The split timeline does not exist. This golden chalice proves it.

I have one piece of evidence that tells exactly why a split timeline cannot exist. I actually belive that there are two, it's just that nothing happens in one besides OOT and the other has every single game in it. Otherwise, in the end of OOT Zelda would essentially be killing herself and the now perfect hyrule that Link worked so hard to restore.

As I'm sure you know, at the end of OOT, (probably sometime later on) the triforce of courage shatters into 8 pieces after he loses the elements that made him the hero. When link and Zelda are in the clouds together, the triforce is still showing clearly on Link's hand.

I had always wondered why the hell there were then two triforces. When Link goes back in time, it is not taken from him in anyway, so now there is supposedly two triforces. How does this work?

It doesn't. Unless by someone bioligical cloning, there is no split timeline.

Originally Posted by Jayolorin

I have one piece of evidence that tells exactly why a split timeline cannot exist. I actually belive that there are two, it's just that nothing happens in one besides OOT and the other has every single game in it. Otherwise, in the end of OOT Zelda would essentially be killing herself and the now perfect hyrule that Link worked so hard to restore.

Split timeline theorists say that Link is sent back in time to an alternate reality, or in other words, another dimension. The Hyrule that Link left will still be there, along with the new Hyrule that Link is sent back to. We Wise Men do not support this theory, because it is ludicrous. Despite even Steven Hawking's support of alternate dimensions and universes, I see this as an insane way of getting out of a problem to prove your theory. Hawking did it years ago, and the split timeline theorists are doing it today.

As I'm sure you know, at the end of OOT, (probably sometime later on) the triforce of courage shatters into 8 pieces after he loses the elements that made him the hero. When link and Zelda are in the clouds together, the triforce is still showing clearly on Link's hand.

The Triforce of Courage splits when Link leaves the land that had made him a legend, thus seperating him from the elements that had made him a hero. The Triforce is bound to Hyrule, and does not seem capable of leaving. Whether the Triforce of Courage splits when Link goes back in time the final time or when he leaves for Termina causes a bit of dispute between the single timeline theorists and split timeline theorists.

It doesn't. Unless by someone bioligical cloning, there is no split timeline.

Not biological cloning. The split timeline "works" by creating an alternate reality for Link to be returned to and live out his childhood. I'm not saying that I support this, despite this actually being a common scientific theory about time travel, but I like to think of time as a linear entity where in which one event changes and the rest of the line changes accordingly.

A better understanding of the split timeline might be required before you can disprove it.
In the Double Timeline, Link is never physically sent back in time, and so could not possibly have carried any matterial (ie the Triforce) with him. In the DT, the Trifore splits in the moment Link's conciousness leaves the future (thee land that mde him a hero).

The mark seen on his hand post OOT does not represent the actual bearing of the triforce, but, as in AoL and OoX, a connection to the ToC and the status of Hylian Hero.

*Pie's standard rant*
Anyway, the Double Timeline cannot ever be disproven because it is purely based on inductive reasoning. The best argument possible against the DT does not destory, but simply force it to change, become more radical, become harder yet to overcome.
Until the developers dismiss the theoy or an "Adult line" game refers to Majora's Mask, the Double Timeline is here to stay...

^Well said, pie. It's nice to see you again I'd also like to comment on this line from MoA:

Despite even Steven Hawking's support of alternate dimensions and universes, I see this as an insane way of getting out of a problem to prove your theory.

I just found this kinda funny, because it's the exact same thing (using an "insane way of getting out of a problem to prove your theory") we accused you and Lex of when you guys posted at GF. Face it, 2 Links in one universe is just as complicated as having 2 universes. That's why it's going to be extremely difficult, nigh impossible, to disprove either theory.

The mark seen on his hand post OOT does not represent the actual bearing of the triforce, but, as in AoL and OoX, a connection to the ToC and the status of Hylian Hero.

In that case, why aren't all the other links bearing trifrces on their hands? I can only think of a few.

-Oracles link.
-OOT link.
-WW Link.
-AoL Link.

I am quite positive he still has the triforce when he is standing in the clouds.

Oracles Link doesn't have the Triforce, remember? It's in the castle seen at the beginning of the game. And AoL Link doesn't acquire the Triforce of Courage till the final boss fight.

Originally Posted by TripleEspresso9

Oracles Link doesn't have the Triforce, remember? It's in the castle seen at the beginning of the game. And AoL Link doesn't acquire the Triforce of Courage till the final boss fight.

I'm trying to disprove that theory. Please listen.

Originally Posted by AoL

Shortly after the events of The Legend of Zelda, near Link’s 16th birthday, he notices a strange mark on the back of his left hand. He seeks out Impa, and she tells him the “Legend of Zelda.” Long ago, the King of Hyrule ruled the land of Hyrule with a son and daughter. When the king died, the Triforce should have passed onto the Prince. However, he could only inherit the Triforce in part, and thus sought the remaining pieces. When he learned that Zelda knew of their location, he questioned her. She refused, and so the Prince sent his wizard to question her. When he failed, the wizard became furious and cast a sleeping spell on Princess Zelda. The wizard fell dead, but the Prince was left grieving. The Prince moved Zelda to a room in the North Castle and had her placed on a bed hoping that one day she would awaken and return to life. To ensure this event was never forgotten, the Prince ordered all females born to the royal family from that point on to be named Zelda.

He has the mark, which is different to actually having the triforce of courage. There is no prrof that OOt link does not have the trofrce of courage, because one of the partsis still shining brightly on his hand when he is in the clouds, isntead of the full thing shining.

The Triforce mark represents the Hero.
The Triforce mark with one of the triangles shining golden represents owning a piece of the Triforce.

There is a difference.

Originally Posted by Master of ALttP

Split timeline theorists say that Link is sent back in time to an alternate reality, or in other words, another dimension. The Hyrule that Link left will still be there, along with the new Hyrule that Link is sent back to. We Wise Men do not support this theory, because it is ludicrous. Despite even Steven Hawking's support of alternate dimensions and universes, I see this as an insane way of getting out of a problem to prove your theory. Hawking did it years ago, and the split timeline theorists are doing it today.

Not biological cloning. The split timeline "works" by creating an alternate reality for Link to be returned to and live out his childhood. I'm not saying that I support this, despite this actually being a common scientific theory about time travel, but I like to think of time as a linear entity where in which one event changes and the rest of the line changes accordingly.

Actually, as a once-Splittist myself, although I now am Linear, the Split as a possibility is still in my thoughts. So, though it may seem odd at moments, I still back it up, if ever so slightly (Like, 5%)

This is a common misconseption of the Split. You see, Link does not go bakc to a parallel universe. Rather, he goes back to the same universe, just in his time. The split actually branches off into the other timeline when Link, with knowledge of what shall happen, does not open the Door of Time. Without it, Ganondorf is no threat. But, since the future still must have happened, it branches off. One branch, the branch of 7 years into the past, Link goes to Termina. In the other branch, the Adult Branch, legends of the Hero of Time pass into the ages. Since Link was not in that branch, when Ganondorf returned, there was noone to stop him, and the flood.

Now, remember, i do not support the Split any longer. However, I just felt like clearing that up.

Originally Posted by Raian

The Triforce mark represents the Hero.
The Triforce mark with one of the triangles shining golden represents owning a piece of the Triforce.

There is a difference.

Thankyou. That's what I was trying to get at.

Originally Posted by Reign and Kisiro

Actually, as a once-Splittist myself, although I now am Linear, the Split as a possibility is still in my thoughts. So, though it may seem odd at moments, I still back it up, if ever so slightly (Like, 5%)

This is a common misconseption of the Split. You see, Link does not go bakc to a parallel universe. Rather, he goes back to the same universe, just in his time. The split actually branches off into the other timeline when Link, with knowledge of what shall happen, does not open the Door of Time. Without it, Ganondorf is no threat. But, since the future still must have happened, it branches off. One branch, the branch of 7 years into the past, Link goes to Termina. In the other branch, the Adult Branch, legends of the Hero of Time pass into the ages. Since Link was not in that branch, when Ganondorf returned, there was noone to stop him, and the flood.

Now, remember, i do not support the Split any longer. However, I just felt like clearing that up.

Oh, so we've got an ex-splitist? Heh, I always knew we'd need one of them. I think that gives you special honors among the Knights, as you can better assist us Wise Men in our upcoming crusades. Let's just hope the splitists don't have Indian swords, because our European swords won't stand up to them. Sorry, watched the Discovery channel earlier. Learning is fun!

Reign and Kisiro, think about what you wrote. I agree with most of it, and I agree that the timeline may branch off, but you wrote, "The split actually branches off into the other timeline..." Another timeline=another universe. There's no getting around that. That's what I think is so hard for some people to understand. A timeline doesn't just poof out of thin air. Both of their universes have their own documented histories, aka, timelines. Simply by saying double "timeline" theory, one means that there are two relevent Zelda universes.

There are two theories as to how this happens, one is like you said, when time doesn't follow its previous path (Link pulling the MS) it branches off. The other is that Zelda rewound Link's life, just Link, so that he was removed from her universe. This allowed her universe to remain intanct, but doing this also created another universe.

So, no offense, but if you think that "two universes" is a common misconception, then you never really understood it in the first place. Which is a huge problem, by the way. I'm gonna say at least 90% of single timeline theorists have no clue how the double timeline theory works.

But I'll go back to what you said, for a moment. You said that the timeline branches off, preserving the Adult OoT future. This means that time is passing in two dimensions, independent of one another, aka two universes.

You know I kind of agree with you on that point, with all this time travel Link does in all his games wouldn't he end up doubling it? that doesn't mean that he can have two. Think about it this way, if he takes the other triforce from the past then that means that he wont end up with the future triforce because it never would have been there kind of like that movie time machine where that guy can't save his lover.

What problem? Link is sent back, closes the Door of Time. Ganon touches the Triforce. Ganon gets Power, Link gets Courage, Zelda gets Wisdom. Ganon tries to return to Hyrule, but is trapped (that was stated in ALttP). Problem solved.

Okay, he does not lose the elements that made him a hero. He loses the elements after he is sent back in time because he is sent at a time that he has not yet pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal and Ganondorf has been sealed in the Evil Realm, preventing him from coming to claim the triforce.

But this does not fix anything up or clear anything either. When you are sent back in time you go to the point where you left off. But Ganondorf was sealed into the Evil Realm, which is not Hyrule, they are two different things which can be accessed from any timeline. This lets Ganondorf still infect the young Link timeline with the twilight.

But then even though my theory could be right, so many others seem right, but then they are also all wrong too. I just can't understand this.

All I want is to find out if TP connects to the TWW, if it doesent, then theres a split-timeline. Simple as that.

Originally Posted by Ganon the King

All I want is to find out if TP connects to the TWW, if it doesent, then theres a split-timeline. Simple as that.

TP can connect to TWW because Ganondorf died and in TWW was said to be revived.