Linear Timeline expanded

[GZ Zelda]

I need a place to organize my thoughts about the merits of a linear timeline compared to a split timeline, and also a place to add split-timeline theories and events into a linear timeline in a way that is consistent with the presentation of in-game evidence. Feel free to contribute or contradict as more is added.

Table of Contents:
The Split Timeline, Evidence
The Split Timeline, Evidence; Rebuttal
The Problem of Time Travel
The Problem of OoT and TP
The Problem of OoT and MM
The Problem of the Draining of the Great Sea
The Problem of the Triforce
The Problem of the Master Sword
An Explanation of the Timeline Givens
The Problem of the Oracle Games
The Problem of Recurring Links
The Problem of Tears of the Kingdom and Twilight Princess
The Living Legend Theory
The Problem with Ganondorf
A Crisis About Twilight Princess
Re-evaluating Twilight Princess
The Problem with Parallel Events, Merged Timelines and Split Timelines
A Timeline of Calamity Ganon

The Split Timeline, Evidence:

The timeline currently is SS > OoT > MM > WW > PH > ST > MC > FS > TP > FSA > ALttP > OoA > OoS > LA > ALBW > TFH > EoW > Z1 > Z2 > BotW > TotK

The basic premise of the linear timeline is the rejection that Zelda exists in a multiverse. If you don't reject the existence of the Zelda multiverse, that is totally OK. The belief that Zelda exists in a multiverse is generally based on the official timelines from Hyrule Historia and Zelda Encyclopedia and developer quotes, all of which I will go into in the first post so that you understand what official quotes or timelines I am rejecting.

To reject the Zelda multiverse is to reject all the evidence below. You may not wish to reject the Zelda multiverse because of this evidence. However, with the application of the likely nature of our own universe, both from a scientific and religious perspective, onto the Zelda universe, one must conclude that there is no Zelda multiverse. That there are not three separate timelines. That there is one, unified timeline that is able to account for all of the cross-timeline references, easter eggs, and events that are functionally less fan-fic-y than current explanations (such as the Breath of the Wild infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters argument, the reunified argument, the Living Legend argument, the "Termina in other timelines" theories, the Downfall Rito and Korok evolution theories, the rules of time presented in Skyward Sword and Oracle of Ages, or the Triforce Wish theory). If you are willing to believe that THERE IS NO ZELDA MULTIVERSE, then you should understand the need for a competent linear timeline.

The evidence for the split:

In-game evidence:
At the end of Ocarina of Time, Link gets sent back in time by Zelda who plays Zelda's Lullaby and returns him to the Temple of Time, seven years younger. Zelda also sends back in time Link's Master Sword (which he lays to rest), his Hylian shield if he equipped it (though not the Mirror Shield), his Kokiri sword, the Triforce of Courage, and Navi. The Door of Time is notably open with no spiritual stones. This event, which we do not see occurring in the original game, is evidence of a multiverse. A hero not emerging in Wind Waker (as well as the broken Triforce of Courage), Ganondorf being executed in Twilight Princess, and the prologue of Majora's Mask are also in-game evidence that there is a Zelda multiverse. I will counter all of these arguments in the future, but for now, it is important to recognize that these are the main pieces of in-game evidence that demonstrate the existence of the multiverse.

Published material:
The official split timeline in ZE goes SS > MC > FS > OoT / WW > PH > ST -- MM > TP > FSA \ ALttP > LA > OoS > OoA > ALBW > TFH > Z1 > Z2 } BotW > BotW2. The HH timeline reversed LA and OoS > OoA. In the official timeline, there is a note saying "the timeline can be interpreted in a number of ways."

There was an unofficial NoA timeline that went OoT > MM > ALttP > OoS > OoA > Z1 > Z2 (West Hyrule) > LA > Z2 (East Hyrule).

Developer quotes:

Shigeru Miyamoto, Zelda creator, explained the timeline after Ocarina of Time's release: "Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It's not very clear where Link's Awakening fits in—it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time."

Satoru Takizawa, OoT Character Designer, explained the intention of Ocarina of Time's story: "This time, the story really wasn't an original. We were dealing with the "The Imprisoning War of the Seven Sages" from the SNES edition Zelda. To give that game a little "secret" recognition, I thought that keeping the "pigness" in Ganon would be the correct course. So we made him a beast "with the feeling of a pig."

Toru Osawa, OoT Script Director, elaborated: "Though in this game Zelda is now included in the Seven Sages, the other six have the names of the town names from the Disk System edition "The Adventure of Link."In the SNES edition game, the story "Long ago, there was a war called the Imprisoning War" was passed along. A name in the Imprisoning War era is the name of a Town later. They were like "pseudo-secrets." We wanted to throw these out through the entirety of the game. That thing from then is now this."

Eiji Aonuma, A Link to the Past + Four Sword and Four Swords Adventures producer, explained the two games placement: "The GBA Four Swords Zelda is what we’re thinking as the oldest tale in the Zelda timeline. With [Four Swords Adventures] being a sequel to that, and taking place sometime after that."

Aonuma, now Director of The Wind Waker, explains where Wind Waker takes place in comparison to OoT: "Oh, right, let me elaborate on that. Ocarina of Time basically has two endings of sorts; one has Link as a child and the other has him as an adult. This game, The Wind Waker, takes place a hundred years after the adult Link defeats Ganon at the end of Ocarina." For many, this is confirmation that there is a split timeline; however, this only confirms that there is a child Link and an adult Link at the end of Ocarina of Time, something that we observed in-game, not that there is a creation of a multiverse.

Aonuma, now Director of Twilight Princess, finally confirming a multiverse: "The Wind Waker is parallel. In Ocarina of Time, Link flew seven years in time, he beat Ganon and went back to being a kid, remember? Twilight Princess takes place in the world of Ocarina of Time, several hundred years after the peace returned to kid Link’s time. In the last scene of Ocarina of Time, kids Link and Zelda have a little talk, and as a consequence of that talk, their relationship with Ganon takes a whole new direction. In the middle of [Twilight Princess], there's a scene showing Ganon's execution. It was decided that Ganon be executed because he'd do something outrageous if they left him be. That scene takes place several years after Ocarina of Time. Ganon was sent to another world and now he wants to obtain the power..." This quote explains how this multiverse is created: kid Link and Zelda talk, somehow changing their relationship with Ganondorf, which led to peace. Ganondorf's execution is also given new motivation: the belief that he would do something outrageous. I should note that this entire plot makes little sense, but this is what Aonuma confirmed.

Aonuma, now Producer of Skyward Sword, also confirmed that Skyward Sword took place before Ocarina of Time.

Aonuma, Miyamoto, and BotW director Hidemaro Fujibayashi also confirmed that Breath of the Wild takes place at the very end of one of the confirmed timelines, though they have not specified which one specifically.

More broadly, the belief that a multiverse is required for understanding the Zelda timeline is mainly because A Link to the Past, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and The Wind Waker all serve as sequels to Ocarina of Time, meaning multiple versions of Ocarina of Time must exist: one that functions as ALttP's Imprisoning War, one that functions as Wind Waker's Hero of Time story, and one that functions as an explanation for Ganondorf's sealing in the Twilight Realm.

SUMMARY: The Hyrule Historia and Zelda Encyclopedia timelines are not possible in a single Zelda universe, though the canon "timeline can be interpreted in a number of ways" is. The TP Aounuma quote explaining Twilight Princess' Ganondorf's execution as "several years" after Ocarina of Time (something not suggested within the game itself) is also not possible in a single Zelda universe. Every other piece of evidence from ALL Zelda games, Zelda lore books, and Zelda developer interviews should function within a linear timeline; if you know of any that I have missed that would not function, please let me know.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

y tho

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

What am I reading? You said the linear timeline is a rejection that Zelda exists in a multiverse:

The basic premise of the linear timeline is the rejection that Zelda exists in a multiverse.

And then you just go on to basically confirm it could work in a multiverse. Are you planning to expand this, I guess?

 

[Moblinking5000]

I've already argued against linear timelines millions of times, don't know if I'll do so again. I might later if I have nothing better to do.

As for the Encyclopedia quote about the timeline being able to be interpreted in a number of ways, the Japanese version of Encyclopedia does not have this quote: https://imgur.com/q4yFr0Z

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Split Timeline, Evidence; Rebuttal:

And then you just go on to basically confirm it could work in a multiverse.

It could work as either a multiverse or as a single universe. The linear timeline theory rejects the multiverse interpretation. The first post was just to lay out what parts of the games, the lore, and the developer quotes "disprove" the linear timeline: only the Twilight Princess quote and the official timeline needs to be rejected (obviously).

As for the Encyclopedia quote about the timeline being able to be interpreted in a number of ways, the Japanese version of Encyclopedia does not have this quote: https://imgur.com/q4yFr0Z

Yeah, the ZE English "disclaimer" is not very convincing as to why people who treat that timeline as canon to even consider the linear timeline. But if you can grant the possibility that Zelda does not take place in a multiverse, which I do, then the timeline which mandates a multiverse needs to be rejected. It is totally reasonable to disagree with that fundamental rejection of the multiverse (which is often why the linear timeline is cited as not just false, but also ridiculous: there is a Zelda multiverse and to make a theory assuming that there isn't is not smart). While I recognize this disagreement and critique (Plinko compares the logic to flat-earthers), I think it is reasonable to reject that Zelda takes place in a multiverse. I think that is appropriate discourse. And I think the games and the timeline would be better in a single-universe, and a single universe would explain a lot of discrepancies.

Are you implying that the multiverse hypothesis in reality, as it applies to physics isn't likely?

What led you to that conclusion? Especially since it's considered a hypothesis that hasn't yet been disproved by experimentation.

That's the point: we can't experiment on a multiverse. We can only guess if there is one, and the existence of one is essentially unfalsifiable, and thus unscientific. This also applies to the Zelda universe: in-game, we should be unable to observe anything from any of the other universes within a game that does not take place in that universe: if there is evidence that an AT or CT event is being referenced in the DT, or vice versa, this should not be possible and calls into question this assumption that Zelda is a multiverse.

Maybe I should clarify the in-game evidence and developer quote evidence above:

So, the OoT, WW, and TP in-game evidence for the multiversal explanation requires a duplication of the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage, the teleportation, mind-wiping, and memory-introduction of Link and Navi, the teleportation of the Hylian Shield from the shop to Link's pocket, the king believing Link and Zelda despite his rejection of Zelda's beat-by-beat prophetic dream, Link leaving future Hyrule on a horse being remembered in the Adult Timeline, even though that only occurred in the Child Timeline, there being an entirely separate set of six sages guarding a previously unseen massive prison in the desert, and this doesn't even mention the entire separate universe where Link dies at the end of Ocarina of Time that branches off into the dumping ground for the 2D games they didn't know what to do with.

The linear explanation is that there are two Links acting simultaneously within the same universe during the child portion of Ocarina of Time. One is the Link that we play as in Ocarina of Time and the other is the time-traveling version that tells Zelda about what is going to happen to Hyrule, the "legend" that Majora's Mask prologue describes, and then who leaves Termina on his horse, the image depicted at the beginning of the Wind Waker. Zelda knowing about what is going to happen, instead of being insanely ignorant and uncharacteristically unwise, makes the specificity and prophetic nature of her actions make more sense. There is no Master Sword or Triforce of Courage duplication as there is not a separate one in the AT and CT, the time travel does not serve as a form of teleportation and transmutation of existing matter, the king stays irrational which is in-line with his character, and there isn't a separate group of sages.

For the developer quotes, nothing besides the Twilight Princess quote contradicts a single-universe theory. The original Miyamoto timeline is wrong, as it is in the split. Four Swords is not the first game in the series anymore either. The Wind Waker quote, as mentioned, just says that there is an adult Link and a child Link at the end of Ocarina of Time, which is actually not true: there is only one Link in the split timeline and the "adult" Link is never heard from or seen again. The Z2 towns are still named after the OoT sages, who are now remembered in all timelines, which is good if BotW2 is going to have TP Ganondorf what with the malice-leaking hole in his chest and the Twili-style energy holding him in place.

The Twilight Princess quote is ultimately the backbone for the HH and ZE timelines and the belief in the Zelda multiverse. But other timelines have caused changes as new games were released, and with the release of BotW, which references both Link being "dyed in twilight," Link crossing "the seas when you seek the gold made by the gods," the Koroks, the Rito, the gorons from Majora's Mask, and the seven sages from Hyrule, and with BotW2 looking to once again shake the timeline up, it might be time to reanalyze the fundamentals of the way the multiverse works in the Zelda series.

 

[Moblinking5000]

It could work as either a multiverse or as a single universe. The linear timeline theory rejects the multiverse interpretation. The first post was just to lay out what parts of the games, the lore, and the developer quotes "disprove" the linear timeline: only the Twilight Princess quote and the official timeline needs to be rejected (obviously)

Not to mention the ''two endings'' quote of The Wind Waker, or that OoT itself shows the AT and CT coexisting seperately, or that JP TWW says that the Hero of Time left Hyrule by ''travelling the flows of time''
, etc. alot of evidence disproves a linear timeline.

That's the point: we can't experiment on a multiverse. We can only guess if there is one, and the existence of one is essentially unfalsifiable, and thus unscientific. This also applies to the Zelda universe: in-game, we should be unable to observe anything from any of the other universes within a game that does not take place in that universe: if there is evidence that an AT or CT event is being referenced in the DT, or vice versa, this should not be possible and calls into question this assumption that Zelda is a multiverse.

Do you have any actual examples of an event from one timeline branch being referenced in a different branch?

The linear explanation is that there are two Links acting simultaneously within the same universe during the child portion of Ocarina of Time. One is the Link that we play as in Ocarina of Time and the other is the time-traveling version that tells Zelda about what is going to happen to Hyrule, the "legend" that Majora's Mask prologue describes, and then who leaves Termina on his horse, the image depicted at the beginning of the Wind Waker. Zelda knowing about what is going to happen, instead of being insanely ignorant and uncharacteristically unwise, makes the specificity and prophetic nature of her actions make more sense. There is no Master Sword or Triforce of Courage duplication as there is not a separate one in the AT and CT, the time travel does not serve as a form of teleportation and transmutation of existing matter, the king stays irrational which is in-line with his character, and there isn't a separate group of sages.

Why don't we ever see both Links in OoT, then? There's no proof to support this.

or the developer quotes, nothing besides the Twilight Princess quote contradicts a single-universe theory. The original Miyamoto timeline is wrong, as it is in the split. Four Swords is not the first game in the series anymore either. The Wind Waker quote, as mentioned, just says that there is an adult Link and a child Link at the end of Ocarina of Time, which is actually not true: there is only one Link in the split timeline and the "adult" Link is never heard from or seen again. The Z2 towns are still named after the OoT sages, who are now remembered in all timelines, which is good if BotW2 is going to have TP Ganondorf what with the malice-leaking hole in his chest and the Twili-style energy holding him in place.

Obviously the Miyamoto timeline is wrong; it contradicts the fact that ALttP is a prequel to the NES games, and considering the fact that Miyamoto wasn't the writer for many of the games, it makes sense he wouldn't be up to date on that, and Dan Owsen even said that he later admitted to not knowing the timeline: http://www.zeldalegends.net/files/text/nintendomaterial/danowsen/dan-miyamoto.txt So we can safely say that he came up with something on the spot to appease the interviewer. Four Swords isn't the first game anymore because there have been two newer games since then that are even further back in the timeline; Aonuma obviously meant ''first for now''. You're misremembering the TWW quote; it says that there's two different endings in two different time periods, not two Links.

But other timelines have caused changes as new games were released, and with the release of BotW, which references both Link being "dyed in twilight," Link crossing "the seas when you seek the gold made by the gods," the Koroks, the Rito, the gorons from Majora's Mask, and the seven sages from Hyrule, and with BotW2 looking to once again shake the timeline up, it might be time to reanalyze the fundamentals of the way the multiverse works in the Zelda series.

Without further context, ''dyed in twilight'' and ''crossing the seas when you seek the gold of the gods'' is meaningless, as the Twilight Realm, the Triforce, and seas exist in all three timelines(assuming that the Twilight reference is even referring to the Twilight Realm, as the JP word, ''Tasogare'' can be used to refer to twilight, dusk, or darkness OR assuming that these are referring to actual events and not just hypothetical poetry like the Postman's Creed which this speech is similar to OR that all these events aren't just referring to SS, especially considering all these events match up with it and SS was the game where the Master Sword was forged and the ceremony is about the hero's relationship to the Master Sword; no matter how you slice it, too much of it is up to interpretation for it to be ample evidence for a timeline placement). Koroks are just transformed Kokiri(and the Kokiri exist in all three timelines), BotW Ritos are nothing like TWW Rito aside from the name and bird theme biologically or culturally, It makes sense that the Majora's Mask Gorons have a Hyrulean duplicate as it makes no sense that someone from Hyrule would even know about a Goron from another dimension.

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem of Time Travel:

Not to mention the ''two endings'' quote of The Wind Waker, or that OoT itself shows the AT and CT coexisting seperately, or that JP TWW says that the Hero of Time left Hyrule by ''travelling the flows of time''
, etc. alot of evidence disproves a linear timeline.

The "two endings quote" is still true of a linear timeline: one ending with the dance in the future, and one ending as a child (which ultimately ends in Termina (and then ultimately in TP, I'll probably expand that in a later post, as is the name of the thread). It also says "time periods" not "timelines," and we know that there were two endings in two different time periods: one when Link was an adult and one when he was a child. That doesn't require a split timeline.

I've never heard Tasogare translated as darkness; every translation I find translates it first as twilight and then as dusk. Which means that a Link was dyed in dusk sometime before BotW, something that doesn't happen in Skyward Sword. You could argue that "crossing the seas when you seek the gold of the gods" refers to Zelda 2, I grant you, but there is no proof that the Zora evolved into the Rito or the Kokiri evolved into the Koroks in any timeline besides the adult; there is also no proof that any heroes were "dyed in dusk" in any timeline besides the child. Missing games are even more fanfic than the most uncharitable interpretations of the linear timeline. The Kokiri also patently do not exist in any of the other timelines: we don't see them again after Ocarina of Time except in Wind Waker in the Adult Timeline, meaning something happened to them. The Rito also have the same -i ending name pattern as in the Wind Waker, Medoh is named after Medli's Japanese name, they both emphasize music more than other Zelda races (Kass the bard and Medli's harp), they both are practitioners or believers in wind magic (Revali's Gale is literally wind magic, probably granted to him by Zephos and Cyclos, gods of the wind, who's shrine the Rito worship at in Wind Waker), they both have a dumb minigame based on Updrafts, and they both are associated with Valoo and Dinraal, the respective fire dragon in their games (Mazli can see the dragon, which is odd because I don't think other characters can see the dragon in-game, besides children). If these Rito are not the same as the Wind Waker Rito, there would need to have been a massive upheaval that led to their existence, of which we have no evidence.

I hadn't thought of the Terminian duplicate idea, good stuff. I mean Majora's Mask is in ALBW and BotW (you can determine whether DLC like that is canon; we'd have a problem because Tri Force Heroes has a Linebeck outfit and there is definitely no Linebeck in the Downfall Timeline). I'll probably expand on the Termina stuff in a later post as well: add it to the checklist.

Why don't we ever see both Links in OoT, then? There's no proof to support this.

If you reject the multiverse, which is premise #1 of the linear timeline, then there are two Links. Frankly there should be two Links in the split timeline as well: if Link goes back in time to before Ganondorf was defeated, there was another Link running around during that time period. Unless the very act of him going back in time erases that other Link. Which doesn't make sense and has no proof. This is like how in Skyward Sword, there is a Zelda encased in amber and a Zelda on Skyloft that exist at the same time. Or in Avengers: Endgame, where there are two Nebulas or two Tony Starks when they time travel back to 2012. Or in Harry Potter, when Harry goes back in time, there is another Harry there. Or in Back to the Future, well, Back to the Future rewrites reality itself, thus eliminating the supposed "Adult Timeline." But again, the linear timeline has as a given that Link goes back to the same timeline, which would mean that two Links exist.

Maybe I should expand on the differences between a single universe and the multiverse theory, related to Zelda, and maybe Zelda time travel broadly. Go to the purple section for the disagreeable part.

A multiverse Zelda is so far what has been assumed, ever since Ocarina of Time had two endings, then with the Wind Waker quote (which doesn't specify two timelines, but suggests it), then the Twilight Princess quote, then the HH and ZE timelines confirming it. This requires the laws of physics, created by Nayru, to have some sort of randomness. Not everything is cause and effect; there are different conditions that allow for different possible outcomes, and agents within those contexts are able to fundamentally change the nature of reality, thus splitting timelines (CT), or creating entire new ones (DT).

A single universe Zelda has the laws of physics, created by Nayru, essentially set in stone. This energy transfers to this matter which carries its energy to this matter and so on and so forth. This is what the real-world evidence suggests is how our world works: the energy of the Big Bang led to an explosion which led to an expansion which led to dense matter attracting less dense matter (gravity) which led to planets which led to life which led to us. We are conscious creatures within that existence.

In a multiverse Zelda, free choice creates new branches that serve as new universe (DT), and free choice post-time travel also create new universe (CT). In a single universe Zelda, free choice cannot create new branches as there is only the one universe (no DT), and free choice post-time travel is impossible (no CT). With the 1st premise of the linear timeline, the rejection of the multiverse, comes the inability for multiple timelines. The evidence that there is not a multiverse is supported by the other games in the series that do not "branch" into different realities.

Time travel in Zelda:
In Skyward Sword, the order of time travel events goes as follows:

- First Past Impa travels to the present to get Present Zelda. Then Zelda and Past Impa go back in time, Link follows after getting help from the Old One, and now-past Zelda encases herself in amber and waits until the present day. This means that, from Zelda's birth until Zelda first travels into the past, there are two Zeldas.

- To revive the Thunder Dragon Lanayru, Link must speak to the bones of Lanayru, turn back time to when Lanayru was alive, sick and in need of the Life Tree Fruit to heal, turn back time to when the dead desert Life Tree was a seedling, take the seedling to the Sealed Grounds in the present, where there is no tree because Link is carrying the tree that will be there, take the seedling back to the past, plant it in the Sealed Grounds in the past, grab the fruit in the present, bring the fruit back to alive Lanayru in the past, heal him and return to the present, when Lanayru's bone are no longer there because he is alive (alive to watch the vast ocean and grassy hills of his dominion turn to desert before his eyes). This means that there is one Life Tree Sapling and one Lanayru, shifted back and forth across the same timeline.

- Towards the end of the game, after Zelda breaks out of the amber and Skyloft's Goddess Statue falls to the surface and destroys Demise, Ghirahim takes Zelda back in time to before the Goddess Hylia placed the Sealing Spike in the Imprisoned's head, before Zelda had sealed herself in amber, after Link had moved the Life Tree in the past, and after Hylia had sealed Demise on her own. It is here that Ghirahim uses Zelda to break the seal on the Imprisoned, who becomes Demise. Link and Demise fight, Demise's consciousness is absorbed into the Master Sword, Zelda gives Past Impa a purple bracelet, and Link lays the Master Sword to rest. He then travels back to the present, where it is revealed that the Old One was Impa, and now the Master Sword rests in the exact spot where you first met her. This means that, during the time that Past Impa was in the present, there are two Impas.

In Ocarina of Time, Link completes The Great Deku Tree, Dodongo's Cavern, and Jabu Jabu's Belly before encountering Zelda and Impa fleeing from Ganondorf. He then travels 7 years into the future, completes the Forest, Fire and Water temples, goes back in time to complete the Bottom of the Well, travels 7 years into the future to complete the Shadow Temple, goes back to start the Spirit Temple, goes forward to finish the Spirit Temple and defeat Ganondorf, and then goes back to relive his childhood and talk to Zelda in the courtyard castle, during Ganondorf's visit with the king, and before the spiritual stones are placed in the Temple of Time.

Majora's Mask takes place in Termina, which has its reality consistently rewritten as it is stuck in a time loop. Time moves faster in Termina. In Phantom Hourglass, time moves slower in the World of the Ocean King.

In Twilight Princess, Link travels to the past by going through the door of the Temple of Time, during a period when the Master Sword did not rest in the Temple of Time (which it once again does at the beginning of Twilight Princess).

In Oracle of Ages: Veran takes Nayru to the past, where she influences Queen Ambi to build the Black Tower, and Link follows, meeting the Maku Tree in the past. Veran's magic travels through time, transforming people, erasing monkeys, and turning children to stone in the present. Link travels back to the present, completes Spirit's Grave, and collects the Harp of Ages, before traveling to the past. Here, Link meets with Ambi, travels through the woods and finishes Wing Dungeon. Next, Link talks to Cheval, who says he wants to make a rope. Link goes to the present, finds the rope in Cheval's grave, goes back to the past, gives it to a raft maker, goes back to the present, gets a sea chart, goes back to the past, takes the raft to Crescent Island, plants a seed in the past, waits for it to grow in the present and completes a mini-game, purchases his items in the past, returns to the present and completes Moonlit Grotto. Link then goes to Symmetry City, which Veran made erupt by moving the Tuni Nut in the past, so Link goes to the past, retrieves the Tuni Nut, and completes Skull Dungeon. Back in the past, Veran trapped the Goron Elder, so Link goes to the present, defeats King Moblin, goes back to the past, frees the Goron Elder, and goes back to the present to complete the Crown Dungeon. Link goes to the past, does the Goron dance, goes to the present, gets the Rock Sirloin, trades it for the Goron Vase, brings that to the past, trades that for Goronade, brings that to the present, gets the Old Mermaid Key, goes to the past, goes back to the present, goes back to the past, gets the Lava Juice, gets the letter, goes back to the present, does the Goron Dance, gets the Mermaid Key, goes to Mermaid Cave, goes back to the past to start it, goes to the present to get through more, and goes back to the past to finish it. Link goes to Ambi's Palace and frees Veran, who possesses Ambi, but because Veran cannot use Nayru's magic to manipulate time, all the problems she caused go back to normal. However, the Black Tower still ends up being built in the present; this doesn't change. Veran poisoned the Zora seas, which does not get fixed in the present, so Link travels the seas, going to the past, back to the present, to the past, to the present, to the past again, saves the Zora king's life, goes to the present, gets the library key, goes back to the past to get to the library, goes to the present to get the fairy powder, uses the fairy powder in the past, goes to the present, goes in Jabu-Jabu's Belly. Fairly simple now, he goes to the past, goes to the Ancient Tomb and completes it. He then goes to the Maku Tree, gets the Maku Seed to unlock the Black Tower in the past, which he goes to and defeats Veran, and then they go to the present and a statue of Link sits next to the Maku Tree.
To get this straight, that is
present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present>past>present. This is all to say that there is an insane amount of time travel in Oracle of Ages, all of it entirely controlled by Nayru's magic, with no splitting universes. Everything Veran does to disrupt the flow of time is reversed by the end of the game, and anything Link changes about the past is affected in the present. This is one constant cause and effect loop.

In Oracle of Seasons, Ambi travels to the present with the help of Nayru. Yay, simple.

How does a multiverse theory tackle this time travel? Well, it considers every single instance of it to be its own separate multiverse. By Link traveling back in time to these points, he automatically creates a new timeline as he was not present in the time periods before? A split timeline isolates the time travel in Ocarina of Time and says that the consequence of Link traveling back in time is large enough to create an entirely separate universe, containing games that we have seen (MM, TP, FSA).

A rejection of the multiverse mandates that all of these moments of time travel must occur within the same reality. The events of Skyward Sword play out as such: Hylia seals Demise without the Sealing Spike > Link arrives in the past, watches Zelda seal herself, and returns to the future > Link moves the Life Tree and resurrects Lanayru > Ghirahim goes to the past to resurrect Demise, Zelda and Link follow > Link seals Demise in the sword, Hylia seals the Imprisoned with the Sealing Spike > Link and Zelda travel to the future to live on the surface > Impa travels to the future to rescue Zelda and warn her about Demise, this is Hylia's prophecy > Impa arrives from the future with Zelda to seal Zelda in amber > Impa arrives from the past to rescue Zelda > Impa travels to the past with Zelda > Link travels to the past and arrives from the past > Link moves the Life Tree and resurrects Lanayru > Link destroys the Imprisoned with his Triforce Wish, the Isle of the Goddess returns to the surface > Zelda and Link arrive from the past to live their life on the surface.

The events of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask play out as such: Future Link arrives from the future and warns Zelda about Ganondorf, this is Zelda's prophecy > Past Link finds the Kokiri Emerald, meets with Zelda, then finds the Goron Ruby, and Zora's Sapphire > Zelda throws Link the Ocarina while fleeing Ganondorf and created the telepathic message teaching him the Song of Time > Past Link travels 7 years into the future > Past Link arrives from the future, completes the Bottom of the Well and returns > Future Link and Zelda bond over a "short time," before Link goes off to find Navi on Epona > Past Link arrives from the future and completes the first half of the Spirit Temple and returning > Future Link discovers Termina and gets stuck in its time loop > Past Link arrives 7 years into the future and completes the Forest, Fire, and Water temples, before traveling to the past > Past Link returns to complete the Shadow Temple and Gerudo's Fortress, before traveling back to the past > Past Link returns to complete the Spirit Temple and defeat Ganondorf > Zelda sends Past Link back to the past to relive his childhood.

Majora's Mask and Phantom Hourglass play out identically, except Majora's Mask takes a long time compared to Hyrule's time, and Phantom Hourglass takes a short time compared to Hyrule's time.

In Oracle of Ages, there are two parallel past and present timelines: any time Link travels to the past, it was after the time that he was last there. And any time Link traveled...back to the future, it was after the time that he was last there.

In Twilight Princess, the Temple of Time is remodeled, the Master Sword is removed, the Ooccoo contribute their technology, Link travels from the future to and from it, and then it slowly but massively decays over time until the present day.

This is how time travel affects the linear timeline. I think, considering the rejection of the multiverse, these are the most compelling ways to view the timelines of each game in regards to their time travel. The multiverse theory still has not accounted for the many continuities of the Skyward Sword time travel, which have been taken into consideration in the linear version, and it has also been unable to explain cross-timeline item duplication of the Ocarina of Time time travel, which has been accounted for in the linear timeline (the items exist in the same universe).

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem of OoT and TP:

Only one game of ALttP, TP and WW can have the events of Ocarina of Time in its backstory. In both the linear and split timeline, this game is Wind Waker. This post is gonna cover what happens to TP; I'll probably do ALttP later.

First, at the end of OoT, when did Link get sent back, in both timelines? Well, this is the day that Zelda is already spying on Ganondorf as he swears faked fealty to the King. So Ganondorf has already killed the Deku Tree, blocked off the Goron's food supply, and made Jabu-Jabu sick (causing him to swallow Ruto). In the split timeline, there is only one Link, so the Link that exists in Kokiri Forest during this timeline disappears, along with Navi, meaning that none of the characters from Ocarina of TIme have a relationship with Link in the Child Timeline (other than the Kokiri who knew him before his adventure). The event that OoT Link changed, that created the new branch, was a conversation he had with Zelda, the beginning of which we see at the end of OoT. This conversation, in the split timeline, led to Link and Zelda going to the king (while Ganondorf was meeting with him, justifying why Zelda was looking at the throne room through the glass when Future Link encounters her), telling him Ganondorf's intentions, Ganondorf not killing any of them, escaping, and "invading Hyrule," Link leaving Hyrule, having six unnamed sages awaken (that are not the sages from OoT), them waiting "several years" to figure out what to do with him, failing to execute him, Link dying, rebuilding Hyrule Castle and moving the Temple of Time into the Lost Woods, before Ganondorf finally possess Zant and invades Hyrule with him.

This barely makes sense. First, Zelda had already told her father and Impa about her detailed dream, but her dad didn't believe it was a prophecy, even though she is literally Princess Zelda, notoriously the Goddess Hylia's reincarnate, something he should have known. If Link and the Triforce of Courage changes anything, then his prophetic daughter should have been able to as well. Then, the idea that Ganondorf doesn't kill either Link, Zelda or the king immediately after being found out is not very likely. Then, the idea that Link would leave Hyrule, instead of making sure Ganondorf was defeated, doesn't seem very likely. The massive geographical shifts between OoT and TP is also...strange (theorizing based on maps isn't always smart, but the linear timeline can generally account for changes to the map). Then the incredibly lengthy time between Ganondorf's execution and his invasion in Twilight Princess is a little bit suspect.

In the linear timeline, after Link is sent back, he explains to Zelda what is going to happen, setting in motion the necessary course of events that will lead to Ganondorf's defeat. Destiny inherently requires predestination, and this is not possible in a multiverse. This was always how it had to happen: Hyrule always had to be destroyed, Link aged up, Triforce split in three, in order for the saving of Hyrule to happen. This is what the game explicitly states by speaking so much of destiny, of prophecy. Link and Zelda do not convince the king of anything, they simply let the events of Ocarina of Time play out. No botched execution, no "the Hero of Hyrule leaves before Ganondorf is defeated." This means that the backstory of Twilight Princess does not apply after Ocarina of Time.

So what explains Twilight Princess' backstory in the linear timeline? This is the backstory given in TP by the sages: "He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness...But he was blind...In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice."

The Ganondorf sealed in the Twilight Realm was a renowned ruthless evil-magic wielder who invaded Hyrule with a band of thieves trying to take the Sacred Realm, who ignored a "danger" and was, therefore, exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. This isn't the backstory after Ocarina of Time, because, presumably, Ganondorf was unsuccessful in his invasion, and he also didn't invade Hyrule trying to take the Sacred Realm, he invaded to take over Hyrule, and also none of this happened in the Child Timeline. Or Ganondorf just, like, walked away from the throne room and Hyrule Castle, instead of doing his ambush like he planned, and like Link dreamed of at the beginning of OoT.

The linear timeline positions the backstory of Twilight Princess as a separate event entirely from the backstory of Ocarina of Time. The primary reason for this is because there is no multiverse and the backstory of Wind Waker directly addresses the Hero of Time, meaning it must occur after Ocarina of Time. The secondary reason for this is because the Twilight Princess backstory and the beginning of Ocarina of TIme pre-Link-meets-Navi don't line up very well at all: the Triforce is not split, there are not six sages, Ganondorf is not renowned for being ruthless; everything mentioned previously. So when does Twilight Princess take place in a linear timeline? Sometime after the end of the flood (another post), the unsealing of Ganondorf (another post) and the split of the Triforce (after ALBW (another post)). What is suggested by the backstory of Twilight Princess is Ganondorf's intentionality about getting sealed in the Twilight Realm.

TP quotes about Ganondorf:
"Sages: Yet...By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods. His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice...Perhaps that evil power has been passed on to Zant."
"Midna: Bathed in that light, [the Twilight] were pure and gentle...But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world
Zant: I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler. It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens...and found a god. Ganondorf: I shall house my power in you...
Ganondorf: "Your people have long amused me, Midna. To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside… How very pathetic. Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again."

This is all we hear, or know, about the Ganondorf from TP. Ganondorf's goal in Twilight Princess does not suggest the same nuance that is presented from Wind Waker's Ganondorf; he simply wants to make everything combine light and shadow to make darkness. But what is interesting is his knowledge about the Twili. Ganondorf says that the Twili's anguish hatred bled "across the void," meaning THROUGH THE MIRROR, and it awakened him. This may explain his return in Twilight Princess after his supposed defeat in A Link Between Worlds (or whatever game would theoretically come before Twilight Princess). This anguish and hatred is explicitly Zant's despair and hatred; this is when the Ganondorf malice-ball (formed through the "purest malice" that the Sages speak of), floating around the Twilight Realm, approaches Zant and gives him his power.

To recap: Link and Zelda do not convince the king of anything, they simply let the events of OoT play out (Zelda playing her role, Link hiding in the shadow), thus there is no CT for the TP to take place in. This means that Twilight Princess must be put after the Wind Waker's flood. Depending on what game it comes after, Ganondorf resurrects through Zant's anguish and hatred bleeding across the void and awakening him. Through it, he once again became strong. Then he led an invasion of Hyrule and became renowned for his evil (as he was connected to the Ganondorf that had wrecked havoc previously), probably got caught on purpose (requiring his execution at the Arbiter's Grounds), and getting sent to the Twilight Realm, just in time to slowly give Zant his power. Then Zant stages his silly little coup, Ganondorf tries to get his silly little darkness, and is stabbed through the chest with the Master Sword (most likely then sealed by some sort of Twili magic as seen in the BotW2 trailer, leaking malice like blood and leading to more Calamities).

This backstory works for the linear timeline, but it also fixes the many problems that come with the split timeline: the Triforce is allowed to be split, the Deku Tree Sprout actually grows, the characters from OoT actually know who Link is, there is enough time for a new set of sages to be reawakened, the Temple of Time and Hyrule Castle can be naturally moved so far from their initial spots, the Yeti could be descendants of the Anouki instead of some random Yetis that were in the mountains the whole time, the destruction of the Dark Mirror/Mirror of Twilight happens after FSA, Ganondorf has enough time for a complete motivation change, the prologue of Wind Waker matches the ending of the journey of the Hero of Time. If there is anything you disagree with about the timeline in purple, lmk.

Evidence for the Predestination of The Hero of Time, read if you dare:
*Link has a dream that Zelda and Impa are running away on a horse from Ganondorf*
"Great Deku Tree: It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey...The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth...The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee! This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule...Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce...Thous must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend...That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power...I have been able to tell you these important matters...This is Hyrule's final hope...Link...Go now to Hyrule Castle...There thou wilt surely meet the Princess of Destiny...Take this stone with thee, the stone that man wanted so much that he cast the curse upon me...The future depends upon thee, Link...Thou art courageous..."
"Zelda: You wouldn't happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you?! Just as I thought!! I had a dream...In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule...But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground...The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy...I know that is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest...Yes, I thought you might be the one...[Zelda explains the Sacred Realm and the Triforce]...The other element from my dream...the dark clouds...I believe they symbolize...that man in there!...That is Ganondorf...Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure he is not sincere. The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream...They must symbolize that man! He doesn't have any idea what we're planning...yet! I told my father about my dream...However, he didn't believe it was a prophecy...But...I can sense that man's evil intentions! What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it! And, he wants to conquer Hyrule...no, the entire world! Link...now, we are the only one who can protect Hyrule. I...I am afraid...I have a feeling that man is going to destroy Hyrule. He has such terrifying power! We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does."
"Impa: I am Impa of the Sheikahs. I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold. You are a courageous boy...You are heading out on a big, new adventure, aren't you? My role in the Princess's dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest."

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem of OoT and MM:

In a split timeline, because there is a multiverse, Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time do not take place simultaneously: Majora's Mask takes place during the split timelines backstory of Twilight Princess (which last post established doesn't work in a linear timeline, and barely works in a split timeline).

In a linear timeline, Majora's Mask either occurs during an era with a different incarnation than the OoT Link (which is patently ridiculous, so no), or it occurs in tandem with the events of Ocarina of Time, as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are now on the same timeline. To figure out how Majora's Mask fits, we have to figure out where the different people, objects and events are during OoT Child, MM, and OoT Adult.

This includes Link, Zelda, Impa, Skull Kid, the Happy Mask Salesman, Majora's Mask, Epona, Tatl/Tael, the Ocarina of Time, the Hylian Shield/Mirror Shield, the Master Sword, the Triforce of Courage, the creation of the Happy Mask Shop, the teaching of Saria's Song to the Skull Kid; maybe others that we will run into.

People:

So Link, after time traveling back from the future, leaves Hyrule, goes to Termina, comes back and dies in the Lost Woods. Pretty simple.
Zelda, after fleeing the castle, spends time with Link before sending him off to Termina, and training with Impa to become Sheik. Pretty simple.

Skull Kid is a little harder to place. There are three Skull Kids in OoT: one stands alone to the west in the Lost Woods, and two stand on a stump to the east of the entrance. In the Child part of OoT, the single Skull Kid is scared of Link until he plays Saria's Song, before telling Link that he, too, knows Saria's Song and that they should be friends. Later, Link gives him the Skull Mask and it makes him think that he now looks tougher. For the other two, in the past they simply have a musical session with Link and give him heart pieces. After the seven-year gap, all Skull Kids attack Adult Link, because they do not like adults.

The Skull Kid of MM originates from Termina, an imp who befriends the Four Giants before they create the four quadrants of the Terminian world. After the giants leave to slumber, the Skull Kid becomes angry and starts making a mess of everything. Then the Giants return and tell the Skull Kid that he has to go to Hyrule or they would kill him. Then, either during the mischief that causes his banishment, right before the Skull Kid leaves Termina for good, or upon a return sometime after his banishment, Skull Kid is found shivering, cowering from the rain, where he meets Tatl and Tael. Eventually, the three of them end up in the Lost Woods, they mug the Happy Mask Salesman (probably because Skull Kids hate adults), and steal Majora's Mask. Then, in the beginning of his possession by Majora's Mask, he mugs Link of the Ocarina of Time, lures him to Termina, curses the Deku Butler's son, Darmani, Miko, Woodfall, Snowhead, Great Bay, Ikana, imprisoning the Giants in the masks of the bosses of the temples, and causing the moon to slowly fall to crush Termina. At the end, Majora's Mask lets go of the Skull Kid, who becomes friends with the Giants again, and Link. Then he and Link and Epona return to Hyrule, where they carve a symbol of their friendship into a stump.

What does the split timeline say about the Skull Kid? The main theory is that the Skull Kid with the Skull Mask is the same as the one from Majora's Mask (meaning the Skull Kid's banishment from Termina takes place before Ocarina of Time). If this theory is not true, we don't have a problem in the Linear Timeline. If this theory is true, as evidenced by Saria teaching this Skull Kid her song, how does a split timeline explain his meeting with Tatl and Tael? He isn't with them in Ocarina of Time, meaning he has to have met them after the Child portion of Ocarina of Time. This means that Skull Kid returned to Termina after his banishment.

In a linear timeline, this event also takes place after Skull Kid's banishment, consistent with the Happy Mask Salesman's woods-wandering taking place after the Child portion of OoT. In the scene where Skull Kid meets Tatl and Tael, he does not wear the Skull Mask, the mask that he claimed made him look tough. The Skull Kid says that the reason he was hiding was because, according to Tal, "he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone...I'm sure it was because he was always playing tricks, so nobody wanted to play with him." The Skull Mask did not work in making the Skull Kid seem tough, and so he went in search of a new mask that would give him more power: the reason he robs the Happy Mask Salesman of Majora's Mask specifically. However, upon his return to Hyrule and his re-befriending of Link, he puts the mask back on. Then, in the future when no one can recognize Link as an adult, he fights Adult Link, who murders him.

The Happy Mask Salesman does not create the Happy Mask Shop until after Link goes to Kakariko Village, and yet he still mentions it in Majora's Mask. This means that the Happy Mask Salesman leaves Hyrule after the Child portion of OoT to find Majora's Mask, where he then gets mugged, then he follows Link following the Skull Kid, and then he spends his three days in Termina. Upon his teleportation out of Termina, he flees Hyrule during Ganondorf's reign and returns to celebrate his defeat.

In the split timeline, Link convinces Malon to let him take Epona in order for him to take her to Termina. The same happens in the linear timeline, after the Child portion of OoT. Upon Link and Epona's return from Termina, Epona returns to Lon Lon Ranch.

Equipment:

The Ocarina of Time in Majora's Mask is the second biggest hole in the entire Linear Timeline (the biggest is the flood draining). In the split timeline, it presents no problems, other than the reliance on the multiverse to explain what is happening (and there is no Zelda multiverse). There are a couple of possibilities for how Zelda gets the Ocarina of Time after she throws it into the river during her escape scene. There could be two Ocarinas. No. The Ocarina of Time was sent back with Link, explaining why no one has it in Wind Waker's future, when its powers of time travel would have been a pretty great way to prevent Ganondorf's invasion (rather than letting the entire world succumb to a flood). The only problem, then, is why Zelda gives the Ocarina of Time to Link in the flashback of Majora's Mask. Link probably gave her the Ocarina during their "short time" together; they probably played songs with Impa.

Link is sent back in time with the Hylian Shield, even when he had the Mirror Shield, meaning the Mirror Shield is left in the future. However, Link leaves Hyrule with the Hero's Shield; it is not explained in either timeline where he got this shield (my guess would be either Zelda or Impa gifted it to him). Upon leaving Termina, Link leaves with his Hero's Shield upgraded to a Mirror Shield. The Kokiri Sword that Link went into Termina with (upgraded since OoT) is upgraded to the Gilded Sword. The Hero's Shield is also the name of the Shield in Wind Waker, although there isn't much connection. At the end of OoT, however, the Hero's Shield and Gilded Sword remain with Future Link, who is probably dead tbh.

The Triforce of Courage is in the Sacred Realm at the beginning of OoT, but Link takes the Triforce of Courage with him from the future into the past at the end of OoT. "When the Hero of Time was called to embark on another journey and left the land of Hyrule, he was separated from the elements that made him a hero. It is said that at this time, the Triforce of Courage split into eight shards and hidden throughout the land." This explains why Link didn't have the Triforce in MM. The Master Sword remains in the Temple of Time after Link takes it back from the future with him. The linear timeline does a much better job of explaining how the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword can exist at both the end of OoT, and the beginning of WW, than the split timeline (which hasn't been able to explain the Master Sword thing at all).

To recap:
Link does Child OoT, Link does Adult OoT, Link goes back in time for the Child end of OoT, Link does MM Flashback after Child OoT, Link does MM.

Zelda does the Child end of OoT, Zelda does Child OoT, Zelda does MM Flashback after Child OoT, Zelda does Adult OoT.

Skull Kid leaves Termina, Skull Kid does Child OoT, Skull Kid goes to Termina with Skull Mask, Skull Kid takes off Skull Mask/meets Tatl+Tael, Skull Kid robs HMS, Skull Kid does MM, Skull Kid does Adult OoT.

Happy Mask Salesman does Child OoT, HMS finds Majora's Mask, HMS gets robbed, HMS does MM, HMS does Adult OoT.

Epona does Child OoT, Epona does MM flashback, Epona does MM, Epona does Adult OoT.

To recap equipment:
The Ocarina: Zelda has The Ocarina in Child OoT, Zelda gives The Ocarina to Link in Child OoT, Link takes the Ocarina to Adult OoT, Zelda sends The Ocarina with Link to Child End of OoT, Link has The Ocarina during Child OoT, Link gives The Ocarina to Zelda after Child OoT, Zelda gives the Ocarina to Link in MM flashback, MM happens, The Ocarina stays with Link.

Sword: Link has Kokiri Sword in Child OoT, Link takes Master Sword in Adult OoT, Link takes MS to Child End of OoT, Link upgrades Kokiri Sword during Child OoT, Link does MM (upgrading Kokiri Sword to Gilded Sword), Gilded Sword stays with Link.

Shield: Link buys Hylian Shield in Child OoT, Link has Hylian Shield in Adult OoT (upgrading it to Mirror Shield), Link takes Hylian Shield to Child end of OoT, Link gets Hero's Shield during Child OoT, Link does MM (upgrading Hero's Shield to Mirror Shield), Mirror Shield stays with Link.

Triforce of Courage: ToC in Sacred Realm in Child OoT, Link gets ToC in Adult OoT, Link takes ToC to Child End of OoT, ToC splits and is hidden when Link gets lost in the Lost Woods before MM, ToC is found in Wind Waker.

Any questions or confusions, lmk.

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem of the Draining of the Great Sea:

During the course of the Wind Waker, the Great Deku Tree and the Korok's goal of holding an annual Korok Ceremony aiming to unite the islands under one land through the natural de-flooding that comes from forest creation seems to be directly at odds with the King of Hyrule's goal (and eventual Triforce Wish) for the erasure of Hyrule and the drowning of Ganondorf. For a linear timeline theory to work, this ocean must be drained.

First, the split timeline, as mentioned in a previous post, does not explain how the Rito or the Koroks are in a Downfall Timeline Breath of the Wild, meaning that those who argue for an Adult Timeline BotW placement also use this same argument. They cite the Deku Tree's Success Theory: that all the effort that Link went through to bring Forest Water to the islands around Hyrule (this lack of assistance is what ultimately caused the Deku Tree's plan to fail in the 200-300 years of the flood) is what allows for a Hyrule after Wind Waker. For the purposes of the linear timeline, the Deku Tree's Success leads to a gradual deflooding of Hyrule, not a creation of a new land (otherwise we could just say that all the following games take place in the Land of the Spirits of Good).

Daphne's wish for the erasure of Hyrule works to truly flood it, but this does not need a Triforce Wish to be carried out: previously, the Gods simply listened to prayer to flood Hyrule. This wish also only erases the land of Hyrule: much of the culture is preserved. There are also games after WInd Waker that make reference to it, primarily the FS trilogy. The shield in all three games is the same as the Hero's Shield from the Wind Waker, the Helmaroc King is in FSA, Spirit Tracks has a canonical Four Links, the Minish Cap land is much smaller, Potho references Zelda's tutor from Spirit Tracks, FSA land is surrounded by water when in ALttP (which occurs an an almost identical map) there are surrounding mountains, the Bow of Light, originating in the Sand Temple in ST, created or gifted to the Lokomo despite its existence in Minish Cap, which in a Split Timeline takes place BEFORE Spirit Tracks, the existence of never before seen Force Gems in FSA that seem to originate in ST.

Basically, ST and the Four Sword trilogy are heavily linked in mechanics and equipment and so, if the Great Deku Tree's Success Theory is accurate, or whether another method of deflooding occurred (lmk if you have suggestions), there are games that should probably take place after ST that are unaccounted for in the Split Timeline, and the Split Timeline also doesn't disprove the validity of a potential Deku Tree Success Theory, which is required to make sense of a linear timeline considering a Zelda multiverse does not exist.

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem of the Triforce:

For a linear timeline to be effective, it must account for the location of the Triforce in each game. We should probably start by figuring out the location of the Triforce in each game to understand where each game could fit into a single Zelda universe.

We can start with the beginning of both timelines: SS. The Triforce ends, in the split timeline and the linear timeline, by being sealed in the Sacred Realm. In OoT, the Triforce is split between Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf if Link wins, is taken from the corpse of Link and, somehow, Zelda and sealed with Ganon in the Sacred Realm if Link loses, and magically splits in Twilight Princess with no explanation once he is sent back in time. In the Adult Timeline, the Triforce then is reunited, wished upon, and splits once again, flying off into the aether. In the Child Timeline, after TP, we don't see the Triforce again; however, Ganondorf's Triforce of Power is drained from his body. In the Downfall Timeline, the Triforce splits after the Oracle games, is reunited in ALBW, and stays reunited until somehow Zelda is able to wield it in BotW.

As some other recent threads have discussed, the Triforce's behavior (what causes it to split, how it is wielded) is incredibly inconsistent. In SS, after it is wished on, it doesn't split. In OoT, after Ganondorf gets it, it splits. In ALttP, after Link's wish, it doesn't split, but after the Oracle trials, it does split, and after ALBW, it might split (castle artwork shows it splitting), but it also might just stay in the Sacred Realm. In WW it splits, in TP it is inexplicably already split (although it may not have split because we don't see the actual relic, just the hand wielding). And in BotW, Zelda has it inside her.

To track the Triforce in the linear timeline, we have to establish an order of games. SS first, obviously, then OoT, then the AT, then the Four Sword trilogy (which will be its own post), then the normal DT with TP inserted before Z1.

The Triforce starts on the Isle of the Goddess, before it is sealed in the Sacred Realm, where it is split by Ganondorf in OoT, before the ToP is sealed with him, the ToW is kept with Zelda, and the ToC goes back in time with Link (where it splits when he "leaves the land that made him a hero (when he leaves for Termina)). In WW, the pieces are united, before they split apart and return to the Sacred Realm. Then, essentially to reset the cycle of Demise, the Goddesses send the Minish with the Picori Blade and the LIGHT FORCE, which, as depicted in MC, is a single golden triangle implanted in Zelda's being. Then Ganondorf, unsealed from the Master Sword and the Four Sword (separate post), goes to the Sacred Realm where he finds the complete Triforce. After the Oracle games, the ToP finds Ganondorf's corpse from OoX, the ToW finds Zelda, and the ToC returns to the Sacred Realm. This may be due to the unresolved nature of the Wind Waker conflict, or there may be another explanation (this is also a hole in the Downfall Timeline). At the end of A Link Between Worlds, Link wishes on the Triforce, and the artwork in the end credits now depicts Ravio and the Triforce splitting into three pieces, flying away from the center. Magically, it is reunited in Zelda 1, which is not explained in the Downfall Timeline. This is why Twilight Princess most likely occurs after A Link Between Worlds. It is the only game in any of the timelines that leaves an unresolved split Triforce, and Twilight Princess is the only game that opens with an unexplained split Triforce. Finally, after Ganondorf is defeated, the Triforce can be reunited and used in Zelda 1 and Zelda 2, before eventually being merged with Zelda and used as her sealing power, as seen in BotW.

This order of events fixes a couple of things, aside from fitting into a Zelda world without a multiverse. 1. It explains the Triforce of Courage's location better than the duplication that occurs in the Child and Adult Timeline. 2. It accounts for the end of A Link Between Worlds and the beginning of Twilight Princess and the beginning of Z1/Z2. 3. It doesn't retcon A Link to the Past's backstory: Ganondorf still stumbles upon the Sacred Realm which contains the complete Triforce, unlike OoT where the Triforce splits upon Ganondorf's use of it.


As always, if you disagree, let me know.

 

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

An interesting repository. I like how you are including information for and against. I will need to take some time to more throughly digest it all.

 

[Jacob van Eyck]

Really great stuff. I made an account after reading this thread because this really speaks to the quality here. Thanks for all your effort!
I have a question, I guess this applies to both linear and multiverse but why does Link revert back into a child after he travels back in time? It doesn't really make sense for that to happen, especially with how we see time travel done in SS. It's weird in general but it makes the linear timeline even more confusing to me...

 

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

I have a question, I guess this applies to both linear and multiverse but why does Link revert back into a child after he travels back in time?

This would make a good discussion thread, on its own. I doubt there is a definitive answer. I will suggest, though, that the series uses different types of time travel, and it's Link's mind that is traveling back and forth, during Ocarina of Time.

 

[Jacob van Eyck]

But if it's his mind does that mean at the end of Ocarina of time Link's adult body remains in Hyrule but in a comatose state? You're right this would make a good thread...