Zelda Timeline
The Legend of Zelda 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 Hyrule Historia in 2011. The timeline had previously existed in a highly confidential document conceived as early as 2005.[1][2]
In Hyrule Historia, Nintendo resolved the timeline's contradictions by contriving a third branch of the timeline stemming from Ocarina of Time, 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.[3] 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 Breath of the Wild, by which time all of Hyrule's prior history has faded to myth.[4]
Beginning
The beginning of the timeline encompasses the events of Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap, Four Swords, and Ocarina of Time, in that order.
Creation
Before time began, the tree Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.[5][6] Din, the Goddess of Power, created the earth.[7] Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, bestowed order upon the world.[8][9] Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created life.[10]
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.[11]
Ancient Battle
The Triforce was entrusted to the goddess Hylia.[12][13] But the Demon King Demise sought to take it and make the world his own. He rose an army of malevolent forces against Hyrule.[14][15]
Hylia gathered the surviving humans on an outcrop of earth and sent it to The Sky beyond a Cloud Barrier, where they would be safe from the demonic hordes.[16][17] Hylia rallied the remaining land dwellers, fought back the evil forces led by Demise, and sealed them away.[18]
Hylia suffered grave injuries in the battle. Knowing the seal on Demise would not hold, she devised a plan.[19][20] As the Triforce could not be wielded by a god, Hylia renounced divinity and transferred her soul to the body of a mortal.[21] She created the Goddess Sword and the spirit Fi to aid her chosen hero when evil returned.[22] She placed the sword in the Chamber of the Sword in Skyloft,[23] the land beyond the clouds. In Sky Keep she hid portals to the three pieces of the Triforce.[24]
Skyward Sword
Thousands of years later, during the Sky Era,[25] the seal on The Imprisoned weakens.[26] In Skyloft, Hylia is reborn as Zelda, [27] though none in Skyloft are aware that she is the goddess reincarnate.
On the day of the 25th annual Wing Ceremony, while out flying with her childhood friend Link, Zelda is taken to The Surface by Ghirahim in an attempt to revive Demise. That night, Fi awakens Link and leads him to the Chamber of the Sword. She reveals Link to be Hylia's chosen hero. Link draws the Goddess Sword and descends to the surface with Fi to search for Zelda. Zelda is herself is guided by Impa to purify her body at the goddess statues to reawaken as the incarnation of the Goddess Hylia. As Zelda and Impa escape from Ghirahim to the past, Link quests to purify the Goddess Sword and power it to become the Master Sword. After traveling to the past, Zelda reveals her true identity to him, and as such must remain in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. 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.
The Era of Chaos and the Sealing of the Sacred Realm
Following the defeat of Demise, the world created by the Golden Goddesses and guarded by the Goddess Hylia, became known as Hyrule.[28]
Those descended from the people who were living in ancient times under the protection of the Goddess Hylia were known as Hylians. They were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry.[29] It is also believed that the Hylians' pointed ears allow them to hear the messages of the gods.[30]
Hyrule knew many years of peace, however, the legend of the Triforce, which was located in the Sacred Realm, spread throughout the land. Its power was lusted after by many people, and a wave of chaos descended upon the land of Hyrule as people tried to take this power for themselves.[31] During this period, the Interlopers were banished to the Twilight Realm.
To protect the sacred power, Rauru, the Sage of Light, constructed the Temple of Time, which contained the only entrance to the Sacred Realm. Rauru sealed the entrance with the Master Sword and closed the chamber of the Master Sword behind the Door of Time. The Spiritual Stones acted as keys to opening the door.[32][33] The Temple of Light, located at the center of the Sacred Realm, became the resting place of the Triforce, while Rauru remained in the temple to protect the sacred relic.[34][35]
The Era of Prosperity
Those with the blood of the Goddess Hylia, reborn as Zelda, established the kingdom of Hyrule.[36] Hyrule Castle was built at the center of the land, watching over the Temple of Time, which was protecting the Sacred Realm and the Triforce.[37]
Many years passed after the kingdom's establishment. Within the Royal Family of Hyrule, as descendants of the Goddess, many were born with a special power that existed deep within the bloodline and the queen would often be named Zelda after the historical legend.
The Force Era
The Hero of Men
As ages went by and the Kingdom of Hyrule continued to develop in peace,[38] one day the land was suddenly overwhelmed by evil creatures that descended upon it in swarms, driving the world into shadows and bringing the kingdom to near-ruin. As Hyrule neared the brink of collapse, the tiny Picori appeared from the sky and gave the Hero of Men the Picori Blade and the magical Light Force. Using these two special gifts, the Hero drove the beasts back and restored light to the land of Hyrule.[39][40]
To ensure the beasts could not bring further destruction to the land, the Hero of Men sealed them all within the Bound Chest. Sealing the chest with the Picori Blade itself, the Hero of Men was able to bring the destructive war to an end and brought peace to the kingdom. The Light Force was embodied within the princess of Hyrule to prevent its misuse, shining forth upon the lands within its ruler.[41]
The Hero of the Four Sword
One year, in celebration of when the Picori last came to Hyrule 100 years ago to the day, the festival was unusually grand. Hyrule Castle was hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill that called to mind the heroes of legend. That year's champion was a mysterious man by the name of Vaati. He won the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule was abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. During the ceremony following the sword competition, Vaati shattered the sacred Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest, which, for an age, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Vaati was after the Light Force, that golden light that was once wielded by the hero mentioned in the legends of the Picori. He subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before making a speedy departure.
King Daltus asked the young Link to seek out the Picori and ask them to reforge the sacred blade. Traveling to the Minish Woods he met Ezlo, who helped him find the Picori, or Minish as they called themselves. Link met with the elder of Minish Village, who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he would require the Four Elements, the embodiments of the sacred powers of earth, fire, water, and wind. Once he had gathered the Four Elements, Link brought the Picori Blade—now the White Sword—to the Elemental Sanctuary hidden within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. There he infused the White Sword with the Elements, fully restoring the sacred Four Sword; a legendary blade with the power to split one warrior into four.
Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed King Daltus and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness. He had discovered that the sacred Light Force had actually been passed down through Hyrule's princesses, and so he prepared to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her rescue, and, after vanquishing Vaati, he used the Four Sword's evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda. Vaati had been a Minish, an apprentice of Ezlo, who was also a Minish. Ezlo had made a magical cap with the power to grant wishes, but Vaati had stolen it and used it to become a powerful sorcerer. He had transformed Ezlo into a hat himself, then proceeded to hunt down the Light Force. Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used to restore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaati's cruelty might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Light Force that still dwelled within her, many miracles happened as a result and peace returned to the land of Hyrule.
The Resurrection of the Wind Mage
Peace returned briefly to the kingdom of Hyrule, as Vaati was presumed dead, but suddenly he re-appeared to terrorize the land once again.[42] No longer remembering his days as a Picori, or his lust for the Light Force, he made himself a home in the Palace of Winds and he named himself The Great Sorcerer of the Wind, Vaati. With the power to bend the wind to his will, Vaati goes on a rampage, using this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.
Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared. When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.
The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how, with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.
Defeat of the Wind Mage
For generations Zelda and her descendants managed the seal of the Four Sword, but one day the seal weakened. Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine. As they approached the shrine to check on the seal, a dark figure suddenly appeared and grabbed princess Zelda. The seal on Vaati had weakened over time, and Vaati managed to break out of his prison within the Four Sword.
Having still no memory of his time as a Picori, or the power of the Light Force, Vaati did not recognize the princess and saw her only as a fair maiden. He decided she was to become his bride to commemorate his return and took off with her to his palace. After being instructed by fairies, Link takes the Four Sword from its pedestal and is split into four, as the legend foretold. The Great Fairies could help Link to get to the Palace of Winds, but not until he proved himself courageous enough. After traveling over three different lands and the dungeons they contained, Link and his three other selves confronted the wind mage in the Palace of Winds, the seat of Vaati's power. After an arduous battle between the sorcerer and the heroes, Link was able to reseal Vaati into the Four Sword's blade.[42] Princess Zelda and the people of Hyrule once again kept a watchful eye on the Four Sword.
The Era of the Hero of Time
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.[43]
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.[44][45] Link hurried to Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda, who told him that Ganondorf plotted to appropriate the sacred power of the Triforce.[46] 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 Ocarina of Time to open the door.[47]
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.[48]
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.[49] 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,[50] so that the Sages-to-be would not be able to fulfill their duty and aid Link.[51]
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.[52]
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[3] is an alternate timeline in which Ganondorf defeats the Hero of Time in battle.[53] Ganondorf obtains the remaining two pieces of the Triforce from Link and Zelda.[54] 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.[55][56][57]
This timeline branch contains the events of A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link.
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[58] 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.[59] 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.[60][61] 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.[62]
The Era of Light and Dark
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.[63] 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.[64][65] Agahnim used this position and his magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's soldiers,[66] depose the King of Hyrule,[67] and make six of the Maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear into the Dark World.[68][69] 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.[70]
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.[71] 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.[72]
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.[73]
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.[74]
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.[75]
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.[76]
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.[77]
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.[78] 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.[79]
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.[80] Ganon, despite being sealed in darkness following his defeat at the hands of Link,[81] obtained the Triforce of Power, which remained sealed with him.[82] 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.[83] 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.[84] Along with the Triforce of Power, Yuga and Ganon are joined as one,[85] and using this power, Yuga desires to consume both Hyrule and Lorule.[86] 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.
Tri Force Heroes
Several years after the events of A Link Between Worlds, 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.[87] 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.[88][89]
The Era of Decline
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.[90] Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan. Since his own son did not fit this archetype,[91] 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.[92] 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.[93]
Child Link Timeline
The Child Link Timeline[3] or simply Child Timeline[94] is the branch of the timeline that follows Link back in time at the end of Ocarina of Time. 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 Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures.
Majora's Mask
Several months into his search for Navi,[95] Link becomes lost in a mysterious forest. He encounters the Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask, accompanied by the sibling fairies Tatl and Tael. The Skull Kid steals Link's horse Epona as well as the Ocarina of Time, which Zelda had given to him as a parting gift. He then curses Link by turning him into a Deku Scrub, then leaves with Tael, leaving Tatl behind with Link. The two become companions and pursue Skull Kid into the parellel world of Termina.
When Link first enters Termina, he meets the Happy Mask Salesman, from whom the Skull Kid had stolen Majora's Mask. The Happy Mask Salesman is able to restore Link to his true form by teaching him the Song of Healing. He pleads Link to retrieve the ancient and powerful Majora's Mask, which has corrupted the Skull Kid and caused him to send the Moon crashing into Termina. 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.
Link ventures to the four outer regions of Termina, using transformative masks obtained with the Song of Healing to free the Four Giants. On the Final Day, atop Clock Tower, Link summons the Four Giants to hold up the Moon. He thwarts Majora, the demon inhabiting the mask. The Moon disintegrates, Skull Kid is freed, and Tatl are Tael are reunited. As Carnival of Time starts, Link leaves Termina to continue his search for Navi.
The Hero of Time 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.[96][97] 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.
The Era of Twilight
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.[98]
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.[99]
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.[100]
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.[101] 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.[102]
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.[103]
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.[104][105]
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.[106]
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.[107] He stole the Trident from the pyramid and then stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness.[108] 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.[109][110][111]
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.[112]
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.[113]
Adult Link Timeline
The Adult Link Timeline[114] or simply Adult Timeline[94] is the branch of the timeline in which Link has disappeared from Hyrule after being sent back in time at the end of Ocarina of Time. In this timeline, Ganondorf is sealed within the void of the corrupted Sacred Realm along with the Triforce of Power.[115] 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.[116]
This timeline contains the events of The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
Hyrule Submerged
Ages passed and Hero of Time faded to legend. During the Era Without a Hero,[25] the seal of the Seven Sages broke. Ganon escaped from the Sacred Realm and used the Triforce of Power to bring darkness to Hyrule.[117][118][119] When no hero appeared, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule and his people pleaded to the gods for deliverance.[120][121][122]
The gods responded by bringing forth a deluge that would seal away all of Hyrule and Ganon with it.[123] 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.[124][125] 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.[126] The Triforce fragment in passed on to her namesakes, from daughter to daughter. Beneath the waves, Hyrule is frozen in time.[citation needed]
The Wind Waker
Hundreds of years later, during the Era of the Great Sea,[25] Ganondorf reappears.[127] He kills the Sages of Earth and Wind whose prayers gave the Master Sword the power to repel evil.[128][129] Ganondorf ascends to the surface world and takes control of the Forsaken Fortress. Seeking to regain the Triforce of Wisdom, he commands the Helmaroc King to kidnap young girls, in the hopes of capturing Zelda.[130][131] The gods awaken King Daphnes and order him to put an end to Ganondorf's ambitions. On the Great Sea, his spirit takes the form of a boat named the King of Red Lions.[132]
Tetra, Princess Zelda's descendant, is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King but escapes its grasp as the bird is flying over Outset Island. Link, a resident of the island unrelated to the Hero of Time,[133] rescues Tetra from the Fairy Woods atop Outset. The Helmaroc King kidnaps Link's sister Aryll, mistaking her for Tetra.[134] With the help of Tetra's Pirate Crew, Link infiltrates the Forsaken Fortress to rescue his sister, but is captured by the Helmaroc King and tossed into the sea by Ganondorf's order.
Link is saved by the King of Red Lions, who explains that to save his sister, Link must obtain the Master Sword and defeat Ganondorf. Link sails the sea on the King of Red Lions, gathers the Goddess Pearls, and completes the trials of the Tower of the Gods, proving to the gods he is a true hero worthy of the Master Sword. Link descends to Hyrule beneath the waves and draws the Master Sword from a pedestal within Hyrule Castle.[135] He returns to the Forsaken Fortress and rescues his sister with Tetra's help. However, he fails to defeat Ganon as the Master Sword had lost the power to repel evil. Link and Tetra escape Ganondorf's grasp and return to Hyrule, where King Daphnes reunites the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce of Wisdom places itself wholly in Tetra's possession. She awakens as Princess Zelda.
Zelda stays hidden in Hyrule Castle while Link returns to the sea to restore the Master Sword to its former power. He finds the descendants of the sages and brings them to the altars in the Earth Temple and Wind Temple to pray. Link gathers the shards of the Triforce of Courage to re-open the way to Hyrule. Upon his return to Hyrule, Link discovers Ganon has taken Zelda to 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.
The Era of the Great Voyage
After defeating Ganon, Link and Tetra set out on a new voyage. They reached the waters ruled by the Ocean King to investigate rumors about a mysterious Ghost Ship which had terrorized the ocean. The Ghost Ship appeared and Tetra jumped aboard and was taken away. Link tried to rescue her, but fell into the ocean. He awoke on Mercay Island and met Ciela the fairy and her "grandfather," Oshus.[136]
Link met a sea captain named Linebeck who let him use his ship. After searching for clues in the Temple of the Ocean King with the help of the Phantom Hourglass, Link rescued the Spirits of Power and Wisdom, and discovered Ciela was the Spirit of Courage. Link then boarded the Ghost Ship in order to rescue Tetra, who had been turned to stone. Oshus revealed himself to be the Ocean King and told Link that an evil monster named Bellum had drained her life force. He then affirmed that the only thing which could defeat Bellum was the Phantom Sword.[137]
Link journeyed through the seas to find the three Pure Metals and forge the Phantom Sword. Then, he ventured deep into the Temple once more to confront Bellum. He defeated Bellum, but then Bellum possessed Linebeck and forced him to fight in the form of a powerful knight. Link was able to defeat Bellum without harming Linebeck, and restored Tetra to life. The Ocean King returned Link and Tetra to their world, where only ten minutes had passed since they left. Link was not sure if the entire adventure had been a dream, but then he saw that he carried the empty Phantom Hourglass, and saw Linebeck sailing off into the distance.[138]
The Era of Hyrule's Rebirth
Tetra's pirates eventually landed on a new continent, where the Tower of Spirits stood tall over the landscape. She founded a new kingdom here, connected by the Spirit Tracks which ran across the land. Tetra decreed that her soldiers would wear a green uniform, like that worn by the Hero of Winds.[139]
A century after the kingdom's establishment, the rails began to disappear. Tetra's descendant, Princess Zelda, gave a Royal Engineer named Link a Recruit Uniform and joined him to investigate the Tower of Spirits. Link lived with Niko, the last remaining member of Tetra's pirate crew.[140][141]
On their way to the Tower, Chancellor Cole revealed himself as a demon whose aim was to revive the Demon King Malladus who had been sealed underneath the Tower of Spirits in ancient times. Cole and Byrne stole her body and left her as a spirit. Link and Zelda sought the advice of the Lokomo sage Anjean, who told them to restore the Tower. In spirit form, Zelda was able to possess the Phantoms which roamed the Tower of Spirits and helped Link advance to the top. Link and Zelda restored the Tower of Spirits by journeying throughout Hyrule and breaking the barriers at each temple so that they could reach the Demon King at the top. Once they reached the top of the tower, Malladus was revived, and Link went into the Dark Realm in order to defeat him. Once Malladus was destroyed and Zelda returned to her body, the Lokomos departed into the heavens, their duty to protect Hyrule fulfilled.
Great Calamity
After the branches of time reach their end,[142] there is an era in which the events of any branch have merged to form 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.[4]
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.[143] Around this same time, a prophecy warned of the return of Calamity Ganon.[144][145] 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.[146] Four Champions from each of Hyrule's races were chosen to pilot the Divine Beast of their people[147] and the restoration of the mechanical army seemed to be a phenomenal success.[148]
The Day of the Great Calamity
A now seventeen year old Princess Zelda[149] worked to awaken her sealing powers alongside a young knight, Link, who had been appointed as her protector.[150] Zelda was determined to awaken her power and prayed at the three springs of the goddesses in Hyrule, but her efforts met with failure.[151] 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.[152] Even the Divine Beasts, with their pilots slain, fell under the control of incarnations of Ganon's Malice.[153][154] 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.[155][156][157] Princess Zelda went to confront the Calamity Ganon on her own and managed to seal it once more, though this required her to also become its prisoner to maintain the seal.[158]
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,[159], 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.[160] 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.[161]
Gallery
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The timeline revealed on page 69 of Hyrule Historia
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The Legend of Zelda series history since 2011
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The timeline since 2016
References
- ↑ Template:Cite person
- ↑ Template:Cite person
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Template:Cite web
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The kingdom of Hyrule has a long, long history. So long, in fact, that the events that occurred leading up to its founding and in its early years have faded into myth. Hyrule's recurring periods of prosperity and decline have made it impossible to tell which legends are historical fact and which are mere fairy tale. However, it is an undisputable truth that Calamity Ganon attacked Hyrule and was sealed ten thousand years ago, and that it revived one hundred years ago in an event called the Great Calamity." (Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 360)
- ↑ "Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the goddess of power... Nayru, the goddess of wisdom... Farore, the goddess of courage... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law." — Great Deku Tree (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Before life began, before the world had form, three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaotic land of Hyrule. They were Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom and Farore, the Goddess of Courage." (Ocarina of Time manual, pg. 5)
- ↑ "Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land to create the earth." (Ocarina of Time manual, pg. 5)
- ↑ "Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth to give the spirit of law to the world." (Ocarina of Time manual, pg. 5)
- ↑ "The God of Wisdom created science and wizardry and brought order to nature." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 3)
- ↑ "Farore's rich soul created all life forms who would uphold the law." (Ocarina of Time manual, pg. 5)
- ↑ "After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life on the world of Hyrule." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 3)
- ↑ "Handed down by the gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess." — Introduction (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "After the three goddesses departed, the Triforce and the world were entrusted to the goddess Hylia." (Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 12)
- ↑ "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." — Introduction (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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." — Introduction (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "Until now, a cloud barrier created by the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below." — Fi (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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." — Introduction (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "First, she created Fi. She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her chosen hero on his mission." — Zelda (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ "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 (Skyward Sword)
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 69
- ↑ "Only a few individuals on the Surface knew of the existence of the goddess and Skyloft. After a few thousand years, their story was forgotten and became legend." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 72)
- ↑ "As the seal of Demise, the Demon King, began to weaken, a human girl was born. That girl was named Zelda, and she was the goddess Hylia reincarnated." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 73)
- ↑ "Created by the Golden Goddesses and protected by the goddess Hylia, the world eventually became known as Hyrule." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ "With their magic infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with psychic powers and skill in wizardry." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 4)
- ↑ "It was also said that their long, pointed ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 4)
- ↑ "After years of peace, a wave of chaos once again engulfed the land. [...] The legend of a supreme power spread throughout the land, whetting the appetites of those who would possess the Triforce and inciting vicious battles between them." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ "Rauru, the Sage of Light, constructed the Temple of Time, which contained the only existing entrance to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce was located. [...] The pedestal holding the Master Sword was closed behind the Door of Time, and the keys to opening the door (the Spiritual Stones of forest, fire, and water) were protected by their respective people." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ "The legendary Master Sword that lay behind the door served as the final key to the Sacred Realm." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 86)
- ↑ "The Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces." — Rauru (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "The Triforce was placed in the Temple of Light, located in the Sacred Realm, which was now isolated from Hyrule. Protecting the Triforce in the Temple of Light, Rauru became the guardian of the power of the gods." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ "The descendents of the goddess Hylia, who was reincarnated as Princess Zelda, established the kingdom of Hyrule and became Hyrule's royal family." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ "In order to protect the Triforce, Hyrule Castle was built in the center of Hyrule, where the Temple of Time was located." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 77)
- ↑ Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 78
- ↑ "A long, long time ago...when the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow...The tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the hero of men a sword and a golden light." — Prologue (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "Long, long ago, and then even longer before that...Evil creatures appeared in the world of humans. They were powerful, frightening beasts, and they created such trouble! But then the Picori came from the sky, bringing humans powerful magic. With the magic light force and the Picori Blade, the beasts were repelled. And the world of humans once more knew peace, thanks to the Picori." — Marshall (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ "With wisdom and courage, the hero drove out the darkness. When peace had been restored, the people enshrined that blade with care. And the force of the golden light, embodied in Hyrule's princess, shone forth upon the lands." — Stained-glass window (The Minish Cap)
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 "The Force Era" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 82)
- ↑ "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 (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Now...listen carefully...A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me..." — Great Deku Tree (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link!! Good-bye...Great Deku Tree..." — Navi (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it!" — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "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!" — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "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 (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Geh heh heh! Excellent work! As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time! You have led me to the gates of the Sacred Realm...Yes, I owe it all to you, kid!" — Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "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]] (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know...Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm... Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple... But, if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko Village... Do you understand, Link?" — [[Sheik]] (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "Ganondorf, who had placed Link under surveillance, kidnapped Princess Zelda and brought her to his castle. He attempted to lure Link there also, seeking the final piece of the Triforce. [...] At last, the time had come for the battle with Ganondorf." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 90)
- ↑ "Ganondorf the thief obtained the Triforce of Power and managed to get his hands on Princess Zelda. The Hero of Time, Link, challenged him in a battle that would determine Hyrule's very existence, and lost." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 92)
- ↑ "At last, Ganondorf found himself in the possession of the Triforce of Wisdom that dwelt within Princess Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage that dwelt in Link." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 92)
- ↑ "The Seven Sages of Hyrule, led by Princess Zelda, sealed Ganon and the Triforce in the Sacred Realm as a final resort." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 92)
- ↑ "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." — Princess Zelda (Ocarina of Time)
- ↑ "The Sacred Realm is a mirror that reflects the hearts of those who set foot in it. An evil heart will turn the realm into a living hell. A pure heart will transform it into paradise. Using the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf became the Demon King. The Sacred Realm was distorted into a nightmarish world where demons ran amuck." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 87)
- ↑ "Many years later" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 93)
- ↑ "The King of Hyrule gathered the seven Sages to find a way to seal the entrance to the Golden Land so that his kingdom would be safe from the evil there" (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA version) manual, pg. 15)
- ↑ "As the sages sealed the way to the Dark World, the Knights of Hyrule defended them from the attacks of evil monsters. I heard that the Knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out in that battle..." — Thieves' Town Maiden (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "The wise men and the Knights Of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously many a brave soul was lost that day, However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos." (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "Until the era of the Hero of Time, the kingdom of Hyrule was mostly inhabited by the Hylian people, whose existence was linked to their goddess, Hylia. [...] However, the kingdom fell into ruin during the Imprisoning War, and the bloodline of the Hylians weakened with the ages, until their existence was naught but a thing of the past. The sages' power also waned, and Hyrule, once called the Kingdom of the Gods, became nothing more than an ancient legend." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 93)
- ↑ "Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even by magic, ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule, after counsel with his sages, ordered an investigation of the Imprisoned Dark World (as the Golden land had come to be known) but the wise men's seal was apparently intact. He offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to these summons a stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen form of magic." (A Link to the Past (SNES version) manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief advisor and heir to the Seven Wise Men. The masses proclaimed him their hero." (A Link to the Past (SNES version) manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "The people heralded him as a hero; the King proclaimed him to be the second coming of the seven sages, appointed him priest, and invited him to the castle." (A Link to the Past(Japanese version) manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "After Agahnim took over, everyone began to act strangely. I suppose it's only a matter of time before I'm affected, too." — [[Soldier]] (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "A mysterious wizard known as Agahnim appeared as from nowhere...and with strange magic powers he eliminated the good king of Hyrule..." — Prologue (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "The wizard, Agahnim, has done something terrible to the other girls...Now only I remain...Agahnim has seized control of the castle and even now is trying to open the sages' seal." — Princess Zelda (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "You must also rescue the seven maidens who Agahnim sent to the Dark World." — Sahasrahla (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "Those who stepped on the Magical Warp Tiles that served as entrances would be lost to the Dark World, transformed into demons. Link, who possessed the qualities of the Hero, did not become a demon, but was instead turned into an animal (in this case, a pink bunny). He managed to obtain the Moon Pearl, which prevented him from being transformed while in the Dark World, and the Magic Mirror, which allowed him to return to the Light World." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 95)
- ↑ "It's unbelievable that you defeated my alter ego, Agahnim the Dark Wizard, twice!" — Ganon (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "Ganon, in the form of a giant demonic beast, pressed his attack, wielding dark magic and a three-pronged trident. Link, evading the power of darkness, succeeded in destroying him. The Hero laid his hands on the Triforce and wished for peace to return to the world. The people who had been sacrificed, including Link's uncle and the king of Hyrule, were also restored to good health. The Triforce once again rested in the hands of Hyrule's royal family. With Ganon suppressed, the Dark World that had been born of his wicked heart gradually faded away" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 97)
- ↑ "Link was in the midst of journeying back to Hyrule by boat after finishing his training. During the voyage, he was caught up in a storm that sank his ship. Upon regaining consciousness, Link found that he had washed ashore on an island called Koholint. Link was rescued by a girl named Marin who lived on the island. He woke up in a house belonging to Tarin, where the two made their home. Though Link attempted to leave the island, the citizens insisted that there was nothing beyond the ocean." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 102)
- ↑ "The mysterious owl that appeared before Link informed him that the only way to escape the island was to awaken the Wind Fish. As he collected the Instruments of the Sirens, Link uncovered a shocking truth. The world in which he had found himself existed within the Wind Fish's dream, and waking the Wind Fish would cause the island to disappear in a stream of bubbles. The demons had attacked Link in order to preserve themselves and the existence of their island home." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 103)
- ↑ "The twin witches known as Twinrova were plotting ways to perform the ceremony that would resurrect the Demon King. For the resurrection ceremony to occur, it was necessary to light the Flame of Destruction, the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair, derived from the chaos, sorrow, and hopelessness of humanity. They would also need to offer up a sacred sacrifice. In order to obtain the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow, Twinrova sent Onox, the General of Darkness, to the land of Holodrum, and Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, to the land of Labrynna." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 98)
- ↑ "Link, the boy who had saved the land of Hyrule, was guided by the Triforce in Hyrule Castle and transported to the unfamiliar soil of Holodrum. After arriving in this new land, the Hero lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Just then, a dancer called Din happened to pass by. The traveling performer affectionately nursed Link back to health. When Link awoke, Din invited him to dance. Suddenly, darkness engulfed her troupe of performers. Whirlwinds raged around them, accompanied by the voice of Onox, General of Darkness. Onox sought Din, the oracle who safeguarded the four seasons. Link issued a bold challenge to the general, but Onox succeeded in kidnapping the oracle. Once Din, the Oracle of Seasons, was sealed away, the four seasons of the land of Holodrum were thrown into chaos. Wielding the Rod of Seasons, Link set out in search of the eight Essences of Nature. With the aid of the Maku Tree, guardian of Holodrum, Link ousted the power of darkness and set out to tackle Onox's Castle, located in the northern reaches of the land." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 98)
- ↑ "Next, Link alighted in the unfamiliar land of Labrynna. He came to the aid of Impa, who was surrounded by demons. Impa had other troubles, however, finding herself unable to move a boulder with the crest of the royal family on it. Link removed the rock with ease and pressed on, only to encounter a singing Nayru surrounded by animals." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 99)
- ↑ "A sudden darkness fell upon them, and Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, appeared from within Impa, taking control of Nayru's body. In truth, Nayru was the Oracle of Ages, who governed the passage of time in the land of Labrynna. The oracle, now possessed by Veran, vanished. With the Oracle of Ages lost, the flow of time in the land of Labrynna fell into chaos, and strange events began to occur all over the realm. Veran, using the power of Nayru to manipulate time, traveled back to Labrynna's past and forced the reigning queen, Ambi, to construct a giant tower. As requested by the guardian of Labrynna, the Maku Tree, Link shouldered the Harp of Ages and set out in search of the eight missing Essences of Time." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 100)
- ↑ "Twinrova, who had lurked behind the scenes in Holodrum and Labrynna, pulling the strings, managed to light the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow. All that remained was to kidnap Princess Zelda and light the Flame of Despair. Using the princess as a sacred sacrifice, they attempted to resurrect Ganon. Link borrowed the power of the Oracle of Seasons and the Oracle of Ages and threw himself upon the ceremonial altar. He cornered and defeated Twinrova, but the twin witches sacrificed themselves to resurrect Ganon. Because the ceremony had not been completed, however, Ganon returned as a witless, demonic beast. Link brought down the rampaging Demon King and rescued Princess Zelda, restoring peace to the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 101)
- ↑ "The Triforce was divided into three-its tempting power out of any one person's reach. One part stayed with the royal family, while another slipped into Ganon's possession. Legend says that the third part found its home in the heart of the hero eternal... And while legends come to us from the distant past, others have yet to be written..." — Opening Demo (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "But just as Ganon had the kingdom in his evil clutches... a legendary hero answered the call of Hyrule's princess. And this hero, wielding the Master Sword, took up a quest to challenge Ganon's might. He joined with the descendants of the Seven Sages to seal the Demon King in darkness." — Opening Demo (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Another piece has fallen into the hands of Ganon, sealed away with him." — Painting V: The Triforce, Split Apart (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Seres is a descendant of the original Seven Sages who sealed Ganon in darkness all those years ago. This Yuga you speak of, he must be after the Seven Sages of our day. He surely intends to free Ganon." — [[Sahasrahla]] (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "I will use the Sages to reach the one who shall help me attain true beauty. I mean, of course... GANON!" — Yuga (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Join with me! Let us destroy all ugliness in this world or any other! We shall be TRULY superior!" — Yuga (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Now he has used them to summon the Demon King and siphon his power. Yuga's appetite will soon consume our worlds. Hyrule and Lorule-the beast's for the taking." — Hilda (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ "It is said that a long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 6)
- ↑ "The Golden Era" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 104)
- ↑ "But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it is misused, it will produce many evils." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 9)
- ↑ "The Era of Decline" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 105)
- ↑ "Link, having obtained the Triforce of Courage, used the Triforce's power to awaken Princess Zelda I from her slumber. He thus prevented Ganon’s resurrection and restored peace to the land of Hyrule." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 109)
- ↑ 94.0 94.1 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 10
- ↑ "Link set off on his horse, Epona, who lived at Lon Lon Ranch. Months passed as he wandered in search of his companion, Navi, eventually losing himself in a mysterious forest." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 110)
- ↑ "But he was blind...In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice." — Sage (Twilight Princess)
- ↑ Template:Cite person
- ↑ "Ganondorf was sent to the Twilight Realm. There, the Demon King granted the ambitious Zant magical powers and began plotting to unite the Light World and the Twilight Realm into a single realm known as the Dark World. Zant’s influence steadily increased. Clouds of darkness covered the Twilight Realm, and the Twili began transforming into demons. Midna, the Twilight Princess, attempted to oppose him, but was cursed and fled to the Light World." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 114)
- ↑ "The peace that had reigned in the Light World for hundreds of years was broken by Zant’s army of Shadow Beasts. Zant, now known as the King of Twilight, launched an invasion of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda was faced with a decision. Would she allow the kingdom to be destroyed in the fires of war, or would she surrender and allow Hyrule to fall under the domain of the Twilight? The princess chose the latter. Across the land, the Light Spirits lost their light to the Twili. The Light World was gradually transformed into Twilight, and the people, not realizing what was happening, were filled with a shadowy fear." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 114)
- ↑ Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 115
- ↑ "The Hero met with Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle, who advised him to obtain the Master Sword. The princess then poured all her power into Midna, saving her life. Link acquired the Master Sword from the Sacred Grove, and his curse was lifted by the sword's ability to dispel magic." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 115)
- ↑ "The spirit of Link's ancestor, the Hero of Time, teaches him his secrets. Ever since returning to the Child Era, the swordsman has lamented the fact that he was not remembered as a hero. This is the reason he passes down the proof of his courage and his secret techniques to the Link of this era, addressing him as "son"." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118)
- ↑ "Link and Midna at last arrived before the Mirror of Twilight, the entrance to the Twilight Realm. Midna became furious when she learned that Zant had broken the mirror, and that everything that had happened was the result of Ganondorf's banishment to the Twilight Realm. The two set out to collect the shards of the Mirror of Twilight. Their journey saw them travel not only across the great span of Hyrule, but also to the illusory City in the Sky. They succeeded in repairing the mirror, and then traveled to the Twilight Realm to defeat Zant. The light liberated from the Twilight Realm came to rest within Link's sword, driving back Zant's powers of darkness. Even the guardian deity of the Twilight Realm came to recognize him as a hero. Link confronted Zant in the Palace of Twilight. Midna regained the Fused Shadow from Zant, and destroyed him with the Twilight's ancient powers." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Boooks, pg. 116)
- ↑ "Ganondorf, King of Darkness, who had been resurrected in the Light World, remained seated on the throne of Hyrule Castle. He launched his attack by taking possession of Princess Zelda and transforming into a demonic beast. He later waged a battle with Link on horseback. Once Princess Zelda's spirit, which remained inside Midna, was returned to her body, she defended Link using the Light Arrows." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 117)
- ↑ "Ganondorf, the King of Darkness, had lost, and the crest of the Triforce of Power faded from the back of his hand. The curtain fell on the destiny of the demonic thief Ganondorf, seeker of the Triforce... at least for a time." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118)
- ↑ "Once the curse had been lifted, Midna regained her true form, that of a bewitching princess. She then returned to the Twilight Realm, smashing the Mirror of Twilight so that her world would never intersect with the Light World again. Her final request was that the denizens of the Light World not forget that there was another world within its shadows... Link returned the Master Sword to the forest and went back to Ordon Village. The world received the blessings of the gods once more, and the land was covered in light." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118)
- ↑ "Curse that Ganondorf! He broke our laws and left for the pyramid..." — Gerudo (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "Several hundred years after Ganondorf's defeat, relations between Gerudo Village and Hyrule had become friendly once more, and peace had been restored to the land. However, one day a new Ganondorf was born into the world. He violated the laws of the town, trespassing into an ancient pyramid and taking possession of the Trident. He also stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness in the forest in order to turn Hyrule into a place of darkness." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 119)
- ↑ "Legends speak of a mirror in which a dark tribe was sealed away long ago. I understand it's supposed to be hidden now somewhere in the Forest of Light." — Dampé (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "Long ago, a dark tribe invaded Hyrule. They were defeated and imprisoned within the mirror. The tribe's mirror prison was then secreted away and hidden in the forest temple to sever its connection to this world." — White Maiden (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "The Dark Mirror: A mirror that reflects the evil heart of its bearer, spawning demons. It was once used to imprison the dark tribe, who attempted to invade Hyrule, and thus it was hidden inside a temple with no connection to the Dark World." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 119)
- ↑ "The now demonic Knights of Hyrule and their Royal Jewels were scattered across the kingdom by Shadow Link and his kin. The Tower of Winds also disappeared from sight. With the Royal Jewels transformed into gateways to the Dark World, demons began appearing in the land of Hyrule once again." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 120)
- ↑ "The Heroes saved Princess Zelda from the top of the tower and continued on to the Realm of the Heavens, where the Dark Mirror that had been incessantly spawning Shadow Links lay. The four Links then recovered the mirror and defeated Vaati in the Palace of Winds. The four Links and Princess Zelda made for the surface world as the Palace of Winds crumbled beneath them. There, Ganon appeared. The facets of Link cooperated with Princess Zelda to crush him, successfully sealing Ganon with the Four Sword. "I am the King of Darkness! I cannot be destroyed by insects like you!" he cried as he was sealed away. Light shone out all around them, and the darkness began to part." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 121)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedadult-link-timeline - ↑ "Following a fierce battle, Princess Zelda entrapped Ganon with waves of light, and Link delivered the finishing blow. The six sages completed the task by imprisoning the beast in a sealed void that had been rent in the Sacred Realm." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 91)
- ↑ "When the Hero of Time was called to embark on another journey and left the land of Hyrule, he was separated from the elements that made him a hero. It is said that at that time, the Triforce of Courage was split into eight shards and hidden throughout the land." — King of Red Lions (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "However, once enough time had passed that the deeds of the Hero of Time had faded into legend, the creeping hand of evil beset the kingdom once more. The prayers of the people were in vain, and the Hero never appeared." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 122)
- ↑ "Ganondorf, formerly sealed away, crawled up from the depths of the earth and enshrouded Hyrule in darkness once more." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 123)
- ↑ "Once, long ago, this land of Hyrule was turned into a world of shadows by Ganon, who sought to obtain the power of the gods for his own evil ends." — Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate." — Introduction (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "My power alone could not stop the fiend, and our only choice was to leave the fate of the kingdom in the hands of the gods..." — Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "Out of hope and out of time, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule made his decision: He would entrust the fate of his kingdom to the gods." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 123)
- ↑ "When the gods heard our pleas, they chose to seal away not only Ganon, but Hyrule itself...and so, with a torrential downpour of rains from the heavens... Our fair kingdom was soon buried beneath the waves, forgotten at the bottom of the ocean." — Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "So, before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops." — Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "The gods chose which of the kingdom’s subjects would ascend to the new land, telling them to escape to the tallest mountains. They then flooded the world, sinking Ganondorf and Hyrule to the bottom of the ocean and sealing them away." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 123)
- ↑ "Though the king was sealed along with his kingdom, the princess took a piece of the Triforce that had been broken in two by the king and man- aged to escape to the ocean’s surface with several of her retainers." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 123)
- ↑ "Hundreds of years passed, and Ganondorf, who should have been sealed at the bottom of the ocean along with Hyrule, was resurrected once again." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 124)
- ↑ "He gave an order to his minions to attack the Wind and Earth temples, killing the two sages whose prayers gave the Master Sword the ability to destroy evil." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 124)
- ↑ "After his defeat at the hands of the Hero of Time, Ganondorf was sealed away...but not for all time. He was revived, and he returned to Hyrule in a red wrath. He attacked this temple and stole my soul, knowing that he had to remove the power contained in that enchanted blade." — Laruto (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "Upon emerging from the sea, he turned the Forsaken Fortress into his base of operations and began his search for Princess Zelda, a descendent of the royal family who possessed the Triforce of Wisdom." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 124)
- ↑ "In order to locate Princess Zelda, Ganondorf took control of an ominous bird, kidnapping girls from all around the sea." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 124)
- ↑ "King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, ordered by the gods to put an end to Ganondorf's ambitions, awoke from his slumber. His spirit took up residence in a small red boat known as the King of Red Lions, and he began searching for the new Hero and the descendent of the royal family." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 124)
- ↑ "The one I have brought with me has no connection to the legendary one. And yet I sense great promise in the courage that this one possesses." — King of Red Lions (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "Young girls with long ears like yours have been getting kidnapped, never to be seen again. And unless my eyes fail me, the young girl who was just kidnapped from this island also has long ears, does she not? Much like YOU do, Miss Fearsome Pirate. My point is that the bird mistook that poor girl for you, and that's why it grabbed her!" — Quill (The Wind Waker)
- ↑ "Link's courage was recognized as he underwent the trials in the Tower of the Gods. He obtained the legendary blade known as the Master Sword in Hyrule, the kingdom sealed deep under the ocean." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 126)
- ↑ "In order to ascertain the truth behind the rumors, Tetra boarded the Ghost Ship when it appeared before them, only to be kidnapped. Link rushed to her aid but was hurled into the depths of the ocean. The Hero found himself washed ashore on the beach of Mercay Island. On the advice of an old man named Oshus, he departed in search of clues to the Ghost Ship's whereabouts." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 130)
- ↑ "Link befriended Ciela, the fairy that Oshus had taken in, and managed to obtain the cooperation of Captain Linebeck. The three set sail on the SS Linebeck, his ship. Using the Phantom Hourglass, Link managed to unlock the clues that slept within the Temple of the Ocean King bit by bit. He also rescued the Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Borrowing the power of the spirits, Link successfully boarded the Ghost Ship. Inside, he discovered that Tetra had turned to stone after Bellum drained her Life Force. Then, Oshus appeared and revealed his true identity as the Ocean King. The Ocean King recognized Link's courage, and asked him to eradicate Bellum." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 131)
- ↑ "Link obtained the only weapon capable of defeating Bellum: the Phantom Sword. He then headed for the depths of the Temple of the Ocean King. Once he crushed Bellum, Tetra would return to normal. Link pressed his attack against Bellum once again and barely managed to escape with his life, thanks to the courageous actions of Captain Linebeck. Once the dust had cleared on the final battle, Link and his friends stood victorious. Oshus regained his true form, and peace returned to the waters of the Ocean King. Link and Tetra bid a fond farewell to Oshus and the spirits, and found themselves back in their own world. However, despite the many days they had wandered during their adventure in the waters of the Ocean King, they returned to find only ten minutes had passed." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 132)
- ↑ "Continuing their journey, Link, Tetra, and the pirates at last came upon a new continent. At the heart of this land sat a structure called the Tower of Spirits, from which the Spirit Tracks spiraled out. Here, Tetra founded New Hyrule. Another history had begun to unfold. Trains ran along the Spirit Tracks, and the kingdom developed a network of railroads. The castle was decorated with stained glass depicting Tetra the pirate, and the soldiers adopted green uniforms as a tribute to the Hero of Winds." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 133)
- ↑ "One hundred years after the country's founding, sections of track began to disappear all over the land. The reigning Princess Zelda presented an engineer named Link with a soldier's uniform in order to slip out of the castle, and the two headed to the Tower of Spirits with Alfonzo to investigate." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 133)
- ↑ "Niko, who arrived in the new world one hundred years ago as one of Tetra's pirates, is still going strong in this era. He is affectionately nicknamed "Old Man Niko". He lives with a boy named Link who is identical in appearance to the Hero of Winds." (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 133)
- ↑ https://uk.ign.com/articles/2018/08/06/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-now-has-an-official-place-in-the-series-timeline-sort-of
- ↑ Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 360
- ↑ "The return of Ganon looms—a dark force taunting us from afar. I must learn all I can about the relics so we can stop him. If the fortune-teller's prophecy is to be believed, there isn't much time left..." — Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also...a prophecy. "The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground."" — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beats, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers that fought autonomously." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon..." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ ""Princess Zelda turns seventeen years old. She ventures to the Sping of Wisdom on Mount Lanayru for a purification ceremony, attempting to awaken her sealing power."" (Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 361)
- ↑ "One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?" — Revali (Breath of the Wild)
"I'm sorry, no." — Zelda (Breath of the Wild) - ↑ "Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "That...thing is one of Ganon's creations." — Mipha (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "You're here to wrest control of Medoh away from Ganon, correct?" — Revali (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess...And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "I spoke with Purah about the Shrine of Resurrection we discovered earlier. As we speculated, this particular shrine is, in fact, a medical facility with the power to heal. It also has a long-term stasis function that can be activated and maintained until healing is complete." — Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "You have been asleep for the past 100 years." — Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle. That...is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching..." — Old Man (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ ""With the support of his friends piloting the Divine Beasts, and the might of the Master Sword in his capable hands, Link Deftly Defeats Calamity Ganon."" (Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 410)
- ↑ ""Despite the dangers, Link follows Zelda's voice and enters the Malice-covered castle. He could have challenged Ganon on his own, but taking back the Divine Beasts and freeing the souls of the Champions imprisoned within allows his former allies to aide him by taking aim at Ganon with the combined power of the four beasts."" (Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 410)
- ↑ ""After dispelling Ganon's threat, the ruined lands of Hyrule begin to slowly recover from the Great Calamity. Princess Zelda does not take any time to relax. She busies herself rebuilding Hyrule [...] The Chosen Hero's destiny is fulfilled, but, true to his charge of being Princess Zelda's royal knight attendant, he continues to support and protect her."" (Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 410)
