[Discussion] The split's effects on the parallel dimensions

Alright, Let's get this going! The first discussion thread.

I began to write this as an article but decided that it would work out better as a topic of discussion. I'd like to hear your opinions on the article below. If you have any points for or against it, please post them. This really isn't my field and I have the feeling that there's something I haven't thought of or realised about this matter and would like to hear your opinions so that I can improve it to fill the requirements of an article or throw it out with the trash. So go ahead and prove me wrong



The splitting of the timeline

In this article I will try my best to adress the split's affects on the world of Zelda. My main argument is that the parallel worlds of Hyrule are all parts of the same physical multiverse which is split into two timelines during the ending of Ocarina of Time.

Let me start with a simple diagram:



Note that this diagram does not include the factor "time", it is just a representation of the parallel dimensions. The green line represents the physical multiverse. All existing dimensions or "worlds" are contained in it. The first split is there to show two parallel worlds, Hyrule and Termina. They are both parts of the same multiverse (green line). The multiverse isn't actually split at any point in time, I'm just opening it up so that you can see what I'm getting at. The second split shown in the diagram is the actual splitting of the timeline, triggered by Link's time traveling in OoT. It occurs simultaneously in all dimensions causing each to have two alternate futures. The parallel lines of the diagram are then merged back together to show the two alternate courses of time in the split multiverse (the two green lines).

About the split

An important thing to realize is that the two timelines are simply two alternate courses of events that originate form the story of OoT. They are by no means different dimensions or worlds. OoT occurred in two different time periods which were both parts of the same continuity. Link simply travelled back and forth on a linear line. At the end of the game Link and Zelda "close the door between times" which is often interpreted as preventing further time-travel. This is why the "future" becomes a separate, unaccessible reality which is no longer affected by Link and his abilities to change history. The two timelines are born. Because of what Link does after the door of time is closed the child timeline takes on a new direction away from the adult timeline.

The Adult timeline tells the story of what happens to the world that Link left after defeating Ganon (TWW) and the Child line tells the story of what happens to Link when he is returned to his original time (MM). Both of these stories have gotten sequels (TP and PH) which take place in separated timelines like so:

OoT - TWW - PH
.....\ MM - TP

The reason I'm writing this is that apparently there are people who do not see things the same way. I have come across statements about the parallel worlds like Termina or the Sacred Realm being unaffected by the split. This is based on the assumption that each dimension has its exclusive flow of time. To me this argument makes no sense. Picture for a moment that Termina is not affected by the split but Hyrule is. Termina would then connect to two the timelines at once through the portal in Lost Woods. This doesn't work because the portal to Termina would have one exit and two entrances. When one leaves Termina, which exit does he get out from?

I'd say that Termina is part of the same physical multiverse and exists in both timelines. The two timelines are just alternative courses of events, not different dimensions that can be travelled in and out from.

EDIT: Hehe, I had to remove the last paragraph because it didn't make any sense. Big thanks to HurriPen for pointing that out!

EDIT 2: Okay, so my scifi vocabulary wasn't quite up to date, I fixed a couple of things here and there to make my point clearer. I hope you can make sense of it now.

Well if you are going to assume things this way then you must take into account the time travels Link did in MM too. Repeating the 3 days over and over again. This must have had happened in Hyrule too, no? And that happened in the child timeline and not in the adult one. That would mean the child timeline would be "lagging" behind the adult timeline as Link turned it back many times during MM and the adult timeline was moving on. And Termina having it's own flow of time as a parallel universe thus the portal having one exit and 2 entrances does sound plausible to me. It would be like a "Y" shaped branch. And time - space relations aren't that simple so if one would be to exit Termina trough the portal he'd probably be thrown somewhere by the luck of the draw.

The Child timeline would not be lagging behing because all Link did was travel back to the first day over and over. From Link's point of view more time had passed because he was there to experience it, but from a bystander's viewpoint everything would progress normally. And even if it did lag, would it prove this wrong?

Luck of the draw shouldn't be a factor in scientific theories. If both timelines are accessible through Termina it would mean anything can be moved from one timeline to the other. This would create ludicrous scenarios where there could be two Triforces and two Master Swords in the other timeline. And if we were to accept this then anything could be explained with it, reoccuring characters, easter egg items and so forth.

Uncle, you know of Romani(young Malon) and Cremia(adult Malon) in MM right? well since alot of people are doubles from hyrule, how would those two fit into your theory?

well, I will say I am kinda dazzled by this question myself...

I don't know how to fit them in any theory It's probably just Nintendo recycling the characters without thinking about it too deeply. Maybe Romani's and Cremia's mom just had more kids than Malons mother.

EDIT: This is so my 666th post

Well in Termina we can see characters from both the child and adult timeline mixed, as an example would serve Ruto who is there in her adult form and the Termina in MM is supposedly running in the child timeline. I'm quite sure that Termina features a character that is unique to the child timeline (except Malon) but I can't think of anyone right now...
Based on that fact I think it's safe to assume that Termina is running on a different timeline then Hyrule and that the changes in Hyrule do not affect Termina.

My, my! Lex certainly blew me away with is article on the same matter. If any of you didn't get where I was coming from, I suggset you read his paper. I realized that I had to fix my terminology in the opening post to make it more clear. As I said, this isn't exactly my field!

Predator, what does it prove that the characters look similar, they aren't ment to be exact reflections of the Hyrulians.

Originally Posted by MM manual

Termina is a mysterious place and the people Link meets here may look vaguely familiar at first glance.

I realize that there are characters from both times periods of OoT, but does that prove that Termina is an alternate reality that doesn't share the timeflow of Hyrule? If this is the case it creates more problems then it solves. Most notably the problem of everything that leaves Termina ending up in two realities at once and the possibility of moving anything from one timeline to the other.

True it would create much confusion... But otherwise it doesn't make sense... Let's take for example Termina in the child timeline (By that graph you posted). You'd have the characters it reflects exactly as they are in OoT and those would age and die most probably at the same pace / time. Same goes for the adult part. But what you got is that in the child Termina (The one you actually get to play) you get Ruto from the adult one and i Termina she is still a child...

Perhaps, just perhaps, Termina doesn't actually exist at all, perhaps it's Link's dream or something similar to LA as he encounters a lot of characters he met in his previous adventure which would be drawn from his memory. The skull kid quote at the end ("You smell exactly like the guy who taught me the song in the woods") would also be from Link's memories... As for the HMS... Not really sure about him...

The adult Ruto and Romani and Cremia seem to direct to a Termina unaffected by the split. I think that people from both timelines can enter Termina, but they can only return to their own timeline since they synchronize with it. However that would give the problem of how it would affect the Terminian people. If they enter the portal where would they end up?...

I must say that the dream concept has crossed my mind as well but I'm not going to eloborate on that because it cannot be proven in any way.

Here's a thought: Maybe the people of Termina originate from the same genes as the ones in Hyrule. Maybe, when the goddesess created the world they gave both worlds the same gene pools. This way there could be similarities between the worlds and they could still evolve to become slightly different. Well, that's just me using fanfic to explain myself Not a good habit.

well, that stuff about the same gene pools is indeed only fanfic. the world has been created ages ago so the chance that you'll find indentical characters just because the Gods gave them the same gene pools is close to impossible.

Maybe thats why they "may look vaguely familiar at first glance" instead of being identical. Anyway this is probably the closest as I can come to a logical scientific explanation. I'm willing to bet that if this is how the structure of the timeline is intended to go, the developers have simply used the more appropriate characters for the game for the sake of the average player having the best gameplay experience.

Then again, they probably haven't thought this whole thing out. At least not to the extent that we tend to take it.

Yeah... We sometimes take things a bit too far... But I wonder how they will explain it in the official timeline. It still sounds plausible to me that Termina works on a different Timeline from Hyrule. But yet again, proof is way out of our hands.