After Hyrule Historia was released, I tried to make sense of Nintendo’s timeline and couldn’t. That led me to develop my own timeline based on Hyrule Historia information that I will refer to as the Berube Timeline. For more information on how I came up with this version of the timeline, please refer to my older editorial on the subject.

This section of the Feature will take an in-depth look at how I view the Zelda story before I place A Link Between Worlds on it. Again, in order to save time this will only focus on the branch that A Link Between Worlds will eventually be placed on. For reference please use the branch Berube Timeline below.

Berube Timeline (Before ALBW Placement):

OoT (Child Era) -> MM -> TP -> FSA -> ALttP -> OoS/OoA -> LA -> LoZ -> TAoL

After the events of Ocarina of Time, Link is sent back in time, and to another dimension, to relive his lost youth. It’s at this time that Link’s fairy, Navi, leaves him. Additionally, in this timeline Ganondorf is still plotting to gain access to the Sacred Realm in order to obtain the Triforce. However, knowing Ganondorf’s plans, Link warns the young Princess Zelda of what is to happen. Zelda entrusts Link with the Ocarina of Time and instructs Link to run away with it so Ganondorf can’t break into the Sacred Realm. During this time the events of Majora’s Mask take place in Termina.

Back in Hyrule, years go by before Ganondorf is to be executed for his crimes. During his planned execution, Ganondorf was chosen by the Triforce of Power and managed to kill one of the Sages who was about kill him. While in a panic, the remaining Sages sent Ganondorf into the Mirror of Twilight, trapping the Prince of Thieves in the Twilight Realm.

Several years later, the events of Twilight Princess then unfold. During this adventure the old Hero of Time, in an undead skeletal form, even instructs the new hero in some advanced sword fighting techniques. At the end of this quest Ganondorf was killed by this era’s Link.

Hundreds of years later Four Swords Adventures take place and a new Ganondorf is born in Gerudo Village. The new Prince of Thieves steals a legendary Trident and is successful in resurrecting Vaati. When it’s all said and done, Link, with the power of the Four Sword, was able to destroy Vaati and then seal Ganon into the Four Sword.

It’s from this point on the timeline continues as I mentioned in the Nintendo Timeline starting with the Imprisoning War story. The only thing that doesn’t make too much sense on my timeline, as of right now, is how Ganon escaped from the seal of the Four Sword and made it into the Sacred Realm to start the chain of events in A Link to the Past. Again, I will get back to this later, but I also discuss it a bit more in my older Editorial.