The Legend of Zelda

[Chekt]

I think there is an official timeline, but only the developers know it.
Or that is just an urban myth, and they're just sorta making it up as the go along, just trying to make fun games without worrying about utter concrete continuity between 16 games.

[Kamak]

The first game of the Zelda series is Minish Cap. The link in that game is the first hero. He is the first one to wear a green hat with his green ensemble (because of the talking bird hat). This game possible is after the first one.

Word of God has already stated that SS is first (currently, future games might do away with this). Minish cap actually wasn't even officially stated to be first besides a quote from Aonuma that later was retracted because he "flubbed up".

So now we know the hat tradition DIDN'T start with Minish Cap, meaning it could even potentially be in a different place in the timeline than we originally thought.

Personally, I'm of the mind that the Four Sword Trilogy (MC, FS, FSA) may have taken place in the Adult timeline in New Hyrule, since the Master Sword is missing and the only thing from Old Hyrule that reappears is Ganon. The Triforce isn't even mentioned, and Spirit Tracks hints at Zelda having SOME sort of power (the Light Force?). Plus, this means the art design from WW onward is consistent.

[Nefarious Bear]

Well the Legend of Zelda doesn't NEED a timeline. But unless the Link in this game is Gustav, Minish Cap has to be the first game because Gustav was the first hero(IF there is a timeline.)

[Syobon]

But didn't they say there was an official timeline, only known to a select few?

[Wordsmith]

Well the Legend of Zelda doesn't NEED a timeline. But unless the Link in this game is Gustav, Minish Cap has to be the first game because Gustav was the first hero(IF there is a timeline.)

Nobody has confirmed that that is the first game


Like I said, many people may think its the first game, but there is no actual confirmation.

Skyward sword takes place before anyone named Zelda is princess, yet there is a Princess Zelda in Minish Cap. There is a bunch of contradictory evidence all over the Zelda universe that in the end just say that there isnt really any way to tell for sure what the real timeline is.

[Chekt]

they're just sorta making it up as the go along, just trying to make fun games without worrying about utter concrete continuity between 16 games.

[Gryewolf]

But didn't they say there was an official timeline, only known to a select few?

Yes. Only two people know the real timeline.
That's the original creator and his assistant, or something. They said that there was an oficial Zelda time line and that Skyward sword was the first in the time line. I also think they said they'd never actualy reveal the timeline.

[Noble Wrot]

They said that this was before the foundation of Hyrule.

Then how can Link get the Hylian Shield?

And its not like it could have existed before and Hyrule ended up adopting it as their shield when Hyrule is created, because it is called "Hylian Shield" in the game.

And I doubt it is named after the race, as opposed to the nation, since "Hylian" means "of Hyrule"

It is called the Hero's Shield in Twilight Princess. The name is not set it in stone. Besides, I think "Hylian" could apply to the race of people. Link is a Hylian, and maybe that name still applies to those in Skyloft.

[Crawfish]

Minish Cap > Four Swords Adventures > Four Swords = ONE CONTINUITY

Skyward Sword > Ocarina of Time > Wind Waker > Phantom Hourglass > Spirit Tracks = OTHER CONTINUITY 1
Skyward Sword > ocarina of Time > Majora's Mask > Twilight Princess = OTHER CONTINUITY 2

All the other games are just kind of hanging out wherever they want.

Just my personal way of thinking about the Zelda timeline.

I also think that Link's Awakening and Phantom Hourglass are the "same" but told differently, maybe a couple others fall under that category.

[NDividedByZero]

Also, we can't be 100% sure that OOT/MM Link even returned to Hyrule after the game ended at all. That's probably what he did, but still.

[Nap1000]

AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I HATE TIMELINE THEORIZING!!!!!! IT MAKES MY BRAIN HURT!!!!!!!!

MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cori]

CAPS LOCK AND MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!!!


No, but like I said, there's really no way of saying with 100% certainty that one game is the first in the timeline. There are multiple theories revolving around the fanbase, and while the split-timeline theory is generally accepted by the fans as a line of continuity from Oot (or SS) onwards, there's multiple theories over the order of the games that happened BEFORE Skyward Sword.

[Chekt]

OoT branched off into 2 timelines.
the Adult timeline, where at the end Link goes back, and therefore is not there to stop Ganondorf from returning as alluded to in WW.
And then the child timeline, where Link left Hyrule and was in Termina in MM.

This is the most popular theory
As a whole:
The Legend of Zelda --> The Adventure of Link

Ocarina of Time --> A Link to the Past --> Link's Awakening

Ocarina of Time (Child Timeline) --> Majora's Mask --> Twilight Princess

Ocarina of Time (Adult Timeline) --> The Wind Waker --> Phantom Hourglass --> Spirit Tracks

Oracle of Ages <--> Oracle of Seasons

The Minish Cap --> Four Swords --> Four Swords Adventures

http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline

Eiji Aonuma has stated that he will do his best to connect the games together and hopefully reveal the timeline someday, and both he and Shigeru Miyamoto have publicly stated there is a master document containing the timeline.

[Cori]

If Link "goes back" at the end of OoT, he goes back to being a kid. They achieve this by reversing time. This means that Link is still, you know, in Hyrule. That means that he would still be there should Ganon return.

Or do they mean that Link leaves the adult timeline, but that world still goes on and that's where Ganon comes back? Because that's straight into parallel universes, and that's a whole different can of worms.

This is basically what the split timeline theory is. At the end of OoT, when Zelda sends Link back in time, HER timeline continues on. However, since she sent Link back to his childhood, he was no longer there in her timeline. Sometime after that, Ganon broke free and the goddesses flooded Hyrule because Link no longer existed in that time to stop him.

Now, we switch gears to Link, who goes back to his childhood. He warns Zelda about Ganondorf, then leaves to search for his friend. The sages try to imprison Ganondorf but he escapes (due to having obtained the triforce in the alternate timeline, which seemed to carry over to this timeline), leading to the events in Twilight Princess.

[Wordsmith]

You guys are forgetting that TP had to come between MM and WW

Its after Ganondorf escaped the Sacred Realm, but before Hyrule was flooded by the goddesses.