Now hears a question for the ages. What order do the Zelda games go in? Remember the Angry video game nerds latest video on the confusing order of the zelda games as the years came out. Also There was gametrailers theory on the order of the zelda games, The game trailers theory almost made perfect sense exept for the fact that they made it months before the release of twilight princess and added it into a spot on the time line without even knowing how the game ended, or the ending for phantom hourglass. So for those whove seen the nerds latest video and for those whove beaten the 2 latest zelda games lets put all our theorys together and see if we can solve one of human kinds biggest mysterys. The currect order of the Zelda games. So lets combine our ideas and theorys, weather there from the older games instruction manuals, endings, Nintendo power magizine. I know we can solve this great mystery if we put our minds to it. What order do you think the games go in?

Minish Cap, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Wind Waker, Zelda I, Zelda II, Oracles, Twighlight Princess.

I doubt there is a timeline that officially fits all the Zelda games. The same can be said for Nintendo as they don't have one and neither does Miyamoto. (and he's the game's creator!)

Bottom Line: The Zelda series in the epitome for classic and great gaming. Despite a "fractured and confusing timeline", I and many others still love the series to this day and will continue to do so as long as it keep doing what it does best.

But if you're eager to crack the timeline puzzle, don't obsess over it too much and have some fun in the process. :lol:

Here is my theory on the Zelda timeline (some of it is taken from Game Trailer's theory, but it's not exactly the same, as there was stuff in their theory I didn't agree with). The main important thing to remember throughout the whole thing, is that a lot of the time it's a different Zelda and a different Link in each game. The hero of Hyrule is always named Link after the original hero, and the princess is always named Zelda after her ancestors (all the Zelda's are from the same family line, but not the Links).

First, Minish Cap is the earliest adventure. I think most people agree with this.

Next, comes Ocarina of Time...where Ganondorf is first introduced and is seeking the Golden Power so he can take over Hyrule. It is in OoT where two seperate time lines in the Zelda universe are created. In Hyrule A...Link fights and defeats Ganondorf as an adult. Hyrule B, is created when adult Link is sent back by adult Zelda to his childhood...to the time right before he first met her. Young Link and Young Zelda then change history, by warning the King about Ganondorf before he has a chance to take over. So....

Hyrule A - Ganondorf takes over Hyrule, and is defeated by adult Link after he has been king for 7 years. Link is then sent back in time to his childhood, and completely disappears from Hyrule A.

Hyrule B - young Link and young Zelda warn the king about Ganondorf before he can take over.

Now, let's start with the Hyrule A timeline.

After Ganondorf's defeat, he is sealed away in the Golden Realm by the 7 sages of Hyrule (as seen in Ocarina of Time). Hundreds of years later, he is still sealed...but now is using the wizard Agahnim to help free him. So, A Link to the Past comes after Ocarina of Time in the Hyrule A timeline. Agahnim must capture the 7 decedents of the 7 sages who sealed Ganondorf away in order to break the seal. Of course, since A Link to the Past came out way before Ocarina, the 7 sages and their decendents are all humans now (or Hylians, like Link and Zelda) and not different races like Gorons, Zoras, etc, like they were in Ocarina of Time. It's a plot hole, but that's what happens sometimes in these kinds of cases. Anyway, the current Princess Zelda is a decendent of the Zelda in Ocarina, who was one of the sages...so Agahnim kidnaps her. A new Link is called by Zelda telepathically to rescue her and defeat the wizard. Of course, Link also ends up going into the Golden Realm (which has been changed into the Dark World by Ganon), to defeat him...who is now pig like in appearance due to the Golden Realm changing your outward appearance to match your heart.

After Link destroys Ganon, he sets sail away from Hyrule to seek out new adventures...which leads into Link's Awakening. The booklet clearly states that it takes place after Link destroys Ganon...and the fact that the Link's nightmare that he fights at the end of the game takes the shape of how both Agahnim and Ganon looked in A Link to the Past confirms that Link's Awakening comes next.

After Link's awakening, comes the original Legend of Zelda...which once again possibly takes place hundreds of years later. Ganon is resurrected by his minions, and he still holds the Tri-force of Power which he got in Ocarina of Time. The current Princess Zelda (who's descended from the other Princess Zeldas) still has the Triforce of Wisdom, which as been passed down to her. The whereabouts of the Triforce of Courage, which the Ocarina of Time Link had...are unknown. Ganon kidnaps Zelda to get her piece of the Triforce, but before he does...she splits it into 8 fragments and hides them. Then, a new hero is called into action by Zelda's handmaiden Impa...named after the original Impa from Ocarina. The new Link collects all 8 fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, destroys Ganon, and saves Zelda.

This now leads into Zelda II: The Adventure of Link...which takes place just a few years later. A wizard puts Zelda into a deep sleep when she won't tell him the secrets of the Triforce, and Ganon's minions mean to resurrect him once again, by killing Link and sprinkling Link's blood on Ganon's ashes (hey, it's in the booklet). Link now sets out to find the missing third piece of the Triforce, the Triforce of Courage to restore peace to Hyrule and awaken Zelda.

The next game in line is either Oracle of the Seasons, or Oracle of Ages. I agree with Game Trailers' theory, that each one probably takes place in a different time line then the other...so it can be either one taking place here. I believe this is currently the last Zelda adventure in the Hyrule A time line.

Now, we go back to Hyrule B...this is the timeline that is created when Link (who was sent back from Hyrule A) and Zelda warn the king and stop Ganondorf before he can take over anything in Ocarina of Time.

Navi departs from Link, but he soon sets off to find her with his horse, Epona. This leads into Majora's Mask, where Link must save

Wow, great theory. Never woulda' thunk it. But in all of that, wouldn't wind waker come after ocarina of time? Didn't you watch the cutscene in the beginning of the wind waker? After link defeats ganon in OoT, he is then sent back in to his childhood, then departing on for the quest in termina. THAT'S when ganon comes back to wreak havoc on hyrule. Think about it.

And Link's Crossbow Training takes place either during or after TP.

I thought Link was using a crossbow during majora's mask?

and in any case, I thought the manual for majora's mask stated (indirectly) that it takes place several months after OoT?

also, where does adventure of link fall in? Obviously it has to be before the oracles series.

(then again Link re-uses a slingshot in oracles, so...)

The reason I don't put Wind Waker right after Ocarina, is because Hyrule gets flooded at the end of it. If there's no more Hyrule, then there's no way any of the other adventures could take place afterwards...which is why I put it at the end.

yes, but the wind waker link was designed as a child

same for phantom hourglass

personally I think PH would take place after wind waker

Phantom Hour Glass does take place after Wind Waker. I put PH last in one of my Hyrule time lines, right after Wind Waker. Nintendo even said themselves that it's Wind Waker's sequel. I haven't played it yet, but I'm guessing you're not in Hyrule in that game cause Hyrule was flooded in WW.

Real interesting theory and very plausible. I was curious how TP would fit into the time line. I'm sure if I'd have actually sat down and thought about it, I'd have come up with something, eventually.

So, with your theory, it's..

Hyrule A
Minnish Cap => Ocarina of Time => A Link to the Past => Link’s Awakening => The Legend of Zelda => The Adventure of Link => Oracle of Ages or Oracle of Seasons

Hyrule B
Minnish Cap => Ocarina of Time => Majora’s Mask => Twilight Princess => Oracle of Ages or Oracle of Seasons => Wind Waker => Phantom Hourglass

I like this. Too bad you couldn't find a place for Four Swords Adventure.

Out of all the theorys on the zelda time line his does seam to make the most sense. As for Four Swords adventures I think it might take place after link's awakening, and before Legend of Zelda. Or its after Link to the past, and before Link's awakening. Considering at the begining Zelda already knows who link is and the other 6 maidens are back, and you fight Ganon at the end. Of course this is just a hunch.

But his theory is indeed the best ive heard yet. Untill they release another Zelda game which continues to make the timeline more complicated. I mean what are they gonna do next put Hyrule in outer space? On the moon? On another planet? The AVGN was right on how the time lines gets from complicated to even more complicated with each new release. So you can bet in a few years were gonna have to rearange this order again.

Since you fight Ganon at the end of Four Swords, and he's similar to how he was in A Link to the Past...I think it could be placed just about anywhere in time line A after Link to the Past. Some people debate that Four Swords is not canon, and was a "just for fun" game that really has no place in the Zelda story.

I thought each new game series (each console series) was a new incarnation of Link. That theres more than one. Thats how it always made sense to me.

Yeah, that's pretty much what's been stated. These "new Links" and "new Zeldas" for each games are descendants of the original. Just reading the story for each game kind of implies it, and canonically, we do know that Ocarina of Time is the first story (not counting Minnish Cap). Shigeru said as much. Look at how Wind Waker starts. IIRC the intro correctly, it was going on about how the people celebrate the legend of the "Hero of Time", which can be a reference to Ocarina of Time or that the 10 year old kid in WW is a descendant of that particular Link who saved Hyrule many years ago.

I wish the series ended at Link's Awakening.

Hyrule gets flooded because of the fact that there is no hero to stop ganon from his havoc wreaking. Also, in the cutscene it states that before this all happened, it was the hero of time who defeated ganon. Come on man, listen.

The one for the SNES was fuckin' badass.

But it couldnt have happend right after Ocarina of time. Because Ganon was sealed away in the Sacret relm by the seven Sages. I mean it only makes sense to put link to the past after the future where ganons trapped because Agnahnim th Wizard was trying to break the seal the seven sages left that bounded Ganon to that world. I mean theres no way he could have escaped until Agnahnim freed him at the end, and theres no way this could go before any other Zelda game with ganon as the main villan unless he found another way to escape his inprisonment and was sealed to the sacret relm again. But that would just be rediculase. the real fault lies with the games creator who cant even decide what order the games go in. As stated by the angry video game nerd. I know he didnt quite say that but you know what I mean.

I wish they could come up with something official too, but at least we do know for a fact that it would start with Minnish Cap and then Ocarina of Time, and then that we would get a split since it was mentioned, officially, that Ocarina of Time had two endings: a time where Link goes back to live out his natural life as a child (hence Majora's Mask) and probably warns the king with Zelda of Ganondorf's plan and then the other where the future contains of no adult Link, and how a "Hero of time" wasn't particularly necessary since Ganondorf would've been stopped in the past. Did that make any sense? ^^