The effect of the timelines upon one another, and a little bit about the Hero's Shade

This is my latest theory. It isn’t a timeline theory per say, but it does deal with timelines.

The Eternal Dance Between the Timelines

The timeline is split. Blue Swamp himself has said so. So, that means that there are at least two Hyrules existing very close to one another. Completely separate, right? Wrong. What follows is an explanation as to why Wind Waker Link became the one to inherit the power of the Hero of Time, and how The Ganondorf of the Adult timeline was foiled by the efforts of the Ganondorf of the Child timeline.

The King of red Lions had said that he saw no resemblance between Wind Waker Link and the Hero of Time. This follows simple logic. Since the timelines were split by Adult Zelda at the end of OoT, Link only existed in the Adult Timeline (AT) long enough to defeat Ganondorf. There were no descendants of link in the AT. And I doubt there was anything pre-marital going on at that time (Think about it: Link had the mind of a ten year old child. I doubt his thoughts would be centered on romance long enough to forsake his quest).

Ganondorf in Wind Waker was looking for the descendants of both Zelda, and the Hero of Time. He knew that they had the most potential to possess the two other pieces of the Triforce. So, Ganondorf assumes that The Hero of Time had a descendant, which he didn’t. So, Ganondorf was looking for the scions of Link and Zelda.

This is supported with his search in the beginning of the game for girls that resemble Zelda (long ears, sometimes blonde hair). Ganondorf also tells Link that he was searching for the Hero of Time as well:

“I’ve been waiting for you, boy. For one like you,”

And after Link defeats the Puppets:

“Surely, you are the Hero of time Reborn!”

So, if Link had no descendants, how did the Hero of Winds inherit his power?

Simple: Aonuma said in the translated article that the Wind Waker and Twilight Princess happen on alternate timelines, and almost at the same time. Let me explain how Twilight Princess Link is related to Ocarina of Time Link.

Twilight Princess Link was called “The Hero Chosen by the Gods”. So, most people refer to him as the “Chosen Hero”. The Chosen Hero was most likely a descendant of the Ocarina of Time Link of the Child timeline (CT), because it was only AT OoT link that became the Hero of Time. So, Young Link remained simply a Chosen Hero to stop Ganondorf from getting the Triforce again, and repeat history. It would make sense for Zelda to try to erase all that she had done, at least in another timeline. So, she logically would have sent him to the moment before he lifted the master sword; before he opened the door to the Sacred Realm. Thus, the door of time is opened, but Link hasn’t lifted the Master Sword out of it’s pedestal in the CT.

Somehow, though, Ganondorf gets the Triforce of Power anyway. It is assumed that the Ghost Warrior is actually Link from OoT. It is also assumed that TP Link is the scion of OoT link. I give you this quote from the Ghost Warrior himself.

“You have at last mastered all of the hidden skills.
Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that
life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets.
You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last...
You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded...
Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the
gods.
...Farewell!
Go and do not falter, my child!”


As said by the writer of the transcript I borrowed this from, “The” is a definitive article. There is only one “the” of anything. So, I will take this as subtle evidence. The “my child” further supports my theory.

So, OoT Link must’ve had to stop Ganondorf, and warned the King. Thinking that he had done his part, Link went on his journey to Termina. I doubt that Link would have left the Door of time open, so it was probably when Link returned to Hyrule that Ganondorf attained the Triforce of power.

There are many things that could have happened. Here’s two:

1. Ganondorf could have stolen Link’s Ocarina, and used it to get to the Master Sword. Then, he could have forced someone to lift it out of the pedestal of time.

2. Ganondorf was a wizard, and a very powerful one at that. The king might have tried to take the Triforce to use against Ganondorf. But, because of the sheikah legend, wisdom would have stayed with the king, courage to Link, and power to Ganondorf. Just as Link didn’t realize he had a golden Triangle in his hand in OoT, Ganondorf might not have noticed it until the sages attempted to execute him. Thus, the king would have used the Triforce of wisdom against the Gerudo, round them all up inside the closest thing to a prison (spirit temple), and locked them away behind a giant steel gate that TP link would have to open later.

(As you can see, I like the #2 option.)


There are four main points that drive the stories of both

_____________

Similarities

Wind Waker

A Hero Rises up to thwart the
return of Ganondorf from imprisonment at the bottom of the ocean.

Hyrule is flooded with water.

Twilight Princess

A Hero rises up to thwart the
return of Ganondorf from imprisonment in the depths of the twilight realm.

Hyrule is covered in twilight.


Differences

Wind Waker

The hero seems to have no
relation to the Hero of Time

Ganondorf knows well the power
of the Master Sword, and the Hero
of Time. Finding the Triforce pieces is high on his To Do List.

Twilight Princess

The hero seems to have inherited the Triforce of Courage from the CT Hero of Time.

Ganondorf doesn’t seem to recognize Link, or the Master sword. In fact, he seems to be more concerned with Midna, her people, and doesn’t really make much effort to attain the whole Triforce. He seems to think that power is enough.

_____________

As you can see, they mirror each other. What one timeline is missing, the other compensates. When Ganondorf finds a way to escape in the AT, CT Ganondorf has a way opened up for him. When a hero awakens in the CT, the AT (which is missing a hero) is provided with one as well, creating a new line of heroes.

So, what I’m trying to say is that the power that is lost to the AT is transferred to both Links in the two games. This is like the Dark World in ALttP: What happens to one affects the other. So, this is the dance of the timelines.

This theory opens up a few possibilities. ALttP seems to follow the TP and OoT mapping style, whereas tMC doesn’t. Could tMC and ALttP be happening at the same time as well? Could the Foursword games follow the AT, and the early games follow the CT?

Simpler conclusion (not to discredit yours):
Link in TWW proved his worth by assembling the three pearls, summoning the Tower of the Gods, and completing the trials that led him to the Master Sword. Since he was pure of heart and chosen by the gods, the sword accepted him as its master, despite him having no connection to the legendary hero. His ability to wield the Master Sword, in turn, allowed him to assume the Triforce of Courage unto himself. He now literally wielded all the powers of the Hero of Time.

Which begs the question as to why Link in OoT was the Hero of Time--was it by blood, or because he did what was required to reach the Master Sword and held a pure heart?

The same could be said to be true for TP Link, although I personally think his inheritance of the Triforce of Courage suffices to prove his worth.

ALttP Link is a special case, although I have a question to raise:
It was said that only a descendants of the Knights could wield the sword. Is this literally true; does someone have to be a descendant to wield the sword? Or is this just a part of the prophecy--that a descendant of the Knights will be the one to wield the sword? So, in other words, could this statement simply mean that someone of the bloodline will be the one to unite the three Pendants and draw the sword?

Originally Posted by LexLionHart

Simpler conclusion (not to discredit yours):
Link in TWW proved his worth by assembling the three pearls, summoning the Tower of the Gods, and completing the trials that led him to the Master Sword. Since he was pure of heart and chosen by the gods, the sword accepted him as its master, despite him having no connection to the legendary hero. His ability to wield the Master Sword, in turn, allowed him to assume the Triforce of Courage unto himself. He now literally wielded all the powers of the Hero of Time.

Yes, but OoT link did the same thing as a child. Only Adult link was the hero of time.

And anyway, your just pointing out things that WW link did, not how he got the power to do those things. He awakened as a hero the same time as TP link.

Oh well. It wasn't a very good theory anyways...

TP Link was recognized as the hero before he ever underwent any trial, and before he even heard of the Master Sword. That's the main difference between the two. The circumstances under which he has to act are about the same, though.

And your theory is fine, there's just a much simpler explanation, which I prefer simply because it's simpler.

Basically, I like to say that all heroes who wield the Master Sword have the potential to be the Hero of Time, but only OoT Link and TWW Link ever are actually called by that title, OoT Link because he was [supposedly] the one to fulfill the events of the prophecy related to the Hero of Time by traveling through time to save the land, and TWW Link because Ganondorf recognized his skills as those of the Hero of Time.

TP Link, had Ganondorf encountered him and known his predecessor by that title (which we assume he didn't) probably would have been called by the same title.

Hmm.

I think I realize just what exactly a theory is. A theory is limited by two things: Whether it can be disproved, and how simple or complex it is.

EDIT: MAybe what I was trying to figure out was why the Foursword series seems to be very similar to ALttP, yet different.

The point I was trying to make was that games that happen on the same time affect one another. FS and FSA might be happening at the same time as ALttP, or LA. I'm not trying to say that OoX happen on different timelines, like Game-trailers was, that's just silly. But, now that the timeline's split, as wisemen we have to think about the other possibilities that this opens up: Not just the dogmatic narrow minded view of the previouse splitists.

Well, that's how I like to look at it.

Another thing I'd like to point out (though really unrelated to the general idea):

You said: "The king might have tried to take the Triforce to use against Ganondorf. But, because of the sheikah legend, wisdom would have stayed with the king, courage to Link, and power to Ganondorf."

This is actually a rather brilliant idea, in retrospect. It explains why all the characters have their pieces, as well as why Ganondorf/the sages apparently don't know that he has his. This could also suffice to provide us with a King who ruled Hyrule using the Triforce for the Sleeping Zelda story, which allows us to place Sleeping Zelda first (but inevitably forcing us to go with the "two kings" idea, if we take that route).

EDIT: Most would go with the idea that FSA happens before ALttP, since it shows a lot of things happening which we later see have happened in ALttP (thieves in Kakariko vacating to the Lost Woods, Lost Woods being transformed in northwest Hyrule, Ganon obtaining the Trident and becoming the blue pig-demon we all love to hate, etc.). Having them as timeline counterparts works to a point, but then you have to wonder why locales in the same places as locales in the Child timeline are more intact after the flood than they are in ALttP, where there is no flood.

Originally Posted by LexLionHart

This is actually a rather brilliant idea, in retrospect. It explains why all the characters have their pieces, as well as why Ganondorf/the sages apparently don't know that he has his. This could also suffice to provide us with a King who ruled Hyrule using the Triforce for the Sleeping Zelda story, which allows us to place Sleeping Zelda first (but inevitably forcing us to go with the "two kings" idea, if we take that route).

Hang on a moment. What we must consider is that the Sheikah legend does not enter the context of any games beyond OoT. The King of Hyrule made a wish while touching the Triforce, after the player is told that the united Triforce will grant that wish. Then we see Hyrule being flooded exactly like what was wished for.

I think the original interpretation is much more likely, that the Triforce pieces were a graphical glitch. And even if it is not a graphical glitch, can we honestly say that the marks should have disappeared when they lost the pieces, simply because it is logical? We used to think the single timeline was logical until it was disproven. I honestly don't see Nintendo trying to connect the timeline to a game made twenty years ago.

HD and I are talking about the King in OoT, Raian.

Originally Posted by HonorableDarkness

“A theory is something that cannot be disproved” –an old geometry teacher

That's actually a theorem, which is different. A theorem is a theory that you can actually prove by using other facts that are already proven, thereby eliminating doubt. It's sort of like taking a proven fact as a starting point to extract more provable facts from.

Originally Posted by Evilsbane

That's actually a theorem, which is different. A theorem is a theory that you can actually prove by using other facts that are already proven, thereby eliminating doubt. It's sort of like taking a proven fact as a starting point to extract more provable facts from.

Fine, I'll get rid of that...


There.