Is there a timeline? or is it the same Link? Kotaku put that to rest in an interview with Aonuma by some guy named Joel.
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Joel
Can I ask question. Each Zelda game seems like a new iteration in the same theme. There is always sort of that hallmark back to there was a previous light sword bearer in ages pas. Should we just accept every time that Zelda is a reimagining of the same theme? Is it sort of assumed that every thousand years this same thing is happening over again?

(Looooong conversation back and forth with lots of laughter.)

Him
It's certainly not the same story being told over and over again. It's not that we have a one thousand year time span between every game or anything like that.

When creating a Zelda game there is the connection between Link and Zelda and the Triforce and Gannon. When we get set to make a new Zelda game, we are focusing on the theme of the game and the game play rather than to create a new timeline for the series.

Joel
So it's basically a reimagiining of the same story line?

Him
No, not so much.

(More translation)

Him
It actually really comes back to the mythology of the land of Hyrule. There is a Triforce and each segment is tied to a different (Long explanation of the Triforce and Zelda mythos.)
It is in a sense events recurring overtime.
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November 19th 1998, Nintendo Power Source
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NP: Where do all the Zelda games fall into place when arranged chronologically by their stories?

Miyamoto: Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finally A Link to the Past. It's not very clear where Link's Awakening fits in--it could be anytime after Ocarina of Time.
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This sets up a basic timeline in 1998. Of course this leaves out a lot of things in MY timeline (cd-i, game and watch, the cereal)

OoT
LoZ
LoZ2AoL

and somewhere after OoT comes LA (though it's clear Ganon must be dead, not imprisoned at the end of the game that kicks off LA)

So next to come out was Wind Waker. So where does it fit?

in 2002 Gamepro asked the same question.
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Gamepro: Where does The Wind Waker fit into the overall Zelda series timeline?

Aonuma: You can think of this game as taking place hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time. You can tell this from the opening story, and there are references to things from Ocarina located throughout the game as well.
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Soooo.

OoT
MM
WW
Loz (Loz must be sometime after water receeded )
Loz2Aol
LttP

and somewhere LA

Then is gets REALLY interesting. Gaminformer asked Eiji soon after 4swords release about Four swords
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Game Informer: That’s something that, you (Bill Trinen – Localization Team) and I have talked about with the release of the Zelda compilation disc, cleaning up some of the spellings like Ganon, and making sure everything is cohesive. Maybe that’s an American thing – us wanting to know how it all works together. I guess that leads me to my next questions. How do the Links in The Four Swords Adventure relate to the overall story line? Or is it just a subchapter or something like that?

EA: The GBA Four Swords Zelda is what we’re thinking as the oldest tale in the Zelda timeline. With this one on the GameCube being a sequel to that, and taking place sometime after that.
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HOLY HELL! this is revolutionary this far in there is STILL a timeline?

FSadvance
FSadventures
OoT
MM
WW
LoZ
Z2Aol
LTTP

and somewhere LA
What of Twilight Princess?
Eiji Aonuma has said two things the first quote was with EGM.
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EGM: Where does this Zelda fall in the overall series' timeline?

EA: I can't really go into that, partially because I want to keep it a secret, but also because we haven't decided yet. There are some kinds of... unstable, uncertain ideas that we're working on. Depending on what course we choose in the process of development, the final ending may change.
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Later....

He said (and this is being republished in Nintendo Power a second time months later.
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Eiji Aonuma Twilight Princess is set about a hundred years after Ocarina of Time…Twilight Princess has elements in it that were made so that people who played Ocarina can say ‘Oh, I remember this!’…releasing Twilight Princess for the Gamecube and creating a whole new Zelda for Wii immediately after (as it was planned) that would have been extremely difficult to do time-wise.
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This may have been translated from Japanese so lets ask the localization team (a lot less official as localization are the morons who spelled Miyamoto "Miyahon" in LOZ2 gave Ganondorf the last name Dragmire in LTTP, and didn't even translate the hylian text in OoT. abyway her eis the quote.
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Mark Macdonald of EGM and 1UP: Could you talk about that? You mentioned at the beginning that this is kind of like a love letter to those people who loved Ocarina. Can you talk about why there were various things, touches and notes?

Nate Bihldorf: Sure, well, first and foremost the main thing is the map. This game is set several hundred years after the end of OoT so it's familiar. It's going to be flipped, of course, in the Wii version which people will notice so it will be slightly different, but people will still ride out and hit Hyrule field for the first time and then run into a village they might recognize from OoT. And then just run into touches here and there. It's obviously changed a lot.

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AYE chihuahua. this is getting complicated.

hundred is less then hundreds but obviously Hyrule hasn't been subject to worldwide flood yet in TP but maybe the timelines are split?

lets add some other things we know from the series like Minish Cap being the origin of the hat which makes it. and Majoras mask was origanelly called "gaiden" meaning the story continues referring obviously to OoT link.

Phantom hourglass is a direct sequel to WW, and tetras trackers has tetra in it.

MC
FS advance
FS Adventure
OoT
MM
TP
WW
Tetras trackers
PH
LoZ )
LoZ2
LTTP

and somewhere we have LA
Okay i think i'm fresh out of developer quotes so all the rest has to be done from in game plots.

Link's awakening occurs when Link goes sailing. So this means there must be a hylian sea and it must occur after Link learns his blood can revive Ganon. So Ganon must have been slain..... from the time it's made LoZ2 is the best bet but at the end of the oracles Link sails away too knowing he needs to strengthen himself to prevent Ganondorf's return.

DAMN the oracles!

No direct quotes..... we know at the end it appears Link and Zelda meet for the first time. so this is this Link's first adventure and the Triforce is fully restored and with the royal family. Koume and Kotake are dead and we know now ANYONE'S blood can return Ganon in a soul less monster state.....

wait a minute in LoZ, and LTTP Ganon IS a soul less monster. all Ganon, and no Ganondorf. No thinking just grabbing the triforce and fighting. No planning or anything.

The triforce is restored to full after WW, Loz 2, and LTTP but after LTTP the master sword sleeps forever.

so the best spot for the oracles is between WW and LoZ with a new Link.

What about the aincent stone tablets? A kid gets sent back in time and helps saharsaleh and Zelda defeat some LTTP era thing without Link. Master sword is used so it must be right befor.

so that makes it.


MC
FS advance
FS Adventure
OoT
MM
TP
WW
Tetras trackers
PH
OOS
OOA
LA (or maybe after LoZ2AoL?)
LoZ )
LoZ2
Aincent stone tablets
LTTP

now comes the wierd stuff. LoZ2 is the first time Link and Zelda meet and share a kiss how can this be if Link just saved Zelda in LoZ? The thing I hear constantly is that this Zelda was put to sleep during the time befor even MC and the wizard is long dead. NO one knows how to wake her so Link uses his restored triforce wish to wake her. They say all females in the Royal Family are named Zelda in her honour. but this is mainly here say.

What about the cartoons? Ganon has power, Royal family has wisdom, and Link has courage. Link ALREADY has courage and the Royal family must have had power stolen from them as in LoZ except Link already has courage.

The ONLY thing that even vaguely fits this description is TP and Zelda is wearing PANTS in some of the toons. Even in some of the CD-i based off of the toons. what about the triforce being gathered in Game and Watch? WHAT ABOUT THE CEREAL!

Oi Vei.

Anyone else got more quotes? I need them if I'm to make sense of this.

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Bokoblins with fricken laser beams on their heads - Dr. Ganondorf

Multiple timelines could fix a lot. But there are no quotes about it..... well there is rumour. Remember my Gamepro quote about WW? The one that appeared to a be a reprinting of Nintendo power and EGM? There is a RUMOUR about an UNCUT version of that interview at the windwaker summit in 02. The translation of the alledged interview is as follows. but is is very specious and NEVER made it to print (which brings to mind the question who leaked it and why didn't they print it? or is it legit at all or just some kids imagination and lies as I have no LEGIT source for this other then rumours of an "uncut" interview) In my experience uncut interviews are usually crap. I heard an uncut interview with the president of Rare saying that Rare was making Perfect Dark for DS but it turned out they didn't even GET dev kits for DS for some time after that. So take a gigantic grain of salt with this.

Miyamoto: Well, wait, which point does the hundred years start from?
Aonuma: From the end.
Miyamoto: No, I mean, as a child or as a...
Aonuma: Oh, right, let me elaborate on that. Ocarina of Time basically has two endings of sorts; one has Link as a child and the other has him as an adult. This game, The Wind Waker, takes place hundreds of years after the adult Link defeats Ganon at the end of Ocarina.
Miyamoto: This is pretty confusing for us, too. (laughs) So be careful.

(this makes sense to me cause there is stainglass of the sages of OoT in WW, if the timeline takes up from the kid line those new sages were never instituted. but that doesn't mean this interview ever occured)

HOWEVER! I do have an interview from Nintendo.com Games : Developer : Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker in which Eiji seems to advocated a split timeline. I will say the 100years is a mistranslations judging from other problems with translation and clarifications i think he means 100s of years.

HOWEVER! if this is indeed what is intended then the interview with Miyamoto clears up a LOT.

MC
FS advance
FS Adventure
Imprioning War
OoT
at the OoT point the game splits.

adult Link goes on to

Soul Calibur 2 (he has Ocarina of time unlike child Link)
WW (Ganon escapes Sacred realm
PH (link appears to go on another strengthening quest
Oracles (New Link fights revived Ganon)

Child Link goes on to
MM (Triforce of wisdom goes back to Hyrule when Link enters Termina)
TP (Ganon escapes with Zant, is defeated, Ganon dies, Royal family keeps power and wisdom)
LoZ (someones blood brings Ganon back, he swipes power)
LoZ2AoL (TP Link's triforce of courage is buried deep in the last dungeon and the triforce is completed)
LA (link goes sailing to strengthen himself)
aincent tablets.
LTTP (Agahnim uses blood to bring him back, Link beats him, makes his wish, master sword sleeps forever, sacrd realm FINALLY purified)

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Bokoblins with fricken laser beams on their heads - Dr. Ganondorf