Linear Timeline expanded

[Zettafleya]

The timeline wasn't all that important to the devs at first, and slowly become more important and they figured out where things went, but BotW caused issues and TotK didn't help.

We could just agree that the games take place at the end of the timeline, like a new start or something.
But where's the fun in that?

Logically speaking there are holes here and there that won't get filled in, like when Link gets sent back in time in OoT he ends up in a time before he began his journey, or before meeting Zelda, therefore meaning there should be two Links in that time.

Perhaps the idea of each game simply retelling the legend over and over again and not needing to be connected to each other, with a few exceptions, could be accepted sometimes, like for BotW.

 

[GZ Zelda]

Logically speaking there are holes here and there that won't get filled in, like when Link gets sent back in time in OoT he ends up in a time before he began his journey, or before meeting Zelda, therefore meaning there should be two Links in that time.

Perhaps the idea of each game simply retelling the legend over and over again and not needing to be connected to each other, with a few exceptions, could be accepted sometimes, like for BotW.

The Living Legend Theory:

The living legend theory is obviously super popular, as it allows contradictions to be easily hand-waved, but it makes the "history" portion of Zelda games pretty unimportant. It's essentially boiling down the timeline to its "givens" and ignoring the bridging history (which is where most theories come from).

Under a Living Legend model, there are recurring elements that I'll catalogue and chart for the linear model, including givens, characters and objects:

The Ten Legends:

1. Legend of Lesser Hyrule: Z1--Z2
2. Legend of the Cataclysm: ALttP--LA
3. Legend of the Seven Years: OoT--MM
4. Legend of the Flames: OoS--OoA
5. Legend of the Four Sword: MC--FS--FSA
6. Legend of the Great Sea: WW--PH--ST
7. Legend of the Twilight: TP
8. Legend of the Sky: SS
9. Legend of Lorule: ALBW--TFH
10. Legend of the Final Calamity: BotW--TotK

Link -- the "hero" reincarnated through spirit (green) ALL LEGENDS
Zelda -- the goddess Hylia's descendants through sacred energy (blue) ALL LEGENDS
Ganon -- the demon king's revivals through malice (red) ALL LEGENDS

Triforce -- All Legends
Master Sword -- All Legends except Legend of Lesser Hyrule and Legend of the Four Sword

Impa -- title
Sages -- spirits
Beedle -- descendants
Anju -- descendants
Malon/Talon -- descendants
Potho -- descendants

So the order of legends on a split model is pretty self-explanatory:

Legend of the Sky -- Legend of the Four Sword (Vaati)-- Legend of the Seven Years (Hyrule) / Legend of the Great Sea
-- Legend of the Seven Years (Termina) -- Legend of the Twilight -- Legend of the Four Sword (Ganon)
\ Legend of the Cataclysm -- Legend of the Flames -- Legend of Lorule -- Legend of Lesser Hyrule -- Legend of the Calamity

The linear model is even more self-explanatory, assuming there is no split and no what-if scenario:
Legend of the Sky -- of the Seven Years -- of the Great Sea -- of the Four Sword -- of the Twilight -- of the Cataclysm (Hyrule) -- of the Flames -- of the Cataclysm (Koholint) -- of Lorule -- of Lesser Hyrule -- of the Calamity

The Triforce is tracked through split:
Silent Realm (split) -- Goddess statue (same) -- Sacred Realm (same) -- Ganon,Zelda,Link (split)
/ Ganon,Zelda/Daphnes,scattered (split) -- who knows?
-- Ganon,Zelda,Link (split) -- who knows?
\ Sacred Realm (same) -- Ganon,Zelda,Sacred (split) -- Castle (together) -- Castle,Castle,Valley of Death (split) -- Ganon,scattered,Valley of Death (split) -- Castle (same) -- Zelda (same)

The Triforce is tracked through linear:

Silent Realm (split) -- Goddess Statue (same) -- Sacred Realm (same) -- Ganon,Zelda,Link (split) -- Ganon,Zelda/Daphnes,scattered (split) -- Daphnes (same) -- Sacred Realm (split) -- Ganon,Zelda,Link (split) -- Sacred Realm (together) -- Ganon,Zelda,Sacred Realm (split) -- Castle (same) -- Castle,Castle,Valley of Death (split) -- Ganon,scattered,Valley of Death (split) -- Castle (same) -- Zelda (same)

The Master Sword is tracked through linear:
Forged, Sealed Temple -- Temple of Time near Hyrule Castle -- Hyrule Castle -- Ganondorf's Skull on Ganon's Tower in the Desert -- Temple of Time in the Sacred Grove in the Lost Woods -- Sacred Grove in the Lost Woods -- Sacred Grove in the Lost Woods -- Korok Forest in the Lost Woods

The Living Legend Theory ignores the histories laid out, of the Legends, of the Triforce, of the Master Sword. It assumes, meta-narratively, that the elements of each game are just re-tellings. I will be completely honest and say that I find this theory more appealing than a split-timeline theory. If Zelda continuity can't be, you know, one continuity, then I agree that it should be discontinued and only analyzed via comparison. But I think the linear timeline theory explains away most, if not all, contradictions that the split timeline introduces (two Links, Master Sword, cross-timeline references) and its why I prefer it. While there are holes (two Ocarinas, Hero's Shade time passage, post-flood Master Sword/Ganondorf w/ TotK lore), there are less than with a split timeline, and honestly less than with a Living Legend theory (as the legends within the other legends refer explicitly to past legends, thus creating, in essence, a timeline (TP after OoT, WW after OoT, BotW after TP etc).

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem with Ganondorf (spoilers for TotK):

So I've been re-evaluating Ganondorf, the Triforce, and the Master Sword in light of the new TotK information. I'll start with Ganondorf in this post.

In the split timeline, there are, at this point, three different Ganondorfs. There is the OoT-WW / TP / ALttP-OoX-ALBW-Z1, there is the FSA Ganondorf and there is the BotW - TotK Ganondorf

In the linear timeline, there are a few ways to delineate the number of Ganondorfs, depending on your different theories:

Because TotK backstory doesn't have a definitive placement, there are a couple ways to interpret its events. The theory that I thinks works best is that all of the Ganondorfs in the series after Ganondorf is sealed are manifestations of the malice/gloom leaking from below Hyrule Castle. It is a corruptive sickness that infects all future Ganondorfs: thus, the Ganondorfs are individuals infected by this malice. I think this is a reasonable interpretation of events.

So how many Ganondorfs are there? Assuming that each Ganondorf is essentially a separate entity, on the split timeline, there is TotK, OoT/WW, TP, ALttP/OoX/ALBW/Z1/BotW, FSA (5), five Ganondorfs. Technically, OoT Ganondorf is TP on one timeline and ALttP on another timeline, but they are essentially different beings with different backstories and different lives because of the inane split. Using Marvel terminology, they are variants and thus separate.

On the linear timeline, there are a variety of possibilities, each with their own evidence. The linear timeline assumes only one course of Rito evolution: thus, TotK backstory must take place after the flood. So the most possible Ganondorfs is OoT/WW, TotK/BotW, FSA, TP, ALttP/OoX/ALBW/Z1 (5) also 5. Ganondorf 1 was born in the desert, took over Hyrule, was sealed, escaped, and was sealed with the Master Sword. Ganondorf 2 was born in the desert in the new kingdom and sealed below the castle. Ganondorf 3 was born in the desert and sealed in the Four Sword. Ganondorf 4 was born in the desert, sealed in the Twilight Realm, escaped and was killed by the Master Sword. Ganondorf 5 was born in the desert, found the Sacred Realm, was killed and revived three times until he was killed with the Silver Arrows.

Can we get this to four? The easiest way to get this to four is saying having Ganondorf 3 be unsealed from the Four Sword before either a) becoming Ganondorf 4 or b) becoming Ganondorf 5. Ganondorf 5 is shown to have the Four Sword in his Dark World pyramid; thus the claim: Ganondorf 3 was unsealed from the Four Sword and became Ganondorf 5, bringing the Four Sword with him, is not an unreasonable claim.

Can we get this to three? Not without some difficulty and some faith. To have three Ganondorfs, one must accept that all Ganondorfs after TotK's sealing were simply phantom manifestations of TotK Ganondorf. @Moblinking5000 presented a similar case in their thread "My views on the timeline placement of BotW/TotK"

Spoiler - My views on the timeline placement of BotW/TotK.

So, I get that alot of people, have been readdressing the timeline debate of where BotW(and in turn, TotK) take place in the Zelda timeline since the release of TotK. I figured that as one of the most prominent theorists on this board, I should do the same. So, here it is: before the release of...

zeldadungeon.net

where they say

And OoT Ganon's spirit and malice is literally a part of TotK Ganon's spirit and malice, so Calamity Ganon stays stuck/sealed to Hyrule Castle for the most part as everything about him at this point literally belongs to TotK Ganon far beneath said castle, establishing a connection between the two.

So while the baby Gerudos that become Ganondorf are different, the malice is the same, and originates from TotK Ganondorf beneath the castle. This then means that Ganondorf 3/5 and Ganondorf 4, while not sharing memories, share Ganondorf 2's malice. And it also explains why FSA Ganondorf and TP Ganondorf have very similar plans: use the spirits from the Dark Mirror and Mirror of Twilight (possibly the same mirror) and a puppet foe (Vaati and Zant) to take over Hyrule.

Even further, it may be that FSA/ALttP Ganondorf and TP Ganondorf are all just TotK Ganondorf, in much the same way Phantom Zelda is a phantom of Phantom Ganondorf who's a phantom of Ganondorf. Even sealed, his malice is strong enough to make entire beings that act as surrogates. This is a little bit fanfic-y, but it does explain, in-universe, why these Ganondorfs all have very very similar plans: they are sharing a memory. They remember the dark mirror, and the Sacred Realm, and how to trick kings, and how to use servants etc. They have the same playbook because they are all the same "phantom."

Can we get this to one Ganondorf? Not without even more difficulty and faith. The only way to have one Ganondorf in the whole series is to have a linear timeline, have TotK Ganondorf's malice corrupt Gerudo male babies, and have WW Ganondorf unsealed from the Master Sword after the Great Flood. This is a very controversial prospect with little evidence, other than the fact that there are Rito and Koroks in BotW and TotK and also the Master Sword isn't in Ganondorf's skull.

The only way for there to be one Ganondorf throughout the entire series for Koume and Kotake to pull the Master Sword for WW (now TotK) Ganondorf's skull, heal him with magic or something, and keep the Master Sword hidden so as not to let the Master Sword fall into Rauru's hands. Then, later, a party referenced in TP's backstory (the Oocca's, the Light Spirits, maybe even the Interlopers) moved the sword to the Temple of Time in the Sacred Grove in the Lost Woods, where it would be found in TP, ALttP, OoS, ALBW, BotW and TotK.
The evidence that TotK Ganondorf is WW Ganondorf is weak. The evidence that the Master Sword was, at some point, removed from WW Ganondorf's skull and placed in the Sacred Grove, however, is strong (on a split timeline as well): there are too many canonical references to the Great Sea and the events and, most importantly, races, of Wind Waker in MC/FS/FSA, ALBW, BotW, and now TotK to conclude that it takes place on a different timeline to the rest of the series. Korok paintings, shields and items overlapping, characters overlapping, enemies and races in Spirit Tracks only recurring in Twilight Princess, dev team overlap, Navi Trackers, armor sets, Rock Salt and Zelda's speech, location names, Koroks and Ritos evolving at all, the only timeline where the Seven Sages worked with Link to successfully defeat Ganondorf, the entire underground of Hyrule being supported by roots and trees and petrified branches: if Wind Waker happened before Tears of the Kingdom, then whatever Master Sword exists during Rauru's time must be hidden or unavailable, most likely intentionally.

So the theory for one Ganondorf across all the games to work on linear goes as follows:

OoT: Ganondorf was born as a reincarnation of Demise's malice, takes over Hyrule and is sealed

WW: The seal weakens, Ganondorf escapes but is trapped under the Great Sea. He escapes to the surface looking for the Triforce before Link plunges the Master Sword into his head, sealing him

TotK Backstory: Some servant of Ganondorf (maybe Twinrova) unseals him from the Master Sword, hiding it from the new kingdom, before Ganondorf is sealed below the castle by Rauru.

MC: Ganondorf's malice seeps out slowly, first forming the army that the Hero of Men defeats

FSA: Ganondorf's malice seeps out stronger, forming a phantom that evades the Gerudo's laws and claims the trident, before being sealed in the Four Sword

TP: Ganondorf's malice seeps out stronger, forming a phantom that seeks out Zant as a vessel in his attempt to cloud the world in darkness (which was his goal in FSA)

ALttP: Ganon is unsealed from the Four Sword, goes into the Sacred Realm now that he knows that the Triforce is still around, and is defeated by Link

OoX: Ganon is resurrected by Twinrova and sealed in Lorule by Link

ALBW: Yuga combines with Ganon before he is defeated and sealed in the Underworld

Z1: Ganon escapes from the underworld and destroys Lesser Hyrule, before he is killed by Link

BotW: Ganon's malice seeps out stronger and forms the first and second "Calamities"

TotK: Ganondorf is unsealed, where he falls to gather strength before being absorbed into his own Secret Stone

If you want two Ganons, replace "Some servant of Ganondorf (maybe Twinrova) unseals him from the Master Sword, hiding it from the new kingdom" with "A new Ganondorf is born and the Master Sword remains hidden"

If you want four Ganons, replace "Ganondorf's malice seeps out stronger" with "A new Ganondorf is born"

If you want five Ganons, replace "Ganon is unsealed from the Four Sword" with "A new Ganondorf is born"

I honestly think there is enough evidence for two Ganondorf's (anyone who thinks TotK backstory happens before OoT basically agrees) and just enough for one Ganondorf considering the Master Sword debacle (it's in his head and then it isn't in his head, what happened to the Ganondorf who's head it was in?)

 

[GZ Zelda]

A Crisis about Twilight Princess:

So I have just finished a replay of Twilight Princess and have been thinking about scrapping the linear timeline because of it. The splitists rejoice!

Out with the old:

SS--OoT--MM--WW--PH--ST--TotK Past--MC--FS--FSA--TP--ALttP--OoA--OoS--ALBW--TFH--EoW--Z1--Z2--BotW--TotK

And in with the new:

SS--OoT/WW--PH--ST--MC--FS--FSA--ALttP--OoA--OoS--ALBW--TFH--EoW--Z1--Z2--BotW--TotK
\MM--TP

The FS trilogy and DT still happen post-flood so that Tears of the Kingdom's refounding can have a recurring Calamity. The Child Timeline splits so that Twilight Princess can be satisfying narratively.

I suggest this new timeline for a couple of reasons:

1. Twilight Princess is part of the Hero of Time trilogy (OoT, MM, TP). To separate TP and put it awkwardly in between FSA and ALttP is not good.
2. There are theoretically three Ocarina of Time characters referenced within living memory in Twilight Princess: the Hero of Time, the Fishing Hole Man, and King Zora de Bon XVI. The Great Flood time gap doesn't make sense for three reasons:
   • For the Gorons to have Link's Hero Bow doesn't make sense.
   • For Hena to still have a photo of the Fishing Hole Man doesn't make sense.
   • For King Zora de Bon XVI to have a grave in Kakariko doesn't make sense.
   • For the Skull Kid to know Saria's Song doesn't make sense.
3. The Temple of Time, Kakariko Village and Kokiri Forest are within living memory.

These are the three problems I continually wrestle with, and have been since last May, when Tears of the Kingdom's Ganondorf was revealed to be a new Demon King. Before that, TP took place before BotW, towards the end of the timeline. Afterwards, TP had to be fit in after Wind Waker, either before or after Minish Cap, before or after FSA, and before or after A Link to the Past. All of these options are seriously not ideal, as I discussed last July.

So I resigned myself to this atrocity: admitting the splitists were right since 1998.

But my skeptical sense began creeping in: one rule of Zelda theory is that easter eggs are never just easter eggs. There's an @Moblinking5000 thread where I was too sassy to @Bowsette Plus-Ultra called "Thoughts on amiibo/DLC items in BotW/TotK now that TotK treats them...differently...?"

Thoughts on amiibo/DLC items in BotW/TotK now that TotK treats them...differently...?

When BotW was released, most people agreed that the amiibo/dlc items were non-canon; the DLC items broke the fourth wall(with the ''EX'' branding, not to mention the Xenoblade ****), and the amiibo items required real life items to summon. However, these are no longer required in TotK. I would...

zeldadungeon.net

where I emphatically argue that the Tears of the Kingdom armor sets found in chests are canon. There are a number of references to Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess locations, characters, events, and, yes, even Link's literal Hero armor.

It would be unfair of me to overemphasize the Fishing Hole Man and King Zora easter eggs and de-emphasize Zelda's speech, location names, and armor sets. They are both equally canonical and both have to be taken into account when making a timeline.

So we are left with an old question: if Twilight Princess needs to split, and it also needs to be before BotW/TotK, do the timelines merge?

I think emphatically no. The timelines merging is WAY more fanfiction than a linear timeline, which is the other explanation. We never officially see a timeline split OR a timeline merge in Zelda games. We see two scenes at the end of Ocarina of Time that might suggest a split, but as I've detailed previously, they don't make sense or follow the rules of time travel.

So then Twilight Princess must take place in a linear timeline: and it must take place after Four Swords Adventures, and we are back at the timeline I originally proposed. What to do about the three problems?

Problem 1:
Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker make for a better trilogy explaining the absence of the hero than Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess do for explaining the Hero of Time's backstory after MM. When Wind Waker was being written, and the explanation for why the Triforce split was given to us, the "hero leaves the land of Hyrule" on horseback is obviously referencing Link's adventure in Termina. It was only Twilight Princess' reflexive want to be an OoT clone that retconned this explanation.

Separating the games, while narratively unsatisfying, is better than a merged timeline or parallel events (which is essentially a linear timeline just without any details).

Problem 2:
Regarding the Hero's Bow, the shield from Majora's Mask survives all the way until Four Swords Adventures, albeit with a majorly different design. I don't see why the Hero's Bow couldn't do the same. Also, Link surviving for a thousand years as a spirit lost in a flooded world is much more compelling than Link was unable to pass on his skills to a new hero after only a hundred years. The Hero of Twilight is the first hero with the Triforce of Courage since the Hero of Time and thus it would make sense that only now does the Hero of Time have a descendant to train.

Regarding the Fishing Hole Man, the Picto Box doesn't exist in Twilight Princess Hyrule, but it does in Wind Waker. This suggests that this photo was taken in the Adult Timeline, and though the technology to capture it was lost, the photo survived.

Regarding King Zora; if it were the same King Zora, we would see Ruto (who does not awaken as a sage in the CT) and we do not. This is a different King Zora.

Regarding Skull Kid: we don't know how long Skull Kids survive; it could be that they are immortal like Stalfos or Poes. They are spirits of lost children, after all. Perhaps the Skull Kid survived all this time to guide a new generation of hero through the Lost Woods.

Problem 3:
This actually helps the idea that Twilight Princess is not "one hundred years" after Ocarina of Time. We know what it looks like when a game takes place 100 years after another game: A Link Between Worlds has an identical map to A Link to the Past. I know we don't talk about map theory that much because the games are so inconsistent, but they actually are not that inconsistent. In the next post, I'll do an interlude about maps.

Anyway: the Temple of Time is in a completely different location, has a significant amount of new technology, is decayed well beyond one hundred years worth of time, and absolutely could not be the OoT Temple of Time just one hundred years later. Inconceivable.

Then, then the Hidden Village that is supposed to be Kakariko has nothing in common with the Kakariko from OoT. They have totally different layouts, are completely different distances from Death Mountain and Hyrule Castle, and have geniunely nothing in common other than a cheeky reference to Impa founding the village, which she didn't even do in OoT.

And finally, unlike how the Forbidden Woods literally has Kokiri houses from Ocarina of Time, the Forest Temple has nothing in common with the Kokiri Forest besides the door symbol. So no connection there: where did the Kokiri go in that time?

Not to mention, the Arbiter's Grounds, Snowpeak, Faron Woods, Zora's Fountain and Death Mountain are all in drastically different locations. Almost like there was some massive upheaval to the structure of the kingdom of Hyrule...like a flood or something. Funny, that.

TP taking place after Wind Waker and Tears of the Kingdom's Past also explains why there's a Yeti-like race in the snow mountains, a Ganondorf capable of a cloud of pure malice, a lack of knowledge surrounding the Triforce and its current location.

I am doing one thing: I am copying the child timeline placement. I liked tman's post from last July suggesting the Dark Mirror is a flawed recreation of the Mirror of Twilight. I think that makes the Dark World in FSA and ALttP much more interesting.

So after looking at the situation, and not preferencing one games need for trilogy-status over the entire fabric of the Zelda universe, my crisis is mostly averted. I am still unhappy about the placement of TP because I do not think it meshes well with FSA; however, the canon timeline puts it here so I am as well.

So the timeline remains:
SS-OoT-MM-WW-PH-ST-MC-FS-TP-FSA-ALttP-OoA-OoS-LA-ALBW-TFH-EoW-Z1-Z2-BotW-TotK

Notice EoW? Time for the map post.

 

[GZ Zelda]

Re-evaluating Twilight Princess:

I had another Crisis About Twilight Princess today. I should really see my therapist about these.
So I spend a lot of time using the evidence that the Ocarina of Time map and Twilight Princess map are too different to be only one hundred years apart. For this reason, I went from MC>FS>FSA>TP>ALttP to TP>FSA>ALttP. This was not satisfying for me because Twilight Princess still has nothing to do with A Link to the Past or Four Swords which it falls before and after. I thought "Oh god, this timeline is perfect but
Twilight Princess is once again taking up inexplicable space in the middle of what should be a clean SS>OoT>MM>WW>PH>ST>MC>FS>FSA>ALttP>OoA>OoS>LA>ALBW>TFH>EoW>Z1>Z2>BotW>TotK.

Spoiler: Repeat info

Just for my own sake, very neurotic, you can skip or answer question mark:
TP can't go before SS because pre-Demise
TP can't go before OoT cuz not 1st Ganondorf
TP can't go before MM cuz sequel
TP can't go before WW cuz no new AT hero
TP can't go before PH cuz sequel
TP can't go before ST cuz sequel
TP can't go before TotK Backstory cuz no Hyrule
TP can't go before MC cuz no Triforce
TP can't go before FS cuz sequel
TP can't go before FSA cuz Dark Mirror is Mirror of Twilight
TP can't go before ALttP cuz...gap in Ganondorf's (loner-thief, to thief-leader, to loner-thief) ?
TP can't go before LA cuz sequel
TP can't go before OoA cuz sequel
TP can't go before OoS cuz sequel
TP can't go before ALBW cuz sequel
TP can't go before TFH cuz sequel
TP can't go before Z1 cuz Triforce
TP can't go before Z2 cuz sequel
TP can't go before BotW cuz...Hero's Shade trains first Master Sword wielding Hero post-flood.
TP can't go before TotK cuz sequel

But then I thought more about where it would be most thematically consistent: nearby Breath of the Wild. If it can't be right next to OoT and MM because Wind Waker has to be, what is the point of splitting up the SS--Adult Timeline--Four Sword Trilogy--Downfall Timeline that is obviously a central component of the linear timeline? This means that Twilight Princess, which theoretically should be part of an OoT--MM--TP trilogy, instead as part of a TP--BotW--TotK trilogy at the end of the timeline.

So the hypothesis is that it goes back to where it was when I first made the timeline in 2021, as Z1-->Z2-->TP-->BotW-->TotK.

What is the evidence for this? There isn't very much, admittedly.

EASTER EGGS: We know that Twilight Princess takes place sometime before Tears of the Kingdom...presumably recently enough for the fur from Link's wolf pelt to be on his armor and the Arbiter's Grounds to still be within living memory (unlike the Pyramid and Desert Temple). The Great Bridge of Hylia is still standing, the Fragmented Monument, and the layout of Hyrule Castle Town.

MAP: We know that the map problem is not fixed, but we also know that the map problem is kind of fixed because the Z1/Z2 map is so different that there is precedent for a drastic shift in land during this era. There is also a cold region in the northwest, a desert in the south west, Lake Hylia next to the desert, Kakariko Village southeast of the castle. Death Mountain has moved locations, but it has to because it is always northwest of the castle except in Twilight Princess.

The Link in Twilight Princess is from a different kingdom to Hyrule (Ordon), just like the Link from Zelda 1 (Calatia in non-canon material). If the Hero of Time were to have a descendant, they would not be someone from Hyrule considering the Link from TP is not from Hyrule. Perhaps Z1 Link is from Ordon.

TRIFORCE: This is going to be a lengthy section, and not all of the evidence will point towards a Z2-TP-BotW chronology. The Mark of the Triforce has only appeared on 5 Link hands: the Hero of Hyrule, the Hero of Time, the Hero of Legend, the Hero of Twilight and the Hero of the Skies. We have not seen the Triforce pass down via bloodline, but it is likely that Link has the Triforce of Courage in TP because he is a descendant of the Hero of Time. However, the Hero of Time lost the Triforce of Courage when he went into Termina, so he could not have passed it down via his bloodline. This means that Twilight Princess Link acquired it independently of his great-great-great x40 grandfather, the Hero of Time.

At the end of Zelda 2, after the Triforce wakes up Zelda the First, the Triforce reunites before disappearing when the curtain drops. The Triforce wish has been unclear about what causes it to split, but it is possible that the wish at the end of Zelda 2 split the Triforce. Then, during the next Calamity, Ganondorf was able to get the Triforce (like he did during ALBW). The Triforce splitting at the end of Zelda 2 and manifesting only during the next Calamity is...a stretch. However, the same justification is used in ALBW, and there aren't many rules to the Triforce, so I'm willing to forgive it.

The theory continues: after Ganondorf is defeated, somehow they put the Triforce into the royal bloodline. I have no idea how they do this, but Breath of the Wild Zelda is shown with a full Triforce mark four times, and so it's clear that she either has it, or is capable of wielding its power.

This means the Triforce, across the entire timeline:

1. Is found in SS
2. Is put in the Sacred Realm
3. Is split by Ganondorf in OoT
4. Is reunited in WW and returned to the Sacred Realm at the end of the game
5. Is taken by Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm in ALttP
6. Is united in Hyrule Castle in OoX and splits at the end of the game
7. Is reunited by Link, Hilda and Yuga in ALBW
8. Is split by the ancient king in Z2 past
9. Is reunited in Z2 and splits at the end of the game
10. Is reunited by the end of TP
11. Is put into the royal bloodline in BotW

Overall, Z2--TP--BotW is one of only a handful of possible TP placements, and it seems like it could potentially be the most satisfying (even if it isn't totally satisfying i.e. Triforce stuff).

How does it answer the three problems?
Twilight Princess is part of the Hero of Time trilogy (OoT, MM, TP). To separate TP and put it awkwardly in between FSA and ALttP is not good.
There are theoretically three Ocarina of Time characters referenced within living memory in Twilight Princess: the Hero of Time, the Fishing Hole Man, and King Zora de Bon XVI. The Great Flood time gap doesn't make sense for three reasons:

• For the Gorons to have Link's Hero Bow doesn't make sense.
• For Hena to still have a photo of the Fishing Hole Man doesn't make sense.
• For King Zora de Bon XVI to have a grave in Kakariko doesn't make sense.
• For the Skull Kid to know Saria's Song doesn't make sense.
• The Temple of Time, Kakariko Village and Kokiri Forest are within living memory.

For the first problem, OoT--MM--TP is satisfying, but I would argue so is a complete linear timeline, where TP-BotW-TotK serve as the end.

For the second problem...
- The Zonai were actually very good at preserving past artifacts. If they did this with Majora's Mask, the Fierce Deity, and the Biggoron Sword, they could definitely do it with the Hero's Bow.
- The Fishing Hole Man photo could just be passed down through about twenty more generations. There are pieces of art that have lasted as long as 10,000 years; this photo is just one of those items.
- We've already established that the grave could not be OoT King Zora's grave.
- The Skull Kid lives for a long time. Just like the spirit of the Hero of Time.

For the third problem...
The Kokiri Forest and Kakariko Village problems are not problems. The Forest Temple is nothing like Kokiri Forest and the Hidden Village is nothing like any Kakariko in the rest of the series. The Old Kasuto, New Kasuto thing taking place near the Old Kakariko, New Kakariko thing is actually better than the two being on completely different timelines.

The Temple of Time is a problem. See, the Single Ganon theory proposes that the Master Sword was taken out of Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf's skull by Twinrova, hidden deep in the desert and only discovered after Ganondorf was sealed. It was then returned to its location at the Temple of Time. This location later became the Master Sword Pedestal in the Lost Woods in ALttP, OoS, ALBW, BotW, TotK and, yes, Twilight Princess.

But the Twilight Princess Temple of Time is, problematically for splitists, much more south than the resting place in OoT, ALttP and BotW. But it is also true that there is no way that the Temple of Time is the same location as the location in ALttP/BotW. So this means that, with any placement for TP, the Master Sword was moved to the old, heavily ruined Temple of Time location and then removed and put back in the Lost Woods with the Great Deku Tree. Echoes of Wisdom will hopefully help clarify the history of the DT Great Deku Tree, but it could be that, after the Great Deku Tree grew in a new part of Hyrule, the Lost Woods followed him and they moved the Master Sword to accomodate, leaving the ruined but slightly more rebuilt Temple of Time on the Great Plateau, the location of the old Sacred Grove and, before that, Ocarina of Time Castle Town. Could be. The Oocca have clearly modified the temple and perhaps the Zonai tribe (the Hylian survivors after Ganondorf was sealed below the castle) were involved in this process.

So after all this waffling about Twilight Princess, I'm moving it back to where it started: just before Breath of the Wild. This makes the Hero of Time's regret for being unable to pass down his sword skills to his descendant more tragic, it fixes the messy FSA-ALttP problem, it provides a potential explanation for the Triforce situation in Breath of the Wild, it justifies the Hero of Time's descendancy, the Hero's Bow, the Fishing Hole Man and the Skull Kid. I think this is much stronger than the alternatives (non-canon armor in TotK, a merged timeline, parallel events (which I think I'll make a post about rn)). This is the best spot for Twilight Princess to go.

 

[GZ Zelda]

The Problem with Parallel Events, Merged Timelines and Split Timelines:

The Zelda timeline exists because there are 10 timeline givens that all absolutely exist. I've written about them extensively. People who continue to deny that a timeline exists is purposefully ignoring these crossovers in favor of considering canon games and stories to be non-canon easter eggs and character references with little to no care on Nintendo's part. That's fine, but that doesn't negate the validity of the Zelda timeline in understanding the series, and you need to have the timeline pretty set before you can make theories or fan-media in the space.

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom introduce a major problem for the series: all three timelines are referenced. I am going to be exhaustive in the evidence portion for this to justify why I push so heavily for the need for an established linear timeline.

Spoiler: Every Zelda Reference in BotW/TotK

Zelda's Speech (CT):
"Hero of Hyrule... Chosen by The Sword That Seals the Darkness.
You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And have proven yourself worthy of the Blessings of The Goddess Hylia. Whether Skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight. The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the hero. We pray for your protection, and we hope that.. we hope that the two of you will grow stronger together as one.

Forged in the long distant past, The Sword That Seals the Darkness. Guardian of Hyrule, ancient steel, forever bound to the hero. In the name of The Goddess Hylia, I bless you, and your Chosen Hero. Over the seas of time and distance, when we need the golden power of the Goddess, our hope rests in you, to be forever by the Hero's side. Again, we pray, that the two of you will be stronger, together, as one."

History of the Zora, Part 5 (AT or DT):
"Long, long ago... In a past more distant that even the Great Calamity or the creation of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta... There was a Zora princess named Ruto. We know that she was an attendant to the Zora patron deity and that she was a fair and lively girl, beloved to all. Around that same time, an evil man with designs on ruling the world appeared, bringing disaster upon Zora's Domain. It is said that Ruto then awoke as a sage, facing this foe alongside the princess of Hyrule and the hero of legend. Her achievements are remembered not only by the Zora, they are also forever etched into the history of Hyrule."

Rito and Koroks (AT)

Armor and Weapons (AT, CT, or DT):
Of Awakening Set, LA
Of Time Set, OoT
Of Twilight Set, TP
Of the Hero Set, Z1
Of the Sky Set, SS
Of the Wind Set, WW
Phantom Equipment, ST
Phantom Ganon Set, OoT
Tingle's Outfit, WW
Fierce Deity Armor, MM
Island Lobster Shirt, WW
Majora's Mask, MM
Ravio's Hood, ALBW
Sheik's Mask, OoT
Zant's Helmet, TP
Midna's Helmet, TP
Sea-Breeze Boomerang, WW
Sword of the Hero, Z1
White Sword of the Sky, SS
Biggoron's Sword, OoT
Fierce Deity Sword, MM
Dusk Claymore, TP
Sea-Breeze Shield, WW

Name References:
Mount Hylia, SS
Lake Hylia, SS
Hylia Island, SS
Faron Woods, SS
Mount Lanayru, SS
Lake Floria, SS
Floria Bridge, SS
Floria Falls, SS
Floria River, SS
Owlan Bridge, SS
Horwell Bridge, SS
Eagus Bridge, SS
Batrea Lake, SS
Breach of Demise, SS
Pillars of Levia, SS
Golow River, SS
Gorko Lake, SS
Gortram Cave, SS

Tingel Island, MC
Ankel Island, MC
Knuckel Island, MC
Davdi Island, MC
Veiled Falls, MC
Trilby Valley, MC
Trilby Plain, MC
Thims Bridge, MC
Crenel Hills, MC
Crenel Peak, MC
Pico Pond, MC
Minshi Woods, MC
Mount Gustaf, MC

Temple of Time, OoT
Forest of Time, OoT
Nabi Lake, OoT
Rauru Hillside, OoT
Rauru Settlement Ruins, OoT
Ranch Ruins, OoT
Zora's Domain, OoT
Ruto Precipice, OoT
Ruto Lake, OoT
Ruto Mountain, OoT
Pierre Plateau, OoT
Bonooru's Stand, OoT
Mount Nabooru, OoT
Koukot Plateau, OoT
Zodobon Highlands, OoT
Ja'abu Ridge, OoT
Kaepora Pass, OoT
Medingo Pool, OoT
Lake Saria, OoT
Mido Swamp, OoT
Darunia Lake, OoT

Mount Daphnes, WW
Luto's Crossing, WW
Lake Mekar, WW
Mekar Island, WW
Mount Drena, WW
Drenan Highlands, WW
Aldor Foothills, WW
Elma Knolls, WW
Irch Plain, WW
Rowan Plain, WW
Kolami Bridge, WW
Lindor's Brow, WW
Upland Lindor, WW
Parache Plains: Tetra Plains, WW

Lake Siela, PH
Linebeck Island, PH
Bannan Island, PH
Zauz Island, PH
Mercay Island, PH

Lake Kolomo, ST
Kolomo Garrison Ruins, ST

/

Breman Peak, MM
Telta Lake, MM
Gero Pond, MM
Inogo Bridge, MM
Lulu Lake, MM
Mikau Lake, MM
Toto Lake, MM
Lake Darman, MM
Romani Plains, MM
Goron Child Carving, MM

Arbiter's Grounds, TP
Bridge of Hylia, TP
Darb Pond, TP
Ralis Pond, TP
Rutala Dam, TP
Rutala River, TP
Bridge of Eldin, TP

\

Eastern Abbey: Eastern Palace, ALttP
Sahasra Slope, ALttP

Tabahl Woods, LA
Tal Tal Peak, LA
Goponga Village Ruins, LA
Goponga Island, LA
Peak of Awakening, LA
Ulria Grotto, LA
Ulri Mountain, LA
Kanalet Ridge, LA
Ukuku Plains, LA
Torin Wetland, LA
Malin Bay, LA
Yarna Valley, LA
Toronbo Beach, LA
Koholit Rock, LA
Martha's Landing, LA
Mabe Village Ruins, LA
Mabe Prairie, LA

Brynna Plain, OoA
Mable Ridge, OoA

Lodrum Headland, OoS
Spool Bight, OoS
Horon Lagoon, OoS
Tarm Point, OoS
Samasa Plain, OoS
Wintre Island, OoS

Oren Bridge, ALBW
Seres Scablands, ALBW

Tuft Mountain, TFH

Lost Woods, Z1
Manhala Bridge, Z1
Gleeok Bridge, Z1
Digdogg Suspension Bridge: Digdogger Z1
Aquame Bridge, Z1
Spectacle Rock, Z1

Rebonae Bridge, Z2
Orsedd Bridge, Z2
Helmhead Bridge, Z2
Carok Bridge, Z2

This isn't even mentioning speculation; this is just location names named after characters across all three timelines, armor from those three timelines, and story events mentioned in flavor text regarding those three timelines.

So there are four non-linear explanations to explain this phenomenon (besides Living Legend theory).

1. It takes place on one timeline! DT, CT, or AT, doesn't matter, but there is no conversion, just stick it at the end. The armor and name references are non-canon.
2. Parallel events! An event related to the twilight happened on a different timeline. Termina was accessed in a different timeline. There was a Great Sea in Skyward Sword! The Rito and Koroks evolved in all three timelines. If you have this hypothesis, you also have a linear timeline. Just with a bunch of non-canon games and story events instead of the actual games and story events. So we might as well make a "timeline of parallel events" that still makes sense with the lore.
3. Merged timeline! Something causes the timelines to merge and that makes sense and there aren't problems with this theory at all! Unless Hyrule Warriors is canon, this is a non-feasible option. There is no mechanism that would allow this merging to occur, there are no events that suggest this merging happened, it is way too much fanfic for my liking and it goes against the rules of Zelda time travel. Don't like it at all!
4. Another split timeline! This has the same problem as the parallel events timeline: you need to make an order of events that includes all the events from games that are, for some reason, not in the new timeline.

So we really only have three options: disregard the whole thing, linear timeline (w/ parallel or fourth split elements) or merged timeline. Unless someone wants to come up with a merged timeline that somehow makes more sense than a linear timeline (bc you'd need to incorporate the Downfall Timeline which is in a completely separate alternate counterfactual reality to any seemingly-canon game ending and that's not happening any time soon using in-game evidence), I think the timeline I propose has proven to be the best at accounting for all of the ups and downs from the last year.

 

[GZ Zelda]

An Interlude of Calamity Ganon:

My current linear timeline presumes that there are two different Ganondorfs: one who is in OoT and WW, and one who is in TotK past through TotK present.

TotK Ganondorf manifests throughout history as a being eventually known as Calamity Ganon. This Calamity creates "phantoms" known as "blights" that can interfere with the business of Hyrule. These blights

Where are these Calamities in the games in which they appear? Throughout the series, these Calamities have been able to take a variety of shapes: a humanoid Gerudo, a pig, a serpent, a bat. All of these forms are mere "phantoms" of the original Calamity, which is itself a mere "phantom" of the true Ganondorf locked below Hyrule Castle.

These are their forms, in linear timeline order:



Four Swords Adventures Ganon, emerging from the Dark World. His body is in the shape of a pig made of shadow and darkness. Perhaps it was this form that possessed the only male of the Gerudo tribe and caused him to flout their laws and escape into the Pyramid.

Possessed? Vaati.

A Link to the Past Ganon, fleeing from a possessed Agahnim. His body is in the shape of a bat made of phantom energy.

Possessed? Agahnim.


The Oracle Ganon, resurrecting using Twinrova's body. His body is currently possessing Twinrova before manifesting as the boar from previous games.

Possessed? Twinrova.


A Link Between Worlds Ganon, a mere corpse following the end of the Oracle games. This Ganon has been sealed in Lorule and is a husk with no soul, before Yuga combines his soul with the pig body.

Possessed? Yuga


The Legend of Zelda Ganon, waiting for some of Link's blood to be spread on his ashes. This Ganon is just Malice Ash.

Possessed? If Zelda 2 is failed, Link.


Ganon from Twilight Princess: a phantom energy that seeks out Zant and the Twilight to gain new magic and new powers. After possessing Zelda and transforming into a pig, this Ganon transforms once again into a Gerudo form.

Possessed? Zant, then Zelda.


The Breath of the Wild Calamity: a serpent boar that creates blights to infect the Divine Beasts and guardians. This Ganon tries to take the form of a large guardian spider robot, but Zelda prevents its full resurrection.

Possessed? Divine Beasts and Guardians

Tears of the Kingdom Ganon, held down by Rauru for thousands of years, takes the form of a phantom Zelda. After leaking out into 7 different variations of Ganon throughout the ages, possesses the Gloom Roots found in the Depths and wreaks havoc on the world. Without the Zonai's contingency plan with the Sky Islands and Zelda's Light Dragon Master Sword plan, the world would be doomed after this Ganon recovered its strength.

Possessed? A phantom Zelda.

I genuinely think that people who follow the canon timeline should use this model of Calamity Ganon, and I really recommend that linearists adopt it in our understanding of the mechanics behind Ganondorf. This actually makes Tears of the Kingdom very narratively satisfying and could perhaps fix some of the issues people have with that game.