Lex's Zelda Timeline

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The Legend of Zelda TimelineWritten and compiled by Lex of ZeldaInformer

The Creation of the WorldAlso known as The Genesis Preface1

Placement: At the very beginning of everything2

Figure 1: The goddesses breathe order and life into the world

State of the Triforce

The Triforce is whole, having just been created and left behind by the goddesses to govern the

world.3

Description

Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the

chaos that was Hyrule: Din, the goddess of power; Nayru, the goddess of wisdom; Farore, the

goddess of courage. Using their various abilities, they brought order and life to the world. Din,

with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her

wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced

all life forms who would uphold the lawthe animals that crawl the land and the birds that soar

in the sky, and all of the living creatures of the world.

1 A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule2Ocarina of Time, The Great Deku Tree

3A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule ; Ocarina of Time


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Figure 2: The goddesses return to the heavens

The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. They consummated

the land with a symbol forged of their own powers, in the form of sacred golden triangles which

remained at the point where the goddesses left the world: the Triforce. The three goddesses hid

the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule, a beautiful kingdom

surrounded by forests and mountains, to govern the land. Since then, the sacred triangles have

become the basis of our world's providence. And the resting place of the triangles has become theSacred Realm. They would shine in the Sacred Realm until one who was worthy of inheriting

those powers appeared.1

The Ancient Sages

Also known as The Construction of the Temple of Time and The Forging of the Master SwordPlacement: Several millennia after the Creation


The Triforce is whole and resting in the Sacred Realm, and has not yet been touched.2 The seals

of the Temple of Time are cast by the ancient sages on the entrance to the Sacred Realm in order

to protect it from evils.3

Description

The Triforce itself cannot judge between good and evil. That is because only the gods can dothat.4If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of

prosperity. If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by

1A compilation of the stories told inA Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule and by the Great Deku Tree

in Ocarina of Time2A Link to the Past, GBA instruction manual3Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda

4A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule


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evil.1The stronger the wish, the more powerful the Triforce's expression of that wish2. So, the

ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones. The entrance was

sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time.3

Figure 3: The Door of Time and the Spiritual Stones

It could not be assumed that only a good person would get their hands on the Triforce. For that

reason, the people of Hyrule were told by the gods to make a sacred blade which evil ones may

never touch that would repulse any evil that may kidnap the Triforce: the blade of evil's bane, the

Master Sword.4 The Master Swordthe evil-destroying sword5was crafted by the wisdom of

the ancient sages6 and was the final key to the Sacred Realm.7 According to the tales handed

down by the Hylians, only the Hero who has destroyed three great evils and won three crests can

wield the sword.8

The Prolonged WarsAlso known as The Fierce Wars 9

Placement: Fighting continues until less than a decade before Ocarina of Time10


The Triforce is whole and resting in the Sacred Realm, and has still not yet been touched. The

seals of the Temple of Time on the entrance to the Sacred Realm continue to protect it from

evils.11

State of Ganon

1Ocarina of Time, Sheik2

A Link to the Past, Essence of the Triforce3Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda4A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule

5Ocarina of Time, Rauru

6Twilight Princess, Princess Zelda7Ocarina of Time, Rauru

8A Link to the Past, Sahasrahla9Ocarina of Time, Deku Tree Sprout10

Ocarina of Time, Deku Tree Sprout11A Link to the Past, GBA instruction manual


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The original Ganondorf is born sometime before the termination of the Prolonged Wars in Gerudo

Fortress and ascends to the Gerudo throne.1

Description

Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred...2

For ages, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body. But soon, word of the Sacred Realm

spread through Hyrule.3 One such example is an old saying about the Triforce.

In a realm beyond sight,

The sky shines gold, not blue.There, the Triforce's mightMakes mortal dreams come true."

The people, seeking the Golden Power, began searching for the Sacred Realm. Some said the

Triforce lay under the relics of the desert or inside the graves of the race of people in the high

mountains, but no one ever found it. That yearning for the Triforce soon turned to lust for power,which in turn led to the spilling of blood. Soon the only motive left among those searching for the

Triforce was pure greed.4 The people began to quarrel and fight,5 and friendly people had to live

with unrest.6

Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared. Wielding powerful

sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the holy land of Hyrule. A great battle ensued. It

was then that the goddesses ordered the three light spirits to intervene. They sealed away the great

magic those individuals had mastered.

Figure 4: A representation of the shadow clan who tried to conquer the Sacred Realm

The interlopers, in turn, were banished, chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into

another realm, a world of shadows. The goddesses left behind but a single link between the

1Ocarina of Time2Ocarina of Time, Shadow Temple inscription

3Twilight Princess, Lanayru4A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule5Twilight Princess, Lanayru



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worlds of light and shadow: the Mirror of Twilight, which passed into the hands of the protectors

of Hyrule.1

In the midst of the violence and bloodshed, a Hylian mother and her newborn baby boy wandered

into the forbidden Kokiri Forest. The mother was critically injured and soon passed away, and the

Great Deku Tree, sensing the boy was a child of destiny, whose fate was intertwined with that of

the entire world, took the child in and raised him as a Kokiri. The boys name was Link.2

The conflicts ended when the King of Hyrule unified the kingdom and maintained order using the

Triforce.3

The Adult Timeline

Ocarina of TimeAlso known as The Imprisoning War 4

Release date:November 23, 1998Platform: Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Wii Virtual Console

Director/Writer: Toru OsawaPlacement: A few years after the final cessation of the Prolonged Wars and the unification of Hyrule 5


When Ocarina of Time begins, the Triforce is still resting in the Sacred Realm in the custody ofthe royal family. Once Ganondorf touches it, however, it splits into its three constituent parts,

Power, Wisdom, and Courage, which come to rest in Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link, respectively. It

remains separated as such even after Ganondorf is sealed in the Sacred Realm.

State of Ganon

Ganondorf touches the Triforce and the demon king Ganon is born6through his use of the

Triforce of Power. At the end of the Imprisoning War, the seven sages seal him and his Triforce

away in the Sacred Realm.

Description

Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudos who hail from the desert far to the west7, ceaselessly used

his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm.8 He was known as a demon thief,

an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness.9 With his followers, he stole from women

1Twilight Princess, Lanayru2Ocarina of Time, Deku Tree Sprout

3The Adventure of Link, Instruction Manual

4 Toru Osawa, 1998 interview5Ocarina of Time, Deku Tree Sprout

6A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule7Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda8Ocarina of Time, The Great Deku Tree

9Twilight Princess, Ancient Sages


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and children, and even killed people.1His band of thieves invaded Hyrule in the hopes of

establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm.2

In the forest of Kokiri, he placed a death curse upon the guardian spirit of the forest, the Deku

Tree; on Death Mountain, the ancestral home of the Gorons, he sealed off the Dodongos cavernrock quarry, resulting in a rock famine that threatened the very existence of the mountain people;

he cursed the water spirit Jabu-Jabu, who resided in Zoras Fountain, the sacred water sourceguarded by the Zoras.

Two individualschildren, as it wereforesaw the coming danger: Princess Zelda of the Hylian

royal family, the princess of destiny3, and the young Link, the boy without a fairy, taken in almost

a decade before by the Deku Tree.4 The Deku Tree, as he neared death, decided that the time had

come for Link to accept his destiny, and so he sent Navi the fairy to deliver the lad a summons. In

order to test young Links courage, the Deku Tree bade Link venture inside his hollow and break

Ganondorfs curse. Link did so without hesitating, but, of course, his efforts were fruitlessthe

Deku Trees death was sealed in the pages of fate before he even began. With his last breath, the

Deku Tree bestowed upon Link the spiritual stone of the forest and entreated him to travel to

Hyrule Castle to seek an audience with Princess Zelda.

Figure 5: Link battles the evil Gohma in order to break the curse

Zelda told Link of her dreams, that she had seen him come from the forest and break through the

veil of darkness, bearing hence a green and shining stone, accompanied by a fairy. She also

warned Link of Ganondorf and his evil intentions to steal the Triforce of legend, and insisted that

Link track down the other spiritual stones so that they might get to the Triforce first and put an

end to his plot. Link set out for Death Mountain and Zoras Domain, where he assisted theGorons and the Zoras in quelling the calamities that Ganondorf had wrought in his pursuits and

1Ocarina of Time, Nabooru2Twilight Princess, Ancient Sages3Ocarina of Time,The Great Deku Tree

4Ocarina of Time, The Deku Tree Sprout


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they bestowed upon him the other two stones. He then returned to Hyrule Castle to inform Zelda

of his success just in time to witness the second half of his dream come to passGanondorf

attacked Hyrule Castle in an attempt to steal the Ocarina of Time, and Zelda was forced to flee in

order to keep the sacred relic from Ganondorfs hands. She passed on the Ocarina to Link as she

made her way from the castle.

Link made his way to the Temple of Time and used the four keys to open the Door of Time.Behind it lay the Master Sword, the blade of evils bane, resting in the Pedestal of Time. Link

withdrew the blade, unlocking the gateway to the sacred lands. But then something no one could

have anticipated happenedthe Master Sword, though it accepted Link as its master, the chosen

hero, sealed him away in the Sacred Realm.

Though the Door of Time had been opened in the name of peace, Ganondorf used it to enter the

forbidden Sacred Realm! The land was like no other.1In the Temple of Light2, the Triforce shone

from its resting place high above the world. Ganondorf fought his way past his followers in a lust

for the Golden Power. After vanquishing his own, the leader stood triumphant over the Triforce

and grasped it with his blood-stained hands.

The emblems' spirits began to whisper: "If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it too."3Ganondorf had only one wish: to merge shadow and light, and make darkness.4

The Triforce, the sacred triangle, is a balance that weighs the three forcesPower, Wisdom, and

Courage. If the heart of one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that onewill gain the True Force to govern all, but if that ones heart is not in balance, the Triforce will

separate into three partsPower, Wisdom, and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one

who touched the Triforcethe part representing the force that one most believes in. If that one

seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts. Those two parts will be held within

others chosen by destiny, who will hold the Triforce marks on the backs of their hands.

When Ganondorf the King of Thieves laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came truethe

Triforce separated into three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorfs hand.The strength of the Triforce of Power enabled him to become a mighty, evil king.5 Indeed, Ganon,

the Demon King of Darkness, the one who has threatened Hyrule, was born at this time.6 He went

on to invade the Sacred Realm, and it became a world of evil. But his dark ambitions were not

satisfied. To gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started looking for those chosen by

destiny to hold the two other Triforce parts.7


2Ocarina of Time, Rauru3A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule

4Twilight Princess, Zant5Ocarina of TimeSheik6A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule

7Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda


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Figure 6: Ganondorf wielding the Triforce of Power

In time, evil power began to flow from the Golden Land. Greedy men were drawn there andconsumed by this power, and disappeared. Black clouds permanently darkened the sky, and many

disasters beset Hyrule.1

An order of knights protected Hylian royalty.2 The King of Hyrule called upon the seven sages of

Hyrule as well as the Knights to seal the source of this evil.3It has been said that whenever

disaster waylays the royal family, a Hero shall emerge from the bloodline of the Knights of

Hyrule.4The sages first had to search for the existence of the Master Sword and a hero to use it.5

Because of the evil power in the temples, however, they could not hear the awakening call from

the Sacred Realm.6

Ganondorfs powers of darkness, enhanced by the Triforce of Power, ran unchecked. His hunt for

the other two Triforces was in vain, for their bearers had all but disappeared. His search for

Princess Zelda was similarly futile, for she had gone into hiding. Still, Ganondorfs powers were

ever-advancing, and his evil army swarmed from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule andattacked the castle. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought

courageously, many a brave soul was lost that day.7His evil power radiated from the temples of

Hyrule, and in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters.8

But then, just as all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand, a miracle came in the

form of a young man clothed in green9, the long-lost Link, who appeared as if from nowhere.

Wielding the blade of evils bane, he awakened those called to be sages, who dwelt in the five

temples: one in a deep forest, one on a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one within the house

of the dead, and one inside a goddess of the sand. The sages seals contained all the evil power in

the void of the Realm.10

1

A Link to the Past, GBA The History of Hyrule2A Link to the Past, Sahasrahla3A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule

4A Link to the Past, Maiden

5A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule6Ocarina of Time, Sheik

7A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule8Ocarina of Time, Rauru9The Wind Waker, Legend of the Hero

10Ocarina of Time, Sheik


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Link exposed Ganon in his keep, where a climactic battle unfolded. Without a strong, righteous

mind, Ganondorf could not control the power of the gods, and so he was subdued at Links hands.

The sages, their power now awakened, cast the evil incarnation of darkness into the void of the

evil realm . Princess Zelda herself, the leader of the sages, then sealed the gateway, and, thus,Ganondorf the dark lord vanished from Hyrule. Zelda then instructed Link to lay the Master

Sword to rest and close the Door of Time, and he returned to his original time.

Figure 7: Link and Sheik do battle against Ganon's hordes

All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's misuse of the

Triforce's power. This war, which had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning War

in stories told in later centuries.1 Link, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as

the Hero of Time. His tale was passed down through generations until it became legend. 2

The Triforce of Wisdom was kept within the Royal Family of Hyrule by Princess Zelda to protect

it from evils grasp. A piece of the Triforce was given to the Hero of Time and he kept it safe,

much as Zelda kept hersthat sacred piece is known as the Triforce of Courage. When the Hero

of Time journeyed through the flows of time and left the land of Hyrule, he was separated from

the elements that made him a hero, and the Triforce of Courage remained behind.3

And the seal would remain for all time, or so the people hoped.4

1A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule2The Wind Waker, Legend of the Hero3The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

4A Link to the Past Introduction


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The Sleeping ZeldaAlso known as The Legend of Zelda1

Placement: A few years after the Imprisoning War


The Triforce of Power still dwells with Ganon and the Triforce of Wisdom dwells with the royalfamily of Hyrule, but the Triforce of Courage has by now split into eight fragments and been

hidden throughout Hyrule.2Part of the Triforce of Wisdom passes to the prince.

State of Ganon

Ganon is sealed away in the Sacred Realm by the sages seal and possesses the Triforce of Power.

Description

After the king died, the prince of the kingdom should have become king and inherited everything,

but he could only inherit the Triforce in part. The prince searched everywhere for the missing

parts, but could not find them.

Figure 8: The legendary King of Hyrule

A wizard close to the king said that, before he died, the king had said something about the

Triforce to the younger sister of the prince, Princess Zelda. The prince immediately questioned

the princess, but she revealed nothing. The wizard threatened to cast the princess into eternalsleep if she did not talk, but, still, Princess Zelda said nothing. The wizard, fighting off the

startled prince, cast his spell. The princess fell on that spot, entering a deep sleep, and at the same

moment the wizard collapsed, too.

In his grief, the prince placed the princess in the North Castle. The prince hoped that somedayZelda would awaken from her slumber. So that this tragedy would never be forgotten, he ordered

every female child born into the royal household be given the name Zelda.3

1The Adventure of Link The Legend of Zelda

2The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

3The Adventure of Link The Legend of Zelda


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The Great FloodPlacement: A few generations after the Imprisoning War


The Triforce of Power remains in Ganons hand, and the Triforce of Wisdom is split up amongst

Daphnes, the King of Red Lions, and the Princess, Zelda. The Triforce of Courage remains

hidden, even when Hyrule is covered by floodwaters.

State of Ganon

Ganon somehow escapes the sages seal and terrorizes Hyrule once again with the Triforce of

Power. Some time before the Great Flood actually occurs the Master Sword invokes a seal on him

and his magic, preventing him from accessing his full power until the sword is withdrawn from

its pedestal.

Description

But then a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that allthought had been forever sealed away by the Hero once again crept forth from the depths of the

earth, eager to resume its dark designs.1Ganondorf returned to Hyrule in a red wrath,2and the

land of Hyrule was once again turned into a world of shadows.3He attacked the temples and stole

the sages souls, knowing he had to remove the power within the enchanted blade of evils bane.4

The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them, but the hero had

journeyed into the flows of time, and did not appear. Faced by an onslaught of evil, the peoplecould do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their

future in the hands of fate.5

Figure 9: The people plea to the gods to deliver them from Ganon's darkness

When the gods heard their pleas, they chose to seal away not only Ganon, but Hyrule itself, and

so, with a torrential downpour of rains from the heavens the fair kingdom was soon buried

beneath the waves, forgotten at the bottom of the ocean. Yet all was not lost. For the gods knew

that to seal the people away with the kingdom would be to grant Ganon's wish for the destruction


2The Wind Waker, Laruto3The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule4The Wind Waker, Fado

5The Wind Waker, Introduction


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of the land. So, before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would awaken

Hyrule and build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops.

So long as Ganondorf was not revived, Hyrule would remain below, never waking from its

slumber. Hundreds of years passed.1 The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legendsurvived on the winds breath. On a certain island, it became customary to garb young boys in

green when they come of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspire to find heroic blades andcast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend.2

The Wind WakerRelease date: March 24, 2003Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Director/Writer: Eiji Aonuma/Mitsuhiro TakanoPlacement: Hundreds of years after the Great Flood


The Triforce of Wisdom is reunited and passes to Tetra, the Princess, and the Triforce of Courageis reformed by Link, the Hero of Winds. Ganon unites these Triforces with his Triforce of Power,

and Daphnes touches the complete Triforce, becoming its master. What precisely happens to the

Triforce after the ending ofThe Wind Wakeris unknownthis theory presumes that Daphnesswish leads to the circumstances present in The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link,

whether directly (the Triforce of Courage would be hidden in the Great Palace at this time) or

indirectly (the Triforce would pass into the hands of the royal family).

State of Ganon

Ganon is free of the seal of the gods cast along with the seal on Hyrule, curiously without having

broken the seal. Link destroys him with the Master Sword after he loses his Triforce piece, and

his corpse is left at the bottom of the ocean.

Description

On that island, a young boy named Link finally came of age to wear the green of the hero.

Unfortunately, his birthday plans were about to be dashed. A giant bird flew over his island,

carrying a young girl in its talons. Hot on its tail was a pirate ship, sending a catapult barrage after

it in an attempt to force it to touch down. One of the projectiles caused the bird to drop the girl,

who landed in a tree in the forest atop the island.

Link grabbed a sword and rushed off to find the girl. Her name was Tetra, and Link learned that

she was captain of that band of pirates. As Link led her back to her ship, the bird swooped down

and kidnapped Links younger sister, Aryll, mistaking her for Tetra. A Rito postman informed thestunned Link and the unsympathetic Tetra of stories of a large bird who kidnapped young girls

with long ears and took them back to the cursed Forsaken Fortress.3 He charged Tetra with

helping young Link rescue his sister from that wicked place. Tetra reluctantly accepted, and with

her help, Link was able to infiltrate the fortress and reach the cell where his sister was being kept.

1The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule2The Wind Waker Introduction

3The Wind Waker, Quill


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But the great bird discovered him, and, at the command of a sinister shadowy figure, it hurled

him into the sea.

Figure 10: Tetra lands on Outset Island

He was recovered by a talking boat, who introduced itself as the King of Red Lions. The King

told him of the story behind that shadowy figure, and the threat that that wrongdoer posed. The

shadow was Ganon. Somehow, someway, the seal of the gods had failed. Ganon had returned, and

the world was once again in danger. According to the legends, Ganon could not be defeated byhuman handsthe key to defeating Ganon was locked away in a great power that could only be

wielded after much toil and hardship.

Only one who was able to overcome the trials that awaited in the Tower of the Godsa place that

the gods of the ancient world prepared so that they might test the courage of menwould be

acknowledged a true hero. Only then would that hero be permitted to wield the power to destroy

the great evil. That power was none other than that of the Master Sword, the blade of evils bane,

and it could banish Ganon from the world above.1Or, at least, so the King of Red Lions believed.

Before entering the Tower of the Gods, Link had to gather the three pearls from various deities

across the Great Seathe Spirit of the Skies, Valoo; the Spirit of the Earth, the Deku Tree; andthe Spirit of Water, Jabunwhich he accomplished with the help of an ancient conductors baton

called the Wind Waker. Though he did, indeed, succeed in the trials of the gods and claim the

Master Sword from Hyrule below, when he returned to the Forsaken Fortress, destroyed that

monstrous bird, and proceeded to challenge Ganondorf, he learned of the unfortunate fate that

had befallen the Master Sword, that it no longer sparkled with the power to repel evil. He also

gathered that by withdrawing the blade from its place in Hyrule Castle, he had broken the final

seal placed by the gods on Hyrule and on Ganondorfs demon tribe, stirring all the monstersfrozen in time in the kingdom below from their centuries-long slumber.2

Tetra rushed to his rescue, and yet another revelation transpired. When Tetra approached Ganon,

his Triforce of Power resonated. This could only mean one thingTetra possessed the Triforce of

Wisdom, none other than the sacred power of the gods that the royal family had kept fromGanons clutches for so many long years. Her mother had instructed her to keep it close, and to

safeguard it always. The Triforce of Wisdom was proof of her birthrightTetra was the true heir

to the royal family of Hyrule, the last link in the bloodline. Tetra was Princess Zelda.3Of course,

Ganon caught wind of this immediately, and so he tried to seize the Triforce of Wisdom then and

1The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule2The Wind Waker, Ganondorf



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there. Luckily, a pair of Rito managed to swoop down and rescued them from Ganons grip, and

the sky spirit Valoo set fire to Ganons chambers, creating enough of a disturbance to permit their

escape.

Zelda was brought to Hyrule Castle below the waves, and the King of Red Lions imparted newsof her identity and her role in these events before giving her the missing shard of the Triforce of

Wisdom. He then instructed her to remain in Hyrule and sent Link back to the sea above toreawaken the Master Swords power and reunite the still-split Triforce of Courageuntil then,

the portal to the world below the waves would be sealed, and he would be unable to return again

to Hyrule.

Figure 11: Tetra is Princess Zelda

To complete his task, those who carried on the blood of the sages had to be found to take the

stead of the old in the temples and ask the gods for their assistance.1 With their power and

prayers, he was able to restore the blade of evils bane. He then hunted down the scattered shards

of the Triforce of Courage and brought the completed piece back to the Tower of the Gods to

present it to the gods. The Triforce piece then dwelled within him, proving that he was the true

hero, the Hero of Time, reborn. Because Link had used the power of the Wind Waker to travel the

Great Sea, the King of Red Lions declared him the Hero of Winds.

When Link descended beneath the waves, he discovered that Ganon had kidnapped Zelda and

taken her to his headquarters, Ganons Tower, a daunting fortress that even the legendary Knights

of Hyrule had been unable to assail in ages past. Link made haste for the tower, and, when he

scaled it, Ganon was waiting for him. Ganon caught Link off guard and, since he had once again

gathered the three crests, he managed to summon the full Triforce. His wish was that the rays of

the sun might expose Hyrule anew2 so that the kingdom, nay, the world, might be his.

But the King of Red Lions touched the Triforce first. The Kings wish was that Hyrule might be

buried beneath the waves and that he, Ganondorf, and the ancient land might drown under the

torrents. But he was not about to make all of Links efforts to help restore the world end in vain

he also wished for hope for his descendants, that they might be able to create a better world.


2The Wind Waker, Ganondorf


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Figure 12: Link duels with Ganon, assisted by Zelda

In a fit of madness, Ganondorf attacked Link. With the blade of evils bane at its full power, Linkdealt the final death blow to Ganon. He and Tetra were spirited away to the surface of the sea, and

the floodwaters came crashing down, burying Hyrule beneath the sea. Tetra and Link, hell-bent

on bringing the kings wishes to fruition, set out to find a new land.

Phantom HourglassRelease date: October 1, 2007Platform: Nintendo DSDirector/Writer: Daiki Iwamoto/Hajime Takahashi

Placement: A few months afterThe Wind Waker

Description

In their travels, Link and Tetra happened upon seas protected by a great spirit, the Ocean King. In

these seas, the locals whisper rumors of a mysterious Ghost Ship. Suddenly a thick fog surrounds

Tetras vessel and the pirates spot a creepy, rickety old ship. Brave Tetra leaps on board to

investigate, but the Ghost Ship begins to sail away. Link makes a valiant attempt to follow Tetra

into the Ghost Ship, but he loses his grip and plunges into the ocean.

He awakens on an unfamiliar island with a curious fairy fluttering overhead. Her name was Ciela

and she had lost her memory. The only person she seemed to know was a mysterious old man

named Oshus, who she called Grandpa. Oshus pleaded with Link not to pursue the GhostShip, but Link was determined, and so Oshus lent him a sword and bade him good luck on his

travels. He suggested that Link find a sailor named Linebeck who shared his desire to hunt down

the Ghost Ship.

Link went to the harbor in search of Linebeck, but found that he was not there. The people of the

island told him that the captain had entered the Temple of the Ocean King, so Link, with sword in

hand, set off for the mysterious temple. There he rescued Linebeck from one of the temples traps,

and dove into the temples cursed fog to retrieve a map that would lead him to one of the three


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Ocean Spirits who could help him find the Ghost Ship. All the while, he collected a mysterious

substance called the Sand of Hours to fill an artifact known as the Phantom Hourglass, which

could protect him from the temples curse with the power of Force.

Linebeck agreed to help Link as long as he could help himself to the heaping treasure rumored tobe on board the ship. Together they rescued all three spirits, one of whom was an alter-ego1 of

Ciela, and rescued Tetra from the Ghost Ships depths. She had been turned to a lifeless form, herForce stolen by the Ghost Ship. Oshus appeared as if from nowhere and explained that a demon

named Bellum was responsible, that the demon sought to devour all the Force in the Ocean

Kings sea, and that it was drawn to Tetra because of her bold, vibrant soul.2

.

The old man also revealed that he was in fact the very Ocean King himself, that he had created an

alter-ego of his own to escape imprisonment by Bellum. Bellum had stolen much of his own

Force and used it to create alter-egos of itself known as the Phantoms. To defeat Bellum, Link

would need the power of a sacred blade, the only weapon that could harm the Phantoms. Bellum

dwelt in the lowest depths of the Temple of the Ocean King, and if Link purged it of the demons

evil, the Ocean King would be restored to his former glory.

Link hunted down the three Pure Metals required to forge such a blade, traveling to the home ofthe Gorons, an icy paradise to the north, and an abandoned and lost kingdom in a forgotten sea,

and brought these metals to the swordsmith, Zauz. He forged a blade for Link, which he took to

Oshus, who blessed it with the power of the Phantom Hourglass, creating the Phantom Sword.

With the Phantom Sword, Link was able to defeat Bellum and its Ghost Ship and restore Tetras

life force, as well as that of the Ocean King. The Ocean Kings sea restored, Link and Tetra were

sent back to their ship to continue their journey in search of new lands, left with only the now-

empty Phantom Hourglass as evidence of Links heroic deeds.

The Restoration of HyrulePlacement: Several centuries spanning the gap betweenPhantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda


The Triforces of Wisdom and Power are in the hands of the royal family of Hyrule. The Triforce

of Courage awaits a new king to collect it from the Great Palace3on the eastern island of the

former Cobble Kingdom.

Description

The following is fan speculation, based in theory and on parallels between certain elements

seen in The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, The Wind Waker, andPhantom

Hourglass, as well as between the backstories ofTwilight Princess, Four Swords Adventures,

andA Link to the Past.

As a means of building a new kingdom and ordaining a new king, Daphnes left the Triforce of

Courage in the ancient Great Palace and cast a spell that would cause a mark to appear on the

1In this context, alter-ego means clone, Jumbie, LegendsAlliance Forums

2Phantom Hourglass, Oshus3The Adventure of Link, instruction manual


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hand of one worthy of the kingship after the pattern of the heroes of legend. He wrote a scroll

detailing his plan and entrusted it to the Impa family that had served the royal family and even

then protected the Sleeping Princess resting in the North Castle.

The land that was once the ancient Cobble Kingdom served as a new home for the descendants ofthe Hylians as they spread to all parts of the world1, and they named their country Hyrule after

the land of their ancestors. The tradition of sages passed back into the hands of the Hylians, andthe ancient sages who sealed away the evil that plagued their ancestral homeland long ago were

revered anew.

The Deku Tree and his Korok children spread forests over the islands on the Great Sea. Forests

hold great powerthey can transform a small island into a much larger island.2The Deku Tree

had planned to use this power to create a great island where the ancient land once stood. Over the

next several centuries, the islands slowly expanded until the Deku Trees dream was realized

Hyrule was restored, and the great island became a part of the new country the people had built.

The Legend of ZeldaAlso known as The Age of Chaos

Release date: August 22, 1987Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo GameCube, GameBoy Advance, Wii Virtual Console

Director/Writer: Shigeru MiyamotoPlacement: Some generations after the New Hyrule is founded


The Triforce of Power has been stolen by Ganon, and the Triforce of Wisdom, which was in the

hands of the Princess, Zelda, has been split into eight fragments and hidden in undergroundlabyrinths throughout Hyrule.3The Triforce of Courage dwells in the Great Palace on the large

island to the northeast of mainland Hyrule4, and plays no part in the story ofThe Legend of Zelda.

Both Triforces, Wisdom and Power, are in Links hands by the storys end.

State of Ganon

Ganon appears in his demon beast form, which is associated with his possession of the Trident

first seen inFour Swords Adventures. The release ofBS-Zelda 1 for theBS-Xsystem also showedthis incarnation of Ganon wielding the Trident, which has led this concept to be seen as universal

for this form of Ganon. Ganon has stolen the Triforce of Power when the game begins and is

destroyed by the Silver Arrows in the final battle.

Description

The World entered an age of Chaos. Among this chaos, in the tranquil Kingdom of Hyrule, thelegend of the Triforcegolden artifacts holding untold mystical powerswas handed down over

generations.

One day, a dark army attacked the peaceful kingdom and seized the Triforce of Power. This army

1A Link to the Past, The History of Hyrule2The Wind Waker, The Great Deku Tree3The Legend of Zelda, The Age of Chaos

4The Adventure of Link, instruction manual


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was led by Ganon, a powerful warlock bent on reigning over a dynasty of fear and darkness.

Fearing his nefarious designs on the throne, Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, split the Triforce of

Wisdom into eight fragments and scattered them throughout the realm to keep them out of

Ganons reach. She then commanded her trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to flee the castle and seek

a champion with the courage to battle Ganon. Ganon, infuriated by the news of Impas escape,imprisoned the princess, and ordered a horde of henchman to hunt down the elderly nursemaid.

Figure 13: Link comes to Impa's aid

Desperately running through forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life. Just as her strength

began to fail, Impa found herself surrounded by Ganon's underlings. She was certain all hope was

lost, but a young lad appeared and drove off the wicked attackers, saving her from a fate worse

than death. The boy explained that his name was Link, and that hed stumbled across Impa and

her attackers as she traveled through the area. Grateful for his assistance, Impa told young Link

the story of Princess Zeldas predicament and Ganons vile grip on the kingdom.

Upon hearing this heart-wrenching tale, Link vowed to save Zeldabut he knew that as long as

Ganon held the Triforce of Power, he was a fearsome foe that could not easily be defeated. In

order to vanquish him, Link would have to collect the scattered Triforce fragments and fuse them

into the Triforce of Wisdom. Without the Triforce of Wisdom, Link would have no hope of

slaying Ganon.1

Link ventured across fields, through valleys, and into the Underworld dungeons of Hyrule in

order to reform the Triforce. Then he fought his way to Death Mountain, destroyed Ganon with

the demon-slaying Silver Arrows, and saved Princess Zelda.

1The Legend of Zelda, The Age of Chaos


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Figure 14: Link slays Ganon with the Silver Arrow

The Adventure of LinkRelease date: December 1, 1988

Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo GameCube, GameBoy Advance, Wii Virtual ConsoleDirector/Writer: Tadashi Sugiyama

Placement: A few years afterThe Legend of Zelda


Link possesses the Triforces of Power and Wisdom1, and seeks the Triforce of Courage in the

Great Palace to wake the sleeping Zelda. In the end, he claims all three Triforces and uses their

full power to awaken the princess. Presumably he goes on to become king, as the Triforce was

left for the time when a great king will come.2

State of Ganon

Ganons minions are attempting to revive him after his destruction in The Legend of Zelda. The

blood of one who defeated him is needed to restore him, so they are hunting Link to use Links

blood to satisfy the ritual.3

Description

Though the Hero, Link, defeated Ganon and rescued Princess Zelda, Hyrule remained plagued

with evil. In the passing seasons, the powers that Ganon had left behind, as well as his remaining

underlings, were causing chaos and disorder throughout the kingdom. Ganons servants hoped to

revive their master by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on Ganons ashes.

One day, as Link approached his sixteenth birthday, a strange mark shaped like the crest of thekingdom appeared on the back of his hand. The worried Link consulted Impa, Princess Zelda's

elderly nursemaid. Shocked and frightened, Impa took Link to the North Castle to explain the

legend behind the mark. Only the descendants of the Impa family who had served under the king

knew how to open the door to the North Castle. On an altar in the middle of the room lay a

1The Legend of Zelda2The Adventure of Link, NES instruction manual

3The Adventure of Link, instruction manual


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beautiful woman, the sleeping Princess Zelda from ancient Hyrule. Impa began to explain the

legend of the sleeping princess.

Figure 15: Impa shows Link the Sleeping Princess

From the stand next to the sleeping princess, Impa gave Link six crystals and a scroll with the

same crest as the one on his hand. She explained that the items had been given to her ancestors by

the King and handed down for generations in their family for when a time of need would come.

The scroll, which contained the key to uniting the Triforce, was written in an ancient script that

only those with the crest would be able to read.

Link glanced at the scroll doubtfully, but found that he understood the words as clearly as if they

were being spoken to him. The scroll revealed that the key to unlocking the Triforces power was

uniting all three: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. The last king of Hyrule had left Power and

Wisdom in the kingdom, but had hidden Courage, because only an individual with a strongcharacter and special inborn qualities could use it without disastrous results. Because the king had

not found such a person during his reign, he cast a spell on Hyrule so that the crest would appear

on the chosen one. But, if it were used beforehand, the Triforce would produce many evils.

The scroll went on to reveal that the Triforce of Courage was in the Great Palace in the Valley of

Death on the largest island in Hyrule. To enter the Great Palace, however, Link would fight have

to fight the guardians protecting each of the six palaces in Hyrule, place the crystals in crystal

statues, and undo the binding force protecting the Valley of Death.

Surely with the Triforce of Courage Link could awaken Princess Zelda from her eternal slumber.

With a magical sword in his left hand and a magical shield in his right, he set off alone on his

travels. At that very moment, Ganons underlings were calling up new allies from the realm of

evil and working devilishly towards the revival of their leader.1 With the help of Power and

Wisdom, and with his magical sword, Link entered the Valley of Death, where he fought his own

shadow.

1The Adventure of Link instruction manual


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Figure 16: Link battles Shadow Link for possession of the Triforce of Courage

After a battle that shook the world, the Triforce of Courage, along with the other two parts, came

into his possession. With the Triforce at his disposal, Link awakened the Sleeping Princess and

brought an end to the Age of Chaos, and the kingdom of Hyrule was restored to its originalsplendour.

Oracle of SeasonsRelease date: May 14, 2001

Platform: GameBoy ColorDirector/Writer: Hidemaro Fujibayashi

Placement: Some time afterThe Adventure of Link


The full Triforce rests in Hyrule Castle, and sends Link on his adventure.1

State of Ganon

Twinrova is undertaking a Ganon resurrection plot throughout the entirety of the Oracles series.In Oracle of Seasons, they use the actions of Onox to light the Flame of Destruction, one of threeflames needed to revive Ganon.2

Description

One day in Hyrule, a strange force drew Link deep within Hyrule castle, where he found the

Triforce resting, glittering brilliantly as it awaited him. Link... Link... Accept the quest of the

Triforce! Suddenly, Link was enveloped in a circle of light, and the next moment, he vanished.

When Link awoke, he found himself in a forest he had never seen. Confused, he looked around

blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings. He heard pleasant music and laughing voices echoing

from deep within the woods. Link followed the inviting voices until he came upon a travelingtroupe of actors. He was immediately struck by the beauty of a young woman who was dancing

1Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Introduction

2Oracle of Seasons,Twinrova


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Twinrova lights the Flame of Sorrow using Verans actions in Labrynnas past as a catalyst.1 They

then kidnap Princess Zelda, triggering the Flame of Despair, and attempt to offer her as a sacrifice

to revive Ganon. They are forced to sacrifice themselves instead, resulting in a botched revival

that fails to restore Ganons mind. Link defeats Ganon with the reforged Master Sword.2

Description

Not long after his trials in Holodrum, Link awoke one day to find himself deep in a strange forest.

As he started to walk through the woods, he heard cries for help coming from just up ahead of

him. Link hurried toward the voice, only to find a group of monsters surrounding the woman who

was screaming. When the monsters saw Link, they immediately fled. The woman who was being

attacked was none other than Impa, nurse to Hyrule's Princess Zelda. Impa said she had come to

the forest to search for a singer named Nayru, and she requested Links assistance. Despite the

strange look she gave him, Link could not refuse her request.

As they traveled even deeper into the forest, they found a young woman singing. Invited to sit by

the group of animals that listened to the girl's song, Link joined in the circle and let the beautiful

song fill his ears and penetrate his heart. This was surely Nayru, the singer Impa was searchingfor.

Figure 18: Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, in her grove in Labrynna

Just then, Impa erupted in a cackling laugh and a frightening shadow lifted from her body. The

shadow called itself Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, and began swooping about the forest before

flying straight into the body of the frightened singer. Her face became veiled in shadow, and herbright smile had vanisheda piercing, evil gaze had replaced it. Veran had taken over Nayrus

body, and before vanishing into the ether, she declared that she planned to thrust the world into an

age of darkness. 3

It was soon revealed that Nayru was actually the Oracle of Ages who controlled time in this land

of Labrynna. When the oracle was kidnapped, the flow of time in Labrynna was distorted, and

1Oracle of Ages, Twinrova2Oracle of Seasons/Ages, linked ending

3Oracle of Ages, introduction


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strange things began to happen. Verans plan was to travel to the past and gather power from the

sorrows of the people of Labrynna so that she could create her age of shadows. Link set out to

stop her, and, in his trials, he found Nayrus Harp of Ages, used it to travel back in time and

restore Labrynnas past, and, with the eight Essences of Time at his command, defeated Veran

atop her Black Tower. Labrynna was saved from Verans plan to spread the power of the DarkWorld and cast the land under a pallor of darkness.

But then Princess Zelda was kidnapped by the evil Gerudo witches, Twinrova. Twinrova had used

Onox and Veran to light the Flames of Destruction and Sorrow. Now, with Hyrules princess

captured, the Flame of Despair burned, and she would be sacrificed to complete the dark rites of

the Gerudo. The Evil King Ganon would return!1

Link defeated Twinrova and halted the completion of the rites that would have revived Ganon.

Since they could not sacrifice Zelda in their final rite, the powers of darkness could only revive a

mindless, raging Ganon, whom Link defeated with the guidance of the Triforce. Now hope and

peace could return to the hearts of the people.2

Figure 19: The revived King of Darkness, Ganon

The Hero of MenPlacement: At least one hundred years after the events ofOracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

Description

Long, long ago, evil spirits descended upon the land of Hyrule. Just when it seemed that the

world was to be cast into the darkest of shadows, the tiny Picori appeared from the skies and

bestowed on a courageous human a shining golden light and a single sword. This bravest of men

used his wisdom and courage, his golden light, and his sword to fight off the demons and restore

1Oracle of Seasons/Ages, linked ending

2Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Princess Zelda


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peace to the world. The people were so grateful for the Picoris help that they held an annual

celebration in their honor.

Figure 20: Monsters attack the people of Hyrule

The tradition of the Picori Festival continued, but over the generations, the Picori themselves

passed into legend. The legend of the Picori tells of a mystic doorway that opens just once every

hundred years. When the door is open, the Picori can cross from their world into Hyrule.1

The Minish CapRelease date:November 12, 2004

Platform: GameBoy AdvanceDirector/Writer: Hidemaro Fujibayashi

Placement: At least one hundred years after the events of The Hero of Men

Description

One year, on that year in one hundred, the festival was unusually grand. Hyrule Castle was

hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill, recalling the great battles of legend. That years

champion was a 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.2

The young Link, whoattended the festival that year with his childhood friend, the princess, Zelda, was charged by his

grandfather, a Master Smith, with delivering a sword that would be presented to the champion.

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 sacred Force, that golden light that was once wielded by thehero of the Picori legend. He subdued the castle guard and turned Princess Zelda to stone before

making a speedy departure. Link was then asked by Master Smith to seek out the Picori and ask

them to reforge the sacred blade, and traveled to the Minish Woods.

1The Minish Cap, instruction manual

2The Minish Cap, instruction manual


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Figure 21: Ezlo and Link arrive at the Minish Village

There he met Ezlo, a curious creature who he rescued from a group of monsters. Ezlo hopped on

his head like a hat and offered to help him find the Picori. He also helped Link shrink down to aminiscule sizethe size of the Picori people, who called themselves the Minish. Link met with

the elder of the Minish village, who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he

would require the four Elements, sacred jewels which embodied the power of the elementsearth, fire, water, and wind.

Once he had gathered the four Elements, he brought the Picori bladerenamed the White Sword

by a Minish swordsmithto the Picori Shrine beneath Hyrule Castle. There he infused the WhiteSword with the Elements, turning it back into the full sacred bladethe Four Sword. It had the

power to split one warrior into four.

Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed the King of Hyrule and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness.

He had discovered that the sacred Force had actually been passed down through Hyrulesprincesses, and so he prepared to extract the Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her

rescue, and, after subduing Vaati, he used the Four Swords power to restore Zelda. He then

proceeded to destroy Vaati.

Figure 22: Link duels one of Vaati's monsters in the darkened Hyrule Castle


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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 powerful

Force mentioned in the legends.1 Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used torestore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaatis cruelty

might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Force that still dwelled within her,many miracles happened as a result.

Now that the land of the humans had been saved, Ezlo ventured back into the world of the

Minish, not to return until perhaps the next day, on that year in one-hundred, when the doorway to

their world opens once again.

Four SwordsRelease date: December 2, 2002

Platform: GameBoy AdvancePlacement: Some time afterThe Minish Cap

Description

Vaati emerged once again, this time as a wind sorcerer who could bend the wind to his will. He

used this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati

would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy. Many knights from the castle and other

brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell to Vaatis awesomepower. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a

sword at his side appeared.

When the young lad took out his sword, he split into four separate beings. The legends say these

four beings worked as one and defeated Vaati. The wanderer, united once again, imprisoned Vaati

deep in Hyrule and sealed the prison with his own sword. This place became known as the Realmof the Four Sword. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared. The people did not

believe the story, but they called it the Four Sword nonetheless. As rumors of the blades power to

divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.

Figure 23: The Shrine of the Four Sword, hidden deep in Hyrule

1The Minish Cap, Ezlo


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Princess Zelda of the land of Hyrule was a beautiful young girl born with the mysterious power to

sense approaching forces of evil. For this reason, she was assigned with the sacred duty of

protecting the shrine of the Four Sword and the blade itself. One day, 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 thehappenings at the shrine.1

Then, the wind sorcerer Vaati broke out of his prison and then snatched Princess Zelda. Link

claimed the strange power of the Four Sword and fought Vaati fiercely. In the end, he succeeded

in sealing Vaati away once again. And so, peace was restored to Hyrule once again. Or so

everyone thought...2

Four Swords AdventuresRelease date: June 7, 2004Platform:Nintendo GameCube

Director/Writer: Toshiaki Suzuki/Aya KyogokuPlacement: Some time afterFour Swords

State of Ganon

A second incarnation of Ganondorf claims the Trident used by Ganon and becomes the King of

Darkness, assuming the same demonic persona as the ancient demon. He is sealed in the FourSword by the maidens, who then seal the Four Sword in the Pyramid of Power in the Sacred

Realm.

Description

Swiftly and suddenly, dark clouds covered all of Hyrule. Ominous clouds that filled all those who

saw them with fear. A sense of dread swept across the land.3 Princess Zelda, worried about the

seal that bound the wind sorcerer Vaati, called Link and the six maidens who guard Hyrule andthe Four Sword Sanctuary to make sure Vaatis seal remained strong. 4Princess Zelda and the six

maidens were taken by dark forces, and, in order to save them Link drew the mystic blade,

accepting the destiny of the Hero and setting Vaati free once more.5

Figure 24: The Four Links combine their efforts to battle evil

1Four Swords, instruction manual

2Four Swords Adventures, instruction manual3Four Swords Adventures, introduction4Four Swords Adventures, Princess Zelda

5Four Swords Adventures, Kaepora Gaebora


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The four Links rescued Zelda and the maidens and defeated the wind sorcerer Vaati. But there

were still monsters about, the tower was crumbling, and Zelda sensed a tremendous power

approaching. It was Ganon, King of Darkness, ancient demon reborn, the wielder of the Trident!

His goal had been to use Vaati to remake Hyrule into a land of darkness.1

Ganondorf, of the Gerudo Tribe, once destined to be the mighty guardian of the Gerudo and thedesert, had stolen the Dark Mirror, which had the power to reveal the wickedness within a person

and bring it to life2, cast the Knights of Hyrule into the Dark World3, and used the power of

darkness granted to him by the Trident to smother the light.4Zelda, the maidens, and the four

Links combined their powers and sealed Ganon away from the world.5

A Link to the PastAlso known as The Great Cataclysm

Release date: April 13, 1992Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, GameBoy Advance, Wii Virtual Console

Director/Writer: Takashi Tezuka/Kensuke TanabePlacement: Some time afterFour Swords Adventures


The Triforce rested in Hyrule Castle until it was stolen by Ganons minions, who brought it to

him in his prison in the Dark World. Link reclaims the Triforce in the ending and uses it to right

the wrongs wrought by Ganon.

State of Ganon

Ganon shatters the Four Sword into fragments which he scatters throughout the Pyramid of

Power and steals the Triforce, using its power to transform those who enter the Sacred Realm. He

seeks to break the Sages Seals on the Dark World so that he can fulfill his wish.

Description

The land of Hyrule healed its wounds and the people lived in peace for a long time. So it is nosurprise that no one was prepared for the new disasters that struck Hyrule. Pestilence and drought,

uncontrollable even by magic, ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule ordered an investigation of

the imprisoned Dark World, but the seal was apparently intact. The people had nothing else to do

but pray to the gods.

He offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to these

summons a stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen

form of magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief advisor and heir to theSeven Sages. The masses proclaimed him their hero. Once more, peace appeared to have returned

to Hyrule.

1Four Swords Adventures, Princess Zelda

2Four Swords Adventures, Red Maiden3Four Swords Adventures, Blue Knight4Four Swords Adventures, Red Maiden

5Four Swords Adventures, Princess Zelda


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Left in charge of the country, Agahnim began to govern Hyrule in place of the King and abuse his

political power as he saw fit. Of late, rumors have traveled their whispering path with alarming

frequency. Rumors saying Agahnim planned to remove the King and take the crown for himself

rumors of strange magical experiments in the castle tower at night... 1He cast spells on thesoldiers and kidnapped young maidens descended from the Sages in order to break the seal. This

destiny fast approached the final maiden, the princess, Zelda.2

Figure 25: Agahnim, the evil priest

The only weapon potent enough to defeat Agahnim was the legendary Master Sword. Legendssay only the Hero who has won the three Pendants could wield the sword3:

The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve

wins three symbols of virtue.The Master Sword he then retrieves,keeping the Knight's line true. 4

That hero was supposed to emerge from the descendants of the Knights of Hyrule who had aided

the seven sages during the battle against evil in which the sages seals were cast. But the Knights

had nearly been wiped out in that battle, and so it was thought that the hero would never riseagain.5 Luckily, Link was the last remaining member of their bloodline, the one destined to

become the legendary hero6, and he managed to obtain the three pendants from the temples in

Hyrule and found and withdrew the Master Sword from its resting place in the Lost Woods.

Figure 26: Link draws the Master Sword inA Link to the Past

1A Link to the Past, The Coming of the Wizard2A Link to the Past, Introduction

3A Link to the Past, Sahasrahla4A Link to the Past, Master Sword pedestal inscription5A Link to the Past, Sahasrahla

6A Link to the Past, Maiden, Thieves Town


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But Link claimed it too late, and by the time he arrived to challenge Agahnim at Hyrule Castle,

the priest had already offered Zelda to the Dark World, thereby breaking the sages seal, then

opened a gate to link the worlds. Link then learned that Ganon, the evil King of Darkness, had

rediscovered the sacred land and claimed the mystical Triforce.1 Ganon wished to conquer theworld, and so demonic power transformed the sacred land into the Dark World.

After building up his power, Ganon had planned to go on to the light world to completely fulfill

his wish, but he was unable to return from there. His evil power remained with him, trapped there

by the sages seals. 2Now that the sages seals were broken, however, it was only a matter of time

before evil power covered the land.3 If Ganon was allowed to return to the world of light, nothing

would be able to stop him. As long as he remained in the Dark World, however, Hyrules hopes

remained as well.4

Using a magical mirror, Link traveled between the worlds of light and darkness and rescued the

maidens from evil monsters in palaces scattered throughout the Dark World. With their power, he

was able to penetrate the barrier surrounding Ganons Tower in the Dark World. He ascended the

tower, where he again discovered the priest Agahnim. This time he managed to defeat Agahnim,

who finally revealed himself as the alter-ego5of Ganon.6

Figure 27: Link and Ganon face off in the final battle

Ganon fled to the Pyramid of Power, now ready to make his way to the world of light, but Link

was hot on his heels. Armed with the legendary Silver Arrows and the Master Sword, he faced offwith the King of Darkness. With the Silver Arrows, he was able to deal a fatal blow to Ganon and

recover the Triforce. Thus was the Sacred Realm purged of Ganons evil power, and thus did Link

become the new master of the Triforce of legend.

Links AwakeningAlso known as The Journey of EnlightenmentRelease date: August 1, 1992

Platform:Nintendo GameBoy, GameBoy ColorDirector/Writer: Takashi Tezuka/Kensuke Tanabe

Placement: Some time afterA Link to the Past

Description

1A Link to the Past, Swamp Palace Maiden2A Link to the Past, Essence of the Triforce

3A Link to the Past, Agahnim4A Link to the Past, Princess Zelda5

In this context, alter-ego means clone, Jumbie, LegendsAlliance Forums6A Link to the Past, Ganon


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But the people of Hyrule were still apprehensive. They feared the dangers that could arise from

Ganons ashes. Ever vigilant, Link left on a journey of enlightenment, in search of wisdom that

would help him better be able to withstand the next threat to his homeland.

Figure 28: Link sets out by sea to prepare for new threats

After months of difficultbut fruitfultravel, Link was returning home to Hyrule when a squall

suddenly struck his ship. Link valiantly fought off the waves, but a lightning bolt reduced his ship

to splinters. Link drifted with the wreckage of his ship, and awoke in the care ofZelda? No,Link discovered, he was on Koholint Island, in the care of a woman named Marin. In the

distance, on Koholints central mountain, loomed a gigantic egg. Link learned from a mysterious

owl that in order to get off the island he had to recover eight sirens instruments and awaken the

Wind Fish sleeping in the giant egg. The owl also gave him a warning: The isle of Koholint isbut an illusion. Human, monster, sea, skya scene on the lid of a sleeper's eye. Awake the

dreamer, and Koholint will vanish much like a bubble on a needle.

Figure 29: A tablet describing the true nature of the Wind Fish's dream

Link gathered the instruments from all over Koholint and approached the egg, and when he

played them before it, it opened to admit him. Inside he challenged DethI, the ruler of a band of

demons known as the Nightmares. DethI took on the forms of many of his most powerful

enemies, but Links courage persevered, and he defeated the fiend.


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With DethI gone, the Wind Fish awoke, and it spoke to him: I am the Wind Fish. Long has been

my slumber. In my dreams, an egg appeared and was surrounded by an island, with people,

animals, an entire world! But, verily, it be the nature of dreams to end! When I dost awaken,

Koholint will be goneonly the memory of this dream land will exist in the waking world.Someday, thou may recall this island. That memory must be the real dream world. Come, Link,

let us awaken together! Play the eight instruments! Play the song of awakening!

The two dreamers awoke, and Link found himself adrift off the coast of Hyrule, the Wind Fish

flying overhead. His adventures on Koholint were finally over. A seagull passed by, and he

wondered what became of Marin when the Wind Fishs dream ended.

The Child Timeline

Majoras MaskRelease date: October 26, 2000Platform:Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube

Director/Writer: Eiji Aonuma/Mitsuhiro TakanoPlacement: Some months afterOcarina of Time

Description

After Link returned to the past to relive his lost years, he elected to set out to find Navi, with

whom he had parted ways after completing his quest to save Hyrule. Princess Zelda, with whomhe had become close friends, gave him the Ocarina of Time with a promise that, if he used it in

time of need, the Goddess of Time would come to his aid. She also told him that she knew, deep

in her heart, no matter where his journey led him, that their paths would someday cross again.

Figure 30: Link arrives in Clock Town in the center of Termina

Links secret journey away from Hyrule led him into the parallel world of Termina, where the evil

Majoras Mask, abusing and feeding off of the loneliness of the forest Skull Kid Link had met

during his previous adventures, had summoned a terrible demonic moon that threatened to


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descend and annihilate all existence. With only three days until Armageddon, Link gratefully took

advantage of the divine protection of the Goddess of Time, manipulating the flows of time in

order to succeed in his endeavor to stop the moon from destroying Termina. After awakening the

Four Giants, the guardian deities of Termina, Link managed to confront Majora, and in a duel of

the ages he defeated the evil imp, obliterating that accursed moon and saving Termina from ruin.

Twilight PrincessRelease date:November 19, 2006

Platform: Wii, Nintendo GameCubeDirector/Writer: Eiji Aonuma/Aya Kyogoku

Placement: Some generations afterMajoras Mask


The Triforce is once again split among the chosen wielders as in Ocarina of Time and presumablyfor the same reasons.

State of Ganon

Ganon is captured by the sages and they attempt to execute him, but he manages to survive

thanks to the Triforce of Power. Thus, in haste, the sages banish him to the Twilight Realm

through the Mirror of Twilight, and he is sealed away until the events ofTwilight Princess.

Description

When Link returned to the past, the Triforce of Courage mark appeared on his hand, indicating

that the Triforce has again split into its three parts. Suspecting that Ganondorf was inside theSacred Realm and has touched the Triforce, just as before, he traveled to Hyrule Castle and warns

Princess Zelda of what he fears will come to pass. With the knowledge of Ganondorfs invasion

of the Sacred Realm exposed before he can attack Hyrule, the sages sprang into action, catchinghim off-guard and subduing him. They brought him to justice in an attempt to put an end to hisevil magic.

But Ganondorfs abiding lust for power turned to purest malice.1He drew deep of the malice of

the ancient Twili and became strong again.2Realizing they were no match for Ganondorfs power

of the gods, the sages were forced to seal him away in the Twilight Realm using the Mirror of

Twilight. Little did they know that, in the Twilight Realm, the greedy Zant sought out power such

as that which Ganondorf once again possessed. After being denied the kingship of the Twili, Zant,

in a thrall of hatred, encountered Ganondorf, who appeared to him as a god, Ganon, who bore

power with which Zant could become a king. As long as Zant obeyed him, Ganon promised to

revive Zant without cause.3 And so Ganons evil power was passed on to Zant.4

1Twilight Princess, the sages2Twilight Princess, Ganondorf3Twilight Princess, Zant

4Twilight Princess, the sages


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Figure 31: Ganondorf being pierced by the sages' sword

The Mirror of Twilight was fragmented by this mighty magic. Only the true leader of the Twili

can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight, so Zant could merely break it into pieces. Once broken

by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which lay hidden across the land of Hyrule.1

Zant, now a king of darkness, transformed the blessed kingdom of Hyrule into a world ofshadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light. Zants goal was that his tribe might take back theworld of light when light and darkness met at last and darkness blotted out the light.

The light spirits in Hyrule had had their light stolen by fell beasts, and the entire kingdom was

reduced to a netherworld ruled by the cursed powers of darkness.

Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the

twilight, they lived on, unaware that they had passed into spirit forms. All the people knew was

fear, fear of a nameless evil. The blight would not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world

of light would fall into the hands of the king who ruled the Twilight. To save the land from the

king of Twilight, the lost light had to be recovered. The three light spirits who lost their light

needed to be revived. There was but one who could revive them and redeem the landthe hero

chosen by the goddesses.

That hero was a young man named Link who hailed from Ordon village to the south of Hyrule.

Those transformed by twilight usually cannot recover their original forms, but, however, in theland covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, Link was transformed into a blue-eyed

beast. It was a sign that the powers of the chosen onethe powers of the ancient hero chosen by

the godsrested within him, and that they were awakening.2 Link needed to use his courage to

seek poweronly then could he become the hero for whom the world despaired. He had need ofthe forbidden power that the spirits of light locked away. Because of its nature, it was a power

that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. But the world wept beneath a mantle

of shadows, and so there was no choicehe had to match the power of the king of shadows.

1Twilight Princess, the sages

2Twilight Princess, Light Spirit Faron


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Figure 32: Link and Midna battle shadow beasts in the Twilight

With the help of an imp named Midna, he restored light to the three light spirits and gathered the

Fused Shadows. Even with the power of the Fused Shadows, however, Link and Midna were no

match for Zant. The evil power granted Zant by his god was too powerful to overcome. In ashow of his might, Zant mortally wounded Midna. In his wolf form, Link bore Midna to Hyrule

Castle to seek the aid of Princess Zelda, who bestowed her power upon Midna in order to save

her from death. In exchange, however, Zelda took on Midnas malady and passed into a spirit

form. Before she passed her power to Midna, however, Zelda bade Link travel to the sacred grove

in Faron Woods, the ruin of the Temple of Time, and collect the Master Sword, the blade of evils

bane, the only sword that could cleave the evil power that threatened the land and shrouded Link

in darkness.

After he drew the Master Sword from the pedestal in the Temple of Time, as the hero of old once

had, Midna asked him to help her find the Mirror of Twilight. As it turned out, Midna was a

descendant of the Twili, the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm. The Mirror of Twilight

served as the link between the worlds of light and shadow that might help her to save her people

from Zant. Together they traveled to the Arbiters Grounds in the ancient desert, where they

discovered the broken Mirror. The sages told them of what transpired at that place during the

execution of Ganondorf and charged Link with recovering the shards of the Mirror before their

dangerous power wrecked havoc on the land.

Link and Midna gathered the shards of the Mirror of Twilight and returned them to ArbitersGrounds, reassembling the ancient relic. The sages revealed Midnas true identity as the princess

of the Twilight Realm, transformed into an imp by Zants evil magic. Midna then confessed toLink that she had intended to use him to help her save her world, and her world alone, but that,

over time, she had decided that the world of light deserved to be saved, too.


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Figure 33: The ancient sages inform Link and Midna of their folly

She and Link entered the Twilight and confronted Zant, breaking the curses on all the Twili in the

process. After defeating Zant, the two of them discovered that Ganondorf himself had managed to

escape to the world of light, and that he now held Princess Zelda captive in Hyrule Castle. Using

the magic of the Fused Shadows, Midna penetrated the magical barrier Ganondorf had

constructed around the castle, and she and Link proceeded to scale the royal palace and face

Ganondorf.

After subduing Ganondorf in a series of trying struggles, Zelda was revived. Now that the

Princess had recovered, Midna transported Link and Zelda out of danger with her shadow

magicks and confronted Ganondorf alone with her magic as the Twilight Princess and the magic

of the Fused Shadows to back her. She failed to defeat Ganondorf however, and the battle was

taken to the fields of Eldin province. With the help of the legendary light arrows, Zelda and Link

toppled Ganondorf from his Gerudo stallion. In a final face-off, sword against sword, Link

managed to strike a fatal blow against the king of darkness. The power of the sacred bladerepelled Ganondorfs own magic, and Ganondorf breathed his last breath.

The light spirits revived Midna, breaking the final curse that Zant had cast on her, and, together,

she, Link, and Princess Zelda departed for the Arbiters Grounds so that she could return to theTwilight Realm. As she crossed the threshold, Midna used her power as the true ruler of the

Twilight to utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight,1 severing the link between light and shadow

and ridding the world of the Mirrors cursed power.

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