Building Your Timeline

Perhaps the best way to understand the subtleties and conflicts involved in constructing a model of the Zelda Timeline is to attempt the process yourself. The resources provided by this wiki allow an interested new theorist to develop an excellent knowledge base in no time flat.

The Basics
The most effective theorists are those who take the time to learn and enjoy the Zelda Canon before they begin. Prospective theorists should play through to completion any and every Zelda game they can. Information on any other games can be found on the wiki.

With this basic understanding, new theorists should be able to quickly memorize the small amount of jargon used in timeline discussion. For the most part, simply knowing the names of each game in the series well enough to recognize their abbreviations is all that is required.

Though not necessarily a requirement, new theorists will be taken much more seriously if they are able to understand the definition of Canon and have a general familiarity with the timeline's General conclusions. They may also be interested in SteveT's article; Timeline Theorizing 101.

The Arcs
The cornerstone of timeline knowledge is familiarity with the five story arcs and their proofs. Some of these connection should be immediately obvious, while others may take some exploration.

OOT - TWW/PH - ST
The first Arc comprises those games which fill the first four chapters of the "Adult Timeline".
 * Ocarina of Time, as that hero's first great adventure, begins the arc, and ends with Ganon sealed in the Sacred Realm.
 * The Wind Waker, which further details the fate of Hyrule after the Hero of Time leaves Hyrule, as well as one instance of Ganon's demise.
 * Phantom Hourglass, promoted as a sequel to The Wind Waker and its hero's second adventure.
 * Spirit Tracks details events occurring soon after a new Hyrule is founded by the Link and Tetra from The Wind Waker.

TMC - FS/FSA
The second Arc comprises those games which can be directly linked by their representation of Vaati and the Four Sword. For this reason, it is often referred to as the "Four Sword Trilogy".
 * The Minish Cap, which details the forging of the Four Sword and the origns of Vaati, begins the tale.
 * Four Swords, in which the sword is used to seal Vaati a second time, occurs much later.
 * Four Swords Adventures, in which Vaati is finally defeated, completes the arc. Another backstory to Ganon is created in this arc.

OoS/OoA
The third Arc is simply the Oracle Series. Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons stand alone, are not directly connected to any other game.
 * Oracle of Seasons is suggested by the manual to occur first
 * Oracle of Ages would then be the next and final game in the series.

AlttP/LA/(KnS)
The fourth Arc comprises those games which were released around the time of to A Link to the Past, and that can be linked in the manner of most gaming series. Please note, that whilst this arc is popular, the ALttP/LA connection is not confirmed.
 * A Link to the Past, which has alternatively been discribes as the earliest and the last game in the timeline as of its release.
 * Link's Awakening, its intended continuation, is placed subsequently.
 * (BS The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets) is a sequel to ALttP, which takes place long after the events of that game. AST was never released in North America, and was only available on the BS-X Broadcasting System. It may or may not be canon, but it was created by the same team the designed ALttP.

LoZ/AoL
The fifth Arc comprises the original 8-bit games.
 * The Legend of Zelda gives little background information to place it in the timeline.
 * The Adventure of Link, the conclusion of the LoZ storyline, completes the arc.

OoT/MM - TP
The sixth Arc is the most recently confirmed, and comprises the first three chapters of the "Child Timeline".
 * Ocarina of Time begins the arc when Link returns to the past after sealing Ganon away in the future.
 * Majora's Mask continues the arc by following Link's adventures after bringing peace back to Hyrule.
 * Twilight Princess completes the known games within the arc by closing the door on the threat posed by Ganondorf.

Dealing with Ganon
At this point it is wise to completely ignore the games which do not contain information about Ganon; AoL, LA, MM, FS, TMC, PH, and even LoZ, TP and OoX. The connections between these games and the rest of the series are, at best, minimal, and will not be easy to place standing alone.

We will only look at ALttP, OOT, WW, and FSA for it is the placement of these games which dictates the true grit of a timeline.

Start at the beginning, with AlttP, OOT, and WW. In order to place these games in relation to one another, you will need a basic understanding of the debates on the Number of Timelines and the Ganon Conflicts.

You may continue into the placement of FSA (though the wiki has little information to support you). Trust your instincts for now.

Thanks to the arc system, you should now be able to use your Ganon theory as a "framework" which can be easily used to place most the remaining games.
 * Place (/LA - LoZ/Aol) immediately after AlttP
 * Place (/MM - TP) immediately after OOT's child ending
 * Place (FS/) immediately prior to FSA
 * Place (/PH) immediately after tWW

Placing the Handhelds
The only three games not yet placed are, of course; OoS, OoA, and TMC; commonly known as "The Handhelds".

If you understand the basic issues of Oracle Placement then you'll know that it is simply a toss up, the Oracles can be safely placed in at least two different slots. Choose one, or choose to leave it ambiguous.

TMC can be placed any time prior to FS. Again a theorist can choose to place it firmly or leave it ambiguous, with little trouble.

Congratulations! You've produced your very own Zelda Timeline.