The Zelda Fallen Hero Timeline EXPLAINED

The Zelda Fallen Hero Timeline Explained

As most fans can tell you, the timeline of “The Legend of Zelda” is a little messy. That tends to happen when you try to assign chronology and structure where there previously was none. After years of debate, Nintendo tried to tie everything together with an official timeline in 2011. It revealed that “Ocarina of Time” caused a split into three separate realities. And the Fallen Hero timeline, which has received more updates than any other since the timeline’s release, requires a bit more explanation than the rest. Welcome to MojoPlays, and this is “Zelda’s” Fallen Hero timeline explained.

At the end of “Ocarina of Time,” Zelda sends Link back in time to relive the childhood he missed. While some fans correctly assumed this action led to two different realities, the one Link returned to and the one he left behind, most were surprised to learn about the third outcome: the world as a result of Link’s failure. If Link were to fall in battle to Ganon, the villain would obtain the full Triforce. In a last ditch effort, the Sages would trap him in the Sacred Realm, along with the Triforce.

“Ocarina of Time” was already a prequel, and slight retcon to the history of “A Link to the Past” when it was released. The first game set in the Fallen Hero timeline, it explains how the existence of the Sacred Realm and the Triforce it held led many to seek it. But with the Sacred Realm corrupted into the Dark World under Ganon’s influence, all who set foot there turned monstrous, adding to his forces. In order to stop Ganon’s army from invading Hyrule, the Sages sealed the entrance during an event known as the Imprisoning War. Although the Sages were successful, the Knights of Hyrule that defended them suffered heavy losses. Ganon was gone, and the kingdom was at peace, until it was time for a new hero to appear.

The version of Link seen in “A Link to the Past” is a descendant of the original Knights of Hyrule. It follows him as he tries to stop Agahnim, a wizard who overthrows the King, and kidnaps the descendants of the Seven Sages, sending them to the Dark World in an attempt to break the seal on Ganon. Along his journey, he proves himself worthy of the Master Sword, just like his previous incarnations, and uncovers that Agahnim is a manifestation of Ganon himself. Following him into the Dark World, Link meets each challenge head on, freeing the Maidens and Princess Zelda, and bringing an end to Ganon. One of the most groundbreaking titles on the Super Nintendo comes to a close with the Triforce, and the kingdom, safe. And with the retrospective knowledge that this version of Hyrule was born from some fairly dark events, there’s a nice extra layer to Ganon’s defeat.

With Hyrule safe, Link then travels overseas to train in other lands. While doing so, he’s caught in a storm and washes ashore the strange Koholint Island. “Link’s Awakening” follows the hero in search of a way home as he digs into the history of the mysterious island. Along the way, he defeats monsters known as nightmares, eventually coming to learn that they, along with everyone else, are creations in a dream of a powerful deity known as the Wind Fish. Although Link must wake it from its slumber in order to return home, the island and its people vanish. Link wakes at sea, as the Wind Fish soars through the sky, happy to be free but only able to drift towards home.

Once Link returns safely to Hyrule, he finds that peace, unfortunately, doesn’t last very long. The next games in the timeline, “Oracle of Ages” and “Oracle of Seasons,” take place concurrently. They follow a plot set in motion by Koume and Kotake, twin witches and the surrogate mothers of Ganon trying to revive him. This is where things are a little messy, as Koume and Kotake died (and became angels, somehow?) in “Ocarina of Time.” Although, they did tell Link they’d come back to haunt him, so that’ll have to serve as explanation enough.

In order to complete the ritual to revive Ganon, Koume and Kotake light three, mystical flames, all born out of widespread acts of villainy. They send General Onox to the land of Holodrum to kidnap Din, the Oracle of Seasons, causing the seasons of the area to rapidly fluctuate. They send their other minion, the sorceress Veran, to the land of Labrynna to kidnap Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, letting her change events in the past to gain power. Link, summoned by the Triforce, travels to both neighboring kingdoms, and defeats both Onox and Veran. But by then, it’s too late, as their actions have caused the Flames of Destruction and Sorrow to be lit.

By linking your saves on the Game Boy Color, you’d learn that Koume and Kotake lit the third, the Flame of Despair, by kidnapping Princess Zelda. With them all lit, they need only sacrifice her in order to revive Ganon. As always, Link was there to stop them. Although Zelda was saved, the witches sacrificed themselves in order to see Ganon return. But since the ritual hadn’t been completed, Ganon returned as a near-mindless, albeit absolutely rageful beast. Link once again had to put Ganon down, bringing peace to both lands and the world at large.

And as far as we know, that is the end of this Link’s saga. The next game in the timeline, “A Link Between Worlds,” follows a new incarnation of the hero some untold amount of time in the future. Its history tells us that, at some point after the “Oracle” duology, the Triforce split for the first time since before “Ocarina of Time.” The Triforce of Wisdom went with the Royal Family, the Triforce of Power, somehow, still clung to Ganon, and the Triforce of Courage stayed with Link.

“A Link Between Worlds” followed a new threat in the form of Yuga, a sorcerer from Lorule, a dark, alternate world to Hyrule. Yuga used his magic to trap descendants of the Seven Sages in paintings, once again a plot to revive Ganon. Like his predecessor, Link took up the Master Sword and followed the sorcerer into Lorule. Although Yuga was successful in merging with Ganon to gain the Triforce of Power, it was then that Link met Princess Hilda and learned of her kingdom’s plight.

Lorule was, in many ways, like Hyrule. Except, in order to stop the constant war over its version of the Triforce, the rulers decided to destroy it, causing the land to fall into ruin. After freeing the descendants of the Sages, Link would learn that Yuga’s invasion of Hyrule was Hilda’s plan. She sought the kingdom’s Triforce to save her own world. With the Triforce of Power with Yuga, and having stolen the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda’s painting, she only needed the Triforce of Courage which, of course, had been paired with Link.

Thankfully for the people of Hyrule, this Link proved worthy of defending it. Even when Yuga betrayed Hilda, using two pieces of the Triforce against Link’s one, the hero was victorious. Not only was his world saved, but he and Zelda used their Triforce to restore Lorule’s. And with both kingdoms safe, Link would set out to find adventure elsewhere.

The next game in the timeline, “Tri Force Heroes,” is one most fans choose to disregard. Which is fair; it’s simply okay. But it follows the hero from “A Link Between Worlds” as he ventures to Hytopia, a neighboring kingdom obsessed with fashion. The Princess Styla has been cursed by a witch to be stuck wearing a drab, brown jumpsuit. And her father the King has called for aid from any who prove worthy. With more focus on multiplayer than most other entries, the game follows Link, splitting into three, to stop the witch’s forces and return Styla to her fashionable self. Clearly no big deal after his previous adventure, Link restores the kingdom’s joy and is celebrated as its savior.

That is currently where that version of Link’s story ends. Another incarnation of the hero is born sometime later in Suthorn Village, as seen in “Echoes of Wisdom.” He begins taking on the role of the hero when rifts start appearing in Hyrule, swallowing up citizens. And he even set out to rescue Princess Zelda when she was kidnapped by Ganon, seemingly returned. But he wouldn’t be the hero of the story, as he himself would be swallowed by one of these rifts.

Saving the kingdom would instead fall to Zelda. As rifts grew widespread, even kidnapping and producing an evil doppelganger of her father, Zelda set out to solve the problem. Along with her was Tri, a fairy-like creature that granted her the ability to produce echoes of objects and monsters.

The addition of “Echoes of Wisdom” came with a fairly big retcon to some established lore. As many games before had told us, the world of Hyrule, along with the Triforce, was created by three goddesses: Din, Goddess of Power, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, Goddess of Courage. However, in “Echoes of Wisdom,” Zelda communicates with them. And she learns that when Hyrule was created, it was to seal away Null, a primordial being that consumed any and all life that developed around it, out of a desire to be the only thing in existence. Null is behind the rifts, for which Tri and its kind were created to seal. In its attempt to break free of imprisonment, Null seeks the Triforce, becoming only the owner of Din’s third. After freeing Link, Zelda and the hero bring an end to Null’s plot, restoring the kingdom in the process. And thus, another era comes to a close.

The Fallen Hero Timeline ends with the original two games in the series, with the next events being found mostly in their manuals. The backstory of “Zelda II” tells us that the Royal Family began using the full Triforce to help govern and protect the kingdom. But at a certain point, one King felt unsure about his son, should he come to rule. Before his death, he split the three pieces, hiding the Triforce of Courage until one who was worthy appeared. His son, furious at only receiving two thirds of the Triforce, was led astray by a wizard, who told him the Prince’s sister, Zelda, knew where to find the missing piece. In the ensuing argument, the wizard cast a powerful sleep spell on Zelda, so powerful that he died in the process. The Prince, overcome with guilt, placed his sister in a chamber and declared that all women born in the Royal Family would henceforth be named after her…seemingly unaware of the many previous Princess Zeldas born throughout history.

Sadly, the Royal Family, which had used the Triforce to rule for so long, found itself unfit to do so without it. Thus, the kingdom became divided, with many of its corners falling into ruin. The backstory of the original game tells of Ganon who, as we now know, had been revived, though through unknown means, and struck when Hyrule was at its weakest. He stole the Triforce of Power, but failed to claim the Triforce of Wisdom when a new incarnation of Zelda broke it into eight pieces and hid them across Hyrule. She then sent out her nursemaid, Impa, to find a hero worthy of taking on Ganon’s forces. And who she found was Link.

Thus begins the first game in the series, released in Japan in February of 1986. After hearing Impa’s story, Link sets out to collect the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. He does so, before bravely venturing into Ganon’s hideout, defeating his minions, and laying waste to the villain. He saves Princess Zelda and brings the Triforces of Power and Wisdom together again. But there’s still the matter of the third piece, the one that, in future games, would become intrinsically linked to the soul of the hero.

Although the only person who knew the whereabouts of the Triforce of Courage lay under a spell of endless sleep, a hint towards its location appeared six years after the first game’s events; its image shone on the back of Link’s hand. It was then that Impa told him the sleeping Zelda’s story, and showed him a scroll left behind by the King who hid the third Triforce piece away. This led him on a journey to restore the full Triforce, braving the hidden palaces designed as tests, all while being hunted by Ganon’s minions, who needed his blood to revive their master.

Link would prove himself worthy time and time again, even facing himself as a final challenge. With the Triforce restored, the Princess woke from her long slumber, and the kingdom, once again, was at peace, bringing an end to the Fallen Hero Timeline.

Ever since the timeline was revealed in 2011, the Fallen Hero section has received more updates than any other. As we know, all three seemingly, eventually lead to the era of the wilds, as seen in “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom,” where it’s so far in the future, all previous games are simply seen as myth. But if “Echoes of Wisdom” is to continue as a Zelda-centric series, or if Link is to appear in another smaller, 2D adventure, we may not yet be done exploring this portion of the timeline. We may get further updates on certain eras, or even overall mythos as we saw with Null. Only time and Nintendo will tell.

Do you want to see more games set in the Fallen Hero timeline? Which era do you want to see more of? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!