Where exactly in time does Link in Oot return to?

I had always believed that he was returned to when he pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal and allowed Ganondorf access to the Triforce but I see that other people believe otherwise. What do you believe and why?

Edit: I see a lot of people not reading the entire debate and posting things that are already said, so with the permission of Jarsh, I'm going to add his list. Again this is Jarsh's list not mine:

Link being returned to a time after he opened the Door of Time, but before pulling the Master Sword
Pros:

1) Explains the Door of Time being open.

Cons:

1) Requires heavy speculation as to why Zelda would be back at the castle that Ganon just invaded.

2) The developers purposely took the Goron Bracelet off of Link in later versions, which is odd if he was supposed to be sent back to a time after he would have acquired it.

3) Zelda turning around, surprised to see Link. She only does this once, and it's the first time they meet. If they've already met, it requires a differing explanation.

4) Zelda peering in the window. The only time she ever does this is when Ganondorf is in the castle. If she's not looking at him (since he already would've invaded the castle), it requires an explanation as to WHAT she's looking at.

5)In Majora's Mask, Zelda teaches you the Song of Time and gives you the Ocarina of Time. If this is right before he would pull the Master Sword, he shouldn't be given the Ocarina at all, as he would already have it. Zelda would presume he would also already know the Song of Time at that point. This requires speculation.

# of unexplained occurrences that require speculation:

5

Link being returned to a time before he opened the Door of Time, before acquiring the Goron Bracelet

Pros:

1) Link doesn't have the Goron Bracelet.

2) Zelda's still at the castle, which presumably wouldn't have been invaded. Therefore, she wouldn't be in hiding.

3) Zelda is surprised to see Link, exactly the same reaction as the time they first met.

4) Before noticing Link, she is peering into the window, the only time she ever does this in the game is when Ganondorf is in the castle.

5) In Majora's Mask, Link is given the Ocarina by Zelda because he would not have received it yet. Zelda may also presume that he doesn't know the Song of Time yet either, so that may be why she teaches it to him.

Cons:

1) The Door of Time is open.

# of unexplained occurrences that require speculation:

1

End of Jarsh's list

Btw, the After side has said Zelda could have returned to the castle because Ganondorf couldn't take over the castle with the triforce of power. The reaction could have been suprise from the absence of Link's fairy (though the fairy hides in Link's clothes a lot) and the MM scene is to simply advance the plot.

Before OOT began. Or at least before he met Zelda. My reasoning for this, Zelda acts rather shocked when she sees him as if she didn't yet know who he is, if it was just before he pulled the MS then Zelda wouldn't be in the courtyard, i say before everything started just because to me Zelda would want to ensure none of her mistakes had messed anything up yet.

Right before their first meeting, due to Link not even having the Goron Bracelet on him. I like to assume that he still at leats tries to help the Gorons and Zoras, do everything over, except don't collect the Spiritual Stones. It just adds closure...after all what could he be doing in the months that preceeded MM?

It returns to the time in the master bedroom with him and her gettin it on... lol jp . I think it returns to the time after they had already met

I don't know...but if you watch the end scene closely Link has the ToC right on the back of his left hand.

Personally I always wanted to believe it happened after they'd already met.

I think just before he met Zelda for the first time. Others reason that Future Zelda is not that much of a dick and wouldn't erase all the problems you'd solved at Death Mountain or Zora's Domain after that point.

Link plays with Zelda's pussy.... cat haha ... I want to see Ganondorf younger

My guess is he is teleported after the first meeting and he goes to prove her legend is true, by showing her he has the ToC.

Debatable but there are three options:

1. After he pulled the MS.
2. Before he met Zelda
3. After he met Zelda but before he pulled the Master sword.

I believe in option 3.

At the end of the game he is sent to the point in time
after meeting Navi & getting the Spiritual Stone of Forest,
and before meeting Zelda

Originally Posted by Iron_Knuckle_

I had always believed that he was returned to when he pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal and allowed Ganondorf access to the Triforce but I see that other people believe otherwise. What do you believe and why?

That's the one time that it definitely cannot occur. Zelda is at the castle when he gets sent to the past, so it's some point before the third spiritual stone.

There's also the plothole of the Ocarina. Link obviously gets sent back to before he went to Death Mountain. Meaning the Door of Time hasn't been opened yet. But if he's in the Master Sword chamber when he gets sent back, how did he get out of the Temple of Time? And if the Door of Time is already open, that means Ganondorf has already attacked Hyrule Castle. (Obviously, he would have to play the Song of Time to get out of the Master Sword chamber, but we never actually see him do it.)

Link92: Something cause the door to open for whatever reason. Most likely Zelda and the sages of the future opened it to ensure he could get out.

Originally Posted by Pinecove

Debatable but there are three options:

1. After he pulled the MS.
2. Before he met Zelda
3. After he met Zelda but before he pulled the Master sword.

I believe in option 3.

I don't see how it could be after he had pulled the Master Sword. Ganondorf would have already entered the Sacred Realm and taken over Hyrule.

My money's on either right before he pulled the sword, or right after he met Princess Zelda.

I'm thinking that he was warped back in time to before he had met Zelda for the first time (aka before helping Gorons and Zoras). I say this because Zelda is still in the castle at OoT's ending, which means that Ganondorf had not yet attacked. The fact that she seems surprised to see him points to it being their first meeting.

he HAS to return after the stones are collected and he let everyone get thier piece of the triforce. He probobly returned the stones to the zoras, gorons and kokiri. If he did go back before he met zelda, then explain TP

chatot: how does going back to before he met Zelda interfere with TP?

Originally Posted by chatotik687

he HAS to return after the stones are collected and he let everyone get thier piece of the triforce. He probobly returned the stones to the zoras, gorons and kokiri. If he did go back before he met zelda, then explain TP

The only way that would be any evidence is if Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm on the CT, which he did not.

When we see Link meeting Zelda again at the very end, we see him with the Triforce of Courage on his hand, but, we also see that he does NOT have the Goron Bracelet. Though, he DOES have whatever sheild you last equip to child Link. Even the Hylian Shield, which Link cannot get until after he leaves the forest. So it would most likely take place after he left the forest, and before he travelled to Death Mountain. The Triforce proves the trio did get the pieces, whether Link or Zelda know is unknown, but Ganondorf definitely was not aware.

Originally Posted by Oni Dark Link

chatot: how does going back to before he met Zelda interfere with TP?

My reasoning was that it in TP, the sages couldnt kill ganon due to the fact he had the ToP, but in OOT, he didnt get the ToP until link opened the door of time on zelda's request. Therefore, if he hadnt met zelda, than there would be no way of Ganon having the ToP which he has in TP