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Changes: Zelda Timeline

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(→‎Split of the Timeline: Done with that. Needs refs, though...and possibly a touch-up and some additional info. I'm not so good at writing stuff like this, you see...)
 
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This page details common '''challenges''' that can be done in the [[The Legend of Zelda (Series)|''Zelda'' games]].
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{{ex-Featured}}
  
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{{Semi}}
  
   
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==Three-Heart Challenge==
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The '''''[[The Legend of Zelda (Series)|Legend of Zelda]]'' Timeline''' details the official chronology of the ''Legend of Zelda'' series, as revealed by the December 2011 release of ''[[Hyrule Historia]]'' in Japan. ''Hyrule Historia'' is a compilation of official sources with [[Eiji Aonuma]] as its chief editor and therefore represents the developer's view of the chronology most accurately.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1215301p1.html |title= The Legend of Zelda Timeline Revealed|site= IGN}}</ref>
  
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{{Main|Three Heart Challenge}}
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The [[Three Heart Challenge]] is one of the most popular challenges in the ''Zelda'' series, consisting of completing a game with only three [[Heart Container]]s. The two games in which the challenge cannot be done is {{ALttP}} and {{LA}}.
   
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==Zero Deaths Challenge==
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''Although the visuals in Hyrule Historia provide an accurate overview of the timeline, more detailed information pertaining to the timeline sourced in Hyrule Historia is translated from the Japanese edition. An official English version will be released in January 2013; there may be discrepancies in translation between the English and Japanese languages that may change the overall intent, structure, or perception of this information and/or timeline.''
  
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This challenge simply consists of completing the game without dying once.
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[[File:ZeldatimelineHHtranslation.png|thumb|right|350px|The timeline revealed in ''Hyrule Historia'', translated from Japanese.<br>Original version in [[Zelda Timeline#Gallery|gallery]] below.]]
  
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{{OTOC}}
  
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==History of the ''Zelda'' Timeline==
  
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{{Main|History of the Zelda Timeline}}
  
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Since the days of ''Pong'', video game storylines have endured an amazing evolution, moving from simple "slay the dragon" conflict, through "save the princess" heroism, and into wonderfully deep epics. Early installments of the ''Legend of Zelda'' series emerged at a very interesting point of this process; a point where the market was divided between casual platformers and plot-focused [[RPG]]s.
  
   
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==={{AoL}}===
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''Zelda'' found a niche market somewhere in the middle. This is reflected in the storyline of such games as ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]'', which are simple and yet inspiring. Over the years, Nintendo has kept to this trend. Developers often focus foremost on gameplay and theme, and generally only decide on a definite storyline close to the completion of development. Resulting games are well-connected to the overall ''Legend of Zelda'' universe - and consider elements of games past - but do not often present immediate or obvious chronological connections.
  
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'''Status:''' This is entirely possible.<br>
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'''Difficulty:''' Nearly Impossible. It is almost impossible to get from the starting point to the last level without dying once. Beating the game requires an absurd amount of patience and an insane amount of luck.<br>
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'''In-game Rewards:''' None.
   
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==={{LA}}===
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In the early stages, this worked wonderfully. The first five ''Legend of Zelda'' releases were easily understood and organized. In 1998, the timeline had room even for the content of the ''Legend of Zelda'' [[television show]] and [[manga]], as well as the mistakes of [[Nintendo of America|NoA]], which would later be considered non-canonical.
  
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'''Status:''' This is possible to do. It may require constant saving and resetting the game after deaths.<br>
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'''Difficulty:''' Moderately difficult. <br>
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'''In-game Rewards:''' Alternate ending.
   
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==={{TWW}}===
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Unfortunately, as time went on the sheer amount of information being introduced into the ''Legend of Zelda'' canon made a complete understanding less possible. Games such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|Four Swords Adventures]]'' seemed to strain the connection between older games, and many fans began to wonder whether the ''Four Swords'' series had a place in the timeline at all.
 
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'''Status:''' This is entirely possible.<br>
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'''Difficulty:''' Very easy. <br>
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'''In-game Rewards:''' None.
   
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==Uber ''Ocarina of Time'' Challenge==
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Fans of the series wanting to learn more of the timeline began to discuss the concept on the Internet, slowly reaching conclusions on those issues which could be resolved and falling into bitter debate on those which could not. The debate continued for years, with fans dissecting ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass|Phantom Hourglass]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks|Spirit Tracks]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Skyward Sword]]''. On December 21, 2011, Nintendo of Japan published an official chronology of ''The Legend of Zelda'' series in [[Hyrule Historia]], outlining how the games in the series are related to one another.
  
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The Uber {{OoT}} Challenge, is a further rendition of the [[Three Heart Challenge]]. It includes beating the game in the hardest possible way. Varying in many difficult tricks including the Gerudo Valley Cucco Jump.
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{{Clear}}
  
   
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===Timeline Theories===
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===List of Rules===
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The list of rules for the challenge are as follows:
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{{Main|Timeline Theories}}
  
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''Zelda Timeline Theories'' are perhaps the object of greatest debate amongst fans of the series. Nintendo's transcendental and thorough method of incorporating the tried-and-true formula of "gameplay first, story later" has arguably produced some of the greatest games of all time, but it has also resulted in an incoherent chronology - full of loose ends, contradictions, and general confusion. Fortunately, this has motivated fans to do all they can to sift, sort, and organize the ''Legend of Zelda'' canon.
  
   
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*3 hearts, no [[Heart Container#Piece of Heart|Heart Piece]]s whatsoever
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=Chronology of the ''Legend of Zelda'' Series=
  
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*Buy [[Swords of Ocarina of Time#Giant's Knife|Giant's Knife]] and break it as soon as possible, and use that at all times (except in the Graveyard and while fighting [[Ganon]])
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{{Spoiler}}
  
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*All [[Medallions]]
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{{Quote|…This is a tale that was passed down by humans such as yourselves…|}}
  
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*1 Bottle
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The opening line of the chronology section in Hyrule Historia implies that the narration is done by a group of Hyrulean scholars. Since the account presented may contain inaccuracies, the editors of the book invite the readers to give their own interpretation regarding the actual events.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Because what is being spun is the flow of history right up until the end of time, we wish for you to touch true adventure with your own hands and try to ascertain it for yourself. [...] This chronology is not limited to information that is currently confirmable. It also contains much that is unclear. The history of Hyrule is known to change with the times and the person telling it, and will continue to unfold. Even if none of the important points waver by much, new legends will continue to be born and history may yet be rewritten.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=68|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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*No deaths (death counter at file select must say 000)
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*No [[Iron Boots]]
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*No capacity upgrades (except for adult wallet)
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*No [[Great Fairy]] gifts except Magic Meter and [[Spells of Ocarina of Time#Din's Fire|Din's Fire]]
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*No [[Gold Skulltula]] family gifts from 20 or more Gold Skulltulas
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*No [[Power Bracelet#Goron Bracelet|Goron Bracelet]]
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*No [[Fire Arrow]]s
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*No [[Lens of Truth]]
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*No [[Hookshot|Longshot]]
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*No [[Zora Scale#Silver Scale|Silver Scale]]
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*No [[Tunic#Zora Tunic|Zora Tunic]]
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*No [[Gerudo Token]]
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*No [[Map]]s or [[Compass]]es
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*No [[Biggoron's Sword]]
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*Cannot use Action Replay, Gameshark, etc.
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*Cannot use Crooked Cartridge
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*Cannot use Din's Fire outside the central room of the [[Water Temple]]
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*Cannot use [[Hammer#Megaton Hammer|Megaton Hammer]] to attack enemies (exception of stunning [[Volvagia]])
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*Cannot use Megaton Hammer outside the [[Fire Temple (Ocarina of Time)|Fire Temple]]
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*Cannot use Deku Sticks to attack enemies
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*Cannot use power crouch stab
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*Cannot use bottle except to show [[Princess Ruto|Ruto]]'s [[Ruto's Letter|letter]] to [[King Zora]]
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*Cannot learn any songs except [[Song of Time]], [[Zelda's Lullaby]], and [[Minuet of Forest]]
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*Must have [[Medallions#Shadow Medallion|Shadow Medallion]] before entering [[Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)|Forest Temple]]
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*Must fight [[Dark Link]]
   
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==Miscellaneous==
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==Unified Timeline==
  
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===Creation of the World===
  
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[[File:Goddesses.jpg|thumb|right|The Goddesses create the world, from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]'']]
  
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Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three [[Golden Goddesses]]: [[Din (Goddess)|Din]] the Goddess of Power, [[Nayru (Goddess)|Nayru]] the Goddess of Wisdom, and [[Farore (Goddess)|Farore]] the Goddess of Courage. Before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.<ref>{{cite|Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the goddess of power... Nayru, the goddess of wisdom... Farore, the goddess of courage... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.|Great Deku Tree|Ocarina of Time}}</ref><ref>{{cite manual|quote=Before life began, before the world had form, three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaotic land of Hyrule. They were Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom and Farore, the Goddess of Courage.|game=Ocarina of Time|page=5}}</ref> Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land, created the red earth, and was thus responsible for the creation of the geography of Hyrule.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land to create the earth.|game=Ocarina of Time|page=5}}</ref> Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth to give the spirit of law to the world.|game=Ocarina of Time|page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite manual|quote=The God of Wisdom created science and wizardry and brought order to nature.|game=A Link to the Past|page=3}}</ref> Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=Farore's rich soul created all life forms who would uphold the law.|game=Ocarina of Time|page=5}}</ref>
  
   
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==={{TLoZ}}===
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=== The Era of the Goddess Hylia ===
  
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*No sword run
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{{Main|Hylia}}
  
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**Complete the game without acquiring a sword of any kind
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[[File:Hylia.png|thumb|right|Hylia and the five races of the surface]]
  
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**All other items and upgrades are allowed
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When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. The three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the [[Triforce]], which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life on the world of Hyrule.|game=A Link to the Past|page=3}}</ref> They trusted [[Triforce|their ultimate power, the Triforce]] in the hands of Her Grace, the Goddess [[Hylia]], to protect it.<ref>{{cite|Handed down by the gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess.|Introduction|SS}}</ref> The Demon King [[Demise]], wanting to make the world his own, gathered an army of monsters and together launched an attack against the people of the surface, murdering them and causing misfortunes in an attempt to get their hands on the power guarded by Hylia.<ref>{{cite|One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... They burnt forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation. They did all this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess.|Introduction|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force.|Zelda|SS}}</ref>
  
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*Wooden sword run
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**Complete the game without getting the white sword or the magical sword
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*White sword run
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**Complete the game without getting the magical sword
   
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==={{AoL}}===
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Hylia gathered the surviving humans on a piece of land and sent it to [[The Sky|the heavens]], beyond the clouds and out of reach from the evil plaguing the land.<ref>{{cite|To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands... The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth. She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds.|Introduction|Skyward Sword}}</ref> In order to keep it from falling into the hands of Demise, Hylia also send the [[Triforce]] to [[The Sky]] and hid the portals to three pieces of the [[Triforce]] within [[Sky Keep]], and enshrined the [[Goddess Sword]] inside the Statue of the Goddess, to be found by a chosen hero when the time was right.<ref>{{cite|I've had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure. Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold the youth of legend would one day appear. It is said that this place was left to our people by the goddess herself. The very knowledge of this room's existence is a secret passed down to a select few each generation, along with a handful of words... When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.|Gaepora|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|The words I have sworn to keep secret are coming true before my very eyes. The youth will be guided by one born of the blade--one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable.|Gaepora|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|Oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations. The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below... ...And united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land.|Fi|SS}}</ref> Now that the humans were safe, the goddess and the five tribes who lived on the surface joined forces and sealed away Demise, restoring peace to the land, although the goddess had suffered "grave injuries".<ref>{{cite|With the humans safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away. At last, peace was restored to the surface.|Introduction|SS}}</ref>
  
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Low Stats Challenge:''' The aim of the challenge is to complete as much of the game as possible with 1-1-1 stats. It is impossible to finish the game with these stats outside of the Japanese version so the overall aim is to finish the game with 1-4-1 stats<br>
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{{clear}}
  
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'''Status:''' This is possible to do with fore knowledge of the experience dropped by enemies. Link cannot gain more than 200 Experience if the player wants to proceed without leveling up<br>
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'''Difficulty:''' This is quite difficult but far from impossible. Players must be prepared to hit late game enemies and bosses over a 100 times without getting damaged once.<br>
  +
'''In-game Rewards:''' None.
   
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===The Sky Era===
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==={{LA}}===
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*No sword run
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword}}
  
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**Complete the game without the sword
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[[File:SS Skyloft Artwork.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Link riding on his Loftwing with Skyloft in the background]]
  
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*Buy the bow and arrow
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Skyloft remained in the sky above the clouds for generations, knowledge of the Surface and the origins of Skyloft becoming mere legend. Despite their dwindling knowledge of their origins, the people of Skyloft still knew of the Goddess Hylia and believed she watched over them to that day, unaware that she was [[Princess Zelda#Skyward Sword|living among them in a mortal form]].
  
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**Save up enough rupees to buy the bow and arrow instead of stealing it
   
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==={{OoT}}===
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On the day of the 25th anniversary of Skyloft's [[Knight Academy]], Zelda is taken to the surface by Demon Lord [[Ghirahim]] in an attempt to revive Demise. That night, Link is awakend by the voice of a mysterious spirit, who reveals itself as the sword spirit of the Goddess Sword, created by the goddess Hylia for the purpose of assisting Hylia's chosen hero in fulfilling his destiny.<ref>{{cite|[Link], the goddess created Fi and the great blade she's a part of for very specific reasons.|Zelda|SS}}</ref><ref>{{cite|First, she created Fi. She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her chosen hero on his mission.|Zelda|SS}}</ref> Guided by Fi, Link travels to the Surface in search of Zelda, who herself is guided by [[Impa]] to purify her body at the goddess statues to reawaken as the incarnation of the Goddess Hylia. As Zelda and Impa escape from Ghirahim to the past, Link [[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword#The Sacred Flames|quests to purify the Goddess Sword]] and power it to become the [[Master Sword]]. After traveling to the past, Zelda reveals her true identity to him, and as such must remain in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal. Link travels back to the present and after learning the [[Song of the Hero]] finds the Triforce and successfully wishes upon the destruction of Demise.
  
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'''Reach Flying Carpet Challenge:''' Jump to the [[Flying Carpet]] without using the [[Hover Boots]].<br>
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[[File:L+D.png|thumb|200px|left|Link and Demise]]
  
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'''Status:''' This is possible to do.<br>
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After Zelda awakens from her sleep, an enraged Ghirahim kidnaps her back to the past, where Demise is still alive. Link follows Ghirahim to the past for a final showdown, but is unable to stop the ritual to revive Demise. The ancient Demon King escapes from his seal, swallows Zelda as [[The Imprisoned]] and returns to his original form. Demise announces his intention to take the world as his own now that Hylia is gone, but gives Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world. After a fierce fight, Link bests Demise and fatally wounds him. The Demon King stumbles to his feet, congratulating Link, but warns him that it is not over, and that his hatred would be [[Ganon|reborn as a being]] to pursue domination of the world, and those with the [[Princess Zelda|blood of the goddess]] and [[Link|spirit of the hero]] in [[The Legend of Zelda (Series)|a cycle without end]]. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the Master Sword.
  
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'''Difficulty:''' Nearly impossible. Requires a lot skill, patience, and a ridiculous amount of luck.<br>
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'''In-game rewards:''' Able to buy [[Bombchu]]s as Adult Link before entering the [[Shadow Temple]].
   
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'''Cucco Jump Challenge:''' Jump over the [[Gerudo Valley]] gate as a child using a Cucco to jump off a pike onto the gate.<br>
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Link returns from the battle to find Zelda and Groose, and the three return to the Temple of Hylia, where they meet with Impa and prepare to return to their own time. At Fi's behest, Link plunges the Master Sword into a pedestal in the Sealed Temple, leaving it and his partner behind now that her purpose to guide Link had been completed. Saying goodbye to Impa before she destroys the Gate of Time, the three return to their own time where peace has returned and residents of Skyloft take their first steps on the Surface.
  
  +
'''Status:''' This is possible to do.<br>
−
{{clear}}
  
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Nearly impossible. Requires a lot skill, patience, and a ridiculous amount of luck.<br>
  +
'''In-game rewards:''' Able to get to the [[Spirit Temple]] as a child. Also a part of the Uber OoT Challenge.
   
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=== The Era of Chaos ===
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==={{MM}}===
  +
'''Three-Day Challenge:''' This is probably the most famous Zelda challenge. It is to complete the four temples in the second three-day cycle. That is the cycle where Link returns to normal.<br>
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[[File:Temple of Time 3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Pedestal of Time inside the Temple of Time]]
  
  +
'''Status:''' This is possible to do with extensive planning.<br>
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Following the defeat of Demise, the world created by the [[Golden Goddesses]] and guarded by the Goddess [[Hylia]], became known as [[Hyrule]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=The world that the 3 goddesses created and that the goddess, Hylia protected became known as Hyrule.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
 
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Moderately difficult due to specific time sensitive events, such as retrieving Epona before the night of the [[First Day]].<br>
  +
'''In-game Rewards:''' None.
   
  +
==={{TP}}===
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Those descended from the people who were living in ancient times under the protection of the Goddess Hylia were known as Hylians. They were born with magic-infused blood, endowing them with psychic powers and skill in wizardry.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=With their magic infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with psychic powers and skill in wizardry.|game=A Link to the Past|page=4}}</ref> It is also believed that the Hylians' pointed ears allow them to hear the messages of the gods.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=It was also said that their long, pointed ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods.|game=A Link to the Past|page=4}}</ref>
  
  +
'''Cave of Ordeal Challenge:''' A new file is started and played to around the City in the Sky. During the time played, no Heart Pieces or Heart Containers can be retrieved. Moreover, no bottles (besides the one received by [[Sera]]), bombs, or quiver extensions. The Cave of Ordeals is then entered with the Wooden or Ordon Shield, the Ordon Sword, and Zora Armor.<br>
  +
'''Status:''' Possible.<br>
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Extremely difficult. The Zora Armor is weak to fire and ice, the Wooden Shield has the possibility of it getting burned, the normal sword, three hearts, and no potions.<br>
  +
'''In-game Rewards:''' None.<br>
  +
<br>
  +
'''Cave of Ordeals Challenge 2:''' In this challenge, Link must not lose a single heart. The [[Magic Armor]] cannot be used and at least the 30th floor must be reached. Any equipment may be used.<br>
  +
'''Status:''' Unknown.<br>
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Insanely difficult, maybe even impossible.<br>
  +
'''In-game Rewards:''' None.<br>
  +
<br>
  +
'''Twilight Challenge:''' Complete the game without dying once, complete Cave of Ordeals, do not buy [[Hylian Shield]], do not burn [[Ordon Shield]], the only time Link can [[warp]] is to teleport the bridge and [[Sky Cannon]] and he must stay at three hearts.<br>
  +
'''Status:''' Unknown<br>
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Very hard<br>
  +
'''In-game rewards:''' None<br>
   
  +
==={{PH}}===
−
Hyrule knew many years of peace, however, the legend of the Triforce and its power was lusted after by many people, and a wave of chaos descended upon the land of Hyrule as people tried to take this power for themselves.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Peace continued through the land for a long time, but with a new era, a wave of chaos descended upon the land. [...] The almighty power of folklore was lusted over by many, many people and there was a never ending struggle over the Triforce.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> To protect the sacred power, [[Rauru]], the Sage of Light, sealed the entrance to the [[Sacred Realm]] within the [[Temple of Time]], with the [[Master Sword]] and the [[Spiritual Stones]] securing the barriers to its entrance.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The Sage of Light, Rauru, constructed the Temple of Time around the only entrance to the Sacred Realm which housed the Triforce. The Sacred Realm was sealed with the Master Sword, along with the ability to pass through time. The Master Sword’s pedestal was closed off behind the Door of Time and three sacred stones acted as keys, which were guarded by the trusted people of the forest, the people of water, and the people of fire.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> The [[Temple of Light]], located at the center of the Sacred Realm, became the resting place of the Triforce, while Rauru isolated himself within the temple to continue protecting the sacred relic.<ref>{{cite|The Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces.|Rauru|Ocarina of Time}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=The Triforce was enshrined in the Temple of Light and Rauru was isolated from the world inside the Sacred Realm to continue to protect the power of the gods.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
  +
'''25:00 Temple of the Ocean King Challenge:''' Beat the Temple of the Ocean King with 25:00 Sands of Hours remaining.<br>
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{{clear}}
  
  +
'''Status:''' It is possible, and mildly challenging.<br>
  +
'''Difficulty:''' Moderate after familiarizing oneself with the Temple.<br>
  +
'''In-game Rewards:''' None.
   
  +
{{Real World}}
−
=== The Era of Prosperity ===
  
  +
[[Category:Community]]
−
[[File:HyruleInPeace.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Kingdom of Hyrule]]
  
−
Those with the blood of the Goddess [[Hylia]], reborn as Zelda, established the kingdom of Hyrule.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Those who inherited the blood of the goddess, Hylia, who was reborn into Zelda, established Hyrule.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> [[Hyrule Castle]] was build at the center of the land, watching over the [[Temple of Time]], which was protecting the Sacred Realm and the Triforce.<ref>{{cite book|quote=They built a castle in the center of Hyrule, where the Temple of Time rested and watched over the Sacred Realm and the Triforce.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=77|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
 
−  
−
Many years passed after the kingdom's establishment. Within the [[Royal Family of Hyrule]], as descendants of the Goddess, many were born with a special power that existed deep within the bloodline and the queen would often be named Zelda after the historical legend.
  
−
{{clear}}
  
−  
−
===The Force Era===
  
−
====The Hero of Men====
  
−
[[File:Bound_Chest_War_4.png|thumb|right|200px|The Legend of the Hero of Men]]
  
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As ages went by and the Kingdom of Hyrule continued to develop in peace,<ref>{{Cite book|quote=The Force Era|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=78}}</ref> one day the land was suddenly overwhelmed by evil creatures that descended upon it in swarms, driving the world into shadows and bringing the kingdom to near-ruin. As Hyrule neared the brink of collapse, the tiny [[Picori]] appeared from the sky and gave the [[Hero of Men]] the [[Picori Blade]] and the magical [[Light Force]]. Using these two special gifts, the Hero drove the beasts back and restored light to the land of Hyrule.<ref>{{cite|A long, long time ago...when the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow...The tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the hero of men a sword and a golden light.|Prologue|The Minish Cap}}</ref><ref>{{cite|Long, long ago, and then even longer before that...Evil creatures appeared in the world of humans. They were powerful, frightening beasts, and they created such trouble! But then the Picori came from the sky, bringing humans powerful magic. With the magic light force and the Picori Blade, the beasts were repelled. And the world of humans once more knew peace, thanks to the Picori.|Marshall|The Minish Cap}}</ref>
  
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To ensure the beasts could not bring further destruction to the land, the Hero of Men sealed them all within the [[Bound Chest]]. Sealing the chest with the Picori Blade itself, the Hero of Men was able to bring the destructive war to an end and brought peace to the kingdom. The Light Force was embodied within the [[Princess Zelda|princess]] of Hyrule to prevent its misuse, shining forth upon the lands within its ruler.<ref>{{cite|With wisdom and courage, the hero drove out the darkness. When peace had been restored, the people enshrined that blade with care. And the force of the golden light, embodied in Hyrule's princess, shone forth upon the lands.|Stained-glass window|The Minish Cap}}</ref>
  
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====The Hero of the Four Sword====
  
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{{Sources}}
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap}}
  
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[[File:Link ezlo.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Link and Ezlo]]
  
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One year, in celebration of when the [[Picori]] last came to Hyrule 100 years ago to the day, the festival was unusually grand. [[Hyrule Castle]] was hosting a tournament of sword-fighting skill that called to mind the [[Link|heroes of legend]]. That year’s champion was a mysterious man by the name of [[Vaati]]. He won the tournament with an almost magical ease, and all of Hyrule was abuzz with rumors about this shadowy figure. During the ceremony following the sword competition, Vaati shattered the sacred Picori Blade and opened the [[Bound Chest]], which, for an age, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Vaati was after the Light Force, that golden light that was once wielded by the hero mentioned in the legends of the Picori. He subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before making a speedy departure.
  
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[[King Daltus]] asked the young Link to seek out the Picori and ask them to reforge the sacred blade. Traveling to the [[Minish Woods]] he met [[Ezlo]], who helped him find the Picori, or Minish as they called themselves. Link met with the [[Gentari|elder]] of [[Minish Village]], who told him that in order to reforge the sacred Picori sword he would require the four [[Elements]], the embodiments of the sacred powers of earth, fire, water, and wind. Once he had gathered the Four Elements, Link brought the Picori Blade—now the [[White Sword]]—to the [[Elemental Sanctuary]] hidden within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. There he infused the White Sword with the Elements, fully restoring the sacred [[Four Sword]]; a legendary blade with the power to split one warrior into four.
  
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Meanwhile, Vaati had brainwashed King Daltus and shrouded Hyrule Castle in darkness. He had discovered that the sacred Light Force had actually been passed down through Hyrule’s princesses, and so he prepared to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda. Link rushed to her rescue, and, after vanquishing Vaati, he used the Four Sword’s evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda. Vaati had been a Minish, an apprentice of Ezlo, who was also a Minish. Ezlo had made a magical cap with the power to grant wishes, but Vaati had stolen it and used it to become a powerful sorcerer. He had transformed Ezlo into a hat himself, then proceeded to hunt down the Light Force. Now that Vaati had fallen, the wishing cap could be used to restore Hyrule. Princess Zelda put on the cap and wished with all her heart that Vaati’s cruelty might be undone. With her righteous wish and the power of the Light Force that still dwelled within her, many miracles happened as a result and peace returned to the land of Hyrule.
  
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====The Resurrection of the Wind Mage====
  
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Peace returned briefly to the kingdom of Hyrule, as Vaati was presumed dead, but suddenly he re-appeared to terrorize the land once again.<ref name=hh82>{{Cite book|quote=The Force Era|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=82}}</ref> No longer remembering his days as a Picori, or his lust for the Light Force, he made himself a home in the [[Palace of Winds]] and he named himself the The Great Sorcerer of the Wind, Vaati. With the power to bend the wind to his will, Vaati goes on a rampage, using this awful power to terrorize many villages of Hyrule. In his assaults on the villages, Vaati would kidnap any beautiful girls who caught his fancy.
  
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Many knights from the castle and other brave men set out to subdue the sorcerer and rescue the girls, but each one fell in turn to Vaati's awesome power. Just as the people had begun to lose hope, a lone young boy traveling with little but a sword at his side appeared.
  
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When this boy heard what was happening, he said only, "I will defeat this sorcerer." He boldly entered Vaati's palace, mystically trapped the evil sorcerer inside the blade of his sword, and returned the young girls to their villages. The boy then went deep into the forest and disappeared.
  
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The villagers asked the girls how a boy so young could have saved them all and defeated the sorcerer when no one else could. The young girls told a story of how, with just a wave of his sword, the boy's body shattered into four pieces, each of which then formed a complete copy of the boy. These four young boys then worked together to defeat the sorcerer. The people did not believe the story, but they called it the [[Four Sword]] nonetheless. As rumors of the blade's power to divide a person into four entities spread, the people built a shrine to protect it.
  
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====Defeat of the Wind Mage====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords}}
  
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[[File:Four Swords Intro.png|thumb|left|200px|Link splitting in four after taking the Four Sword]]
  
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For generations Zelda and her descendants managed the seal of the Four Sword, but one day the seal weakened. Zelda was in Hyrule Castle when she sensed that something unusual was occurring at the Four Sword Shrine. She asked a boy named Link, whom she trusted above anyone else, to accompany her to investigate the happenings at the shrine. As they approached the shrine to check on the seal, a dark figure suddenly appeared and grabbed princess Zelda. The seal on Vaati had weakened over time, and Vaati managed to break out of his prison within the Four Sword.
  
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Having still no memory of his time as a Picori, or the power of the Light Force, Vaati did not recognize the princess and saw her only as a fair maiden. He decided she was to become his bride to commemorate his return and took off with her to his palace. After being instructed by fairies, Link takes the Four Sword from its pedestal and is split into four, as the legend foretold. The [[Great Fairy|Great Fairies]] could help Link to get to the [[Palace of Winds]], but not until he proved himself courageous enough. After traveling over three different lands and the dungeons they contained, Link and his three other selves confronted the wind mage in the [[Palace of Winds]], the seat of Vaati's power. After an arduous battle between the sorcerer and the heroes, Link was able to reseal Vaati into the Four Sword's blade.<ref name=hh82/> Princess Zelda and the people of Hyrule once again kept a watchful eye on the Four Sword.
  
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=== The Era of the Hero of Time ===
  
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[[File:Ootmastersword.jpeg|thumb|right|Link draws the Master Sword]]
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}
  
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For reasons not specified, Hyrule entered into a period of [[Hyrulean Civil War|fierce war]]. During this war, a [[Link's Mother|Hylian woman]] fled the fires of war and entered the [[Kokiri Forest]], giving her newborn baby, named Link, to the [[Great Deku Tree]] to be raised as a [[Kokiri]]. Finally the war ended and the [[King of Hyrule]] unified his country.<ref>{{cite|Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri.|Deku Tree Sprout|Ocarina of Time}}</ref>
  
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When the baby had become a young boy, he had many restless nights as nightmares of an evil man from the desert plagued his sleep. One day, The Great Deku Tree sent the [[Fairy Companion]] [[Navi]] to summon him. After defeating the monster [[Gohma]] within the Deku Tree itself, the guardian of the forest revealed that he had been cursed by the evil [[Ganondorf]] and implored Link to take the [[Spiritual Stone]] of Forest, the [[Kokiri Emerald]], to [[Princess Zelda]] at [[Hyrule Castle]].<ref>{{cite|Now...listen carefully...A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me...|Great Deku Tree|Ocarina of Time}}</ref><ref>{{cite|Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link!! Good-bye...Great Deku Tree...|Navi|Ocarina of Time}}</ref> Link hurried to Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda, who told him that Ganondorf plotted to appropriate the sacred power of the [[Triforce]].<ref>{{cite|What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it!|Zelda|Ocarina of Time}}</ref> She and Link schemed to obtain the Triforce before Ganon could. Link would gather the other Spiritual Stones needed to open the Door of Time, and she would play the [[Ocarina of Time (Item)|Ocarina of Time]] to open the door.<ref>{{cite|We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!|Zelda|Ocarina of Time}}</ref>
  
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[[File:OoT Link Ganon Artwork.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Link and Ganondorf in an epic battle]]
  
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After retrieving the two remaining Spirtual Stones, Link returned to Hyrule Castle only to see Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf. During her flight, Zelda threw the Ocarina of Time into the moat for Link to find. After a brief confrontation with Ganondorf, Link retrieved the Ocarina and proceeded to the Temple of Time. With all the keys in hand, he opened the Door of Time and lifted the [[Master Sword]] from its pedestal, opening the entrance to the Sacred Realm. As Link was too young to be the Hero of Time, Link's spirit was sealed in the [[Temple of Light]] for seven years.<ref>{{cite|Only one worthy of the title of "Hero of Time" can pull it from the Pedestal of Time....However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time....Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years.|Rauru|Ocarina of Time}}</ref>
  
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With the gates of the Sacred Realm unguarded, Ganondorf was able to enter and take the Triforce for his own.<ref>{{cite|Geh heh heh! Excellent work! As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time! You have led me to the gates of the Sacred Realm...Yes, I owe it all to you, kid!|Ganondorf|Ocarina of Time}}</ref> However, since his heart was not in balance, the Prince of Darkness was left with only the Triforce of Power. Despite this, Ganondorf was able to use it to conquer the land of Hyrule, as the Hero of Time slept for seven years. After seizing the Triforce and corrupting the Sacred Realm, he caused that corruption to seep into the temples of the Sages, which became infested with all kinds of monsters,<ref>{{Cite|But, remember... Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace... Ganondorf, the [[Gerudo]] King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden [[Sacred Realm]]! He obtained the [[Triforce]] from the [[Temple of Light]], and with its power, he became the King of Evil... His evil power radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters. My power now has only little influence, even in this Sacred Realm... Namely, this Chamber of Sages. But there is still hope... The power of the Sages remains. When the power of all the Sages is awakened... The Sages' Seals will contain all the evil power in the void of the Realm... I, Rauru, am one of the Sages... And... Your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword! Keep my spirit with you... And, find the power of the other Sages and add their might to your own!|[[Rauru]]|Ocarina of Time}}</ref> so that the Sages-to-be would not be able to fulfill their duty and aid [[Link]].<ref>{{Cite|One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the [[Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)|Forest Temple]]. The Sage is a [[Saria|girl I am sure you know]]...Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the [[Sacred Realm]]... Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple... But, if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to [[Kakariko Village]]... Do you understand, Link?|[[Sheik]]|Ocarina of Time}}</ref>
  
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As Link awakened after seven years, he found Hyrule in ruins. Led by Rauru's and [[Sheik]]'s instructions, Link managed to cleanse the temples and help each Sage to gain their power. Upon Rauru's advice, he then returned to the Temple of Time, where he found [[Sheik]] waiting. His mysterious ally revealed himself to be none other than Princess Zelda, keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom and the seventh Sage, leader of them all. The reunion was cut short when the princess was abducted by Ganondorf. With the Sages help, Link fought his way to the top of [[Ganon's Tower]], clearing the path to Ganondorf for the final showdown between the Hero of Time and the King of Evil.<ref>{{cite book|quote=However, Ganondorf, who had held Link under observation, kidnapped Princess Zelda and took her to the castle, and, in an effort to obtain the Triforce, lured Link to him. [..] Finally, the time had come to battle with Ganondorf.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=90|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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== Split of the Timeline ==
  
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{{Main|The End of Ocarina of Time}}
  
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<!--THIS NEEDS REFS!-->
  
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Link finally confronted the king of evil in a final battle within [[Ganon's Tower|his tower]]. When Link defeated the evil king, he escaped the tower with Zelda as the castle crumbled around them. However, as the two watched the rubble, Ganondorf emerged. Enraged by his defeat and fueled by the Triforce of Power still within him, he transformed into Ganon, a being of pure evil, and challenged Link one last time. Link managed to weaken Ganon so that Zelda and the six sages could seal him away in the Sacred Realm. Once the battle was over, Zelda used the Ocarina of Time to return Link to his own age before he drew the Master Sword. Link then went to Zelda, and together they convinced the king of Ganondorf's treachery thanks to the pieces of the Triforce which they held. Ganondorf was imprisoned and sealed away for his conspiracy. Because Zelda sent Link back in time, she forever altered the course of Hyrule's history, splitting it in two.
  
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However, in an alternate reality, Link was bested by Ganondorf. Despite his best efforts, he failed to defeat the king of evil, seemingly dooming the kingdom of Hyrule forever.
  
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==Downfall Timeline==
  
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The {{Name|Downfall Timeline}} is the timeline in which Link, the Hero of Time, despite his best efforts, was defeated by Ganondorf in the final battle.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The thief, Ganondorf, obtains the Triforce of Power and gets his hands on Princess Zelda. Link, the Hero of Time, challenges him for the destiny of Hyrule, but is defeated.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=92|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Ganondorf obtained the remaining Triforce pieces from Link and Zelda,<ref>{{cite book|quote=Finally, Ganondorf obtains the Triforce of Wisdom that dwells in Zelda and the Triforce of Courage that dwells in Link.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=92|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> and was subsequently sealed within the [[Dark World|corrupted Sacred Realm]] by the seven Sages.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The Seven Sages Seal Away the Demon King, Ganon|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=92|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> This timeline branch contains the events of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]'', the ''[[Oracle Series|Oracle]]'' series, ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', and ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|The Adventure of Link]]'' in that order.
  
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=== Ganondorf obtains the complete Triforce ===
  
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After the Hero of Time is defeated at the hands of Ganondorf, the King of Evil extracted the Triforce of Courage from Link and the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda. Obtaining the true power of the complete Triforce, he is transformed into the Demon King Ganon. In a desperate last resort, the [[Sage#Ocarina_of_Time|Seven Sages]] seal Ganon along with the complete Triforce away in the Sacred Realm, which was already transformed into the Dark World as a reflection of Ganondorf's evil heart.<ref>{{cite|The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart... the heart of one who enters it... If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise.|Princess Zelda|OOT}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=The Sacred Realm is a mirror of one’s heart. If someone with an evil heart steps into it, it turns into a demonic world. But if someone with a pure heart enters it, it turns into a paradise. Ganondorf became the Demon King thanks to the triforce of power. With the exception of a few places, the Sacred Realm turned into a demonic world where monsters ran amok.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=87|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
 
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=== The Imprisoning War ===
  
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[[File:Imprisoning War.jpg|right|thumb|The Seven Sages cast the seal.]]
  
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{{Main|Imprisoning War}}
  
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Hyrule enjoys a brief period of peace, but as rumors spread of the Golden Power lying in the Sacred Realm, greed-ridden Hyruleans traveled to the Sacred Realm seeking it, never to return. Within the Dark World, they were transformed into monsters by the power of the Triforce and became a part of Ganon's army. As this army grew larger, it poured forth from the Sacred Realm and attacked Hyrule.
  
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The [[King of Hyrule]] commanded the [[Sage#A_Link_to_the_Past|Seven Sages]] of that era<ref>{{cite book|quote=Era: Many years later|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=93|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> to seal the gateway to the Dark World shut, in order to halt Ganon's invasion of the kingdom. The Seven Sages did so under the protection of the [[Knights of Hyrule]].<ref name=GBAmanual2>{{cite manual|quote= The King of Hyrule gathered the seven Sages to find a way to seal the entrance to the Golden Land so that his kingdom would be safe from the evil there|game=The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA version)|page=15}}</ref> The Knights of Hyrule took the full brunt of the attack from Ganon's monsters, and while they fought courageously to the end, they were nearly wiped out entirely as they did their duty.<ref name=Maiden1>{{cite|As the sages sealed the way to the Dark World, the Knights of Hyrule defended them from the attacks of evil monsters. I heard that the Knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out in that battle...|Thieves' Town Maiden|A Link to the Past}}</ref><ref name=finalbattle>{{cite manual|quote= The wise men and the Knights Of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously many a brave soul was lost that day, However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos.|game= The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|page= 6}}</ref> Their lives were not lost in vain however, as they bought the necessary time for the Seven Sages to create their seal, trapping Ganon's forces in the Dark World and halting the invasion. Though it had come at a very high cost, with this, the war ended in a victory for Hyrule. The people of Hyrule rejoiced nonetheless at the restoration of order and peace to their kingdom, thanks to the efforts of the Seven Sages and the Knights of Hyrule.
  
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===The Era of Light and Dark===
  
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====A Link to the Past====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past}}
  
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After the Imprisoning War, the blood of the Hylians diminished significantly compared to how it was in the Hero of Time era.<ref>{{cite book|quote=In the Hero of Time Era, the most people in Hyrule were related to Goddess Hylia. Hylians had magic powers and long ears who supposedly could hear the voices of the Gods. However, after the Imprisoning War, the blood of the Hylians was greatly diminished compared to how it was in the past. Like the sages, even Hyrule Kingdom became a mere legend of old.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=93|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Despite that, the Kingdom of Hyrule remained at peace for many years, until the land was suddenly plagued by a series of misfortunes. The King of Hyrule offered a reward for anyone who could put a stop to them; it was then that the dark wizard Agahnim appeared. Using previously unheard-of magic, the mysterious stranger put a stop the disasters.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even by magic, ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule, after counsel with his sages, ordered an investigation of the Imprisoned Dark World (as the Golden land had come to be known) but the wise men's seal was apparently intact. He offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to these summons a stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen form of magic.|game=A Link to the Past <small>([[SNES]] version)</small>|page=6}}</ref> He was proclaimed a hero and said to be the second coming of the Seven Sages. As a reward for his services, the king appointed him chief advisor and priest at [[Hyrule Castle]].<ref>{{cite manual|quote=As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief advisor and heir to the Seven Wise Men. The masses proclaimed him their hero.|game=A Link to the Past <small>([[SNES]] version)</small>|page=6}}</ref><ref>{{cite manual|quote=The people heralded him as a hero; the King proclaimed him to be the second coming of the seven sages, appointed him priest, and invited him to the castle.|game=A Link to the Past<small>(Japanese version)</small>|page=9}}</ref> Agahnim used this position and his magic to brainwash all of [[Soldier|Hyrule's soldiers]],<ref>{{cite|After Agahnim took over, everyone began to act strangely. I suppose it's only a matter of time before I'm affected, too.|[[Soldier]]|A Link to the Past}}</ref> depose the King of Hyrule,<ref>{{cite|A mysterious wizard known as Agahnim appeared as from nowhere...and with strange magic powers he eliminated the good king of Hyrule...|Prologue|A Link to the Past}}</ref> and make six of the [[Maiden]]s, descendants of the Seven Sages, disappear into the [[Dark World]].<ref>{{cite|The wizard, Agahnim, has done something terrible to the other girls...Now only I remain...Agahnim has seized control of the castle and even now is trying to open the sages' seal.|Princess Zelda|A Link to the Past}}</ref><ref>{{cite|You must also rescue the seven maidens who Agahnim sent to the Dark World.|Sahasrahla|A Link to the Past}}</ref> He did this in order to break the seal on Ganon, so that he could rule both the Light and Dark worlds. His last remaining victim was Zelda herself. As the princess lay in her prison cell, she used telepathy to call out to Link, who lived near the castle with his [[Link's Uncle|uncle]].
 
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Link awoke in the middle of the night to find his uncle leaving the house armed with a sword and shield. Despite his uncle's warnings, Link followed the telepathic call to the castle dungeon, where he found his uncle dying. With his last breath, Link's uncle bequeathed him the sword and shield, and told Link that he was the heir to the Knights of Hyrule. Link stormed the castle and rescued Zelda, leaving her in the care of the priest at the [[Sanctuary]]. The priest told Link to seek out [[Sahasrahla]], the elder of [[Kakariko Village]].
  
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Sahasrahla told Link to seek out the three [[Pendants of Virtue]] in order to discover the [[Master Sword]] hidden deep within the Lost Woods. Link found these pendants in the [[Eastern Palace]], [[Desert Palace]], and [[Tower of Hera]]. Once he had obtained the legendary blade, however, Agahnim's forces attacked the Sanctuary and kidnapped Zelda. Link ventured into Hyrule Castle once again, only to see Agahnim send Zelda into the Dark World before his very eyes. Link defeated Agahnim atop Hyrule Castle, but Agahnim used the last of his magic to draw Link into the Dark World as well. This was a twisted dimension that transformed anyone into a reflection of their true selves. Link's dark world form was a pink rabbit. He was only able to remain in his human form with the help of the [[Moon Pearl]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=Whoever stepped on the magic squares that worked as an entrance would go astray in the Dark World and their body would turn into a monster. Link, who had the makings of a hero, didn’t become a monster, but he his body turned into an animal (a bunny). Link obtained the Moon Pearl so that his body wouldn’t change in the Dark World, and the Magic Mirror, which was used to go back to the Light World.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=95|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Once trapped in the Dark World, Link could use the [[Magic Mirror]] to travel back and forth between worlds and rescue the maidens who were trapped in the Dark World palaces. During his adventures, Link learned that Agahnim was merely Ganon's pawn. He climbed Ganon's Tower and met Agahnim at the top. Link defeated Agahnim once more, but then saw Ganon rise out of Agahnim's crumpled body. Agahnim was in fact Ganon's alter ego.<ref>{{cite|It's unbelievable that you defeated my alter ego, Agahnim the Dark Wizard, twice!|Ganon|A Link to the Past}}</ref> Ganon then fled to the [[Pyramid of Power]] in the center of the Dark World, with Link in hot pursuit. They faced off in one final battle, with Link emerging victorious. Link discovered the Triforce which Ganon had hidden deep within his fortress since his victory over the Hero of Time ages ago. He touched it, and his wish restored Hyrule to peace. The king and Link's uncle returned to life, and Link entrusted the Triforce to the Royal Family.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The trident wielding beast-like Ganon attacked with dark magic, but Link dismantled his dark powers and destroyed him. Link touched the Triforce and wished for the world to return to its original, peaceful state. Both Link’s uncle and the late king came back to life. The Triforce was now once again back in the hands of the royal family, and the evil that emerged from Ganon’s Dark World was slowly wearing off.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=97|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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====The Trial of the Triforce====
  
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After the defeat of Ganon, his surrogate mothers, the witches [[Twinrova]], plotted to revive him. For this ritual, they required three flames to be lit: The Flame of Destruction, the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair, and follow these with a human sacrifice. In order to obtain these flames, the witches sent their minions: [[Onox]], General of Darkness, to [[Holodrum]]; and [[Veran]], Sorceress of Shadows, to [[Labrynna]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=The twin witches, Twinrova, were scheming to perform a ceremony to revive the Demon King Ganon. For the revival ceremony, Twinrova needed three flames to burn – the “Flame of Destruction”, the “Flame of Sorrow” and the “Flame of Despair” – and to offer a holy sacrifice. In order to obtain the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow, the General of Darkness, Onox, was sent to the land of Holodrum and the Sorceress of Shadows, Veran, was sent to the land of Labrynna.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=98|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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One day, when Link visited Hyrule Castle, the Triforce beckoned him into its chamber. Once he placed his hands on the Triforce, it transported him to the distant land of Holodrum, where a new adventure began.
  
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====The Adventure in Holodrum====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons}}
  
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[[File:Oracle of Seasons Artwork.png|left|150px|Oracle of Seasons]]
  
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Upon awakening in Holodrum, Link met with a group of traveling performers who were watching after a dancer named [[Din (Oracle)|Din]]. Link danced with Din, but suddenly a whirlwind appeared and snatched Din away. Din was actually the Oracle of Seasons, and her capture by Onox meant that the seasons in the land of Holodrum were thrown into chaos. The only way to restore balance to the seasons was to collect the eight [[Essences of Nature]] scattered around Holodrum. Link quested for the essences, using the mythical [[Rod of Seasons]] in order to manipulate the seasons as he went.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The young boy named Link who saved the land of Hyrule was guided to the Triforce in Hyrule Castle and was transported to an unfamiliar land of Holodrum. After arriving to Holodrum, he lost his strength and collapsed, but found an itinerant on the road that was courteously looking after a dancing child, Din. The awakened Link was lured by Din into dancing. However, suddenly everything was covered in darkness and a tornado arose with the General of Darkness called Onox. Onox’s objective was the “Oracle of Seasons”, Din, who guarded the four seasons. Even though Link challenged Onox with determination, Din was kidnapped. The Oracle of Earth, Din, was sealed away, so the land of Holodrum became a world of a blend of the four seasons. Link used the “Rod of the Four Seasons” and set off to look for the 8 “Essences of Nature”. When Link saved the guardian Maku Tree from the darkness, he went to invade Onox’s castle in the north.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=98|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Once Link defeated Onox and rescued Din, he was magically transported to the land of Labrynna, the setting of his second trial. However, even after his death, Onox's actions caused the Flame of Destruction to be lit.
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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====The Adventure in Labrynna====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages}}
  
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[[File:Oracle of Ages Artwork.png|left|150px|Oracle of Ages]]
  
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Upon waking up in Labrynna, Link met [[Impa]], who had been attacked by monsters. He helped her by moving a block with the Triforce crest on it. Then, both of them met [[Nayru (Oracle)|Nayru]], who was singing to animals.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Next, Link was sent to the unfamiliar land of Labrynna. He saved Impa, who was surrounded by monsters, but she couldn’t move a rock that had the crest of the royal family of Hyrule on it. After Link moving the rock with no difficulty, they proceeded forth and there was a group of animals surrounding Nayru, who was singing.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=99|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Suddenly, a shadow came out of Impa and possessed Nayru, who was actually the Oracle of Ages. It was Veran, who had used Impa's body to trick Link. Veran used Nayru's time-traveling abilities to go back in time and alter the past. Veran influenced Queen [[Ambi]] in the past to build the sinister [[Black Tower]]. Link had to use the [[Harp of Ages]] to travel back and forth between the present and the past in order to collect the eight Essences of Time and challenge Veran atop the Black Tower.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Everything became dark and a shadow of the Sorceress of Darkness named Veran appeared from Impa and jumped into and took over the body of Nayru. Nayru was the “Oracle of Ages” of Labrynna. Veran, who possessed the body of Nayru, disappeared. Due to the loss of Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, the land of Labrynna’s flow of time was disrupted and phenomena began to occur randomly throughout the world. Veran used Nayru’s ability to control time and returned to Labrynna’s past and took over the giant tower of the then-Queen Ambi. Link was requested by the guardian Maku Tree to go out and search for the 8 lost “Essences of Time” with the “Harp of Ages.”|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=100|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Link was able to drive Veran out of the body of Queen Ambi and defeat her, but he was too late: the Flame of Sorrow had been lit.
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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====The Return of Ganon====
  
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[[File:OOX Linked Ending.png|thumb|right|Link leaves Labrynna]]
  
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[[File:BeastGanon.png|175px|left|Ganon, resurrected as a mindless beast]]
  
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In order to light the third and final flame, Twinrova kidnapped Princess Zelda who had arrived in Labrynna. This would complete their dark ritual and light the Flame of Despair. However, Link challenged them and killed them in battle. As a last-ditch effort to complete the sacrifice needed to revive Ganon, the witches offered their own bodies and revived the King of Darkness. However, because the ritual was incomplete, Ganon returned as a mindless beast. Link battled Ganon and killed him, restoring peace to Holodrum and Labrynna.<ref name="Ganon's revival(Oracles)">{{cite book|quote=Twinrova, who was pulling the strings behind the two events lit the Flame of Destruction and Flame of Sorrow. Also, they kidnapped Princess Zelda for the sake of lighting the Flame of Despair. Finally, they were going to use Princess Zelda as the holy sacrifice to revive the Demon King Ganon. Having borrowed the power of Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, Link marched into the altar of the ceremony. Even though Link cornered and defeated Twinrova, they sacrificed themselves to revive Ganon. However, since the ceremony was incomplete, a Ganon without intellect appeared. Link defeated the rampaging Ganon and saved Princess Zelda and returned peace to Holodrum and Labrynna.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=101|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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His quest to stop Ganon's revival complete, Link departed Labrynna by boat.
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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====A Hero's Adventure within a Fleeting Dream====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening}}
  
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[[File:Link's Awakening Art.jpg|thumb|right|Link's adventures on Koholint]]
  
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On his sea voyage back to Hyrule, Link ran into a terrible storm. The waves and winds overpowered his boat and sunk it. Link awoke, washed ashore on an island known as [[Koholint]]. He was rescued by [[Marin]], a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Princess Zelda. Upon his attempts to leave the island, its inhabitants insisted that there was nothing beyond the sea. He learned that the only way to get off the island was to collect the [[Eight Instruments of the Sirens]] and wake the [[Wind Fish]] who slept in an egg atop [[Mt. Tamaranch]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link, having completed his training, is about to return to Hyrule Kingdom by boat. In the midst of his voyage, he is swallowed up by a storm and his ship is sunk. Upon regaining consciousness, he finds he has washed ashore on an island known as Koholint. Link, aided by a girl named Marin who lives on the island, awakens in the house she shares with Tarin. Link attempts to leave the island, only to be met with the inhabitants’ insistence that there is nothing beyond the sea.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=102|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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After traveling all over the island and obtaining the instruments, Link journeyed to the top of the mountain and played the [[Ballad of the Wind Fish]] and fought the [[Nightmare]]. Upon the Nightmare's defeat, it revealed that if the Wind Fish were to awake, the island would disappear, as it was just a dream of the Wind Fish.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The mysterious owl that appears before Link informs him that the only way to escape the island is to awaken the Wind Fish. To that end, Link gathers the Instruments of the Sirens, only to discover a shocking truth. This world exists within the dreams of the Wind Fish, and if he awakens, the island will turn to bubbles and disappear. In order to protect the island and preserve their own existence, the demons attack Link.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=103|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Once Link had defeated the Nightmare and awakened the Wind Fish, he awoke clinging to the driftwood of his ship, adrift on the open seas. Link's whereabouts after this are unknown.
  
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{{clear}}
  
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===The Golden Era===
  
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[[File:AoL pg6.jpg|thumb|right|The wise King of Hyrule who mastered the united Triforce looks out over his kingdom]]
  
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{{Main|King of Hyrule (The Adventure of Link)}}
  
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Following the defeat of Ganon and the recovery of the Triforce, Hyrule entered a Golden Era of peace, in which great and wise [[King of Hyrule (The Adventure of Link)|rulers]] governed the land with the strength of the united Triforce at their command.<ref>{{cite manual|quote=It is said that a long ago, when Hyrule was one country, a great ruler maintained the peace in Hyrule using the Triforce.|game=The Adventure of Link|page=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|quote=The Golden Era|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=104}}</ref>
  
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{{clear}}
  
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===The Era of Decline===
  
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====The Tragedy of Princess Zelda====
  
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[[File:AoL pg5.jpg|thumb|right|Princess Zelda in her eternal sleep]]
  
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{{Main|Sleeping Zelda}}
  
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When the last of the kings to use the Triforce anticipated his death, he hoped to find someone with the innate qualities that were fitting of a worthy possessor of the true Triforce; for if it were to fall in the wrong hands, evil would befall Hyrule.<ref>{{cite manual|quote= But, what will happen if someone else uses the Triforce before then? If it is misused, it will produce many evils.|game=The Adventure of Link|page=9}}</ref> Unfortunately, he was unable to find any such person during his lifespan. Since his own son did not fit this archetype,<ref>{{cite manual|quote=Not everybody can use the Triforce. It requires strong character with no evil thoughts. But an inborn special quality is also necessary. Unfortunately, I have not found such a person during my lifetime.|game=The Adventure of Link|page=9}}</ref> the King elected to split the relic into its three component parts. Upon his death, the prince, instead of receiving the entire Triforce, inherited only the Triforces of Power and Wisdom. The prince frantically searched for the remaining Triforce of Courage, but in vain. Then, a [[Magician|wizard]] came to the prince and told him that his younger sister, Zelda, knew the location of the mystical object. The prince demanded that Zelda turn the information over to him, but Zelda refused and, in a rage, the wizard put Zelda into an eternal sleep, himself dying in the process. Overcome with grief, the prince sealed his sleeping sister in the [[North Castle]] and ordered that all female descendants of the Hylian monarchy were to be named Zelda.<ref>{{Cite book|quote=The Era of Decline|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=105}}</ref> As Zelda was the only one who knew the location of the Triforce of Courage, the relic was lost and the royal family was no longer able to rule using the power of the unified Triforce. No one worthy of using the Triforce appeared and the kingdom was divided and reduced in size.
  
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{{clear}}
  
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====Evil Creeps In====
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda (Game)}}
  
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[[File:Death Mountain LoZ.jpg|thumb|right|Link looking out over Hyrule]]
  
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Many years later, an evil army attacked the little kingdom of Hyrule and stole the [[Triforce of Power]]. This army was led by the Demon King Ganon, who once again had been revived and sought to plunge the World into fear and darkness under his rule. Fearing his wicked rule, Zelda, the princess of this kingdom, split the remaining [[Triforce of Wisdom]] into eight fragments and hid them throughout the realm. At the same time, she commanded her most trustworthy nursemaid, Impa, to secretly escape into the land and go find a man with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon.
  
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Braving forests and mountains, Impa fled for her life from her pursuers. As she reached the very limit of her energy she found herself surrounded by Ganon's evil henchmen, until a young lad appeared who skillfully drove off Ganon's henchmen. Hearing Impa's story, this young traveler, named Link, set out to recover the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. After doing so, he fought his way to Ganon's lair in [[Death Mountain]]. Ganon appeared in the form of a demonic beast, devoid of intelligence.<ref>{{cite book|quote=No longer bearing any trace of the man known as the great thief, Ganondorf, he opposed Link in the form of a demonic beast, devoid of intelligence.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=106|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref><ref name="Ganon's revival(Oracles)"/> Link destroyed the King of Evil, recovered the Triforce of Power and saved Princess Zelda.
  
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{{clear}}
  
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====The Hero's Quest to Reunite the Triforce====
  
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{{Main|Zelda II: The Adventure of Link}}
  
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[[File:AoL pg4.jpg|thumb|right|Link shows the mark of the Triforce to Impa]]
  
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Although Link had defeated Ganon, his underlings remained. Waiting for the return of their master, they continued to cause chaos and disorder in Hyrule. The key to Ganon's resurrection was the blood of Link—the valiant lad that overthrew the King of Evil. The Demon King would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon.
  
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Meanwhile, Link remained in the little kingdom of Hyrule and lent his hand to its restoration. One day, a strange mark resembling crest of the kingdom appeared on the back of Link's hand as he approached his 16th birthday. Link went to Impa, Princess Zelda's nursemaid, who was shocked when she saw the birthmark. She took Link to the North Castle and told him of the tragedy of the Princess Zelda of old. In order to revive the eternally sleeping Princess, Impa entrusted to Link six [[Crystal]]s and a scroll so he could reunite the Triforce. The scroll revealed the location of the long-lost Triforce of Courage, which was hidden in the [[Great Palace]] in the [[Valley of Death]]. Link set out for the six palaces to defeat their Guardian Deities and, using each of the six crystals, dispelled the barrier around the Great Palace. After defeating the final Guardian, and [[Dark Link|his own shadow]], Link retrieved the Triforce of Courage and awoke Princess Zelda from her sleep.
  
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With the Triforce reunited for the first time since Zelda was put to sleep, the revival of Ganon was prevented and peace finally returned to the Kingdom of Hyrule.<ref>{{Cite book|quote=The Golden Era|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=109}}</ref>
  
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{{clear}}
  
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==Child Timeline==
  
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[[File:OoT ending.jpg|thumb|300px|Link warns Zelda about Ganondorf.]]
  
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The presence of the Hero who went back and forth in time generated a fork in history, dividing Hyrule’s chronology. The {{Name|Child Timeline}} is the timeline that follows Link after being sent back to his original time following the defeat of Ganondorf by the Hero of Time. He warned Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule of the tragic future that awaited the kingdom involving Ganondorf if nothing was to be done. This turn of events created the timeline containing ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|Four Swords Adventures]]''.
  
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===The Hero's Departure===
  
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After warning the Royal Family of Hyrule, Link and Zelda spend some unknown amount of time together. Several days later, before he leaves Hyrule in search of his companion Navi, young Link heads to the [[Lon Lon Ranch]] to borrow his horse [[Epona]]. During Link's last meeting with Zelda, she states her belief that they would meet again. However, before Link departs the land of Hyrule, Princess Zelda gives him the Ocarina of Time to prevent Ganondorf from entering the [[Sacred Realm]] and as a memento of the time they spent together. She also teaches Link the [[Song of Time]], a melody that holds a special meaning to her, before handing over the ocarina, mentioning that he should play that melody if something were to happen to him so the [[Goddess of Time]] will come to his aid. Link left Hyrule with Epona and went on a personal quest to search for Navi, his [[Fairy Companion|fairy companion]] who left him at the end of his quest.
  
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=== The Return of the Mischevious Imp ===
  
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[[File:Skull Kid Moon.png|thumb|right|The Skull Kid pulling the Moon from its orbit.]]
  
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Meanwhile, [[Skull Kid]] left Hyrule and somehow reappeared in [[Termina]]. The two sibling fairies, [[Tatl]] and [[Tael]], stumble upon the Skull Kid taking shelter from a storm in a tree hollow in [[Termina Field]]. He tells the fairies that "he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone." Shivering from the cold, Skull Kid and the fairies huddle for warmth, and a bond between them is formed.
  
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Later on, Skull Kid encounters the travelling [[Happy Mask Salesman]] at the crossroads of Hyrule and Termina, the [[Lost Woods]]. He steals the evil [[Majora's Mask (Object)|Majora's Mask]], a powerful artifact used by an [[Ancient Tribe]] for hexing rituals. The Skull Kid, possessed by the mask, caused mischief for the people of Termina with his fairy companions. He imprisoned his former childhood friends, the [[Four Giants]], within their respective temples, cursed the four worlds of Termina the Four Giants created, and pulled the [[Moon]] from its orbit and destined it to crash into [[Clock Town]] in order to [[Terminan Apocalypse|destroy all of Termina]].
  
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=== Turmoil in Termina ===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask}}
  
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[[File:MM Art.jpg|thumb|left|Link's various transformations]]
  
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Several months passed during the Hero of Time's search for Navi.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link borrowed Epona from Lon Lon Ranch. And after several months of wandering looking for his past friend Navi, he was lost in a mysterious forest.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=110|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Link was found in a mysterious forest, the Lost Woods, where the [[Skull Kid]] and his fairy companion encountered the hero and stole his horse, [[Epona]], as well as the Ocarina of Time.<ref>{{Cite book|quote=The two fairies are the accomplices of the devilish Skull Kid, and the three of them ambush Link as he gallops his horse, Epona, out of Hyrule and into an uncharted region of the Lost Woods.|book= The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Official Nintendo Player's Guide|publisher=[[Nintendo Power]]|page= 4}}</ref> During Link's pursuit, the Skull Kid cursed him and turned him into a [[Deku Link|Deku Scrub]]. Tatl was left behind by Tael and the Skull Kid. The fairy insisted that Link take her with him as his companion, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and her brother Tael.
  
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Link soon discovered that he had wandered into a parallel universe called [[Termina]] which was threatened with imminent destruction by its [[Moon]]. He met the [[Happy Mask Salesman]], who promised Link that if he was able to recover [[Majora's Mask (Object)|Majora's Mask]] from the Skull Kid, he would restore Link to his true form. However, he warned Link that he must leave in three days, so the hero must retrieve the mask and the Ocarina of Time by then. Link then set off in his Deku form, finding himself in [[Clock Town]] at the epicenter of Termina. With the help of Tatl and the [[Great Fairy]], he managed to find the Skull Kid atop [[Clock Tower]]. With an unearthly shriek, the Skull Kid began to bring the moon down completely to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fired a [[Bubble Blast]] at the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. Upon picking it up, memories of his departure from Hyrule flooded back to Link. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, he played the [[Song of Time]], and was immediately thrown back to the morning that he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.
  
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The Happy Mask Salesman taught Link the [[Song of Healing]], restoring him to his human form. The hero gained the [[Deku Mask]] which held the [[Deku Butler's Son|spirit of a Deku]]. Donning the mask allowed him to transform into Deku Link once again. Upon learning that Link could not recover the Mask, the Salesman grew furious, berating Link and wildly informing him that the Mask, known as Majora's Mask, was an ancient artifact that possessed an apocalyptic power. He again requested that Link recover the Mask, stating his belief in the Hero of Time's strength. Link went to the four temples in the South, North, West, and East in order to free the [[Four Giants]] from their prisons and stop the moon from falling. In his travels, Link obtained transformation masks which allowed him to assume the forms of heroes whose souls he had healed with the [[Song of Healing]].
  
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Once Link confronted the Skull Kid again, he summoned the Giants, causing the demon [[Majora's Mask (Object)|Majora]] to reveal itself as the source of the Skull Kid's evil. As the moon descended upon the [[Clock Tower]], Link went inside it, where he confronted Majora on an otherworldly plain. Once Majora was defeated, the Hero of Time's secret journey ended with the beginning of the [[Carnival of Time]]. Link left Termina for Hyrule on Epona, still searching for his companion Navi.
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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===Ganondorf's Execution===
  
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[[File:Ganon's execution.png|thumb|right|The Triforce at Ganondorf's execution.]]
  
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{{Main|Ganondorf's Execution}}
  
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Several years after the failure of his attempted invasion, Ganondorf was taken prisoner in the [[Arbiter's Grounds]] prison.<ref>{{cite|But he was blind...In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice.|Sage|Twilight Princess}}</ref><ref name=Aonuma>{{cite person|quote=In the last scene of Ocarina of Time, kids Link and Zelda have a little talk, and as a consequence of that talk, their relationship with Ganon takes a whole new direction. In the middle of this game [Twilight Princess], there's a scene showing Ganon's execution. It was decided that Ganon be executed because he'd do something outrageous if they left him be. That scene takes place several years after Ocarina of Time.|name=Eiji Aonuma|url=http://www.thehylia.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1173582355&archive=|title=Nintendo Dream: Eiji Aonuma Interview}}</ref> When the ancient Sages tried to execute him, however, they discovered to their horror that he had the Triforce of Power, so they activated the [[Mirror of Twilight]] and sent him into the [[Twilight Realm]]. Here, Ganondorf languished for years, until he met [[Zant]] and promised him power in exchange for freedom from his prison.
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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===The Era of Twilight===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}
  
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[[File:Twilight.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration from ''Twilight Princess'']]
  
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Ganondorf took the form of a dark god and promised the Twili Zant incredible powers and the throne of the Twilight Realm on one condition: Zant would merge the worlds of Light and Twilight in order to create a world of darkness. Zant agreed, and pledged his undying service to his new master. He [[Overthrow of Midna|used his newfound powers to transform the Twilight Princess]] [[Midna]] into an imp and take the throne before launching his [[Zant's Invasion of Hyrule|invasion of the light world]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=Ganondorf’s malice had been sent to the shadowy Twilight Realm, and it was there that he encountered the ambitious and frustrated Zant. Ganondorf infused Zant with limitless powers to help him fulfil his selfish ambitions, and he had but one request of him: to merge light and shadow and create a world of darkness. Zant slowly built up his powers until he could cover the Twilight Realm in darkness and turn his tribesmen into mindless monsters. The Twili princess Midna was turned into a hideous imp and had to escape to the Light World.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=114|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Hyrule was unprepared for the invasion, and Princess Zelda soon found herself with her back against the wall. When given an ultimatum by Zant to surrender or die, she chose to surrender. Zant sent his minions over the land and stole power from the [[Light Spirit]]s guarding each province, shrouding the kingdom of Hyrule in [[Twilight]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=The Light World had experienced peace for hundreds of years when the Twili army invaded. Shadow King Zant had no trouble defeating the forces of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda soon found herself with her back against the wall. When given the option to fight until death or surrender, she chose the latter. Zant continued to send his soldiers all over the land, and the Light Spirits protecting each region were soon all engulfed by the twilight. The shroud transformed the world into a shadowy wasteland and filled the hearts of its populace with terror.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=114|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Midna uncovered the dark magic of her [[Dark Interlopers|Dark Interloper]] ancestors in the form of the [[Fused Shadow]]. She used its magic to help a youth from [[Ordon Village]] named Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time, who had become trapped in the Twilight in the form of a wolf. Twili legend said that the Hero of Light would appear in the form of a sacred beast: in this case, a wolf. Midna struck a deal with Link that she would help him regain his human form if he would help her gather the other pieces of the Fused Shadow in order to defeat Zant. Once Midna and Link had cleared the land of Twilight and gathered the Fused Shadows, Zant revealed himself and stole the Fused Shadows, wounded Midna, and cursed Link to his wolf form once again.<ref>{{cite book|While looking for a way to overthrow Zant, Midna encountered a youth who turned into a beast in the Twilight. This young man from Ordon Village was Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time himself. Among the Twili there existed a legend which said that the Hero would appear as a sacred beast. When Midna noticed Link’s transformation, she therefore thought that she could use him to defeat Zant and reclaim the Twilight Realm. Being the Hero, Link was able to drive away the Twilight and regain his human form. He and Midna then travelled across the land to restore the Light World and reassemble the Fused Shadows. However, Zant caught up with them, stole the Fused Shadows and wounded Midna. As he left, he placed a curse on Link that once again turned him into a beast.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=115|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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{{Image
  
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|type=caption
  
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|image=Hero's Shade.png
  
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|size=175px
  
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|align=right
  
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|caption=The ghost of the Hero of Time
  
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}}
  
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Midna and Link sought the aid of Princess Zelda, who gave up her soul so that Midna could live, and told Link to seek out the Master Sword in the [[Sacred Grove]]. The Master Sword dispelled the curse on Link, and allowed him to transform between his human and wolf forms at will.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link desperately travelled to Hyrule Castle to meet with princess Zelda. She told him to find the Master Sword and gave all of her power to Midna, saving her life. They then went to the Master Sword deep within the Sacred Grove, and as Link approached the sword, his curse’s demonic power was dispelled.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=115|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Throughout his adventure, Link learned the secrets of combat from the ghost of his ancestor, the Hero of Time. The Hero had lived a life filled with regret because he could not be a hero in this timeline, so he imparted his wisdom to his descendant.<ref>{{cite book|quote=The ghost of his ancestor, the Hero of Time, teaches him secrets. Ever since returning to the child era, the Hero of Time had felt regret that he could not be remembered as a hero. Therefore, he addresses Link as his son and passes down the proof of courage and his secrets.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=118|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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{{Clear|left}}
  
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In order to enter the Twilight Realm and confront Zant, Midna and Link sought the [[Mirror of Twilight]] at Arbiter's Grounds, but Zant had shattered it into pieces and scattered it across the land. The Sages who had executed Ganondorf appeared to the pair and told them about Ganondorf's involvement with the darkness which plagued the land. Midna and Link gathered the pieces of the Mirror and entered the Twilight Realm, and Link defeated Zant in single combat. Zant was not fazed, however, boasting that his god Ganon would revive him. In her fury, Midna reclaimed the Fused Shadow and used its power to destroy Zant completely.<ref>{{cite book|quote=To enter the Twilight Realm, Link travelled to the Mirror of Twilight. There, Midna noticed that the Mirror of Twilight had been destroyed by Zant. She learns that Zant’s powers come from Ganondorf, who had been banished to the Twilight Realm long ago. Midna and Link collects the shards of the Mirror of Twilight, which had been scattered both throughout Hyrule and in the ancient City in the Sky. Link infuses his blade with light to free the Twili from Zant’s powers of darkness, and the guardian deities of that world recognized him as a hero. Finally, they confronted Zant deep in the Palace of Twilight. Midna reclaimed the Fused Shadows from Zant and used its ancient powers to destroy Zant.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=116|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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[[File:Ganon Link TP.jpg|thumb|left|Ganon and Link's duel]]
  
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Link and Midna went to the top of Hyrule Castle in order to battle the King of Darkness, who was in possession of Zelda's lifeless body. He possessed it and forced Link to do battle with the princess. Once he defeated her, Midna revived Zelda and Link defeated Ganon in his beast form. Midna used the Fused Shadow to become a terrifying monster and her struggle with Ganon destroyed the castle itself. Midna transported Link and Zelda to Hyrule Field, where they battled Ganondorf on horseback, and finally Link defeated Ganon in single combat, stabbing him in the chest. Ganon attempted to use the Triforce of Power to revive himself, but discovered that its power had left him. Zant stood on the gateway to the afterlife, mocking Ganon by snapping his own neck just as Ganon died.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Ganondorf, the King of Darkness, had once again returned to the Light World and sits waiting in the throne room of Hyrule Castle. He fights Link taking on many different forms, at first possessing the body of Zelda and later attacking him as a beast and on horseback. Princess Zelda, whose spirit had been residing in Midna up until that point, covers Link using the Light Arrows.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=117|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=Ganondorf, the king of darkness, is defeated, and the crest of the Triforce of Power disappears from the back of his hand. For the time being, the destiny that was intertwined with the Triforce-seeking demonic thief, Ganondorf, has come to a close.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=118|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Midna was restored to her true form as the beautiful Twilight Princess, and bade farewell to Link and Zelda as she returned to the Twilight Realm. As she left, she shattered the Mirror of Twilight to ensure that its power would never be misused again. Link returned to Ordon Village; however, he later departed with [[Epona]] from his hometown.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Her curse lifted, Midna turns back into the bewitching princess she is. When she returns to the Twilight World, she breaks the mirror of shadow, ensuring that the Twilight World and the World of Light will never again meet. With her parting words, she asks that the fact that there is another world within the shadows of the World of Light not be forgotten…Link returns the Master Sword to the forest and heads home to Ordon Village. The world is again blessed by the gods and enveloped in light.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=118|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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{{clear}}
  
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===The Era of Shadow===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures}}
  
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[[File:Fourswordsposter.jpg|thumb|left|The four Links battle evil soldiers.]]
  
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Hundreds of years passed after Ganondorf's death in ''Twilight Princess.'' The people of Hyrule reconciled with Ganondorf's tribe, the [[Gerudo]], and it seemed for a while that peace would prevail in the land. However, a new Ganondorf was born to the Gerudo tribe who was the reincarnation of the King of Darkness that was defeated by the [[Link#Twilight Princess|Hero Chosen by the Gods]], and violated their taboo on the Ancient [[Pyramid (Dungeon)|Pyramid]].<ref>{{cite|Curse that Ganondorf! He broke our laws and left for the pyramid...|Gerudo|Four Swords Adventures}}</ref> He stole the [[Trident]] from the pyramid and then stole the [[Mirror of Darkness]] from the [[Temple of Darkness]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=Hundreds of years passed since Ganondorf’s defeat. The relationship between the Gerudo tribe, Hyrule Kingdom was restored and peace returned. However, a new Ganondorf was born. Ganondorf defied the laws of the Gerudo village and invaded the ancient pyramid and took the wicked weapon called the “Trident.” Then, to bring darkness over Hyrule, he stole the Mirror of Darkness from the temple in the forest.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=119|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Ganondorf schemed to release the ancient sorcerer Vaati from his prison within the Four Sword, and created a dark copy of Link, [[Shadow Link]], with the Mirror. The clouds of darkness covering the land made Zelda uneasy, so she gathered the six shrine maidens to renew the seal upon Vaati. At that moment, Shadow Link appeared and scattered the maidens with his powers.<ref>{{cite book|quote=In Hyrule, which was clouded by darkness, the Princess Zelda of this era felt uneasy, so she brought the six maidens and Link to the sanctuary to make sure the seal on Vaati wasn’t weakening. However, the moment they opened the gate to the sanctuary, Shadow Link appeared and sent the maidens somewhere in Hyrule with the power of darkness.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=119|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> Link drew the sword from its pedestal, splitting into four just as in ancient times. However, this released Vaati from his prison to cause chaos. Ganon used Shadow Link to tear open rifts to the Dark World, pulling the four [[Knights of Hyrule]] into his sway and transforming them into [[Stalfos]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=The knights that were turned into monsters, by the order of Shadow Link, scattered throughout each region of the world and erased the appearance of the Palace of Winds. The jewels changed the door to the Dark World as well as the appearance and the land of Hyrule was once again flooded with monsters.|book= [[Hyrule Historia]]|page=120|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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The four Links journeyed throughout Hyrule to rescue the Shrine Maidens, and learned that Ganon was the mastermind behind the darkness plaguing Hyrule. They obtained the four jewels from the Knights, and made their way to the [[Tower of Winds]], where they battled Vaati and Ganon himself, destroying Vaati and sealing Ganon inside the Four Sword forevermore.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link saved the maidens in each region and liberated the knights and the royal jewels that had fallen into darkness. After receiving four royal jewels from the knights, Link was able to enter the Palace of Winds with the power of the maidens. When he saved Princess Zelda on the upper floor and proceeded toward the heavens, Shadow Link had been using the Mirror of Darkness. Link took back the Mirror of Darkness and finally put an end to Vaati in the Palace of the Wind. Link and Princess Zelda aimed to escape to the surface from the collapsing Palace of the Wind. There, Ganon appeared. Link and Princess Zelda cooperated to put an end to Ganon and they succeeded in sealing Ganon into the Four Sword. “I am the Demon King of Darkness!! I shall not perish!” were the remaining words of the sealed Ganon. A light brightened the room and the darkness all dispersed.|book= [[Hyrule Historia]]|page=121|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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{{Clear}}
  
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==Adult Timeline==
  
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The presence of the Hero who went back and forth in time generated a fork in history, dividing Hyrule’s chronology. The {{Name|Adult Timeline}} is the timeline that follows the events after Link is being sent back to his original time, following the Hero of Time's defeat of Ganondorf in the final battle and his subsequent sealing within the [[Dark World|corrupted Sacred Realm]] by the Seven Sages.<ref>{{cite book|quote=At the end of the intense battle, Princess Zelda held Ganon back with a wave of light while Link finished him off. Then, Ganon was successfully locked up in the sealing void the six sages opened in the Sacred Realm.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=91|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref> This turn of events created the timeline containing ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass|Phantom Hourglass]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks|Spirit Tracks]]''.
  
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===The Era without a Hero===
  
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{{Main|Great Flood}}
  
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[[File:Normal opening 4.png|400px|thumb|The Hero of Time leaves and Ganon returns.]]
  
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Many years after the Hero of Time's victory, the seal of the Seven Sages began to weaken for an unknown reason, and [[Ganon|Ganondorf]] managed to escape his imprisonment. Ganondorf intended to make good on his threat to the Hero of Time and the Seven Sages that he would escape one day to make their descendants pay for his imprisonment.<ref name=quote2>{{cite|After his defeat at the hands of the Hero of Time, Ganondorf was sealed away...but not for all time. He was revived, and he returned to Hyrule in a red wrath. He attacked this temple and stole my soul, knowing that he had to remove the power contained in that enchanted blade.|[[Laruto]]|The Wind Waker}}</ref><ref>{{cite|Once, long ago, this land of Hyrule was turned into a world of shadows by Ganon, who sought to obtain the power of the gods for his own evil ends.|[[Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]]|The Wind Waker}}</ref><ref name=quote3>{{cite|Someday...When this seal is broken....That is when I will exterminate your descendants!!|[[Ganon]]dorf|Ocarina of Time}}</ref>
  
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The people of Hyrule hoped that the Hero of Time would show up to save them, but the hero did not appear. Left with no other choice, they pleaded to the three Golden Goddesses.<ref name=quote6>{{cite|Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate.|Introduction|The Wind Waker}}</ref> The Goddesses answered their prayers by instructing those chosen to take refuge on the mountaintops before they flooded Hyrule, keeping Ganon and his army trapped in time underneath the waves.<ref name=quote7>{{cite|When the gods heard our pleas, they chose to seal away not only Ganon, but Hyrule itself...and so, with a torrential downpour of rains from the heavens... Our fair kingdom was soon buried beneath the waves, forgotten at the bottom of the ocean. Yet all was not lost. For the gods knew that to seal the people away with the kingdom would be to grant Ganon's wish for the destruction of the land. So, before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops.|[[Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]]|The Wind Waker}}</ref>
  
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The people of Hyrule would then go on to build a new civilization on the surface of the [[Great Sea]] and, with the passing of time, largely forget the memory of the old Hyrule that still existed deep beneath the waves.<ref>{{cite|The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath.|Introduction|The Wind Waker}}</ref> On [[Outset Island]], a tradition emerged of having young boys wear the green garb of the Hero of Time for one day on their birthdays.<ref>{{cite|On a certain island, it became customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend...|Introduction|The Wind Waker}}</ref>
  
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===The Era of the Great Sea===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker}}
  
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[[File:The Wind Waker Scene.jpg|thumb|left|195px|Characters from the Great Sea]]
  
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Beneath the waves, Ganon was revived and sought out the two sages who prayed for the power of the Master Sword. He killed them in order to stop the sword's power to repel evil and reach the surface world. He built a base in the [[Forsaken Fortress]] and filled it with his dark army. He sought out all young girls with long, pointed ears, in hopes that he would capture the descendant of Princess Zelda. In response, King [[Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]] also awoke and used his powers to guide a boat called the [[King of Red Lions]] on the surface world.<ref>{{cite book|quote=After hundreds of years, Ganondorf, who had been sealed away when Hyrule sunk into the ocean, was revived again. Ganondorf attacked the temples of the Great Sea, killing the two sages who had been praying for the Master Sword. Once he was out on the open sea. He set up a base in the Forsaken Fortress and began searching for the one granted the Triforce of Wisdom, the descendant of Princess Zelda. For the sake of preventing Ganondorf, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule was awakened from his seal by the Goddesses. Calling himself “The King of Red Lions”, he possessed a red boat and set out to search for a new hero and the descendant of the royal family.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=124|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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On Outset, a young boy named Link came of age and was given the [[Hero's Clothes]] to wear for one day. Unfortunately, this was the day that the terrible bird called the [[Helmaroc King]] attacked the island, carrying the pirate captain named [[Tetra]]. The bird dropped Tetra on the island, but left with Link's sister [[Aryll]]. Link joined forces with Tetra's pirates in order to storm the Forsaken Fortress and rescue Aryll. The Helmaroc King captured Link once he reached Aryll's cell, and showed him to Ganon. Ganon thought the boy was worthless, so the bird threw him into the sea. Luckily, the King of Red Lions rescued Link and brought him to [[Windfall Island]]. Along with the magical baton called the [[Wind Waker (Item)|Wind Waker]], they journeyed across the Great Sea in order to retrieve the [[Goddess Pearls]] and open the gateway to Hyrule. Link raised the [[Tower of the Gods]] to the surface and proved his worth to be a hero by passing its trials. Then, he ventured down the ancient kingdom of Hyrule and drew the Master Sword from its pedestal.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link fought through the trials in the Tower of the Gods to test his courage and gain access to the Master Sword sealed away in Hyrule Castle at the bottom of the ocean.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=126|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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With the Master Sword in hand, Link went to challenge Ganon in the Forsaken Fortress, but Ganon told him that the sword was powerless to defeat him, because it did not have the power to repel evil. Link went back to Hyrule with Tetra, where the King of Red Lions revealed himself as the King of Hyrule and Tetra as his descendant Princess Zelda. Link then searched for the Sages of Earth and Wind in order to restore the power of the Master Sword. He awakened [[Medli]] as Sage of Earth and [[Makar]] as Sage of Wind. Their prayers restored power to the Master Sword. Link then searched for the [[Triforce of Courage]], which had been split into eight pieces when the Hero of Time left to return to his own time. Armed with the Triforce and the Master Sword, Link returned to the kingdom beneath the waves and challenged Ganon atop his tower.
 
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Ganon united the Triforce pieces and made a wish that he be the ruler of Hyrule. However, before he could touch the Triforce to make his wish come true, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule touched the Triforce and wished for Hyrule to be washed away, so that his descendants could build a new future above the waves. Ganon was defiant, and faced Link and Zelda in battle. Link stabbed Ganon in his forehead, turning him to stone as the waves crashed around him. The King, staying behind to be buried beneath the waves along with his kingdom, sent Link and Zelda back the surface world in order to begin their new future.
  
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===The Era of the Great Voyage===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass}}
  
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[[File:PHCoverArt.jpg|thumb|right|Link and Linebeck]]
  
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After defeating Ganon, Link and Tetra set out on a new voyage. They reached the waters ruled by the [[Ocean King]] to investigate rumors about a mysterious [[Ghost Ship]] which had terrorized the ocean. The Ghost Ship appeared and Tetra jumped aboard and was taken away. Link tried to rescue her, but fell into the ocean. He awoke on [[Mercay Island]] and met [[Ciela]] the fairy and her "grandfather," [[Oshus]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=The Ghost Ship appeared in front of them and Tetra boarded it in order to discover the truth, but she was taken away. Although Link tried to save her, he fell to the depths of the sea. Link was drifted away to the beach of Mercay Island. Following the advice of an old man named Oshus, Link set off to find clues about the Ghost Ship.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=130|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Link met a sea captain named [[Linebeck]] who let him use his ship. After searching for clues in the [[Temple of the Ocean King]] with the help of the [[Phantom Hourglass (Item)|Phantom Hourglass]], Link rescued the Spirits of Power and Wisdom, and discovered Ciela was the Spirit of Courage. Link then boarded the Ghost Ship in order to rescue Tetra, who had been turned to stone. Oshus revealed himself to be the Ocean King and told Link that an evil monster named [[Bellum]] had drained her life force. He then affirmed that the only thing which could defeat Bellum was the [[Phantom Sword]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link became friends with the fairy Ciela, Oshus’ companion, and earned the help of Captain Linebeck. They sailed across the ocean on board of the S.S. Linebeck. After getting the clues that lay inside the Temple of the Ocean King by navigating through it little by little with the “Phantom Hourglass,” Link saved the spirits of power, wisdom and courage. Thanks to the power of the three spirits, Link managed to get on board of the Ghost Ship. Inside, he found Tetra, who had been turned into stone by the evil phantom Bellum because he drained her life force. Oshus then appeared and revealed that he was the Ocean King. The Ocean King acknowledged Link’s courage and asked him to defeat Bellum.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=131|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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Link journeyed through the seas to find the three [[Pure Metal]]s and forge the Phantom Sword. Then, he ventured deep into the Temple once more to confront Bellum. He defeated Bellum, but then Bellum possessed Linebeck and forced him to fight in the form of a powerful knight. Link was able to defeat Bellum without harming Linebeck, and restored Tetra to life. The Ocean King returned Link and Tetra to their world, where only ten minutes had passed since they left. Link was not sure if the entire adventure had been a dream, but then he saw that he carried the empty Phantom Hourglass, and saw Linebeck sailing off into the distance.<ref>{{cite book|quote=Link obtained the Phantom Sword, the only weapon capable of defeating Bellum, and headed to the deepest level of the Temple of the Ocean King. He beat Bellum and Tetra came back to normal. Although Bellum attacked once again, Link was able to get out of a real pinch thanks to the courageous actions of Captain Linebeck. In the decisive showdown, Link and his friends came out victorious. Oshus returned to his original form, and the World of the Ocean King regained its peace. Link and Tetra said goodbye to Oshus and the spirits and went back to their world. Although their adventure in the World of the Ocean King lasted several days, only 10 minutes had passed since they left.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=132|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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===The Era of Hyrule's Rebirth===
  
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{{Main|The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks}}
  
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[[File:ST Artwork.jpg|thumb|left|Link and Zelda on the Spirit Train]]
  
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Tetra's pirates eventually landed on a new continent, where the [[Tower of Spirits]] stood tall over the landscape. She founded a new kingdom here, connected by the [[Spirit Tracks (Rails)|Spirit Tracks]] which ran across the land. Tetra decreed that her soldiers would wear a green uniform, like that worn by the Hero of Winds.<ref>{{cite book|quote=On the continued voyage of the pirate Tetra, a new continent was found. There, a tall tower called the Tower of Spirits stood and it stood in the middle of the laid out railroad tracks of the gods. Tetra established a new Hyrule Kingdom on this land. There, a new history would be written. The trains that ran along the tracks of the gods developed into the national traffic network. In the castle, Tetra was featured in stained glass and it was established that the soldiers would wear a green uniform like the Hero of Winds wore.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=133|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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A century after the kingdom's establishment, the rails began to disappear. Tetra's descendant, Princess Zelda, gave a [[Royal Engineer]] named Link a [[Recruit Uniform]] and joined him to investigate the Tower of Spirits. Link lived with [[Niko]], the last remaining member of Tetra's pirate crew.<ref>{{cite book|quote=One hundred years passed since the establishment of Hyrule. Suddenly, railroad tracks started to disappear in all regions of the land. The Princess Zelda of this era gave an engineer named Link a uniform of the knights and they left the castle to go investigate the Tower of Spirits.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=133|publisher=Shogakukan|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=Niko arrived in the new world as part of Tetra’s pirate crew a hundred years ago, but he’s still alive and well. He lives with a young boy named Link who looks almost identical to the Hero of Winds, and is known as “Old Man Niko”.|book=[[Hyrule Historia]]|page=133|publisher=Shogakukan}}</ref>
  
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On their way to the Tower, [[Chancellor Cole]] revealed himself as a demon whose aim was to revive the Demon King [[Malladus]] who had been sealed underneath the Tower of Spirits in ancient times. Cole and [[Byrne]] stole her body and left her as a spirit. Link and Zelda sought the advice of the [[Lokomo]] sage [[Anjean]], who told them to restore the Tower. In spirit form, Zelda was able to possess the [[Phantom]]s which roamed the Tower of Spirits and helped Link advance to the top. Link and Zelda restored the Tower of Spirits by journeying throughout Hyrule and breaking the barriers at each temple so that they could reach the Demon King at the top. Once they reached the top of the tower, Malladus was revived, and Link went into the [[Dark Realm]] in order to defeat him. Once Malladus was destroyed and Zelda returned to her body, the Lokomos departed into the heavens, their duty to protect Hyrule fulfilled.
  
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== External Links ==
  
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*[http://www.glitterberri.com/hyrule-historia/ "Index" of the translated pages from ''Hyrule Historia'']
  
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==Gallery==
  
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<gallery>
  
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File:ZeldatimelineJapHH.png|The official Zelda Timeline shown on page 69 of ''[[Hyrule Historia]]''.
  
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File:Official Zelda Timeline.jpg|First translation of the Zelda Timeline by Glitterberri
  
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</gallery>
  
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{{refbar}}
  
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[[Category:Timeline]]
  

Revision as of 13:29, 4 January 2013

This page details common challenges that can be done in the Zelda games.

Three-Heart Challenge

Main article: Three Heart Challenge

The Three Heart Challenge is one of the most popular challenges in the Zelda series, consisting of completing a game with only three Heart Containers. The two games in which the challenge cannot be done is A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening.

Zero Deaths Challenge

This challenge simply consists of completing the game without dying once.

Template:AoL

Status: This is entirely possible.
Difficulty: Nearly Impossible. It is almost impossible to get from the starting point to the last level without dying once. Beating the game requires an absurd amount of patience and an insane amount of luck.
In-game Rewards: None.

Link's Awakening

Status: This is possible to do. It may require constant saving and resetting the game after deaths.
Difficulty: Moderately difficult.
In-game Rewards: Alternate ending.

The Wind Waker

Status: This is entirely possible.
Difficulty: Very easy.
In-game Rewards: None.

Uber Ocarina of Time Challenge

The Uber Ocarina of Time Challenge, is a further rendition of the Three Heart Challenge. It includes beating the game in the hardest possible way. Varying in many difficult tricks including the Gerudo Valley Cucco Jump.

List of Rules

The list of rules for the challenge are as follows:

Miscellaneous

The Legend of Zelda

  • No sword run
    • Complete the game without acquiring a sword of any kind
    • All other items and upgrades are allowed
  • Wooden sword run
    • Complete the game without getting the white sword or the magical sword
  • White sword run
    • Complete the game without getting the magical sword

Template:AoL

Low Stats Challenge: The aim of the challenge is to complete as much of the game as possible with 1-1-1 stats. It is impossible to finish the game with these stats outside of the Japanese version so the overall aim is to finish the game with 1-4-1 stats
 Status: This is possible to do with fore knowledge of the experience dropped by enemies. Link cannot gain more than 200 Experience if the player wants to proceed without leveling up
Difficulty: This is quite difficult but far from impossible. Players must be prepared to hit late game enemies and bosses over a 100 times without getting damaged once.
In-game Rewards: None.

Link's Awakening

  • No sword run
    • Complete the game without the sword
  • Buy the bow and arrow
    • Save up enough rupees to buy the bow and arrow instead of stealing it

Ocarina of Time

Reach Flying Carpet Challenge: Jump to the Flying Carpet without using the Hover Boots.
Status: This is possible to do.
Difficulty: Nearly impossible. Requires a lot skill, patience, and a ridiculous amount of luck.
In-game rewards: Able to buy Bombchus as Adult Link before entering the Shadow Temple.

Cucco Jump Challenge: Jump over the Gerudo Valley gate as a child using a Cucco to jump off a pike onto the gate.
Status: This is possible to do.
Difficulty: Nearly impossible. Requires a lot skill, patience, and a ridiculous amount of luck.
In-game rewards: Able to get to the Spirit Temple as a child. Also a part of the Uber OoT Challenge.

Majora's Mask

Three-Day Challenge: This is probably the most famous Zelda challenge. It is to complete the four temples in the second three-day cycle. That is the cycle where Link returns to normal.
Status: This is possible to do with extensive planning.
Difficulty: Moderately difficult due to specific time sensitive events, such as retrieving Epona before the night of the First Day.
In-game Rewards: None.

Twilight Princess

Cave of Ordeal Challenge: A new file is started and played to around the City in the Sky. During the time played, no Heart Pieces or Heart Containers can be retrieved. Moreover, no bottles (besides the one received by Sera), bombs, or quiver extensions. The Cave of Ordeals is then entered with the Wooden or Ordon Shield, the Ordon Sword, and Zora Armor.
Status: Possible.
Difficulty: Extremely difficult. The Zora Armor is weak to fire and ice, the Wooden Shield has the possibility of it getting burned, the normal sword, three hearts, and no potions.
In-game Rewards: None.

Cave of Ordeals Challenge 2: In this challenge, Link must not lose a single heart. The Magic Armor cannot be used and at least the 30th floor must be reached. Any equipment may be used.
Status: Unknown.
Difficulty: Insanely difficult, maybe even impossible.
In-game Rewards: None.

Twilight Challenge: Complete the game without dying once, complete Cave of Ordeals, do not buy Hylian Shield, do not burn Ordon Shield, the only time Link can warp is to teleport the bridge and Sky Cannon and he must stay at three hearts.
Status: Unknown
Difficulty: Very hard
In-game rewards: None

Phantom Hourglass

25:00 Temple of the Ocean King Challenge: Beat the Temple of the Ocean King with 25:00 Sands of Hours remaining.
Status: It is possible, and mildly challenging.
Difficulty: Moderate after familiarizing oneself with the Temple.
In-game Rewards: None.

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