Event
Note
*
...
Speculation
1
Incarnation of the Hero
1
Incarnation of the Goddess Hylia
1
Incarnation of Demise
Beginning of a New Era
This is a fan-made timeline for The Legend of Zelda series and was made to practice using Canva. It places Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in the Adult timeline. It is only speculation.
Adult Timeline
At some point, humans settle the land.
Even though we never meet the goddesses directly in any of the games, we do meet many great creatures and sacred objects with their namesake.
Was the goddess Hylia created by the golden goddesses? Or was she already around?
1
Era of the Goddess Hylia
1
Faron
Eldin
Lanayru
The Temple of Hylia, later known as the Sealed Temple, is erected next to the Sealed Grounds. The Temple of Time is erected in the northwestern part of the Lanayru Desert.
Demons arise in pursuit of the Triforce with Demise as their leader. Hylia, with human allies, goes to battle against Demise and his demonic forces.
After a great battle, Hylia takes the remaining humans and the Triforce onto a plot of land. She raises it into the sky. These humans would evolve to have pointed ears.
A young Impa
Hylia seals Demise away with the help of the remaining Surface tribes.
Hylia entrusts protection of the three regions of the land to three dragons, named for the land they watch over, in turn named for the golden goddesses. She entrusts protection of the skies to Levias, a great sky spirit.
Levias
The Sheikah are established as Hylia’s chosen guardians.
Hylia gives up her divinity to be reborn mortal. The Sheikah are left to watch over the Sealed Grounds where Demise is imprisoned. Impa becomes a name passed down in the Sheikah tribe.
Link having once again followed from the future, defeats Demise in battle. He is sealed in the Master Sword. Demise swears that an incarnation of him will follow "those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero" forever.
Before giving up immortality, Hylia leaves behind the Goddess Sword and the spirit guide Fi for the Hero of the Sky to find. She also hides the Triforce in Skyloft.
Demise
Thousands of Years
Hundreds of Years
Once again, Zelda arrives from the future because Ghirahim kidnaps Zelda. He uses her to awaken Demise.
Hundreds of years before the events of Skyward Sword, the Lanayru Province on the surface goes from being a lush region with a sea to an arid desert.
Sky Era
Ghirahim is a demon follower of Demise, later revealed as his sword's spirit.
The Knight Academy is founded in Skyloft.
On the 25th Wind Ceremony, Zelda, the goddess Hylia reborn, is taken from Skyloft to the surface by Ghirahim.
The Wing Ceremony becomes an annual tradition.
25 Years
Zelda is saved by the Sheikah Impa, sent from the past by Hylia. Zelda's memories of her past life as the goddess are unlocked.
Skyloft, home of those descended from the humans Hylia sent to the sky
Link, Zelda's childhood friend and Knight Academy cadet, is led by the spirit Fi to the Goddess Statue where he draws the Goddess Sword and is revealed to be Hylia's chosen hero from the past.
The Sacred Flames are named for the three golden goddesses. They were left by the goddess for Hylia's chosen hero to find after completing trials in the Silent Realm, a spirit world.
Ghirahim kidnapping Zelda again
At the Temple of Time on the surface, Impa and Zelda escape Ghirahim through a Gate of Time to the past and destroy it behind them.
Link returns to the present, obtains the Triforce, and with its power, he destroys Demise in the form of the Imprisoned. The Isle of the Goddess, which houses the great Goddess Statue, descends from the sky and rests on the surface.
Link acquires three Sacred Flames in order to temper the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword.
An elderly Impa
This is a different Temple of Time than the one later erected in the Chaos Era. They are in two different locations and have completely different architecture.
Zelda awakes from her slumber. Enraged at his master's defeat, Ghirahim again kidnaps Zelda and takes her to the past where Demise still lives. Ghirahim uses Zelda's soul to unseal Demise.
Link uses the Master Sword to open a second Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple. In the past, Zelda places herself in a thousand-year hibernation to keep the seal keeping Demise imprisoned intact.
Groose has red hair and yellow eyes. Could he be an ancestor to the Gerudo tribe?
Link and Zelda return from the past after Demise is defeated.
The Interlopers are banished to the Twilight Realm using the Mirror of Twilight. The mirror is not yet held within the Arbiter’s Grounds.
Link places the Master Sword in the Sealed Temple. Fi becomes apart of the sword.
Groose and friends can be seen flying off toward the southwest, presumably to settle on the surface somewhere.
The Interlopers, a group of magic wielders, try to take the Triforce for themselves. This begins the Interloper War.
Could the Interlopers be a defected group of Sheikah? The Sheikah are known to be powerful wielders of magic. The Sheikah are shown to fracture later in Breath of the Wild as well.
Link and Zelda decide to stay on the surface to watch over the Triforce.
Many Years
Era of Chaos
Some Skyloftians choose to remain in the sky while others make a new home on the surface.
A group of Hylians go into the Great Deku Tree’s forest, known as Kokiri Forest, and stay young for as long as they stay there. Known as the Kokiri Tribe, they are later bestowed a key to the Temple of Time as well.
The golden goddesses send the Spirits of Light to banish the Interlopers to the Twilight Realm. They would go on to become the Twili.
Could Rauru originally be one of the first rulers of Hyrule?
Rauru, the Sage of Light, constructs the Temple of Time on the ruins of the Sealed Grounds, which holds a way to access the Sacred Realm. The access is sealed.
Why are there four spirits of light? Ordona does not seem to be named after a goddess.
Rauru
The Zora would have had to settle the land (or evolve) at some point during this era. They were not seen in Skyward Sword, but when the Sacred Realm was sealed and the Temple of Time built, the Zora were bestowed one of the keys to the Temple.
Legends of the Triforce spread throughout the land, which entices those with evil intentions to seek it out.
The Sacred Realm was sealed away behind the Door of Time, a pedestal only the Master Sword would fit, and three keys given to peoples of the land.
Hylians are specifically those descended from Hylia's chosen people in Skyloft and have pointed ears. There are humans with round ears, notably in Twilight Princess.
The Hylian royal family is established from the goddess Hylia's bloodline. The Sheikah become guardians of the royal family.
Era of Prosperity
Hyrule becomes overrun by demons and shrouded in darkness.
These humans probably did not descend from Skyloftians but came from other lands.
Hyrule Castle is built where Rauru erected the Temple of Time.
Many Years
The royal family crest (left) was succeeded by the goddess crest (right), which symbolized the loftwings of Skyloft.
Force Era
The kingdom of Hyrule is established.
The Minish
are unlikely connected to the Skyloftians.
The Minish, a benevolent race of tiny beings, descend from the sky to help Hyrule by bestowing the royal family with the Light Force and the Hero of Men with the Sacred Sword.
2
The Hero of Men seals the darkness away in the Bound Chest. Hyrule's royal family comes to guard the Sacred Blade, which becomes known as the Picori Blade. Once a year, Hyrule celebrates the Minish, who they call the Picori, with a Picori Festival.
Vaati
The Picori Festival
Ezlo, a master craftsman and sage Minish, is betrayed by his apprentice Vaati, who steals his mage's cap to turn into a Hylian-sized sorceror. Ezlo is turned into a bird-shaped cap.
Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone.
100 Years
At the 100th Picori Festival, Vaati unseals the Bound Chest by breaking the Picori Blade of legend and releases the darkness.
Learning the Light Force is within Zelda, Vaati extracts some and becomes Vaati Reborn.
Vaati’s Wrath
A new hero, Link, pairs up with Ezlo to defeat Vaati. After acquiring the Four Sword, they are able to defeat Vaati.
The Wind Tribe featured in The Minish Cap are a group of Hylians who previously lived in the southwestern part of Hyrule. They gained mastery over the wind and eventually left the Surface entirely.
The Wind Tribe have red hair and come from the southwest portion of Hyrule. Could they have split from a group of humans who would become the Gerudo?
The Wind Tribe may have settled on abandoned sky isles seen in Skyward Sword.
By this time, Vaati had been transformed into a powerful demon.
The Four Sword was crafted from the White Sword, which was reforged from the broken Picori Sword, after Link infuses it with the Four Elements.
A new hero wields the Four Sword. With its power and the help of three Great Fairies, he defeats Vaati and reseals him.
At some point between The Minish Cap and Four Swords, Vaati, presumed dead, returns and is vanquished by the Hero of the Four Sword. This hero is not the same hero featured in The Minish Cap or Four Swords.
4
Many Years
Vaati breaks from his seal yet again, kidnaps Princess Zelda, and takes her away to his palace.
Great Fairies
A boy is born into the Gerudo Tribe who inhabit the Gerudo Desert to the west/southwest, which is said to only happen every 100 years. He becomes their king and is known as Ganondorf Dragmire.
The Gerudo Desert becomes apart of Hyrule territory as a result of the war.
The Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest are collectively called the Forbidden Forest by the Hylians.
Many Years
The Great Deku Tree
Era of the Hero of Time
10 Years
A mother and her child escape the war and go into the Lost Woods, eventually ending up in the Kokiri Forest. The child is raised by the Deku Tree as a Kokiri.
The Hyrulean Civil War breaks out and lasts a long time.
A boy named Link, the only child without a fairy in Kokiri Forest, is tasked by the Great Deku Tree to take a fairy companion named Navi and defeat the parasite inside him. With his dying breath, the Great Deku Tree gives Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest pleads with him to stop Ganondorf.
Despite a warning from the young Princess Zelda, the king puts his trust in Ganondorf.
Link sets out for Hyrule Castle.
The Gerudo king Ganondorf swears fealty to Hyrule's king after the war, but plans treachery. He wants to open the Door of Time and obtain the Triforce for himself.
In attempt to get his hands of the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, one of the keys to open the Door of Time, Ganondorf curses the Great Deku Tree with a parasite.
Link takes the Spiritual Stone of the Forest to Princess Zelda. Realizing Link may be the hero Hyrule needs, Zelda sends him to get the other two Spiritual Stones. They plot to open the Door of Time and obtain the Triforce before Ganondorf can.
Queen Gohma
Link recieves the Spiritual Stone of Fire from the Goron Tribe after defeating the monster King Dodongo, and the Spiritual Stone of Water from the Zora Tribe after saving Princess Ruto from the spirit Jabu Jabu's belly.
Chamber of Sages
The Triforce splits in three and Ganondorf is only able to hold onto the Triforce of Power. Princess Zelda gains the Triforce of Wisdom and Link the Triforce of Courage.
7 Years
Rauru, the Sage of Light, greets Link in the Chamber of Sages. He instructs Link to awaken the other sages.
Seven years in the future, Ganondorf has entered the Sacred Realm, obtained the Triforce, and transformed Hyrule into a world of darkness. He takes over Hyrule Castle. The Sacred Realm is corrupted.
After Link opens the Door of Time, and draws the Master Sword from its pedestal, he is sealed within the Chamber of Sages for seven years.
The Forest Temple in Kokiri Forest has been corrupted. After Link cleanses the Forest Temple, Saria is awakened as the Sage of Forest.
Door of Time opening
The Water Temple is used by the Zora to pray to water spirits.
The Shadow Temple is where Sheikah used to hold prisoners of war for the royal family of Hyrule. Interrogations and torture were held there. It is now a stain on the history of the royal family.
Ganondorf has revived a great spirit named Volvagia within the Fire Temple and corrupted it to reign terror from Death Mountain. After Link defeats Volvagia, Darunia is awakened as the Sage of Fire.
Bongo Bongo, a monster once sealed within the Shadow Temple under Kakariko Village, has been freed. After Link defeats Bongo Bongo, Impa is awakened the Sage of Shadow.
Bongo Bongo in its entirety
Ganondorf has created a monster known as Morpha in order to terrorize the ancient Water Temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia. After Link cleanses the Water Temple, Ruto is awakened as the Sage of Water.
Bongo Bongo's sallow skin and bloody, mutated pieces could be a clue as to what Bongo Bongo is. It could be a haunted amalgamation of corpses of the people once held in the Shadow Temple for torture.
This is further evidenced by the presence of Gibdos, ReDeads, and Stalfos, all undead creatures.
Demon King Ganon, the boar demon-beast form of Ganondorf.
Link frees Nabooru. A Gerudo woman, she has been captured after she tried to infiltrate the Spirit Temple to thwart Ganondorf's plans. She has been held as prisoner for seven years. Twinrova, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, have been using this place as a base of operations. After Link defeats them, Nabooru awakens as the Sage of Spirit.
The Triforce of Power is sealed away with Ganondorf. Zelda holds on to the Triforce of Wisdom. Since Link was sent back in time, the Triforce of Courage is broken into eight pieces and scattered across Hyrule.
Zelda speaks with Link at the Temple of Time and reveals herself as the seventh sage.
The Gerudo witches Kotake and Koume are around 400 and 380 years old by the time Ocarina of Time takes place. They’re twins, so one of them is lying about their age!
Ganondorf swears to destroy Link and Zelda's descendants when the seal is broken one day, echoing Demise's promise to a Link and Zelda from an age long past.
Link is able to defeat Ganondorf, now Ganon, in Hyrule Castle, and together with Zelda and the other six sages, they seal Ganondorf away in the corrupted Sacred Realm. In his defeat, he had reverted back to his Gerudo form.
The Spirit Temple is a religious center for the Gerudo. The Desert Colossus depicts a goddess of the sand. Because of difference in religions, Hyrule sees the goddess as an evil deity.
At some point, Hyrule Castle is rebuilt south of where it was during the Era of the Hero of Time, since Ganondorf had replaced the old castle with his fortress.
Princess Zelda sends Link back to 7 years ago in order to give him the childhood he had lost.
Zelda returns the Master Sword to the Temple of Time.
Ganondorf gets sealed away, back in his Gerudo form.
Ages
Era Without a Hero
Along with the seven sages seen in Ocarina of Time, two more sages are awakened during this time. Laruto, the Sage of Earth, and Fado, the Sage of Wind, are musically talented and create music for the gods while the king of Hyrule conducts them.
Fado
The goddesses leave behind the Tower of the Gods, submerged in water, for a hero to find and prove his worth to obtain the Master Sword. They also leave behind three pearls needed to raise the tower from the sea.
The baton known as the Wind Waker was probably created some time in this age. By the time of the Era of the Great Sea, it is said it "was used long ago to conduct us sages when we played our song to call upon the gods." However, it was never referred to in any game earlier in the timeline.
King Daphnes
Fearful that the Master Sword would lose its ability to repel evil due to the absence of a hero during this time period, the sages are given the responsibility of keeping the sword powerful.
The seal of the seven sages breaks, and Ganon is able to escape. When no hero appears, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule and his people beg the goddesses for deliverance.
6
Jabu Jabu
The Wind Temple and Earth Temple are erected in the north and south, respectively, where Fado and Laruto can pray to the goddesses with their music.
The golden goddesses flood Hyrule, sealing Ganondorf and Hyrule Castle at the bottom. King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is sealed as well, but Princess Zelda takes half of the Triforce of Wisdom, which had been fractured in two by the king, and escapes to the surface with several of her retainers. Her piece would be passed down, daughter to daughter.
Wind God’s Aria etched inside the Wind Temple
Rito are actually not born with wings, but must be blessed with them by the spirit Valoo once they reach adulthood.
Valoo, The Great Deku Tree, and Jabun, the three guardian spirits who watch over the pearls, are descendants of three spirits seen in Ocarina of Time: Volvagia, The Great Deku Tree, and Jabu Jabu, respectively.
Jabun
The Rito seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which takes place many eras later, have evolved to innately have wings at birth.
The Zora, not able to handle the salt water, rapidly evolve into an avian race with wings called the Rito.
A group of Zora, including descendents of Ruto, do not become Rito and instead travel to other lands.
Hundreds of Years
The Kokiri Tribe evolve into light wooden creatures called the Koroks.
Valoo
King Daphnes was risen to the surface and turned into a boat by the goddesses after Ganondorf escaped his seal.
The King of Red Lions reveals himself as King Daphnes to Link and Tetra. Realizing that Tetra is a descendant of his daughter, he gives her the other piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. She awakes as the new Princess Zelda with her ancestral sacred power.
Makar, a descedant of Fado, is awakened as the Sage of Wind while Medli, a descendant of Laruto, is awakened as the Sage of Earth.
Along the way, Link meets the King of Red Lions who guides Link the rest of his journey.
Tetra, a descendant of the princess who had escaped to the surface, lives the life of a pirate with the descendants of the princess' retainers. She holds her ancestor’s half of the Triforce of Wisdom.
The Helmaroc King, sent out by Ganondorf, starts kidnapping young girls with pointed ears, the sign of a Hylian. In this process, a girl named Aryll from Outset Island is taken.
Makar
Medli
Ganondorf kills the Sages of Wind and Earth, Fado and Laruto, those whose prayers have maintained the Master Sword's power all this time.
Link is tasked with finding three goddess pearls to prove his worth in gaining access to the Tower of the Gods. Link finds the pearls and is able to beat the trial and is brought down beneath the waves to Hyrule Castle, stuck in time. He draws the Master Sword from its pedestal in the castle's basement.
Link, Aryll's older brother, starts a journey to rescue his sister along with Tetra and her pirates.
The Master Sword's power is diminished due to the deaths of the Wind and Earth sages, so Link travels to each temple in order to repel the evil in each and restore the sages' magic.
When Link reaches the top of the tower, the Triforce is united. Ganondorf reaches for it in order to wish for Hyrule is be restored with him as its reigning king, but King Daphnes is able to touch it first. The king instead wishes for Hyrule to be washed away forever.
Ganon's Tower is what became of the old Hyrule Castle during the events of Ocarina of Time.
As Link and King Daphnes return to the bottom of the sea at Hyrule Castle, they witness Ganondorf carrying Princess Zelda off to his tower.
Link restores the Triforce of Courage, previously broken into eight pieces after the Hero of Time was sent to the past.
Together, Link and Zelda defeat Ganondorf, resulting in his death while water crashes down over Hyrule to truly submerge it.
Link and Tetra, along with her crew, search for a new continent.
Link and Zelda float up to the surface, but King Daphnes chooses to wash away with his kingdom.
This is the first time in the series that Ganondorf actually perishes, and is not just sealed away.
From here on out, Zelda prefers to go by Tetra and wear her pirate clothes.
Era of the Great Voyage
Link finds the ship after rescuing the Spirits of Power, Leaf, Spirit of Wisdom, Neri, and Spirit of Courage, his new fairy friend Ciela. On the ship, Link finds Tetra turned to stone, her Life Force drained by an evil creature named Bellum.
Link defeats Bellum and frees Tetra. The Ocean King regains his true form. Link and Tetra return to their world and continue their search for a new continent.
Link, Tetra, and her crew find the World of the Ocean King on their journey. Along the way, they run into a ghost ship said to have been the cause of several disappearing ships in the area lately. Tetra boards the ship but disappears with it.
Link falls into the water trying to rescue Tetra and washes up on Mercay Island. He meets a fairy named Ciela and her "grandfather," Oshus.
Bellum
The people of Mercay Island seem to have pointed ears like Hylians, while the people of Molida Island seem to have round ears. Are the Mercay Islanders Hylians?
To defeat Bellum, Link searches the seas for three Pure Metals to forge the Phantom Sword. Oshus reveals himself to be the Ocean King and fuses the Phantom Hourglass into the Phantom Sword.
Oshus
Link teams up with Ciela and steamboat captain Linebeck to find the Ghost Ship. He get leads from the Temple of the Ocean King, which he navigates using the Phantom Hourglass.
Linebeck
Era of Hyrule’s Rebirth
Cole
Byrne
Link and Tetra discover a new continent where railways, called Spirit Tracks, cover the land. In the middle of the area stood the Tower of Spirits, built by the native population of Lokomo to seal away the Demon King Malladus.
The Spirit Tracks that cover New Hyrule begin to disappear. Link, a royal engineer, and Princess Zelda, a descendant of Tetra, begin to investigate.
100 Years
On their way to the Tower of Spirits, Link and Zelda's railcar is thrown off the track by Chancellor Cole and his ally, Byrne. Cole reveals himself to be a demon with the aim of freeing Malladus.
This new land is named New Hyrule by Tetra.
Byrne separates Zelda's spirit from her body so that it may be used as a vessel for Malladus. The Tower of Spirits is fragmented into floating pieces.
They climb to the top of the tower, but are too late to stop Malladus from possessing Zelda's body. They pursue Malladus into the Dark Realm and together, they defeat Malladus and Cole using the Bow of Light and the Lokomo Sword.
The timeline placement of everything beyond this point is speculative. Many events have been inferred based on context clues within the games or to make the timeline placement make sense.
Zelda regains her body and peace returns to New Hyrule.
Link and Princess Zelda's spirit travel to four temples to restore the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits.
Malladus
A Renewed Land
A group of people known as the Zonai occupy the ancient sky isles over the original Hyrule. They are either the descendants of those who stayed in Skyloft all the way back in the Sky Era, or they are from other lands and settled on the abandoned isles. The Zonai build onto the sky isles with their unique architecture.
A korok in The Wind Waker has just planted a new tree in order to connect the islands and create a new continent
Another explanation, however, could be that long ago, the Zonai traveled from other lands and settled on the abandoned sky isles above the Great Sea. After the Koroks restored the continent of Hyrule, the Zonai would one day descend to the surface to greet its denizens.
Enough time has passed that their appearance and culture has changed. The "gods" they descend from may be a reference to those chosen by Hylia.
This is further evidenced by the fact that Hylians and Zonai are obviously genetically compatible, since Rauru and Sonia are the progenitors of this new age’s Hyrulean royal family.
Rock salt from the dried sea can be found everywhere.
*
The Koroks accomplish their goal of covering the Great Sea with land. Over ages, the sea recedes and new soil and forests are packed between the islands.
*
Some Hylians, descendants of the islanders seen in The Wind Waker, are already living on the new continent. Hylians who had traveled to other lands start to come back. With only their oral history to inform them of their past, worship for the goddess Hylia flourishes.
It is unknown how Hylia is able to communicate through statues when at the same time, Princess Zelda is her reincarnation.
The Triforce and the three golden goddesses have not been forgotten either. Their symbols can be seen on the Great Plateau in Breath of the Wild.
The Gerudo even start to worship the goddess Hylia, too, but later on this would wane.
*
*
Ages
Knowledge of the Sheikah had been preserved, and they would later be reestablished.
Because the Gerudo were not seen in The Wind Waker, but are present in Breath of the Wild, it can be inferred that they escaped the great flood and came back when the Hylians did.
Founding of Hyrule
The Zonai Tribe descend from the sky isles. It is said they are the descendants of gods. Many of them settle in Faron Woods.
Perhaps they were dark entities connected to the afterlife (since they deal in poes). The Zonai, being fearful of them during their mining operations, built the statues to trap them inside. This might explain why they are directly under Hylia statues: to garner Hylia’s assistance in keeping them trapped.
The Zonai, now with the power of advanced technology because of Zonaite, start to build constructs. They reinforce their sky isles with antennae. The Sheikah, either already established or to be established in the future, develop their own technology either in tandem with the Zonai or inspired by the Zonai.
The description on the Barbarian Armor suggests that the Faron tribe of Zonai were warlike.
The Zonai erect the Bargainer statues in the Depths. They coordinate their locations with that of great statues of Hylia on the surface. The circumstances around their origin and the entities within them are unknown.
*
*
The Zonai find the Depths and build mines to extract a mineral they would name Zonaite.
At some point during this era, nine labyrinths are erected by a Zonai architect.
Or perhaps the three in the sky were already there, and a Zonai architect during the era of Hyrule’s founding wanted to build three on the surface and three in the Depths to mirror those already in the sky.
Zonai Ruins in Faron Woods as seen in Breath of the Wild
The Temple of Time is built with Zonai architecture on the Great Plateau. Later, it would be sent to the sky.
Why do the ancient Hylians of this time have noticeably longer ears than modern Hylians?
Ancient Hylians, who revered the dragons or even worshipped them as deities, sew the Charged, Frostbite, and Ember garbs to use in rituals.
Ages
A new incarnation of Ganondorf is born, and becomes the Gerudo king.
Three significant Zonai are tasked with watching over the Springs of Courage, Wisdom, and Power. They would later go through draconification in order to undertake their roles forever. They are dubbed Farosh, Naydra, and Dinraal after the lands they fly over and the golden goddesses. In later ages, few Hylians would still be able to see them.
Mineru, Rauru’s older sister, adjusts the teleportation ability of the Purah Pad so that it is able to connect with the Shrines of Light.
The Zonai leader Rauru and a Hylian named Sonia wed and become the first king and queen of Hyrule in this era. They create Shrines of Light to seal away monsters plaguing the land.
*
Could Sonia be from a separate line of
the royal family than Tetra? She may have come from a branch of the royal line that stayed on an island when the great flood happened. Windfall Island is where many people of Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko Village gathered to survive the flood. Perhaps a part of the royal line made their way there too. This would explain why her name isn’t Zelda to begin with: because she came from a part of the royal family that didn’t hold the throne before the great flood. It would be later in her line that the name Zelda would pop up again, perhaps because of old legends of powerful princesses named so.
Over time, the dragons’ origin would be forgotten and Hylians would assume they’re spirits.
Sonia must be in the original royal Hylian bloodline, since her descendant Princess Zelda possesses the sacred power of Hylia.
Rauru and Sonia find Princess Zelda, just arriving from the far future.
Ganondorf and his nation try to win dominance over Hyrule, but greatly fail. He sends his Molduga toward Hyrule, but Rauru destroys them with his light power.
Ganondorf pretends to swear fealty to King Rauru and Queen Sonia, but plans treachery.
Ganondorf assassinates Queen Sonia, steals her Secret Stone, and corrupts it to become the Demon King.
Rauru and the sages are unable to kill Ganondorf, but Rauru successfully seals him away underneath the castle by sacrificing his own life.
King Rauru and Ganondorf wage war against each other. Rauru recruits five sages to aid him. Each sage, including Zelda and Mineru, have a Zonai Secret Stone.
Queen Sonia’s grave in the Forgotten Temple
The Imprisoning War
In a Zonai temple in the northwest part of Hyrule, Queen Sonia is laid to rest. This temple would become known as the Forgotten Temple in future ages. This is the same location Rauru had kept the Zonai Secret Stones.
When Mineru is struck down in battle, she separates her spirit from her body and stores it within the Purah Pad.
Princess Zelda visits each sage and asks that they aid Link in the future.
The Hylia statue in the Forgotten Temple would not be added until later, presumably by Hylians.
*
Zelda uses Recall at the Temple of Time, still on the surface, where in the future Link will place the decayed Master Sword to send it back in time to her.
This shows where the Temple of Time was located in the past before it was sent to the sky, confirming it sat in the place where a Hylian-built Temple of Time sits now.
The view of the Great Plateau is from the south
The Temple of Time is sent to the sky, so that when Link awakes after the Upheaval, he will be safe from harm on the surface. Zelda leaves her Purah Pad near the Temple for Link to find.
This second Temple of Time is not the same one featured in Ocarina of Time.
Zelda, despite Mineru’s earlier warning, swallows her Secret Stone, turning into the Light Dragon with the Master Sword imbedded in her forehead so that it may soak in Zelda’s sacred power for tens of thousands of years.
The original Hyrule Castle is also presumably on the Great Plateau, probably obscured from view in this screenshot.
In order to ensure King Rauru’s sealing magic would hold Ganondorf in imprisonment, Hyrule Castle is erected on top of him.
It seems to be around this time that Hylian architecture, fashion, and culture start to divert from Zonai influence. Ancient Hylian ruins look very different than those of Zonai.
The Light Dragon’s tears create magical puddles on the surface. The ancient people of Hyrule create elaborate geoglyphs around them, but as time goes on, the geoglyphs become obscured. It would only be in the far future, after the Upheaval, that they become visible on the surface again.
*
An upside down obelisk is constructed in the ceiling of the imprisoning chamber in order to strengthen Rauru’s seal on Ganondorf. It would be reinforced further by the early Sheikah.
Ancient Hylians add a room within what would be known as the Forgotten Temple, showing locations of the geoglyphs they had created and a large map of Hyrule along the floor.
This is the in-game model for the obelisk. Taken from “Secrets of the UPHEAVAL - Tears of the Kingdom Lore” by Monster Maze on YouTube. Watch the whole video!
This must be a group of Zora who escaped the great flood and left for other lands, rather than evolve into the Rito. The group of Zora that split off would have had to contain at least one descendant of Ruto, since it is said Mipha and Sidon are descendents of her. One of the six sages who assisted Rauru during the Imprisoning War was a Zora. This means Zora returned to the area at least as far back as Rauru and Sonia’s reign.
The Zora settle in Lanayru.
Ages
Era of Prosperity
First Great Calamity
Civilization is highly advanced thanks to the technology of the Sheikah.
The Zora and the people of Hyrule join together to construct the East Reservoir Lake. They complete the project in one year. The Zora have managed its water levels ever since.
The revived Ganon is sealed away by the princess of the royal family and the Hero chosen by the Master Sword, with the help of the Guardians and Divine Beasts built by the Sheikah.
The four Divine Beasts
9
9
Calamity Canon attacks the kingdom of Hyrule.
Using their advanced technology, the Sheikah develop the four Divine Beasts and the Guardians.
Three golden goddesses create the world: Din, Nayru, and Farore. They leave behind the Triforce before they depart and entrust it to the goddess Hylia.
The Hylian language during the Era of the Goddess Hylia
Zelda, and shortly after Link, arrive from the future. Zelda enshrines herself in a thousand-year slumber to tighten the seal on Demise. Link returns to the Sky Era.
The Surface during the Sky Era
2
Could the Parella be ancestors of the Zora?
Goron
Peoples during this era
Mogma
Ancient Robot
Parella
Kikwi
Hylian
The ancient robots were created by an ancient civilization. Perhaps ancient humans before the events of the Era of the Goddess Hylia?
Hyrule in The Minish Cap
3
3
Peoples during this era
Hylian
Minish
Goron
Wind Tribe
Hyrule in Four Swords
5
4
The Light Force is divine magic separate from the Triforce or the Sacred Power of Hylia’s bloodline.
Hyrule during the Era of the Hero of Time
2
6
5
Peoples during this era
Kokiri
Goron
Gerudo
Sheikah
Zora
Hylian
The Hylian language during this time
The Gerudo language during this time
The Great Sea
7
7
This is the same Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time
Peoples during this era
Korok
Rito
Goron
Hylian
The Hylian language during this time
Laruto
Era of the Great Sea
Ganondorf is somehow able to break his seal under the sea. He makes his way to the surface and starts his search for Princess Zelda in order to obtain the Triforce of Wisdom.
World of the Ocean King
These are the same Link and Tetra (Zelda) from The Wind Waker
The new Hyrule in the Era of Hyrule’s Rebirth
8
8
Peoples during this era
Goron
Hylian
Anouki
Human
Lokomo Tribe
The Zonai may be descendants of the Hylians who chose to stay in the sky all the way back during the Sky Era.
The Zonai dwindle in numbers.
3
Queen Sonia
Typhlo, a northern Zonai settlement, is added onto by ancient Hylians. They create a memorial to the sages in an underground room.
The Sheikah language during this time
It can be deduced that the Zonai did not add the room with geoglyph locations, because by the time the geoglyphs were created, there were no more Zonai.
An entity known as Calamity Ganon is unleashed upon the kingdom of Hyrule time and time again for ages.
The king of Hyrule, suspicious and paranoid, orders the abolishment of technology and begins to subdue the Sheikah. Under his orders, the Divine Beasts and Sheikah Towers are buried deep within the ground in different spots throughout Hyrule.
This tapestry is of Sheikah origin. The top section depicts Hyrule in the Era of Properity with Sheikah technology highlighted. The large middle section depicts the First Great Calamity as Hylia reborn and the chosen Hero battle Calamity Ganon with Guardians, monks, and the Divine Beasts. The bottom section depicts the splitting of the Sheikah into two factions after the the people of Hyrule become suspicious of the Sheikah and forbid their technology.
Ancient Hero’s Aspect
This hero may be of a mixed Zonai ancestry. When Link talks to Impa while wearing the Ancient Hero's Aspect, which is Zonai in appearance, she will notice the resemblance between Link and the Ancient Hero's depiction on the tapestry. Purah and Tauro will react in the same way.
It is said that Rauru and Mineru were the last two Zonai of their time. If the Ancient Hero is of mixed Zonai and Hylian ancestry, where did he come from?
The Sheikah divide into peaceful and militant factions. The militant faction forms the Yiga Clan.
The Yiga Clan’s symbol is just the Sheikah Clan’s symbol upside down.
The Zonai are long forgotten by Hylians. All that is left of them are their mysterious ruins around Hyrule.
The peaceful Sheikah build shrines for a future hero to use as training grounds, knowing Calamity Ganon will one day revive. Each shrine has a Sheikah monk dedicated to the Goddess Hylia and helping the hero within them.
10,000 Years
Second Great Calamity
In previous titles, Gerudo women were always depicted with round ears. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, they have pointed ears. Could this be from generations of Gerudo women having children with Hylian men?
King Dorephan assumes the throne of the Zora. Princess Mipha is born.
King Dorephan commissions stone monuments that detail the Zora’s history.
King Rhoam's court visits Zora's Domain to show respect. Mipha meets Link, who is about four years old. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta is excavated.
A princess is born, and she is named Zelda. This is in line with the tradition that each princess born to the royal family shall be so named. The queen of Hyrule, an old friend of Urbosa, visits Gerudo Town. She introduces Urbosa to the newborn Princess Zelda.
King Rhoam, Zelda’s father
In Tears of the Kingdom, it is revealed that the name Rhoam is not new to the royal family. A mine in the Depths is called Rhoam Canyon Mine, which would have been named so during the age of the Zonai.
One of the Sheikah becomes the court poet. He leaves behind songs for the hero.
When Princess Zelda is six, the queen of Hyrule passes away suddenly. Urbosa attends the queen's funeral.
A fortune teller predicts the revival of Calamity Ganon. King Rhoam begins searching for ancient relics in response to the prophecy. The Divine Beasts are discovered. Purah and Robbie, young but talented, join the excavation and research effort.
When Princess Zelda is seven, the king commands that she begin training to awaken her sealing power. Urbosa accompanies Princess Zelda on her visits to the sacred springs.
Impa takes charge of relic research. She works in Hyrule Castle as an official adviser. Impa introduces Zelda to Purah, her older sister, and Robbie. Zelda joins them in their research. The Sheikah Slate is discovered. Its functionality is partially restored. They succeed in activating the Divine Beasts. Purah is 24 years old.
The number of monsters increases, and they become more active. Powerful species begin to appear. Attacks against citizens of Hyrule are on the rise.
The Yiga Clan, moving in the shadows, attempt to assassinate Princess Zelda. She is attacked but escapes unharmed when Link defends her.
Princess Zelda selects four highly skilled individuals from across Hyrule. She summons the four Champions and Link to Hyrule Castle, where King Rhoam appoints them Champions in an official ceremony. The four Champions overcome trials to prove themselves worthy of piloting the Divine Beasts.
Link, a child of a hue of knights, extracts the Master Sword.
Princess Zelda turns seventeen years old. She ventures to the Spring of Wisdom on Mount Lanayru for a purification ceremony, attempting to awaken her sealing power.
Zelda flying out of Dark Beast Ganon after Link defeats him
Calamity Ganon revives. The Guardians and the four Divine Beasts are taken over, and Hyrule Castle Town is destroyed. King Rhoam commands the knights. He perishes fighting the Guardians and monsters while helping the people to safety.
Corrupted Guardian
Princess Zelda confronts Calamity Ganon within Hyrule Castle. She is able to seal Ganon's power, causing the Divine Beasts to withdraw and the Guardians to cease their assault. The complete Triforce can be seen on her hand.
The Champions rush to the Divine Beasts and are slain by the manifestations of Ganon that appear inside them. Their souls are imprisoned in the Divine Beasts.
Civilians mount a successful defense at Fort Hateno.
Link is defeated at Blatchery Plain. Princess Zelda's sealing power awakens. Link is placed in the Shrine of Resurrection. where he will sleep for one hundred years. The Master Sword is put to rest under the Great Deku Tree to await the day the hero returns.
With the king gone, the kingdom’s soldiers are in disarray and fall back to Akkala Citadel in order to put up an effective resistance. The soldiers are overrun.
King Rhoam is buried on the Great Plateau by the Sheikah.
100 Years
Naydra corrupted by Calamity Ganon
Princess Zelda's sealing power weakens, and the once-quiet Calamity Ganon becomes more active, responding to signs that Link will soon return.
Link awakens within the Shrine of Resurrection.
Era of the Wilds
The Divine Beasts renew their rampage in response to Ganon's increased activity and Link s imminent return.
Purah develops an anti-aging rune and uses it on herself, but it goes too far. Despite being 124 years old, Purah looks like a child.
Link sets off to reawaken the four Divine Beasts and free the spirits of the four Champions within them. He has no memory, but regains pieces from visiting familar places throughout Hyrule.
Using the Sheikah Slate, Link is able to reactivate the Sheikah towers.
At some point during his adventure, Link defeats the Yiga Clan's leader, Master Kohga. Kohga is seen falling down a seemingling bottomless pit.
Link and Princess Zelda defeat Calamity Ganon, who has holed up in Hyrule Castle for 100 years.
In Tears of the Kingdom, if you visit the location of where a Sheikah Shrine should be, there is now just a patch of dirt.
The Divine Beasts, Guardians, and Ancient Shrines are disposed of in some way, presumably to ensure they could not be used against Hyrule again in the future. The Sheikah Shrines are buried. Sheikah Towers are dismantled and under Purah’s orders, new Skyview Towers are built. The Shrine of Resurrection is buried as well.
The Horned Statue is still considered a nuisance in Hateno Village, so his location is moved into the Royal Hidden Passage.
Zelda may have been the one who ordered this to be done. She took up residence in Hateno Village between the events of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Also, she would have been someone who knew about the Royal Hidden Passage to put him there.
In an interview, Hidemaro Fujibayashi says “They disappeared after the Calamity was defeated. All of the people of Hyrule also witnessed this, but there is no one who knows the mechanism or reason why they disappeared, and it is considered a mystery. It is believed that since the Calamity disappeared, they also disappeared as their role had been fulfilled.”
Purah perfects her anti-aging rune, making it so that she appears as a young adult instead of a child.
Princess Zelda founds a school in Hateno Village for the village’s children. Symin of the Sheikah tribe is placed as its teacher.
At some point, Zelda and Link visit the Great Deku Tree where he informs them that the Master Sword cannot only heal itself, but become stronger if bathed in sacred power.
Zelda oversees the implementation of several memorials across Hyrule, commemorating the lost lives during the Second Great Calamity.
4-5 Years
The destruction of the obelisk is what causes the Upheaval. This gives us some insight into all of the functions of the obelisk. Not only was it reinforcing Rauru’s arm in keeping Ganondorf sealed, it was also keeping the platform in place, probably connected to the antennae under the sky isles, and the Shrines of Light as well.
Purah oversees the construction of Lookout Landing.
Zelda and Link discover ancient Zonai ruins and even a relief mural depicting the events of the Imprisoning War.
This is perhaps why the sky isles fall closer to the surface. Their altitude may have been dictated by the obelisk. The Shrines of Light may have been disturbed when the obelisk was destroyed.
The rest of Rauru’s body has decomposed, but his arm remains.
Ganondorf hits the above obelisk that had been reinforcing his imprisonment with another blast of malice, causing Hyrule Castle to rise. The platform he was on starts to crumble and fall into the Depths.
After Ganondorf awakes, his sealing is broken. Link is hit with a blast of malice, which greatly wounds his right arm. The Master Sword rapidly decays from the hit.
Zelda falls. Link tries to grab her but she is transported back in time when she touches a secret stone, which had been tethered to Rauru’s arm.
Rauru’s spirit
Rauru’s arm grabs Link. It transports him to the Great Sky Island, where he awakes with it now having replaced his wounded arm.
Four of Ganondorf’s servants cause havoc in different parts of Hyrule. Colgera causes a never-ending blizzard in the Hebra region. The Marbled Gohma infects rock roasts in the Eldin region, causing gorons to be mind controlled. Mucktorok plagues the Lanayru region with a thick sludge, dirtying its waters. Queen Gibdo covers the Gerudo Desert with an overbearing sandstorm.
Link awakes on the Great Sky Island. He obtains the Purah Pad. Rauru’s spirit guides him through adjusting to his new arm and the powers that come with it.
The Upheaval causes a number of things. The sky isles fall closer to the surface, now in view. Chasms deep enough to reach the Depths open up around Hyrule. Cave systems previously underground are reachable from the surface now.
The decayed Master Sword is sent back in time to Zelda.
Tulin of the Rito Tribe, Yunobo of the Goron Tribe, Prince Sidon of the Zora Tribe, and Riju of the Gerudo Tribe awaken as this era’s sages. They are presented Zonai secret stones by the spirits of their sage ancestors.
Through the Light Dragon’s tears, Mineru, and the ancient sages’ spirits, Link learns of Zelda’s fate after she fell during the Upheaval.
Link finds Mineru, the fifth sage and Rauru’s older sister, whose spirit still lives on. He constructs her a mechanical body.
Riju
After many sightings of Zelda, it is revealed that it was an imposter puppeteered by Ganondorf. Link defeats the Phantom Ganon tied to it in Hyrule Castle.
Link aids the four major regions of Hyrule being plagued by Ganondorf’s servants.
Mineru bids farewell to Link and Zelda, and her spirit disperses. The sages vow to keep protecting Hyrule.
Link regains the restored Master Sword from the Light Dragon’s forehead.
With the help of Zelda as the Light Dragon, Link defeats Ganondorf.
An ancient Hero, a Calamity appears,
Now resurrected after 10,000 years.
Her appointed knight gives his life,
Shields her figure, and pays the price.
The princess's love for her fallen knight awakens her power
And within the castle the Calamity is forced to cower.
But the knight survives!
In the Shrine of Resurrection he sleeps,
Until from his healing dream he leaps!
For fierce and deadly trials await.
To regain his strength. Fulfill his fate.
To became a hero once again!
To wrest the princess from evil’s den.
The hero, the princess—hand in hand—
Must bring the light back to this land.
—“Song of the Hero” by the Court Poet
It is heavily implied that Zelda had been trapped inside Calamity Ganon in order to keep him sealed. A Hateno villager describes her as the “princess of Hyrule who got swallowed up by the Great Calamity.”
King Rhoam’s spirit looking at his own grave
Hyrule during the Era of the Wilds
10
10
The Hylian language during this time
Princess Zelda and Link traverse underneath Hyrule Castle in order to investigate a darkness they call the “Gloom” emanating from this location.
These are the same Link and Zelda from Breath of the Wild
Further in, Zelda and Link discover the imprisoning chamber of Ganondorf. Upon entering, they disturb the mummified body of Ganondorf, only held in place by Rauru’s arm.
The Light Dragon breaks the cloud barrier separating the sky isles and the surface. Zelda telepathically tells Link to find her. Link descends to the surface.
With the aid of the sages, Link battles through underneath Hyrule Castle and Ganondorf himself. When Ganondorf nears defeat, he swallows his stolen secret stone to transform into a demonic dragon.
Rauru and Sonia’s spirits aid Zelda in regaining her Hylian form. Link regains his right arm.
Child Timeline
Link is sent back in time. He warns Zelda and therefore the king to Ganondorf's treachery. Because he has the Triforce of Courage, his word is trusted.
Zelda entrusts the Ocarina of Time with Link and instructs him to travel far away.
Because Link is sent back, many events that happened when Link is an adult never happens in this timeline. The sages are not awakened. Ganondorf does not turn into Ganon.
Navi is seen leaving Link in the Temple of Time.
The combination of the burdens in the heart of Skull Kid and the evil magic inside Majora's Mask transformed a parallel world into the land of Termina.
Link takes his horse Epona and starts a search for his fairy friend Navi. His search takes him to a mysterious forest. There, he ends up in a parallel world called Termina.
Link saves Termina from the falling moon and the Majora's Mask.
At an undetermined time, Link is able to make his way back to Hyrule.
The Arbiter’s Grounds (right) are where the Spirit Temple (left) once stood. The Mirror of Twilight would have been moved here at some point after the Gerudo left.
Link grows old, lamenting that he was never remembered as a hero. After he passes, his spirit lives on in order to one day teach his descendant his sword techniques.
The Arbiter's Grounds, a prison in the desert built onto the Spirit Temple, is where Ganondorf's execution is to take place. It is also home to the Mirror of Twilight, used in ages past to send the Interlopers to the Twilight Realm.
Hero’s Spirit
Who are these sages? In this timeline, the sages seen in Ocarina of Time were never awakened. These sages are seen wearing masks that give them the appearance of old men, but their identities are never given.
Ganondorf's execution goes awry, and after he kills the Sage of Water, the rest of the sages quickly send him through the Mirror of Twilight.
Ganondorf is sentenced to execution to be carried out by the six sages. The Gerudo leave the desert for other lands after their leader is taken from them.
The Twilight Realm, a relatively peaceful place, is sent into chaos due to Ganondorf's presence. He props up Zant, an ambitious and resentful Twili due to not being chosen to be king, and plots to one day invade Hyrule.
The Goron Tribe and Zora Tribe continue to live and prosper. The Kokiri, however, die off or move to other lands. The Forest Temple is left in ruins.
The Master Sword still sits here, never having been drawn from its pedestal in this timeline.
Hundreds of Years
Twilight Era
At some point, Hyrule Castle and Castle Town were moved to a different location than where they stood in Ocarina of Time. This is evidenced by the fact that the new Hyrule Castle is nowhere near the Temple of Time, now standing in disrepair. The area around has become overgrown and is now apart of Faron Woods.
The Sheikah have dwindled in numbers. Kakariko Village is reestablished in a new location and the old Kakariko Village, called the Hidden Village, falls into disrepair. Impaz remains there however.
The people of Hyrule are cast in Twilight. Princess Zelda is held captive in Hyrule Castle.
Zant
The Zora queen Rutela is killed during the invasion.
Midna encounters Link, a ranch hand from Ordon Village, who had been in pursuit of Bulblins after they kidnapped the children of the village. When he accidently enters a patch of the Twilight, he transforms into a wolf by the power of the Triforce of Courage instead of succumbing to the Twilight.
Zant, with the power granted by Ganondorf, invades Hyrule from the Twilight Realm with his forces after he usurps Midna. Cursed by Zant, she escapes to the Light World.
In order to defeat Zant, Link and Midna collect pieces of the Fused Shadow, a Twili relic from the time of the Interloper War.
Link and Midna seek out the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove where the Temple of Time once stood. The sword dispels the curse on Link.
Link and Midna restore light to Hyrule by visiting each Spirit of Light. Link is able to restore his human form.
Midna and Wolf Link
Throughout the journey, Link gains training from his ancestor's spirit, the Hero of Time.
Zant curses Link back into wolf form with the Shadow Crystal, steals the completed Fused Shadow from Midna, and gives her a mortal wound. Link takes Midna to Princess Zelda, who pours her spirit into Midna to save her life.
Link and Midna gather the shards of the Mirror of Twilight, which Zant had broken. Link defeats him in battle. Midna takes back the Fused Shadow and kills Zant with it.
Ganondorf, now in Hyrule Castle, has Princess Zelda and is waiting for Link and Midna in the throne room. He and Link battle, both while Ganondorf is in his Gerudo form and in his Demon King form. Link plunges the Master Sword in his chest, killing him.
This Dark Tribe is different than the Twili seen in Twilight Princess. It is heavily implied that the Interlopers of an earlier era were a traitorous group already living in Hyrule, while it is said the Dark Tribe invaded Hyrule.
Midna is released from her curse and returns to her Twili form. She thanks Link and Zelda, and leaves for the Twilight Realm through the Mirror of Twilight. She shatters it behind her, severing their worlds.
Using an artifact called the Dark Mirror, the Dark Tribe is imprisoned within the Dark World. The Dark Mirror is hidden away in the Tower of Darkness, constructed in a forest with no connection to the Dark World.
Link returns the Master Sword to the Sacred Grove. He returns the children of Ordon to the village, but then leaves with his horse Epona to places unknown.
At some point, people known as the Dark Tribe invade Hyrule from another land.
Hyrule Historia states that the relationship between the Mirror of Twilight and the Dark Mirror is unknown, but one explanation may be that there is no connection other than a later generation in Hyrule used the Mirror of Twilight as inspiration to create the Dark Mirror.
Hundreds of Years
Shadow Era
*
During Twilight Princess, the ancient knowledge of structures in the sky was rediscovered. This may have inspired the people of Hyrule to build this tower.
The Palace of Winds, previously inhabited by the Wind Tribe seen in The Minish Cap, may be an abandoned structure originally used by the Skyloftians. Remember, the Wind Tribe were originally from the Surface but went to the sky.
A tower, called the Tower of Winds, is constructed to connect Hyrule to the Palace of Winds, seen in The Minish Cap.
Centuries after the death of Ganondorf, the Gerudo slowly repopulate Gerudo Desert. Their relations with Hyrule improve over time.
Several Years
The connection to the Twilight Realm was severed when Midna shattered the Mirror of Twilight. Yet another mirror world, the Dark World, may have been created by Ganondorf's evil and hatred manifested.
A new Ganondorf is born to the Gerudo tribe.
Four Sword Sanctuary
At some point, Ganondorf breaks the Gerudo's taboo of entering the Ancient Pyramid in the Desert of Doubt, and steals a powerful trident within, transforming him into the Demon King Ganon.
Ganon steals the Dark Mirror from within the Tower of Darkness.
The six Maidens along with Zelda may be the descendants of the sages seen in Twilight Princess.
The Realm of the Heavens is the name given to a series of sky isles, all possibly unused sky isles from the Sky Era.
When dark, ominous clouds cover Hyrule, Princess Zelda and her childhood friend Link check to make sure the seal on the Four Sword has not broken.
After Princess Zelda, Link, and the six Maidens gather at the sanctuary in which the Four Sword is held, Shadow Link appears. He seals away the six Maidens and Princess Zelda in dark crystals and scatters them throughout the land.
Link pulls the Four Sword in desperation, resulting in Link splitting in four. Vaati is freed from his imprisonment as a consequence.
The four Links are awoken by Kaepora Gaebora, who aids the Links along their adventure. He informs them of what they must do, which is to free the six Maidens.
At the top of the tower, Princess Zelda is rescued. In the Realm of the Heavens, the Links battle and defeat Shadow Link, which gives them the Dark Mirror.
Along their adventure, the Links discover that Ganon is the mastermind behind everything, including releasing Vaati.
Kaepora Gaebora seen in Four Swords Adventures is likely not the same as Rauru seen in Ocarina of Time. Ages have past at this point.
Before the Links can do anything, they are cast away by Vaati's magic.
After the Maidens are rescued, the Links hunt down four jewels guarded by the corrupted knights in order to gain access to the Tower of Winds.
Ganon uses Shadow Link to tear rifts in Hyrule leading to the Dark World. Shadow Link corrupts four esteemed knights of Hyrule by pulling them into the Dark World where they are turned into Big Dark Stalfos.
Shadow Link is a being created from the hatred toward the hero by Ganondorf, both the Ganondorf seen in Twilight Princess and the new reincarnation of him.
The Links gain access to the Palace of Winds, where they battle and defeat Vaati, and then Ganon. Ganon is sealed within the Four Sword, which is then laid to rest in the Four Sword Sanctuary again. The Links are fused together into one again.
Termina
This is the same Link from Ocarina of Time
Hyrule during the Era of Twilight
11
11
This is the same Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time
Peoples during this time
Hylian
Sheikah
Zora
Oocca
Human
Twili
Goron
Yeti
The Hylian language during this time
Where did this Dark World come from? It is a distinctly different Dark World than the one featured in the Fallen Hero timeline. There is a sentence in Hyrule Historia that may have the answer.
This new Dark World could be the "lingering scar" mentioned. This would explain why the Dark World contains Shadow Links, entities created from hatred toward the hero.
Hyrule during the Shadow Era
12
12
4
Peoples during this time
Zuna
Gerudo
Goron
Human
Fallen Timeline
As a last resort, Princess Zelda and the other six sages are able to seal Ganon with the Triforce in the corrupted Sacred Realm, now called the Dark World.
Link is unable to defeat Ganon, and tragically perishes.
Ages
The Imprisoning War
Ganon steals the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom, gaining the power of the whole Triforce.
The Seven Sages placing their seal on the Dark World
After a brief peace, the doorway to the Sacred Realm is opened. The Imprisoning War occurs. Those who sought the Sacred Realm did not realize it had been turned into the Dark World. No seekers of the Sacred Realm ever returned.
The Seven Sages of this time period are not the same as those in Ocarina of Time. A Link to the Past depicts them as seven men.
The Dark World is resealed by seven sages once again. Many knights of Hyrule lose their lives protecting the sages.
During the Imprisoning War, Hyrule falls into ruin. The bloodline of the Hylians and the royal family weaken.
The Zora's relationship with Hylians begins to sour. Many undergo physical changes and become hostile to outsiders. However, Zora in other lands remain friendly.
The Seven Sages as depicted in A Link Between Worlds
Agahnim's design implies he may be Sheikah, but he is in fact Ganon's alter-ego sent from the Dark World.
A priest by the name of Agahnim seeks to open the seal on the Dark World. He brainwashes Hyrule's knights, deposes the king, and finds six of the Maidens. He sends them to the Dark World.
A Zora in A Link to the Past
The Maidens, including Princess Zelda, are descendants of the seven sages who sealed the Dark World after the Imprisoning War.
Era of Light and Dark
The seventh Maiden, Princess Zelda, calls out to Link telepathically for help before she can be sent to the Dark World.
Sahasrahla
Link rescues Zelda from the dungeon in which she's held and escapes to a sanctuary using a hidden passage. The Loyal Sage of the sanctuary agrees to shelter Zelda.
After obtaining the pendants, Link is able to pull the Master Sword from its pedestal in The Lost Woods.
Zelda telepathically reaches out to Link
Link’s uncle
Link and his uncle are two of the last remaining knights of Hyrule.
Link visits Sahasrahla, a wise old man and a descendent of a sage, who tells him he must find the Pendants of Virtue in order to obtain the Master Sword.
Sahasrahla tells Link telepathically that he must save the seven Maidens in the Dark World and then defeat Ganon.
The Pyramid of Power, Ganon’s headquarters in the Dark World
It is a little unclear what happens to Ganon. In A Link Between Worlds, when recalling back to this encounter, it describes him as being “sealed in the darkness.”
Link rushes to the sanctuary to find the Loyal Sage mortally wounded and Zelda missing.
After Ganon's defeat, Link obtains the Triforce and wishes for the land to be restored and everyone killed by Ganon to be revived. The royal family of Hyrule is bestowed the Triforce and the Dark World fades away, restoring the Sacred Realm.
After Link draws the Master Sword, Zelda again reaches out telepathically to warn him that dark forces have invaded the sanctuary.
Zelda is sent to the Dark World and the seal is broken. Link defeats Agahnim, but is told that he is not truly defeated. Link is sucked into the Dark World.
Link becomes restless during a peace in Hyrule, so he travels to foreign lands to gain training and enlightenment.
On his journey either from or back to Hyrule, Link's boat is caught in a terrible storm. His boat sinks and he is washed ashore on Kolohint Island where Marin finds him.
A Few Years
Some sources word it as if Link is on is way from Hyrule, and others word it as if he is on his way back. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia actually places these events after the Oracle games.
Could the Wind Fish be a spirit descended from Levias, a great sky spirit from eras past?
On the island, an owl warns Link that the only way he will be able to leave the island is by waking the Wind Fish, who sleeps in an egg atop Mt. Tamaranch. To do so, Link must collect the Instruments of the Sirens.
It is revealed that the owl is apart of the spirit of the sleeping Wind Fish.
After Link collects the instruments, he defeats the Shadow Nightmares, manifestations tormenting the Wind Fish and preventing it to awake. The Wind Fish is finally able to rouse from its slumber.
The Wind Fish’s egg sitting atop the mountain
Kolohint Island fades away. Link awakes on a raft, part of his boat that sank. Looking up, he is able to see the Wind Fish flying away.
While collecting the instruments, Link finds out the truth about the island from an ancient shrine: that it does not exist and is an illusion manifested from the Wind Fish's dreams.
Link is beckoned to Hyrule Castle, where the Triforce itself sends Link on a quest to Holodrum to start his journey on preventing the resurrection.
Link returns to Hyrule.
Kotake and Koume, Ganondorf's surogate mothers, plan to revive Ganon. To do so, they send their minions General Onox to the land Holodrum and Veran to Labrynna. They seek three flames to be lit: The Flames of Destruction, Sorrow, and Despair.
In Holodrum, a dancer named Din finds Link sprawled on the ground, unconscious. She takes him to her traveling troupe and nurses him back to health.
General Onox
General Onox reveals Din to be the Oracle of Seasons and kidnaps her, throwing Holodrum's seasons into chaos.
After Link is able to defeat General Onox, Din is saved. However, Onox was still able to light the Flame of Destruction.
The Maku Tree of Holodrum tells Link that in order to save Din, he must collect eight Essences of Nature.
Farore, the Oracle of Secrets, shows up in both Oracle games.
Queen Ambi
When Link awakes, he helps Impa who had been attacked by some octoroks. The two shortly meet Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, but Veran has been possessing Impa the whole time to get to her. She quickly jumps from Impa to Nayru and takes over her powers over time.
Nayru
Veran
Immediately after the events of Oracle of Seasons, Link is teleported to the land of Labrynna.
Veran travels to the past in order to influence Queen Ambi, a queen of Labrynna's past, to build a large black tower.
Link, using the Harp of Ages, travels back and forth in time to retrieve eight Essences of Time, so that he may defeat Veran in the black tower.
Link defeats the hollow Ganon, restoring peace to Holodrum and Labrynna. He and Zelda return to Hyrule.
Twinrova, now only needing to light one more flame, kidnap Princess Zelda who has just arrived in Labrynna.
They plan to use Zelda for a ritual to light the flame and resurrect Ganon, but it is foiled when Link defeats them. The ritual only half complete, Ganon revives as a mindless beast.
Hundreds of Years
The Triforce is split apart. Ganon, despite being sealed in darkness, obtains the Triforce of Power. The pieces of Courage and Wisdom go to the spirit of the hero and Hylia's blood.
Yuga
Link, a young blacksmith apprentice, attempts to stop Yuga. Ravio, a mysterious stranger who sets up shop in Link's house, gives him a bracelet that allows him to enter two dimensional planes at will.
Yuga, a powerful magician, invades Hyrule from another world. He starts trapping descendants of the seven sages in paintings.
These are descendants of the seven sages who sealed the Dark World after the Imprisoning War and the seven Maidens in A Link to the Past.
Link, after collecting the Pendants of Virtue, is able to retrieve the Master Sword in the Lost Woods.
Princess Hilda
One of the sages, Oren, is a Zora. In this timeline, Zora are no longer friendly with Hylians, but Oren seeks to mend relations. Half of the Zora follow her as their queen while the other half rebel violently.
Queen Oren
Yuga and Ganon fused
On the other side, Link is greeted by Yuga already having revived Ganon using the power of the Seven Sages. Yuga and Ganon have fused. Princess Hilda, Zelda's Lorulean counterpart, saves Link from the beast. She tells Link to seek the Seven Sages, who were hidden all over Lorule.
Link and Zelda return to Hyrule using the bracelet. There, in Hyrule's Sacred Realm, they find the Triforce whole. Placing their hands on it together, Link and Zelda wish for Lorule's Triforce to be restored, saving the kingdom.
After Link saves the Seven Sages from their painting prisons, he obtains the Triforce of Courage. He heads back to Lorule Castle to defeat Yuga and save Princess Zelda. It is revealed that Hilda was in fact the one who tasked Yuga with stealing the Seven Sages and Princess Zelda of Hyrule so that she may save her kingdom.
Long ago, the leaders of Lorule decided to destroy their Triforce because of the strife it caused. However, this would doom Lorule to start falling apart. This drove Princess Hilda to seek Hyrule's Triforce.
Yuga betrays Hilda. Link defeats Yuga. Ravio, revealed to be Link's Lorulean counterpart, pleads with his princess to let Zelda and Link go, along with their Triforce. Hilda resigns to this, and accepts that Lorule will crumble.
A Few Years
With two other lookalikes, Link is recruited by Madame Couture to find pieces of the Lady's Ensemble, an outfit that would free Princess Styla from her curse.
Link ventures north of Hyrule to the kingdom of Hytopia. There, he is recruited to the Witch-Hunting Brigade to take down the evil Lady Maud because she hexxed Princess Styla to wear an ugly brown jumpsuit that won't come off.
Madame Couture
After esembling the pieces of the Lady's Ensemble, the last of which was obtained by defeating Lady Maud, Link and his two companions handed them over to Madame Couture. She creates the outfit and frees Princess Styla from the spell.
Because the Triforce is now whole again and residing in the Sacred Realm after the events of A Link Between Worlds, Hyrule enters a Golden Era.
Lady Maud
Generations of kings use the Triforce to allow Hyrule to flourish. One such king, the last great and selfless king, starts to doubt his son's worthiness to inherit this power.
Princess Styla
Golden era
The king hides the Triforce of Courage, casting a spell so that a crest would appear on a hero worthy of it. Princess Zelda, who the king trusts, is given the location of its hiding place.
15
The remorseful king reigns over Hyrule to the best of his ability, but without a complete Triforce, the kingdom starts to decline.
With the council of a magician, the prince interrogates Princess Zelda on the location of the Triforce of Courage. When she refuses to reveal the location, the magician puts her into an eternal sleep.
Era of Decline
For generations, the Triforces of Wisdom and Power are passed down in the royal family, but the location of the Triforce of Courage remains hidden.
The new king, now filled with regret, places her on an altar in the North Castle. He decrees that all women born into the royal family will be named Zelda. His slumbering sister becomes known as Zelda I.
The unworthy prince ascends to the throne but only inherits the Triforces of Wisdom and Power.
Many Years
Link, a young traveler, happens upon Impa being attacked by Ganon's minions. After he saves her and she tells him of Ganon, he sets off for the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom.
A revived Ganon attacks Hyrule and obtains the Triforce of Power. In order to prevent him from gaining the Triforce of Wisdom, Princess Zelda shatters it into eight pieces and scatters them. She sends her nursemaid Impa to find a hero before being imprisoned by Ganon.
6 Years
Six years after the defeat of Ganon, Hyrule is still plagued by his minions. On Link's sixteenth birthday, a crest appears on his left hand. Impa, knowing this means he is a worth hero, shows him the chamber in which Zelda I sleeps.
Impa gives him a letter from the deceased king that finally reveals the location of the Triforce of Courage, the Great Palace. In order to gain entry to the Great Palace, Link must place six crystals in smaller palaces across Hyrule.
After Link opens the Great Palace, he is able to obtain the Triforce of Courage and therefore unite the Triforce. He takes the three pieces to the North Castle and is able to awake Zelda I.
Peace returns to Hyrule.
Hyrule during the Era of Light and Dark
13
13
This is the same Ganon as in Ocarina of Time
The Temple of Time has decayed and has left only the pedestal and sword. When Ganon was sealed after the Hero of Time was defeated, the Master Sword would have been returned to its pedestal.
Kolohint Island
This is the same Link as in A Link to the Past
Holodrum
This is the same Link as in A Link to the Past
Din
Labrynna
These are the same Link and Zelda as in A Link to the Past
This is the same Ganon as in Ocarina of Time
Link drives Veran out of the body of Queen Ambi and defeats her, but unfortunately the Flame of Sorrow had already been lit.
Ravio
Hyrule in A Link Between Worlds
14
14
Link is unable to prevent Yuga from trapping all seven descendants as well as Princess Zelda and escaping into a mirror world of Hyrule, Lorule. Link quickly merges into the wall and follows Yuga into Lorule through a crack.
The Hylian language during this time
The Drablands
This is the same Link as in A Link Between Worlds
Hyrule during the Era of Decline
15
16
This is the same Ganon as in Ocarina of Time
After he esembles the Triforce of Wisdom, Link confronts Ganon inside Death Mountain and defeats him.
Hyrule in The Adventure of Link
This is the same Link as in The Legend of Zelda
More Concepts and Theories
The Adult Timeline Placement
There is no confirmation on where Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fit on the official timeline. There are several fan theories, but let’s explore the possibility that these games fall in the Adult timeline. There are elements from all three timelines present in these games, but these can be explained and the fact that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom seem to take place in a Hyrule far in the future after a rebirth of the land points toward the Adult timeline.
First Things First
First of all and most obvious, the presence of the Rito and the Koroks, first introduced in The Wind Waker, points toward the Adult timeline right off the bat.
The Rito and Koroks evolved from the Zora and the Kokiri for very specific reasons. They did not evolve naturally over time, but instead very rapidly because of the flooding of Hyrule. The fact that they are seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom suggests that those events happened within the same timeline.
It is also worth noting that the only titles that feature the Great Deku Tree fall in the Adult timeline.
How did the Great Deku Tree go from the bottom of the map to the top?
It’s probably not the same Great Deku Tree, but a descendant. When the previous expired, the new seed or sproutling must have been relocated by the Koroks to a new, nice forest in the north.
So how are there Zora?
This is explainable by assuming that the Zora seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are descended from a branch of the Zora that went to other lands instead of evolving into the Rito.
The group of Zora that split off would have had to contain at least one descendant of Ruto, since it is said Mipha and Sidon are descendents of her.
In fact, this would fit nicely into the lore featured in the stone monuments detailing the history of the Zora seen in Breath of the Wild. They detail how the Zora settled in Lanayru about 10,000 years before the Second Great Calamity, and how they built their domain from the beautiful stone in the area, but it does not divulge where they came from before that.
Zora being present in other lands is not unheard of; they are present in Termina, Labrynna, and Holodrum.
Why are the Rito in reliefs in Twilight Princess?
Well, these aren’t Rito. This relief sculpture is most likely depicting the evolution of the Oocca. If we are to extrapolate from these panels, it seems like the Oocca evolved from Hylians (maybe the Wind Tribe featured in The Minish Cap), to birdmen, to the small avian creatures we see in-game. The middle panel shows them mid-evolution. It may be a fun reference to the Rito, but not necessarily them.
The symbolism contained in this relief evokes many questions. Why is the young Hero of Time in every panel? How does the Triforce play a role in the first panel? Why is there a Zora in the last?
What happened to the Great Sea?
Well, it was never a naturally occurring ocean to begin with. It was a divine body of water that fell from the heavens when the goddesses, in a rare act of divine intervention, flooded Hyrule in order to stop Ganon when no hero appeared.
After the death of Ganondorf in The Wind Waker, the sea may have receded over time while the Koroks were hard at work creating new soil and trees from the Great Deku Tree’s seeds.
The rock salt found on the surface is evidence of an “ancient sea.”
In Tears of the Kingdom, it is revealed Hyrule is sitting on top of a massive cavern, called the Depths. This area could have been previously filled with water.
Why aren’t the Depths littered with fossilized sea life?
Because there was no fauna in the Great Sea.
Ganondorf even comments on it in The Wind Waker: “They are vast seas...None can swim across them...They yield no fish to catch.”
The Depths does contain interesting flora, however, reminiscent of aquatic plants. It is also covered in gigantic fossilized roots, along with the lightroots. Could these be left over from ancient trees planted by the Koroks?
Little side note: The Wind Waker’s prologue describes Ganon’s return as “the great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.”
Why would the royal family come back to Hyrule and start over after establishing New Hyrule?
Maybe they didn’t. There is a New Hyrule across the ocean with a royal family descended from Tetra, yes, but that doesn’t mean all of Hylia’s bloodline are there. Queen Sonia, the first Hylian queen of the rebirthed Hyrule, may have come from a branch of the royal line that stayed on an island when the great flood happened.
Windfall Island is where many of the residents of Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko Village gathered to survive the great flood. Perhaps a part of the royal line made their way there too?
This would explain why her name isn’t Zelda to begin with: because she came from a part of the royal family that didn’t hold the throne before the great flood. It would only be later in Queen Sonia’s descendancy that the name Zelda would pop up again, perhaps because of oral history recounting powerful princesses named Zelda.
Why are the Arbiter’s Grounds present in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom despite existing in the Child timeline?
This could be for a many reasons, but the simplest and most obvious one is they are just not the same Arbiter’s Grounds.
In the original Japanese versions of both Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, the designation for the Arbiter’s Grounds is “Sabaku no Shokeijo,” which translates to “Desert Execution Site.” This is a very generic name for a location.
The Lurelin Village of it All
There is a distinct cultural difference between most of Hyrule and Lurelin Village. Lurelin Village has a seaside culture and the people have talent navigating the waters of the ocean. Perhaps the culture of Lurelin Village is a hold over from when the land was covered in water. The people could be descendants of those who lived on islands, such as Outset Island.
Dead Leviathan’s Tale
In Breath of the Wild, a small quest line introduces you to the leviathan bones. It is revealed that they went extinct because of natural disasters. There is disagreement between the three researchers you meet. One believes a drought happened, one believes a volcanic eruption happened, and one believes an ice age happened. Whether one, two, or all three happened, these natural disasters could have played a major role in the declining sea, or happened because of the declining sea.
The Ancient City of Gorondia
In Tears of the Kingdom, a young Goron named Dugby is in search of the legendary city of Gorondia, where the “Gorons of old once lived.” Later revealed to be real, it houses the Fire Temple and an abandoned mine in the Depths. Could Gorondia be the original Goron City and Fire Temple of Hyrule, first featured in Ocarina of Time, before the Great Sea flooded it? It is apparent that the Zonai used the area to mine Zonaite, but it could be that the ruins there are much older.
The bones around the area could be left behind by dodongos. Could the Elden Dark Skeleton found nearby be the remains of Volvagia?
What about the Amiibo sets?
The set items available in Breath of the Wild through Amiibos and DLC, and in Tears of the Kingdom through maps, honestly should not be used for timeline placement theories. They were obviously added for the player’s enjoyment and no other reason.
What about the Lynels?
It is true that the only other titles that feature lynels are within the Fallen Hero timeline, but this isn’t exactly hard hitting evidence that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take place in that branch of the chronology. In Tears of the Kingdom, Ganondorf is shown summoning lynels as part of his horde of minions. This implies that they could be present in any of the timelines if there is a Ganondorf who has the desire for them to be there.
Why does Zelda reference Twilight Princess during her speech while knighting Link as the Hero of Hyrule?
Many use a quote from Zelda in Breath of the Wild to place it in the Child timeline. While knighting Link, part of her speech includes, “Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight...” This seems to be a direct reference to Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. However, in the original Japanese version, the direct translation is “Even if fluttering in the sky, traveling through time, or dyed by twilight...” and later she says, “When crossing the seas, or in times when we need the Golden Power created by the gods...” This second line adds references to both the Adult timeline and Fallen Hero timeline, thus nulling the use of this speech to give the game a timeline placement.
How did the Master Sword go from the bottom of the ocean to the Korok Forest?
It’s hard to say. When Link deals the final blow to Ganondorf in The Wind Waker, Ganondorf turns to stone while the sword remains impaled. There could be a number of ways the sword finds its way back to the surface. The Koroks, while hard at work creating a new continent, could have recovered it before it was buried. It could have magically disappeared and reappeared knowing a hero in a future generation would need it. King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule could have sent it upward before the waves came crashing over him, knowing it would be needed again. Far in the future, when discovering the Depths, the Zonai could have recovered it and brought it to the surface.
What happened to the Triforce?
After King Daphnes uses the Triforce in The Wind Waker to wish Hyrule washes away, the Triforce can be seen flying off in opposite directions. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda is seen with the Triforce on the back of her hand. Between the time of The Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, this could be the first time the Triforce is making an appearance.
In Conclusion
The theory that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fall in the Adult timeline is a fun thought experiment, but one that is compelling. In an interview with developer Hidemaro Fujibayashi, he stated “If I'm just talking about this as a possibility, even if there is a story about the founding of Hyrule, there is a possibility that there is a history where Hyrule was destroyed once before that.” Could the destruction he speaks of be referencing the flooding of Hyrule? It is hard to say, but it is a possibility.
Ultimately, the developers of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have hinted that these games were not made with a timeline placement in mind, so as not to restrict creativity during development. Also, the timeline is subject to change “depending on new discoveries that have come to light and on the players imagination (The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, p. 10).” When a timeline placement is selected by the developers, if it is, it will probably be based on a retroactive decision.
Big Boned
There are three large skeletons featured in Breath of the Wild, named Great Skeletons by this time period. They rest in the regions of Eldin, Gerudo, and Hebra. There are many questions surrounding them, but the identity of these goliaths may be deduced by looking at the bone structure.
The Eldin Great Skeleton may be none other than Levias, the great sky spirit featured all the way back in Skyward Sword. Notice the skeleton features a great, flat plate on its skull, similar to the one seen on Levias.
The biggest contender for the Gerudo Great Skeleton’s identity is the Wind Fish featured in Link’s Awakening. The skeleton is that of a baleen whale. Also, a skeletal protrusion seen jutting from its back could be the base of a wing. Even though this timeline posits that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take place in the Adult chronology, that doesn’t mean the Wind Fish couldn’t have also existed in this timeline.
The identity of the last Great Skeleton, in Hebra, is a little hazier. This is the skeleton of another baleen whale. Contenders for this one include Oshus, the Ocean King featured in Phantom Hourglass (although he comes from another world), Jabu Jabu featured in Ocarina of Time, and Jabun featured in The Wind Waker, but seeing as how Oshus is the only baleen whale out of those three, he is the most likely.
On the Topic of Owls and Old Men
Reincarnation is an overarching theme in The Legend of Zelda games. Demise, the Hero, and the goddess Hylia reborn are the three confirmed souls that forever come back in cycles. What if there is at least one other? It has never been insinuated that other instances of reincarnation can not happen in this universe.
Many games feature an old man, an owl, or both with the role of helping the Hero. They often have similarities through their names and their appearances. The first figure that fits in this line of advisors is Gaepora, Zelda’s father in Skyward Sword.
This fourth soul is continually reborn whenever a need for the Hero is imminent. Either physically or in spirit, they are always made available to the Hero on his quest to vanquish evil.
In Japanese cultural folklore, owls are seen as lucky and offer protection from hardship. The red and orange often seen on the Hylian form of these characters may be intended to echo the colors worn by Bhikkhus, Buddhist monks.
More figures that could be apart of this chain of reincarnation, in no particular order, include Rauru/Kaepora Gaebora from Ocarina of Time, Kaepora Gaebora from Four Swords Adventures, King Daphnes from The Wind Waker, Sahasrahla from A Link to the Past, Sahasrahla from A Link Between Worlds, Auru from Twilight Princess, King Rhoam from Breath of the Wild, and Rauru from Tears of the Kingdom.
Power in Hyrule
The Triforce
The Triforce is the most powerful object in the entire Zelda universe. Originally left behind after the three golden goddesses created the world, it has the power to grant any wish to anyone who lays their hand on it. It serves as a symbol of balance between three characteristics: power, wisdom, and courage.
Wielders of the Triforce, or at least parts of it, can be seen with a sigil on the back of their hand. It is never plainly stated what powers wielders have while in possession of the Triforce, but it is hinted that they gain strength and magic. Ganondorf even escapes a mortal wound when he gains the Triforce of Power right before his planned execution in Twilight Princess.
Sacred Power
The sacred power, or goddess power, of Hylia is passed down to her mortal reincarnations, Princess Zelda. This power is separate from the Triforce, Force, or any sage powers Zelda has. Sacred power is often seen in the form of heavenly light.
When the Master Sword was destroyed in Tears of the Kingdom, it had to bathe in Zelda’s sacred power for tens of thousands of years for it to be repaired.
Force
It goes by the monikers Light Force, Energy, Life Force, and Force Gems in English-translated games, but in the original Japanese, it goes by one name: Force. This powerful essence resides in all living things, similar to the Shinto concept of kami.
The Minish once gave a legendary hero the Picori Blade and the ability to harness Force. After the Hero of Men vanquished an ancient evil and locked it away in a chest, a great source of Force was locked away in the body of Hyrule’s princess and was passed down to her descendants.
According to The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, when the goddess Hylia reborn blessed the Master Sword in Skyward Sword, it was imbued with Force.
Force or Sacred Power?
There are many incarnations of Princess Zelda with recurring abilities. It is not clear which are given to her because of her sacred power passed down from Hylia or the great font of Force passed down generation to generation. It is made more unclear due to the Triforce and sage power also often playing a role in Zelda’s abilities.
Powers of clairvoyance (seen in Ocarina of Time) and telepathic communication (seen in A Link to the Past, The Wind Waker, etc.), the ability to summon light arrows, the sealing power of Zelda in Breath of the Wild, etc., are all abilities used by Princess Zelda in the series.
Power to Repel Evil
The “power to repel evil” is used to describe two objects: The Master Sword and the Four Sword. These blades have been infused with so much power from the divine or sources of good that they have gained the ability to vanquish and banish evil.
In The Wind Waker, the power to repel evil within the Master Sword is contingent on the prayers of sages. This is different than other titles in which the Master Sword never seems to lose this ability (except in Tears of the Kingdom when the sword is destroyed altogether).
The Four Sword had the power to repel evil, but lost it when Vaati was sealed inside. It was not until Four Sword Adventures, when Vaati escapes the seal, that the blade would regain this power.
Sage power
Sages are awakened throughout the ages when they are needed, serving as a bridge between the Sacred Realm and Hyrule. Often their primary role is to seal evil in the form of Ganon away. It seems most sages are spiritual or blood descendants of previous sages.
Fused Shadow
The Fused Shadow, also called the Dark or Forbidden Power, is a relic from the time of the Interloper War. Ancestors of the Twili, the Interlopers were a group of magic wielders who wished to claim the Triforce for themselves. Punished for their crimes, they were banished to the Twilight Realm.
The Fused Shadow is an amalgamation of the magic wielded by the original Interlopers. Many speculate that they may have been an offshoot of the Sheikah due to the similarities in usage of shadow or dark magic and usage of eye symbols.
Evil
Evil is said to have originated in ancient times from great fissures in the earth. Demons crawled up with a malevolent drive in complete opposition of what the golden goddesses had created. Their leader, Demise, carried a hatred of all that is good and sought the ultimate destruction of the world.
After the defeat of Demise during the Sky Era with the help of the Triforce, his soul was trapped within the Master Sword and was erased over time from the divine essence within the blade. However, evil would persist in the form of a cycle of hatred. Demise cursed the souls of Hylia and her chosen hero to forever fight against agents of evil incarnate.
The Confusing Geography of Hyrule
The land of Hyrule has been featured in almost every title in The Legend of Zelda series. Every map of Hyrule has been a little or a lot different, hinting that the land has gone through drastic changes over the millennia.
Over time, Eldin Volcano would become known as Death Mountain, Faron Woods would become the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest, and Lanayru Desert would become the Gerudo Desert.
Some titles may have maps that are more zoomed in or out. For example, The Adventure of Link not only contains Hyrule, but lands and islands north and east of Hyrule. Over the millennia, Hyrule’s borders may shrink or expand due to war and politics. In both Ocarina of Time and Tears of the Kingdom, it is revealed that the Gerudo Desert has been considered apart of Hyrule and separate at different times.
Is Hyrule an island, landlocked, or on a coast? Hyrule has been depicted as all three. It is unclear what this means. It could be the case that Hyrule has gone through such drastic geological changes, or it could be explained that this is simply how the in-world cartographers were drawing the maps in each given era.
Despite the changes, most maps of Hyrule typically have recurring features in the same location. A desert usually appears in the southwest, a towering mountain or volcano in the northeast, a forest in either the southeast or north, and a lake in the south section of the map. These features usually have the same name as well, except in Skyward Sword, in which these features have more ancient names before they were changed presumably by Hylians.
References
- “Secrets of the UPHEAVAL - Tears of the Kingdom Lore” by Monster Maze (YouTube)
- “100 Interesting Bits of Lore in Tears of The Kingdom!” by Hyrule Gamer (YouTube)
- “100 Lore & Story Secrets in Breath of the Wild” by Zeltik (YouTube)
- “Ancient Hero's Aspect - Tears of the Kingdom Theory” by Commonwealth Realm (YouTube)
- “Examining Draconification - A Story Lost in Time” by Gossip Geist (YouTube)
- “How Sidon Accidentally SOLVED The Rito Question! - Zoran History Explained” by Gossip Geist (YouTube)
- The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia by Nintendo
- The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia by Nintendo
- Creating a Champion by Nintendo
- Zelda Wiki (zelda.fandom.com/wiki)
- Zelda Dungeon Wiki (zeldadungeon.net/wiki)
- Google Images
- Help from this redditor!
100% Completion Lists
