Wusch ....
The Legend of Zelda Timeline Theory
* Timeline Theory
This is a theory, and it should be treated accordingly. As of right now there is no such thing as a definate timeline, nor is it likely that Nintendo will ever confirm a definate timeline. Timeline theorizing is simply something which has intrigued Zelda fans since the release of the series, and we claim this theory to be no different. It is merely a theory, and it can in no way be considered the official order of the games.
* The Miyamoto Order
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series, did state a timeline in an interview with Nintendo Power some time before the release of Ocarina of Time, and it went like this:
" Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It's not very clear where Link's Awakening fits in--it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time. "
His theory is of course very outdated, and the fact that he never defended his theory with any sort of facts of evidence is often considered to be proof that this was just in fact something he threw out in the open without giving it much thought. However some theorists base their theories around this statement even today.
* Sources and their reliability
Interviews with the directors and producers of the games should not be considered definate facts, as small but important details can easily be mixed up in translation. Proof of this is when Eiji Aonuma, director of The Wind Waker, sometime before the release of the game was quoted to have said that "The Wind Waker takes place 100 years after Ocarina of Time", when infact the game obviously proves that hundreds of years have passed. This is why in-game facts and quotes are the only things that can be used as "evidence" for placing the different games, and even then we can not be one hundred percent certain of the liability of a specific fact, as the possibility of localization (translation from the game's native language, Japanese, to English and other languages) errors must always be considered.
Game manuals and strategy guides can not be considered reliable sources either, as these are in most cases written and compiled by people which had nothing to do with the development of the individual games' stories.
* Multiple Timeline Theories
Ocarina of Time's somewhat open ending left an opening for Multiple Timeline theories. Though there are no concrete pieces of evidence that prove these theories wrong, there are strong indications that they can not be correct. One of these indications is the fact that there are references to Tingle from Majora's Mask in The Wind Waker, which confirms that these two games must have taken place in the same timeline. This is brushed away as a mere inconsistency by Multiple Timeline supporters, but we think it is a very significant fact.
Another thing to consider is that the theory of that every time Link travelled back in time, he creates a new, alternate timeline is was valid, this would mean that for every time he travelled back to the beginning of the adventure in Majora's Mask, he actually just created a new timeline. This would mean that in the original timeline, as well as the additional alternative timelines he created, Termina would actually be crushed by the moon, only to be saved in one of the new alternate timelines he created, and that would mean that Link's efforts were more in vain than anything else. Another inconsistency? Perhaps, but we still think this is a valid argument against the Multiple Timeline theories.
* The Four Swords Series
Due to the nature of the Four Swords games as well as The Minish Cap, and how they for many various reasons do not seem to relate directly with the rest of the games more or less makes placing them in a timeline related to the rest of the games a guessing game, and therefore we have decided to not try to place them in the main timeline theory, but rather treat the Four Swords games as a "sub-series" of its own within the Zelda franchise. The fact that yet another Four Swords game has been confirmed to be on its way to the Nintendo DS strengthens this decision.
Terminology
* Abbreviations:
LoZ: Legend of Zelda
AoL: Adventure of Link
ALttP: A Link to the Past
LA: Link's Awakening
OoT: Ocarina of Time
MM: Majora's Mask
OoS: Oracle of Seasons
OoA: Oracle of Ages
FS: Four Swords
TWW: The Wind Waker
FSA: Four Swords Adventures
TMC: The Minish Cap
HC: Hylian Chronology
* Hylian Chronology:
This is the time system we use for the Legend of Zelda saga. It starts with the creation of Hyrule in year 0 HC, and then advances from there. Please note that this is in no way an "official" system, and that the years counted between each event is, just as most parts of this document, theories from our side.
* Link X and Princess Zelda X:
While previously debated, it is now and indisputable fact that there have been more than one Link and more than one Princess Zelda. We have named them Link X and Princess Zelda X according to where they fit in the line in our theory.
* Sacred Realm / Golden Land / Dark World
These terms are used interchangeably for the land where the Triforce was orginally hidden. When Ganondorf was trapped inside here after OoT, this land was turned in to the Dark World.
Timeline
0 HC:
As told in OoT, three Goddesses descend from a distant nebula to create the mythical land of Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, cultivated the land to create the earth with her strong flaming arms. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, gave the world the spirit of Law by pouring her wisdom in to it. Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created with her rich soul all the lifeforms which would uphold the law.
1 HC:
When the Goddesses leave the world of Hyrule after creating it, a sacred artifact known as the Triforce is left behind. This artifact contained the essences of the powers of the Goddesses.
1000 HC:
The land starts to take shape, and the various races have formed colonies, and the contstructions of various landmarks starts, including Hyrule Castle. The Hylians, who were said to be blessed with the powers of the Gods, established themselves as the most powerful of all the creatures who inhabited the land of Hyrule.
2010 HC:
Ganondorf Dragmire is born in to the Gerudo tribe. Legend has it that a male is born in to the races of the Gerudo only once every 100 years, and that this man is destined to be the leader of the thieves from the desert.
2030 HC (OoT):
Link I (The Hero of Time), a Hylian boy is born, but is taken in under the wings of the Great Deku Tree at the wish of his dying mother. He is raised as a Kokiri, the children of the Deku Tree. At the same time, Princess Zelda I is born in to the Royal Family of Hyrule.
2035 HC (OoT):
Ganondorf and his band of thieves start searching for the entrance to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce of the Legends is said to be located. He does this in hope that when he lays his hands on the artifact, he will be granted powers beyond mortal comprehension, which he will ultimately use to take over the entire land of Hyrule.
2040 HC (OoT):
Without any luck in his quest so far, Ganondorf gains audience with the King of Hyrule in hope to gain more information on how to open the gates to the Golden Land. The King has no suspicions about Ganondorf's true agenda, but Princess Zelda and Link alike share the same nightmares about this evil man. The Great Deku Tree knows that the fate of Hyrule lies within the hands of Link, and sends him out to retrieve the three magical stones which will open the gates to the Sacred Realm.
Without knowing, Ganondorf follows Link's quest, and when Link opens the gateway to the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf enters it and gets his hands on the Triforce. Link himself enters a seven year slumber orchestraed by an ancient sage, Rauru, because he knows that it is the only way Link can mature enough to possibly fight off Ganondorf and restore peace to Hyrule.
2047 HC (OoT):
Link awakens to find Hyrule overtaken by the evil clutches of Ganondorf, who now holds the Triforce of Power. What he does not know is that the two other pieces of the Triforce, Courage and Wisdom, have been passed on to Link and Princess Zelda respectively, as they are the two people in Hyrule who represent these qualities the most. Link sets out to awaken the the seven sages, because only with the help of their powers can he gain entrance to Ganon's Castle.
During the battle with Link, Ganondorf transforms himself in to a huge, evil pig-like creature. This was the beginning of what seems to have been a gradual transformation from Ganondorf, the man, in to Ganon, the evil creature who would stop at nothing to grant his own wishes. Later, in The Wind Waker, these names were used interchangeably for Ganon(dorf). After a long hard battle Link defeats Ganon, and the seven sages with Princess Zelda as the leader manages to seal Ganon in the Sacred Realm. After the battles are over and peace has been restored to Hyrule, Princess Zelda sends Link back to his own time, so that he would not lose his childhood.
2041 HC (MM):
Done with the battles that made him a Hero in his homeland, Link sets out to find a friend whom he parted ways with when he fulfilled his destiny and became the Hero of Time. Be it be accident or destiny, Link was brought to the land of Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule. Here he met with many familiar faces, though they were not the same people who he had interacted with during his previous quest. In Termina, he quickly discovers that his help is desperately needed, as an evil known as Majora's Mask is bringing the moon down to crush Termina. With time running short, the Hero of Time must once again use his powers to manipulate time on order to awaken the four giants who can stop the moon from falling down.
After a big showdown inside the moon, Link defeats Majora's Mask and saves Termina from destruction. No tale tells the story of what happened to Link I after this, and it is left up to the imagination of the player to figure this out. One thing is for sure however, no new stories about the Hero of Time after this, and it can be assumed that he retreated to a life in peace somewhere, possibly even in Termina with his new-found friends, but it is most likely that we will never know for sure.
2147 HC (TWW):
Somehow the seal of sages that held Ganon trapped within the Sacred Realm is broken. Nobody knows just how this happened, but as this great evil once more threatened the very existence of Hyrule, people started waiting for the return of the Hero of legends who had save the land from this evil before.
2150 HC (TWW):
When the people of Hyrule realized that the Hero would not return to save them from Ganon, they turned to the Gods and prayed for them to vanquish Ganon and restore peace to Hyrule. The Gods responded, possibly angered by the turmoil that was going on, by puring endless amounts of water over Hyrule. Soon, the land of Hyrule was no more, and in its place came a sea, which quickly became known as the Great Sea, and Ganon was buried under this sea together with the land he wanted.
2500 HC (TWW):
Just as quickly as the land of Hyrule was drowned within the depths of the seemingly endless sea, the people forgot all about it, and adapted to their new lifestyles on the mountaintops of Hyrule, which became islands. Only on a certain island known as Outset they remembered the old Kingdom which was now far below the surface upon which they now lived, but it quickly became a mere legend to them as well.
2510 HC (TWW):
Link II, the Hero of Winds was born on Outset Island around the same time as Princess Zelda II was born in to a family of pirates who roamed the Great Sea. It was said that Link II had no relations to the Hero of Time, but Princess Zelda II, who went by the name Tetra, and was captain of the Pirates, was part of the royal bloodline of Hyrule.
2522 HC (TWW):
Ganon, who had been sealed under the ocean together with the Kingdom of Hyrule which he desired to rule over for hundreds of years, becomes active again. It is not known how, but he manages to create a portal from Hyrule to the the Forsaken Fortress which is above the surface of the Great Sea, and he is working in secrecy to find the two remaining pieces of the Triforce, Courage and Wisdom, which he needs to revive the Kingdom of Hyrule for his own evil schemes.
In his quest for the Triforce of Wisdom, he kidnapps young, blonde girls with pointy ears (trademarks of the Princess of Hyrule), and when one of these girls turns out to be Link II's sister, Aryll, Link sets out to save her. During his quest to save his sister, he in colaboration with an ancient King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, uncover Ganon's plans, and they make it their goal to stop Ganon. After a long quest, Link II and Princess Zelda II faces Ganon in battle and defeat him by working together. Peace is again restored to Hyrule and the Great Sea.
2900 HC (ALTTP):
How the Great Sea was drained and the Land of Hyrule once more became full of flourishing life, and how Ganon once more got locked up in the Sacred Realm, is not know, because there is no tale that tells this story. Once can only hope that the newest Legend of Zelda game, which is said to be a sequel to The Wind Waker, and set to be released in late 2005, will explain this to us. Regardless, the Hylian people are once more living in Hyrule, and it is then Link III and Princess Zelda III are born.
2914 HC (ALTTP):
A dark age seems to be approaching Hyrule as monsters are appearing left and right, and there seems to be no stopping these. Out of the blue, the Wizard Agahnim appears and puts and end to all of this, and as a sign of gratitude the King of Hyrule gives him the position as his 1st advisor. Agahnim has evil plans however, as it turns out he is a puppet of Ganon who is working from the Sacred Realm, which has now become the Dark World. Agahnim overthrows the King, and puts all of Hyrule's soldiers under his spell, while he works to sacrifice the seven maidens who are descendants of the sages who created the barrier which seals Ganon in the Dark World, as that is the only way the barrier can be broken.
Princess Zelda pleads for Link's help telepathically, and Link sets out on a quest to stop Ganon. After a long hard journey he is able to defeat Ganon and get the Triforce back. Link then uses the mystical powers of the Triforce to return everything in Hyrule back to normal.
2916 HC (OOA & OOS):
Evil is brewing in lands far away from Hyrule, and the Triforce calls upon Link to fight this evil. As he progresses in the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna, he discovers that the puppetmaster(s) behind this threat is Twinrova, Ganon's surrogate mothers from, who are trying to revive Ganon. As Link fights his way through the evil which is threatening these lands he meets up with the three Oracles, Din, Farore and Nayru, from whom he gets the help needed to take on the evil Twinrova and ultimately Ganon.
PS: At the end of the Oracle games when Link meets Princess Zelda, it seems to be the first time they meet. We have no rational explanation to this inconcistency, and it is something that flaws our theory of the placement of the Oracle games. Regardless we have decided that placing them in between ALTTP and LA is where it makes most sense, despite of this inconsitency in the theory.
2916 HC (LA):
On his way back to Hyrule, Link gets shipwrecked and ends up on the mysterious island of Koholint, where he has to awaken the Windfish. Throughout this quest he meets up with many familiar friends and foes, and the fact that the island disappears once he awakens the Windfish, makes many think that this was just a dream. Nobody knows for sure . . .
3540 HC:
Princess Zelda IV is born in the North Castle in Hyrule.
3550 HC:
One of the great kings of Hyrule hides the Triforce of Courage, and his son, a Prince of Hyrule, desires it greatly, but does not know its whereabouts. When an evil Wizard tells him that his younger sister, Princess Zelda knows its location, but refuses to tell him, the Prince is so upset that in his rage he with the help of the Wizard puts his sister in to a deep slumber from which she may never awaken. In his grief after realizing what he has done, the Prince places Zelda in an alter in North Castle and puts down a law which says that every Princess born in Hyrule after this must be named Zelda.
3845 HC (LoZ):
The evil wizard Ganon reappears in Hyrule and manages to steal the Triforce of Power. He takes over the underworld of Hyrule, and uses Death Mountain as his headquarters. As a result of Ganon's reappearance and increase of power, monsters start to appear in Hyrule.
Link IV and Princess Zelda V are born.
3860 HC (LoZ):
Princess Zelda V inherits the Triforce of Wisdom, but fearing that Ganon will try to steal it she shatters it in to eight pieces which she hides throughout Hyrule. Then she sends Princess Impa out to look for a hero who can save Hyrule from the clutches of Ganon, after which Zelda is taken prisoner by Ganon himself. When Impa meets Link she is convinced that he is the hero that will save both Hyrule and Princess Zelda, and he sets out a quest which ends in success.
3862 HC (AoL):
Link discovers the mark of the Triforce on his hand, and Impa tells him that this means he is the one destined to awaken Zelda IV from her eternal slumber, and Link sets out and completes this quest.
war überrascht das das ding 1. nich verschwindet und 2. getrieben is aufm wasser 
