Zelda timeline theories?

[Whobajube]

Heres mine: The game starts with Ocarina, and at the end when Link gets sent back to when he was a kid, essentially creating two timelines. One that no longer has a Link, and one where he is a child again. In the one where he is a child, Link and Zelda warn the king of Ganondorf, and he is sentanced to death, which leads into Twilight Princess. In the timeline which no longer has a Link, Ganon escapes the sacred realm, and since Link no longer exists in that world, the king has no choice but to flood Hyrule, leading to Wind Waker. Obviously direct sequels follow after their respective games, like Majoras mask. Minish cap follows Wind Waker, because of the Ganon statue with the sword in his forehead. Not sure where anything else fits in. I have some ideas, but nothing concrete. Anyone else have any theories?

 

[Easykill]

While I bet you could come up with a timeline you're really creative, Nintendo didn't build one in, the characters are just getting reborn a bunch of times.

 

[FujinAkari]

Nintendo has expressedly said that there is no timeline, merely a premise that is repeated. While yes, at times you DO have examples of direct sequalage (Ocarena of Time > Majora's Mask > Wind Waker,) games that are not directly tied to one another are considered unrelated.

 

[Neflame]

There actually IS a timeline contrary to popular belief. A fansite compiled one that was acknowledged by Nintendo. I can't remember the whole thing right now, but (excluding Twilight Princess) it begins with Ocarina of Time and ends with Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link.

 

[Melaisis]

There actually IS a timeline contrary to popular belief. A fansite compiled one that was acknowledged by Nintendo. I can't remember the whole thing right now, but (excluding Twilight Princess) it begins with Ocarina of Time and ends with Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link.

Correct.

It actually splits at one point too; during OoT. If I recall correctly (I discovered this information from another poster here on the Escapist, mind) the Windwaker/Phantom Hourglass/Sunken Hyrule saga is athe sort of 'bad' ending option to OoT; where the time between Adult Link and Child Link fucks up somehow and Ganondorf ends up taking utter control regardless. Whereas the Twlight Princess sequence is a spin-off, taking into account the more positive side of things at the end of OoT, i.e, if Hyrule was saved.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Oh, so this is why I don't play those games. Thank you for telling me.

 

[Whobajube]

The comprehensive storyline produced by IGN or whomever lists the Minish cap as the first, as it predates the creation of the Master Sword.
Don't remember what the second game was, but Ocarina of Time came third, which at the end created two timelines. One with link, IE: Majora's Mask, to Oracle of Seasons.
And one where it had to start again, with the order becomming a little fuzzy to me. But at the end of the timeline where Link had to be reborn it ended with Zelda 2.

Yeah, but that whole theory is thrown off by the fact that the statue of Ganon from Wind Waker with the master sword in his head appears in Minish Cap. Minish Cap can't be the first.

 

[VRaptorX]

According to an interview with Miyamoto...there is in fact a timeline however they make a game first and then when almost done they decide where to fit it in. So Nintendo does have some sort of general plotline.

 

[Easykill]

So I was wrong. Apologies all around.

 

[Neflame]

Okay, I managed to secure a timeline from a friend. To the best of my knowledge, this is how the normal timeline pans out: OoT, Majora's Mask Windwaker, Phantom Hourglass, Minish Cap, Four Swords, Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, The Two Oracles, Zelda 1, Zelda 2.

A few may actually be switched around, but that's about it. And the only game so far in the alt timeline is Twilight Princess. The rest fall within the original continuity. Twilight Princess is suppose to take place after OoT when Link returns to his childhood. The rest follow what happens after Ganondorf was sealed when Link was an adult. I apologise for not being able to provide a link to a credible site, but I'm pretty sure that's how it goes. And keep in mind that this has been argued many times before.

 

[propertyofcobra]

There is no timeline, aside a few quick one-twos.
(Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Or Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. Or the NES ones, y'know, Zelda and Zelda 2)

If I HAD to give it a shot because someone puts a gun to my head (and that's the case. 911! please! halp! j/k)... (Note: I will ignore the handheld games here for simplicity) I'd put OOT as the first one followed by Majora's mask, followed by Twilight Princess, A link to the past, the original two games, and then Wind Waker.