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Timeline Theories?

T

Taakeslottet

Guest
I was wondering what everyones take is on the timeline, I know it's a largely disputed topic.

In my opinion it goes:

OoC
MM
LOZ
AoL
LA
OoA/OoS
MC
TWW
PH
TP
 
P

Peregrine

Guest
Minish Cap is largely considered to be the first chronological event in the Zelda time line to date, prior to OoT, and MM.

Twilight Princess is supposed to occur after Majora's Mask and before Wind Waker.

You seem to be missing A Link to the Past, unless I'm overlooking it. That should go prior to Link's Awakening.

In my opinion, and to the best of my understanding, it would go something like:

MC
OoT
MM
TP
WW
PH
LttP
LA
OoA/OoS
LoZ
AoL

But that's not engraved in stone. I don't think I'm forgetting anything, but I'm going by memory, so I could be. And I used to have Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures in that list somewhere, but I forget where I put them. They made sense at the time. I've also heard that the Oracle series goes at the end, which I'm neither for, nor against.

I haven't payed much attention to the timeline recently. I occasionally consider it, but I don't think it's really worth getting into heated debates over.

I'm not especially crazy about the split-timeline theory, but I'm not ready to discard it either.
 

Caleb

Walkthrough Man
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Location
Homer, Alaska
Below is the link to a review of the entire Zelda series. This is the last segment of the review by IGN that talks about a theory on the timeline, which is heavily supported by facts within the games and comments by people like Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator, storywriter and overseer) and Eiji Anouma (the director of several of OoT, TP and PH).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXN1BF65WjI

Keep in mind that this was released near the release of Twilight Princess.

It's a very interesting theory, and some other theories that go along the same split timeline share this as well as many other interesting comparisons. For example, one thing I noticed, is that Zelda gives link the Ocarina of Time at the beginning of Majora's Mask. While that may not sound too out of place, realize that Adult Zelda in the future never gave it back, she took it from Link in the future in order to send him back. That means we have two Ocarina of Times floating around.
 

Mases

Lord of the Flies
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Location
West Dundee, IL
It really is an impressive video, the Game Trailers split timeline theory video. Has great mixture of evidance from the actual games and from interviews with the developers. I think if one were to believe there is an actual timeline, this is the one to believe.

I personally feel that this is in fact true for the most part. However, I believe that there could quite possible be a ton of games missing in between games within the timeline. Like I really don't see how it gets from A Link to the Past or from Phantom Hourglass to either of the Oracle Titles. I think there also could be a lot more between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. I also am unsure of a connection with the end of Twilight Princess and the begining of Wind Waker.

I really don't think there is an actual timeline that is documented of any sort. It really is, just the creators making it up as they go along and then leaving us or even them to guess or fit it into the timeline where they thing it fits best.
 
P

Peregrine

Guest
Game Trailers makes too many assertions for my liking. Some of which they might make in the interest of time, but others, I don't like so much.

For one thing, A Link to the Past was billed as something of a prequel to the first two Zelda games. And Link's Awakening is said to occur sometime after A Link to the Past, and is usually considered to involve the same Link. Whether they've retconed that out or not, I'm not sure, but the last I heard, that was still the case.

And they put the Oracle series in two separate time lines. But the way the games play when you link them up doesn't support that. One occurs after the other in the same timeline. The split timeline is worth considering, for a time at least, but I'd put both oracle games in the same timeline.

They put Four Swords Adventures before LttP, which is correct, but still too late in the series if LttP is still considered a prequel of the first two games.

So that throws Game Trailer's theory off. Not entirely, but in the end, their theory is as valid as anyone's.

I think Mases is right in that there's a ton of stories all over the place that haven't been told yet, either in-game, or as a back story.

I think the creators have a tentative timeline set up, but they shuffle it around when they make a new game to fit the game in the timeline. They might even ignore everything they've ever said before about the order of events in order to shoehorn the new game in there. If that's the case, all bets are off. I don't think all bets are off yet, but they could be once a new game is released.
 

Mases

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I've embed the youtube video for the Game Trailers Timeline Theory.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXN1BF65WjI[/youtube]

I was thinking about this the other day. Aonuma, the current head honcho behind the Zelda series did in fact say that there were two endings to Ocarina of Time.

What I'm thinking though, was he the first one to mention that? I don't remember much talk about the timeline before then because I wasn't as active in the Zelda World. However, I was wandering if in fact it was something that just happened to come up. Like a fan or somebody giving him that type of theory and then him liking it so making it his own theory. Get what I mean?

I really don't know if when Ocarina of Time was complete, they had any idea of what would become known as the 'split timeline' theory. I think the theory was something that was made up afterwards as it seemed rather interesting and somewhat logical.
 

xandar

World's Dumbest Zombie.
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Location
Colorado
I believe OoT is first in the timeline because Eiji Aunoma said so.
Second is TP because the worlds are still relatively the same. Not a lot of difference from continental drift. Also, I think OoT would've had a map that was even more similar had the N64 as much power as the Cube.
I suppose you noticed I didn't say Majora's Mask despite the fact that it's clearly a direct sequel. Well I don't think that ever happened. Look at it. All the characters in MM are exact duplicates of characters in OoT. In a few cases, they even have the same name. You know how they say you see your life flash back before your eyes when you die? Well, I think Link Died at the start of MM when he fell. He was in a magic forest at the time when he died, and what do you eat in a magic forest? Magic mushrooms. I figure they made him go a little loopy, and his flashback of his life happened while he was high.
Third, I think Minish Cap because it's referenced to in Wind Waker. Sometime in the starting prophecy scene, it says a few things about the original Hero, and then it says something along the lines of 'An evil Wind blew'. I figure this is Minish Cap, Vaati being the Evil Wind.
Next I figure is Link To the Past, once again figuring by geography. It's not exactly the same, so perhaps a decent gap between this one, maybe even a hundred years.
After that, I think Four Swords followed by FS Adventures. They have to be directly related because in the second one, you automatically know how the Four Sword works, and Zelda doesn't have to explain it.
Then Wind Waker and PH, as another direct sequel after Hyrule has sank, (for which I have not yet figured a reason) and then he loses his way and ends up stranded on an island when his boat crashes. Thusly, Link's Awakening.
That's as far as I ever figured, I dunno where the Oracle Series or the first one goes, and I've also decided that Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil never happened, as they were blasphemy, and the second one barely made it into the timeline, but I never figured out how it got into the timeline either. Also, I never played Zelda's Adventure, so I dunno for that one. I might sometime. Maybe. Until that day which may not be ever, I shall leave it out as well. Though I will be thinking about those other ones, and may post again later on the subject if I come up with anything.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Peregrine said:
Minish Cap is largely considered to be the first chronological event in the Zelda time line to date, prior to OoT, and MM.

Twilight Princess is supposed to occur after Majora's Mask and before Wind Waker.

You seem to be missing A Link to the Past, unless I'm overlooking it. That should go prior to Link's Awakening.

In my opinion, and to the best of my understanding, it would go something like:

MC
OoT
MM
TP
WW
PH
LttP
LA
OoA/OoS
LoZ
AoL

But that's not engraved in stone. I don't think I'm forgetting anything, but I'm going by memory, so I could be. And I used to have Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures in that list somewhere, but I forget where I put them. They made sense at the time. I've also heard that the Oracle series goes at the end, which I'm neither for, nor against.

I haven't payed much attention to the timeline recently. I occasionally consider it, but I don't think it's really worth getting into heated debates over.

I'm not especially crazy about the split-timeline theory, but I'm not ready to discard it either.

I think Twilight Princess takes places on the other side of teh Timeline, not with MM. According to the split, that is where it happens, since it runs paralell with Wind Waker.

That and one question about Minish Cap coming first. In the Oracles, Din/Nayru/Farore are about to go to Hyrule, but Veran and Onox come in and capture them. In the Minish Cap, they already live in Hyrule and the game even confirms they are the same Din/Nayru/Farore from the Oracles. Some say its just a cameo, but then again, the game goes out of the way to explain their existance in the Minish Cap.
 

Mases

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Location
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Killswitch, I remember reading your article over at the Chamber of Sages and thought you made some pretty good points. The Minish Cap being first seems skepticle a bit to begin with. The connections and then confusions make me think of my theory of new true timeline and Nintendo is just improvising it as they go.

However, I do think there are obvious relations between some of the games and eventually, with the help of a few people, plan to make a huge article about it at Zelda Dungeon with diagrams and such. We got some other things we are working on now, in terms of interesting articles though, so this is something down the line.

It seems rather obscure. Did three of them (Din,Nayru,Farore) originally live in Hyrule, leave, and then come back. That is a very general explanition and I'm sure there is much more to it than that.
 

Alder Dragon

Classic Gamer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
I'd have to say that the video from IGN is by far the most impressive I've seen. I'm following that concept for now, at least. Maybe Nintendo will reveal more about the "timeline", if there even is one. Obviously when making LoZ, they weren't thinking into the future about how the timeline would happen, giving the impression that they have just been improvising many of the new titles. Majora's Mask obviously links after OoT, and Link's Awakening after LttP, but some don't really fit in. The Four Swords titles have spawned much controversy, and many are skeptical to if they even have anything to do with the storyline. PH obviously fixed that problem if you've seen the intro movie.

I think future games will change the idea of a Zelda Storyline completely.
 

Alder Dragon

Classic Gamer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Just a thought.

At the end of LttP, it states "the Master Sword sleeps again... FOREVER!"

wouldn't that ensure that any game that includes the Master Sword takes place before LttP? What about the Wind Waker? Again, this would introduce the split timeline theory.
 
P

Peregrine

Guest
Killswitch said:
Peregrine said:
Minish Cap is largely considered to be the first chronological event in the Zelda time line to date, prior to OoT, and MM.

Twilight Princess is supposed to occur after Majora's Mask and before Wind Waker.

You seem to be missing A Link to the Past, unless I'm overlooking it. That should go prior to Link's Awakening.

In my opinion, and to the best of my understanding, it would go something like:

MC
OoT
MM
TP
WW
PH
LttP
LA
OoA/OoS
LoZ
AoL

But that's not engraved in stone. I don't think I'm forgetting anything, but I'm going by memory, so I could be. And I used to have Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures in that list somewhere, but I forget where I put them. They made sense at the time. I've also heard that the Oracle series goes at the end, which I'm neither for, nor against.

I haven't payed much attention to the timeline recently. I occasionally consider it, but I don't think it's really worth getting into heated debates over.

I'm not especially crazy about the split-timeline theory, but I'm not ready to discard it either.

I think Twilight Princess takes places on the other side of teh Timeline, not with MM. According to the split, that is where it happens, since it runs paralell with Wind Waker.

I wasn't considering a split timeline at the time, but yes, I pretty much agree. If we're splitting the timeline, then MM goes one way, and the other way goes TP, WW, PH, and so on.

That and one question about Minish Cap coming first. In the Oracles, Din/Nayru/Farore are about to go to Hyrule, but Veran and Onox come in and capture them. In the Minish Cap, they already live in Hyrule and the game even confirms they are the same Din/Nayru/Farore from the Oracles. Some say its just a cameo, but then again, the game goes out of the way to explain their existance in the Minish Cap.

That's something I 'd have to check on. I don't distinctly remember it. Maybe they were just vacationing in Holodrum and Labrynna, and were on their way back to Hyrule when they were captured.

And as xandar mentioned, OoT was first in the timeline, and Eiji Aunoma did say so. But that was before they published Minish Cap.

The reason I put Minish Cap first, is because the last I heard it was said to be the first in the series. And first in the series is where it seems to fit best for now. It most definitely happens before either of the Four Swords games.
 

Alder Dragon

Classic Gamer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
You know the puzzles like "Anne is shorter than Mike but taller than Jen"; "Jen is older than Alex but younger than Mike"; "Mike is Shorter than Jen but Taller than Alex" etc.

That is kind of how you have to think about the Zelda Timeline.
 

Mases

Lord of the Flies
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Location
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Alder Dragon said:
You know the puzzles like "Anne is shorter than Mike but taller than Jen"; "Jen is older than Alex but younger than Mike"; "Mike is Shorter than Jen but Taller than Alex" etc.

That is kind of how you have to think about the Zelda Timeline.

That is so true it is funny, haha.

I understand completely what you mean by that as well. Unfortunately some of the games to me are just out there and their connections to others are so obscure and random that I don't knoe if you can even use these kinds of puzzles for everything.
 

Alder Dragon

Classic Gamer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Mases said:
Unfortunately some of the games to me are just out there and their connections to others are so obscure and random that I don't knoe if you can even use these kinds of puzzles for everything.

I know what you mean. A lot of the time some games will contradict themselves, like pointing out that it MUST take place after (insert game) but would only logically take place before it.

Maybe it's just Nintendo's improvisation, not thinking about a real storyline when they produce the games.
 

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