Majora's Mask doesn't necessarily break the OoT story...

[DeletedUser9]

I've heard around that supposedly MM breaks the storyline of OoT (particularly in the Angry Video Game Nerd's Zelda Timeline video.)

The reason people say this is because, in OoT, Link is trapped in the Temple of Time for 7 years and then defeats Ganondorf as an adult. Then Zelda sends him to the past. As a child, he goes to Termina, hence the storyline of MM. So, theoretically, this completely overwrites the storyline of OoT. This is what is usually referred to as the "Timeline Split," right?

Well, I was thinking. And I don't think that's necessarily true. It's possible that instead of being trapped in the Temple of Time for 7 years, instead Link went to Termina and traveled for 7 years, then came back and defeated Ganondorf.

Another idea is that there could have been two Links in the "child timeline." The one who was trapped in the Temple of Time until 7 years later, and then the one that had already defeated Ganondorf and traveled back in time to live his own life.

Well, what do you think?

 

[Josh]

I think it's really more likely that there are two child timeline links. Because I don't completly know what Rauru actually said, but I could've sworn he said something about him keeping link there until he was old enough to defeat Ganon. So he couldn't possibly go and out and have a good time in MM if that happened.

And Zelda sent another Link back to the child era, which means wouldn't there be two?

 

[DeletedUser9]

I think it's really more likely that there are two child timeline links. Because I don't completly know what Rauru actually said, but I could've sworn he said something about him keeping link there until he was old enough to defeat Ganon. So he couldn't possibly go and out and have a good time in MM if that happened.

And Zelda sent another Link back to the child era, which means wouldn't there be two?

Rauru said that Link's spirit was trapped in the Temple of Time while his body aged until he was the hero who would defeat Ganondorf.

And after he beat Ganondorf, he was sent back in time as a kid. So that would be the Link that would go to Termina, probably.

And yeah, I guess you're right. There would have to be two.

 

[MrMosley]

The Split Timeline is the theory that once Zelda sent Link back through time to live out his childhood that it created two separate chains of events. One timeline continues within the Adult Timeline, which is the events that occured while Link was an Adult (awakened the six sages, defeated Ganondorf, sealed Ganondorf away). The other is the timeline which is known as the Child Timeline, which takes up whenever Link is sent back by Zelda.

The events which occured in the future are actually non existant, as after Link was sent back, it rendered him going forward through time non existant. However, this only applies to one side of the timeline, the Child Timeline. The Adult Timeline still exists, just in another time, sort of like a parallel dimension.

This is why you see games such as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess with similar stories occuring because of events which happend in Ocarina of Time. In the future, or the Adult Timeline, Link defeated Ganondorf and the seven sages sealed him away. Zelda then sent Link back through time to his childhood to live out his life. Therefore, whenever Ganon was able to escape the Sacred Realm (or wherever it was they put him), the Hero of Time was no where to be found. This led to the gods flooding Hyrule, thus creating the game we know and love as the Wind Waker.

As far as Twilight Princess goes, the same theory applies. Since Link is sent back to live out his childhood, thus creating two parallel dimension-timeline-thingies, the question becomes, "Well, what happend to the Hero of Time when he went back to being a child?!?!". To answer the question, at the end of Ocarina, we see Link going back to Hyrule Castle after being sent back through time. It is speculated that this was the time which he informed Zelda of what he had done in the future AND of what Ganondorf was going to do to Hyrule. Therefore, Zelda tells the King, the Sages sometime later sentence Ganondorf to trial, which we see in the story sometime during the gameplay of TP.

On a side note, Majora's Mask takes place whenever Link tells Zelda of Ganondorf's plans, then apparently gets lonely without Navi. So, he goes looking for her. Wonders through the lost woods, runs into Skull Kid, falls into Termina, the rest is history. None of this changes anything within either timeline, though. As I stated, it is simply a parallel timeline, another world if you will.

 

[Zemen]

there are NOT two links lol

zelda didnt just send link back in time. she sent him back to HIS childhood. everything that happened AFTER link grows up in OoT, basically did not happen. but link still did go to three temples before that happened. after he is sent back to his childhood we are supposed to assume that he tells the royal family of ganondorfs plans and then they capture ganondorf. link then leaves to try and find navi and ends up in termina. if there were two links that would have been explained in the game and also, why would one link leave without helping the other link defeat ganondorf? link knows how much trouble he had fighting him so two links would work out better.

the fact remains that link didnt just get sent back in time, he was sent back to HIS original point in time before he grew up.

the timeline split comes from him being sent back in time, not him going into MM when there is another Link.

if you would actually look closely at the split, there could not be two links because of the back story of WW. it says ganondorf escaped his prison but the hero of time did not return to fight him. this is because the hero of time was sent back to his childhood. if there were two links then he would have returned to stop ganondorf but he didnt.

 

[Bluelink6]

there are NOT two links lol

zelda didnt just send link back in time. she sent him back to HIS childhood. everything that happened AFTER link grows up in OoT, basically did not happen. but link still did go to three temples before that happened. after he is sent back to his childhood we are supposed to assume that he tells the royal family of ganondorfs plans and then they capture ganondorf. link then leaves to try and find navi and ends up in termina. if there were two links that would have been explained in the game and also, why would one link leave without helping the other link defeat ganondorf? link knows how much trouble he had fighting him so two links would work out better.

the fact remains that link didnt just get sent back in time, he was sent back to HIS original point in time before he grew up.

the timeline split comes from him being sent back in time, not him going into MM when there is another Link.

if you would actually look closely at the split, there could not be two links because of the back story of WW. it says ganondorf escaped his prison but the hero of time did not return to fight him. this is because the hero of time was sent back to his childhood. if there were two links then he would have returned to stop ganondorf but he didnt.

For 2 links to meet is a paradox. Paradox = bad.

 

[Zemen]

and im sure in the medievil times they knew this. also, that would mean there are two eponas. in MM, link is riding epona, but then how would the other link cross that bridge that required epona to jump over? he wouldnt. the carpenters would stay trapped by the Gerudo, the bridge would never get built, link would never go to the spirit temple and he would never unlock the sage in the spirit temple.

if zelda ONLY sent link back in time, then he would have remained an adult, but she sent him back to his original time where he was a kid. when you are literally moving through time, you would stay the same physically, but the fact that he is a kid when hes sent back shows that he was sent back to his original spot in time before going into the temple.

also the back story of TP completely destroys the idea. it shows ganondorf attempting to be killed but they couldnt kill him so they sent him to the twilight realm. MANY people believe that this is what happened after link is sent back to his childhood in OoT. he told the royal family what had happened on his adventure. they captured ganondorf and tried to kill him before anything could happen. link leaves and ends up in termina. while he is there, ganondorf is being executed but the triforce of power saved him so they sent him to the twilight realm. when link returned there was nothing for him to do. ganondorf was already gone. a lot of time passed and then the actions of TP take place. this is what many believe, anyway.

 

[Josh]

Just to come and attack your first paragraph for fun, I think it was Kitsu that said you could actually use the Longshot to get across the gap in Ocarina of Time, so you don't HAVE to use Epona.

 

[(◕‿◕✿)]

There wouldn't have to be two Epona's, for it is true that Link can cross the gorge in Gerudo valley via the Long-shot.

And at least from what I know about time-travel, considering that Link was sent back to his childhood, as Zemen pointed out, wouldn't that reinforce this idea? Seeing as most assume that Termina wouldn't exist in the Adult Time-line due to Link not being there to save it?

 

[Zemen]

There wouldn't have to be two Epona's, for it is true that Link can cross the gorge in Gerudo valley via the Long-shot.

And at least from what I know about time-travel, considering that Link was sent back to his childhood, as Zemen pointed out, wouldn't that reinforce this idea? Seeing as most assume that Termina wouldn't exist in the Adult Time-line due to Link not being there to save it?

good thought, but we have no idea the time flow comparison between termina and hyrule. it appears they are two different dimensions so for all we know, one day in termina could be one second in hyrule or vice versa. both games are completely centered around time travel so chances are they have some whacked time flow with all the time travel going around.

and also, doesnt zelda like tell link she wants to send him back to live his childhood? if thats the case then why would she sent him back to a place with two links. if link 1 already knows whats gonna happen, why would he let link 2 go on this rough adventure when he could just tell the royal family and stop it at the source?

the idea of there being two links is just so unrealistic because its so unneccessary. the back story of WW says that link defeated ganondorf and sealed him away then he left. when ganondorf escaped he never returned. if there were two links then there would be a never ending loop because there would always be a link to go on the adventure and fight ganondorf and get sent back in time. i highly doubt that is the case because then there would be a crap ton of timelines that we know dont exist.

 

[Josh]

the idea of there being two links is just so unrealistic because its so unneccessary. the back story of WW says that link defeated ganondorf and sealed him away then he left. when ganondorf escaped he never returned. if there were two links then there would be a never ending loop because there would always be a link to go on the adventure and fight ganondorf and get sent back in time. i highly doubt that is the case because then there would be a crap ton of timelines that we know dont exist.

I've always found the best answer to this is a little something I like to call Death. What ever prevented Link from dying? We all know he can die, so what's preventing one, or both of them, dying in the 100 year span before we get to Wind Waker?

 

[UsayEldaZay]

whoa my brain hurts :x :x

 

[Zemen]

I've always found the best answer to this is a little something I like to call Death. What ever prevented Link from dying? We all know he can die, so what's preventing one, or both of them, dying in the 100 year span before we get to Wind Waker?

what is preventing that is the totaly lack of evidence towards this theory. if something like this was actually happening, i think we would have known about it by now or it would have been explained by the creators or there would have been some tiny mention of it.

also, link is sent back to the moment when he meets zelda in the courtyard. if there were two links, they would have met at this exact moment because the original link is sent to that moment in time while link number two, having just gotten all the stones from the first three dungeons, would have just arrived there as well, but this didnt happen, therefor i think its a no go.