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The Zelda Timeline refers to the fictional chronology of The Legend of Zelda series.

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 2007, producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed the existence of two parallel timelines branching from Ocarina of Time,[3] now officially named the Child Timeline and Adult Timeline.[4] Hyrule Historia released a third branch named the Fallen Hero Timeline,[5] which resolved timeline contradictions with respect to the titles released before Ocarina of Time. The portion of the timeline preceding the three-way split is known only as Hylia & the Hero of Time.[6] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion states that everything before the Breath of the Wild backstory has faded to myth.[7]

Nintendo intends for the timeline to be flexible and open to re-interpretation, the better to fit in new additions to the series.[8][9]

Hylia & the Hero of Time

The beginning of the timeline encompasses the events of Skyward Sword, The Minish Cap, Four Swords, and Ocarina of Time, in that order.

Creation of the World

Main article: Creation of the World

Before time began, the three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.[10][11] Din, the Goddess of Power, created the earth.[12] Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, bestowed order upon the world.[13][14] Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created life.[15]

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.[16]

Era of Hylia

Main article: Ancient Battle

The Triforce was entrusted to the goddess Hylia during the Era of Hylia,[17] known more fully as the Era of the Goddess Hylia.[18]

One day, the Demon King Demise sought to take it and make the world his own. He rose an army of malevolent forces against Hyrule.[19][20] Hylia gathered the surviving humans on an outcrop of earth and sent it to The Sky beyond a Cloud Barrier of her creation.[21][22][23] The outcrop would later become known as Skyloft. She hid the Triforce there as well.[24]

Hylia rallied the remaining land dwellers, fought back the evil forces led by Demise, and sealed them away.[25] She suffered grave injuries in the battle. Knowing the seal on Demise would not hold, she devised a plan.[26][27] As the Triforce could not be wielded by a god, Hylia renounced divinity and transferred her soul to the body of a mortal who would come of age when Demise returned.[28] She created the Goddess Sword and the spirit Fi to aid her chosen hero, who would reveal himself when he drew the sword from its pedestal.[29][30][31]

Sky Era

Skyward Sword

Thousands of years later,[32] during the Sky Era,[33] Hylia is reborn as Zelda in Skyloft.[34] On the day of the 25th annual Wing Ceremony, she is taken down to the Surface in a tornado created by Ghirahim,[35] who attempts to have her kidnapped to revive his master Demise.[36] Zelda is rescued from his minions by Impa,[37][38][39] whom Hylia had sent through time to help her mortal self.[citation needed]

Zelda regains her memories as Hylia.[40] Her childhood friend, Link, is led by Fi to draw the Goddess Sword, and so is revealed to be Hylia's chosen hero. At the Temple of Time, Zelda and Impa flee from Ghirahim by going through the Gate of Time and destroying it behind them. Link seeks out the three Sacred Flames to temper his sword into the Master Sword, which he uses to activate the second Gate of Time at the Sealed Temple.[40] He finds Zelda by using the Gate of Time to travel back to the Era of Hylia, to a time shortly after when Demise was sealed. Zelda places herself in a thousand-year slumber to sustain the seal.[41]

Link returns to the present, gathers the Triforce, and uses it to destroy Demise.[42] Zelda awakens from her agelong slumber only to be kidnapped by Ghirahim.[42] Ghirahim takes her to the past, where Demise is still alive, and uses her soul to revive his master. Link defeats Demise in battle and the Demon King is permanently sealed away in the Master Sword. With his last words, Demise vows an incarnation of his hatred (Ganon) shall ever follow "those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero" in a cycle without end.[43][44][45]

Link thrusts the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple; Fi becomes forever dormant in the sword. Link and Zelda return to the present, but Impa stays in the past—in her own time—to watch over the Master Sword. Zelda resolves to live on The Surface and watch over the Triforce.[46]

Zelda (Hylia reincarnate) and others from Skyloft repopulated the surface world. Their descendants became known as Hylians.[note 1] During this time, the land was named Hyrule.[47]

Era of Chaos

Main article: Interloper War

After many years of peace in Hyrule, word spread of the supreme power of the Triforce. War engulfed the land, heralding the Era of Chaos.[32][47] In particular, a group of powerful sorcerers known as the Interlopers sought dominion over the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce was located. The goddesses sent the Spirits of Light to banish them to the Twilight Realm.[49][50][51] To protect the Triforce, the sage Rauru built a new Temple of Time at the location of the Sealed Temple, around the pedestal holding the Master Sword—the location of the only entrance to the Sacred Realm.[52] He placed the Triforce in the Temple of Light and sealed off the Sacred Realm with him inside it. The Master Sword became the key that joined the Temple of Time to the Temple of Light. It was closed behind the Door of Time.[47][53]

Era of Prosperity

During the Era of Prosperity,[32] Zelda's descendants established the kingdom of Hyrule and became its Royal Family. They built Hyrule Castle in the center of Hyrule near the Temple of Time. Years afterwards, many members of the royal family were born with special powers given that they were blood relatives of the goddess Hylia. Princesses born into the royal family were named Zelda after the goddess reincarnate.[47]

Force Era

The Minish Legend

Main article: Minish Legend

The Legend of the Hero of Men

During the Force Era, Hyrule was attacked by evil beings.[54] The Minish, known to the Hylians as Picori, descended from the sky to save Hyrule. They brought the Picori Blade and the Light Force to the Hero of Men.[55][56] The Hero sealed the evil beings in the Bound Chest and locked it with the Picori Blade.[57] To commemorate the event, a Picori Festival was held once a year.[54] During the festival, the champion of a sword-fighting tournament would earn the right to touch the Picori Blade.[58]

The Minish Cap

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On the hundredth anniversary of the Picori Festival, a corrupted, power-seeking Minish named Vaati wins the sword-fighting tournament. During the award ceremony, Vaati breaks the Picori Blade and opens the Bound Chest, hoping to find the Light Force. This unleashes evil onto the Hyrule. He turns Zelda to stone and later kidnaps her when he discovers the Light Force is within her. He uses the Light Force to transform into a winged demon.

Link, a blacksmith's apprentice and Zelda's friend, is enlisted by King Daltus to have the Picori Blade reforged so it can break the curse on Zelda. He teams up with Ezlo, a Minish sage and Vaati's former mentor—Vaati had gained his power when he stole the Mage's Cap from Ezlo. With the help of Ezlo and other Minish, Link reforges the Picori Blade and infuses it with the Four Elements to create the Four Sword. With it in hand, Link vanquishes Vaati, breaking the curse on Princess Zelda. Zelda uses the Mage's Cap to wish Hyrule back to normal.

Four Swords

Vaati was presumed dead, but soon reappeared. Having no memory of his previous life as a Minish, he declared himself Wind Mage and claimed the Palace of Winds.[59] He brought terror to the land by kidnapping young maidens.[citation needed] A Hero appeared carrying the Four Sword. He sealed the demon inside the sword,[citation needed] which was then enshrined in the Four Sword Sanctuary.[citation needed]

Generations later, Vaati the Wind Mage breaks free and kidnaps Princess Zelda, taking her to the Palace of Winds. Link, who witnessed the kidnapping, draws the Four Sword and is split into four Links. The Links gather three keys to Vaati's Palace from the Great Fairies in the Sea of Trees, Talus Cave, and Death Mountain. The Links defeat Vaati in his palace and rescue Princess Zelda. The Wind Mage is once again sealed in the Four Sword, which is returned to its pedestal. Link regains his original form.[60]

Era of the Hero of Time

Hyrule enters a long period of civil war. During the war, a dying Hylian woman flees to the Kokiri Forest and entrusts her baby boy Link to the Great Deku Tree. The boy is raised as a Kokiri.[61] Eventually, the King of Hyrule ends the war and unifies the kingdom.[62]

Ocarina of Time

Ganondorf, leader of the Gerudo, openly swears fealty to the king, but plots to open the Door of Time to obtain the Triforce. To that end, he curses the Great Deku Tree in an attempt to wrest from him the Kokiri's Emerald. With his dying breath, the Great Deku Tree sets Link and the fairy Navi on a quest to stop Ganondorf.[63][64][65]

Link meets Princess Zelda, who like Link had premonitions of Ganondorf's treachery.[66] The two plot to open the Door of Time and get to the Triforce before Ganondorf.[67] When Link opens the Door of Time and draws the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, he is sealed within the Chamber of Sages for seven years. He reawakens as the Hero of Time.[68] In this time, Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm and seized the Triforce.[69] However, the Triforce had split in three and Ganondorf retained only the Triforce of Power.[70][71] Link gained the Triforce of Courage,[72] and Princess Zelda the Triforce of Wisdom.[73][74] Ganondorf had used his power to take control of Hyrule Castle, and the Sacred Realm was transformed into the Evil Realm due to his evil heart.[75][76]

Using the combined power of the Master Sword and the Seven Sages, Link and Princess Zelda seal Ganondorf in the Evil Realm.[77][78][79] Ganondorf vows to destroy Link and Zelda's descendants when the seal is one day broken.[80]

Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to return Link to his own time. Link places the Master Sword back in the pedestal and closes the Door of Time. Navi, her mission complete, disappears.

The timeline splits into three branches after Ocarina of Time.[32] The Fallen Hero Timeline is a branch in which Ganon defeats the Hero of Time. The branch where Link defeats Ganon is itself split in two when Zelda sends Link back in time to childhood. The Child Timeline is the branch that follows Link back to his own time. The Adult Timeline is the branch where the Hero of Time has disappeared from the world. Inexplicably, the Master Sword exists in both branches. In the Child Timeline, Link returns it to the Pedestal of Time. In the Adult Timeline, Zelda does it.[81]

Fallen Hero Timeline

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The Fallen Hero Timeline[5] is an alternate timeline in which Ganondorf defeats the Hero of Time in battle.[82] Ganondorf takes Link's Triforce of Courage and Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, thus gaining the power of the complete Triforce.[83] As a last resort, the Seven Sages, led by Princess Zelda, seal Ganon and the Triforce within the corrupted Sacred Realm, now the Dark World.[84][85][86]

This timeline branch contains the events of A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link.

Imprisoning War

Main article: Imprisoning War

After a brief time of peace, the doorway to the Sacred Realm re-opened.[note 2] People fought each other to claim the Triforce, but none who entered the Sacred Realm returned. Instead came forth an army of Ganon's demons.[note 3] The King of Hyrule commanded the Seven Sages of that era to seal the gate to the Sacred Realm.[88][note 4] They succeeded, though the Knights of Hyrule who defended them were nearly wiped out.[53][91] Due to the cost of resources and lives in the fight over the Sacred Realm, the Imprisoning War left Hyrule impoverished.[92]

Era of Light and Dark

A Link to the Past

Following the Imprisoning War, the Era of Light and Dark began. 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 to the disasters.[93] 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.[94][95] Agahnim used this position and his magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's soldiers,[96] depose the King of Hyrule,[97] and make six of the Maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear into the Dark World.[98][99] 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.[100]

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.[101] 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.[102]

Link's Awakening

Link's adventures on Koholint

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.[103]

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.[104]

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.

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

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.[105] 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.

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.[106] 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.

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.[107] 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.[108] 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.

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.[109]

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

The Triforce Separates

The Triforce splits into three pieces once again

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.[110][111] Ganon, despite being sealed in darkness following his defeat at the hands of Link,[112] obtained the Triforce of Power, which remained sealed with him.[113] The Triforce of Courage's location is unknown, but said to be hidden in the heart of the eternal hero.

A Link Between Worlds

Link facing off with Yuga

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.[114] 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.[115] Along with the Triforce of Power, Yuga and Ganon are joined as one,[116] and using this power, Yuga desires to consume both Hyrule and Lorule.[117] 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

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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.[118] 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.

Golden Era

Following the recovery of the Triforce in A Link Between Worlds, Hyrule enters a Golden Era. Successive Kings of Hyrule govern the land with the strength of the united Triforce at their command.[119] The Kingdom of Hyrule flourishes.[120]

Era of Decline

The Tragedy of Princess Zelda I

Princess Zelda I in her eternal sleep

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.[121] Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan. Since his own son did not fit this archetype,[122] the King elected to split the relic into its three component parts. Upon his death, the prince, instead of receiving the entire Triforce, inherited only the Triforces of Power and Wisdom. The prince frantically searched for the remaining Triforce of Courage, but in vain. Then, a wizard came to the prince and told him that his younger sister, Zelda, knew the location of the mystical object. The prince demanded that Zelda turn the information over to him, but Zelda refused and, in a rage, the wizard put Zelda into an eternal sleep, himself dying in the process. Overcome with grief, the prince sealed his sleeping sister in the North Castle and ordered that all female descendants of the Hylian monarchy were to be named Zelda. As Zelda was the only one who knew the location of the Triforce of Courage, the relic was lost and the royal family was no longer able to rule using the power of the unified Triforce. No one worthy of using the Triforce appeared and the kingdom was divided and reduced in size, thus marking the Era of Decline.[123]

The Legend of Zelda

Main article: The Legend of Zelda

Link looking out over Hyrule

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 Adventure of Link

Link showing the mark of the Triforce to Impa

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 the 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.[124]

Child Timeline

Link warns Zelda about Ganondorf

The Child Timeline,[4] or Child Era,[32] 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.[note 5] 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,[125] Link becomes lost in a mysterious forest. He encounters the Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask. Skull Kid steals Link's horse. Link chases after him into the parellel world of Termina.

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

The Hero of Time leaves Termina to continue his search for Navi, and is not again seen alive. Upon his death, he becomes the Hero's Spirit.[126][127]

The Failed Execution of Ganondorf

Main article: Failed Execution of Ganondorf

Several years after Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is sentenced to death.[128] The Sages attempt to carry out the execution but Ganondorf survives, blessed with the Triforce of Power by the gods.[129] Instead, the Sages use the Mirror of Twilight to banish Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm,[130] which had become inhabited by the Twili, descendants of the Interlopers.

Twilight Princess

In the Twilight Era,[32] Ganon appears before Zant, a disgruntled servant of the Twili royal family.[131] Ganon grants Zant his power, which he uses to usurp Midna, the Twilight Princess. Midna flees to the Light World. Zant invades Hyrule with an army of Shadow Beasts, who steal the light from the Spirits of Light, bringing Twilight to Hyrule.[132][133] Princess Zelda is held captive in Hyrule Castle.

In Hyrule, Midna encounters Link, a ranch hand from Ordon Village. Link had been in pursuit of Bulblins who had kidnapped the children of the village. When he entered the Twilight, he was transformed into a wolf by the power of the Triforce of Courage,[134] which he had inherited from his ancestor, the Hero of Time.[135] Together Link and Midna restore light to Hyrule. In so doing, Link regains his original form. To defeat Zant, they gather the pieces of the Fused Shadow, which holds the dark power of the Interlopers. During their quest, Link receives sword training from the Hero's Spirit.[136]

Zant curses Link back into wolf form with the Shadow Crystal, steals the completed Fused Shadow from Midna and injures her fatally. Link takes Midna to Princess Zelda, who pours her spirit into Midna to save her life.[135][137] Link and Midna seek out the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove where the Temple of Time once stood. The sword dispels the curse on Link.[135] Link and Midna gather the shards of the Mirror of Twilight, which Zant had broken.[138] Link defeats the usurper in battle. Midna takes back the Fused Shadow and kills Zant with it. The duo returns to Hyrule Castle where they save Zelda from a resurrected Ganondorf. Link kills Ganondorf with the Master Sword.[136] With his last breath, Ganondorf vows that one of his blood will succeed him.[139]

Midna returns to the Twilight Realm. She shatters the Mirror of Twilight, severing the link between the two worlds.[136][note 6]

Four Swords Adventures

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The four Links battle evil soldiers.

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.[142] He stole the Trident from the pyramid and then stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness.[143] 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.[144][145][146]

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 Big Dark Stalfos.[147]

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.[148]

Adult Timeline

The Adult Timeline,[4] or Adult Era,[32] 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.[149] 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.[150] Zelda returns the Master Sword to the Temple of Time.[81]

This timeline contains the events of The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.

Hyrule Submerged

Main article: Great Flood

The people of Hyrule plead to the gods as Ganon casts the land in darkness once again

Ages passed and the Hero of Time faded to legend. During the Era without a Hero,[32] the seal of the Seven Sages broke.[151] Ganon escaped from the Sacred Realm and used the Triforce of Power to bring darkness to Hyrule. When no hero appeared, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule and his people pleaded to the gods for deliverance.[152][153][154][155]

The gods responded by bringing forth a deluge that would seal away all of Hyrule and Ganon with it.[156] The gods chose those who would build a new world and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops, which became the islands of the new world known as the Great Sea. The Triforce of Wisdom was split in two: one part remained with King Daphnes beneath the waves, the other with his daughter the princess, who ascended to the new world.[152] The Triforce fragment passed on to her namesakes, from daughter to daughter. Beneath the waves, Hyrule remained frozen in time.[citation needed]

The Wind Waker

Hundreds of years later, during the Era of the Great Sea,[32] Ganondorf escapes to the surface world. Seeking to regain the Triforce of Wisdom, he commands the Helmaroc King to kidnap young girls, in the hopes of capturing Zelda.[157] The Helmaroc King kidnaps Aryll, Link's sister. Link, a resident of Outset Island unrelated to the Hero of Time,[158] sets out to rescue her. He is guided by the King of Red Lions, a boat sent forth by the gods.[157]

Link proves his worth as a hero by gathering the Goddess Pearls and completing the goddesses' trial. A way opens to Hyrule beneath the waves. Link draws the Master Sword from a pedestal within Hyrule Castle.[159][note 7] With the help of Tetra and her pirate crew, Link rescues his sister. However, he is unable to defeat Ganondorf. The Master Sword had lost the power to repel evil when Ganondorf killed the sages of Earth and Wind.[157][160] Link and Tetra escape Ganondorf's grasp and return to Hyrule, where Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule reveals himself to be the King of Red Lions. He mends the Triforce of Wisdom—Tetra carries the other piece. She awakens as Princess Zelda.

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

Phantom Hourglass

During the Era of the Great Voyage,[32] Link and Tetra happen upon the World of the Ocean King. To investigate a rumor about disappearing ships in the area, Tetra boards the Ghost Ship and is taken away by it. Link falls into the ocean trying to rescue her and washes up on Mercay Island.[161] There he meets the fairy Ciela and her so-called grandfather Oshus.

Link teams up with Ciela and steamboat captain Linebeck to find the Ghost Ship. He obtains clues from the Temple of the Ocean King, which he navigates using the Phantom Hourglass. Link finds the ship after rescuing the Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage (Leaf, Neri, and as it turns out, Ciela). On the ship, Link finds Tetra turned to stone—her Life Force had been drained by a malevolent creature named Bellum. To defeat Bellum, Link searches the seas for three Pure Metals to forge the Phantom Sword. Oshus reveals himself to be the Ocean King and fuses the Phantom Hourglass into the Phantom Sword.[162]

Phantom Sword in hand, Link defeats Bellum and frees Tetra. The Ocean King regains his true form. Link and Tetra return to their world and continue their search for a new continent.[163]

Spirit Tracks

New Hyrule

Link and Tetra's pirate crew eventually discovered a new continent. Spirit Tracks spanned the land, at the center of which stood the Tower of Spirits. These were created by the Lokomo to bind the Demon King Malladus.[citation needed] Tetra christened the land New Hyrule.[164] Thus began the Era of Hyrule's Rebirth.[32]

One hundred years later, the Spirit Tracks begin to disappear. Link, a Royal Engineer, and Princess Zelda, Tetra's descendant, head to the Tower of Spirits to investigate.[164] Their train is derailed by Chancellor Cole and Byrne. Chancellor Cole, advisor to Princess Zelda, reveals himself to be a demon who aims to revive Malladus.[165] Byrne, Cole's ally, separates Zelda's spirit from her body. Her body is carried off to the top of the Spirit Tower, to be used as a vessel for Malladus. The Spirit Tower is fragmented into floating pieces.

Link and Princess Zelda's ghost travel to four temples to restore the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits. They climb to the top of the tower, but are too late to stop Malladus from possessing Zelda's body. They pursue Malladus into the Dark Realm. Together, they defeat Malladus and Cole using the Bow of Light and the Lokomo Sword. Zelda regains her body and peace returns to Hyrule. Their protection no longer needed, the Lokomo return to the heavens.[166]

Great Calamity

This section is too long.

It contains information that is not immediately relevant and needs to be for concision.

The events of Breath of the Wild take place during an era long after the events of earlier games have become myths.[7] It is impossible to tell which myths are historical fact and which are mere fairy tale.[7] An entity referred to as the "Calamity Ganon" returned and was defeated 10,000 years ago, and revived again 100 years before the start of the game.[7] Breath of the Wild takes place at the end of a timeline branch, but which timeline branch the events regarding Calamity Ganon take place in is up to the player's interpretation.[9][167]

The advanced civilization

10,000 years before Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah tribe developed highly advanced technology and Hyrule flourished. The Sheikah built the Guardians and Divine Beasts in preparation for Ganon's return. When Calamity Ganon appeared, the then-present reincarnations of Zelda and Link were able to seal him away with the support of the Guardians and Divine Beasts. Despite this success, the King of Hyrule became paranoid, fearing a possible betrayal by the Sheikah. On his orders, the Divine Beasts were buried underground in locations across Hyrule. At some point, a militant faction of the Sheikah split off to become the Yiga clan, who swore allegiance to Ganon. With the Sheikah scattered across the land and many of them abandoning their technology, civilization in Hyrule declined to a primitive state over the following millennia. During this time, the Sheikah eventually settled in Kakariko Village and were no longer banished by the Royal Family.

Signs of Ganon's return

About 10,000 years after the Calamity's defeat, a new princess is born and named Zelda in line with tradition.[7] Around this same time, a prophecy warned of the return of Calamity Ganon.[168][169] 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, which they eventually managed to restore and activate.[170] Subsequently, four warriors from each of Hyrule's races were selected to pilot the Divine Beasts.[171] Around that time, the chosen bearer of the Master Sword was found to be a Hylian knight named Link, the only one who was able to pull the sword from its resting place in the Korok Forest. The four pilots and Link were then dubbed Champions.[172]

The Day of the Great Calamity

A now 17-year-old Princess Zelda[173] worked to awaken her sealing powers while being accompanied by Link, who had been appointed as her protector.[174][175] Zelda was determined to awaken her power and prayed at the springs of the goddesses in Hyrule, but she was unsuccessful.[176] Minutes after she had finished praying at the Spring of Wisdom, the Calamity broke its seal and rose up around the castle. Immediately after, it managed to corrupt the entire Guardian army by possessing it with Malice and turned it against Hyrule.[177] The Champions, who were with Zelda near the Spring of Wisdom at the time, then rushed to their respective Divine Beast hoping to still be able to defeat Calamity Ganon in time. By that point, Ganon had already sent four incarnations of Malice after the Divine Beasts and possessed them, killing the Champions inside.[178][179] With their strongest weapons lost, Hyrule was laid to ruin and Link was fatally injured while protecting Zelda, who had awakened her sealing powers while fleeing from Guardians, requiring him to sleep in the Shrine of Resurrection for 100 years.[180][181][182] Princess Zelda then went to confront Calamity Ganon alone and managed to seal it, though this required her to become imprisoned inside it in order to maintain the seal, as she could not completely seal Ganon away while he was undamaged by the Master Sword.[183]

Breath of the Wild

One hundred years later, Princess Zelda's sealing power had weakened, and Calamity Ganon's return as well as Link's awakening were imminent. In response to both, the still possessed Divine Beasts began to wreak havoc around Hyrule. With the healing process complete, Link eventually awakened in the Shrine of Resurrection without his memories, and ventured foward with the Sheikah Slate left for him there by Zelda. Outside the Shrine of Resurrection, the spirit of King Rhoam explained to Link what happened in the past century. At some point, Link re-obtained the Master Sword from within Korok Forest,[184] 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 and frees the spirits of the deceased Champions, who also lend him their powers.[184] With their help, Link is able to critically injure Calamity Ganon inside Hyrule Castle using the Master Sword, scattering the Malice covering him. Immediately after, the scattered Malice gathers outside of the castle and transforms into Dark Beast Ganon. Zelda, still imprisoned, summons the Bow of Light, and Link uses it to weaken Ganon enough to allow Zelda to free herself and seal him away.

After defeating the Calamity, Hyrule begins to slowly flourish again. Princess Zelda focuses on rebuilding the Kingdom, while Link continues to support and protect her.[184]

Sequel to Breath of the Wild

This article or section contains information about an unreleased Video Game

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While Link and Zelda are rebuilding Hyrule, they stumble upon Ganon's resting place and eerily familiar cave paintings. Suddenly, Ganon's Corpse re-awakens, his neck snapping back while his eyes flare up again.

Gallery

The timeline revealed on page 69 of Hyrule Historia

The Legend of Zelda series history since 2011

The timeline since 2016

See Also

Notes