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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Timeline Problems and Solutions

Placement on the Berube Timeline

by Justin Berube - February 27, 2014, 9:06 am EST

Where I place the newest Zelda game on my timeline and why I feel it makes sense.

My own timeline placement for A Link Between Worlds is, clearly, different than Nintendo’s. After careful consideration, I place A Link Between Worlds approximately 100 years after A Link to the Past, but before any of the Oracle games. Therefore the Berube Timeline is now as follows:

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

Now I will evaluate how the story elements in A Link Between Worlds match up with the rest of the Berube Timeline.

(Note: The following story excerpts are written on plaques beneath the paintings found within Hyrule Castle in A Link Between Worlds.)

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Painting I: The Golden Triforce

This gift from the gods, Hyrule’s greatest treasure, will grant the wish of any mortal who touches it. The Triforce once stoked greed in the hearts of men. A legendary war was fought to keep it out of evil hands.

Thoughts: Again, the Triforce back-story. However, on this timeline, the Imprisoning War it mentions only took place approximately 50 to 100 years prior to the events in A Link to the Past.

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Painting II: The Sealed Triforce

To end the war for the Triforce, the royal family decided to hide it in the Sacred Realm. They summoned the Seven Sages of legend, who used their power to seal the Triforce away.

Thoughts: On my timeline the problem of sealing the Triforce into the same realm as Ganon doesn’t exist. Ganon was recently sealed into the Four Sword (not the Sacred Realm). Putting the Triforce in the Sacred Realm to protect it from people makes sense. The sealing of the Triforce into the Sacred Realm is likely also the strong sealing of the realm mentioned at the end of the Imprisoning War.

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Painting III: The Demon King

The Demon King Ganon was once just a thief-until the man broke into the Sacred Realm. There he stole the Triforce and transformed himself. Then he took his evil campaign back to Hyrule.

Thoughts: Ganon was sealed in the Four Sword before A Link to the Past on my timeline, so this makes sense. Ganon managed to, somehow, break out of the Four Sword seal and then break into the Sacred Realm in order to gain access to the Triforce. Still some mystery here, but it makes sense based on where I place him.

It does say he transformed himself, which is somewhat confusing. Maybe after being sealed into the Four Sword he reverted back to Ganondorf, and then changed back to Ganon after obtaining the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. Just some speculation here.

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Painting IV: The Hero Awakens

A hero of legend arose from humble beginnings, awoken to his purpose by a princess of Hyrule. With the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, he sought the descendants of the Seven Sages. Together they defeated the Demon King Ganon-and sealed him away in darkness.

Thoughts: Again, retelling the story of A Link to the Past. The retcon Sealing of Ganon doesn’t really damage anything on the Berube Timeline. Yes, Ganon is sealed into darkness, which I’m guessing is an empty realm, at the end of A Link to the Past.

The new ending of A Link to the Past is fine though since Ganon eventually dies at the end of A Link Between Worlds. It’s still reasonable to assume Kotake and Koume will want to resurrect him in the Oracle games, which take place directly after this on the Berube Timeline. No problems here.

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Painting V: The Triforce, Split Apart

The Triforce was split into three pieces, separated forever. One piece remains with the royal family. Another piece has fallen into the hands of Ganon, sealed away with him. The third piece of the Triforce has vanished, though legend says it is hidden in the spirit of a true hero. It slumbers now somewhere in Hyrule - waiting for the time when the world needs a new hero.

Thoughts: There is nothing really wrong with this passage. The Triforce was split directly at the end of A Link to the Past due to this retcon, but it does wind up intact at the end of A Link Between Worlds. We know this because at the end of the game we see it together in Hyrule’s Sacred Realm. This is the way it needs to be since the Triforce is together in Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages which, again, take place directly after A Link Between Worlds on my timeline.

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My placement of A Link Between Worlds was carefully considered in an attempt to have the full Zelda timeline make the most sense. Admittedly, there are still a few minor mysteries on my timeline branch. However, these mysteries are open to debate since even the Adult Timeline branch has a few mysteries of its own. (For example: how did Ganondorf manage to escape the sealed Sacred Realm and make it back to Hyrule in the Wind Waker back-story?)

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Talkback

Bman87301February 26, 2014

To me, the idea that Link warns Zelda about Ganondorf when after returning to the past is so flawed, I cringe every time I read it. Zelda already had a premonition about Ganondorf, warned her father, and he didn't believe her. So her going to her father again after being told by Link what she already knew, doesn't make a lick of sense. In addition, Link clearly returned to the exact point when he drew the Master Sword  (the Door of Time is open and the three Spiritial Stones are present), which happened AFTER Ganondorf attacked and Impa ran off with Zelda. Not to mention, that there would be two Links present at once if he were sent back earlier. The scene at the end of the credits was simply replaying the moment where Link meets Zelda for the first time, it wasn't showing new events. I understand how easy it is to misinterpret that scene, but the other facts clearly make that the only valid interpretation. So when Link returns the Master Sword to the pedistal (which closes the seal), Ganondorf is already in the Sacred Realm, thus creating the history for A Link to the Past where Ganon has the full Triforce but is unable to return to the Light World.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 26, 2014

Quote from: pokepal148

The ending of OOT as I think of it also makes little sense. Link's goal is to prevent ganondorf from entering the sacred realm and acquiring the triforce so let's break down the three endings

Hero falls: Link dies and ganon is sealed in the sacred realm with the triforce of power.

Future timeline: Ganon shows up again and hyrule gets flooded, again he has the triforce of power.

Link's childhood: link returns and somehow convinces the king not to trust Ganondorf when his daughter, who apparently has some gift of prophecy that people know about is unable to do so herself.

Later on the sages try to execute ganondorf and learn that he has somehow gained the triforce of power because... I dunno,
http://thereadist.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/tiomey-wimey.gif?w=640

Either way he failed all three times, way to go hero.

It only makes sense if link is telling her not to open the sacred realm and to instead hide the ocarina so ganon can't reach it, even then

Bman87301March 01, 2014

Quote from: pokepal148]

No, that doesn't make any sense either since all of that already happened BEFORE the point in time that Link returned to. Now, you could argue that Link told Zelda (after enough time had passed with nothing else happening so Impa would have brought her back out of hiding) that he had sealed Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, after which, the King sent the Sages into the Sacred Realm after him, and that's where the whole execution took place... The only problem there is that Hyrule Hystoria specifically says he never entered the Sacred Realm.

JLRTENJACMarch 22, 2014

There are a lot of ways to look at OOT's ending. I typically look at it as that Link tells Zelda of his quest, and they convince the King to come to the Temple of Time. When there, the King learns of Ganondorf's true motives and together with Link his army manages to capture Ganondorf (Perhaps because Ganondorf hasn't quite learned how to control the Power of the Gods yet, I mean, if Ganondorf were powerful enough by himself to take on the full might of Hyrule, then he would have done that instead of pretending to be loyal) and is thus taken to the arbiter's grounds to be executed (And, most likely, the Hyrule army wiped out the Gerudo while they were at it in order to quell any uprising - hence the fact that they do not exist in Twilight Princess.) However, by the time they get him to the Mirror of Twilight for his execution, he is figuring out this new power of his, and thus he is able to use the Triforce of Power against the sages.

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