Thoughts about time travel in OoT. SPOILERS

First of all, if Link went back in time after he defeated Ganon, wouldn't Ganondorf be there again? My only explanation is that there IS infact two timelimes, which would make more sense: having two consistent timelines and when Ganon was banished to another dimension (Sacred Realm) he couldn't exist in the other two. I'm not great at theories, so you might as well suggest your own.
Secondly, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Zelda say something to the effect of "Hand me the ocarina so I can go back with you." at the end? Not a big deal, but this would explain why she isnt hiding when you go back and would make me think about something she says in Majoras Mask during a flashback. What she said was something to the effect of "I realize I've only known you for a short time, but it feels like we've been friends forever." This could mean a) she has the memories of the future but can't remember them b)She DOES remember the future but considers it a short time since she met with him for a short time (including or excluding Shiek) or c)She doesnt have any memory of the future and the quote from OoT is wrong. Once again, I don't really think I'm right, I just hope for good answers and an interesting discussion. ~CGOCPFTF

Interestingly, it seems many people who played OoT aren't aware of the problems with the ending. It used to make perfect sense to me, until I started thinking about it. I was completely confused by it for a while, but I have ended up at a conclusion, which I think makes the most sense (if you can understand it).


I think the explanation is that the Sacred Realm is a different universe from Hyrule, like Termina, and each universe has its own flow of time (meaning if Link goes to Termina and has time jump back three days, time in Hyrule wouldn't jump back).
So, at the end of OoT Hyrule's time is restored to after Link's several return visits for the Lens and the Spirit Temple. Ganondorf had attacked the castle once and left for the Sacred Realm. He had not yet returned to Hyrule because he was still preparing in the SR for his second attack on the castle. However, the SR's time flow had not been interrupted, so Ganondorf had already returned to Hyrule once in the other timeline while Link was sealed away. In that timeline, he had been forced back into the SR, which had become the Evil Realm. But Link has now sealed the gate to the ER, preventing Ganon's return. Since Ganon was no longer a threat, Zelda was able to return to the castle.
So in Hyrule, Link is young and able to relive his lost years, things are mostly peaceful, and the Evil Realm and Ganon are sealed away.
Link could tell Zelda about what happened if she doesn't remember, and Zelda would pass the story down through the Royal Family as another legend.

I think the adult timeline in OoT would cease to exist, because Link returns the Master Sword and does not draw it while he is still too young to wield it. If he had drawn it immediately upon returning, when he was still a child, he would have been once again sent forward seven years to the other timeline. But he does not seem to take it while he is still young, so if (hypothetically), when he finally becomes an adult, he draws the blade, he will be old enough to use it, and he won't travel in time, which is why the other timeline would probably collapse.

It seems this theory would make the second half of OoT futile, since Link could have returned at any time and sealed the door while Ganondorf was gone. However, if he had done that then Ganondorf would exist in neither universe once that timeline collapsed, and the Triforce of Power would be gone forever. That is why Zelda, Link, and the Sages needed to lure Ganon into the Evil Realm. The breaking of the Triforce in the first place was Link and Zelda's fault, so they didn't want to end up completely eliminating a Triforce piece. The religion of the Hylians and their covenant with the goddesses would also have been shattered if that happened.


What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Confused? Do you have a different theory?

Er...I tend to think that it was designed as a game first, so things like that in the storyline weren't considered very important. 'sides, once you start introducing magic into something, virtually anything can happen. So I try to ignore it (otherwise, my head would explode).

The zelda in OOT may have been alive in earlier times, thus meeting Link in an earlier game, thus explaining what she said in OOT about the friendship

I mostly agree, Hylian Dan. Heres another thing I just thought of:

The two timelines must exist afterwards, because I believe The Wind Waker takes place in the dimension where Link fought Ganon, mostly because of a) The prolouge and b) Miyamoto said so, and Majora's Mask took place in the "Child Link" dimension.

Zelda must have stayed there, because in The Wind Waker the Triforce of Wisdom is passed down from mother to daughter (Zelda having children with someone other than Link? Preposterous!). The King of Red Lions says that the Triforce of Courage split up when the hero left to another world, which at first makes me think that he's talking about Majora's Mask, but wait a second: thats in a different dimension! Perhaps it broke up into pieces and stayed in "Adult Link" dimension.

What happened to the Triforce at the end of Ocarina of Time is another subject for debate, so go ahead and submit your theories. ~CGOCPFTF

P.S. Let's try and stay on the subject of Ocarina of Time, and not start a thread on overall timeline theories.

The Triforce did remain with Link because you see it when he's a child again in the ending.
As for what happened with Zelda and her Triforce...I'm not sure...wait, she would have it as a kid again, because Zelda and Link received their pieces as soon as Ganondorf touched the Triforce, so she would have recieved it between the time she fled and when she returned to the castle in the ending.


Okay, so according to my theory, young Link and Zelda have their Triforce pieces in the ending, Ganon(dorf) is sealed in the Evil Realm with his Triforce piece, the Seven Sages remain in the mutated alternate timeline which collapses in a few years (OoT's ending seems so sad now), young Link goes on to Termina and loses his Triforce piece, Zelda spreads the legend of the Hero of Time, Ganon returns to Hyrule, the people expect the legendary Hero to appear as if from nowhere once again, Hyrule is flooded, the Wind Waker occurs.


Yes...I think I finally understand it...please point out any plotholes that might exist in that theory. I want to be sure that it works.