Official Zelda Timeline

[Angrist]

That's pretty random isn't it? Then there would be 2 time lines with every game: one where Link succeeds, one where he fails.

But I guess they needed to explain the beginning of TWW, where the Hero of Time didn't appear and the land fell to darkness. When you think about it, it's a cool concept, it just doesn't make much sense.

[Vampyr]

It is totally random and made up, but I still like it for some reason.

Love how the original Zelda takes place in the "failed" story line.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Angrist

That's pretty random isn't it? Then there would be 2 time lines with every game: one where Link succeeds, one where he fails.

But I guess they needed to explain the beginning of TWW, where the Hero of Time didn't appear and the land fell to darkness. When you think about it, it's a cool concept, it just doesn't make much sense.

The idea.. and could be wrong here

Is that Ocarina of Time is the first time Link takes on Ganon so it makes sense that his failure in that game would have the most ramifications.

[Ginkasa]

If I were to decide to care about the Zelda timeline I would probably say something like,

"I don't really mind the idea that there are three timelines, but I hate the justification for that third timeline. Link dies/fails? There's not really any way to play the series 'in order' with that kind of reasoning. If there were legitimate, multiple endings in OoT (as in, you get a different ending based on how you played, etc.) and the various games shot off from those different endings (including a legit ending to your game where Link failed) I wouldn't mind. That actually sounds kind of cool. But the only way to really 'play' this is to intentionally lose in OoT and say, 'Well, I'm off to ALttp.' Its dumb and random and I don't like it.

I think I better justification for a third timeline would be similar to the pre-existing 'Adult' and 'Child' timelines that were created after Zelda sent Link back in time at the end of OoT. For the uninitiated, the 'Adult' timeline shoots off from the ending with the adult Zelda where Ganon was defeated by Link in mighty battle over Ganon's crushed castle. The 'Child' timeline is created after Link was returned to his childhood where, theoretically, he somehow warned everyone about about Ganondorf and prevented him from getting the Triforce (at least, at that point in time).

This third timeline would be based off of the point prior to when Link became an adult. I.e. he picked up the Master Sword, zoomed forward 7 years, and (with the exception of returning for the Spirit Temple and going underneath a well) never came back. In this instance, Ganon did succeed because he got the Triforce and Link was no longer around to save the day. If you try to apply logic to time travel, which you should never do, you could argue that this is still the 'Adult' timeline and Link would just show up again in seven years? My response? Shut up, it makes more sense than 'Link dies.'"

Anyway, I stopped caring about the Zelda timeline a while ago so there's no way I would say that now.

[Typhoid]

I think it's more like...every game is just one possibility of an outcome inside of the same Universe - and not like "Hey, you can play them all chronologically!". It's a series built within a Universe built upon a separate series of and/or's.

It would be like if we were in a game about posting in this thread which took place at this very moment, but then there was another game released - and in that version of the game, which also takes place at this exact moment in time, you entirely understood what they were going for.

[Ginkasa]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

I think it's more like...every game is just one possibility of an outcome inside of the same Universe - and not like "Hey, you can play them all chronologically!". It's a series built within a Universe built upon a separate series of and/or's.

It would be like if we were in a game about posting in this thread which took place at this very moment, but then there was another game released - and in that version of the game, which also takes place at this exact moment in time, you entirely understood what they were going for.

I don't see what the point of a timeline is if you can't play them "in order."