A problem with the split timeline theory

After thinking about it, there is one problem I find with the split timeline theory. That is, according to the theory, Link goes back in time and warns the king of Ganondorf's plans.

According to what I read,(example at bottom) the idea is that child link tells the king of Hyrule about Ganondorf's plan before Ganondorf attacks the castle. However, Ganondorf attacks the castle before link even opens the door of time. Ganondorf even attacked a guard. If you go to the back ally of Castle Town right after you get the Ocarina of Time but before you open the Door of Time you would see a guard that tells you that Ganondorf attacked the castle.

That ruins the whole Link telling the king about Ganondorf theory. Also Princess Zelda said that she tried to warn her father but he did not listen.

I thought that maybe when Zelda sent link back to the childhood time, she sent him back to the time before Ganondorf attacked the castle. However the problem with this idea is that the Door of time would still be closed.

What I don't understand how did Link, inform the king, of Ganondorf's plans if he attacked the castle before link opened the door of time?

this is an example of what I read.

After Link's return, the King was informed of his plans, and thus was sentenced to be executed. This Ganondorf, as stated in TP, was "subdued and exposed".

Originally Posted by Poe Black

After thinking about it, there is one problem I find with the split timeline theory. That is, according to the theory, Link goes back in time and warns the king of Ganondorf's plans.

According to what I read,(example at bottom) the idea is that child link tells the king of Hyrule about Ganondorf's plan before Ganondorf attacks the castle. However, Ganondorf attacks the castle before link even opens the door of time. Ganondorf even attacked a guard. If you go to the back ally of Castle Town right after you get the Ocarina of Time but before you open the Door of Time you would see a guard that tells you that Ganondorf attacked the castle.

That ruins the whole Link telling the king about Ganondorf theory. Also Princess Zelda said that she tried to warn her father but he did not listen.

I thought that maybe when Zelda sent link back to the childhood time, she sent him back to the time before Ganondorf attacked the castle. However the problem with this idea is that the Door of time would still be closed.

What I don't understand how did Link, inform the king, of Ganondorf's plans if he attacked the castle before link opened the door of time?

this is an example of what I read.

I believe that when Link was sent back in time, he indeed was sent back to a time where before he attacked the castle. This is shown because we still see Zelda in the castle courtyard looking through the window towards Ganondorf and the guards, and then turns to Link, looking surprised.

But yes the Door of Time does seem to indicate otherwise. Is it possible the sages opened the door for him, and when would close as soon as he left? (which accounts for the bells ringing in the temple when he was leavng).

Also, that Zelda said that he would have to close the door of time anyway.

It's my belief that he was sent to a time prior to the game itself, before we play the dungeons and everything else. That means there would be two Links, but if it were prior to Ganondorf poisoning the Deku Tree, one of the Links could simply stay in Kokiri Forest, while the one we've played, who came back from the future, could go on to Termina and such. The Door of Time must be able to open from the inside for this idea to work, however. Since we see that Link has the Triforce symbol on his hand at the end of the game, he likely presented this to the King or Zelda, and that's why he was believed. Things then follow as we know them to in the Twilight Princess backstory.

Ganondorf attacked the castle before Link warned the king.
Ganondorf attacked Hyrule with his Triforce after.

Link would have told the king what to do to stop him, and when and how to do it.

Link goes back in time before Ganondorf attacked.

It's not necessary for Link to be sent to a specific point in time for the split timeline to work. Whether he was sent back in time to before Ganondorf's attack or after Ganondorf seizing the ToP, the main thing as that he did things differently the second time around and ergo created a second path for Hyrule to take. To be fair, no-one can be certain of exactly when he was sent back because Ganondorf has the ToP in TP anyway, so every explanation involves assumptions.

Originally Posted by Evilsbane

It's not necessary for Link to be sent to a specific point in time for the split timeline to work. Whether he was sent back in time to before Ganondorf's attack or after Ganondorf seizing the ToP, the main thing as that he did things differently the second time around and ergo created a second path for Hyrule to take. To be fair, no-one can be certain of exactly when he was sent back because Ganondorf has the ToP in TP anyway, so every explanation involves assumptions.

That's true. At this point, it seems that the only really important thing is that a split did, in fact, occur.

I'm sure we're all familiar with this...

He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness...But he was blind...In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. Yet... By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods.

This very vague and open to interpretation text leads me to believe that Ganondorf did in fact attack Hyrule. Link was presumably returned to the moment he had attained the spiritual stone of the forest and was meeting the Princess of Hyrule for the very first time (although he has seen her many times lol). For Ganondorf to have been renowned for his ruthlessness, he must have attacked and been either victorious or close to victory.

The most plausible theory that I can muster:

Link returns to the time when he first met Zelda. With the mark of the triforce of courage on his hand, Link warns the king of what will come to pass unless he heeds his warnings about the Gerudo King. Ganondorf then makes his vile plan known. Wielding his own dark magic he must have killed many a knight and peasant to be 'renowned for his ruthlessness'. Him and his thieves someway or another gained access to the sacred realm and touched the triforce, giving him the power of the gods, but before he is able to use it, he is captured and hauled over to the Arbiter's Grounds to be executed.

The moment when Ganondorf was most 'blind' was the moment he entered the sacred realm. He just stood there laughing as light was pouring everywhere. The guards could have easily grabbed him at that moment.

I don't know, CM. He doesn't seem to realize he has it.

I don't know about that.
He seemed pretty calm while he was chained to that black rock.
If I were about to be stabbed I'd be screaming out protests and insults.
Ganondorf doesn't act like a man that's about to die....

but he may not know it. My theory says he was captured the moment he touched it, the moment when he was most vulnerable, so maybe he didn't think he had touched it.... all speculation of course

Maybe, just maybe, it was not Ganondorf who touched the Triforce! If he did not know he had the ToP, then it must have come to him from someone else splitting the Triforce.

Originally Posted by HurriPen

Maybe, just maybe, it was not Ganondorf who touched the Triforce! If he did not know he had the ToP, then it must have come to him from someone else splitting the Triforce.

*Frowns*

So Zelda entered the sacred realm and touched it?
Perhaps because she thought she had the perfect balance of all three elements and didn't want the relic to fall into the hands of evil, she touched the triforce, but was only given wisdom.... that is really really stretching it Hurripen.

You know, if Link has the Triforce at the end of Ocarina of Time, it could be split because of him.

Didn't the Triforce that Link obtained split into shards in the Adult timeline, though? Although that is just as good an explanation as any, to be honest.

Originally Posted by LexLionHart

Didn't the Triforce that Link obtained split into shards in the Adult timeline, though? Although that is just as good an explanation as any, to be honest.

Whose explanation Lex?
Ooooo and what a cuddly little avatar if I may be so bold to say lol.

Originally Posted by LexLionHart

Didn't the Triforce that Link obtained split into shards in the Adult timeline, though? Although that is just as good an explanation as any, to be honest.

Well, since he still has the symbol on his hand in the Child Timeline, it seems that maybe, due to his proximity to the Sacred Realm in the Temple of Time, it was actually he that somehow obtained it.

He didn't have the mark when he returned to the past; just when he went to meet Zelda.