Mind Travel Theory: ending of OoT fully explained

I present a new explanation for the ending of Ocarina of Time, as well as a new interpretation of Link's experiences with the Temple of Time.


Questions: How can there be two timelines, adult and child, if Link traveled through the Temple of Time several times, and those didn't create other new timelines? How can Zelda be powerful enough to alter the entire universe at will by creating multiple timelines?

Old Answer: Time travel doesn't split the timeline, it replaces the "old future" when you change the past. Zelda specifically created a new timeline using her power as the seventh sage, or, by using the Triforce of Wisdom.
Note: these answers rely on nothing found in the games, and contradict common sense in saying that the old future would just "disappear".

New Answer (Mind Travel Theory):
Traveling back in time always makes a new timeline because it changes the past. The reason Link's travels through the Temple of Time did not do this, is because he wasn't really traveling back in time at all! There was always one timeline and one future. This is hinted at by a huge piece of evidence: Guru-Guru. Even before the player goes "back in time" in OoT to drain the well as child Link, the player learns the Song of Storms from Guru-Guru as adult Link, who says he remembers child Link playing it to drain the well. This indicates that there is one continuous timeline in which Link enters the ToT, siezes the sword, puts it back, drains the well, siezes the sword again, puts it back, gets the silver gauntlets, siezes the sword again, is gone for several years, beats the Forest / Fire / Water temples, places the sword back, siezes it again, beats the Shadow Temple, places the sword back, siezes it again, kills Twinrova, defeats Ganondorf, and is sent back by Zelda. THIS timeline listed is the timeline that always was, and always was going to be. He did not change the past by draining the well. When he awakes for the first time and meets Rauru, that timeline that was currently going on already had the well drained and the lens taken. The timeline was always linear and constant, but Link's consciousness jumps through time, so that in the future Guru-Guru remembers the well being drained but Link does not because his consciousness is not linear like everyone else's. The Temple of Time, using the power of the seven ancient sages, changes the flow of Link's mind through time.

EDIT: ignore everything below this point, it made sense but is actually incorrect, after the discussions below and reviewing points of the ending movie. Everything ^ is still valid.

When Zelda sent him back, she sent him back to the only point he was able to be sent back to: the point at which he was gone for several years. This was "his natural time", because it was the last point before there was an unnatural break in his mind's timeline. This is why the Door of Time is already open when he returns. He places the Master Sword back, visits Zelda at her castle with the Triforce of Courage on his hand because the Door is already open and Ganondorf already has the Triforce of Power (this was unavoidable; she can't send him back earlier than his natural time); a war occurs throughout the next year or so and Ganondorf is captured (this time, he was unable to conquer Hyrule because Link was not dormant in the Temple) (this may or may not be the Imprisoning War); Link then leaves on a personal journey to find Navi.

Implications of this new explantion: Actually not that different from the current accepted theories. There are still two timelines, adult and child, and Ganondorf has been neutralized, at least for the time being, in both. In MM actual time travel takes place, but the Goddess of Time may have personally erased the old future timeline. However, this is one of the first theories to totally explain every scene of the end of OoT without contradictions.


If anything is confusing, please feel free to ask what I mean by something.

There was a quote from Shiek (I believe) that said when you travel forward in time with the Master Sword you will be transported to the future on the same exact day, date, and time. I think Shiek said that. Say the day is Monday the 12th at 3:00 p.m. and you put the Master Sword in the Pedestal Of Time, you will be transported to the future 7 years later (lets say you're Link) and you will find that it is Monday the 12th at 3:00 p.m. The same exact day, date, and time you left 7 years before.

Actually this is a reall neat idea.

Damn, finally an explanation that makes sense.

You, good sir, are on the edge of entering history as the first man to discover how the Zelda-timeline mechanism works...worked...whatever.


However, there are 2 things I must disagree upon:
1. We can assume the door of time being closed as Link returns from the completed future, so Ganondorf got his piece of the Triforce through another way: Link was send back with his ToC, causing it to break in the Adult timeline, but also dissapear from the apparently untouched Triforce of the Child timeline: thus causing Zelda and Ganondorf to receive their pieces without knowing.

Ganondorf won't be captured because in some kind of war, he'll most like be captured by the sages themselves (the old ones). Why, because he doesn't know he has the ToP to rebel against them. Why did they want to capture him? Easy: he killed a Guardian Deity, tried to kill another one and then tried to kill the entire Goron race...

Originally Posted by Daemonius

Damn, finally an explanation that makes sense.

You, good sir, are on the edge of entering history as the first man to discover how the Zelda-timeline mechanism works...worked...whatever.


However, there are 2 things I must disagree upon:
1. We can assume the door of time being closed as Link returns from the completed future, so Ganondorf got his piece of the Triforce through another way: Link was send back with his ToC, causing it to break in the Adult timeline, but also dissapear from the apparently untouched Triforce of the Child timeline: thus causing Zelda and Ganondorf to receive their pieces without knowing.

Ganondorf won't be captured because in some kind of war, he'll most like be captured by the sages themselves (the old ones). Why, because he doesn't know he has the ToP to rebel against them. Why did they want to capture him? Easy: he killed a Guardian Deity, tried to kill another one and then tried to kill the entire Goron race...

You're forgetting the scene at the end of OoT in which Link was in the master sword chamber, with the Door of Time clearly wide open. If Link was sent back before the door was opened, either he or zelda must have opened it again, or someone else did. If Link or Zelda opened it, Link having the ToC on his hand indicates that someone grabbed the triforce again and it split again. This seems very unlikely, since they wouldn't open the door again without being more careful this time, and since the triforce splitting and Ganon getting the ToP be terrible, Link would look very alarmed, which he doesn't, as he calmly returns the Master Sword and Navi flies off. It's also highly unlikely that Zelda would give her ocarina of time to someone else. If Ganondorf somehow convinced her he was good and needed it, Link, knowing the truth, would likewise look very alarmed, since Ganon got the triforce again. But, as mentioned, Link calmly puts the Master Sword back at the end of the cutscene. So: either no-one has the Triforce (clearly not the case, since it's on his hand), or Zelda sent him back AFTER the door was already open, so Ganon has it but is either already defeated or in the process of being defeated.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

If Link or Zelda opened it, Link having the ToC on his hand indicates that someone grabbed the triforce again and it split again. T

You're forgetting that Link had the Triforce Of Courage in the Adult Timeline and he was sent back with it to seperate the Triforce. Because Adult Zelda has the ToW and Ganondorf has the ToP in the Adult Timeline. Sending Link back into the Child Timeline would sort of split the Triforce up until it can be brought back together somehow.

And we see Link in the Master Sword area. Remember what started this all, the opening of the Door Of Time and Ganondorf entering the Sacred Realm via the open door. So Link could of been sent to the start of his journeys before he took hold of the Master Sword where the Door was open. He runs back to the Castle and tells Zelda what he sees in the future.

Originally Posted by Skeletonband

You're forgetting that Link had the Triforce Of Courage in the Adult Timeline and he was sent back with it to seperate the Triforce. Because Adult Zelda has the ToW and Ganondorf has the ToP in the Adult Timeline. Sending Link back into the Child Timeline would sort of split the Triforce up until it can be brought back together somehow. And we see Link in the Master Sword area. Remember what started this all, the opening of the Door Of Time and Ganondorf entering the Sacred Realm via the open door. So Link could of been sent to the start of his journeys before he took hold of the Master Sword where the Door was open. He runs back to the Castle and tells Zelda what he sees in the future.

There is no evidence of an otherwise-complete triforce self-splitting when no-one touches it, and transferring itself to three people. Furthermore, there is no reason Zelda would purposely send him back to when the Door is already open, and risk Ganondorf getting in. If she's ABLE to send him back to before his natural time (his child "save point"), she would obviously send him back earlier, to before he opened the door, which would be much safer. Those are two weaknesses in what you suggest.

You're also forgetting that Zelda has fled the Castle before the Door of Time was opened, so she wouldn't be there when Link returned to the past. I suppose that could be after the execution scene we see in TP, though, when she'd returned to the Castle...

Anyway, I really, really, really like this theory. I believe I've thought of something very similar somewhere along the way, but not nearly as well thought out as this.

So, what I can gather from this is that you are saying;

1) The events that Link had performed as a child when he had 'replaced' the Master Sword had already happened by the time that he had woken from the Sacred Realm;
2) Link's body did not travel time, merely his mind, and;
3) Everything that Link did in his time travels follows the Adult Timeline.

Correct?

My thoughts on the subject:
I believe the timeline actually splits at the point where he 'returns' the Master Sword in the past, and not when Zelda 'sends him back'. I had a thought, once, that the point were we see Link walking away from the Master Sword is alternate from when Link grasps the sword for the first time. As his 'future' consciousness came back to him, he decided not to take the Sword, and instead took an alternate course of action.

It would have been logical for the 'old future' to be erased, though. Perhaps the fact that Link had not grapsed the Master Sword simply erased his presence from the future, but not everyone else's.

This, in turn, creates a paradoxial situation. If he does not pull the sword, then what will tell him not to do it? The split timeline is most probably the outcome of this; the first time, he did not know better; the second, he knew what was to come, and therefore avoided it.

I can't help but feel I got off-topic somewhere along the way...

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

There is no evidence of an otherwise-complete triforce self-splitting when no-one touches it, and transferring itself to three people. Furthermore, there is no reason Zelda would purposely send him back to when the Door is already open, and risk Ganondorf getting in. If she's ABLE to send him back to before his natural time (his child "save point"), she would obviously send him back earlier, to before he opened the door, which would be much safer. Those are two weaknesses in what you suggest.

Well, Ganondorf would of touched the Triforce when Link opened up the Door and traveled 7 years into the future. And Zelda would have to send Link back to the time when the door would be opened because Link wouldn't be able to seal the pathway to the Sacred Realm without the Master Sword so it would always be open, but it would be blocked behind the Door.

Originally Posted by Skeletonband

Well, Ganondorf would of touched the Triforce when Link opened up the Door and traveled 7 years into the future. And Zelda would have to send Link back to the time when the door would be opened because Link wouldn't be able to seal the pathway to the Sacred Realm without the Master Sword so it would always be open, but it would be blocked behind the Door.

No, that doesn't make sense. He wouldn't have to seal any pathway at all if she just sent him back before the whole thing happened, because that early in time the pathway wasn't opened.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

There is no evidence of an otherwise-complete triforce self-splitting when no-one touches it, and transferring itself to three people. Furthermore, there is no reason Zelda would purposely send him back to when the Door is already open, and risk Ganondorf getting in. If she's ABLE to send him back to before his natural time (his child "save point"), she would obviously send him back earlier, to before he opened the door, which would be much safer. Those are two weaknesses in what you suggest.

The Triforce need not be touched, because it was already seperated because a certain young hero had been sent back in time, with his piece of the Triforce.

Furthermore, there probably isn't a moment earlier in time Zelda could've send him though: as that was the very moment Link was about to travel for the first time, and the Door of Time opening (perhaps plus her ToW) might as well have unlocked Zelda's ability to send Link back.

Zelda probably WANTED Link to return with his piece of the Triforce, so her past self and perhaps the Sages would be forced to believe him.

*points up* My post wants answering.

Originally Posted by MajorasWrath1

No, that doesn't make sense. He wouldn't have to seal any pathway at all if she just sent him back before the whole thing happened, because that early in time the pathway wasn't opened.

It's as you said, the Door of Time/Master Sword is a PATHWAY in time. You can't go through it if it's closed...

Originally Posted by Daemonius

The Triforce need not be touched, because it was already seperated because a certain young hero had been sent back in time, with his piece of the Triforce.

Furthermore, there probably isn't a moment earlier in time Zelda could've send him though: as that was the very moment Link was about to travel for the first time, and the Door of Time opening (perhaps plus her ToW) might as well have unlocked Zelda's ability to send Link back.

Zelda probably WANTED Link to return with his piece of the Triforce, so her past self and perhaps the Sages would be forced to believe him.

He can't go back "with" the ToC, or the future timeline would be missing a piece.

Originally Posted by Daemonius

It's as you said, the Door of Time/Master Sword is a PATHWAY in time. You can't go through it if it's closed...

What makes you think he has to land in the Master Sword chamber? He's not using the Temple of Time for travel this time.

Originally Posted by Sparkly Faerie

You're also forgetting that Zelda has fled the Castle before the Door of Time was opened, so she wouldn't be there when Link returned to the past. I suppose that could be after the execution scene we see in TP, though, when she'd returned to the Castle...

Anyway, I really, really, really like this theory. I believe I've thought of something very similar somewhere along the way, but not nearly as well thought out as this.

So, what I can gather from this is that you are saying;

1) The events that Link had performed as a child when he had 'replaced' the Master Sword had already happened by the time that he had woken from the Sacred Realm;
2) Link's body did not travel time, merely his mind, and;
3) Everything that Link did in his time travels follows the Adult Timeline.

Correct?

My thoughts on the subject:
I believe the timeline actually splits at the point where he 'returns' the Master Sword in the past, and not when Zelda 'sends him back'. I had a thought, once, that the point were we see Link walking away from the Master Sword is alternate from when Link grasps the sword for the first time. As his 'future' consciousness came back to him, he decided not to take the Sword, and instead took an alternate course of action.

It would have been logical for the 'old future' to be erased, though. Perhaps the fact that Link had not grapsed the Master Sword simply erased his presence from the future, but not everyone else's.

This, in turn, creates a paradoxial situation. If he does not pull the sword, then what will tell him not to do it? The split timeline is most probably the outcome of this; the first time, he did not know better; the second, he knew what was to come, and therefore avoided it.

I can't help but feel I got off-topic somewhere along the way...

Wow. That actually makes sense. But remember we see Link hopping down from the Pedestal, he just released it and hopped down then Navi flies away. So it couldn't be he has a second thought about the Master Sword.