About possible SS timeline paradox (spoilers)

Hello, fellow Zelda fans. I write this post as a mean to answer a very serious question/possibility that came to me while playing through the ending of Skyward Sword and if any of you could help me,well... that would be amazing.

Alright,here it goes,the simple question: has SS created a new time paradox/branch in the Zelda canon? I ask this due to the process used to defeat Demise in the actual game,that being Link,as the hero of Light/Sky,using the power of the Master Sword and its gift from the skies to kill the wretched beast... in the past. But wait:in the past? Then we must assume that,due to Link's victory,that certain events from the start of the plot would become impossible. Think about it: if Demise is condensed in spirit in the Master Sword and there he lingers without escape,then how could there be an Imprisioned? if the Master Sword is formed,then how could Link use it in its quest as the goddess sword and eventually upgrade it to its now famous condition? If neither Ghirahim or Demise exist,Zelda would have never fallen to the surface and would never become familiar to her peculiar heritage; in essence,the hero and the legend of its princess would never become a reality and Hyrule itself would never exist.

So,did they repair this with the Triforce?How is this explained?I've yet to find evidence to either of the scenarios here given,so what does that lead us to believe?

Originally Posted by RDV333

Alright,here it goes,the simple question: has SS created a new time paradox/branch in the Zelda canon?

In short, no. Link's quest caused its own problem, even as it was solved.

Think about it: if Demise is condensed in spirit in the Master Sword and there he lingers without escape,then how could there be an Imprisioned?

Demise's consciousness was sealed inside the sword. His evil returned, as evil always does, as the Imprisoned. It sought the Sealed Temple because there lay the Master Sword that contained its consciousness. The power sought to join with its mind and become Demise again.

If the Master Sword is formed,then how could Link use it in its quest as the goddess sword and eventually upgrade it to its now famous condition?

When things or people go back in time to an earlier point in their existence, there are "two" of them for a while. The MS that Link had was an older version of the Goddess Sword. It existed at the same time as its younger self for a while, but then after the time of the time travel passed naturally, it was resolved when the Goddess Sword went back with Link and was laid to rest as the Master Sword.

Past:
GS sent to Skyloft with Triforce
MS comes from future with Link
MS laid to rest

Present:
Link gets GS
Link forges GS into MS
Link gets Triforce
Link goes to past

If neither Ghirahim or Demise exist,Zelda would have never fallen to the surface and would never become familiar to her peculiar heritage; in essence,the hero and the legend of its princess would never become a reality and Hyrule itself would never exist.

Again, when things or people go back in time to an earlier point in their existence, there are "two" of them for a while. The Ghirahim of that time was off somewhere being odd. The Ghirahim we know and love (that we've fought throughout the game) has travelled back in time. If we kill this "older" Ghirahim, then the "original" or "younger" Ghirahim will wait for Link and Zelda for thousands of years, then travel back in time and be killed. So we don't affect anything there.

And on Demise: when we defeat him, we seal his consciousness in the MS. His power is sealed in Hylia's realm, now the "Sealed Grounds". In short, the seal that keeps breaking throughout the game is established by Link at the end of the game, in the past. For thousands of years, Demise waits either for the Imprisoned to break into the temple and reunite with him, or for Ghirahim to sacrifice Zelda (again ...lol) and thereby provide the power necessary to draw him out of the sword.

Past:
Demise sealed by Hylia
Ghirahim comes from the future with Zelda and revives Demise
Link re-seals Demise, his power in the Sealed Grounds and his mind in the MS
Link puts the MS to rest, where it waits concealed by Impa in the temple

Present:
Link's seal breaks a few times, Link re-establishes the seal
Link completely kills Demise
Ghirahim takes Zelda to the past



Basically, the whole adventure was predestined.

Originally Posted by Bettum

In short, no. Link's quest caused its own problem, even as it was solved.Basically, the whole adventure was predestined.

Thanks, I am certain now that this was what happened. I guess my inner nerd just lost all of his dignity when I forgot the "two-person" law. And I've seen back to the Future so many times... for shame.

Demise conquered time 'nuff said

I think Bettum covered most everything. The only things that don't mesh well for me is the whole Tree in the Sealed Temple thing. I'm of the opinion that everything that happened in the past was the original past for Link at the very beginning of the game, but the damn tree screws it up, unless there's a time bubble or something.

Yeah the tree of life is just kind of awkward.
I'm going to go with an updated future theory. It didn't update the future enough to stop Link from going back; it just took away his motivation to. This means that the tree simultaneously exists and doesn't exist, resulting in either a split timeline (with EXTREMELY SLIGHT differences between them) or a "flickering", faster than the flow of time, between existing and not -as in, it stops existing, then before anything else can react to it missing, it exists, then before anything else can react to it, it stops...

Or else, Nintendo's just trolling us.

I wish they'd just get away from the essence of time travel altogether......it's why we're in this mess to begin with! Plus, I'm tired of racking my brain......

I, personaly, LOVE time travel theory/paradox questions/problems. they're so much fun to figure out and just plain think about. it's something I vary much enjoy. especially cause for me it's yet another chance for me to unleash unbound freedom apon all the vastness on my creative imaginations.

I think the paradox that exists within the game is what allows for the backstory of Minish cap.

I mean consider... at the end of the game Ghirahim travels back in time to revive Demise... this would mean that at this period there are two Ghirahim's, the one that belongs at this point in history and the future Ghirahim that sacrifices Zelda to the imprisoned - Link only defeats one, he then leaves his master sword behind which contains the conciousness of Demise. Demise's defeat means that there is then no imprisoned in the timeline. This is a paradox because if the imprisoned does not exist in the timeline then there is nothing for Ghirahim to revive leading to the events of the game.

In fact none of the games events can happen within this timeline, because without Demise there is no cause for Ghirahim to draw Zelda to the surface.

The presence of the skykeep within the sacred grounds at the end of the game however contradict this. The Isle of the goddess has still descended, yet the events that would have caused its descent have not happened. (NB. I will come back to this).

Likewise the defeat of Demise in the past means that the Goddess sword should coexist with the master sword. At the end of the game the goddess sword would presumeably be within the statue of the goddess.

Now here's my theory as to events following Demise's defeat. Link, Zelda and Groose return to the future, but Ghirahim still exists in his past incarnation - therefore there is still an army of Demons to be sealed away - this is where the picori come in. They cause the statue of the goddess to descend which would hold both the triforce and the goddess sword - fulfilling the opening of minish cap in which they descend from the heavens bringing the hero of men the light force/triforce, and the picori blade/goddess sword.

This could mean that SSLink is the hero of men who then defeats and seals away Ghirahim in this new reality or another hero is called in the interim period between Demise's defeat in the past and Link and Zelda's return to their own time.

It is also highly possible that the paradox creates alternate versions of Link, Zelda and Groose, since all of these characters are only drawn to the surface by events that now never happened.

^ cool. nuf said. XD lol. k so I said more. deal with it.


but wouldn't this mean that the master sword and the four sword are in a sence the same sword? if this is true then how does one gain the ability to split it's weilder into four? simply being a different timeline doesn't change the sword.

This thread is a little tad old to be revived. As a general rule, do not revive threads if the last post was made more than three months ago from your current date.





*locks*