Song of Time

The "Song of Time" is a recurring song in. It is implied that this sacred melody is only known by members of the Royal Family of Hyrule and is taught to a selected few.

Ocarina of Time
In, the "Song of Time" is one of the requirements (the Spiritual Stones and the being the others) necessary to open the Door of Time so Link can access the Sacred Realm. Once the other keys are gathered, the "Song of Time" must be played in the altar of the Temple of Time, thus opening the Door of Time and allowing access to the resting place of the Master Sword. Link learns the song after he retrieves the Ocarina, which Princess Zelda throws into the moat as she escapes Hyrule Castle. Upon getting the Ocarina, Link has a vision of the princess explaining her reasons for leaving and teaches him the "Song of Time" through this telepathic message. With the Ocarina of Time and the three Spiritual Stones in hand, Link can play the melody to open the Door of Time, withdrawing the Master Sword to become the legendary Hero of Time.

The "Song of Time" can also be used to remove and bring back blocks that have the Symbol of Time engraved on them. The song is also used as the Temple of Time theme.

Majora's Mask
Prior to the events of, Princess Zelda hands over the Ocarina of Time to Link as a memento of the times that she and Link spent together in the land of Hyrule. According to Zelda, the "Song of Time" holds a special meaning to her, and as such, she teaches it to the young hero before handing over the Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda reminds Link to play the sacred song if anything happens to him, mentioning that the Goddess of Time will come to his aid.

By playing the "Song of Time", Link can warp back to the dawn of the First Day at any given time or place. Any spendable item, such as Bombs or Rupees, will be lost when playing the song. However, masks, weapons (except the Razor Sword), songs learned, and other non-event items are kept; if Link's sword is with the smithy, he will regain his Kokiri Sword. Playing the song is the only way to permanently save the game. However, in, it no longer saves the game.

Variations
In Majora's Mask, variations of the "Song of Time" can alter the regular flow of time. Scarecrows will hint at these variations if Link chooses to speak with them. While these songs make progressing through the game easier, they are not necessary to complete it.

The "Song of Double Time" lets Link warp to the night of the same day he is in if played during the day, or to the dawn of the next if played at night. The song cannot be played during the night of the Final Day. In Majora's Mask 3D, playing the song lets Link jump to a specific hour of the current day. The "Song of Double Time" is composed of the first three notes of the "Song of Time" played twice each.

When Link plays the "Inverted Song of Time", all events directly related to the flow of time will move 30% slower. This affects the flow of time and scripted movements such as Anju's movements. Events that are not directly involved with the flow of time, such as an enemy's attack patterns or the rate at which Link can move, are not affected. The song is, as its name implies, the "Song of Time" played backwards.

Twilight Princess
In, the "Song of Time" serves as the Temple of Time entrance area theme. It is a direct copy of the same theme from

Breath of the Wild
When Link nears the Temple of Time in, which is in a state of ruin in the game, an extremely slow version of the Song of Time can be heard in the background, performed on piano. This makes the Song of Time one of the few melodies from previous games in the series confirmed to return so far.

Super Smash Bros. Series
In and, the "Song of Time" is part of the Ocarina of Time medley. It appears alongside other melodies such as the "Song of Storms", "Zelda's Lullaby", "Saria's Song", and "Epona's Song". In the Nintendo 3DS version, the song can be heard on the Gerudo Valley stage when the bridge repairs itself.