Your timeline theory makes sense. There is one thing Nintendo needs to do though, and that's to make a game that kickstarts the Downfall Timeline. With what we currently have, the Downfall Timeline isn't actually canon, when you consider the sequence of events. Zelda sending Link back in time was a single act that simultaneously created the Adult and Child Timelines, but the Downfall Timeline is just a "what if" scenario. An easy way to fix this, would be to have someone from the Adult Timeline, maybe a villain, go back in time to stop Link from defeating Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time.
I totally agree! I got good news then: I did make a theory on this topic "New Downfall Timeline" video - check it out on my channel! 😄 I also will be making a huge timeline theory going further into a "proper" Downfall Timeline coming soon!
These aren’t really issues with the timeline as much as they’re just... things that happened off screen. You don’t need to experience the flood to understand or like Wind Waker’s story or that chunk of the timeline. Also, why specifically the flood? Why not the sealing war, or the war of the bound chest, or the interloper war, or the civil war, or the sealing of Maladus, or Link and Tetra settling what would become New Hyrule, or Ganondorf being imprisoned in the Twilight Realm, or the imprisoning war, or the events that lead Lorule to destroy its triforce, or the imprisoning war (the other one), or the ancient calamity? Even when we did get an off screen event as a game, that being Hyrule Warrios Age of Calamity, people didn’t care for it on acount of being a Musou game and being an alternate universe at best and non-canon at worst (both problems I personaly believe where caused by false advertising rather than a fault on the game’s part). I would personally love to see a game showing the sealing war or war of the bound chest, but going so far as to call the fact that such a game doesn’t exist a flaw with the timeline is tantamount too saying no game should ever have any backstory beyond what happens immediatly before it. I understand that there not being a Link during the flood is strange, but a game based on it can’t fix that, as the issue lays with Wind Waker explicitly saying there wasn’t a hero. I’m not criticising you for wanting a Valley of the Flood type of story, that’s basic human nature. I’m only trying to argue that it is not a need, but a want.
Wow, this is a very thought out comment, but I can't help but be distracted by the consistent use of the wrong "to". But I agree, a game that takes place between Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker wouldn't do anything to solve this.
I believe the thing is that the hero of time being removed from the timeline is why there was no hero in the adult timeline. Zelda unintentionally removed the hero's spirit from the timeline. This brings me to another theory that may explain the downfall timeline without it being a what if and could fit with your theories. Initially there are only two timeline states - adult and child - but once Ganondorf escapes Link cannot be reborn because his spirit is gone. So the gods create a trial to create a new one... it probably involves time travel because somehow a new split is formed here - in one the new Link succeeds and the (old) imprisoning war takes place leading to what we currently call the downfall timeline. In the other he fails and the gods drown Hyrule until another potential hero can succeed (this, of course, is toon link) Of course this flips the adult and downfall timelines as to which one was triggered by loss but also gets rid of the 'what-if-ness' of the downfall timeline.
Valley of the Deluge was my dream game when I was a teen. I couldn't imagine what a bittersweet, canonical failure ending would be like. They'd never do something like that
I don't believe that there wasn't a hero potentiate in that era. I do, however, believe that the king and the people were so caught up with the Hero of Time coming back to save them that they overlooked this potential hero in their midst. I speculate that this person would end up being an ancestor of WW Link.
Another theory could be that this game is the catalyst that causes the timelines to converge. The imagery connected to BotW from the hood could be Sheika related because there similarities to Sheika imagery and Zonai imagery. Tri could be the precursor to the Zonai which would explain bind. It could even be that Tri was sent by the Zonai or somehow become the first Zonai, possibly being blessed by a goddess as reward for what Tri does in the game. Knowing Nintendo nothing that we theorize will come close to what is true.
I would agree with the Adult timeline being hardest to connect back the Breath (at least realistically). The King Wish imply death to the kingdom, don't if that means the Triforce was went back to the scared realm never to be seen again or if it really was sealing below somewhere. There doesn't seem to be any real connection with New Hyrule (unless Tear's has a lot more say on that, I've have yet to play that one yet), so the Dragon Break thing just seem impossible at current, at least in the adult side of things. I'm more into the idea that Breath era games are not really a part of the three spits.
My understanding of how the devs intend for BotW/TotK to fit into it all is that we must take a step back and assume that all three branches will in time experience their own variations of similar events as each other and when you jump forward countless centuries from there all the nitpicky distinctions of when something happened and how something happened are less important than the generic assertion that something like it did happen at some point. All of that history gets jumbled together into indistinct legends and mythology due to inaccurate / lost records and unreliable oral tradition retellings. So there's the branch with TWW's version of a flood story happening fairly soon after OoT, and on the other two branches maybe a flood story happens 3000 years later or 7000 years later or whenever. (And maybe they all carried on the former kingdom's legacy in a newly discovered land after surviving their own version of a flood?) Likewise, there's the branch with an incursion event from the Twilight Realm fairly soon after OoT and then on the other two branches their own versions of something like that could've also happened much later. And so on and so on for every scenario we've seen in a game so far and who knows how many other scenarios that we haven't seen yet. Flash forward however many tens of thousands of years after all of those things have happened to reach the start of Rauru and Sonia's founding of their version of the kingdom of Hyrule and Nintendo would have us believe that all three branches effectively have similar enough cultural roots as each other that we in our outside perspective as the players cannot tell the difference of whether the events as depicted in BotW and TotK are taking place on branch A, B, or C. (And this approach would leave the devs with an out in a few decades when they feel boxed in by the decisions they've made in games from BotW onwards. Just "what if?" their way out of it by asking what might have happened different on either of the other two branches' versions of whatever BotW-like scenario they experienced.) Believing this kind of inevitable similar future is a big ask, though. It is just so wild and illogical to think that however many hundreds of thousands of years worth of independent history won't result in the branches diverging further and further apart from each other to become more and more distinct from each other. But then I like the drift towards common ground through details fading to legend a heck of a lot more than the absurd "dragon break" notion that I've seen people mention. (I forget, what's the reference? What other franchise was it that used that term, which people are randomly saying "surely the Zelda team is copying them!"?) Merging separate realities together into one new one with a rewritten history different from what anybody from any of the original branches knew? That **** is just insane and stupid, in my opinion.
@@MuljoStpho I'll say that the history eventually leading into breath kinda works for Downfall and Child but adult is again where it kinda falls apart. As mention with the Kings Wish want to 'Wash away" the kingdom as a whole seem to imply that Hyrule will not come back this New Hyrule being name have the memory was that old kingdom. I would agree that this idea has layer of loops to really work and the Devs just getting more more complected, going back on their words from before Breath was even release. It just all super messy. All I can tell is that they wanted to make a ton of references but just didn't really try to work it within any Timeline. It's why I prefer a 4th time line to allow them to go with the Mix approach without really effecting the other lines. I mean we have an alternative Breath in a form of Age of Calamity, so they are playing with new ways to approach the Zelda games. Was it Skyrim that Dragon Break showed up in? Never liked that concept, merging of timeline sound like a very tricky thing to do, even more so when Time Traveling is hard enough to do right (looking at you Skyward Sword). Maybe Wisdom will set things straight, as it seem to be fallowing the Breath/Tears foot steps. But I'm doubtful it'll fix anything, it might further messes thing up.
I personally don't think there really needs any explanation of what happened in-between the end of OOT and Wind Waker. I think the Gods flooded Hyrule to buy time for a Hero to emerge. Ganondorf has been allowed to take over for a time but a Hero will always emerge in the darkest hour to stop him. Just think about OOT. Link slept for 7 years and Ganondorf was able to rule all that time. But when it came to obtaining the full triforce, he was stopped. So I don't think its unreasonable to think there was just no hero after OOT until post flood.
I think I might have a theory on why link doesn't have the master sword because maybe ganon has taken over the kingdom really quickly and there no more time left for link to prepare to defeat him or link does know about the where about of the master sword but the first one is more likely in my opinion
This is assuming that Aonuma even cares about the timeline anymore. I fear we're one interview away from him saying all the games are different universes now lol
Wouldn't be surprised if it turns out Link is just telling all these bs stories to his kid, thats why theres so many inconsistencies... "legends" of zelda lol
People is taking for granted that Link is playable in EOW because of this text: “As Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies; Zelda can use a magic wand to summon creatures (e.g., wind-up knights, pig soldiers, slime) for battle.”. This text doesn't mean that Link is playable, it's only comparing the way Links fights and the way Zelda will do it. It's not necessary saying "You CAN play as Link", rather "This is the way you play as Link, and this is the way you'll play as Zelda"
There are a ton of gaps in the timeline where a hero either fell or was just never born. Reincarnation in Zelda also doesn't work like actual Reincarnation. Link Between Worlds showcases this when you have an old man version of Link co-existing in the same time period as the Link we play as. As for Hyrule Encyclopedia, I personally wouldn't use that for theories. Unlike Hyrule Historia, Encyclopedia didn't have any input from the developers during the production of the book. A lot of the stuff there tends to be more dubious in terms of canon. The curse of Demise isn't really what causes the hero to constantly come back, but rather was a "dying curse," with demise basically saying that with his death- the demon tribe would continue to attack the descendants of the Goddess Hylia and her chosen hero. This is why Link isn't exactly the "reincarnation" of the person from Skyward Sword- but instead a random person that eventually rises to the task. It's why Gramps exists with the new Link from Link Between Worlds. The only reason why Zelda has her name is because the Royal Family's tradition of naming every daughter "Zelda," hence why the Goddess is no longer mortal in BotW and TotK. As for BotW taking place in the Adult Timeline, the devs never really confirmed that- as well as never really confirmed it being a Dragon Break. All they really confirmed was that BotW and TotK take place in a timeline where Ganon kept attacking Hyrule time and time again. Given how far into the future BotW and TotK are- there's no telling what timeline it takes place in, and the devs made it clear that it doesn't exactly matter. It's why on the official Japanese website, the two games are actually sectioned off from the rest of the timeline entirely, instead of just simply connecting. Then as for why Link not using the Master Sword in Echoes of Wisdom- it could just take place in an era of Hyrule's history where the Master Sword was lost to time. The Adult Timeline has it lost, but that's not the only timeline where it was lost. The Downfall Timeline also is missing the Master Sword at the end of it. Zelda I and The Adventure of Link are both missing the Master Sword in its entirety. It could be that this new game takes place before Zelda 1 or after Zelda 2.
I'm generally curious, did Nintendo actually confirm that old man "Gramps" in A Link Between Worlds to really be the previous Link from ALTTP/OOA(S)/LA? I think that might have been more of a popular theory. I also think there's some developer interviewer point to the same Link being in both ALBW & TFH. Actually yes there is - from Oct 22, 2015 there is a post from Nintendo of America's official twitter/X saying that the Link from ALBW/TFH is the same. I like your Downfall Timeline theory too, it really could be after Zelda 1 and Zelda 2. I think it could also be in a "new Downfall timeline," as I said in my other video, so there's that too. I am aware BOTW/TOTK being the outcome of dragonbreak isn't confirmed, but there has been arguments that it could at least be solely in the Adult Timeline, because of the written history of the "apparent" OOT Sages awakening from the Zora Stone Monuments across Zora's Domain in BOTW/TOTK. As well as Rito evolution into being more like birds and the Koroks. I made a video on that whole idea as well. But again, if that's the case then the Master Sword, Triforce, and Ganon must come back - as I describe in this video.
@@SkyLinkTheory For the Gramps thing, it might be just a fan theory. Also- as for the Rito, I feel like they are more akin to the Fokka from Zelda 2 than they are to the Rito from the Wind Waker. Koroks are more meant to be the actual form of the Kokiri from what I recollect, and can exist in any part of the timeline due to being forest spirits.
@@voidoflight2420 He is literally called "Legendary" when you fight him, and in the end credits theme, the classic Legend of Zelda theme played when he showed up.
The master sword doesnt AT ALL need to be brought from the adult timeline to the surface or whatever other nonsense. Since BoTW is a convergance of timelines, the Master Sword in theory only really needs to remain obtainable in one timeline to make it to BoTW. It gets left in Ganondorfs head in WW, and sits there forever, or until we get a game in that timeline in which its needed. The Master Sword then can only then be obtained in the other two timelines. Technically, the best outcome is for the sword to come from the child timeline because we don't know what link does with the sword at the end of TP. What we do know is that it doesn't get used from then on. It's safe to assume he returns it to it's pedestal where it then sits till it's needed. Theres been a few interviews with Aonuma. One in which he says that BoTW comes from OoT, but then in a different interview he says the origin of BoTW comes from TP HD. In the downfall timeline it's explicitly stated the Sword rests forever after its use in ALttP, even though it gets used immediately again in ALBW. in that timeline alone, (unless we see it used in Echos of Wisdom) It could come from there as well unless they're sticking with the sitting forever, and that's why it doesn't really make an appearance. ( I detest the Master sword being in OoS and OoA because I feel like those are just fan service, as it's just given to you by some random person after telling them a secret. I don't know why people are so torn on where EoW sits in the timeline. To me, the evidently is clear that it sits somewhere in the downfall timeline because we're dealing with Ganon, not Gannondorf. Secondly, the Link from OoS and OoA is different from the Link in ALttP(according to Jp editions of HH). I think the version of Hyrule we're seeing is one from OoS and OoA. We don't know what they look like as we haven't walked the land, and it would follow the theme of both Maku Trees in those games and the reference to Impa even though in Oracle games she's a bigger woman (This could be set up after OoS and OoA as Zelda introduces herself to Link in those games as if it's the first time they're meeting). It would be a good spot because after link comes back from saving Holodrum/Labrynna or Koholint island He'd be closer to Zelda at that point. The Ganon we see as well could also be another reincarnation, like is the theme in that timeline. There's over 10,000 years of history from before BoTW even starts. We don't know how long before that and ToTK's flashback sequences actually take place. The Adult timeline doesn't need fixing, its argueably the most streamline of all 3 next to the Child timeline. I would however be okay with EoW taking place within the Child timeline because of the Gerudo and Business scrubs.
I have a theory that the reason a new hero wasn’t born yet during Ganon’s take over was because during that time The Hero of Time was still “alive”. The Hero Shade was still active as a Spector meaning “The Spirit of The Hero” was still alive, Link in Twilight Princess is The Hero of Time’s descendant not his reincarnation and so if we look at Ganon’s invasion during the adult Timeline taking place parallel to the twilight invasion The Hero Shade was still “alive” only after passing his skills on to his offspring did he pass into the afterlife and The Spirit of The Hero reincarnate into The Hero of Winds.
Well, you put your issues and your theories/solutions, so it's my time to put my theories/solutions. First issue: I think there was no hero to fight Ganon before the flood because the soul of the hero (that was inside the hero of time) simply ceased to exist because Zelda (Oot) sent it to another timeline leaving her timeline without the soul of the hero. The link of wind waker isn't even related to the one in Oot and has to do a lot of stuff to be worthy for the goddeses. He even couldn't defeat ganondorf until he lost his triforce of power, and he had the triforce of courage in that moment, while other links didn't had so many problems with ganons with similar powers or even stronger. And that goes for the link of spirit tracks, which is arguably the weakest link in all of zelda (im not saying with this that the games of the adult timeline are worse, in fact, they are more interesting because they have weaker links). Second issue: Yeah, thats why I dont like the dragon break theory, the adult timeline it's just so... complete? I don't even think that the ganondorf of wind waker would like to return... He died so peacefully, remembering the winds of the gerudo valley... valley that will never return because of the wish of king Daphnes, and now a new Hyrule is stablished, far away from the old hyrule... It's like closing a cycle, why go back to the old hyrule? that doesn't make any sense for that timeline.
Nah. Also they revealed you still play as link so I’m imagining he escapes the void world by the end of the game. If anything this game will be a new beginning of the downfall timeline. Or, the devs haven’t even thought about exactly where in the timeline this fits.
Your timeline theory makes sense. There is one thing Nintendo needs to do though, and that's to make a game that kickstarts the Downfall Timeline. With what we currently have, the Downfall Timeline isn't actually canon, when you consider the sequence of events. Zelda sending Link back in time was a single act that simultaneously created the Adult and Child Timelines, but the Downfall Timeline is just a "what if" scenario. An easy way to fix this, would be to have someone from the Adult Timeline, maybe a villain, go back in time to stop Link from defeating Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time.
I totally agree! I got good news then: I did make a theory on this topic "New Downfall Timeline" video - check it out on my channel! 😄
I also will be making a huge timeline theory going further into a "proper" Downfall Timeline coming soon!
The Adult Timeline doesn't need any fixing. It's actually more consistent than Downfall, which can't even decide where to put the Oracle games
These aren’t really issues with the timeline as much as they’re just... things that happened off screen. You don’t need to experience the flood to understand or like Wind Waker’s story or that chunk of the timeline. Also, why specifically the flood? Why not the sealing war, or the war of the bound chest, or the interloper war, or the civil war, or the sealing of Maladus, or Link and Tetra settling what would become New Hyrule, or Ganondorf being imprisoned in the Twilight Realm, or the imprisoning war, or the events that lead Lorule to destroy its triforce, or the imprisoning war (the other one), or the ancient calamity? Even when we did get an off screen event as a game, that being Hyrule Warrios Age of Calamity, people didn’t care for it on acount of being a Musou game and being an alternate universe at best and non-canon at worst (both problems I personaly believe where caused by false advertising rather than a fault on the game’s part). I would personally love to see a game showing the sealing war or war of the bound chest, but going so far as to call the fact that such a game doesn’t exist a flaw with the timeline is tantamount too saying no game should ever have any backstory beyond what happens immediatly before it. I understand that there not being a Link during the flood is strange, but a game based on it can’t fix that, as the issue lays with Wind Waker explicitly saying there wasn’t a hero. I’m not criticising you for wanting a Valley of the Flood type of story, that’s basic human nature. I’m only trying to argue that it is not a need, but a want.
Wow, this is a very thought out comment, but I can't help but be distracted by the consistent use of the wrong "to". But I agree, a game that takes place between Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker wouldn't do anything to solve this.
@@richardkirkland6805 English isn’t my first language, and I’ve always had issues with the difference between to and too, sorry about that.
@@larshoremans4348 It's fine, it's still impressive for someone who has English for a second or even third language.
There’s one part of the timeline where the great deku tree doesn’t die from Gannondorf infecting him with Ghoma. Could be the same one from Ocarina.
I believe the thing is that the hero of time being removed from the timeline is why there was no hero in the adult timeline. Zelda unintentionally removed the hero's spirit from the timeline.
This brings me to another theory that may explain the downfall timeline without it being a what if and could fit with your theories.
Initially there are only two timeline states - adult and child - but once Ganondorf escapes Link cannot be reborn because his spirit is gone. So the gods create a trial to create a new one... it probably involves time travel because somehow a new split is formed here - in one the new Link succeeds and the (old) imprisoning war takes place leading to what we currently call the downfall timeline. In the other he fails and the gods drown Hyrule until another potential hero can succeed (this, of course, is toon link)
Of course this flips the adult and downfall timelines as to which one was triggered by loss but also gets rid of the 'what-if-ness' of the downfall timeline.
NOT BAD! Great theory!!! I like it! Very well thought out! Let’s see what happens and stay tuned for next video 👀
Valley of the Deluge was my dream game when I was a teen. I couldn't imagine what a bittersweet, canonical failure ending would be like. They'd never do something like that
I don't believe that there wasn't a hero potentiate in that era. I do, however, believe that the king and the people were so caught up with the Hero of Time coming back to save them that they overlooked this potential hero in their midst. I speculate that this person would end up being an ancestor of WW Link.
Another theory could be that this game is the catalyst that causes the timelines to converge. The imagery connected to BotW from the hood could be Sheika related because there similarities to Sheika imagery and Zonai imagery. Tri could be the precursor to the Zonai which would explain bind. It could even be that Tri was sent by the Zonai or somehow become the first Zonai, possibly being blessed by a goddess as reward for what Tri does in the game. Knowing Nintendo nothing that we theorize will come close to what is true.
with the flood game insted of playing as the failed hero you play as Ganondorf escaping the seal is the start with Demise as the 1st boss
Chibi is the comic sans of digital art.
I would agree with the Adult timeline being hardest to connect back the Breath (at least realistically). The King Wish imply death to the kingdom, don't if that means the Triforce was went back to the scared realm never to be seen again or if it really was sealing below somewhere. There doesn't seem to be any real connection with New Hyrule (unless Tear's has a lot more say on that, I've have yet to play that one yet), so the Dragon Break thing just seem impossible at current, at least in the adult side of things. I'm more into the idea that Breath era games are not really a part of the three spits.
My understanding of how the devs intend for BotW/TotK to fit into it all is that we must take a step back and assume that all three branches will in time experience their own variations of similar events as each other and when you jump forward countless centuries from there all the nitpicky distinctions of when something happened and how something happened are less important than the generic assertion that something like it did happen at some point. All of that history gets jumbled together into indistinct legends and mythology due to inaccurate / lost records and unreliable oral tradition retellings.
So there's the branch with TWW's version of a flood story happening fairly soon after OoT, and on the other two branches maybe a flood story happens 3000 years later or 7000 years later or whenever. (And maybe they all carried on the former kingdom's legacy in a newly discovered land after surviving their own version of a flood?) Likewise, there's the branch with an incursion event from the Twilight Realm fairly soon after OoT and then on the other two branches their own versions of something like that could've also happened much later. And so on and so on for every scenario we've seen in a game so far and who knows how many other scenarios that we haven't seen yet. Flash forward however many tens of thousands of years after all of those things have happened to reach the start of Rauru and Sonia's founding of their version of the kingdom of Hyrule and Nintendo would have us believe that all three branches effectively have similar enough cultural roots as each other that we in our outside perspective as the players cannot tell the difference of whether the events as depicted in BotW and TotK are taking place on branch A, B, or C. (And this approach would leave the devs with an out in a few decades when they feel boxed in by the decisions they've made in games from BotW onwards. Just "what if?" their way out of it by asking what might have happened different on either of the other two branches' versions of whatever BotW-like scenario they experienced.)
Believing this kind of inevitable similar future is a big ask, though. It is just so wild and illogical to think that however many hundreds of thousands of years worth of independent history won't result in the branches diverging further and further apart from each other to become more and more distinct from each other.
But then I like the drift towards common ground through details fading to legend a heck of a lot more than the absurd "dragon break" notion that I've seen people mention. (I forget, what's the reference? What other franchise was it that used that term, which people are randomly saying "surely the Zelda team is copying them!"?) Merging separate realities together into one new one with a rewritten history different from what anybody from any of the original branches knew? That **** is just insane and stupid, in my opinion.
@@MuljoStpho I'll say that the history eventually leading into breath kinda works for Downfall and Child but adult is again where it kinda falls apart. As mention with the Kings Wish want to 'Wash away" the kingdom as a whole seem to imply that Hyrule will not come back this New Hyrule being name have the memory was that old kingdom.
I would agree that this idea has layer of loops to really work and the Devs just getting more more complected, going back on their words from before Breath was even release. It just all super messy. All I can tell is that they wanted to make a ton of references but just didn't really try to work it within any Timeline. It's why I prefer a 4th time line to allow them to go with the Mix approach without really effecting the other lines. I mean we have an alternative Breath in a form of Age of Calamity, so they are playing with new ways to approach the Zelda games.
Was it Skyrim that Dragon Break showed up in? Never liked that concept, merging of timeline sound like a very tricky thing to do, even more so when Time Traveling is hard enough to do right (looking at you Skyward Sword). Maybe Wisdom will set things straight, as it seem to be fallowing the Breath/Tears foot steps. But I'm doubtful it'll fix anything, it might further messes thing up.
I personally don't think there really needs any explanation of what happened in-between the end of OOT and Wind Waker. I think the Gods flooded Hyrule to buy time for a Hero to emerge. Ganondorf has been allowed to take over for a time but a Hero will always emerge in the darkest hour to stop him.
Just think about OOT. Link slept for 7 years and Ganondorf was able to rule all that time. But when it came to obtaining the full triforce, he was stopped. So I don't think its unreasonable to think there was just no hero after OOT until post flood.
I think I might have a theory on why link doesn't have the master sword because maybe ganon has taken over the kingdom really quickly and there no more time left for link to prepare to defeat him or link does know about the where about of the master sword but the first one is more likely in my opinion
I saw BotW & TotK more as part of The Child Timeline
This is assuming that Aonuma even cares about the timeline anymore. I fear we're one interview away from him saying all the games are different universes now lol
Don’t scare me lol
Wouldn't be surprised if it turns out Link is just telling all these bs stories to his kid, thats why theres so many inconsistencies... "legends" of zelda lol
They do. They just confirmed the placement of EoW.
People is taking for granted that Link is playable in EOW because of this text: “As Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies; Zelda can use a magic wand to summon creatures (e.g., wind-up knights, pig soldiers, slime) for battle.”. This text doesn't mean that Link is playable, it's only comparing the way Links fights and the way Zelda will do it. It's not necessary saying "You CAN play as Link", rather "This is the way you play as Link, and this is the way you'll play as Zelda"
There are a ton of gaps in the timeline where a hero either fell or was just never born. Reincarnation in Zelda also doesn't work like actual Reincarnation. Link Between Worlds showcases this when you have an old man version of Link co-existing in the same time period as the Link we play as.
As for Hyrule Encyclopedia, I personally wouldn't use that for theories. Unlike Hyrule Historia, Encyclopedia didn't have any input from the developers during the production of the book. A lot of the stuff there tends to be more dubious in terms of canon.
The curse of Demise isn't really what causes the hero to constantly come back, but rather was a "dying curse," with demise basically saying that with his death- the demon tribe would continue to attack the descendants of the Goddess Hylia and her chosen hero. This is why Link isn't exactly the "reincarnation" of the person from Skyward Sword- but instead a random person that eventually rises to the task. It's why Gramps exists with the new Link from Link Between Worlds. The only reason why Zelda has her name is because the Royal Family's tradition of naming every daughter "Zelda," hence why the Goddess is no longer mortal in BotW and TotK.
As for BotW taking place in the Adult Timeline, the devs never really confirmed that- as well as never really confirmed it being a Dragon Break. All they really confirmed was that BotW and TotK take place in a timeline where Ganon kept attacking Hyrule time and time again. Given how far into the future BotW and TotK are- there's no telling what timeline it takes place in, and the devs made it clear that it doesn't exactly matter. It's why on the official Japanese website, the two games are actually sectioned off from the rest of the timeline entirely, instead of just simply connecting.
Then as for why Link not using the Master Sword in Echoes of Wisdom- it could just take place in an era of Hyrule's history where the Master Sword was lost to time. The Adult Timeline has it lost, but that's not the only timeline where it was lost. The Downfall Timeline also is missing the Master Sword at the end of it. Zelda I and The Adventure of Link are both missing the Master Sword in its entirety. It could be that this new game takes place before Zelda 1 or after Zelda 2.
I'm generally curious, did Nintendo actually confirm that old man "Gramps" in A Link Between Worlds to really be the previous Link from ALTTP/OOA(S)/LA? I think that might have been more of a popular theory. I also think there's some developer interviewer point to the same Link being in both ALBW & TFH. Actually yes there is - from Oct 22, 2015 there is a post from Nintendo of America's official twitter/X saying that the Link from ALBW/TFH is the same.
I like your Downfall Timeline theory too, it really could be after Zelda 1 and Zelda 2. I think it could also be in a "new Downfall timeline," as I said in my other video, so there's that too.
I am aware BOTW/TOTK being the outcome of dragonbreak isn't confirmed, but there has been arguments that it could at least be solely in the Adult Timeline, because of the written history of the "apparent" OOT Sages awakening from the Zora Stone Monuments across Zora's Domain in BOTW/TOTK. As well as Rito evolution into being more like birds and the Koroks. I made a video on that whole idea as well. But again, if that's the case then the Master Sword, Triforce, and Ganon must come back - as I describe in this video.
@@SkyLinkTheory For the Gramps thing, it might be just a fan theory. Also- as for the Rito, I feel like they are more akin to the Fokka from Zelda 2 than they are to the Rito from the Wind Waker. Koroks are more meant to be the actual form of the Kokiri from what I recollect, and can exist in any part of the timeline due to being forest spirits.
@@voidoflight2420 He is literally called "Legendary" when you fight him, and in the end credits theme, the classic Legend of Zelda theme played when he showed up.
The master sword doesnt AT ALL need to be brought from the adult timeline to the surface or whatever other nonsense. Since BoTW is a convergance of timelines, the Master Sword in theory only really needs to remain obtainable in one timeline to make it to BoTW. It gets left in Ganondorfs head in WW, and sits there forever, or until we get a game in that timeline in which its needed.
The Master Sword then can only then be obtained in the other two timelines. Technically, the best outcome is for the sword to come from the child timeline because we don't know what link does with the sword at the end of TP. What we do know is that it doesn't get used from then on. It's safe to assume he returns it to it's pedestal where it then sits till it's needed. Theres been a few interviews with Aonuma. One in which he says that BoTW comes from OoT, but then in a different interview he says the origin of BoTW comes from TP HD.
In the downfall timeline it's explicitly stated the Sword rests forever after its use in ALttP, even though it gets used immediately again in ALBW. in that timeline alone, (unless we see it used in Echos of Wisdom) It could come from there as well unless they're sticking with the sitting forever, and that's why it doesn't really make an appearance. ( I detest the Master sword being in OoS and OoA because I feel like those are just fan service, as it's just given to you by some random person after telling them a secret.
I don't know why people are so torn on where EoW sits in the timeline. To me, the evidently is clear that it sits somewhere in the downfall timeline because we're dealing with Ganon, not Gannondorf. Secondly, the Link from OoS and OoA is different from the Link in ALttP(according to Jp editions of HH). I think the version of Hyrule we're seeing is one from OoS and OoA. We don't know what they look like as we haven't walked the land, and it would follow the theme of both Maku Trees in those games and the reference to Impa even though in Oracle games she's a bigger woman (This could be set up after OoS and OoA as Zelda introduces herself to Link in those games as if it's the first time they're meeting). It would be a good spot because after link comes back from saving Holodrum/Labrynna or Koholint island He'd be closer to Zelda at that point. The Ganon we see as well could also be another reincarnation, like is the theme in that timeline.
There's over 10,000 years of history from before BoTW even starts. We don't know how long before that and ToTK's flashback sequences actually take place. The Adult timeline doesn't need fixing, its argueably the most streamline of all 3 next to the Child timeline. I would however be okay with EoW taking place within the Child timeline because of the Gerudo and Business scrubs.
Business scrubs appear in the Oracle games, which are failed timeline.
I have a theory that the reason a new hero wasn’t born yet during Ganon’s take over was because during that time The Hero of Time was still “alive”. The Hero Shade was still active as a Spector meaning “The Spirit of The Hero” was still alive, Link in Twilight Princess is The Hero of Time’s descendant not his reincarnation and so if we look at Ganon’s invasion during the adult Timeline taking place parallel to the twilight invasion The Hero Shade was still “alive” only after passing his skills on to his offspring did he pass into the afterlife and The Spirit of The Hero reincarnate into The Hero of Winds.
Except the Legendary Hero lived through the events of LBW as Gramps, while a separate hero was using the Master Sword.
@@Cretaceous158 The Gramps thing is just a theory and I was specifically talking about the hero of time anyway
Well they confirmed EoW takes place in the downfall timeline after a link between worlds but before the og loz
Yup they did. Still a fun video to make though.
Well, you put your issues and your theories/solutions, so it's my time to put my theories/solutions.
First issue: I think there was no hero to fight Ganon before the flood because the soul of the hero (that was inside the hero of time) simply ceased to exist because Zelda (Oot) sent it to another timeline leaving her timeline without the soul of the hero. The link of wind waker isn't even related to the one in Oot and has to do a lot of stuff to be worthy for the goddeses. He even couldn't defeat ganondorf until he lost his triforce of power, and he had the triforce of courage in that moment, while other links didn't had so many problems with ganons with similar powers or even stronger. And that goes for the link of spirit tracks, which is arguably the weakest link in all of zelda (im not saying with this that the games of the adult timeline are worse, in fact, they are more interesting because they have weaker links).
Second issue: Yeah, thats why I dont like the dragon break theory, the adult timeline it's just so... complete? I don't even think that the ganondorf of wind waker would like to return... He died so peacefully, remembering the winds of the gerudo valley... valley that will never return because of the wish of king Daphnes, and now a new Hyrule is stablished, far away from the old hyrule... It's like closing a cycle, why go back to the old hyrule? that doesn't make any sense for that timeline.
Nah. Also they revealed you still play as link so I’m imagining he escapes the void world by the end of the game. If anything this game will be a new beginning of the downfall timeline. Or, the devs haven’t even thought about exactly where in the timeline this fits.
New beginning of a Downfall Timeline you say? Then check out my other recent video on a new beginning such for the downfall timeline!
Oh you think things make sense now? Just wait till the next game 😂