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Placement of Link's Awakening in the Timeline?

r2d93

Hero of the Stars
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Location
Lost Woods
Link's Awakening to me is one of those oddball games when it comes to its placement in the timeline due to the fact that the whole game is a dream. However, i think i have a possibility as to where it could go. Personally i think it makes sense that it fits in between ocarina of time and windwaker on the adult side of the timeline. My reasoning? recall that in the beginning of windwaker, it explains the events of ocarina of time. It then says that the hero left hyrule causing ganon to return, but when he returned the hero did not causing ganon to be unmatched which is why hyrule was flooded. I think its possible that link left hyrule to sail somewhere and got caught in a storm (showed in links awakening) which is when ganon returned.

Also, think of some of the details in Link's awakening. Dreams are supposed to reveal the subconcious and show what we're thinking. If the link in LA was any other link, then how come in the game there are characters that purposely bear resemblence to malon and talon (marin and tarin)? howcome there is a wise owl that helps you through your quest? how come link mistakes marin for zelda when he is washed up? How come one of the nightmares takes the form of ganon?

it may sound stupid but its just a thought. where do you think links awakening fits?
 

Satsy

~~SaturnStorm
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Location
Somewhere small
At the end of OoT, Adult Link was returned to the past, to continue a more normal life, by Zelda. That's why he 'left' Hyrule on the adult timeline. That's also why there was no longer a hero on that timeline to counter Ganon when he broke free of his seal.

In LA, one of the first things Marin says to you is "Zelda? No, my name is Marin." suggesting that Marin was a lookalike of Zelda. As for Tarin, much like Ingo later, they're the cliche-by-this-point Mario throw-in. Back when OoT first came out, Malon and Talon were simply cameos of the dream characters from the previous game.

As for why the nightmare takes the form of Ganon, he also takes the form of Aganhim from LttP, suggesting just as strongly that the game fits after the third game, and not the fifth.
 

r2d93

Hero of the Stars
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Location
Lost Woods
true makes sense. but when link returns to live out his childhood doesnt that initiate the child timeline? and if he does return doesnt this erase the future in which ganon is sealed? if this future is erased there wouldnt be a legend to be passed down by the people. Also, it probably was just there for symbolism but in the pictures of the windwaker intro it clearly shows link riding away on his horse.

Also, comparing both the artwork and the ingame characters, marin does not look like zelda

ahh nevermind i was confused sorry. but i still stand by marin not looking like zelda
 
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Faedeur

The Juror of Courage
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Location
Wherever the winds take me.
I'm gonna state this again.

The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening Nintendo Player's Guide said:
Link's Awakening tells the tale of the hero of A Link To The Past and how after his first great victory he set out on a mission of training, to hone his skills, sharpen his wits and master techniques of battle from around the world.

It comes after ALTTP

Essentially, after Ganon has been destroyed, Link sets out on an adventure to better himself as a warrior to help defend Hyrule in the future. Many people, myself included, believe that the adventure he went on was through the Oracle Series games. That Link went to the Triforce and it sent him to Holodrum and Labrynna to save those lands, in a way training him. This is further aided by the fact that Link ends one of the games sailing away on a boat similar to the one in the intro to Link's Awakening. After he sails away, he is caught in a storm, and washed on Koholint. Thus Link's Awakenin happens.
 
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Joined
Nov 11, 2011
In LA, one of the first things Marin says to you is "Zelda? No, my name is Marin." suggesting that Marin was a lookalike of Zelda. As for Tarin, much like Ingo later, they're the cliche-by-this-point Mario throw-in. Back when OoT first came out, Malon and Talon were simply cameos of the dream characters from the previous game.

As for why the nightmare takes the form of Ganon, he also takes the form of Aganhim from LttP, suggesting just as strongly that the game fits after the third game, and not the fifth.

That last battle could be dream memories of the past as well as premonitions of some future. (just throwing it out there)
 
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Ganon0075

Ganon, King of Douchness.
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Over there.
I believe that it takes place after ALtTP-OoA/OoS.
Simply for the same reasons as Faedeur's.
Also I believe that Ganon's apperence was not only because his return was one of Link's nightmares but also a hint that Ganon would return later in TLoZ.
 

SecretNerd-sshh

Its a secret to everyone
Joined
Nov 8, 2011
Location
USA
I too place LA after OoX in all of my theories...only thing I hate about that is how Zelda doesnt know link and in LA he mentions zelda.

One placement that has no holes, although not popular, is LoZ/AoL-->OoX. The triforce is whole after AoL, explains zelda not knowing Link, and ganon was killed in LoZ which could back up Twinrova trying to revive him. It also leaves room to explain the master sword making an appearance seeing how countless years pass from alttp to oox if that was the case.
 
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Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Split Timeline

When Zelda sends Link back in time at the end of OoT, Link ends up on a timeline independent from the original one. Ultimately evidenced by WW and MM, since WW continues the story of OoT's adult ending and MM the child dito, and since those two can't (or, well, they might be able to) co-exist on the same timeline, Link needs to have ended up on a completely new timeline.

Link and Zelda in OoX

It is worth noticing that Din introduces herself in the linked OoA, which means that if Zelda's introduction is a timeline idicator, so should Din's be. However, no one argues that OoA and OoS do not feature the same Link, so the whole argument seems to loose some of its weight. Moreover, Zelda's introduction can be seen as a polite introduction when looking at the Japanese context, if I understand the analyses right.

/Blue Window
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
There are three main factors to it's placement.
1: Link had just defeated Ganon.
2: Link went sailing to "find himself" or something like that.
3: Link calls out Zelda's name as he wakes, either mistaking Maron for her (that's never good) or expecting her to be at his bedside.

Games that fall under factor 1 are LoZ, LttP, OoT, OoX, WW, FSA, & TP. We can disqualify OoT, on the grounds that Link went searching for Navi and wasn't "soul searching". TP is iffy because Link went riding off instead (though we can't be sure if he didn't go sailing later). That leaves the 3rd factor. WW is disqualified because that game's Zelda was known by Link as "Tetra". In TP, Link and Zelda have a purely professional relationship (sorry shippers). Zelda is Link's Queen and he is a loyal subject. There is nothing more or less to their relationship. LoZ is a bit iffy because Link doesn't seem to be more than a loyal subject to Zelda, but there is Sleeping Zelda in AoL. LttP and FSA are likely because Link and Zelda are very close. OoX is also likely because Link and Zelda get close during the linked game and Link goes sailing at the end. So here are the possible games LA comes after:
"Link to the Past"
"Four Swords Adventure"
"Oracle of Ages" & "Oracle of Seasons"
Possibly "Adventure of Link"
 
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
How could Link have gone searching for Navi? Link was never a Kokiri in the OoT, he was Hylian. The Great Deku Tree appointed Navi as Link's temporary guardian in order to help him learn the ropes and to complete the objective. After the objective was complete, there was no reason why Navi would have stayed with Link considering he wasn't a Kokiri. That is why Navi left Link at the end. He wasn't Kokiri, and he no longer needed help from her. Mission Complete.

Also, at the end of ALttP, the end showed Link returning the master sword to the pedestal. It then said the master sword will 'will sleep again' forever. With emphasis on 'forever'. Because of this, ALttP MUST come lastly (after a time when the master sword was once before held) AND/OR must come before a series of zelda games that do not contain Link obtaining a master sword again in a timeline.

Based on Link's clothes in the cinematic sequences, Link's Awakening has to come after either Zelda II or ALttP and it has got to be the same exact Link because of his appearance. Since it is developed around the same time as ALttP, it probably is a direct sequel to that. So I will say that the Link's Awakening Link and ALttP's Link is the same Link.
 
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Satsy

~~SaturnStorm
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Somewhere small
How could Link have gone searching for Navi? Link was never a Kokiri in the OoT, he was Hylian.

Why does that matter? Just because he isn't a kokiri doesn't mean Navi wasn't his friend throughout the whole game, helping him through quite a lot of scrapes. Navi left, and it's only natural that Link, left with no idea where to go from here, and nowhere to go back to, would go looking for one of the most solid aspects of his life and one of his most dependable friends once the adventure had ended.

Besides that the sound of Navi flying is used when the text in MM's prologue refers to Link's friend, so it's not unreasonable to assume it's indicating Navi's who he's looking for.
 
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
She was appointed by the Deku Tree. Friend or not, it is the rule of that land. If he really didn't want her to leave, he would have stuck his hand out and made a jester that meant, nooo don't go. Instead, he just watched her ascend and then casually walked off feeling accomplished. Link knew the job of the fairy. The kokiri fairies are the guardians of the children in the forest. Not anyone else. They make sure that their assigned kid doesn't lose their was and become a stalfos. Similiarly, think of Navi as a Sensei. After a Sensei is done with a student, does the Sensei still follow the person around? No. And just like Link or anyone else will have a life, so will the Sensei, and so will a fairy. Skullkid from MM became Link's friend. And what happened? Link parted ways. Sure Link knows where to go. The whole game was the 'parenting' part.

If he doesn't know where to go and what to do after living the life of a full fledged adult and making friends where ever he went, Link sure does have a big learning curve and some serious issues lol.
 

Satsy

~~SaturnStorm
Joined
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Location
Somewhere small
Even if Navi saw their roles as teacher and student, Link probably didn't. So even if she left doesn't mean he won't go looking for her, for whatever reason he chose.

I mean it's all well and good dismissing the idea, but with what the games imply, and how many friends of Link who didn't disappear into the world, who exactly would he be looking for? He's looking for his friend and Navi's the only one who left. So regardless of whether you agree with the reasoning or not unless you can think of a better fit it's implied he's looking for Navi.

Whether or not he's a Kokiri has nothing to do with why Link would look for Navi, even if it would be why Navi left Link in the first place.
 
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
There is no evidence, gestures, or anything in game or out that says Link was looking for Navi. The character got around just fine in 'kid mode' in any other zelda game without a fairy.

He made plenty of friends throughout his journey. That friend could have been anybody. MM is months after OoT. Why would he be looking for Navi months afterward? It could have been a kokiri, Malon, or anybody else that is not really important. As far as anyone could know, he and Malon could have just been chillin and reminiscing about old times, with Link showing her around the forest and he could have stopped to take a leak while Malon continued on. It could be any person. But looking for a tiny fairy that he knew he had nothing else to do with doesn't make sense. If he was looking for Navi, he could have easily asked the newly growing Great Deku Tree.
 

Satsy

~~SaturnStorm
Joined
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Location
Somewhere small
There is no evidence, gestures, or anything in game or out that says Link was looking for Navi. The character got around just fine in 'kid mode' in any other zelda game without a fairy.

There is, I did mention this already:

Besides that the sound of Navi flying is used when the text in MM's prologue refers to Link's friend, so it's not unreasonable to assume it's indicating Navi's who he's looking for.


He made plenty of friends throughout his journey. That friend could have been anybody. MM is months after OoT. Why would he be looking for Navi months afterward? It could have been a kokiri, Malon, or anybody else that is not really important.

Last I checked Malon didn't make Navi flying noises. Are you really going to throw out a stronger implied answer in favour of baseless speculation? There is more to suggest he's looking for Navi (who left) than a friend who in the previous title did not (Malon). Really unless you've got more to back up the idea that there's someone else he could be looking for then I don't see why Navi can't be that friend.
 

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