My timeline theory

[Eater]

Well, Ganondorf never gets the Triforce of Power in the child timeline, so TP couldn't follow MM, if there are two timlines.

[DarkLink28]

But when Link returned to the child timeline in OoT, he still has the crest of the ToC on the back of his hand...so perhaps the split of the triforce transcended dimensions, since the Triforce itself is beyond time and the physical realm?

The only thing that doesn't make sense with TP following the Adult ending of OoT is that the sages do not know that Ganondorf posesses the ToP...which they would know if he were sealed within the sacred realm in the events of OoT, which was a pretty big deal.  We still don't know what happened after the events of the child timeline in OoT...it is hinted at that the imprisoning war took place during this time and perhaps even ends with TP.  Maybe somehow Ganon was able to get his hands on the Triforce then?  Who knows.  But I don't think this is the same Ganondorf we knew at the end of OoT and in TWW, because HE WOULD REMEMBER LINK!  He would have some serious beef with him, even if he wasn't the same Link...remember he said he would 'exterminate their descendents'.  There's no way Ganondorf would just forget Link and Zelda, especially given the events of TWW which actually take place much later on than TP.

But then -- on a completely different topic here -- I think: how can there really be a split timeline; Link, Zelda, and the Sages sealing Ganondorf away in the future and then Link traversing time back to his child state wouldn't hinder the fate of Ganondorf in any way. I'd still think Ganondorf would still be sealed in the Sacred Realm.

I initially thought this too, but technically he still is--but in the adult timeline.

I would have thought that the seal would have transcended time and space and that Ganondorf would almost be eliminated from the child timeline of OoT, but I suppose this isn't so...which is interesting.  Now I really want to see where they go from here, since Aonuma wants to develop a continuity within the 'timeline'.  Hopefully he's able to pull it off, because in some people's eyes TP just makes a greater mess of things.

[LexLionHart]

The Link from OoT and MM are the same, although the one from TP is not; according to Eiji Aonuma in Nintendo Power's "Reflections of Zelda" article, there is no relation.

According to the game, there most certainly is:

“The ending blow has been passed on!
There are six more hidden skills for you to learn. Those are only for the one who carries the blood of the hero… the one whose spirit is that of the sublime beast.”

And later on this same character calls Link "my child". The game goes out of its way to suggest a connection between OoT Link and TP Link--a blood link, no doubt. So methinks we need to stop listening to Aonuma pull stuff out of his rear end during interviews and start looking at facts.

Also, for the Twili to have existed when Ganon was banned to the Twilight Realm (they were already there, hence how Ganon's power was new to Zant), the interlopers would've had to have come before OoT, and thus Ganon was NOT one of the interlopers.

So, when did the interlopers enter the Sacred Realm? To my knowledge, it's been sealed for centuries, since long before the Hylia came to power, by the "ancestors of the Hylians" who built the Temple of Time. So either they entered after Ganondorf opened it, or they entered long before the Temple of Time was ever even built. I'd personally go with the former.

The only thing that doesn't make sense with TP following the Adult ending of OoT is that the sages do not know that Ganondorf posesses the ToP...which they would know if he were sealed within the sacred realm in the events of OoT, which was a pretty big deal.

It's been at least a hundred years since the end of OoT. These are most likely different sages--the descendants of the ones from OoT--and they have proven themselves to lack foresight in other areas (banishing Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm inadvertently gave him an outlet through which to mass power and attack Hyrule). Could they have forgotten that he possessed it?--I don't see why not. He was supposed to have been sealed for all time.

it is hinted at that the imprisoning war took place during this time and perhaps even ends with TP.

Impossible. The Imprisoning War ends with Ganon sealed by the sages, not dead.

[bellboy]

Hence the reason why its called the "Imprisoning" War.

[Juno Reactor]

LexLionHart, I'd say it's likely that the "blood of the hero" is just a figure of speech, not meant to be taken literally as in an actual bloodline.  You can say a person has a "heart of gold," but that's not to suggest the person's heart is literally gold.  By extension, I suspect the warrior here is merely saying that this Link has the qualities of a heroic person within him.  And when he says, "My child," that's just his way of addressing a warrior younger than himself; much like old people often talk to kids with no blood connection to them.

As for the Temple of Time, the Temple of Time wasn't built until problems like the interlopers necessitated the regulation of its entrance.  Thus, the interlopers came before Ganondorf.  Again, this also gives them time to spawn the Twili, who were already there when Ganondorf arrived.

However, your refutal of the Imprisoning War theory makes a lot of common sense.  After all, how can TP conclude the Imprisoning War if, as you said, Ganondorf ends up dead rather than imprisoned.

[LexLionHart]

LexLionHart, I'd say it's likely that the "blood of the hero" is just a figure of speech, not meant to be taken literally as in an actual bloodline.

So was it a figure of speech in ALttP? What about the sage bloodline in TWW? Were the maidens only "metaphorical" descendants of the seven sages? You're defying precedent, good sir.

And when he says, "My child," that's just his way of addressing a warrior younger than himself; much like old people often talk to kids with no blood connection to them.

And when Link was said to be "chosen by the gods" 8 million times in this game, it was just a fancy way of saying he had special powers. Riiiight.

As for the Temple of Time, the Temple of Time wasn't built until problems like the interlopers necessitated the regulation of its entrance.

Can somebody say... speculation?! :O

Again, this also gives them time to spawn the Twili, who were already there when Ganondorf arrived.

When did Ganondorf arrrive? Judging by the Gerudo symbols all over Zant's costume, I'd wager that Ganondorf is actually the king that the Twili "lost" to the allure of greed, and that the Twili are actually members of the Gerudo who disappear/are brainwashed during OoT.

[Juno Reactor]

So was it a figure of speech in ALttP? What about the sage bloodline in TWW? Were the maidens only "metaphorical" descendants of the seven sages? You're defying precedent, good sir.

Context, my friend.  Context.

And when Link was said to be "chosen by the gods" 8 million times in this game, it was just a fancy way of saying he had special powers. Riiiight.

Same reason, Captain Sassypants.  ^_^

When did Ganondorf arrrive? Judging by the Gerudo symbols all over Zant's costume, I'd wager that Ganondorf is actually the king that the Twili "lost" to the allure of greed, and that the Twili are actually members of the Gerudo who disappear/are brainwashed during OoT.

You may be onto something there.  I rewatched the Zant fight, and Midna does make such a reference to a king.  Although, you'd think for her royal family to have any sympathy with some ancient king they would know a thing or two about what kind of person said king was.  The way Ganon comes out of nowhere and goes unrecognized by Zant suggests that Ganon had come after the Twili, hence the reason he was an unknown.  You can chalk it up to age, but I chalk it up to Ganon being a new resident of the Twilight Realm, one who has hitherto lurked in the shadows until a weak personality like Zant came along whom he could exploit.

Also, it's a game.  I don't know why I feel compelled to remind you that.  :D

[LexLionHart]

Context, my friend.  Context.

A Hero's Spriit [i.e., the spirit of the hero] is calling you "my child" and telling you about the "blood of the hero". He's "passing on" sword techniques. Nintendo seems to be going out of its way to imply a blood connection--so naturally opponents of this idea will pass it off as metaphor. The emphasis still defies this. Metaphors are not repeated, nor consistently reinforced in such a way to suggest that they are actualy literal.

The point still stands. This is the "Hero's Spirit", and it cannot exist in the same timeline as TWW in a split timeline, since the hero departs from that timeline.

The way Ganon comes out of nowhere and goes unrecognized by Zant suggests that Ganon had come after the Twili, hence the reason he was an unknown.

Or that *gasp* it's been at least a hundred years since OoT, and Zant is a descendant of the original Twili, and doesn't know who he is by virtue of that fact.

[Juno Reactor]

Also, in addition to what I said above -- Eiji Aonuma said there's no blood relation.  And he made the game.  So you're wrong.

[LexLionHart]

Eiji Aonuma said there's no blood relation.

Eiji Aonuma said that Princess Zelda is not related to OoT Zelda, too, in the same interview, in the same sentence. So unless the Royal Family is made up of non-relatives, Aonuma is, once again, as he has always been, unreliable.

[Juno Reactor]

Eiji Aonuma said that Princess Zelda is not related to OoT Zelda, too, in the same interview, in the same sentence. So unless the Royal Family is made up of non-relatives, Aonuma is, once again, as he has always been, unreliable.

He made the game and helped write the story.  He said there's no blood relation.  Quite frankly, everything you're saying about the warriors is speculation by comparison.

Would you like Link less if there was no blood relation?

[LexLionHart]

He said there's no blood relation.

He said there's no "direct relation", if you want to be specific. As in, there has been more than one generation since OoT. i.e., the Hero of Time is not his father, and there are other family lines mixed in.

[Juno Reactor]

He said there's no "direct relation", if you want to be specific. As in, there has been more than one generation since OoT. i.e., the Hero of Time is not his father, and there are other family lines mixed in.

Now you're splitting hairs.  Technically, a direct relation IS a bloodline, irregardless of generations.  Also, the "mixing" of other family lines is precisely how this Zelda can still be royalty without having a bloodline to the Zelda of OoT.

[LexLionHart]

Technically, a direct relation IS a bloodline, irregardless of generations.

You're thinking "direct descendant", not "direct relation." A "direct relation" is someone in your immediate family, such as a father, mother, daughter, son, grandfather, grandmother, etc. A "direct descendant" is someone descended from you in an unbroken line (a "direct line"). This doesn't rule out a collateral relationship--just a direct one. Uncles, cousins, and so on are more than admissible. And, yes, I am splitting hairs. Isn't that what you're doing?

Of course, this is still pretty silly, since we know that Zelda passed down the Triforce of Wisdom from mother to daughter. Aonuma comments can't overwrite that.

[Master of Epona]

no no no Ganondorf was sealed like right after OoT when zelda somons all the power of the sages remember

[Master of Epona]

ganondorf was sealed in OoT when Zelda sumoned all the powers of the sages in the last cut seen