A Theory on the Zelda Timeline: Link, Zelda, and the Royal Hylian Birth Line
About Myself
Before I begin, I’d like to share just a little about myself. My name is Christopher, and I’ve recently created a Fan Media site dedicated to all sorts of fantasies, especially the Legend of Zelda; The Twilight Plains [dot] com. Since I first stumbled upon a Zelda game, I was instantly hooked. I remember watching numerous friends playing games such as Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and the memory of it’s vivid story and beautiful worlds has never left me. So, in honor of the great series that is The Legend of Zelda, I give you my contribution to the ever growing Zelda universe.
Controversy Note
If you have ever wondered at all about the history of the Legend of Zelda, chances are you’ve run into quite a few timeline theories. I know I have! Now, while I won’t be following any real timeline (I really don’t have any preferences as to which one is correct) I do have quite a strong opinion myself as to who and where Link and Zelda came from. My theory also heavily emphasizes the Link X Zelda relationship, so if you are strongly against that, I plead that you simply ignore this article, as I’m not too fond of harsh criticism from either side and I’d rather not start any kind of relationship feud. That aside, if you are interested, I suggest you read on to discover my sensible findings regarding the Legend of Zelda and it’s rich histories!
Background History
To begin, I’ll start off with a brief description of the well known history of the creation of Hyrule, as first seen in Ocarina of Time.
“As told in OoT, three Goddesses descend from a distant nebula to create the mythical land of Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, cultivated the land to create the earth with her strong flaming arms. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, gave the world the spirit of Law by pouring her wisdom in to it. Farore, the Goddess of Courage, created with her rich soul all the lifeforms which would uphold the law” (http://www.zeldauniverse.net/content/view/383/421/). So, we have the beginning of Hylian time, starting with the creation of Hyrule, and the appearance of life. As everyone who has played even one Zelda game knows, there are many different races throughout Hyrule, the most important being, of course, the Hylians.
“Hylians are a …species that exist in the Legend of Zelda series of games. They are the second-most human-like creatures from the… world of Hyrule (next to Ordonians), in appearance and in character. However, they are sometimes mistaken for elves due to their long, pointed ears and use of magic. However, unlike elves, they are not immortal or haughty; their culture seems to be much more based on human culture than elvish culture. They tend to live in towns and forests, as opposed to the Zoras, who mainly live in water, or the Gerudos, who live in the desert. The series' hero, Link, and Zelda themselves are the best known Hylians. The term "Hylian" generally refers to a member of the Hylian race, who are capable of using magical abilities (though many Hylians don't use them). They have pointed pixie-like ears (which the Kokiri share), but other than that, they look just like humans (though they do have lighter skin). It is believed that these ears allow them to hear the gods and that they were created to tell the other races their message. According to the A Link to the Past manual, "with their magic infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with psychic powers and skill in wizardry. It was also said that they were held in high esteem by many people in Hyrule due to these special powers. Their descendants settled in various parts of the world and passed on their knowledge and magical lore to all people." The Royal Family of Hyrule is traditionally Hylian” (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=Hylian&gwp=13).
The Legend of Zelda
So, I’m sure that we can all agree that Link and Zelda are Hylian. Before we move on, I’d just like to emphasize a point often overlooked, but one of the most important: the title. The series of video games is called “The Legend of Zelda”, emphasis on the Zelda. Usually when something is named after something or someone else, that something has to do with what it is named after. In a roundabout way, this means that the Legend of Zelda is about the legend of Zelda, or rather that all the events have in some way to do with our popular heroine and just as often, damsel in distress, Zelda. So, with that in mind, we move on.
Alright, so we know that Link and Zelda are both Hylian, the series is based around and has in essence, everything to do with Zelda, and there is always a Link around to save her. Now the big question is why? Why is there a Link and a Zelda, who are they, where did they come from? I will do my best to explain.
In the Beginning
In the beginning: Hyrule was created and all the races that inhabit it were established. This includes the Hylians, of course. If we begin chronologically, which would begin with Ocarina of Time (as stated by Shigeru Miyamoto himself), we know that an evil man by the name of Ganondorf appeared and threatened to take over all of Hyrule. This is where everything began. Link is soon born, and as a wish from his dying mother, is taken in by the Great Deku Tree, and his Kokiri children. As the Kokiris also have pointed ears, Link, a Hylian, does not seem too out of place. Most everyone knows how the story of Link, the only fairyless boy, unfolds with the meeting of Navi, a fairy sent under the direction of the Great Deku Tree himself. At this same time, Princess Zelda, a royal child of a noble Hylian family, is also born. They go about their adventures and eventually, as we all know, save Hyrule from immanent destruction.
On the Link X Zelda Relationship
Now he is where I will stray a little from the normal path. What happens after? Do Link and Zelda simply go their separate ways and forget about each other? I think not. See, there are many factors that play into this story, and most all of them tend to point at a relationship between the two. First and most basically, we will revert to other stories told from times long past… fairy tales if you will. I call this the fairy tale effect. When you were a child, I’m sure you have heard many of them. So, what happens when a brave knight goes off to save the damsel in distress? After he slays the dragon and saves the day, usually the happy ending ends in the marriage of the two. At a basic level, the Legend of Zelda does not differ too much from this story of a damsel in distress and her brave knight. Zelda, the princess, gets locked away in some distant castle or tower with the evil villain guarding her. So, brave Link comes in with his sword and shield and vanquishes him. I’d call that a happy ending, so why is this not different from the classic fairy tale? If this isn’t enough, try to take it at a more personal vantage point. Say for a moment that you are the Princess Zelda, trapped by a big, ugly, evil dude with no hope of escape. Then a hero clad in a very fashionable green tunic wielding a glowing sword of ultimate power annihilates your captor, and you are freed! Personally, I wouldn’t forget that hero’s brave deeds very easily. He’s handsome, very kind, and defiantly strong in both mind and body. I’d say a good match for any princess.
If we want actual in game facts, we do know that Zelda does obviously show some signs of an attraction to our Link.
“Although young, Link is portrayed as a great courageous warrior who has (or develops, depending on the game) a close relationship with Princess Zelda, whom he inevitably rescues” (http://www.answers.com/Link%20and%20Zelda?ff=1).
And if you have ever read any of the Legend of Zelda mangas, this relationship is very apparent. Still not convinced? Lets go back to a point made earlier, the fact that the game is the Legend of Zelda. Link is obviously our hero, and it just makes sense if you really look at it that the hero and the princess will go off and get married and live very happily ever after. Now if you still don’t believe me, then you might as well not go any further. I am strongly against any Link X Malon, Saria, or Ruto relationships. This would simply not make sense, the game being about Zelda. That does not mean that Link cannot form very close friendships with any one of them, but it still is not much deeper than that. And with that in mind, we move on to the birth line of Link and Zelda.
The Theory
As you may have noticed, in every game there is a Link and a Zelda somewhere… usually at the center of things :P But notice that they all seem kind of the same? They all appear to be somewhat… related? This is where my theory really comes in. See, if we agree that Link and Zelda do eventually marry and have children, everything can become much more clear. So, Link and Zelda’s children all grow up and lead their own lives, and throughout time, branch out more and more and more. Eventually, though they all are related distantly, all the original children have branched out so far, by distance and relation, that now they seem just like any other normal Hylian. Note that Link and Zelda are always Hylian, which must mean they are related in some way. This also cancels out any Link X Malon, Saria or Ruto relationships, because we notice that neither Link or Zelda are ever human, Zorian, or Kokiri.
So, as must always eventually happen, Evil returns again to the lands of Hyrule. As the pattern of life calls for someone to save it, our heroes inevitably return. These heroes are in essence the very, very distant descendants of our original Link and Zelda, though their blood line so diluted that it does not matter much at all. And the cycle repeats itself, as they save the world again, marry, have cute little Hylian children, who also have children, and so on until the pattern calls for our heroes again.
Summary and Closing
To sum everything up into one neat, and short paragraph, the theory begins with our original Link and Zelda who save the day, form a relationship and eventual marry, and produce offspring. Those children then continue their lives, and have their own children and adventures, all the time becoming further and further distanced by blood from their original parents. And as they are needed again, the very distant descendants of our original heroes come again to save the day, and repeat the cycle over again.
To close, I thank all of those who have taken the time to read my theory, as long and arduous as it may have been. I’m sure not everyone agrees with my statements, and I have no problem with that. To have your own opinions and ideas is a great thing, and I hope you all can hold onto them and in turn, build up and enhance this great world that is the Legend of Zelda. Good luck to you all in your adventures, and may they be all you wish them to be.
Cheers! ~Christopher N. Sagasaki of the Twilight Plains [dot com.] (This article is also hosted at TwilightPlains.com [in Articles]. Come visit us to enjoy the best of fan media from across the web, including Fan Fiction, Fan Art, and musical compositions!)