At the turn of the Millenium, as young Link IV continued to grow, his Uncle Error began to feel uneasy. He sensed great trouble coming, and he stepped up Link’s training. Meanwhile, the two moved into a new home south of Hyrule Castle. The farm house was simply too big and lonely with just the two of them, and alone they could not maintain the farm. With a heavy heart, he sold their remaining livestock and crops to buy the new house.

He recalled happier times, enjoying the company of his family. His brother in law, Link I, he remembered was very quiet. Often, Link would be found sitting quietly in the corner, reading books he had checked out of the Kakariko Village library. More than a few times, it was the Book of Modura, which was now seen as a religious book.

The Book of Modura (sometimes spelled Mudora, due to the complexities of translating Hylian language to English) was a tome of great spiritual and religious significance to the people of Hyrule. Some believed the stories were the literal tales of the legendary Heroes, others believed them to be allegorical tales, meant to convey moral messages.

Error and his family had never attended ceremonies or other spiritual events in Hyrule. Their ranch and farm had been on the outskirts of Hyrule, and they were happy without the influence of religion into their lives. Error, in particular, was strongly against the religion and he would attempt to engage Link in debates. “Why do you read such nonsense?” he would ask, “It provides easy answers for simple people.” Link would usually respond simply, “There is little knowledge that is not power.”

Now, with this unbearable sense of dread filling his heart, those words echoed in Error’s head. In desperation, he travelled to the Kakariko library and began reading the Book of Modura. He would not tell young Link his specific intention, only that he was going to library and he wished to be alone. Still unsure about what he saw as a religion of false hope and easy answers, he did not want to steer the boy down what may be a bad path.

As he read the legends in the book, he was fascinated by the stories of bravery told within. The exploits of the Hero of Time, the Hero of Winds and the Hero of Light were inspiring to him. More than anything, however, he was intruiged by the knowledge he gained throughout the many historical accounts. He had thought the Zoras and Gorons were simple folk tales concocted to scare children, but he now knew them to be extinct races of Hyrule. The bloody wars fought over the Triforce were chilling to read about, though he lived in tumultuous times of natural disasters (before Agahnim’s appearance, anyway) he could not imagine open war. The Great Sea was almost inconceivable for him; how could everything he knew have been underwater for so long?

During his adventures, Link IV encountered many creatures of significance. Here, he is shown meeting the King of the Zolas. Though the Zolas were violent and attacked humans, the King admired Link’s persistence and sold him a pair of Zola-designed flippers.

As he neared the end of the book, he was happy to read that after their trials had ended, the Hero of Winds and his descendant the Hero of Light were able to live peacefully as farmers. Error paused in his reading, stunned by the thought that had occurred to him. He frantically flipped through the Book, rereading certain passages and descriptions of the later lives of the two Heroes. Error’s head dropped into his hands, and he wept, overwhelmed. The descriptions in the book were too familiar: it was his family’s ranch. They were the descendants of the legendary Heroes!

The Hero of Light, it seems, was as modest as the Hero of Winds, and never told his wife or children about the full extent of his exploits. Knowing the truth of his ancestry, Error knew he had to be ready. His feeling of unease was replaced with an urgency to be ready, whatever the cost. Though he was already an adult much older than the legendary Heroes had been, he was determined to be ready to do whatever was necessary.

Of course, unbeknownst to Error, his brother in law had been the time-displaced Hero of Time (modesty, it seems, is a trait shared by all the Heroes). Thus, young Link IV was a very special child, as he shared the bloodlines of all three legendary Heroes. As Error trained his nephew, little did he know he was training a child fated for heroism.

Meanwhile, Agahnim had gained the King’s trust enough that he was widely respected within the castle. The King had also made it known that if anything were ever to happen to him, Agahnim would rule in his place until Princess Zelda was old enough. Zelda had cunning beyond her years, however, and suspected Agahnim, though she had no proof. She would attempt to spy on his actions, often being caught and returned to her room by the Knights of Hyrule.

Late one night, Agahnim approached the King claiming urgent business that needed discussing. He lied to the King, telling him that he had heard talk of an attempt on the lives of the seven descendants of the Sages who had sealed Ganon away. The only way to save them, he claimed was to reveal the identities of the descendants to Agahnim so he could save them. The King (knowing that the bloodlines of the Sages were essential to keeping Ganon sealed in the Sacred Realm) immediately told him six of the descendants were young girls from various places in Hyrule, and instructed him on where to find them. Agahnim demanded to know who the seventh girl was. The King turned away, almost embarrassed at having to share this, his most closely guarded secret.

The seven Sages of the era following the Hero of Light seal Ganon’s spirit in the Sacred Realm. It was their hope that travel between the two worlds would impossible.

“The seventh descendant is Zelda,” he sighed. “You’re the only person I’ve ever told that too. She doesn’t even know.” The King had time to exhale once before he felt his throat close up. Agahnim was choking the King with the very same rope he had used on his father an eternity ago. “Ganon appreciates your candor,” he laughed as he garrotted the King into unconsciousness. He then laid the King on an altar he had prepared. Using evil magic he had recently perfected, he transported the King into the Sacred Realm.

Agahnim immediately left the room and went to the Knights of Hyrule. “Evil conspires to kill the descendants of the seven Sages,” he announced, “The King has ordered you to come with me and save them!” Without question, the Knights left with Agahnim, and for three weeks they traveled Hyrule rounding up the girls. They acted in stealth, snatching the girls without leaving a trace. When these tactics were questioned by the soldiers, he replied, “It is better this way. The forces of evil could torture their families into revealing that we have told them. Better that their families know nothing until we can assure their safety.” With the girls rounded up, Agahnim had them placed in the basement prison of the Castle. Again, the soldiers questioned this, but Agahnim assured them. “There is little difference between a fortress and a prison. Both can serve the same purpose. This is the safest place.”

By this time, it was apparent that the King was missing. Agahnim claimed to know nothing about it, even shedding fake tears when he was informed. Agahnim ascended to the throne of Hyrule, declaring that he wished he did not have to do this, but it would be necessary until the King was found. As such, his first decree was that a squad of Knights under his direction would begin searching for the King. His second decree was that the disappearance of the King would be kept secret; better not to worry the people until he have more information, he reasoned.

It was clear to the Knights of the Castle, however, that something had changed in Agahnim. He was more cold, more intimidating. His orders became more peculiar, though now that he was the highest authority in Hyrule, none dared question his authority. The Knights complied when he ordered Princess Zelda be locked in the prison. Then, every night for a six days, Agahnim ordered one of the girls be brought to his personal chamber. After this, the girl would never been seen again. One Knight dared question Agahnim about this, and was immediately put to death. There would be no further questions from the guards.

As the descendants of the Sages were banished and imprisoned in the Sacred Realm, Ganon could feel his strength returning. He waited at the Triforce, biding his time until he would have a corporeal form, and claim it’s power. As his power grew, the Sacred Realm slowly transformed to reflect Ganon’s evil wishes, taking the form of a twisted mirror image of Hyrule. Once he claimed the Triforce, he would be unstoppable.

The Triforce in its resting place in the Sacred Realm. Ganon’s spirit was unable to claim the Triforce, but his evil presence was able to corrupt what had once been known as the Golden Land.

Meanwhile, Error and Link had been suffering horrible nightmares. In the dreams, young girls were screaming for help trapped in crystal prisons as they were taunted by dark beasts. Error did his best to convince Link that they were only dreams, and they would pass. He was not so convinced himself, however. On the seventh night, as he lay in bed during a violent rainstorm, he heard a voice cry out. “Please help me…” He heard his uncle stir across the room and he wondered if he heard it too. The voice continued.

“I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. My name is Zelda. The wizard, Agahnim, has done…something to the other missing girls. Now only I remain. Agahnim has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the seven wise men’s seal. I am in the dungeon of the castle. Please help me…”

Error got out of bed and grabbed his sword and shield. “Link, I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back by morning. Don’t leave the house.” Link tried to ask his uncle if he was going to the castle, but the door slammed before he could. Link sat for a while, thinking about what had happened, and he was overcome with an urge to help this girl. Grabbing a lantern, Link left the house and set off towards the Castle. As he came upon the Castle, he saw that the Gate was closed, but he felt drawn to the eastern side of the outer walls. There, behind some bushes, he found an open grating that led into the sewer system beneath the Castle. “Go in,” he heard the voice say.

Shortly after entering the sewers, he was shocked to find his uncle slumped against a wall. Error, now realizing that Link was Zelda’s only hope, and perhaps that it was Link, not himself, who was fated to be a Hero, gave Link his sword and shield. Link began to cry, at his uncle’s side. Error put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder and told him simply, “Grieve for me later. You must save Princess Zelda. You must do it now Link.” Link nodded, wiped his tears on his sleeve, and continued through the maze of sewers.

Link’s uncle Error dies in the sewers below Hyrule Castle. Though he would eventually avenge his uncle, Link’s motives were beyond simple retribution. The youth felt an indefatigable urge to save the Kingdom.

The voice in his head guided him through the Castle. He avoided most of the guards, and made his way into the prison. Looking through the dimly lit prison, he saw only one cell with an occupant. As he approached the cell, the voice in his head yelled, “duck!” Link did, and a massive spiked mace crashed into the wall behind him. Turning, he was faced with a Knight of Hyrule, brandishing a ball and chain. Remembering the training his uncle had given him, he dodged the guard’s attacks. The guard was hindered by his unweildy weapon, and Link was soon able to slide his sword through a weak point in the armour, killing him. He found a key in a satchel tied to the guard’s belt, and used it to unlock the cell.

“Thank you, Link,” said Princess Zelda. Before Link could ask how she knew his name, Zelda explained that there was no time to lose and they had to flee. Zelda led Link to the throne room, where there lay a secret escape route, known only to the royal family. The route led back through the sewers and eventually came out in the Sanctuary to the north. The priest who lived there was shocked to see Zelda, and he and Link both listened intently as Zelda explained about the other six descendants. “I know he has something to do with the disappearance of my father, as well,” added Zelda. The priest and Zelda discussed their next move until dawn, while Link finally took a moment to grieve his uncle in the back of the Sanctuary.

He was drawn out of his own thoughts when he heard Zelda cry out, “You never received it?!” The priest explained to Link, “we believe the only way to stop Agahnim is with the blade of evil’s bane, The Master Sword. The sword has a lock, of sorts, involving three pendants. One of those pendants was supposed to be delivered to me, but I never received it.” They immediately suspected Agahnim would have it, but couldn’t know where he would hide such a thing. Zelda smiled. “Sahasralah would know, he is wise to matters like this.” The priest explained to Link that Sahasralah was the elder of Kakariko village, and marked his house on Link’s map. “Find him, he will help us.”

Anxious to do all he could to help, Link set out on his quest. In Kakariko Village, he found that many of the villagers now feared him. He soon found out why; there were signs everywhere declaring that he was a bandit who had kidnapped Princess Zelda. Sahasralah’s family, however, knew Link from earlier, and happily pointed Link in the direction of the former encampments near the Eastern Palace. There, Link met Sahasralah, who told him that the first Pendant lay in the Palace. Sahasralah would attempt to find out where the remaining pendants were in the meantime.

Link battled through the temple, finding an ancient bow that was once used by his anscestor there, and used it to defeat the Armos Knights and claim the Pendant of Courage. His battle finished, Link revisited Sahasralah, who had discovered the locations of the remaining pendants: in the desert and high atop Death Mountain, in the Tower of Hera.

Link set out on a massive journey that saw him aid many people along the way to recovering the Pendants. He recovered many ancient weapons, such as the Icerod (constructed by the Yetis of Snowpeak long ago), the Firerod (imbued with the fires of Death Mountain by the Rito when they lived there), and the magical Ether, Bombos and Quake Medallions. These medallions had been studied extensively by Agahnim, and had allowed him to call the severe natural disasters that had plagued Hyrule.

Soon, he had defeated the Lanmola in the desert temple, recovering the Pendant of power. Then, he scaled Death Mountain. Along the way, he met an old man, who he helped through the mountain. The old man talked about a granddaughter who had disappeared, and hoping to find her again someday. As a gift, he gave Link a mirror which he said contained great magic (the mirror had been created by the same Sages who had created the Mirror of Twilight, eons earlier). As he climbed the mountain, the Tower of Hera was in sight, but he could find no way to pass; there was no good footing. In the area, however, Link discovered a bright, blue glowing light emanating from the ground in one specific area, roughly a meter around. Link leaned in to investigate, and was almost hypnotized by the swirling mass. Without thinking, he reached out and touched it. When he did, everything went white, and he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, it appeared to be night and he saw that the path to the Tower of Hera was somehow easier to climb now. He started off in that direction, and prepared to scale a small rock face. He brought his hand up to find a grip, but was horrified to see a bright pink paw. Link only now realized that he had somehow been transformed into a sort of rabbit-like creature. In his panic, he turned to face Hyrule and was shocked to see that every plant and tree he could see appeared to be dying. Kakariko Village was in ruins. Even the desert now appeared to have massive storm clouds over it. In a panic, Link reached into his bag. He pulled out the magic mirror, and gazed into it. The mirror showed his true reflection. He looked at the mirror for a time, then closed his eyes and cried. “I’ve failed,” he thought “I cannot defeat evil like this, I can’t even grasp my sword.” When he opened his eyes, however, he was back in the Hyrule he knew, now standing in front of the Tower of Hera.

Link eventually discovered that he had been transported to the Sacred Realm, which at the time, was still being formed by Ganon’s evil thoughts. In the realm, one took on a form that was a twisted vision of the content of their heart, in Link’s case, a rabbit, representing the timid compassion in his heart. If one were to stay in the Sacred Realm too long, these forms would become permanent. In the Tower of Hera, however, Link discovered a relic called the Moon’s Pearl which would keep one in their natural form, protecting them from magic like that of the Sacred Realm (Ganon had planned to use it to keep Agahnim from reverting to an uncorrupted version of himself if he ever came to the Realm). On the top floor of the Tower, he defeated the Moldurm and claimed the Pendant of Wisdom.

Link immediately set out for the Lost Woods, where the Master Sword was said to rest. Deep in a grove, he found the sword’s pedestal, and feeling the power flowing through him, pulled the sword from the stone. Almost as soon as he had pulled the sword, he heard Princess Zelda cry for help, the same way he had that rainy night. He raced for the Sanctuary, but was too late. The soldiers came from the Castle and had taken Princess Zelda, the priest told Link with his dying breath. Fueled by anger, Link stormed the Castle. He fought through dozens of Knights, all the way to the highest tower, where Agahnim’s chamber was. He arrived just in time to see Agahnim send Zelda to the Sacred Realm.

“I’ve done it! My master can rule forever now!” Agahnim cackled with joy. Then, turning his attention to Link, gleefully engaged him in combat. He launched a ball of pure mystic energy at Link, but was shocked when Link struck it with the Master Sword, reflecting it’s evil magic back at him. Knowing he was defeated, Agahnim, laughed, and used his energy to draw both of them into the Sacred Realm.

Link awoke on top of a great golden pyramid, where the Castle used to be. Looking around, he noted that as he had seen before, the world had become a dark, disturbing version of itself. Sahasralah, using telepathy much like Zelda, contacted Link and told him that he was now standing in what had been the Sacred Realm, and could now be called The Dark World. He told Link that Ganon’s Dark World was connected to the Hyrule Castle gate, and evil energy was drawing people into the Dark World. If Link could recover the seven maidens, perhaps they would have an answer.

The Dark World, formerly the Sacred Realm, was a dark reflection of Hyrule and the evil in Ganon’s heart. Major differences include the desert now being a swamp, Kakariko Village now being inhabited by thieves, The Lost Woods now being a graveyard for giant beasts, and the Hyrule Castle is replaced by a golden pyramid.

On instinct, Link traveled to where the Eastern Palace had been. There he battled through a totally different dungeon than he had faced in the Light World, but nonetheless prevailed. To his joy, one of the maidens had been trapped in there. She directed Link to the locations where he could find the remaining girls, and thus began the second part of Link’s quest: piecing together the informations the maidens (still trapped in their crystal prisons which had the unintended effect of protecting them from the shape shifting effects of the Dark World; Link, on the other hand, was protected by the Moon Pearl) to determine where the others were and saving them. Finally, after many trials, he saved Princess Zelda from the Turtle Rock Dungeon on Death Mountain. The maidens led him to Ganon’s Tower, a giant construct where the Tower of Hera had been. Using their magic, the maidens broke the seal on the Tower, and Link entered. Link battled tirelessly through the massive monument to evil, facing foes old and new alike. In the final room, he was shocked to see Agahnim, who Link defeated once again.

It is worth noting that Agahnim was a key part of Ganon’s plan, but he was uncertain what would happen when his servant entered the Dark World. He worried that the realm would change Agahnim back to the innocent child he had been. With the immeasurable power he had gained since his father led him to Death Mountain hundreds of years before, Agahnim could possibly stand up to Ganon. Thus, the moment Agahnim entered the Dark World, Ganon possessed his body, guiding his moves. Ganon maintained his control over Agahnim until the moment just before he was struck by a ball of dark force, reflected back by Link.

Agahnim’s body was seemingly ripped apart by the force of the magic. From his corpse, smoke began to rise which eventually took the form of bats. Link was stunned as the bats formed one giant bat and crashed out the window. From the window, Link watched as the bat flew toward the pyramid. Shortly afterwards, the highest level of the pyramid seemed to explode. Link made his way there, and prepared for the ultimate battle.

Link during his battle with Ganon. The pig-like form Ganon assumes here is at this point his true form, his humanity having been long lost. The trident Ganon is seen wielding is an ancient weapon. The story of how he came to acquire that weapon is told in Zelda: Four Sword Adventures.

Inside the pyramid, Link came face to face with Ganon. Ganon told Link that he was all powerful, and would soon rule both worlds. Link, attempting to stall his massive foe, asked if he possessed the Triforce, why did he not already rule the world? “The answer is simple, young fool,” laughed Ganon. “I do not wish to conquer Hyrule through magic. My victory will be sweeter by force. I will amass my forces here and launch an invasion of your pathetic Hyrule. The soil will be stained forever with blood and I will rule both realms for all eternity!” Link attacked Ganon in anger, but he was clumsy and unfocused. Ganon easily grasped his foe, and hurled him off the platform, down to the pit below.

Link should have perished in that great fall, but instead he awoke in a golden room with a pool of water before him. As he approached the pool a rotund, ugly fairy appeared. “You must be the descendant of the Hero of Time,” she said. “I am Navi the fairy. Long ago I fought alongside your ancestor, and now I shall aid you, young Hero.” Navi took Link’s arrows and infused them with magic power. “Now you have the power to defeat Ganon,” she explained. “I did not always look like this. It was the corruption of the Triforce and this land that distorted my looks and took away most of my power. But you can fix this, O Hero. You can use the magic in those arrows to light our darkest hour. Indeed, you are the Hero of the Triforce. The love in your heart will shape the power of the Gods into an instrument of peace.” With that, Navi disappeared, and Link immediately left to face Ganon again.

This time, Link remembered the lessons of his uncle, and fought calmly against his opponent who became more and more reckless as the battle raged on. Soon, he was able to get close enough to strike Ganon with the Master Sword, stunning him. In that moment, Link fired a Sliver arrow which struck Ganon between the eyes, killing him.

In the next room, Link found the Triforce waiting for its new master. He grasped the mystical totem in his hands and felt a wave of power rush through him. The words of Navi echoed in his mind “The love in your heart will shape the power of the Gods into an instrument of peace.” He felt his heart swell and Link lost consciousness.

Link was surprised to wake up back in his own bed. Had it all been a dream? “You look as though you’ve seen enough adventure to last you for an eternity,” laughed his uncle Error. Link leapt out of bed and hugged his uncle. Together they travelled to Hyrule Castle and met with Princess Zelda. Zelda explained to Link that he had been successful. He had defeated Ganon, and the wishes in his pure heart had restored Hyrule to the peace they had known before Agahnim’s treachery. Many who had perished during the battles were restored to life, and all appeared to be well.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Link’s wish in his heart had been simply for things to “return the way they were, before all this.” This wish, in its innocence, had the unforeseen side effect of resurrecting Ganon’s spirit in the once-again shapeless Sacred Realm. He was severely weakened, however, and it would take him many centuries before he would be able to spread his evil influence over Hyrule again.

In the meantime, Hyrule attempted to move on. With the Hyrule ravaged by millenniums of war, the people moved north of Death Mountain. With this, what had previously been known simply as Hyrule was now known as South Hyrule. A new castle was built for the Royal Family called the Northern Palace. Then, as the population boomed in a time of peace, many new towns were founded. Taking their cue from the Book of Modura, the towns were largely named for the Sages of legend. As prosperity reigned, the people of Hyrule lived peacefully. As for Link and his uncle, they settled into the new town of Ruto, and lived happily in obscurity for the rest of their lives.

With the Twilight month (as the mass hallucination-like effects of Zant’s efforts to cover Hyrule in Twilight became known) in the past, the people of Hyrule hoped that their hardships would be over. There would be no such luck.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium (though the people did not know it; after the Great Flood and the re-population of the world afterwards, any records of how long the world had existed had been lost), Ganon’s spirit was renewed enough to regain consciousness and awareness. When Ganon had been killed by Link III, his body had been thrown in the fires of Death Mountain and the Sages conducted a rite that would contain Ganon’s spirit in the Sacred Realm. This may seem like folly, but the rite was designed to separate spirit from power and physical form. Ganon’s spirit would rest harmlessly without any power.

The Sages underestimated Ganon’s evil magic, however, as he was able to establish a connection with what remained of his physical form. With his body having been cast into the volcano, some of his physical being escaped into the air as an ashy smoke, covering the mountain side. Through submersion in the lava, Ganon’s body was spread, diluted through the very rock formations of the mountain itself. If his body was still whole, it would have been little problem for Ganon to resurrect himself, but he trying to establish a connection with millions of tiny molecules of his former physical form is another matter entirely. As such, it took him over 300 years of intense concentration before Ganon was could extend his magic past his own body. Once he was capable, Ganon’s magic cast an intangible presence over Death Mountain.

Ganon, as he may have appeared in the Sacred Realm. The Sacred Realm is reflection of the Triforce, so when one claims it, the Realm changes to suit their wishes and personality. When no one has claimed it, the Sacred Realm is a shapeless void. Without a physical form in the Realm, Ganon could not take the Triforce, though he could sense it.

Ganon’s first victims were the Gorons. Through his powerful magic, the very rocks of the mountain that the Gorons ate to sustain themselves slowly turned poisonous. Within a year, 90% of the Gorons perished. It remains to be seen if the Gorons are completely extinct. The next victims were the Zoras. Sensing the evil magic surrounding them, the Zoras fled their waterfall which was also part of Death Mountain. They took up residence in the Lake Hylia and various other bodies of water.

When contact with the Gorons stopped, the King of Hyrule became suspicious. He commissioned a group of explorers to see if they could find the Gorons, and if not, what had happened to them. The group included four of the knights of Hyrule, three scientists, a mage (and member of the long lost Sheikah tribe, who were for the most part extinct) and his son/apprentice, the half-Sheikah, half-human Agahnim. After a few days camping on Death Mountain, Ganon was able to influence their minds. Of the group, the four knights and Agahnim were the most susceptable to Ganon’s magic. Agahnim would be of particular use, with his Sheikah lineage giving him unaturally long life. Soon, the group turned on each other. Early one morning, the knights slaughtered the scientists, throwing their bodies over the mountain. Convincing the mage that they had simply fallen, the knights then left father and son alone. In a final symbol of Ganon’s control, Agahnim killed his own father, strangling him with a rope.

Agahnim, spent his earliest years as the son and apprentice of a powerful mage. After Ganon poisoned his young mind, he killed his father and spent years learning black magic and sorcery. Later he would exploit his Sheikan heritage to position himself as a saviour.

Agahnim and the four knights soon set up permenant shelters in the caves once inhabited by the Gorons. There, Agahnim matured, learning much of the ways of magic from his father’s texts, and more from Ganon’s influence. By age 18, Agahnim was a much more powerful sorcerer than his father, almost as powerful as Ganon had been. Through Agahnim’s magic, the bodies of the four knights would be restored, essentially giving them long life as well. By this time, the King realized there was something evil on Death Mountain, and forbid anyone enter there without his permission. Now it was time for Ganon’s plan to begin.

With his spirit suspended in the Sacred Realm, Ganon determined that if the Sages seal was broken, he could reclaim physical form in the Sacred Realm. Then, he could claim the Triforce for his own without anyone to stop him. The seal was powered by the bloodline of the Sages, thus if they could remove the descendants of the Sages from the world, the seal would be broken. The identities of the Sages’ descendants, however, was a closely guarded secret. There were only two in the Kingdom that knew: the King of Hyrule and the current Princess Zelda.

Agahnim would have to infiltrate the loyalties of the royal family. To do so, he would have to cost them their faith and bring the people to their lowest point. Thus began a long period of disasters, called the Second Cataclysm. For over 300 years, Hyrule was almost constantly beset by “natural” disasters that would have drastic effects to the terrain. New and old Kakariko Villages were destroyed in an earthquake, that also caused Snowpeak Mountain to collapse. Later, a huge heatwave would cause all the snow to melt. Lake Hylia dried up, and the rock faces surrounding collapsed in the earthquakes, leaving the area a marshy wasteland. Parts of the Gerudo Desert were rained out in a massive storm and the Arbiter’s Ground prison sank deep into the wet ground. The rain also caused a huge forest to grow in the reckage of Snowpeak Mountain, creating a natural maze of trees around the pedestal where Link III had laid the Master Sword to rest. Then, the Zolas, long thought extinct made their resurgence under the influence of Agahnim’s magic. The Zolas emerged far more violent than their previous “Fishmen,” guise and immediately launched a war against the Zoras. The Zoras were unprepared for battle and for years it seemed as though all the water bodies in Hyrule ran red with the blood of the Zoras. Much like the Gorons, the Zoras appear to have gone extinct as a result. This was also a period of apostasy, as the people believed that the Goddesses had abandoned them.

Hyrule after the Second Cataclysm. The terrain was shaped dramatically by the constant earthquakes, deluges, and other effects of Agahnim’s magic. The three Triforce markings denote the approximate locations where the Hero of Winds placed the Goddess’ Pearls to raise the Tower of the Gods. The Pendants, which were made from the Pearls, were then moved to Palaces not far from each location.

After three centuries of these disasters, Agahnim revealed himself. He claimed to be sent by Din, the Goddess of Power, to save the land. In the courtyard of Hyrule Castle, before a large crowd and the royal family, Agahnim performed a ritual he claimed would beseech the Goddess to use her power to save the land. In reality, he simply halted the earthquakes that he himself had created. A loud cheer rose up from the assembled crowd. Agahnim had saved Hyrule, they said, we have a new saviour. In appreciation for his work, the King of Hyrule gave Agahnim the position of his chief advisor. Agahnim’s four knights were even rejoined the other knights of Hyrule, slowly turning their loyalties to Agahnim rather than the King.

Princess Zelda, sensing great trouble ahead, decided to hide the Three Pendants. The Pendants were simply the Goddess Pearls used on the Great Sea attached to a chain. The Pearls themselves were actually made from the Spiritual Stones of the old tribes of Deku, Goron and Zora. They still functioned as a lock on the powers of the Master Sword, as one would need all three to be able to draw the Master Sword (if they could find it).

Based on charts of the Great Sea, Zelda discovered that the Hero of Winds had placed the three Pearls in the locations that were now the Sacred Grove, the Holy Sanctuary, and the remains of encampments that had been at the southern foothills of Death Mountain, before they collapsed. The Pendant of Power would be hidden in the Desert Palace, near the Sacred Grove. The Pendant of Courage was taken to the ruins of the Eastern Palace, near the former mountain camps. The Pendant of Wisdom would be entrusted to the priests of the Sanctuary. Unfortunately, the knights in charge of delivering the Pendant of Wisdom were loyal to Agahnim. Under his orders, the Pendant was brought to Death Mountain. Agahnims’ minions (now numbering in the hundreds, largely comprised of knights and wanderers seduced by the dark magic of Death Mountain), placed it on the highest floor of the Tower of Hera, a giant construct where Agahnim would commune with Ganon.

Zelda’s fears were unwarranted, however, because Ganon and Agahnim knew they could never wield the Master Sword. Being well aware of the past and how often a new legendary Hero would appear, it was in their interest to keep anyone from claiming the Pendants. Agahnim led a battalion of soldiers into the Eastern Palace, and using a dark ritual, transformed them into an army of Armos Knights, mindless warriors. Next, he summoned giant sandworms called Lanmolas to infest the Desert Palace. Finally, a fierce insect-like berserker called the Moldorm was set to protect the Pendant of Wisdom in the Tower of Hera.

Zelda was unaware that evil had conspired to keep the Pendants from any future Heroes, but even still she worried. Was the Bloodline of the Hero still intact?

Interlude - The Hero of Time, Termina and Majora’s Mask.

The Hero of Time during his adventure in Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule. Here we see the large clock tower for which Clock Town is named.

During the adventure of The Hero of Time, Link I came to know a Skull Kid in the Lost Woods. After Link’s defeat of Ganon, the Skull Kid discovered an interdimensional portal in the Lost Woods. This portal took him to the alternate dimension where Hyrule was called Termina. There, the skull kid came became friends with four giants who were dedicated to protect the land. The giants enjoyed the company of the Skull Kid, but they couldn’t play forever. The giants knew they would have to use their strength to save the world at some point, so they travelled, one in each compass direction, to find places to hibernate until their power was needed.

The Skull Kid, wearing Majora’s Mask.

The Skull Kid took this as an insult, however. He felt that they were abandoning him. Bitterness and sadness consumed him and the Skull Kid became a bitter trickster and thief. In spite of this, he became friends with two faeries, Tatl and Tael. The three of them played happily, though some of their games involved robbing people. Skull Kid took the two faeries back through the portal and they soon spied the Happy Mask Salesman travelling through the woods. Skull Kid knocked the Mask Salesman out, and looted his bag. The Skull Kid had intended to steal all of his masks, but he stopped and stared when he saw an ancient artifact known as Majora’s Mask.

Majora was a massive many-legged, insect-like beast that had killed thousands of warriors in an ancient society whose name has long been lost. Finally, a warrior known as the Fierce Deity approached Majora, and played the Song of Time on an ocarina. The song entranced Majora, causing the beast to dance. Majora could not help himself, and danced for three months solid, eventually dropping dead. The Fierce Deity then carved Majora’s Mask out of the carcass of the beast, sealing the monster’s power inside it.

The Fierce Deity was a legendary warrior in Termina, who was said to have slain the beast Majora by enchanting it with music. He then carved Majora’s Mask from the remains of the monster. The Fierce Deity resembles the Hero of Time in his adulthood, and during his time in Termina, Link I obtained the Fierce Deity’s Mask, which would allow him to assume the Deity’s powers.

When the Skull Kid put the mask on, he was slowly corrupted by Majora’s vengeful spirit. He soon returned to Hyrule to find new travellers to rob and came across Link who was now searching for Navi the faerie. Skull Kid stole the Ocarina of Time and Epona the horse from Link. Link pursued the Skull Kid and ended up being falling through the portal to Termina. Once there, the Skull Kid used his power to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. It turns out that Majora, through the Skull Kid, was using his powers to draw the moon down into the earth, killing everything. The four giants would save the world ordinarily, so Majora had each of the giants sealed away by different giant monsters.

The Happy Mask Salesman pleaded with Link to get him back Majora’s Mask before something terrible happened.

At the end of third day the moon was about to hit, but Link managed to knock his Ocarina away from the Skull Kid, and after playing The Song of Time, the world seemed to drift away. Link found himself back three days earlier. With the Ocarina of Time recovered, the Happy Mask Salesman taught Link the song of healing, which restored his original form. Link proceeded to live those three days over and over again, each time learning something more, another key piece of information that would help save the land. Finally, after spending the equivalent of six months reliving those three days, Link finally was able to call the giants to stop the moon and then he defeated the mask (who had gained sentience, no longer needing to use the Skull Kid as a puppet), sealing the evil energy back in the mask.

The moon, corrupted by Majora’s magic, slowly fell to Termina as the doomsday clock counted down to the millennial celebration.

Feeling his work in Termina was finished, Link left and found the portal back to Hyrule. When he came through the other side, he was shocked to see crags and rock instead of the Lost Woods. He didn’t know it, but Link had returned on the same day that Agahnim had deceived the people and infiltrated the royal family. Looping the flow of time around over and over again had disastrous effects. While Link had only spent six months in Termina (of his time), the damage to the time stream caused him to reappear 4000 years later.

Thinking he had arrived in yet another alternate reality, Link searched around to find out as much as he could about this new world. A roadsign pointing the way to Hyrule Castle brought him much confusion and he headed to the castle in search of Princess Zelda. As he approached, he saw a crowd gathered and joined them, soon learning of the day’s events and Agahnim’s “miracles.” On a balcony, overlooking the crowd, he saw a girl wearing a beautiful dress and crown. When the crowd called her name, he was shocked to discover that he had never seen this Princess Zelda before.

In his confusion, he set out to learn as much about the land as possible. The elder of Kakariko Village, Sahasrahla, directed him to the Book of Modura. Link was shocked to read about his own adventures, and the horror that had occurred when he was not their to fight Ganon a second time. He felt very guilty for abandoning the people of Hyrule, but reading of the deeds performed by the Hero of Winds and the Hero of Light filled his heart with pride. Knowing that other Heroes had arisen to save the Hyrule gave him closure; he finally knew that his battles were over.

He got a job working on a small farm, eventually marrying one of the farmer’s daughters and settling down. They had a son, who they also named Link (Link IV, in relation to the other important Links in history). With his new family, Link felt peace in his heart like he had not felt since his youth with Saria and the Great Deku Tree. He hoped to live out the rest of his life in happiness.

Sadly, Agahnim felt the need for another disaster to further cement his hold on the royal family.  He unleashed a plague upon the people of Hyrule (carried on the mists of Death Mountain), killing half the population before he “miraculously” stopped it. Link, his wife, his sister-in-law and father-in-law all perished during the plague. With no other options, Link’s brother-in-law, Error, raised young Link as his own. he did his best to raise Link to be a good man like his father had been.

Error, the brother-in-law of the Hero of Time and surrogate father to his son, Link IV. Error ran his father’s farm and hired Link I, where he met and fell in love with Error’s sister. Error admired Link, and learned much about sword play, archery and honor from him. He would teach those skills, to the best of his ability, to Link IV.

As the millenium drew to a close, Link IV was becomming a young adult. His uncle taught him swordfighting and many other skills that would serve him well. Link IV was, literally, a link to the past, as the bloodline of the Hero of Time had returned to the world after 4000 years. It would be just in time, as Agahnim was finally ready to launch the final step of his plan.

A map of Hyrule during the events of Twilight Princess. Aside from the marked spots on the map, the Kingdom is now split into separate provinces. After settlements were abandoned for fear of attacks by bandits, provincial governments are non-existent.

With the trials of the Great Sea seen as mere myths to much of the population of Hyrule, society progressed. For the first time, the country was divided into recognized geo-political divisions, in this case, provinces. With Hyrule Castle at the center, the provinces of Ordana, Faron, Lanyru and Eldin were independently governed by the mayors of the largest townships in the provinces. This arrangement was beneficial financially, as it allowed the provinces to trade their natural resources of fish, lumber, cattle and whatever other bounty the earth provided. The provinces were named for the Light Spirits, who Princess Zelda (the current Princess named Zelda, not the previous one. For a reason that would be revealed many years later, all the Princesses of Hyrule would be named Zelda) claimed watched over their respective areas, protecting the magic that naturally flowed through the earth.

Princess Zelda, traditionally, has played the role of a key spiritual leader for Hyrule, as the person with the most knowledge on the legends of the past. The title Legend of Zelda could in fact refer simply to “legends being told by Zelda.”

These provinces, for the most part were sparsely populated. In the early years of the newly restored society, all the provinces were well populated with divergent towns and small settlements. Around the year 2800, however, roving groups of orc-ish bandits began to raid the towns. In response to this, most of the settlements abandoned their homes and took up residence in the growing Castle Town. As a result, most of Hyrule was unpopulated, once again. Aside from the central castle-town there were only a few notable settlements: Ordon Village (deep in the forest), Kakariko Village (nestled at the foot of Death Mountain), the Goron village (dug into the core of Death Mountain) and the Zora domain (in a massive waterfall to the North which was also the source of all water flow in Hyrule). Despite the the attacks of the orc raiders, led by King Bulblin, Hyrulian society was flourishing.

At the same time, however, a parallel world was being thrown into turmoil. In the 2000 years since the Gerudo and other members of Ganon’s army had been banished to the Twilight Realm, much had changed in that world. The Twilight Realm was a world naturally flowing with great magic, much like Hyrule, but it was a dark magic. Without any Spirits to shape that magic, the power infected those trapped in the realm. They became the Twili, a new species better suited for life in the realm. For two millenniums, the Twili lived in relative peace.

The Twili were governed by a Monarch, and near the year 3000, the current King was ready to step down and name a successor. The King had no male heirs, and since the Twili were a somewhat patriarchal society (an ironic reversal of the female-dominated Gerudo society), it was expected he would name a successor outside of his direct family. Specifically, one of the King’s top advisers, Zant, seemed ready to ascend to the throne. In a surprising move, however, the King named his daughter Midna as the new Monarch.

Zant, the would-be King of the Twili. He was not the first, and would not be the last victim of Ganon’s manipulations.

It would later be explained that the role of Monarch was a custodial one. With no other races and little in the way of conflicts in the Twilight Realm, the primary concern of the Monarch was to maintain peace and freedom in the realm. This was the reason Midna was chosen over the more-qualified Zant; the King had seen the lust for power in the eyes of Zant. He feared the peace would be shattered.

Zant, flanked by two Twilight Beasts, marches into Hyrule Castle to confront Princess Zelda.

Outraged at not having been chosen, Zant howled in frustration on a balcony in the palace. It was the opening Ganon had been waiting for. Appearing before Zant as a glowing mass of pure power, Ganon promised to bring him what was rightfully his: the throne and unlimited power. Using this power, Zant transformed Midna into an imp-like form and banished her to the world of light where she would have to live as a shadow for eternity. Zant transported a small army into the heart of Hyrule Castle, and gave Zelda an ultimatum: obedience or death for her and her people. Without the power to fight back, Zelda submitted and was locked in a room in the upper levels of the castle. Then, as instructed by Ganon, Zant began using his power to merge the two worlds into one.

The merging of the realms would have been quick had it not been for yet another young man named Link (Link III for ease of differentiation). Link III was a direct descendant of the Hero of Winds, living in his ancestor’s home in Ordon Village. Because of the modest nature of Link II, the stories of the Hero of Winds that filled the Book of Modura were never attributed to him. Therefore, Link III never knew he was descended from legend. While making preparations for a trip to Hyrule Castle to present the Princess with a gift from Ordon village, friends of his were kidnapped by the King Bulblin and his raiders. Though not evil by nature, King Bulblin and his troops naturally served those who they perceived to be the most powerful. Previously, they saw themselves as most powerful and ran amok. Now, they served the power of Zant.

Link III, in his wolf form, with Midna on his back.

Burning with white-hot rage, Link ran to try and rescue his friends and came upon a shimmering wall of twilight near the entrance of the Faron Woods. Suddenly, a mysterious force pulled Link through the barrier. The twilight that covered the realm was the power of Zant, slowly turning Hyrule into another province of the Twilight Realm. Besides its obvious visual effects, this changed the people caught within it into shadows of their former selves, and after enough exposure, they would change into Twili forever (if they were not killed by Zant’s army of Twilight Beasts first). Link was different, however. Unbeknownst to him, as the direct descendant of the Hero of Winds, the Triforce of Courage was innately connected to him. Because of the power of the Triforce, Link was transformed into a wolf instead of a shade. He was quickly captured by the Twilight Beasts and thrown in the dungeon of the Castle, to await a decision by Zant on what to do with him. In the dungeons, Midna appeared to the wolf, and told him that she would help him reclaim his former form if would follow her instructions exactly.

Hyrule Castle, bathed in the eerie glow of Twilight Magic.

Thus began the adventure of the Hero of Light, named for restoring light to Hyrule. Midna first brought Link to meet Princess Zelda, who informed them that the infusion of twilight in the realm could never have happened with the Light Spirits in place. As such, Link and Midna set out to restore the power of the Spirits. Province by province, Link and Midna traveled, restoring the power of the light spirits, as well as Link’s human form. Midna also led Link to a number of temples where she had determined Zant had hidden Fused Shadows, Twili artifacts that would help restore her power. Link also recovered the Master Sword from its resting place in the woods near the entrance to the new, outer-dimensional Temple of Time, where his ancestor had left it centuries earlier.

Darbus, the Chief of the Gorons, was transformed by the Twilight artifact, the Fused Shadow (visible on his head in this image), into the creature known as Fyrus. Darbus was one of many good people who were corrupted by the mixture of Light and Twilight.

Along the way, Link was able to help many different societies that had been suffering the effects of the twilight. Most notably, the Fused Shadows were too dangerous for light-worlders to handle, and all who touched it, including a form of plant life, a giant eel and Darbus, the patriarch of the Gorons, were transformed into horrifying creatures of immense power. They also helped restore the Zoras, who’s waterfall had been frozen solid by Zant’s magic. Zant had executed the Queen of the Zoras as a warning to her people. Ralis, the Zora Prince, fled for help, but collapsed from dehydration. Link was able to help him as well, and helped his friends who had been kidnapped along the way.

(As an aside, the history of Kakariko village, where Link III finds his friends who were kidnapped, is of note. Originally built near Death Mountain by Impa, the bodyguard of the first Princess Zelda, the village had a magical aura surrounding it, as Impa was part of the magic race known as the Sheikah. At the time of the Great Flood, that same magic protected the village, but it became an insular community, on in which only the Sheikah remained. When the effects of the flood were reversed, the village remained hidden. The Sheikah had no interest in revealing themselves. A new Kakariko Village was constructed not far from the original, also on hills of Death Mountain. The residents of New Kakariko had no idea that the original still existed within the Province. In the future, a third Kakariko village would be built in a totally different location.)

Link and Midna confront Zant in his Twilight Palace. Link’s defeat of Zant would be meaningless, as Ganon’s magic resurrected him immediately.

After deciding that they had to take the battle directly to the Twilight Realm, they traveled to the ancient prison, the Arbiter’s Grounds. The Gerudo Desert had been long since sealed off, to prevent people from getting lost. Zant, knowing the importance of the Arbiter’s Grounds had filled the prison with many troops, and broke the Mirror of Twilight into four pieces, hiding them at the far reaches of Hyrule (being the portal, it would be impossible to bring the Mirror itself into the Twilight Realm). Link and Midna were able to reassemble the pieces of the Mirror and enter the Twilight Realm, facing and defeating Zant in an epic conflict. It would be for naught, however, as life returned to Zant’s body immediately. The power of his god, Ganon, would resurrect him eternally, he claimed. Midna, using only a portion of the power of the Fused Shadows, destroyed every molecule of Zant’s body in a fury.

Finally, with Zant’s power of the Twilight Realm lessened, Link and MIdna set out for the source of his power: Ganon. Link stormed Hyrule Castle, and after many trials, battled Ganon. This time, Ganon used Zelda as his puppet to try and play with Link’s emotions, but the Hero of Light prevailed in a battle that saw Hyrule Castle itself destroyed and Midna apparently, killed. Link was finally able to run Ganon through in a sword fight on the Hyrule field near the ruins of the Castle. Ganon tried to call on the power of the Triforce of Power to save himself again, but the Power failed him. Life left his body as he tried desperately to summon the magic to keep himself alive.

While perhaps bestial by nature, Ganon’s humanity was important to him. While losing his life in the duel with Link III (if not his soul, or some semblance of his power), perhaps the biggest cost to Ganon was his humanity. With this battle, Ganondorf was gone forever, leaving only Ganon. This may cost him what was left of his sanity as well.

With Ganon’s power gone from the world, Midna returned to her true form. Learning from the mistakes of the past, she returned to the Twilight Realm, shattering the Mirror as she did. This way, the two realms would never meet again. As far as anyone knows, the Twili lived in harmony under the rule of Midna and her ancestors for all time.

As for Hyrule, the castle was once again rebuilt, and the people enjoyed another great peace. Link found a new resting place for the Master Sword (hidden deep within the snowy wasteland), then returned to Ordon and settled down. He never spoke of his adventures: he simply worked his ranch and spent time with his family. He had no interest in reliving the in glory of his past, he had seen enough bloodshed and did not with to dwell on it. As such, he presented Princess Zelda with The Book of Modura to do with as she wished.

Zelda, seeing the populace living in anxiety after the destruction of the Castle and the effects of the Twilight on the people, decided to introduce the stories of the Book of Modura to the people. As such, the legends of the Hero of Time and the Hero of Winds became well known as The Great Cataclysm, and the details thereof were studied and debated by Hyrulian Scholars. The people prayed to their gods: having witnessed the horror of the Twilight Realm’s invasion, and hearing the stories of the Hero of Light, they prayed that there would always be a hero for them. Great temples were constructed in the spots where it was said that the Hero of Winds had placed the God’s Pearls to call the Tower of the Gods out of it’s slumber, and people would regularly come to worship there.

It appeared that this new spiritual awakening would finally bring everlasting peace, but there were still followers of Ganon living in secret, preparing ancient rites to bring their lord back to power over the world. Little did they know that an old face would return to save the Kingdom.

Next: The return of the Hero of Time!

A map of the Great Sea, as seen in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Note the locations of some islands, such as The Tower of the Gods, The Forbidden Fortress and Dragon Roost Island correspond with Hyrule locations such as Hyrule Castle, The Arbiter’s Ground and Death Mountain.

Much like it’s biblical equivalent, when the Great Flood occurred most of the human/Hylian population was wiped out. The same could not be said for the other races of Hyrule.

The Gorons have no lungs, and as such, had no need for air. Most of the Goron society was left beneath the waves, either adapting to life underwater or hibernating. There were only four exceptions. Once the island societies established themselves firmly, these four became traders. The four simply set up trading posts on their respective islands, waiting to exchange goods with seafarers.

One of the Four Goron Traders. The Goron on the islands seemed to be trying to conceal their identities, by covering up with more clothing than they have ever been seen to wear. Perhaps this was to prevent the sea spray from landing on them and causing mold to grow on them.

(As an aside, the physiology of the Gorons is a source of debate. As well as lacking lungs, reproduction amongst the Gorons is a mystery. All of the Gorons appear to be male, and refer to each other as “Brother.” Baby Gorons have been seen, in spite of this. They may be hermaphrodites, or they reproduce asexually. Future games may fill in the blanks.)

The Zoras have a far more complicated story. Most stayed underwater, living in their natural habitat. Others, however, craved interaction with the people above. With their homes at the bottom of sea, they knew their bodies were too frail to make regular journey’s to and from the surface. As such, for those who wanted to see the surface, they would have to make significant changes. Withing the insular society, Zora wizards were able to develop powerful magic, and two different “Zora cults” emerged amongst those who wished to see the sun.

A member of the Zola (Fishmen) cult. The Fishmen would fill in the Sea Charts of those who gave them food.

The Zola cult, numbering 49, were led by a shaman cast spells on his people, changing their physiology into something more fish-like, but with human facial features. Feeling that knowledge may one day equal power, the Zola spread out across the sea, gleaming as much knowledge as they could about the new world. As the Zola slowly revealed their presence to the residents of the Great Sea (usually if food was left for them), tales of the Fishmen grew in notoriety.

The Rito Postman. The Rito can been seen on almost any island in the Great Sea, their wings allowing them to travel far easier than any other race.

The other main cult, the Rito, followed a wizard with a far different path. The wizard had gathered information about a dragon known as Valoo, who he believed to have be the reincarnation of the former patron deity of the Zoras, Lord Jabu-Jabu. He lead his tribe to the peak of what was once Death Mountain, where Valoo was known to live. The wizard communed with Valoo, beseeching him to use his magic to help the Rito tribe survive a life above the waves. Valoo, using only a small portion of his magic, screamed into the sky, and the Rito fell into a deep sleep. Three days later they awoke to discover that their bodies had changed. Valoo had merely sped up the course of evolution, changing them from being fish-like to bird-like. With their wings, they could now soar all over the Great Sea with ease. In honor of Valoo, the Rito changed the name of their new home from Death Mountain to Dragon Roost Island.

Valoo the Dragon diety of the Rito. Valoo may be a relation of Volvagia, the red dragon Link I fought in the Fire Temple during the events of Ocarina of Time.

Valoo was not without a sense of humor, however. To remind the Rito that it was his magic that gave them their new forms, children would be born without wings. Once they came of age, they would have to climb to the apex of the mountain and Valoo would give them their wings. To facilitate this process, one Rito would be named Valoo’s attendant. At the time of the events of Wind Waker, a young Rito named Medlii was just taking over the position which had been held by her recently deceased grandmother. As a way of engaging in the trade which had become a necessity for the small island communities, the Rito became the postmen of the Great Sea, establishing contact with all the peoples and building mailboxes.

Ironically, though the Rito believed Valoo to be the reincarnation of Lord Jabu-Jabu, he did have a descendant. A giant fish called Jabun travelled the waters, making his home, initially, at what would become known as Greatfish Isle.

The Great Deku Tree at the time of the Wind Waker.

As for the Deku Tree and the Kokiri, when the flood occurred the magic of the forest caused a bark giant bark wall to erect around the entire Kokiri village. Inside these walls, the Deku Tree (as we recall, not the original tree, but the new tree grown from a seed of the original tree that died after giving Link the Kokiri Emerald) decided that it would be the mission of he and the Kokiri to help spread vegetation across the new world, which in turn would nourish the Deku Tree. With that in mind, he transformed them into the Korok: smaller, lighter bodies, seemingly wood brought to life, with faces carved into small, mask-like leaves. This new form would help the Korok travel across the Great Sea, using leaves to glide on air currents.

Makar, of the Koroks. The Koroks were the evolved form of the Kokiri and helped spread vegetation across the sea.

Just outside of the village, now known as the Forest Haven, lay the former Deku Tree. Much of the magic power of the original Deku Tree still lay in this dead wooden shell, and before long that magic was manipulated by evil. The dead tree grew until it was almost the same size as the Forest Haven, and the corrupted magic grew into the giant plant form known as Kalle Demos. Soon the dead tree became a maze of thorns and carnivorous plant life, known as the Forbidden Woods.

Link II looking around Windfall Island.

As for the human and Hylian populations, they were limited to settlements on Outset and Windfall islands, and some smaller islands throughout the sea. Windfall was the commercial capital of the world, and by far the larger area, population wise. Outset was merely a small island of farmers and fishermen.

In terms of politics, the Great Sea demonstrates no central government. Presumably, Windfall Island has some sort of governor, or perhaps a democratic committee. For all intents and purposes, however, each island in the sea is a country unto itself.

Technology had advanced, out of necessity, and a variety of sophisticated mechanical apparati were built, including submarines and various ocean-going ships. The level of technology present varies greatly, however. For example, Outset Island is very simple, while Windfall Island features much more impressive technology in a windmill and other ameneties, such as a store dedicated to pictographs (the Hyrulian equivalent of photographs).

A script of the Hyrulian Legends passed down on Outset Island.

Hyrule society was lost to history. Everything that had been accomplished before the Great Flood was forgotten by most, but not all. Outset Island had been founded by descendants of the Knights of Hyrule, and they told stories of a lost kingdom and shared the legends of the Hero of Time. In fact, in honor of the Hero of Time, it became custom to clothe boys in the green colors of the Hero when they reached a certain age. There were no more great wars to fight, but they hoped that the youth would at least know the courage of the Hero of Time.

As the Wind Waker adventure begins, we find a young boy named Link on his birthday, putting on the celebrated green clothes of the Hero. This Link is part of the Knight’s bloodline, but is not related to the Link of Ocarina of Time directly. If clarification is needed, he can be referred to as Link II or, The Hero of Winds.

A millenium after the events of Ocarina of Time, and 900 years after the Great Flood, Link begins his adventure, which is initially to save his sister Aryll. With the aid of a band of pirates, led by a girl named Tetra, Link found his sister in the Forbidden Fortress (a massive structure built around the higher levels of the Arbiter’s Ground prison where the Gerudo were sent to the Twilight Realm 1000 years prior), but was unable to rescue her. Before being cast into the sea by the Helmaroc King, the giant stone-masked bird that had kidnapped his sister, Link caught a glimpse of a dark-robed figure with an impassive face.

The King of Red Lions, a living boat and the magical form of the King of Hyrule.

Link awoke in the middle of the sea, laying in a small red boat. The head of the boat turned around and spoke to Link. Introducing himself as The King of Red Lions, he told him that the man he saw was named Ganon and that he was a man of great evil power. Impressed by Link’s determination, he charged the young boy with saving the land from the evil of Ganon.

The King of Red Lions was actually a magical avatar for the King of Hyrule who had called down the great flood in the first place. Knowing that Ganon had restored himself to physical form somehow, he guided Link to protecting the land. Though Ganon had resumed a physical form, his magic was still locked underwater with the rest of Hyrule. Ganon knew, however, that if he could find Princess Zelda’s descendant, he could use her intuition with the Triforce of Wisdom to loosen the magic lock on Hyrule and reclaim his power. This had been why Aryll had been kidnapped: Ganon was kidnapping blond girls with Hylian ears in the hopes of finding Zelda. Trying to amass enough power to stop Ganon, while not disturbing the seal on Hyrule would prove to be a difficult task.

Link initially collected pearls that were symbolic of the power’s of the goddesses who created the land, and placed them on pedestals created on the three Triangle Islands. With the three pearls in their sacred positions (positions with, geographically, would be very important more than a millenium later), the magic of the goddesses raised the giant Tower of the Gods up above sea level. After battling through the tower, Link had opened a portal which would allow him access to Hyrule Castle, which had been frozen in stone during the flood. In the basement of the castle, in the middle of a shrine to the original 7 Sages, Link discovered the Master Sword. After learning as much as he could about the sages, Link drew the Master Sword, in the hopes that it would allow him to defeat Ganon.

Unfortunately, the Master Sword was once again operating as a key. This time when the Master Sword was pulled, the lock on Ganon’s powers was released. The Master Sword had also lost much of it’s power. The King of Red Lions advised Link to seek out the Sage of Wind and the Sage of the Earth. The sages, they discovered, had died long ago, but still fulfilled their duties until recently. Laruto, a Zora, was the Sage of the Earth, until Ganon imprisoned her soul. Fado, a Kokiri, had assumed physical form and had then been killed by Ganon. Without these sages, the power of the Master Sword had faded. To restore the sword to it’s former glory, Link helped the descendants of the Sages awaken. Makar, one of the Koroks awoke as the Sage of Wind and Medlii of the Rito awoke as the Sage of the Earth. With the Master Sword at full power, returned to the Forsaken Fortress and freed his sister.

Tetra of the Pirates, who would be revealed as the descendant of Princess Zelda.

After saving Aryll, Link and Tetra the pirate were confronted by Ganon. Ganon attempted to engage them in battle, but several Rito and Valoo interfered and drew Ganon him off long enough for Link and Tetra to escape. The King of Red Lions took them through the portal the Hyrule, where he revealed that Tetra was in fact the descendant of Princess Zelda that Ganon had been looking for. The King also pointed out a dark castle nearby which Link had not seen before. He told them that his was Ganon’s new castle, and it was sealed with powerful magic. The only way to break the seal would be with the power of the Triforce of Courage.

Link I had been the vessel of the Triforce of Courage. Before he left Hyrule on his search for Navi, he broke the Triforce apart, and spread the pieces around Hyrule. He hoped that no evil would ever be able to lay their hands on the completed Triforce, and that at worst, perhaps a new hero could assemble it. Link II did just that and after finding that Ganon had kidnapped Zelda, stormed Ganon’s castle. When the three of them were together, the Triforce combined into one, and prepared to grant the wish in the heart of whomever touched it next. Ganon seemed poised to touch the Triforce and make a wish to return the sun to Hyrule, but The King of Hyrule grabbed it first. He wished simply for a new future for Link, Zelda and Hyrule. Incensed, Ganon attacked Link, but was defeated. Link struck the final blow, driving the Master Sword into the head of Ganon. Acting once more as the lock on great power, the sword turned Ganon to stone, effectivly locking his great power. Returning to the surface, the King of Red Lions charged them with “finding a new Hyrule.”

Rejoining Zelda’s former pirate partners, they searched all over the sea, eventually finding the pieces of the Triforce which had been scattered after the King’s wish. Hoping to restore Hyrule to it’s former glory, they wished for the Great Sea to leave the land. They hoped that with Ganon encased in stone, they could contain him.

With their wish granted, the water level slowly dropped until Hyrule was much like it had been before the flood, with the exception of some terra-forming as a result of the flooding, currents, and underwater earthquakes. The Forbidden Woods, no longer held together with the power of the Kalle Demos, simply broke apart in the currents of the lowering tide. The same happened to many of the other mountain peaks that had become the smaller islands: they broke off in the currents as the water was swept away. The people who lived in the larger islands simply moved back down into Hyrule, and set about restoring the society to it’s former greatness.

Ganon turns his attention to the Sages who attempted to execute him.

As for Ganon, it was decided that his castle should be destroyed, and so the people, along with the Gorons who had stayed underwater, tore it down brick by brick. Ganon’s body/statue was moved to the Arbiter’s Ground, where it remained for 20 years, with the Master Sword still embedded in his head. The Sages, who had now all shed physical forms and had become spirits communing through the Triforce, appeared to Princess Zelda in a vision. To protect the safety of this new world, they said, Ganon must be made to stand trial, and the Master Sword must be returned to it’s resting place. By this time, Link had set about founding a southern province, just outside of Hyrule proper, called Ordana (named after the goddess Farore). Zelda contacted him, and the two traveled to the Arbiter’s Ground. There, they met the Sages, who assumed physical bodies for this important occasion.

The Sages shackled the statue to a wall, in the same room where the Gerudo were banished to the Twilight Realm so many years past. When they believed Ganon had been restrained enough, they instructed Link to remove the Master Sword. He did so, and life slowly returned to Ganon. As he began to regain consciousness, one of the Sages told Link and Zelda, it would be best if they were not present, as Ganon’s hatred of them might drive him. Agreeing, they left.

After Link and Zelda had left, the Sages confronted Ganon with his crimes, and decided that the only way to ensure peace would be to execute him. Using their powers to generate a sword of pure light, they levitated it violently into Ganon’s chest. Ganon still had some communion with the Triforce of Power, however. Drawing on the Triforce’s strength, he broke free of his bonds and destroyed one of the Sages. Panicking, the others activated the Mirror of Twilight, and banished Ganon to the Twilight Realm. They prayed that would be the last time they heard his name.

Meanwhile, Link traveled back to Ordana. He kept the Master Sword with him for some time, until one day while exploring the Faron Woods, he discovered the ruins of an ancient temple. As he searched, he was approached by one of the Sages, assuming physical form once again. The Sage explained that this place was the earthly remains of the rebuilt Temple of Time. The Temple itself now resided mostly in a zone beyond time and the physical world, only the entrance remained. The Sage led Link to a small grove with a pedestal. Link placed the Master Sword in the pedestal with the intention of letting it sleep there forever.

Link returned to Ordana and began writing a book detailing the legends he had heard of the Hero of Time, as well as his own adventures as the Hero of Winds, and both of their battles with Ganon. He also included a basic translation of the ancient Hylian language. He called it The Book of Modura. He would continue to update the book over the years, adding entries about the brutal war between the Goron and Rito, where the Goron reclaimed their longtime home, killing most of the Rito, and other conflicts. Before his death, Link left the book with Impaz, an old woman believed to be the sole surviving Sheikah (a Hylian tribe dedicated to protecting the royal family of Hyrule). He told her to keep a close eye on the book, as it was the only thorough history of the first 2000 years of Hyrule.

Over the next 900 years, Hyrule rebuilt itself anew. The population boomed and new technologies were invented everyday. As the celebration of another millennium drew near, many residents began to notice that the twilight of early evening and early morning seemed to glow, almost as if some force was trying to reach out through the incandescence.

More than perhaps any other series of video games, Legend of Zelda has an extraordinarily expansive world in which the games take place. Throughout the games that are in canon (The Oracle Game Boy Games, Minish Cap and Four Swords games do not establish a place for themselves within continuity; conversely, the Phillips produced CD-I games such as Wand of Gameleon are apparently so dismal as to have been disavowed by all but the most anal of game historians), the history, politics and geography of Hyrule has evolved, from showing simple folk living in caves spouting non-sensical Engrish to bustling towns and villages hidden in the forests, as well as foreboding dungeons and ethereal palaces.

To make a complete history of Hyrule, it is important to establish the order in which the games occur. The games were not released in anything resembling chronological order; in fact, the first two games on the NES are generally accepted as being the last two stories chronologically. Further muddying the issue is that there is never any references to dating current years in the games. While Ocarina of Time was released in 1998, in game, there is nothing to say whether it takes place in the year 0 or 5000 or anywhere in between. As such, storyline details from the games become the only way to determine where they lie in the continuity.

Come to think of it, this may be the only reason the first two games are fitted into the end of the chronology: the lack of storyline details in the two games give them a sense of finality.

Another point of confusion is that none of the games explicitly state whether Hyrule refers only to the kingdom in which the games take place, or to the entire world in which the kingdom sits. I would posit (great word) that characters are referring to the entire world when they use the term Hyrule, but the kingdom only encompasses what they have discovered of the world. They may yet be more to discover beyond its territories.

Regardless, based on storylines presented in the games, here are the games in the chronology as I have understood it (with direct sequels that do not directly affect the chronology listed in parenthesis)-

Ocarina of Time (Majora’s Mask)
Wind Waker (Phantom Hourglass)
Twilight Princess
Link to the Past
Legend of Zelda (Adventure of Link)

Shigeru Miyamoto gives up trying to come up with a decent timeline for Zelda games.

The order in which the games take place is a matter of great confusion for players for another reason. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the series (as well as the Mario and Donkey Kong games), there are two different chronologies. At the end of Ocarina of Time, the adult Link is returned to his childhood by Princess Zelda and, presumably, Ganon is brought to trial for his crimes before he can seize control of the world. Accoding to Miyamoto, this creates one timeline picking up from that spot, and another branch taking up from where the adult Link defeated Ganon.

Personally, I can’t stand this alternating timeline stuff. I’m sure, as a game creator, it opens things up to allow them to do things that may contradict what happens in other games. As a player, however, I find it very convoluted. That’s why I came up with my own timeline theory, as seen above.

The Beginning (0001 -1001):

According to the cutscenes in Ocarina of Time, Hyrule was created by three goddesses. Din, the goddess of power, created the earth. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, gave her wisdom to the world, and “created the world’s laws to give a sense of justice and order to the world.” I quote that passage, as it may be confusing. The world does not inhernetly have a sense of justice, unless you believe in karma or other metaphysical ideals. However, another passage in the game refers to Nayru creating the laws “which all living things obey,” which I believe, refers to gravity and physics, and other physical “laws.” Finally, Farore, the goddess of courage created life to inhabit the world.

When they were finished their work, they left the Triforce, three magical golden triangles, behind as a totem symbol of their power. Knowing that the Triforce itself was not a god, and could not judge between good and evil, it was placed in “The Sacred Realm,” a rather ambiguous place which has yet to be described in full detail.

We are given little information as to what happens between this point (Year 1 of Hyrule’s history, we can infer), and the events of Ocarina of Time. As such, until a game is made that fills in these gaps, it is left to intrepid internet journalists like myself to fill in the gaps.

Here is my entirely fictional account of that time period.

For some time after the creation of the land, the different races established their own places within the world. The Gerudo (who apparently are female, with one male king born every 100 years) carved out homes for themselves in the vast desert to the West. The rock-eating Gorons took up residence in the caves of Death Mountain, to the North. The water-dwelling Zora people l