So... What's with This Split Timeline Thing?

[Katelynn]

Seriously. I don't really pay attention to timelines because they confuse me, and I end up telling people the wrong facts. So what exactly is the split timeline, and why do people bother trying to figure it out? It just seems like a waste of time in my perspective. I would create my own, but i'm obviously not very interested...

Discuss please, and tell me what you think!

 

[Faedeur]

The Zelda Split-Timeline theory is a premise that was brought up by the creators of the game to help organize and allot the Zelda games into a flowing timeline. What it states is that at a certain point (or points now, quite possibly) in the Zelda chronology, the fabric of time was split in such a way that certain events can happen simultaneously to another. Mainly, this applies to Ocarina of Time, in that the future portion of the game leads off to The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks, whereas the past portion leads on into Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. It should be noted that the creators of the game stated that The Wind Waker happens at the same time as Twilight Princess.

To put it in a more visual way

....../-------TWW-PH---ST
OOT
......\MM---TP

 

[Pixel]

Pretty much what Faedeur said,except he forgot Skyward Sword, that comes before OoT, not that it would make that much of a difference

............/-------TWW-PH---ST
SS--OOT
............\MM---TP

 

[Links Brother]

Yep that's the most used timeline though I have seen some like this

/----TWW-----PH------ST
SS--OoT
\-----TP-----ALTTP-----LA------AoL-------LoZ

 

[pokewarrior2000]

I don't really believe in the split timeline because the Triforce of Time Theory makes more sense to me.

 

[bobbery18]

It is like where Ocarina f Time splits at the end: one way where Link returns to childhood, and two, where he stays as an adult.

 

[clavier223]

Legend of the Gods and the Hero of Time
Era of Creation
Heaven and Earth is created.
Era of the Goddess Hylia
Skyward Sword takes place, Goddess Hylia reincarnated as Zelda, ancient battle.
The Sky Era
N/A
Era of Chaos
Sacred Realm is sealed.
Era of Prosperity
The kingdom of Hyrule is established.
The Force Era
The Minish Cap takes place, Vaati is born. Four Swords takes place, Vaati is resurrected.
Hero of Time Era
Hyrule unification war, Ocarina of Time takes place. Dark World formed in the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf becomes Ganon the demon king.

Timeline Split Into Three

Hero of Time is defeated
A Link to the Past
Oracles
Link’s Awakening
Legend of Zelda
Adventure of Link

Hero of Time is successful (Young Link’s Time)
Majora’s Mask
Twilight Princess
Four Swords Adventures

Hero of Time is successful (Adult Link’s Time)
The Wind Waker
Phantom Hourglass
Spirit Tracks

source

 

[8skar]

It seems a little silly to me to assume there's a third split in which Link loses to Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, doesn't that seem a little weird considering there's no way (plot-wise) to actually lose to Ganon in the final battle?

 

[Jragun]

It seems a little silly to me to assume there's a third split in which Link loses to Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, doesn't that seem a little weird considering there's no way (plot-wise) to actually lose to Ganon in the final battle?

That's one thing I didn't like about the official timeline. It makes those games a "what if" scenario. So they don't really happen (non-cannon).

 

[clavier223]

It seems a little silly to me to assume there's a third split in which Link loses to Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, doesn't that seem a little weird considering there's no way (plot-wise) to actually lose to Ganon in the final battle?

No one's assuming ... it's an actual official timeline from Nintendo.

And yes, you can "lose" to Ganon by not returning to the timelime you were in. When you go into the past the change something, you change the future, creating another timeline. Link didn't return to the original timeline because he went into the past to change the future when he got the Lens of Truth, Silver Gauntlets, etc.

 

[Ventus]

The split timeline is basically three separate (used to be two until Hyrule Historia released) timelines because of the events in Ocarina of Time.

You have three timelines: Child, Adult, and Defeat.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Child Timeline: This is borne out of the knowledge Link retains when traveling back from the past. After defeating Ganondorf in his final encounter, Link gives Zelda the Ocarina of Time and she sends him back to the time that he didn't get to live. Using his knowledge, Child Link warns Child Zelda about everything Ganondorf would do, from there Ganondorf is sent to Arbiter's Ground and the events of Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures happen.

Adult Timeline: This is borne out of the happening of the Child Timeline. After Ganondorf's defeat, Link gives Zelda the Ocarina of Time and she sends him back to the time that he didn't get to live. However, the timeline that Link left still runs on. Later on, Ganondorf escapes the void he was trapped in and wreaks havoc on Hyrule. Since there exists no hero to stop him, the 'golden gods' flood Hyrule and the events of The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks happen.

Defeat Timeilne: This truly is just a hypothetical, a what-if. If Link were to die in the final encounter with Ganondorf, the sages would still trap Ganondorf and the events of ALttP, OoX, LA, LoZ and AoL would happen.

 

[TNinja]

it took me so long to figure it out, but i finally understand that the third split is just an what if timeline, basically just saying that if link was defeated, this is what would happen. The reason why most people don't get it is because they think that it exist alongside the other timelines, just like how the child and adult timelines exist together, but the defeat timeline is just an alternative timeline, so you can only have one or the other.

 

[Spirit]

it took me so long to figure it out, but i finally understand that the third split is just an what if timeline, basically just saying that if link was defeated, this is what would happen. The reason why most people don't get it is because they think that it exist alongside the other timelines, just like how the child and adult timelines exist together, but the defeat timeline is just an alternative timeline, so you can only have one or the other.

Which i think is a terrible idea. =[

There are some awesome games in the 'fail' third split. It kind of makes them non-canonical and in a way almost retconned. A Link to the Past had a very strong storyline, both in narrative plot and backstory with the imprisoning war. Why cheapen it and say that it s a 'what if' scenario. It denotes it so much... and to have so much heritage in that time line too with the two original games LoZ and AoL... it just feels wrong.

 

[i-am-link]

Um, shouldn't this be in the Zelda Theory section?

 

[clavier223]

Defeat Timeilne: This truly is just a hypothetical, a what-if. If Link were to die in the final encounter with Ganondorf, the sages would still trap Ganondorf and the events of ALttP, OoX, LA, LoZ and AoL would happen.

If you examine the official Nintendo Zelda timeline, it's not hypothetical. It truly exists in the Zelda timeline.