Zelda Timeline Explained

Script written by Johnny Reynolds

Most video game franchises, at least those with a built-in history and narrative, are fairly easy to follow. One game leads into another, and so on. Even if they’re released outside of chronological order, it’s usually obvious where each entry falls. But “The Legend of Zelda” is unique in that its lore connects entries rather than a cohesive plot. Nintendo has always put gameplay before story, and probably always will. So, for a long time, players debated and theorized as to the order of the series. It wasn’t until Hyrule Historia was released in 2011 that we were given a definitive timeline. Not only that, but Nintendo filled in some gaps to better connect the events of the games. As new entries have been released, the timeline has changed only slightly. But for players new to the series, it can understandably be a little complicated. Welcome to MojoPlays, and this is the Zelda timeline explained.

In the Beginning

The creation of Hyrule is something many fans are aware of as it’s been featured in several games, including the world-renowned “Ocarina of Time.” Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage, came down from the Heavens and created life. With their work finished, they ascended, but not before leaving behind an almighty artifact known as the Triforce. Consisting of three golden triangles, each representing one of them, it can grant the wish of any who bring together all three. It’s said the place they departed, and where they left this artifact, is the Sacred Realm, a sort of holy land kept separate from the rest of Hyrule. Although, they didn’t leave it behind unprotected. They left everything in the hands of another deity named Hylia.

Unfortunately, the creation of this world didn’t only spawn good people and creatures. Demons soon rose, led by their King, Demise. Seeking the Triforce as the ultimate power, Demise waged war against Hylia and her citizens. Thankfully, they were strong enough to win and seal the demon king away. However, out of fear that he’d one day return, she sent surviving humans into the sky on a plot of land, separating them from the surface tribes with a barrier of clouds. She also sent the Triforce with them, and gave up her divinity so that one day she’d be reborn as a mortal, able to wield it against evil.

These are the events that set up “Skyward Sword,” the first chronological entry in the series. When the game opens, descendants of those humans Hylia sent to safety live on the floating island of Skyloft. This version of Link, prophesied to be the Goddess’ chosen hero, earns his knighthood and is best friends with the daughter of his headmaster, our first incarnation of Zelda. In this era, Demise rose again. But Hylia took necessary precautions, creating the spirit Fi who lives in the Master Sword to guide Link. She also left a trail of bread crumbs for him in order to power-up the future blade of legend. Demise had his own weaponized spirit, however, in Ghirahim, who hunted the reborn Hylia throughout and used Zelda as a sacrifice to bring his master back.

Of course, Demise was no match for Link and the sword of evil’s bane. Good triumphed over evil, but not before the demon placed a mighty curse on Link and Zelda. He promised his hatred would follow them forever, and that their reincarnated selves would have to deal with the consequences. The game still ended peacefully, with the very first Hylians returning to the surface. But with this curse, Nintendo explained how there are different versions of the same characters seen across centuries. And how these games can be connected, even when it seemingly doesn’t make much sense.

From there, we must look to Hyrule Historia. The next important event in the timeline was another war over the Triforce. Rauru, the Sage of Light seen in “Ocarina of Time,” created the Temple of Time as an entrance to the Sacred Realm and sealed it to keep the Triforce safe. After the kingdom was officially established, Hyrule Castle was built around this temple so that the Royal Family could keep an eye on things.

Unfortunately, the next event has always been kept vague. The opening to “Minish Cap” speaks of a darkness that spread through Hyrule. And the Picori, or Minish, who descended from the skies, bringing with them a special sword for the hero of men (importantly, not the Master Sword). We’ve never been given specifics on the Picori’s origins, or where they are in the rest of the series. Regardless, the second game in the timeline sees a new Link discovering the Minish world after Zelda is turned to stone. His journey puts him up against Vaati, a traitorous Picori turned sorcerer who, by the end, transforms himself into a monster.

Sometime after this, another incarnation of Link would have to deal with the return of Vaati. Though the former Picori had no memory of his previous life, he kidnapped Zelda and threw Hyrule into chaos. The third entry, “Four Swords,” saw the hero split himself four ways, and defeat the monster just like his ancestor.

Long after the Hero of the Four Sword sealed Vaati away, a civil war burned through Hyrule. No one knows what incited it, or precisely how long it lasted. But its stains can be seen in “Ocarina of Time,” when you’re looking in the right places. One result of the bloodshed was the death of a new Link’s mother. The Hylian fled, wounded, winding up in the Kokiri Forest and entrusting her child to its guardian, the Great Deku Tree. It’s here that Link was raised until it was time for a new evil to be introduced.

Although Vaati was a powerful personification of Demise’s curse, what came next was monumental. In order to open the Temple of Time’s door, Rauru had given several keys to the different tribes of Hyrule, including the Kokiri. But the Great Deku Tree was cursed by a man named Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo, a race made up of mostly women who resided in the desert. With peace in Hyrule, he swore fealty to the King, yet would end up stabbing him in the back. One thing he didn’t account for was a couple of kids.

Link would meet this era’s Zelda by sneaking into Hyrule Castle. An alliance between the two would eventually lead to Link gaining the Master Sword and finding the Sacred Realm. Unfortunately, he’d be stuck there for seven years, with Ganondorf able to enter after him. Still, hope wasn’t lost. Ganondorf was only able to steal the Triforce of Power, while Wisdom went to Zelda and Courage went to Link.

Rauru, the Sage of Light, would explain Link’s dangerous destiny. Hero is in his blood, though; he’d slay numerous beasts and save the remaining Sages. He had help from the Princess, who disguised herself as Sheik, a member of the Sheikah, who had served the Royal Family since before there even was one. And although she was captured, Link, with aid from the Sages, braved Ganondorf’s castle to finally put an end to Hyrule’s pain. And here’s where things get complicated.

The Fallen Timeline

Prior to Hyrule Historia’s release, a popular theory among fans stated that the “Zelda” timeline split in two following “Ocarina of Time.” One where Link was sent back in time by Zelda to relive his childhood and the adult era he left behind. But Nintendo surprised everyone by stating that it actually split in three. The first split we’ll be talking about is the fallen timeline, in which Link is defeated by Ganondorf. If that were to happen, the Gerudo King would gain the full Triforce and transform into his own demon king, a boar-like monster known as Ganon, and bring further ruin to the kingdom of Hyrule.

Out of desperation, the Sages would band together and seal him away, along with the Triforce, in the Sacred Realm. But as we’ve already seen, knowledge of the Triforce’s existence always leads to bloodshed. And with the entrance to the Sacred Realm now common knowledge, the land was subjected to all-out war once again. Some would manage to make it into the realm, which had been warped by Ganon’s immense power and hatred. To put an end to the violence, the Sages then sealed the entrance to the Sacred Realm, never to be opened again. Or so they thought.

In “A Link to the Past,” the first entry in the Fallen Timeline, a new iteration of the hero rose to defeat Agahnim. This mysterious sorcerer kidnapped descendants of the Sages, sending them into the Sacred Realm, here referred to as the Dark World. As we’d find out, he was an offshoot of Ganon, sent forth to break the seal on the realm so that the demon king could return. Thankfully, there were no branching paths here: Link traveled to the Dark World and was victorious over Ganon.

It’s important to note that Hyrule Historia lists the next chronological entries as the “Oracle” duology. However, Nintendo has since changed its stance, placing “Link’s Awakening” ahead of them…not that it makes much difference. Here, Link was returning to Hyrule after completing some training. A storm shipwrecked him on the strange Koholint Island, which was being plagued by horrible creatures called Nightmares. It was a pretty apt name; players would find that nightmares existed because the island and its inhabitants were the dream of a whale-like deity named the Wind Fish. The final boss could even see into Link’s past, taking on forms of Agahnim and Ganon as they fought.

After awakening the Wind Fish and making it off the island, Link would finally arrive back home. But he didn’t get to enjoy his peace for very long. After Ganon’s defeat in “A Link to the Past,” Zelda began housing the Triforce in Hyrule Castle. Drawn to it one day, Link was transported to a neighboring kingdom. If you played “Oracle of Seasons,” it was to Holodrum. Here, an Oracle named Din was kidnapped by General Onox, causing the seasons of the land to constantly change. If you played “Oracle of Ages,” Link was transported to Labrynna. He’d meet a different Oracle, Nayru, before she was kidnapped by a sorceress named Veran. This would cause chaotic changes to the flow of time. However, if you played both and linked your save files, you’d learn Koume and Kotake were pulling the strings of the villains. The twin witches, who are seemingly the same centuries-old pair from “Ocarina” back from the dead, needed Veran and Onox to cause chaos as part of a ritual to revive Ganon. The final part was sacrificing Zelda, but Link arrived in time to stop it. The twins then sacrificed themselves, which didn’t work quite as well. Ganon returned, but only as a mindless beast, and was put down by Link shortly after.

This version of Link spanned four games, but the Fallen Timeline has far more entries than the other two. After some time passed, a new incarnation of the hero worked as a blacksmith’s apprentice in “A Link Between Worlds.” The game showed the existence of Lorule, a kingdom from an alternate dimension that mirrored Hyrule, but whose Triforce had been destroyed by its rulers to avoid war. Due to this, the kingdom fell into ruin, and its princess, Hilda, sent Yuga into Hyrule to steal theirs. Of course, he had ulterior motives of sacrificing the descendants of the Sages to resurrect Ganon. But Link, like always, put a stop to both of them.

After bringing peace to both Hyrule and Lorule, this Link traveled to the fashion-obsessed kingdom of Hytopia in “Tri Force Heroes.” Its princess, Styla, had been cursed by a witch to wear an irremovable brown jumpsuit. Luckily, there was a prophecy and Link fit the bill, saving his kingdom’s neighbor.

However, in order to keep peace in actual Hyrule, Kings of the Royal Family began using the Triforce. This lasted for generations until one nameless King felt unsure about the worthiness of his son. In order to keep his kingdom safe, he hid the Triforce of Courage and placed a spell on it. Only one worthy of using it would receive it.

Turns out, the King was right about his son. After the boy took over, the Triforce of Courage didn’t reveal itself to him. Suspecting his sister Zelda might know something, he interrogated her alongside one of his closest advisors, a wizard who placed a powerful sleeping curse on her. Unfortunately, the wizard died shortly after, and the young king was left alone with his guilt. He placed his sister on an altar with hopes that she’d one day wake up and decreed that all women born into the Royal Family would be named after her. Try though he might to lead his kingdom, it fell into disarray without the full Triforce.

And so, in the original “The Legend of Zelda,” Hyrule is a mere shadow of what it once was. Wilderness has overtaken most of the land, with merchants even selling their wares in caves. Centuries later, the Triforce of Courage remained missing, while the Triforce of Wisdom was passed down between each generation of Zelda. Meanwhile, it seemed the memory of Ganon refused to be forgotten. His followers resurrected him, and he led a demon army into Hyrule, stealing the Triforce of Power once again. This era’s Zelda split the Triforce of Wisdom, scattering it throughout the land, and sent Impa of the Sheikah to find anyone who could defeat this monster.

And find him, she did. A new Link traveled through Hyrule, slaying monsters and gathering trinkets just like his forebears. With the Triforce of Wisdom, he destroyed the Demon King. But he didn’t destroy all of his followers.

Six years later, a hint to the Triforce of Courage finally appeared. The royal crest shone on the back of Link’s hand. It’s then that Impa told him of Princess Zelda I, cursed to sleep for all time. The King who had hidden the Triforce of Courage left six crystals and a scroll behind for the one who was worthy. This led Link to various palaces, where he’d be tested in order to obtain the artifact. All the while, he was hunted by Ganon’s minions, attempting to use his blood to resurrect their master.

With the entire Triforce whole once again, the sleeping Princess awoke, and peace was restored to Hyrule once again. And as far as this timeline is concerned, it stayed that way.

The Child Timeline

Let’s rewind. The Child Timeline refers to the branch where Link returned to his childhood after “Ocarina of Time.” At the end of the game, young Link goes to visit Princess Zelda again, but this time tells her of future events. In order to stop Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm, she entrusted Link with the titular ocarina and told him to leave Hyrule.

This leads to “Majora’s Mask.” With Navi having left at the end of “Ocarina,” Link and Epona set out to find her. It’s not known how long he traveled, though he wound up in a forest on the edge of Termina, what Nintendo refers to as a parallel world. Here, he was ambushed by the Skull Kid wearing an ancient, dangerous mask. The hero was sucked in by the plight of another helpless town being tormented. And once again, he saved them from certain doom.

Meanwhile, back in Hyrule, Ganondorf still needed to be dealt with. It’s unclear how soon Zelda was able to act. But at some point in the future, Ganondorf was captured and executed for his crimes. Or, at least, that was the plan. The Sages took on the duty of the thief’s execution, but were surprised to find he wouldn’t go down in one fell swoop. With one of their own gone, the remaining Sages sealed him away in another dimension known as the Twilight Realm.

Let’s rewind again. The lore of “Twilight Princess” tells us that, at one point, a group of magic wielders attempted to make it into the Sacred Realm and steal the Triforce. Din, Nayru, and Farore sent Light Spirits to protect Hyrule and banished this group to the Twilight Realm, the future prison of Ganondorf. However, when this specific event happened on the timeline is unclear. We’re told it was long ago, but we can’t know for sure.

Regardless, those people became known as the Twili, most of whom grew to like their new home. But not all of them did. One named Zant usurped Queen Midna’s throne with the help of Ganondorf, who bestowed power upon him in order to make it back to Hyrule. Eventually, both evil Kings faced off against a new Link, who had actually gotten some mystical training from the Hero of Time. Despite his best efforts, Ganondorf was beaten once again.

The Child Timeline would know harmony for several centuries, until the events of “Four Swords Adventures.” Although Ganondorf had been permanently vanquished, Demise’s curse can seemingly never be stopped. The thief was reborn, in the Gerudo Tribe once again. Just like his ancestor, he craved power, stealing a magical trident from his people. He then orchestrated the return of Vaati, who had been slumbering within the Four Sword in Hyrule Castle’s Elemental Sanctuary. As this place, just like the Picori, cannot be seen by adults, Vaati had been stuck, forgotten, for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

However, with the Four Sword, this incarnation of Link put an end to the monster for good. Although Ganondorf had been transformed by the Trident into the monstrous Ganon just like the other one, the hero of Hyrule was still victorious. This Ganon took Vaati’s place, sealed within the Four Sword, marking the end of this timeline for now.

The Adult Timeline

When Link was sent back in time by Zelda at the end of “Ocarina,” the world he left didn’t simply vanish. Hylians rebuilt, as they always do. And Ganon eventually returned, as he always does. But this time, there was no hero to stop him. And so, this era’s King of Hyrule put his faith in the Gods. Presumably, Ganon had gained too much power for the Goddesses to send in the light spirits of “Twilight Princess.” Instead, their solution here was to flood the entire kingdom. Some Hylians traveled to various mountaintops, which became the islands of “Wind Waker.”

Hundreds of years later, a new Link was born on Outset Island, where tales about the Hero of Time were passed down for generations. Those tales would soon become his new reality. Ganondorf would return from the bottom of the ocean, ready to wreak havoc against all who opposed him. He searched for the reincarnated Zelda, eventually finding her in a pirate named Tetra, whose most cherished possession was a fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom. Not only would this Link obtain the Triforce of Courage, but he’d restore power to the famous Master Sword and plunge it directly into Ganondorf’s head. But not before the King of Hyrule’s spirit used the full Triforce to seal away his kingdom for good.

Afterwards, Link and Tetra would set out to discover a new land. In “Phantom Hourglass,” the duo were sidetracked by Bellum. This squid-like monster terrorized the islands of the Ocean King and kidnapped Tetra, and so Link was forced to intervene. Despite the delay, Link and the pirates eventually discovered a new continent, dubbing it New Hyrule.

However, ‘discovered’ isn’t the right word. This place had its own history, with its own demon king named Malladus, who had been sealed away by the Spirits of Good long ago. How New Hyrule’s history and lore connects to the rest of the series is unclear. But a century after “Phantom Hourglass,” a new Link works as an Engineer for the Royal Family. That is, until one of Zelda’s advisors stabs her in the back, removing her soul and stealing her body as a vessel for Malladus, whom he planned to resurrect.

Well, if you’ve fought one demon king, you’ve fought them all. Link channeled the courageous spirit of his ancestors, putting an end to Malladus and restoring peace in New Hyrule. And finally, the split timelines have come to an end. Unfortunately, the complexity of “Zelda” hasn’t.

After the Split

Excuse us for the obvious pun, but “Breath of the Wild” was a breath of fresh air for the series. It revitalized the traditional gameplay and structure. What it didn’t do, however, was make its placement in the timeline clear. Its lore concerns an event that occurred 10,000 years prior, when a beast known as Calamity Ganon first reared its ugly head. Hyrule banded together, with four Champions piloting powerful Divine Beasts against his armies.

A century before the game, a prophecy foretold Calamity Ganon’s return. And although Hyrule was prepared, no one could’ve predicted what happened next. Not only did Ganon return, he took control of the Divine Beasts, as well as the intimidating Guardians. With them on his side, he laid waste to the kingdom, killing the four new Champions as well as the King. Link, in this era a knight, was gravely wounded and placed in stasis by Zelda. She then held Calamity Ganon at bay for a hundred years, until Link was able to return and defeat the monster plaguing his home.

Following its release, Nintendo stated “Breath of the Wild” takes place at the end of the timeline. However, which of the three timelines is up to interpretation, or it could simply be at the end of all of them as an inevitably. It’s obvious by now that Nintendo only released an official timeline because fans wanted an answer. For a long time, a branching narrative connecting all of them likely wasn’t considered. “Breath of the Wild’s” placement may be vague, like some other elements of the franchise’s history. But with “Tears of the Kingdom” on the horizon, its placement and history might become clearer. But that’s another video for another day.