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"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
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My own wasn't too different, except for the all important third branch (essentially I had that order from LttP->Zelda 2 following the tail end of the child branch).
It does actually make sense, and I'm glad it is finally known.
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
Liberal Arts Major
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"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
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As such sticking Zelda 1 & 2 at the end of one of the branches is the only reasonable way to fit those into the timeline. It's a cheat, but it works.
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
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I've seen a bunch of explanations for that third split and I just don't see it. Maybe Nintendo has some other game planned that will make it make sense but right now it just complicates the already-complicated timeline even further.
Four Swords Adventures' placement is also kinda out there but eh.
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Hah. So i played the whole Timeline where Link is dead. and OoT makes the biggest impact.
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
Liberal Arts Major
http://i.imgur.com/wfEuo.png
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"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
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http://i.imgur.com/wfEuo.png
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"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
That pretty much sums it up, though it is still debated whether or not Link was removed from the LttP timeline, or killed in it (either way works, as time travel is muddy anyhow).
It is likelier that Link died though, as one must remember in LttP, while Ganon was indeed trapped in the Sacred Realm, he already had all three pieces of the Triforce, and converted the Sacred Realm into the Dark World. His primary goal was to escape so he could conquer Hyrule.
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
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LttP Link saves Hyrule, and kills Ganon.
This proceeds to the Oracle games, which is about Twinrova looking to revive Ganon. After Link defeats an imperfectly summoned Ganon, he sets sail on a voyage (this is the end scene), which leads into Link's Awakening.
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
Liberal Arts Major
<->
"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
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"In the best relationships, nobody wears the pants."
Liberal Arts Major
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"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
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Uhhh that really doesn't make sense. So Zelda sends Link back to his own time... except not, instead she creates an entirely new timeline... somehow... which doesn't have Link... and she sends him back there. What? If Link was pulled from the green timeline, he'd be sent back to the green timeline.
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
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...This isn't a timeline split, it's an entirely separate continuity, and it raises the question of why every game doesn't have a similar split.
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
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*Hasn't really paid attention to any of the Zelda timeline stuff*
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...This isn't a timeline split, it's an entirely separate continuity, and it raises the question of why every game doesn't have a similar split.
Because they only needed one (plot?) device to cover their asses. Seriously, the fact that they just slid it in there kinda pisses me off.
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LttP Link saves Hyrule, and kills Ganon.
My fault. What i meant by LttP Link was the one that came before the Link in that universe. That came out wrong.
But since i never played the Oracle games either, i'm uncertain what happens afterwards. Not that it b others me, but i might get the chance someday!
EDIT: I really need to watch my wording @_@
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
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Exactly this.
Simply put, Zelda subscribes to the infinite parallel universes theory, but it is kept to three branches for simplicity's sake.
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
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-There are always infinite parallel universes in Zelda, but we only follow one until OoT.
-In OoT, that particular universe branches into two paths, which we follow for several games each.
-...Also as of OoT, we start following one singular parallel universe for several games, even though the event that caused us to follow it has happened infinite times already, oh and it's just coincidental that we started following this parallel universe at the exact same time that the main universe had a timeline split.
this is what we have had to come up with in order to explain nintendo's timeline
i stand by my assertion that this just needlessly adds complexity to something that is already convoluted
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The simple explanation is that each "set" of games (OoT and MM, the Oracles, WW and PH) is a retelling of the same legend about a hero named Link and a princess named Zelda. I don't subscribe to that theory, but it IS simple.
Outside of that, it gets very convoluted very quickly. The fact that Nintendo needed to release an official timeline is proof of that. Don't need that kind of thing for Metroid! If you played that series, you'd be able to determine a basic timeline (Zero Mission -> Return of Samus -> Super -> Other M -> Fusion and Prime -> Echoes -> Corruption with Hunters somewhere) very easily, and a bit of guesswork would let you fit the whole thing together. Zelda? Good ****in' luck, as this topic demonstrates. <_<
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
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Other than direct sequels, they have always been different Links/Zeldas. This was something stated years ago.
And it doesn't take much guesswork for a Zelda timeline
Essentially my thought, before the third branch was known was:
Skyward Sword -> Minish Cap -> Ocarina of Time ->
Adult Path -> Twilight Princess -> Wind Waker -> PH -> ST
Child Path -> Majora's Mask -> LttP -> FSA -> OoS/OoS -> LA -> Zelda 1 -> Zelda 2
Now I got TP's placement wrong (As well as FSA, and even in the official timeline that one is still...odd), but that was due to an interview a few years ago.
But yeah, that is what I devised nearly a decade ago, adding to it as new games would come out.
Anyone who played OoT knew it had to happen before everything else.
Anyone who played Minish Cap would later determine this happens before OoT (because it explains why monsters are in Hyrule)
And anyone who played Skyward Sword/listened to Nintendo about the game before knows that it takes place at the very beginning (since it is before the Kingdom of Hyrule). And to that point, SS was planned in a way, as in Twilight Princess it is mentioned how Hylian's ancestors come from the clouds.
Also, Wind Waker is set hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time. It is established in the game itself. Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to Wind Waker... So dunno how they'd be a retelling of OoT, etc... Thus that theory makes zero sense.
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Nintendo released an official timeline of that years ago.
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SIEG ZEON, dood!
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Other than direct sequels, they have always been different Links/Zeldas. This was something stated years ago.
Right, but I'm just saying that's the simplest explanation. I know it's not the actual one.
And it doesn't take much guesswork for a Zelda timeline
Essentially my thought, before the third branch was known was:
It didn't take much guesswork, but everyone missed the fact that an entire branch existed? <_<
Even aside from that, my point is that Zelda is way more convoluted than most timelines because A) it's released out of order and without dates, B) there's this whole idea of multiple branches, which most continuities don't have, and C) fitting everything together relies on things like developer interviews - some of which are wrong, or become wrong later - and tiny details like the state/location of the Triforce and whether Ganon has his trident (err wait, scratch that last one, mirite nintendo). This is way, way, way more complex than most stories; I don't know how you can even argue otherwise.
Also, Wind Waker is set hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time. It is established in the game itself. Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to Wind Waker... So dunno how they'd be a retelling of OoT, etc... Thus that theory makes zero sense.
Pretty simple. We start with Culture A, who have this story about a hero in green named Link who kills Ganon and unites the Triforce to rescue a princess named Zelda. Then he stops Ganon's minions from resurrecting him. (This is Zelda 1 and 2.)
Over time, this culture evolves. They develop cities and boats. Their legend has to change to be more relevant. Now when people tell the legend of Zelda, they add these new elements. Link is still a hero in green, but now he's rescuing multiple princesses, traveling between towns and cities; once again, he stops Ganon, but this time, to reflect the culture's new emphasis on seafaring, he ends up on an island afterward. (This is LttP and Link's Awakening.)
The culture continues to change. It's a dark period in their history, wracked by natural disasters and war. The legend changes to reflect this. Link must now save a doomed civilization - more than one, in fact. And the legend of Zelda just gets darker and darker as it goes on. (This is OoT and MM.)
Now the culture makes a recovery, and starts to rediscover its roots. It goes back to a simpler legend of Zelda, and one that's more optimistic. To reflect this rediscovery of the old, this merging of past and present, the legend incorporates those elements. (This is the Oracle games.)
The culture grows and expands. It imports and exports products - and ideas - with other civilizations. An island culture picks up the legend of Zelda, and they refit it to suit their needs. The old hero has failed, but a new hero from their islands appears in his place. (This is WW and PH.)
Etc etc etc.
Also, Metroid?
Nintendo released an official timeline of that years ago.
My point is more that they didn't need to. Metroid's continuity is really simple despite being released out of order.
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
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Well how often is it in any timeline that the BAD END is actually canon? Sure it was unexpected, but it works. Of course there were people (not me) who did believe in a third branch route.
Anywho, admittedly it would be nice to learn when Ganon obtained the Trident of Power... but it could also be believed to just be a manifestation of the Triforce of Power, much like his form.
And the location of the Triforce? It's stored in the Sacred Realm, pure and simple, up until Ganon gets his hands on it (it is also the reason Ganon is immortal, as the only games he actually dies in, are the ones where he physically removes the Triforce of Power from his body).
Also... I think that whole culture changing the story. That sounds convoluted.
And hell, the Zelda timeline is a lot easier to understand than some linear stories out there, like Kingdom Hearts.
The thing about Zelda is... It is meant to have this timeline, yet each game (save for Majora's Mask, and Phantom Hourglass) can still stand on their own.
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Very rarely. Even less common is a game where the good end is canon twice over and yet the bad end is also canon! Mostly because that's sort of ridiculous and incredibly difficult to reconcile with itself, much less additional games.
Also... I think that whole culture changing the story. That sounds convoluted.
I'm just showing how the same basic legend could change dramatically through oral tradition. Even if I were seriously proposing this theory, which I'm not, I'm not saying that interpretation of it is the actual way it happened or whatever. The idea that "the legend of Zelda" is an oral tradition that changed over time but told basically the same story is very simple, timeline-wise, because in that case there IS no timeline - at least, none that stretches across more than one or two games.
And hell, the Zelda timeline is a lot easier to understand than some linear stories out there, like Kingdom Hearts.
What? I disagree entirely. BBS is clearly a prequel to everything else. Then KH1, then Chain of Memories, then KH2 (this is even release order, right?). We know exactly where Days goes because it's dated down to the day. And uh I dunno about Coded or whatever but I think that's after/during KH2? It's really simple and unambiguous, mostly because the characters visually age as the story goes on.
I mean KH's story is sort of ridiculous (and by "sort of" I really mean "absolutely") but that's a different issue entirely.
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic