What If… There Was a Timeline That Began with Demise Defeating Link in Skyward Sword?
Posted on August 29 2019 by Adam Barham
It’s been eight years since Nintendo introduced the canon Zelda timeline in Hyrule Historia. And in that period of time, it’s received a lot of ridicule. And while I agree with certain critiques that fans have for it, I also appreciate the history and lore that it provides for the world of Hyrule, and I know some agree with me on this as well.
If you’ve been around the Zelda fandom long enough, you probably know about the different timelines and the way they work. After several games, the timeline splits into three alternate realities at Ocarina of Time. These three timelines are the Child Timeline when Link went back in time to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule, the Adult Timeline that takes place in the world Ganondorf took over in Ocarina but after Link left it to return to his era, and the Downfall Timeline in which Link died at Ganondorf’s hand and the world fell further into chaos.
While that chain can already be somewhat confusing to follow, I’d like to propose another branch of it that starts with a different game — a second Downfall Timeline. What if there was a timeline that began with Demise defeating Link in Skyward Sword? Link’s fight with Demise in that game set up the rest of the series (according to the lore, at least), establishing the reoccurring cycle of the hate of Demise, the spirit of the hero, the descendant of Hylia, and the fated battle between good and evil. What if Demise won that fight in the first place?
Let’s take a moment to look at the original outcome of that final fight and the stakes that were riding on it. If Demise succeeded in taking down Link, the Surface would have been his for the taking; he could continue to search for the Triforce, and unless for some reason he no longer needed it, he’d fully consume Zelda’s soul.
Some would likely fight back against him, but would they be able to do all that much? The three dragons — Faron, Eldin, and Lanaryu — would be his biggest threat, but with Demise at full strength, would even they be able to prevent his conquest? In the end, the world, being overrun with monsters, would decay into a barren wasteland.
What would become of Skyloft? Technically, that’s where the Triforce was located in Skyward Sword, or at least, it was in Skyloft’s Silent Realm. In his search for the Triforce, Demise would end up there eventually if he found a way to reach it. Would he be able to travel up to the sky, however? And even if he were to do so, would he be able to retrieve the Triforce from its hiding spot? Perhaps he would find a way to bring Skyloft down from its resting place in the air. On the other hand, perhaps Skyloft would remain one of the few safe havens left in the world.
At this point, how would the timeline progress? With Link being killed by Demise in an inescapable realm, with Zelda’s soul being consumed by the Demon King, and with the curse never put into effect, would Link and Zelda even be reincarnated? Would Demise live on until some brave soul once more stood against him? Perhaps the story would progress to a situation similar to The Wind Waker — without a hero, the gods of the world would send a cataclysmic event to wipe out the evil that Demise brought.
Without a doubt, a Downfall Timeline beginning this early in Hyrule’s history would be the darkest the Zelda series would ever go. Even if Link’s soul were to somehow survive, and if the spirit of the hero was to return, he would have to fight through a post-apocalyptic world, darker than that in the Adult Era of Ocarina of Time. But, let’s be real here — Nintendo would find some way to keep Link and Zelda around. Sure, on occasion, they like to experiment and try new, wild things, but it’s highly unlikely that they’d just toss out the two most important characters of the series. And you know what? Maybe an especially dark timeline like this would be a fresh take on the Zelda series. If done properly, something like this could be very interesting to see.
Adam is an original content editor for Zelda Dungeon. He enjoys a good cup of tea. He’s incredibly hyped for BotW 2. Follow him on Twitter
