Zelda Timeline

The Legend of Zelda Timeline details the official chronology of the Legend of Zelda series, as revealed by the December 2011 release of Hyrule Historia in Japan. Hyrule Historia is a compilation of official sources with Eiji Aonuma as its chief editor and therefore represents the developer's view of the chronology most accurately.

## Unified Timeline

The Unified Timeline explores the origins of hyrule and it's expansion, as well as the creations of the Master Sword. It is the timeline from where all other timelines originate from.

This timeline contains the following games: *Hyrule Warriors*, *Skyward Sword* and *Ocarina of Time.*

### LOZ: Hyrule Warriors

Long ago, in an ancient kingdom, the Queen of the land, Queen Hylia stumbled upon a realm containing an incredibly powerful relic known as the Triforce and took it for her own, hoping it would grant her kingdom prosperity and growth. Upon touching the strange relic, only one of its three pieces was embued into her body, with the latter two seemingly vanishing. The Demon Lord Ghirahim, who emerged from the land of Lorule, wanting to create a portal to bring his master, Demise, to the world in order to rule it, gathered an army of monsters and together launched an attack against the people of the surface, murdering them, enslaving them and causing misfortunes in an attempt to get their hands on the power guarded by Hylia.

As Ghirahim's forces attacked Hyrule Castle, Link, a soldier-in-training, rushed out to aid the other troops, discovering he possesses the Triforce of Courage, which had ended up with him due to his coueageus spirit. However, the castle is taken and Hylia is unaccounted for in the aftermath, so the Army General, Impa, asks Link to aid her in finding the queen. While still searching, Linkand Impa meet Sheik, a Sheikah warrior and Cia, a sorceress of the Sheikah. The group heads to the Valley of Seers hoping to close the Gate of Lorule, but Demise traps Link and steals his Triforce piece, and uses the Triforce piece to open portals to other locations in search of the remaining two pieces.

   In order to protect Hylia's Kingdom, Link, Impa, Cia, and Sheik each lead their own campaign to drive out Ghirahim's armies and close the numerous Gates of Lorule. Along the way, they are aided by several allies, including Darunia, Princess Ruto, Agitha, Linkle, and Fi . Along the way, they eventually find Hylia, who was in hiding due to the enemy attack.

After retrieving the Sacred Sword, Link prepares to confront Ghirahim, with the Sword's power strengthened by his bonds of friendship. He defeats him and he fades away. However, Ghirahim regardless of his defeat, had managed to gain enough magic power in order to open a portal between Hyrule and Lorule so as to allows his master, Demise to make his way to the former world.

Demise manages to retake all three Triforce pieces from their bearers, using it to strengthen his army and take over Hyrule Castle. However, Link manages to defeat and seal Demise in the Sacred Grove, with the help of Hylia's Light Arrows.

Hylia then gatheres the humans and hylians on a piece of land and sent it to the sky, beyond the clouds and out of reach from the evil plaguing the land. In order to keep it from falling into the hands of Demise were he to ever escape his seal, Hylia also sent the Triforce to the sky and hid the portals to three pieces of the Triforce within Sky Keep, and enshrined the Sacred Sword inside the Statue of the Maiden, to be found by the next hero when the time was right.

### LOZ: Skyward Sword

Skyloft remained in the sky above the clouds for generations, with knowledge of the Surface and the origins of Skyloft becoming mere legend..

   On the day of the 25th anniversary of Skyloft's Knight Academy, Zelda is taken to the surface by Demon Lord Ghirahim in an attempt to revive Demise. That night, Link is awakened by the voice of a mysterious spirit, who reveals itself as the sword spirit of the Sacred Sword, created by the Hylia for the purpose of assisting Hylia's chosen hero in fulfilling his destiny. Guided by Fi, Link travels to the Surface in search of Zelda, who herself is guided by Impa to purify her body at the Fountains of Light in order to become worthy of the Triforce of Wisdom. As Zelda and Impa escape from Ghirahim to the past, Link quests to purify the Sacred Sword and power it to become the Master Sword. Zelda is soon put to sleep in order to prevent Ghirahim from using her a vessel to awaken Demise from his seal.

After Zelda awakens from her sleep, an enraged Ghirahim kidnaps her back to the past, where Demise is still alive. Link follows Ghirahim to the past for a final showdown, but is unable to stop the ritual to revive Demise. The ancient Demon King escapes from his seal, swallows Zelda as The Imprisoned and returns to his original form. Demise announces his intention to take the world as his own now that Hylia is gone, but gives Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world. After a fierce fight, Link bests Demise and fatally wounds him.

The Demon King stumbles to his feet, congratulating Link, but warns him that it is not over, and that his hatred would be reborn as a being to pursue domination of the world, and those with the blood of the queen and spirit of the hero in a cycle without end. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the Master Sword.

Link returns from the battle to find Zelda and Groose, and the three return to the Temple of Hylia, where they meet with Impa and prepare to return to their own time. At Fi's behest, Link plunges the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple, leaving it and his partner behind now that her purpose to guide Link had been completed. Saying goodbye to Impa before she destroys the Gate of Time, the three return to their own time where peace has returned and residents of Skyloft take their first steps on the Surface.

### The Era of Prosperity

Following the defeat of Demise, the world that Hylia once ruled became known as Hyrule.

    Those descended from the people who were living in ancient times under the protection of the Queen Hylia were known as Hylians. They were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry.

Hyrule knew many years of peace, however, the legend of the Triforce and its power was lusted after by many people, and a wave of chaos descended upon the land of Hyrule as people tried to take this power for themselves. To protect the sacred power, Rauru, the Sage of Light, sealed the entrance to the Sacred Realm within the Temple of Time, with the Master Sword and the Spiritual Stones securing the barriers to its entrance.The Temple of Light, located at the center of the Sacred Realm, became the resting place of the Triforce, while Rauru remained in the temple to protect the sacred relic.

The descendants of Queens Hylia established the kingdom of Hyrule. Hyrule Castle was built at the center of the land, watching over the Temple of Time, which was protecting the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. Many years passed after the kingdom's establishment. Within the Royal Family of Hyrule, many were born with a special power that existed deep within the bloodline and the queen would often be named Zelda after the historical legend.

### LOZ: Ocarina of Time

For reasons not specified, Hyrule entered into a period of fierce war. During this war, a Hylian woman fled the fires of war and entered the Kokiri Forest, giving her newborn baby, named Link, to the Great Deku Tree to be raised as a Kokiri. Finally the war ended and the King of Hyrule unified his country

    When the baby had become a young boy, he had many restless nights as nightmares of an evil man from the desert plagued his sleep. One day, The Great Deku Tree sent the Fairy Companion Navi to summon him. After defeating the monster Gohma within the Deku Tree itself, the guardian of the forest revealed that he had been cursed by the evil Ganondorf and implored Link to take the Spiritual Stone of Forest, the Kokiri Emerald, to Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. Link hurried to Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda, who told him that Ganondorf plotted to appropriate the sacred power of the Triforce. She and Link schemed to obtain the Triforce before Ganon could. Link would gather the other Spiritual Stones needed to open the Door of Time, and she would play the Ocarina of Time to open the door.

After retrieving the two remaining Spiritual Stones, Link returned to Hyrule Castle only to see Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf. During her flight, Zelda threw the Ocarina of Time into the moat for Link to find. After a brief confrontation with Ganondorf, Link retrieved the Ocarina and proceeded to the Temple of Time. With all the keys in hand, he opened the Door of Time and lifted the Master Sword from its pedestal, opening the entrance to the Sacred Realm. As Link was too young to be the Hero of Time, Link's spirit was sealed in the Temple of Light for seven years.

With the gates of the Sacred Realm unguarded, Ganondorf was able to enter and take the Triforce for his own. However, since his heart was not in balance, the Prince of Darkness was left with only the Triforce of Power. Despite this, Ganondorf was able to use it to conquer the land of Hyrule, as the Hero of Time slept for seven years. After seizing the Triforce and corrupting the Sacred Realm, he caused that corruption to seep into the temples of the Sages, which became infested with all kinds of monsters, so that the Sages-to-be would not be able to fulfill their duty and aid Link.

As Link awakened after seven years, he found Hyrule in ruins. Led by Rauru's and Sheik's instructions, Link managed to cleanse the temples and help each Sage to gain their power. Upon Rauru's advice, he then returned to the Temple of Time, where he found Sheik waiting. His mysterious ally revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda, keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom and the seventh Sage, leader of them all. The reunion was cut short when the princess was abducted by Ganondorf. With the Sages help, Link fought his way to the top of Ganon's Tower, clearing the path to Ganondorf for the final showdown between the Hero of Time and the King of Evil.

## Child Timeline

The presence of the Hero who went back and forth in time generated a fork in history, dividing Hyrule's chronology. The Child Timeline is the timeline that follows Link after being sent back to his original time following the defeat of Ganondorf by the Hero of Time. He warned Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule of the tragic future that awaited the kingdom involving Ganondorf if nothing was to be done.

This timeline contains the following games: *Majora's Mask, Forgotten Legacy,* and *Twilight Princess.*

### LOZ: Majora's Mask

    After warning the Royal Family of Hyrule, Link and Zelda spend a short amount of time together. Before leaving Hyrule in search of his fairy companion Navi, who left him at the end of his quest, young Link heads to the Lon Lon Ranch to borrow the horse Epona from Malon. During Link's last meeting with Zelda, she states her belief that they would meet again. Furthermore, she gives him the Ocarina of Time to prevent Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm and as a memento of the time they spent together. She also teaches Link the Song of Time, a melody that holds a special meaning to her, before handing over the ocarina, mentioning that he should play that melody if something were to happen to him.

Several months passed during the Hero of Time's search for Navi. Link was found in a mysterious forest, where the Skull Kid and his fairy companions Tatl and Tael encountered the hero and stole his horse, Epona, as well as the Ocarina of Time. During Link's pursuit, the Skull Kid cursed him and turned him into a Deku Scrub. Tatl was left behind by Tael and the Skull Kid. The fairy insisted that Link take her with him as his companion, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and her brother Tael.

Link soon discovered that he had wandered into a parallel universe which was threatened with imminent destruction by its Moon. He met the Happy Mask Salesman, who promised Link that if he was able to recover Majora's Mask from the Skull Kid, he would restore Link to his true form. Skull Kid had stolen the evil mask, which was a powerful artifact that had been used by an Ancient Tribe for hexing rituals. The Skull Kid, possessed by the mask, caused mischief for the people of Termina. He imprisoned his former childhood friends and deities of Termina, the Four Giants, within their respective temples, cursed the four lands the Four Giants created, and pulled the Moon from its orbit and destined it to crash into Clock Town in just three days in order to destroy all of Termina.

Link then set off in his Deku form, finding himself in Clock Town at the epicenter of Termina. With the help of Tatl and the Great Fairy, he managed to find the Skull Kid atop Clock Tower. With an unearthly shriek, the Skull Kid began to bring the moon down completely to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fired a Bubble Blast at the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. Upon picking it up, memories of his departure from Hyrule flooded back to Link. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, he played the Song of Time, and was immediately thrown back to the morning that he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.

The Happy Mask Salesman taught Link the Song of Healing, restoring him to his human form. The hero gained the Deku Mask which held the spirit of a Deku. Donning the mask allowed him to transform into Deku Link once again. He again requested that Link recover Majora's Mask, stating his belief in the Hero of Time's strength. Link went to the four temples in the South, North, West, and East in order to free the Four Giants from their prisons and stop the moon from falling. In his travels, Link obtained transformation masks which allowed him to assume the forms of heroes whose souls he had healed with the Song of Healing.

Once Link confronted the Skull Kid again, he summoned the Giants, causing the demon Majora to reveal itself as the source of the Skull Kid's evil. As the moon descended upon the Clock Tower, Link went inside it, where he confronted Majora on an otherworldly plain. Once Majora was defeated, the Hero of Time's secret journey ended with the beginning of the Carnival of Time.

### LOZ: Twilight Princess

Having been sent to the Twilight Realm, Ganondorf languished there for years, until he met Zant and promised him power in exchange for freedom from his prison.

Ganondorf took the form of a dark monster and promised the Twili Zant incredible powers and the throne of the Twilight Realm on one condition: Zant would merge the worlds of Light and Twilight in order to create a world of darkness. Zant agreed, and pledged his undying service to his new master. He used his newfound powers to transform the Twilight Princess Midna into an imp and take the throne before launching his invasion of the light world.

Hyrule was unprepared for the invasion, and Princess Zelda soon found herself with her back against the wall. When given an ultimatum by Zant to surrender or die, she chose to surrender. Zant sent his minions over the land and stole power from the Light Spirits guarding each province, shrouding the kingdom of Hyrule in Twilight.

Midna uncovered the dark magic of her Dark Interloper ancestors in the form of the Fused Shadow. She used its magic to help a youth from Ordon Village named Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time, who had become trapped in the Twilight in the form of a wolf. Twili legend said that the Hero of Light would appear in the form of a sacred beast: in this case, a wolf. Midna struck a deal with Link that she would help him regain his human form if he would help her gather the other pieces of the Fused Shadow in order to defeat Zant. Once Midna and Link had cleared the land of Twilight and gathered the Fused Shadows, Zant revealed himself and stole the Fused Shadows, wounded Midna, and cursed Link to his wolf form once again.

Midna and Link sought the aid of Princess Zelda, who gave up her soul so that Midna could live, and told Link to seek out the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove. The Master Sword dispelled the curse on Link, and allowed him to transform between his human and wolf forms at will. Throughout his adventure, Link learned the secrets of combat from the ghost of his ancestor, the Hero of Time. The Hero had lived a life filled with regret because he could not be a hero in this timeline, so he imparted his wisdom to his descendant.

In order to enter the Twilight Realm and confront Zant, Midna and Link sought the Mirror of Twilight at Arbiter's Grounds, but Zant had shattered it into pieces and scattered it across the land. The Sages who had executed Ganondorf appeared to the pair and told them about Ganondorf's involvement with the darkness which plagued the land. Midna and Link gathered the pieces of the Mirror and entered the Twilight Realm, and Link defeated Zant in single combat. Zant was not fazed, however, boasting that Ganon would save him. In her fury, Midna reclaimed the Fused Shadow and used its power to destroy Zant completely.

    Link and Midna went to the top of Hyrule Castle in order to battle the King of Darkness, who was in possession of Zelda's lifeless body. He possessed it and forced Link to do battle with the princess. Once he defeated her, Midna revived Zelda and Link defeated Ganon in his beast form. Midna used the Fused Shadow to become a terrifying monster and her struggle with Ganon destroyed the castle itself. Midna transported Link and Zelda to Hyrule Field, where they battled Ganondorf on horseback, and finally Link defeated Ganon in single combat, stabbing him in the chest. Ganon attempted to use the Triforce of Power to revive himself, but discovered that its power had left him. Zant stood on the gateway to the afterlife, mocking Ganon by snapping his own neck just as Ganon died.

Midna was restored to her true form as the beautiful Twilight Princess, and with the aid of Link and Zelda, was able to finally return to the Light Realm alongside her subjects. Link returned to Ordon Village; however, he later departed with Epona from his hometown and was seen meeting up with Midna at Lake Hylia for unknown reasons.

## Adult Timeline

The presence of the Hero who went back and forth in time generated a fork in history, dividing Hyrule's chronology. The Adult Timeline is the timeline that follows the events after Link is being sent back to his original time, following the Hero of Time's defeat of Ganondorf in the final battle and his subsequent sealing within the corrupted Sacred Realm by the Seven Sages.

This timeline contains the following games: *The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass,* and *Return to Hyrule.*

### LOZ: Wind Waker

    Many years after the Hero of Time's victory, the seal of the Seven Sages began to weaken for an unknown reason, and Ganondorf managed to escape his imprisonment. Ganondorf intended to make good on his threat to the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages that he would escape one day to make their descendants pay for his imprisonment.

The people of Hyrule hoped that the Hero of Time would show up to save them, but the hero did not appear. Left with no other choice, they used the power of the Triforce of Courage to flood the land, causing the Kingdom of Hyrule to be submerged underwater. The Triforce then shattered into numerous pieces.

The people of Hyrule would then go on to build a new civilization on the surface of the Great Sea and, with the passing of time, largely forget the memory of the old Hyrule that still existed deep beneath the waves. On Outset Island, a tradition emerged of having young boys wear the green garb of the Hero of Time for one day on their birthdays.

Beneath the waves, Ganon was revived and built a base in the Forsaken Fortress and filled it with his dark army. He sought out all young girls with long, pointed ears, in hopes that he would capture the descendant of Princess Zelda, who would be in possesion of the Triforce of Wisdom. In response, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule also awoke and used his powers to guide a boat called the King of Red Lions on the surface world.

On Outset, a young boy named Link came of age and was given the Hero's Clothes to wear for one day. Unfortunately, this was the day that the terrible bird called the Helmaroc King attacked the island, carrying the pirate captain named Tetra. The bird dropped Tetra on the island, but left with Link's sister Aryll. Link joined forces with Tetra's pirates in order to storm the Forsaken Fortress and rescue Aryll. The Helmaroc King captured Link once he reached Aryll's cell, and showed him to Ganon. Ganon thought the boy was worthless, so the bird threw him into the sea. Luckily, the King of Red Lions rescued Link and brought him to Windfall Island. Along with the magical baton called the Wind Waker, they journeyed across the Great Sea in order to retrieve the Magic Pearls and open the gateway to Hyrule. Link raised the Tower of the Ancients to the surface and proved his worth to be a hero by passing its trials. Then, he ventured down the ancient kingdom of Hyrule and drew the Master Sword from its pedestal.

    With the Master Sword in hand, Link went to challenge Ganon in the Forsaken Fortress, but Ganon told him that the sword was powerless to defeat him, because it did not have the power to repel evil. Link went back to Hyrule with Tetra, where the King of Red Lions revealed himself as the King of Hyrule and Tetra as his descendant Princess Zelda. Link then searched for the Sages of Earth and Wind in order to restore the power of the Master Sword. He awakened Medli as Sage of Earth and Makar as Sage of Wind. Their prayers restored power to the Master Sword. Link then searched for the Triforce of Courage, which had been split into eight pieces when the Hero of Time left to return to his own time. Armed with the Triforce and the Master Sword, Link returned to the kingdom beneath the waves and challenged Ganon atop his tower.

Ganon united the Triforce pieces and made a wish that he be the ruler of Hyrule. However, before he could touch the Triforce to make his wish come true, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule touched the Triforce and wished for Hyrule to be washed away, so that his descendants could build a new future above the waves. Ganon was defiant, and faced Link and Zelda in battle. Link stabbed Ganon in his forehead, turning him to stone as the waves crashed around him. The King, staying behind to be buried beneath the waves along with his kingdom, sent Link and Zelda back the surface world in order to begin their new future.

### LOZ: Phantom Hourglass

After defeating Ganon, Link and Tetra set out on a new voyage. They reached the waters ruled by the Ocean King to investigate rumors about a mysterious Ghost Ship which had terrorized the ocean.

The Ghost Ship appeared and Tetra jumped aboard and was taken away. Link tried to rescue her, but fell into the ocean. He awoke on Mercay Island and met Nabi the Fairy and her "grandfather," Oshus.

Link met a sea captain named Linebeck who let him use his ship. After searching for clues in the Temple of the Ocean King with the help of the Phantom Hourglass, Link rescued the Spirits of Power and Wisdom, and discovered Navi was the Spirit of Courage. Link then boarded the Ghost Ship in order to rescue Tetra, who had been turned to stone. Oshus revealed himself to be the Ocean King and told Link that an evil monster named Bellum had drained her life force. He then affirmed that the only thing which could defeat Bellum was the Phantom Sword.

Link journeyed through the seas to find the three Pure Metals and forge the Phantom Sword. Then, he ventured deep into the Temple once more to confront Bellum. He defeated Bellum, but then Bellum possessed Linebeck and forced him to fight in the form of a powerful knight. Link was able to defeat Bellum without harming Linebeck, and restored Tetra to life. The Ocean King returned Link and Tetra to their world, where only ten minutes had passed since they left. Link was not sure if the entire adventure had been a dream, but then he saw that he carried the empty Phantom Hourglass, and saw Linebeck sailing off into the distance.

## Decline Timeline

The Fallen Hero Timeline is the timeline in which Link, the Hero of Time, despite his best efforts, was defeated by Ganondorf in the final battle. Ganondorf obtained the remaining Triforce pieces from Link and Zelda, but was still subsequently sealed within the corrupted Sacred Realm by the seven Sages.

This timeline contains the following games: *Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda*, and *The Adventure of Link*

### Ganondorf obtains the complete Triforce & The Imprisoning War

After the Hero of Time is defeated at the hands of Ganondorf, the King of Evil extracted the Triforce of Courage from Link and the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda. Obtaining the true power of the complete Triforce, he is transformed into the Demon King Ganon. In a desperate last resort, the Seven Sages seal Ganon along with the complete Triforce away in the Sacred Realm, which transformed into the Dark World as a reflection of Ganondorf's evil heart.
Hyrule enjoys a brief period of peace, but as rumors spread of the Golden Power lying in the Sacred Realm, greed-ridden Hyruleans traveled to the Sacred Realm seeking it, never to return. Within the Dark World, they were transformed into monsters by the power of the Triforce and became a part of Ganon's army. As this army grew larger, it poured forth from the Sacred Realm and attacked Hyrule.

The King of Hyrule commanded the Seven Sages of that era to seal the gateway to the Dark World shut, in order to halt Ganon's invasion of the kingdom. The Seven Sages did so under the protection of the Knights of Hyrule. The Knights of Hyrule took the full brunt of the attack from Ganon's monsters, and while they fought courageously to the end, they were nearly wiped out entirely as they did their duty. Their lives were not lost in vain however, as they bought the necessary time for the Seven Sages to create their seal, trapping Ganon's forces in the Dark World and halting the invasion. Though it had come at a very high cost, with this, the war ended in a victory for Hyrule. The people of Hyrule rejoiced nonetheless at the restoration of order and peace to their kingdom, thanks to the efforts of the Seven Sages and the Knights of Hyrule.

Following the destruction of the kingdom during the Imprisoning War, the bloodline of the Hylians diminished significantly compared to how it was in the Hero of Time era. The sages' power waned as well, and the kingdom became a mere shadow of its former glory

### LOZ: Link to the Past

    The Kingdom of Hyrule remained at peace for many years, until the land was suddenly plagued by a series of misfortunes. The King of Hyrule offered a reward for anyone who could put a stop to them; it was then that the dark wizard Agahnim appeared. Using previously unheard-of magic, the mysterious stranger put a stop the disasters. 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. Agahnim used this position and his magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's soldiers, depose the King of Hyrule, and make six of theMaidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear into the Dark World. 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.

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.  He climbed Agnahim's Tower and met Agahnim at the top. Link defeated Agahnim once more.

Agahnim 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 his 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.

### LOZ: Harp of Ages & Rod of Seasons

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 Zelda's sacrifice. In order to obtain these flames, the witches sent their minions: Onox, General of Darkness, to Holodrum, to capture Din, the Oracle of Ages; and Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, to Labrynna, to capture Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. The Oracle of Secrets, Farore, however, was able to avoid being captured throughout the entirety of the saga.

One day, when Link 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.

    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.

Link later travelled to Labrynna, where he 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.

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. Link was able to drive Veran out of the body of Queen Ambi and defeat her.

Link would later bid fairwell to the companions he made in Labrynna, and sailed off on a ship in an attempt to return to his home of Hyrule.

### LOZ: Link's Awakening

    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 Eight Instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish who slept in an egg atop Mt. Tamaranch.

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 theNightmare. 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.

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.

### LOZ: A Link Between Worlds

    Some time after Ganondorf'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 invaded Hyrule from Lorule, transforming the Seven Sages into paintings. The same Link from the previous 4 titles in the timeline, 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. Along with the Triforce of Power, Yuga and Ganon are joined as one, and using this power, Yuga desires to consume both Hyrule and Lorule. 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. Taking the Triforce of Wisdom from Princess Zelda's portrait, she explains the history of her kingdom. Lorule once had it's own Triforce, but was destroyed by her ancestors long ago to stop endless wars over it's 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 it's own Triforce, she sent Yuga, Ganon's counterpart of Lorule, to obtain the keys to unlocking the Triforce of Power, the 7 Sages, as well as capture the weilders of the Triforces of Courage & Wisdom, Link & Zelda.

Summoning Yuga, she demands he obtain the Triforce of Courage from Link. Yuga, using Ganon's power of the Triforce of 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, to which he obliges, handing her the pieces of the Trioforce. Hilda, becoming stronger than ever faced off in a final battle against Link. With the help of Zelda, Link managed to defeat Hilda, 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 it's former glory, and a new, brighter age dawns upon both Lorule and Hyrule.

### The Golden Era

Following the defeat of Hilda and the recovery of the Triforce, Hyrule entered a Golden Era of peace, in which great and wise rulers governed the land with the strength of the united Triforce at their command.

    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. Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan. Since his own son did not fit this archetype, 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 . 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.

### The Legend of Zelda

    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 Ganondof, who once again had been revived from his days from*A Link Between Worlds*, and sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the current 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.

### Adventure of Link

Although Link had defeated Ganon, his underlings remained. Waiting for the return of their master, they continued to cause chaos and disorder in Hyrule. The key to Ganon's resurrection was the blood of Link—the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. The Demon King would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.

    Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. One day, a strange mark resembling crest of the kingdom appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. Link went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid, who was shocked when she saw the birthmark. She took Link to the North Castle and told him of the tragedy of the Princess Zelda of old. In order to revive the eternally sleeping Princess, Impa entrusted to Link six Crystalsand 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.

## Four Swords Timeline

The Four Swords Timeline takes place in an alternate fork of reality in Hyrule's history. In this world, the Kingdom of Hyrule was established by the Link and Zelda of Skyward Sword. Through the events of *Minish Cap*, the Master Sword was eventually transformed into into the Four Sword.

This Timeline contains the following games: *Heaven's Light, Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures* and *Triforce Heroes.*

### LOZ: Heaven's Light

The Link of Skyward Sword eventually returned to living in Skyloft after establishing the Hyrule Kingdom with Zelda and baring a child with her, watching over the Triforce.

As years went by and the Kingdom of Hyrule continued to develop in peace, one day the land was suddenly overwhelmed by evil creatures that descended upon it in swarms, said to be the remaining forces of Ghirahim and Demise, These monsers began driving the world into shadows and bringing the kingdom to near-ruin.

As Hyrule neared the brink of collapse, Link, now heavily aged, returned from the heavens and withdrew the Master Sword to once again do battle against evil. Link reunited with his daughter, Zelda V who informed her father of her mother's passing away.

Griefingly, Link began travelling to the many strongholds the monsters had set upon the lands. Link eventually learned that the curse Demise had put into motion had finally begun, as he eventually came face to face with Ganondorf's first, and so far, his youngest incarnation.

The Hero drove the beasts back and restored light to the land of Hyrule.

To ensure the beasts could not bring further destruction to the land, the Hero of Men sealed them all within the Bound Chest. Sealing the chest with the Master Sword itself, Link was able to bring the destructive war to an end and brought peace to the kingdom.

### LOZ: Minish Cap

    One year, in celebration of when the Picori last came to Hyrule 100 years ago to the day, the festival was unusually grand. Hyrule Castle was hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill that called to mind the heroes of legend. That year's champion was a mysterious man by the name of Vaati. He won the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule was abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. During the ceremony following the sword competition, Vaati shattered the sacred Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest, which, for an age, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Vaati was after the Light Force, that golden light that was once wielded by the hero mentioned in the legends of the Picori. He subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before making a speedy departure.

King Daltus asked the young Link to seek out the Picori and ask them to reforge the sacred blade. Traveling to the Minish Woods he met Ezlo, who helped him find the Picori, or Minish as they called themselves. Link met with the elder of Minish Village, who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he would require the four Elements, the embodiments of the sacred powers of earth, fire, water, and wind. Once he had gathered the Four Elements, Link brought the Picori Blade—now the White Sword—to the Elemental Sanctuary hidden within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.

There he infused the White Sword with the Elements, fully restoring the sacred Four Sword; a legendary blade with the power to split one warrior into four.

Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed King Daltus and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness. He had discovered that the sacred Light Force had actually been passed down through Hyrule's princesses, and so he prepared to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her rescue, and, after vanquishing Vaati, he used the Four Sword's evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda. Vaati had been a Minish, an apprentice of Ezlo, who was also a Minish. Ezlo had made a magical cap with the power to grant wishes, but Vaati had stolen it and used it to become a powerful sorcerer. He had transformed Ezlo into a hat himself, then proceeded to hunt down the Light Force. Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used to restore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaati's cruelty might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Light Force that still dwelled within her, many miracles happened as a result and peace returned to Hyrule.

### LOZ: Four Swords

For generations Zelda and her descendants managed the seal of the Four Sword, but one day the seal weakened. Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine. As they approached the shrine to check on the seal, a dark figure suddenly appeared and grabbed princess Zelda. The seal on Vaati had weakened over time, and Vaati managed to break out of his prison within the Four Sword.

Having still no memory of his time as a Picori, or the power of the Light Force, Vaati did not recognize the princess and saw her only as a fair maiden. He decided she was to become his bride to commemorate his return and took off with her to his palace. After being instructed by fairies, Link takes the Four Sword from its pedestal and is split into four, as the legend foretold. The Great Fairies could help Link to get to the Palace of Winds, but not until he proved himself courageous enough. After traveling over three different lands and the dungeons they contained, Link and his three other selves confronted the wind mage in the Palace of Winds, the seat of Vaati's power. After an arduous battle between the sorcerer and the heroes, Link was able to reseal Vaati into the Four Sword's blade. Princess Zelda and the people of Hyrule once again kept a watchful eye on the Four Sword.

### LOZ: Four Swords Adventures

Hundreds of years after Vaait's defeat, the people of Hyrule lived in prosperity. At this time, the Gerudo's one male was born, Ganondorf. Ganondorf violated their taboo on the Ancient Pyramid. He stole the Trident from the pyramid and then stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness. The mirror served as a prison for a Dark Tribe, namely the Twili, that, long ago, invaded the kingdom. It had the ability to reflect the evil heart of its bearer, helping Ganondorf in giving birth to demonic creatures.

Ganondorf schemed to release the ancient sorcerer Vaati from his prison within the Four Sword, and created a dark copy of Link, Shadow Link, with the Mirror.

The clouds of darkness covering the land made Zelda uneasy, so she gathered the six shrine maidens to renew the seal upon Vaati. At that moment, Shadow Link appeared and scattered the maidens with his powers. Link drew the sword from its pedestal, splitting into four just as in ancient times. However, this released Vaati from his prison to cause chaos. Ganon used Shadow Link to tear open rifts to the Dark World, pulling the four Knights of Hyrule into his sway and transforming them into Stalfos.

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.

### Triforce Heroes

In Tri Force Heroes, Link passes through the kingdom of Hytopia on his travels after certain, undisclosed events. He is the same hero from *Four Swords* and *Four Swords Adventures*, and dresses differently to hide his heroic origins. While passing through Hytopia, however, he is spotted by an assistant of Madame Couture, who recognizes his traits of having pointed ears, long sideburns, and side-parted hair. According to a prophecy in the land, these are the traits characteristic of the fabled Tri Force Heroes.

Link learns that the kingdom's princess, Styla, has been cursed by a witch to wear an irremovable, tacky outfit. Her father, King Tuft, has sent an urgent request to kingdoms far and wide looking for heroes who match the description of the Tri Force Heroes, hoping that they can save his daughter and put a stop to the witch. Link is drafted into the kingdom's Witch-Hunting Brigade, and is paired with two other heroes who are also referred to as Links, though they are actually have no relation to the Triforce of Courage or the Spirit of the Hero.

## Summary

### Unified Timeline

* Hyrule Warriors
* Skyward Sword
* Ocarina of Time

### Child Timeline

* Majora's Mask
* Forgotten Legacy
* Twilight Princess

### Adult Timeline

* Wind Waker
* Phantom Hourglass
* Breath of the Wild
* Spirit Tracks

### Decline Timeline

* A Link to the Past
* Rod of Seasons
* Rod Ages
* Link's Awakening
* A Link Between Worlds
* Legend of Zelda
* Adventure of Link

### Four Swords Timeline

* Golden Light
* Minish Cap
* Four Swords
* Four Swords Adventures
* Triforce Heroes