Majora's Mask Infinitely Split Timelines

[Kungfuyu24]

If we assume that in Ocarina of Time, whenever Link goes back in time or forward in time, he isn't rewriting history each time, but rather "continuing" at the exact time he left for the past or future, then we can postulate that Link only rewrites history once, where he goes back before Zelda left to warn her about Ganondorf. Therefore, there are only two timelines from Ocarina of Time.

In Majora's Mask, however, Link constantly goes back in time to rewrite history, since he always goes back to 72 hours before the Moon's descent. If rewriting history each time created a different split timeline, wouldn't 99% of those timelines end in apocalypses? How is my logic here?

 

[ZZhobbit]

Yup. Every single MM timeline would end in the apocalypse therefore ending said timeline except for the one where Link actually stops Majora and the Moon from falling. So in the grand scheme of Time MM really didn't change much.

 

[Linebeck1000]

Not really, playing the Song of Time in MM has a different effect than Zelda's magic. It rewinds time rather than sending him back in time to another timeline. Its replaying the same three days over and over again. So MM is all on the same timeline I believe.

 

[ZZhobbit]

well technically something changes as Link has different masks and items each time and then interacts with the world differently, like in one single timeline Link wouldn't be able to beat all 4 temples and Majora while collecting all the masks. He obtains something in the timeline then goes back to day one and lets that timeline die but he lives so he can then do a different task and just repeats the process as necessary. In the end either way only one timeline will survive and thats the one where Link stops the Moon.

 

[Ember Incubus]

Never thought of it like that, thankyou for explaining that. But, I like to think of it as, every time Link plays the song of time, he does not rewind time, so much as clone himself and merge the worlds so he ends up with everything he has gotten. Its like, link played the song of time 3 times which means he got all 4 temple masks (just hypothetical), so all four of those links meat up in clock town, were they merge into one and go up to the moon and stop the moon children. (Making any sence?)

 

[zora warrior]

Ember, you solved the question of many threads!:clap: Anyways, i agree with what Ember said.

 

[Kungfuyu24]

Hmmm...well if you put it like that, do you think Link ages during the three days?

 

[KickinBird]

That's an interesting topic I've spent plenty nights lying awake thinking about haha. I personally believe Link going back in time into another timeline, leaving the world he is in helpless against Majora and the impending apocalypse, but mostly because it simply fits the sad, depressing mood of the game in general. Another question you have to ask yourself is, when Link plays the Song of Time, is he disappearing into thin air in everyone else's perspective? Like Micheal J Fox in Back to the Future? I like to think so, even though it is the more sinister of possibilities, what with everyone being killed my the Moon infinitely many times and all.

 

[Ember Incubus]

Technicaly yes he does. Every one of his "clones" expeirnce different things and merge. Which means that he got about 1 year worth of wisdom in 3 days. It is almost as if these 3 days were his birthday.

 

[ZZhobbit]

never thought about it like that Ember but that is a very definite possibility, so Link at Day One will always be the same day one Link like a blank slate and what the Links of the last 3 day sets do basically edit him to be a complete Link by the final timeline. Very Interesting.

 

[Locke]

The explanation that Linebeck described is the best one I've seen so far.

well technically something changes as Link has different masks and items each time and then interacts with the world differently, like in one single timeline Link wouldn't be able to beat all 4 temples and Majora while collecting all the masks.

Perhaps the Song of Time affects his important possessions, and when time is rewound it adjusts itself to respond to the changes caused by this alteration.

 

[Linebeck1000]

Aye, let me elaborate. When Link plays the Song of Time, think of it as when you manually turn back the hands of a clock. As the hands are turned backwards, everything that has happened up to that point is erased as if it never happened. EXCEPT Link and everything on his person (including Tatl) because the Goddess of Time is protecting him, as it says in-game. There are a few other exceptions like the Mask Salesman, the turtle, and Kaepora Gaebora because they have some godlike powers and Kaepora Gaebora himself said that he could transcend space and time.

I hope that makes more sense.

@Ooccoo Watcher: Link didn't play the Song of Time at the end of OoT, Zelda did... "As a sage, I can return you to your original time with [the ocarina]." Like I said, Zelda's magic has a different effect than when the Goddess of Time is aiding Link.

 

[Ooccoo Watcher]

I'm going to go against all of you and stick with this thread's original theory, which is that every time Link plays > A v > A v > (the song of time) he creates a new timeline, which creates a paradox. OoT's split timeline confirms this theory.

 

[February Eve]

There is another thread around here that had some interesting theories about this...I am not sure where it went when the forums were redesigned, though.

Most of my thoughts are conjectures and personal preferences, as opposed to something based on interviews/media. It's a bit too depressing to me to think of multiple universes dying, and it's a pretty heavy thing to lay on a kid, particularly one who has already been through one worst-case scenario. So I tend to try to figure out how to resolve the time paradox instead.

I watch Doctor Who and it's something I enjoy while at the same time it sometimes hurts my brain as I try to wrap my head around the time loops. There was actually an episode recently (well, several) that raised what I thought was a parallel issue, which is, "How is it that someone's existence can disappear but the effects of their existence remain?" This would have to come down to some law of time that we do not actually know about, but perhaps the same thing happens in MM - while Link's actions are technically erased, their effects are not. This is partly possible by the fact that memories can be manipulated. Link may reach the fourth day without actually completing some of his side quests, but the people he helped thought he did because of the laws of rewinding time.

There's a lot this leaves unexplained, and the other explanation I like is to treat time like a streusel. It has lots of thin layers, but it's still part of the same yummy pastry (yes, I have food on the brain at the moment.) All the previous days are Link traveling between layers, and on the fourth day he is at the top, which takes all the other layers into account.

My final thoughts are probably some combination of the two theories that I haven't figured out how to articulate yet. Or somebody could post, "Well, Miyamoto says..." and I would just end up saying, "Oh, okay."

 

[ironknuckle1]

If we assume that in Ocarina of Time, whenever Link goes back in time or forward in time, he isn't rewriting history each time, but rather "continuing" at the exact time he left for the past or future, then we can postulate that Link only rewrites history once, where he goes back before Zelda left to warn her about Ganondorf. Therefore, there are only two timelines from Ocarina of Time.

In Majora's Mask, however, Link constantly goes back in time to rewrite history, since he always goes back to 72 hours before the Moon's descent. If rewriting history each time created a different split timeline, wouldn't 99% of those timelines end in apocalypses? How is my logic here?

the one thing that i have to say against this is that Termina is a parallel World as stated in the manuel. And as i can remember their is no proof stating that what happens in termina happens in Hyrule. And these are parallel worlds meaning the way that they go back in time could differ.