Zelda Timeline



 Timeline is the in-universe chronology of The Legend of Zelda series. The timeline has historically been incohesive. As such, it has been the subject of numerous fan theories. Though the series began in 1986, Nintendo did not publish a master timeline until in 2011. The timeline had previously existed in a highly confidential document conceived as early as 2005.

In, Nintendo resolved the timeline's contradictions by contriving a third branch of the timeline stemming from , in addition to the two parallel branches confirmed years prior. These branches are the Fallen Hero Timeline, the Child Link Timeline, and the Adult Link Timeline. The portion of the timeline preceding the fork has no official name of the sort. The whole timeline begins anew after the Great Calamity described in, by which time all of Hyrule's prior history has faded to myth.

Nintendo intends for the timeline to be flexible and remain open to re-interpretation, the better to fit in new additions to the series.

Beginning
The beginning of the timeline encompasses the events of SS undefined,, , and , in that order.

Creation
Before time began, the tree Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, created the earth. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, bestowed order upon the world. Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created life.

Their labor complete, the goddesses departed for the heavens. They left behind the Triforce, an all-powerful artifact which would grant its holder their heart's desire.

Era of Hylia
The Triforce was entrusted to the goddess Hylia during the Era of Hylia, also known as the Era of the Goddess Hylia. One day, the Demon King Demise sought to take it and make the world his own. He rose an army of malevolent forces against Hyrule.

Hylia gathered the surviving humans on an outcrop of earth and sent it to The Sky beyond a Cloud Barrier, where her people would be safe from the demonic hordes. Along with them, she sent the Triforce, which she hid. Hylia rallied the remaining land dwellers, fought back the evil forces led by Demise, and sealed them away.

Hylia suffered grave injuries in the battle. Knowing the seal on Demise would not hold, she devised a plan. As the Triforce could not be wielded by a god, Hylia renounced divinity and transferred her soul to the body of a mortal who would come of age when Demise returned. She created the Goddess Sword and the spirit Fi to aid her chosen hero, who would reveal himself when he drew the sword from its pedestal. Hylia placed the sword in the Chamber of the Sword in Skyloft, the land beyond the clouds.

Skyward Sword


Thousands of years later, during the Sky Era, the seal on The Imprisoned weakens. In Skyloft, Hylia is reborn as Zelda, though none in Skyloft are aware that she is the goddess reincarnate.

On the day of the 25th annual Wing Ceremony, Zelda is out flying with her childhood friend Link when a tornado pulls her down to The Surface. That night, Fi awakens Link and leads him to the Chamber of the Sword. Link draws the Goddess Sword and thus is revealed to be Hylia's chosen hero. He descends to The Surface with Fi to search for Zelda.

Ghirahim, who created the tornado to bring Zelda to The Surface, attempts to kidnap the goddess reincarnate in order to revive his master Demise. She is rescued by an old woman at the Sealed Grounds. The woman informs Zelda of her true nature and sends her to Skyview Spring and Earth Spring to purify her body and regain her memories as Hylia. At the Earth Spring, Zelda is captured by Bokoblins but is rescued by Impa, a Sheikah whom Hylia had sent through the Gate of Time to protect her human incarnation.

Link catches up to Zelda and Impa at the Temple of Time. He defends them from Ghirahim long enough for them to escape to the past through the Gate of Time. Impa destroys the Gate behind them so Ghirahim can't follow. Link seeks out the three Sacred Flames to temper his sword, which transforms into the Master Sword. He uses the Master Sword to activate the second Gate of Time in the Sealed Grounds. Link travels to the past to a period shortly after Hylia sealed Demise. He reunites with Zelda, but she then places herself in a deep slumber to sustain the seal for thousands of years. She sets Link on a quest to obtain the Triforce so they can vanquish Demise.

Link travels back to the present and after learning the Song of the Hero finds the Triforce and successfully wishes upon the destruction of Demise. After Zelda awakens from her sleep, an enraged Ghirahim kidnaps her back to the past, where Demise is still alive. Link follows Ghirahim to the past for a final showdown, but is unable to stop the ritual to revive Demise. The ancient Demon King escapes from his seal, swallows Zelda as The Imprisoned and returns to his original form. Demise announces his intention to take the world as his own now that Hylia is gone, but gives Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world. After a fierce fight, Link bests Demise and fatally wounds him. The Demon King stumbles to his feet, congratulating Link, but warns him that it is not over, and that his hatred would be reborn as a being to pursue domination of the world, and those with the blood of the goddess and spirit of the hero in a cycle without end. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the Master Sword.

Link returns from the battle to find Zelda and Groose, and the three return to the Temple of Hylia, where they meet with Impa and prepare to return to their own time. At Fi's behest, Link plunges the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple, leaving it and his partner behind now that her purpose to guide Link had been completed. Saying goodbye to Impa before she destroys the Gate of Time, the three return to their own time where peace has returned and residents of Skyloft take their first steps on the Surface.

Founding of Hyrule Kingdom
The surface world became known as Hyrule, and the descendants of Hylia, Hylians. After many years of peace, word spread of the supreme power of the Triforce. War engulfed the land, heralding the . In particular, a group of powerful sorcerers known as the Interlopers sought dominion over the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce was located. The goddesses sent the Spirits of Light to banish them to the Twilight Realm.

To protect the Triforce, the sage Rauru built the Temple of Time around the only entrance to the Sacred Realm. He placed the Triforce in the Temple of Light and sealed off the Sacred Realm with him inside it. The seal was held by the Master Sword, which was placed on a pedestal behind the Door of Time.

Many years later, during the , the descendants of Hylia established the kingdom of Hyrule and became its Royal Family. Princesses born into the royal family were named Zelda, after the goddess reincarnate. Hyrule Castle was built in the center of Hyrule near the Temple of Time.

Force Era
The Force Era encompasses the events and backstory of and, which are tangential to the overall timeline.

Hero of Men
Some time after the Kingdom of Hyrule was established, the land was engulfed by evil beings. When the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow, the Minish, known to the Hylians as Picori, descended from the sky. They brought the Picori Blade and the Light Force to the Hero of Men. The Hero fought back the darkness, sealed the evil beings in the Bound Chest and locked it with the Picori Blade.

To commemorate the event, an Picori Festival was held once a year. During the festival, the champion of a sword-fighting tournament would earn the right to touch the Picori Blade.

On the hundredth anniversary of the Picori Festival, an unknown man named Vaati wins the sword-fighting tournament. A corrupted, power-seeking Minish, Vaati attacks the guards during the award ceremony. Hoping to find the Light Force, he breaks the Picori Blade and opens the Bound Chest, releasing the evil within. He turns Zelda to stone and later kidnaps her when he discovers the Light Force is within her. He uses the Light Force to transform into a winged demon.

Link, a blacksmith's apprentice and Zelda's friend, is enlisted by King Daltus to have the Picori Blade reforged so it can break the curse on Zelda. He teams up with Ezlo, a Minish sage and Vaati's former mentor. Vaati had stolen the Mage's Cap from Ezlo and cursed him by turning him into a hat. The Minish reforge the Picori Blade. To restore its scared power, Link gathers the Four Elements and infuses them with the blade. This creates the Four Sword, a blade capable of splitting its wielder into four copies.

Link vanquishes Vaati atop Dark Hyrule Castle, thus breaking the curse on Ezlo and Zelda. Zelda uses the Mage's Cap to wish Hyrule back to normal.

Wind Mage
Vaati was presumed dead, but soon reappeared. Having no memory of his previous life as a Minish, he declared himself Wind Mage and claimed the Palace of Winds. He brought terror to the land by kidnapping young maidens.

A Hero appears carrying the Four Sword and seals the demon inside it. The sword was enshrined in the Four Sword Sanctuary.

Four Swords
Generations later, Vaati the Wind Mage breaks free and kidnaps Princess Zelda, taking her to the Palace of Winds. Link, who witnessed the kidnapping, draws the Four Sword and is split into four Links. The Links gather three keys to Vaati's Palace from the Great Fairies in the Sea of Trees, Talus Cave, and Death Mountain. The Links defeat Vaati in his palace and rescue Princess Zelda. The Wind Mage is once again sealed in the Four Sword, which is returned to its pedestal. Link regains his original form.

Hyrule Kingdom in Chaos
For reasons not specified, Hyrule entered into a period of fierce war. During this war, a Hylian woman fled the fires of war and entered the Kokiri Forest, giving her newborn baby, named Link, to the Great Deku Tree to be raised as a Kokiri. Finally the war ended and the King of Hyrule unified his country.

The Boy Followed by a Fairy


When the baby had become a young boy, he had many restless nights as nightmares of an evil man from the desert plagued his sleep. One day, The Great Deku Tree sent the Fairy companion Navi to summon him. After defeating the monster Gohma within the Deku Tree itself, the guardian of the forest revealed that he had been cursed by the evil Ganondorf and implored Link to take the Spiritual Stone of Forest, the Kokiri Emerald, to Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. Link hurried to Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda, who told him that Ganondorf plotted to appropriate the sacred power of the Triforce. She and Link schemed to obtain the Triforce before Ganon could. Link would gather the other Spiritual Stones needed to open the Door of Time, and she would play the to open the door.

After retrieving the two remaining Spiritual Stones, Link returned to Hyrule Castle only to see Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf. During her flight, Zelda threw the Ocarina of Time into the moat for Link to find. After a brief confrontation with Ganondorf, Link retrieved the Ocarina and proceeded to the Temple of Time. With all the keys in hand, he opened the Door of Time and lifted the Master Sword from its pedestal, opening the entrance to the Sacred Realm. As Link was too young to be the Hero of Time, Link's spirit was sealed in the Temple of Light for seven years.

The Awakening of the Hero of Time
With the gates of the Sacred Realm unguarded, Ganondorf was able to enter and take the Triforce for his own. However, since his heart was not in balance, the Prince of Darkness was left with only the Triforce of Power. Despite this, Ganondorf was able to use it to conquer the land of Hyrule, as the Hero of Time slept for seven years. After seizing the Triforce and corrupting the Sacred Realm, he caused that corruption to seep into the temples of the Sages, which became infested with all kinds of monsters, so that the Sages-to-be would not be able to fulfill their duty and aid Link.

As Link awakened after seven years, he found Hyrule in ruins. Led by Rauru's and Sheik's instructions, Link managed to cleanse the temples and help each Sage to gain their power. Upon Rauru's advice, he then returned to the Temple of Time, where he found Sheik waiting. His mysterious ally revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda, keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom and the seventh Sage, leader of them all. The reunion was cut short when the princess was abducted by Ganondorf. With the Sages help, Link fought his way to the top of Ganon's Castle, clearing the path to Ganondorf for the final showdown between the Hero of Time and the King of Evil.

Split of the Timeline
Link finally confronted the king of evil in a final battle within his castle. When Link defeated the evil king, he escaped the tower with Zelda as the castle crumbled around them. However, as the two watched the rubble, Ganondorf emerged. Enraged by his defeat and fueled by the Triforce of Power still within him, he transformed into Ganon, a being of pure evil, and challenged Link one last time. Link managed to weaken Ganon so that Zelda and the six sages could seal him away in the Sacred Realm. Once the battle was over, Zelda used the Ocarina of Time to return Link to his own age before he drew the Master Sword. Link then went to Zelda, and together they convinced the king of Ganondorf's treachery thanks to the pieces of the Triforce which they held. Ganondorf was imprisoned and sealed away for his conspiracy. Because Zelda sent Link back in time, she forever altered the course of Hyrule's history, splitting it in two.

However, in an alternate reality, Link was bested by Ganondorf. Despite his best efforts, he failed to defeat the king of evil, seemingly dooming the kingdom of Hyrule forever.

Fallen Hero Timeline
The Fallen Hero Timeline is an alternate timeline in which Ganondorf defeats the Hero of Time in battle. Ganondorf obtains the remaining two pieces of the Triforce from Link and Zelda. As a last resort, Princess Zelda and the Seven Sages seal Ganon within the corrupted Sacred Realm, now the Dark World, along with the completed Triforce.

This timeline branch contains the events of, , and , , , , and.

Imprisoning War


Hyrule enjoys a brief period of peace, but as rumors spread of the Golden Power lying in the Sacred Realm, greed-ridden Hyruleans traveled to the Sacred Realm seeking it, never to return. Within the Dark World, they were transformed into monsters by the power of the Triforce and became a part of Ganon's army. As this army grew larger, it poured forth from the Sacred Realm and attacked Hyrule.

The King of Hyrule commanded the Seven Sages of that era to seal the gateway to the Dark World shut, in order to halt Ganon's invasion of the kingdom. The Seven Sages did so under the protection of the Knights of Hyrule. The Knights of Hyrule took the full brunt of the attack from Ganon's monsters, and while they fought courageously to the end, they were nearly wiped out entirely as they did their duty. Their lives were not lost in vain however, as they bought the necessary time for the Seven Sages to create their seal, trapping Ganon's forces in the Dark World and halting the invasion. Though it had come at a very high cost, with this, the war ended in a victory for Hyrule. The people of Hyrule rejoiced nonetheless at the restoration of order and peace to their kingdom, thanks to the efforts of the Seven Sages and the Knights of Hyrule.

Following the destruction of the kingdom during the Imprisoning War, the bloodline of the Hylians diminished significantly compared to how it was in the Hero of Time era. The sages' power waned as well, and the kingdom became a mere shadow of its former glory.

A Link to the Past
The Kingdom of Hyrule remained at peace for many years, until the land was suddenly plagued by a series of misfortunes. The King of Hyrule offered a reward for anyone who could put a stop to them; it was then that the dark wizard Agahnim appeared. Using previously unheard-of magic, the mysterious stranger put a stop the disasters. He was proclaimed a hero and said to be the second coming of the Seven Sages. As a reward for his services, the king appointed him chief advisor and priest at Hyrule Castle. Agahnim used this position and his magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's soldiers, depose the King of Hyrule, and make six of the Maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear into the Dark World. He did this in order to break the seal on Ganon, so that he could rule both the Light and Dark worlds. His last remaining victim was Zelda herself. As the princess lay in her prison cell, she used telepathy to call out to Link, who lived near the castle with his uncle.

Link awoke in the middle of the night to find his uncle leaving the house armed with a sword and shield. Despite his uncle's warnings, Link followed the telepathic call to the castle dungeon, where he found his uncle dying. With his last breath, Link's uncle bequeathed him the sword and shield, and told Link that he was the heir to the Knights of Hyrule. Link stormed the castle and rescued Zelda, leaving her in the care of the priest at the Sanctuary. The priest told Link to seek out Sahasrahla, the elder of Kakariko Village.

Sahasrahla told Link to seek out the three Pendants of Virtue in order to discover the Master Sword hidden deep within the Lost Woods. Link found these pendants in the Eastern Palace, Desert Palace, and Tower of Hera. Once he had obtained the legendary blade, however, Agahnim's forces attacked the Sanctuary and kidnapped Zelda. Link ventured into Hyrule Castle once again, only to see Agahnim send Zelda into the Dark World before his very eyes. Link defeated Agahnim atop Hyrule Castle, but Agahnim used the last of his magic to draw Link into the Dark World as well. This was a twisted dimension that transformed anyone into a reflection of their true selves. Link's dark world form was a pink rabbit. He was only able to remain in his human form with the help of the Moon Pearl.

Once trapped in the Dark World, Link could use the Magic Mirror to travel back and forth between worlds and rescue the maidens who were trapped in the Dark World palaces. During his adventures, Link learned that Agahnim was merely Ganon's pawn. He climbed Ganon's Tower and met Agahnim at the top. Link defeated Agahnim once more, but then saw Ganon rise out of Agahnim's crumpled body. Agahnim was in fact Ganon's alter ego. Ganon then fled to the Pyramid of Power in the center of the Dark World, with Link in hot pursuit. They faced off in one final battle, with Link emerging victorious. Following Ganon's defeat, he found the Triforce within the Pyramid of Power, whereupon it spoke to him. He touched it, and his wish restored Hyrule to peace. The king and Link's uncle returned to life, and Link entrusted the Triforce to the Royal Family.

A Hero's Adventure within a Fleeting Dream
After defeating Ganon, Link embarked on a journey of training in preparation for new disasters. On his sea voyage back to Hyrule, Link ran into a terrible storm. The waves and winds overpowered his boat and sunk it. Link awoke, washed ashore on an island known as Koholint. He was rescued by Marin, a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Princess Zelda. Upon his attempts to leave the island, its inhabitants insisted that there was nothing beyond the sea. He learned that the only way to get off the island was to collect the Instrument of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish who slept in an egg atop Mt. Tamaranch.

After traveling all over the island and obtaining the instruments, Link journeyed to the top of the mountain and played the Ballad of the Wind Fish and fought the Nightmare. Upon the Nightmare's defeat, it revealed that if the Wind Fish were to awake, the island would disappear, as it was just a dream of the Wind Fish.

Once Link had defeated the Nightmare and awakened the Wind Fish, he awoke clinging to the driftwood of his ship, adrift on the open seas.

The Trial of the Triforce
After the defeat of Ganon, his surrogate mothers, the witches Twinrova, plotted to revive him. For this ritual, they required three flames to be lit: The Flame of Destruction, the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair, and follow these with a human sacrifice. In order to obtain these flames, the witches sent their minions: General Onox, General of Darkness, to Holodrum; and Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, to Labrynna.

One day, when Link, who saved the land of Hyrule, visited Hyrule Castle, the Triforce beckoned him into its chamber. Once he placed his hands on the Triforce, it transported him to the distant land of Holodrum, where a new adventure began.

The Adventure in Holodrum
Upon awakening in Holodrum, Link met with a group of traveling performers who were watching after a dancer named Din. Link danced with Din, but suddenly a whirlwind appeared and snatched Din away. Din was actually the Oracle of Seasons, and her capture by Onox meant that the seasons in the land of Holodrum were thrown into chaos. The only way to restore balance to the seasons was to collect the eight Essences of Nature scattered around Holodrum. Link quested for the essences, using the mythical Rod of Seasons in order to manipulate the seasons as he went.

Once Link defeated Onox and rescued Din, he was magically transported to the land of Labrynna, the setting of his second trial. However, even after his death, Onox's actions caused the Flame of Destruction to be lit.

The Adventure in Labrynna


Upon waking up in Labrynna, Link met Impa, who had been attacked by monsters. He helped her by moving a block with the Triforce crest on it. Then, both of them met Nayru, who was singing to animals.

Suddenly, a shadow came out of Impa and possessed Nayru, who was actually the Oracle of Ages. It was Veran, who had used Impa's body to trick Link. Veran used Nayru's time-traveling abilities to go back in time and alter the past. Veran influenced Queen Ambi in the past to build the sinister Black Tower. Link had to use the Harp of Ages to travel back and forth between the present and the past in order to collect the eight Essences of Time and challenge Veran atop the Black Tower. Link was able to drive Veran out of the body of Queen Ambi and defeat her, but he was too late: the Flame of Sorrow had been lit.

The Return of Ganon


In order to light the third and final flame, Twinrova kidnapped Princess Zelda who had arrived in Labrynna. This would complete their dark ritual and light the Flame of Despair. However, Link challenged them and killed them in battle. As a last-ditch effort to complete the sacrifice needed to revive Ganon, the witches offered their own bodies and revived the King of Darkness. However, because the ritual was incomplete, Ganon returned as a mindless beast. Link battled Ganon and defeated him, restoring peace to Holodrum and Labrynna.

His quest to stop Ganon's revival complete, Link departed Labrynna by boat.

The Triforce, Split Apart
Sometime after the events of the Great Cataclysm and the defeat of the Demon King Ganon, and after Link's adventures in Holodrum and Labrynna, the Triforce was split apart. Ganon, despite being sealed in darkness following his defeat at the hands of Link, obtained the Triforce of Power, which remained sealed with him. The Triforce of Courage's location is unknown, but said to be hidden in the heart of the eternal hero.

A Link Between Worlds
Centuries after Ganon's defeat, the peace of Hyrule is once again shattered by the sudden appearance of a mysterious and enigmatic wizard known as Yuga. With his cruel magic, he invades Hyrule from another world, transforming the descendants of the Seven Sages into paintings. Link, a young apprentice of the Blacksmith attempts to halt Yuga in his ambitions, but Yuga succeeds in not only acquiring all Seven Sages in the form of paintings, but Princess Zelda as well. He retreats to his world, that of Lorule, while Link chases after him, using the power of a bracelet given to him by the mysterious peddler, Ravio.

Link is too late to stop Yuga. Using his magic and that of the Seven Sages, he is able to release Ganon. Along with the Triforce of Power, Yuga and Ganon are joined as one, and using this power, Yuga desires to consume both Hyrule and Lorule. Link is protected from the beast's onslaught by Hilda, the princess of Lorule and the dark counterpart of Zelda, who urges Link to rescue the Seven Sages who have been sent to the far reaches of Lorule. With Hilda holding back Yuga and guiding Link in his quest, he succeeds in rescuing the Seven Sages and, with their power, awakens the Triforce of Courage in himself.

Taking the Triforce, he rushes to challenge Yuga in Lorule Castle, only to find Hilda waiting for him in the Throne Room. Here, she reveals the truth; it was her who sent Yuga to obtain the Seven Sages and release the Demon King. Taking the Triforce of Wisdom from Princess Zelda's portrait, she explains the history of her kingdom. Lorule once had its own Triforce, but was destroyed by her ancestors long ago to stop endless wars over its power. However, with the Triforce gone from her world, the kingdom crumbled, monsters arose and the world turned to darkness and corruption. Upon hearing of another world with its own Triforce, she sent Yuga to obtain the keys to unlocking the Triforce of Power, and manipulated Link into obtaining the Triforce of Courage. Summoning Yuga, she demands he obtain the Triforce of Courage from Link. Yuga, using Ganon's power, unleashes his might upon the hero. Link fights valiantly however, and defeats Yuga, upon which point Hilda demands he relinquish the Triforce of Power to her. However, Yuga disobeys his ruler, and using his magic upon her he takes her portrait and her Triforce of Wisdom into himself, becoming stronger than ever. In a desperate final battle, Link, with the aid of Princess Zelda, finally defeats Yuga. Upon his defeat, Hilda and Zelda are returned to normal, yet Hilda still desires the Triforce to save her doomed kingdom. At the last moment, Ravio appears and reveals himself to be Link's Lorulean counterpart and once Hilda's loyal subject, and pleads with her to let Link and Zelda return to Hyrule with their Triforce. Finally relenting after seeing the senseless fighting that had led to this was not what her ancestors wanted, she helps Link and Zelda return to Hyrule with the last of the bracelet's power, through the first crack to appear between the worlds in Lorule's Sacred Realm.

Returning to their own Sacred Realm with the connection between worlds gone, Link and Zelda find the Triforce once again whole. It awaits for Link to make a wish upon it, and with his wish, Lorule's Triforce is restored to its former glory, and a new, brighter age dawns upon both Lorule and Hyrule.

Several years after the events of, Link leaves the kingdom of Hyrule and ventures to the kingdom of Hytopia. In order to hide his identity as a hero, Link dresses in the casual Bear Minimum Outfit. Despite this, he is recognized for bearing the traits of a hero in Hytopia: namely pointy ears and sideburns. Because of this, he is recruited by the Witch-Hunting Brigade to help defeat the evil witch, Lady Maud, who has cursed Hytopia's Princess Styla into wearing an irremovable, brown jumpsuit.

The Golden Era


Following the defeat of Yuga and the recovery of the Triforce, Hyrule entered a Golden Era of peace, in which great and wise rulers governed the land with the strength of the united Triforce at their command.

The Tragedy of Princess Zelda
When the last of the kings to use the Triforce anticipated his death, he hoped to find someone with the innate qualities that were fitting of a worthy possessor of the true Triforce; for if it were to fall in the wrong hands, evil would befall Hyrule. Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan. Since his own son did not fit this archetype, the King elected to split the relic into its three component parts. Upon his death, the prince, instead of receiving the entire Triforce, inherited only the Triforces of Power and Wisdom. The prince frantically searched for the remaining Triforce of Courage, but in vain. Then, a wizard came to the prince and told him that his younger sister, Zelda, knew the location of the mystical object. The prince demanded that Zelda turn the information over to him, but Zelda refused and, in a rage, the wizard put Zelda into an eternal sleep, himself dying in the process. Overcome with grief, the prince sealed his sleeping sister in the North Castle and ordered that all female descendants of the Hylian monarchy were to be named Zelda. As Zelda was the only one who knew the location of the Triforce of Courage, the relic was lost and the royal family was no longer able to rule using the power of the unified Triforce. No one worthy of using the Triforce appeared and the kingdom was divided and reduced in size.

Evil Creeps In
Many years later, an evil army attacked the little kingdom of Hyrule and stole the Triforce of Power. This army was led by the Demon King Ganon, who once again had been revived and sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon.

Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy she found herself surrounded by Ganon's evil henchmen, until a young lad appeared who skillfully drove off Ganon's henchmen. Hearing Impa's story, this young traveler, named Link, set out to recover the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. After doing so, he fought his way to Ganon's lair in Death Mountain. Link fought and destroyed the King of Evil, recovered the Triforce of Power and saved Princess Zelda.

The Hero's Quest to Reunite the Triforce
Although Link had defeated Ganon, his underlings remained. Waiting for the return of their master, they continued to cause chaos and disorder in Hyrule. The key to Ganon's resurrection was the blood of Link—the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. The Demon King would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.

Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. One day, a strange mark resembling crest of the kingdom appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. Link went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid, who was shocked when she saw the birthmark. She took Link to the North Castle and told him of the tragedy of the Princess Zelda of old. In order to revive the eternally sleeping Princess, Impa entrusted to Link six Crystals and a scroll so he could reunite the Triforce. The scroll revealed the location of the long-lost Triforce of Courage, which was hidden in the Great Palace in the Valley of Death. Link set out for the six palaces to defeat their Guardian Deities and, using each of the six crystals, dispelled the barrier around the Great Palace. After defeating the final Guardian, and his own shadow, Link retrieved the Triforce of Courage and awoke Princess Zelda from her sleep.

With the Triforce reunited for the first time since Zelda was put to sleep, the revival of Ganon was prevented and peace finally returned to the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Child Link Timeline
The Child Link Timeline or simply Child Timeline is the branch of the timeline that follows Link back in time at the end of. The young hero warns the Royal Family of Ganondorf's treachery, thus averting his rise to power and thwarting him from the start. Link leaves Hyrule on Epona to search for Navi. Years later, Ganondorf is sealed within the Twilight Realm.

This timeline contains the events of, , and.

Majora's Mask
Several months into his search for Navi, Link becomes lost in a mysterious forest. He encounters the Skull Kid wearing. Skull Kid steals Link's horse. Link chases after him into the parellel world of Termina.

The Skull Kid, corruped by Majora's Mask, aims to destroy Termina by bringing the Moon down upon it. Link has only three days to stop the apocalypse, but he is able to return to the First Day by playing the Song of Time. He ventures to the four outer regions of Termina, using transformative masks to free the Four Giants. On the Final Day, the Four Giants hold up the Moon. Link thwarts Majora, the demon inhabiting the mask.

The Hero of Time leaves Link leaves Termina to continue his search for Navi, and is not seen again.

Ganondorf's Execution


Several years after the failure of his attempted invasion, Ganondorf was taken prisoner in the Arbiter's Grounds prison. When the ancient Sages tried to execute him, however, they discovered to their horror that he had the Triforce of Power, so they activated the Mirror of Twilight and sent him into the Twilight Realm. Here, Ganondorf languished for years, until he met Zant and promised him power in exchange for freedom from his prison.

Shadow King Zant's Invasion of the Light World
Ganondorf took the form of a dark god and promised the Twili Zant incredible powers and the throne of the Twilight Realm on one condition: Zant would merge the worlds of Light and Twilight in order to create a world of darkness. Zant agreed, and pledged his undying service to his new master. He used his newfound powers to transform the Twilight Princess Midna into an imp and take the throne before launching his invasion of the light world.

Hyrule was unprepared for the invasion, and Princess Zelda soon found herself with her back against the wall. When given an ultimatum by Zant to surrender or die, she chose to surrender. Zant sent his minions over the land and stole power from the Light Spirits guarding each province, shrouding the kingdom of Hyrule in Twilight.

Midna and Link
Midna uncovered the dark magic of her Dark Interloper ancestors in the form of the Fused Shadow. She used its magic to help a youth from Ordon Village named Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time, who had become trapped in the Twilight in the form of a wolf. Twili legend said that the Hero of Light would appear in the form of a sacred beast: in this case, a wolf. Midna struck a deal with Link that she would help him regain his human form if he would help her gather the other pieces of the Fused Shadow in order to defeat Zant. Once Midna and Link had cleared the land of Twilight and gathered the Fused Shadows, Zant revealed himself and stole the Fused Shadows, wounded Midna, and cursed Link to his wolf form once again.

Midna and Link sought the aid of Princess Zelda, who gave up her soul so that Midna could live, and told Link to seek out the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove. The Master Sword dispelled the curse on Link, and allowed him to transform between his human and wolf forms at will. Throughout his adventure, Link learned the secrets of combat from the ghost of his ancestor, the Hero of Time. The Hero had lived a life filled with regret because he could not be a hero in this timeline, so he imparted his wisdom to his descendant.

In order to enter the Twilight Realm and confront Zant, Midna and Link sought the Mirror of Twilight at Arbiter's Grounds, but Zant had shattered it into pieces and scattered it across the land. The Sages who had executed Ganondorf appeared to the pair and told them about Ganondorf's involvement with the darkness which plagued the land. Midna and Link gathered the pieces of the Mirror and entered the Twilight Realm, and Link defeated Zant in single combat. Zant was not fazed, however, boasting that his god Ganon would revive him. In her fury, Midna reclaimed the Fused Shadow and used its power to destroy Zant completely. Link and Midna went to the top of Hyrule Castle in order to battle the King of Darkness, who was in possession of Zelda's lifeless body. He possessed it and forced Link to do battle with the princess. Once he defeated her, Midna revived Zelda and Link defeated Ganon in his beast form. Midna used the Fused Shadow to become a terrifying monster and her struggle with Ganon destroyed the castle itself. Midna transported Link and Zelda to Hyrule Field, where they battled Ganondorf on horseback, and finally Link defeated Ganon in single combat, stabbing him in the chest. Ganon attempted to use the Triforce of Power to revive himself, but discovered that its power had left him. Zant stood on the gateway to the afterlife, mocking Ganon by snapping his own neck just as Ganon died.

Midna was restored to her true form as the beautiful Twilight Princess, and bade farewell to Link and Zelda as she returned to the Twilight Realm. As she left, she shattered the Mirror of Twilight to ensure that its power would never be misused again. Link returned to Ordon Village; however, he later departed with Epona from his hometown.

The Era of Shadow
Hundreds of years after Ganondorf's death, the people of Hyrule had reconciled with Ganondorf's tribe, the Gerudo, and it seemed for a while that peace would prevail in the land. However, a new Ganondorf was born to the Gerudo tribe who was the reincarnation of the King of Darkness that was defeated by the Hero Chosen by the Gods, and violated their taboo on the Ancient Pyramid. He stole the Trident from the pyramid and then stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness. The mirror served as a prison for a dark tribe that, long ago, invaded the kingdom. It had the ability to reflect the evil heart of its bearer, giving birth to demonic creatures.

Ganondorf schemed to release the ancient sorcerer Vaati from his prison within the Four Sword, and created a dark copy of Link, Shadow Link, with the Mirror. The clouds of darkness covering the land made Zelda uneasy, so she gathered the six shrine maidens to renew the seal upon Vaati. At that moment, Shadow Link appeared and scattered the maidens with his powers. Link drew the sword from its pedestal, splitting into four just as in ancient times. However, this released Vaati from his prison to cause chaos. Ganon used Shadow Link to tear open rifts to the Dark World, pulling the four Knights of Hyrule into his sway and transforming them into Stalfos.

The four Links journeyed throughout Hyrule to rescue the Shrine Maidens, and learned that Ganon was the mastermind behind the darkness plaguing Hyrule. They obtained the four jewels from the Knights, and made their way to the Tower of Winds, where they battled Vaati and Ganon himself, destroying Vaati and sealing Ganon inside the Four Sword forevermore.

Adult Link Timeline
The Adult Link Timeline or simply Adult Timeline is the branch of the timeline in which Link has disappeared from Hyrule after being sent back in time at the end of. In this timeline, Ganondorf is sealed within the void of the corrupted Sacred Realm along with the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom remains in Zelda's possession. When Link goes back in time, the Triforce of Courage is left behind, shattered into eight shards scattered across Hyrule.

This timeline contains the events of, , and.

Hyrule Submerged
Ages passed and Hero of Time faded to legend. During the , the seal of the Seven Sages broke. Ganon escaped from the Sacred Realm and used the Triforce of Power to bring darkness to Hyrule. When no hero appeared, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule and his people pleaded to the gods for deliverance.

The gods responded by bringing forth a deluge that would seal away all of Hyrule and Ganon with it. The gods chose those who would build a new world and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops, which became became the islands of the new world known as the Great Sea. The Triforce of Wisdom was split in two: one part remained with King Daphnes beneath the waves, the other with his daughter the princess, who ascended to the new world. The Triforce fragment in passed on to her namesakes, from daughter to daughter. Beneath the waves, Hyrule is frozen in time.

Hundreds of years later, during the , Ganondorf escapes to the surface world. Seeking to regain the Triforce of Wisdom, he commands the Helmaroc King to kidnap young girls, in the hopes of capturing Zelda. The Helmaroc King kidnaps Aryll, Link's sister. Link, a resident of Outset Island unrelated to the Hero of Time, sets out to rescue her. He is guided by the King of Red Lions, a boat sent forth by the gods.

Link proves his worth as a hero by gathering the Goddess Pearls and completing the goddesses' trial. A way opens to Hyrule beneath the waves. Link draws the Master Sword from a pedestal within Hyrule Castle. With the help of Tetra and her pirate crew, Link rescues his sister. However, he is unable to defeat Ganondorf. The Master Sword had lost the power to repel evil when Ganondorf killed the sages of Earth and Wind. Link and Tetra escape Ganondorf's grasp and return to Hyrule, where Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule reveals himself to be the King of Red Lions. He mends the Triforce of Wisdom—Tetra carries the other piece. She awakens as Princess Zelda.

Link restores the power to repel evil to the Master Sword. He gathers the shards of the Triforce of Courage to re-open the way to Hyrule. Upon returning to Hyrule, he discovers Zelda has been kidnapped by Ganondorf and taken atop Ganon's Tower. When Link purses them to the top of the tower, the full Triforce is reunited. Before Ganondorf is able to touch the Triforce and make his wish, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule steps in and wishes for Hyrule to be washed away forever. Together, Link and Zelda defeat Ganondorf. They return to the surface, but Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule stays behind and vanishes along with his kingdom. Above the waves, Zelda becomes Tetra once again. Link and Tetra set sail in search of a new continent.

During the , Link and Tetra happen upon World of the Ocean King. To investigate a rumor about disappearing ships in the area, Tetra boards the Ghost Ship and is taken away by it. Link falls into the ocean trying to rescue her and washes up on Mercay Island. There he meets the fairy Ciela and her so-called grandfather Oshus.

Link teams up with Ciela and steamboat captain Linebeck to find the Ghost Ship. He obtains clues from the Temple of the Ocean King, which he navigates using the Phantom Hourglass. Link finds the ship after rescuing the Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage (Leaf, Neri, and as it turns out, Ciela). On the ship, Link finds Tetra turned to stone—her Life Force had been drained by a malevolent creature named Bellum. To defeat Bellum, Link searches the seas for three Pure Metals to forge the Phantom Sword. Oshus reveals himself to be the Ocean King and fuses the Phantom Hourglass into the Phantom Sword.

Phantom Sword in hand, Link defeats Bellum and frees Tetra. The Ocean King regains his true form. Link and Tetra return to their world and continue their search for a new continent.

Link and Tetra's pirate crew eventually found a new continent. Spirit Tracks spanned the land, at the center of which stood the Tower of Spirits. These were created by the Lokomo to bind the Demon King Malladus. Tetra founded New Hyrule, heralding the .

One hundred years later, the Spirit Tracks begin to disappear. Link, a Royal Engineer, and Princess Zelda, Tetra's descendant, head to the Tower of Spirits to investigate. Their train is derailed by Chancellor Cole and Byrne. Chancellor Cole, advisor to Princess Zelda, reveals himself to be a demon who aims to revive Malladus. Byrne, Cole's ally, separates Zelda's spirit from her body. Her body is carried off to the top of the Spirit Tower, to be used as a vessel for Malladus. The Spirit Tower is fragmented into floating pieces.

Link and Princess Zelda's ghost travel to four temples to restore the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits. They climb to the top of the tower, but are too late to stop Malladus from possessing Zelda's body. They pursue Malladus into the Dark Realm. Together, they defeat Malladus and Cole using the Bow of Light and the Lokomo Sword. Zelda regains her body and peace returns to Hyrule. Their protection no longer needed, the Lokomo return to the heavens.

Great Calamity
After the branches of time reach their end, there is an era in which the events of any of the three branches have become generic myths of Ganon's endless cycle of revival and defeat. These myths are passed on through the countless years until they become nothing more than fairy tales that are not believed by most.

Which timeline these events take place in is up to the player's interpretation.

Revival of Calamity Ganon
The technology of the Sheikah develops to become highly advanced, and they build the Guardians and Divine Beasts in preperation for the re-emergence of the ancient evil of Ganon. Thanks to their technology, civilisation flourishes. Unfortunately, just as was feared, Ganon re-emerges as Calamity Ganon. However, with the aid of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, Princess Zelda and the hero Link were able to defeat Calamity Ganon and seal him away. In spite of this, the King of Hyrule becomes paranoid of a possible betrayal by the advanced Sheikah, and so begins to banish and subdue them. From his orders, the Divine Beasts are buried deep in the ground in various locations across Hyrule. The banished Sheikah eventually divide into two seperate factions of peaceful and militant Sheikah, and the militant faction become the Yiga Clan.

Signs of the Calamity Reviving
About 10,000 years later a new Princess is born and named Zelda in line with tradition. Around this same time, a prophecy warned of the return of BotW:. Hoping to prepare in the same fashion as their ancestors, the people of Hyrule began working to locate and excavate the Divine Beasts and Guardians. Four Champions from each of Hyrule's races were chosen to pilot the Divine Beast of their people and the restoration of the mechanical army seemed to be a phenomenal success.

The Day of the Great Calamity
A now seventeen year old Princess Zelda worked to awaken her sealing powers alongside a young knight, Link, who had been appointed as her protector. Zelda was determined to awaken her power and prayed at the three springs of the goddesses in Hyrule, but her efforts met with failure. Minutes after she had finished praying at the Spring of Wisdom, the Calamity broke its seal and rose up around the castle. In a move that surprised everyone, however, it managed to corrupt the entire Guardian army with its Malice, and turned them against Hyrule. Even the Divine Beasts, with their pilots slain, fell under the control of incarnations of Ganon's Malice. With their strongest weapons turned against them, Hyrule was laid to ruin and Link grievously wounded, requiring him to sleep in the Shrine of Resurrection for one hundred years. Princess Zelda went to confront the BotW: on her own and managed to seal it once more, though this required her to also become its prisoner to maintain the seal.

The Hero Awakens
One hundred years later, Princess Zelda's sealing power has weakened, and Calamity Ganon's return, as well as the awakening of Link, is imminent. In response to both, the Divine Beasts begin their rampages anew. Link awakens in the Shrine of Resurrection, his wounds healed, but his memories erased, and ventures foward with the Sheikah Slate. The departed King of Hyrule explains to Link his purpose, and about the events surrounding Calamity Ganon. At some point, Link obtains the Master Sword from within Korok Forest,, and is ultimately guided by Zelda's voice toward Hyrule Castle. Although he could have chosen to go entirely alone, Link instead takes back the Divine Beasts from Ganon's influence, freeing the spirits of the deceased Champions imprisoned within, and allowing them to lend him their power. With their help, Link is able to defeat Calamity Ganon using the Master Sword. However, after his defeat, Calamity Ganon's rage transforms him into Dark Beast Ganon. Zelda presents Link with the Light Bow, and Link uses it to weaken Ganon enough to allow Zelda to seal him away.

After dispelling the threat, Hyrule begins to slowly become restored. Princess Zelda focuses on rebuilding the Kingdom, while Link continues to support and protect her.

Gallery
Timeline Zelda