The ending of Ocarina of Time

Having beaten OoT again yesterday, I only realised now why Navi flies away when he returns to his normal time. But anyways, having beaten the game again, I took in a little more information then I had previously, and a thought came to my head: After Link goes back to his normal time, do the people remember what happened? Does only he remember what happened? Does the exact same thing happen again, Hyrule falls to Ganondorf and Link has to save everyone again? Does Zelda remember who he is or what he did? Does he even remember? Does he go back to his time and live those seven years he had missed? What's your philosophy?

Maybe there are two links running around.

and what the hell do they celebrate?

yea hes got a point, if they didnt know they wouldnt celebrate at the very very end..

well link remembers, zelda remembers, and navi flies away because her job there is done i guess.

you know on majoras mask when it sais Link is trying tofind an old friend or something. i am pretty sure that was navi

Does Link remember what happened? Does Zelda? Do the people?

Well Link had to remember the Song of Storms in order for him to play it, so yea, he remembers what happens. I doubt Zelda does though. Maybe her prophecies allow her, but it wouldn't be because she knows Link (she didn't go through time with him), or because she's a princess (that's baseless), or because she was a sage (she hasn't been awoken as a sage, and she might never after that). And why would the people be able to remember?

Did going back in time undo their whole quest?

Personally I belive Zelda wouldn't have sent him back in time, erasing everything they did, and let Ganondorf escape. Don't even give me that split timeline theory, because even Zelda would no not to sacrifice one Hyrule and let another be free. So I believe Ganondorf is still trapped in the Dark World.

Originally Posted by Kat

After Link goes back to his normal time, do the people remember what happened? Does only he remember what happened? What's your philosophy?

I'm going to go with some people do. Zelda remembers, and I bet the other sages do too. If you believe in the single timeline where WW's after MM [Even though Eiji said that WW starts at the end of the OoT ending where Link's gone (sent back in time). And seeing as he specified which ending WW starts from, there's obviously a double timeline. -_-], they have to remember for WW to happen (the people prayed for the hero to come, so they obviously remembered who he was).

Does the exact same thing happen again, Hyrule falls to Ganondorf and Link has to save everyone again?

I doubt the same thing happens. First, Link knows not to get the stones, open the door of time, or get the master sword. Second, Zelda remembers everything, so she won't give Link the ocarina. Lastly, if everyone remembers, then the king'll know not to trust Ganondorf and to kick him out, or something.

Does Zelda remember who he is or what he did?

Like I said, I believe Zelda remembers. At the end of the game, you can't really tell. She looks surprised to see him, but that could be because she doesn't know him, or because she didn't know he was coming to visit her. At the end of the manga (100% official, Copyrighted by Nintendo, Shigeru said what to put in it, etc.), she definitely does remember. She looks happy to see him again.

Does he even remember?

Link definitely remembers, he was looking at himself like, "I'm a kid again?" Plus he goes to visit Zelda, so I'm going with Link does remember.

Does he go back to his time and live those seven years he had missed?

Yes, that's the point of Zelda sending him back in time.

I always think the same thing. How can you remember something you did when you go back in time. But, if he goes back seven years, then what was the point of beating Ganon, as I see it, during this time everything should be back to what it started out seven years ago.

Well, this is where the two time line theory comes in. I'm not too familar with the theory, and I know that there are many of them out there, but this the one that I've heard. The timeline that Link leaves (which is also the timeline where you see everyone celebrating) is the one that leads to WW. The timeline that Link returns too, no one really knows what happened except for him. This one leads to MM.

Moved to N64 Zelda.

Where would Navi go? Hmmm *sarcasm* THAT'S HARD *sarcasm*. Let me think, they've just been sent back to a time before the whole adventure started, Ganondorf is locked away. Who do you think Navi would want to see again. Maybe some big tree perhaps?

Yeah, I believe in two timeline theory. Placing the master sword to rest at the end of the game severed the ties between the past and the future and so both times went off in their separate directions. Think about it. Would there be a party at Lon Lon ranch if going back in time meant erasing the future?

WW comes after the adult timeline of OoT. Why? Because the sages (which were only awakened in the adult timeline) are imortalised as stained glass portraits in Hyrule castle.


Well, that's MY rant over with.

Nobody remembers aside from him and Zelda. Case closed.

Originally Posted by Bloodsword

Nobody remembers aside from him and Zelda. Case closed.

And Navi...

Originally Posted by Junahu

Where would Navi go? Hmmm *sarcasm* THAT'S HARD *sarcasm*. Let me think, they've just been sent back to a time before the whole adventure started, Ganondorf is locked away. Who do you think Navi would want to see again. Maybe some big tree perhaps?

...He's still dead. I mean if they were sent back in time to before he died, then the Door of Time would still be closed, and they'de be trapped in there. Plus, there would either be two Links existing, or the one in the Kokiri forest would cease to exist. So I beleive they were sent back just after the last time Link picked up the Master Sword and was transported into the future. Therefor, I think that Navi just wanted to go back into the forest.

What i think is that only link and zelda know about this, and decide to keep this as a secret ,and then maybe later the people find out about the trouble that link and zelda saved them of, so link spends time in hyrule in his youth like months top, but not years, and link decides to go look for navi, and zelda once again gives him the ocarina of time for his journey, is because she thinks she's not responsible enough or something, and malon gives link epona for his new quest of finding navi, because it is navi who he's looking for in majora's mask, that's his invaluble friend and the reason navi left was because the old deku tree died and it was her only parent, i guess

Originally Posted by Junahu

And Navi...

Yes, and Navi. Can't forget Navi.

My useless opinion: The Sacred realm is in the Temple of time/light and so it's not affected by time turning. None remembers, but Link n Zelda... ... ... and Navi .
Ganondorf is still sealed in the realm after time returns coz time doesn't affect it, or cause the Triforce granted this...

Originally Posted by Darunia the 3rd

My useless opinion: The Sacred realm is in the Temple of time/light and so it's not affected by time turning. None remembers, but Link n Zelda... ... ... and Navi .
Ganondorf is still sealed in the realm after time returns coz time doesn't affect it, or cause the Triforce granted this...

The sacred realm is a parallel version of Hyrule. The Temple of Light is located within the sacred realm, and the Chamber of Sages is within the Temple of Light. The Temple of Time is (at that point) the only well-know portal to the sacred realm. The sacred realm isn't just "within" the Temple of Time.

But regardless, I also belive that the happenings in the sacred realm are without a tie into the timeframe of Hyrule. Although that doesn't make sence as the two are intertwined realities, in which actions in one cause reactions in the other (as everyone who has played ALttP knows).

AHA! I have a theory that is probably the right one. Link went back seven years. And then he left Hyrule. It was before the whole adventure So that means he never pulled the master sword out. Thats when ww comes in. That is why ganon escaped from his prison, because he never was in one! The LEGEND of the hero of time is a LEGEND! Means it could be true but maybe not. The winds breath that told the legend of the hero of time was probably the winds of time. Link pulled the sword out in ww and that is how ganon got his power. That is why Ganon didn't notice Link in WW. HAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In MM, it was said that Link was searching for an old friend, referring to the Skull Kid if I remember right. The Skull Kid also remembers Link in the closing sequence because Link taught him a song...or something or the sorts. No one else could've forgotten him because there was a huge statue of him in Hyrule Castle in WW. I think everyone remembered him, but they couldn't of really done anything more to honor him because he kinda left...I dunno though, this is all probably quite wrong.