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Which timeline is most valid?

Dio

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The most valid is the adult because it is the only one which is not an offshoot.

If you imagine the beginning of OOT to be the original timeline before any splits then during that game you have link sealed for 7 years to defeat Ganondorf, he does so and and then goes to a different timeline leaving the original behind and then the events of WW happen. That timeline is just a natural continuation of the original without any external time travellers.

The child timeline is just a separate universe which the link from the original timeline enters and averts its natural course leading to the events of MM and TP

The downfall timeline is an alternative one where link was defeated. With links defeat neither the adult nor child timelines could happen. Therefore the downfall is the least valid.
 
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Okay, so I've got a lot to say about this:

What I want to state first of all, is that which timeline is correct is up to interpretation but I will attempt to explain it using paradox theory and reason.

So, the premise for Link drawing the Master Sword at the Temple of Time was to fulfill his destiny as the Hero of Time, and smite the evil Ganondorf on behalf of Princess Zelda, but his spirit was sealed away for 7 years because he was judged by Fi, the consciousness of the Master Sword to be too young to be the Hero of Time, so he had to age 7 years until he was of the same age as her original master, SS Link. So there was definitely bias involved here. Now, this isn't a split timeline yet, it's still following on a singular path, even when Link goes back in time by returning the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time during the game, he's still on the same timeline.

The timeline doesn't split until Zelda sends him back in time to relive his childhood before things went to ****, and Link, having knowledge of what will happen, goes to warn Zelda about the impending doom that will no doubt befall all of Hyrule if Ganondorf gets into the Sacred Realm and fractures the Triforce.

So now, the timeline has diverged, in the Adult Timeline, Link disappears, and in the Child Timeline, Link never became the Hero of Time because he never had too. We can consider the two separate timelines as being alternates of each other.

So that said, which one is official? Which is the real timeline? Well, there's no easy answers to this, the truth is, both are real and valid timelines.

Let me explain, Link did not go back in time with the premise to warn Zelda of Ganondorf, he went back in time with the premise to relive his childhood as was his prerogative. It's only when he realized that he went back to well before he met Princess Zelda that he decided he would use what he knew about the future, to alter the current path of time. Now see, if we consider the timeline as being a singular path, then the Adult Timeline shouldn't exist because the future hasn't been written yet. However, for some reason, that didn't happen and with games such as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess... one where the Hero of Time is revered and one where he was not, they both occur in two separate timelines.

So what's going on here? I think that we can use paradox theory to explain this. A paradox is a logic problem that seems to not make any sense but actually does. The paradox here would be; Link's possession of the Triforce of Courage, he still has it, but he shouldn't. That's a paradox, because if he has it, then why would it still exist in the Adult Timeline? Well, here's the answer, Link himself is unchanged, he hails from a time where the Triforce was already split, but because he went back in time to before this event would transpire, there are now seemingly two of them. Except there aren't. Think about it, OoT child Link is actually the adult Link de-aged, Zelda used the Ocarina of Time to send his spirit back in time, not the Master Sword. He not only went back in time through another means, but was also de-aged in the process.

So, what's the real timeline? I think it's both of them due to interpretation and paradox theory. The Triforce of Courage which Link keeps, is actually the Triforce of Courage from the future, it's the same one that has yet to split. So yeah, I was hoping to wow everyone with logic but time travel makes my head hurt.
 
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The downfall timeline is the most plausible.

Do you seriously think a boy with a swordwould be capable to kill a demon monster from the depths of hell (Ganon) that only knows one thing, how to kill. Link would be slaughtered by the monster or if lucky escape with his life.

The Adult timeline is a what if scenario. What if Link was sealed away for 7 years, what would happen to Hyrule in the mean time and after Link wakes up. Kind of like Back to the Future 2 but in reverse. Events in the past creating a new altered timeline.

The Child timeline is the cosy alternative universe, where Link was free to travel all over the place, like to Terminia and other places, free from the inital threat of Ganon. It's the utopia or dream state.
 
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The downfall timeline is the most plausible.

Do you seriously think a boy with a swordwould be capable to kill a demon monster from the depths of hell (Ganon) that only knows one thing, how to kill. Link would be slaughtered by the monster or if lucky escape with his life.

The Adult timeline is a what if scenario. What if Link was sealed away for 7 years, what would happen to Hyrule in the mean time and after Link wakes up. Kind of like Back to the Future 2 but in reverse. Events in the past creating a new altered timeline.

The Child timeline is the cosy alternative universe, where Link was free to travel all over the place, like to Terminia and other places, free from the inital threat of Ganon. It's the utopia or dream state.

I'm guessing you don't realize just how skilled Link truly is at combat.
 

YIGAhim

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Not the Zelda timeline!

The adult timeline is what is supposed to happen. Link wins, and is sent back the way he is supposed to, if I remember correctly
 
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Is he really? That's debatable.

But that's the thing, there's no right or wrong answer. It's all our own opinions. It's very interesting to discuss this from all points of view.

He is, he's been praised by multiple characters, and SS Link even impressed Demise during their battle. Demise calls him a paragon of his kind, and refers to his fighting prowess as extraordinary saying that he fights like no demon or man he's ever seen. TP Link is also perhaps the most skilled with a blade after SS and OoT Link.
 

Jirohnagi

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I'm with @the8thark on this, Link literally spent 7 years sleeping and ganondorf spent those years mastering magic and controlling hyrule even learning how to control his part of the triforce. Link is a talented swordsman but that's really all he's got, that and magic arrows.

Magic arrows and a sword vs a king of evil that literally shapechanges, is a master of magic and by this point is a giant pig beast? Oh and don't forget partway through the final fight he loses his sword.... the chances of recovery realistically would be low.
 

Jirohnagi

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(apologies for double post didn't see the next post down til after)

He is, he's been praised by multiple characters, and SS Link even impressed Demise during their battle. Demise calls him a paragon of his kind, and refers to his fighting prowess as extraordinary saying that he fights like no demon or man he's ever seen. TP Link is also perhaps the most skilled with a blade after SS and OoT Link.

We're speaking of the timeline split not SS which is the beginning of it all. So we're literally talking OOT, MM, TP, WW the games central to the split.
 
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(apologies for double post didn't see the next post down til after)



We're speaking of the timeline split not SS which is the beginning of it all. So we're literally talking OOT, MM, TP, WW the games central to the split.

OoT Link would benefit from the spirit of the hero, and the Triforce of Courage which would protect him in battle. He's an extremely competent swordsman, we know he is because of his tutlege to TP Link who in my opinion would be the most skilled outside of the original hero, SS Link.
 

Jirohnagi

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OoT Link would benefit from the spirit of the hero, and the Triforce of Courage which would protect him in battle. He's an extremely competent swordsman, we know he is because of his tutlege to TP Link who in my opinion would be the most skilled outside of the original hero, SS Link.

Realistcally speaking the Triforce would cancel itself out, all 3 parts so you'd still only have a sword swing maniac and a being who knows enough magic to level hyrule. And we see the Ganondorf literally uses the power of the triforce to change into pigbuttform and actually disarms link partway into the fight, i think at that point links dead period, which'd lead straight to the downfall timeline.


Also Hero's Shade is a form of link After MM and we see he's become a very competent swordsman by that point so i'd agree insofar as the hero's spirit would enable him to be equivelent to SS Link in Swordplay but in all honesty out of ALL the links i'd say it's a toss up between MM and TP link for master swordsman. SS link was a master swordsman no doubt to literally go toe to toe with what amounted to a demonic demi god and succeed but that ability would dwindle over the centuries just from the fact that there's no other foe to act as worthy sparring partner.


OOT Link has virtually no protection against magic and even less against sheer crushing weight (which let's be real would likely be the real reason he dies, not from being stabbed by a massive 3 pronged sword but just having it dropped on him)
 
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None of them really. Nintendo has never much cared about the continuity, considering they've ignored it, avoided it entirely, or overridden it constantly ever since A Link to the Past.

There is no timeline that's especially important, valid, or anything like that; none of them matter. Even now with Hyrule Encyclopedia they've essentially just retconned a ton of details from WITHIN actual games, so if the contents of the games themselves aren't even sacred in their mind there's no way between-game connections are.
 
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Realistcally speaking the Triforce would cancel itself out, all 3 parts so you'd still only have a sword swing maniac and a being who knows enough magic to level hyrule. And we see the Ganondorf literally uses the power of the triforce to change into pigbuttform and actually disarms link partway into the fight, i think at that point links dead period, which'd lead straight to the downfall timeline.


Also Hero's Shade is a form of link After MM and we see he's become a very competent swordsman by that point so i'd agree insofar as the hero's spirit would enable him to be equivelent to SS Link in Swordplay but in all honesty out of ALL the links i'd say it's a toss up between MM and TP link for master swordsman. SS link was a master swordsman no doubt to literally go toe to toe with what amounted to a demonic demi god and succeed but that ability would dwindle over the centuries just from the fact that there's no other foe to act as worthy sparring partner.


OOT Link has virtually no protection against magic and even less against sheer crushing weight (which let's be real would likely be the real reason he dies, not from being stabbed by a massive 3 pronged sword but just having it dropped on him)

Not likely, undoubtedly, any iteration of Link would have superhuman skills/abilities. Link's ability to master any dungeon weapon/item he finds is a superhuman feat of keen perception and learning, and likely is aided by the spirit of the hero, which as I've explained, is the essence of SS Link in my reincarnation theory. His combat/fighting prowess is superhumanly repute throughout his appearances, and if the original Link's prowess was enough to impress a divine/immortal being such as Demise, then it speaks to the power of the ancient hero which the light spirit Faron would no doubt be referring too when he says that "his power is the true power that slept within you." to TP Link. Let's not also forget Shiro, MM Link is the same Link from OoT, so OoT/MM Link would undoubtedly become a highly skilled swordsman.

Furthermore, it's implied that Link himself has immunity to magic-fuelled attacks since he is able to get back up after being shocked by Ganondorf's lightning relatively easily, and the waves of darkness which had an effect on Navi, were useless against OoT Link. I'm not sure you fully appreciate the scope of OoT Link's skills if you call him a sword swing maniac when it's clear that his skills with the blade are evident by the grudguing respect that Ganondorf affords him, even in WW, Ganondorf praises the Hero of Time, and says that WW Link is a pale imitation/comparison to that hero.

I do say that SS Link and TP Link are the most skilled swordsmen, which means by proxy, so is OoT/MM Link because TP Link was mentored by the Hero's Shade, a spiritual manifestation of OoT/MM Link.
 

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