Zelda Timeline: Difference between revisions

The Triforce was entrusted to the goddess [[Hylia]] during the '''Era of Hylia''',<ref>{{Cite Book|book= E |publisher=  |page= 12}}</ref> known more fully as the '''Era of the Goddess Hylia'''.<ref>{{Cite Book|book= E |publisher=  |page= 76}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite|One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... They burnt forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation. They did all this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess.|N/A|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force.|Zelda|SS}}</ref>

Hylia gathered the surviving [[human]]s 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.<ref>{{Cite|To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands... The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth. She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds.|N/A|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Until now, a {{Color|SS Red|cloud barrier}} created by the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below.|Fi|SS}}</ref> Along with them, she sent the [[Triforce]],<ref>{{Cite|The goddess feared for her people. She used her power to send both them and the Triforce into the sky on a slice of earth she cut away from the land.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> which she hid beneath the [[Statue of the Goddess]].<ref>{{Cite|For the safety of all things, she hid the Triforce somewhere within the rock you call Skyloft. However, its location has been kept secret. Even I do not know where it rests now.|Levias|SS}}</ref> Hylia rallied the remaining land dwellers, fought back the evil forces led by Demise, and sealed them away.<ref>{{Cite|With the humans safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away. At last, peace was restored to the surface.|N/A|SS}}</ref>

Hylia suffered grave injuries in the battle. Knowing the seal on Demise would not hold, she devised a plan.<ref>{{Cite|However, soon after the demon king was imprisoned, it became clear that the seal would not hold long against his fearsome power. Hylia had suffered grave injuries in her battle with the demon king.|Zelda|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|She knew that if he broke free again, there would be no stopping him. And if the demon king were to free himself, it would mean the end of the world for all beings of this land. In order to put an end to the demon king, Hylia devised two separate plans and set them both into motion.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite|Her second plan...was to abandon her divine form and transfer her soul to the body of a mortal. ...She made this sacrifice, as you have likely guessed, so that the supreme power created by the old gods could one day be used. For while the supreme power of the Triforce was created by gods, all of its power can never be wielded by one.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite|First, she created {{Color|SS Light Blue|Fi}}. She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her {{Color|SS Red|chosen hero}} on his mission.|Zelda|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|I've had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure. Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold the youth of legend would one day appear. It is said that this place was left to our people by the goddess herself. The very knowledge of this room's existence is a secret passed down to a  select few each generation, along with a handful of words... When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.|Gaepora|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit.|Fi|SS}}</ref> Hylia placed the sword in the [[Chamber of the Sword]] in [[Skyloft]], the land beyond the clouds.

Thousands of years later,<ref name="HH 69">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 69}}</ref> during the '''{{Section|Sky Era}}''',<ref name="HH 72">{{Cite Book|book= |publisher= HH |page= 72}}</ref> the seal on [[The Imprisoned]] weakens. In [[Skyloft]], Hylia is reborn as [[Zelda]].<ref name="HH 73">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 73}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{Cite|The day of the ceremony, Ghirahim's tornado tossed me out of the sky and down to the world below.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> attempts to kidnap the goddess reincarnate in order to revive his master Demise.<ref>{{Cite|I MUST have the spirit maiden in order to resurrect my master!|Ghirahim|SS}}</ref> Zelda escapes his grasp thanks to Impa, a servant of Hylia.<ref>{{Cite|I was nearly captured by the demonic forces, but I was rescued at the last moment by the old woman who lives in the Sealed Grounds.|Zelda|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|I heard my underlings had finally captured the spirit maiden, so of course I rushed over here. What can I say? I was excited. Flustered, even... But what did I find when I arrived? That agent of the goddess... She had once again... You see, what I'm trying to say is... That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!|Ghirahim|SS}}</ref><ref name="HH 74">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 74}}</ref> On The Surface, Zelda regains her memories as Hylia.<ref name="HH 75">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 75}}</ref>

Link catches up to Zelda and Impa at the [[Temple of Time]]. He defends them from Ghirahim long enough for the two women to escape through the [[Gate of Time]], which Impa destroys behind her.<ref name="HH 75"/> Link seeks out the three [[Sacred Flames]] to temper his sword into the [[Master Sword]], which he uses to activate the second Gate of Time at the Sealed Temple.<ref name="HH 75"/> He travels to the past to a period shortly after Hylia sealed Demise. He briefly reunites with Zelda, but she then places herself in a deep slumber to sustain the seal on Demise.<ref>{{Cite|To ensure that the seal holds, I will remain here in this time...deep in sleep for thousands of years.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> Link returns to the present, collects the [[Triforce]] from [[Sky Keep]], and prays for the destruction of Demise.<ref name="HH 76">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 76}}</ref> The [[Isle of the Goddess]] falls from Skyloft and crushes Demise. Zelda awakens from her agelong slumber only to be kidnapped by Ghirahim.<ref name="HH 76"/> Ghirahim takes her to the past, where Demise still lives. He uses her soul to revive his master. Link vanquishes Demise in the past, saving Zelda. Before being sealed away in the Master Sword forever, Demise vows an incarnation of his hatred ([[Ganon]]) shall ever follow "those who share blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero" in a cycle without end.<ref>{{Cite|My hate...never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again!|Demise|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!|Demise|SS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|I have confirmed the eradication of the demon king. His residual consciousness has been absorbed into the Master Sword... and is now sealed away.|Fi|SS}}</ref>

Link thrusts the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple; Fi becomes forever dormant in the Master Sword. Link and Zelda return to the present, but Impa stays in the past—in her own time—to watch over the Master Sword. Zelda resolves to live on The Surface and watch over the Triforce.<ref>{{Cite|I... I think I want to live here. I always want to feel solid ground beneath my feet, see the clouds above my head, and watch over the Triforce.|Zelda|SS}}</ref>

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 [[Vaati's Wrath|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.

Hyrule enters a long period of [[Hyrulean Civil War|civil war]] during which a [[Link's Mother|Hylian woman]] flees to the [[Kokiri Forest]] carrying her baby boy, [[Link]]. Gravely injured, she entrusts her baby to the [[Great Deku Tree]], who senses the baby is a child of destiny. Eventually, the [[King of Hyrule]] ends the war and unifies the kingdom.<ref name="HH 84">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 84}}</ref> Link is raised as a [[Kokiri]].<ref>{{Cite|Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri.|Deku Tree Sprout|OoT}}</ref>

As a young boy, Link begins to have nightmares of an evil man chasing a princess. [[Ganondorf]], leader of the [[Gerudo]]s, had been seeking the three [[Spiritual Stone]]s to open the [[Door of Time]] and get the [[Triforce]]. Ganondorf cursed the Great Deku Tree in an attempt to wrest from him the [[Kokiri's Emerald]]. The Great Deku Tree sends [[Navi]] to fetch Link, who breaks the curse but cannot prevent the Deku Tree from dying. In his last moments, the Deku Tree gives link the Kokiri's Emerald. He sets Link and Navi on a quest to stop Ganondorf, instructing them to seek out [[Princess Zelda]] at [[Hyrule Castle]].<ref>{{Cite|Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce... Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend... That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power... Because of that curse, my end is nigh... Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started... Yes, I will pass away soon... But do not grieve for me... I have been able to tell you of these important matters... This is Hyrule's final hope...|Great Deku Tree|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Link... Go now to Hyrule Castle... There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny... Take this stone with you. The stone that man wanted so much, that he cast the curse on me...|Great Deku Tree|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|The future depends upon thee, Link... Thou art courageous... Navi the fairy... Help Link to carry out my will...|Great Deku Tree|OoT}}</ref> The princess, who possesses prophetic powers, had sensed Ganondorf's evil intentions but had been unable to convince her father.<ref>{{Cite|....... Yes. I told my father about my dream... However, he didn't believe it was a prophecy... But...I can sense that man's evil intentions!|Princess Zelda|OoT}}</ref> Link and Zelda plot to get the Triforce before Ganondorf.<ref>{{Cite|We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!|Zelda|OoT}}</ref>  

Link gathers the other two Spiritual Stones, the [[Goron's Ruby]] and the [[Zora's Sapphire]]. He returns to Hyrule Castle only to see Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf. She throws Link the [[Ocarina of Time]], the final key to opening the Door of Time. Link opens the Door and draws the [[Master Sword]] from the [[Pedestal of Time]]. He is then sealed within the [[Chamber of Sages]] for seven years, after which he awakens as the [[Hero of Time]].<ref>{{Cite|Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time....However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time....Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years.|Rauru|OoT}}</ref> In this time, Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm and seizes the Triforce.<ref>{{Cite|But, remember... Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace... Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm! He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its power, he became the King of Evil... His evil power radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters. My power now has only little influence, even in this Sacred Realm... Namely, this Chamber of Sages. But there is still hope... The power of the Sages remains. When the power of all the Sages is awakened... The Sages' Seals will contain all the evil power in the void of the Realm... I, Rauru, am one of the Sages... And... Your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword! Keep my spirit with you... And, find the power of the other Sages and add their might to your own!|Rauru|OoT}}</ref> The Triforce splits in three and Ganondorf retains only the Triforce of Power.<ref>{{Cite|If you would seek the sacred triangle, listen well... The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart... the heart of one who enters it... If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise. The Triforce...the sacred triangle... it is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage. If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all. But, if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce...the part representing the force that one most believes in. If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts. Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny, who will bear the Triforce mark on the backs of their hands.|Sheik|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true.|Sheik|OoT}}</ref> Link gains the Triforce of Courage.<ref>{{Cite| The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is... You, Link!|Sheik|OoT}}</ref> The Triforce of Wisdom goes to Princess Zelda, who goes into hiding by disguising herself as [[Sheik]].<ref>{{Cite|And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom... is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all...|Sheik|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda.|Zelda|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me...|Zelda|OoT}}</ref> Ganondorf takes control of Hyrule Castle. The Sacred Realm is transformed into the [[Evil Realm]] due to Ganon's evil heart.<ref>{{Cite|Your spirit remained in the Sacred Realm...and then the Triforce fell into Ganondorf's hands. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm... Ganondorf had become the Evil King, and the Sacred Realm became a world of evil. All of this is an unfortunate coincidence. I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that you would return. I waited for seven years...|Zelda|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 87}}</ref>

In the Chamber of Sages, Link meets [[Rauru]], Sage of Light. Guided by Rauru and Sheik, Link awakens five other [[Sages]]. Sheik reveals himself to be Princess Zelda and the seventh Sage. Ganondorf kidnaps the princess and takes her to his castle. Link climbs to the top of [[Ganon's Castle]], defeats Ganondorf, and frees Zelda. Ganondorf is sealed within the Evil Realm by the combined power of the Master Sword and the Seven Sages.<ref>{{Cite|Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!!|Rauru|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Thank you, Link... Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm! Thus, peace will once again reign in this world...for a time.|Zelda|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 91}}</ref> Ganondorf vows to destroy Link and Zelda's descendants when the seal is one day broken.<ref>{{Cite|Someday... When this seal is broken.... That is when I will exterminate your descendants!!|Ganondorf|OoT}}</ref> Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to return Link to his own time. Link places the Master Sword back in the pedestal and closes the Door of Time. Navi, her mission complete, disappears.

The timeline splits into three branches after {{OoT|-}}.<ref name="HH 69"/> The [[Fallen Hero Timeline]] is a branch in which Ganon defeats the Hero of Time. The branch where Link defeats Ganon is itself split in two when Zelda sends Link back in time to childhood. The [[Child Timeline]] is the branch that follows Link back to his own time. The [[Adult Timeline]] is the branch where the Hero of Time has disappeared from the world. Somehow, the [[Master Sword]] exists in both branches. In the Child Timeline, Link returns it to the Pedestal of Time. In the Adult Timeline, Zelda does it.<ref name="HH 122">{{Cite Book|book= HH |publisher= |page= 122}}</ref>