided to reales the timeline just know. But they couldn't make one that worked so they decided to take all the old games that many players nowadays don't remember and say that they are just a "what-if"-scenario. And this realy makes me mad. Fans tried so hard fpr years to make a working timeline and many were successful in presenting one that works. But Nintendo just goes the easy way. Games that don't fit become "what-if"-scenarios and thinks they said previously are just ignored (FS/FSA-Placement). I don't accept this timeline and I'll continue to theorise like if this book was never published!!!