by bigdarkparticle · 16 hours ago
The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest-running game franchises out there. Until recently, it has been difficult for fans to stitch together the multiple installations of the series, mainly because of the huge time jumps that occur between games (and mostly out of order). I’ll be referencing the Hyrule Historia, Nintendo’s official Zelda Encyclopedia, and trying to present the multiple timelines and events in a way that makes sense. To start, I’ll be covering the creation myth and the general happenings of Skyward Sword (most recent installation, but the first to happen in the timeline). It’s a lot of information, but it will lay the foundation for a lot of what will follow.
The Creation of the World
Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land, created the red earth, and was thus responsible for the creation of the geography of Hyrule. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru.
The Goddess Hylia
When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. The three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder. trusted the ultimate power in the hands of Her Grace, the Goddess Hylia, to protect it. The Demon King Demise, wanting to make the world his own, gathered an army of monsters and together launched an attack against the people of the surface, murdering them and causing misfortunes in an attempt to get their hands on the power guarded by Hylia. Hylia gathered the surviving humans on a piece of land and sent it to the heavens, beyond the clouds and out of reach from the evil plaguing the land. In order to keep it from falling into the hands of Demise, Hylia also sent the Triforce to The Sky and hid the portals to three pieces of the Triforce within Sky Keep, and enshrined the Goddess Sword inside the Statue of the Goddess, to be found by a chosen hero when the time was right.
The Triforce
The most sacred relic in the LoZ universe, as it can fulfill the wish of anyone who possesses it. However, it does not distinguish between good or evil, and allows both good and bad wishes. A strong heart, innate ability, and balance of the three virtues (power, wisdom, and courage) are required to be granted a wish. If one who does not possess these requirements touches the relic, it splits into three pieces. The finder is left with the piece most signifying their strongest quality, and the other two are placed in the hands of two individuals chosen by the goddesses. All three pieces must be reunited in order to achieve true power.
Skyloft
As mentioned before, the goddess Hylia had sent the supposed last remnants of humanity into The Sky in order to keep them safe from Demise. The plot of land that they were sent up on became known as the Isle of the Goddess. The islands that the surviving humans inhabited were known as Skyloft. It is here that the stage for first struggle of between the Hero of Time and Demise would be set. It is unknown were the humans on the Surface originated from, but it’s likely that they descended from above the clouds and never found a way to return. As such, very few individuals on the Surface knew of Skyloft, and vice-versa. After thousands of years, both civilizations became completely unaware of one another. Over time, as the seal that contained Demise began to weaken, a human girl was born. She was given the name Zelda, and she was the goddess Hylia reincarnated. She grew up alongside a young boy named Link, a Knight in training.
The Demon Lord and The Goddess Sword
Around the same time, Demise sent his follower Ghirahim to the Surface, where Ghirahim gave himself the title of lord. Through secret plotting and scheming, he unleashed demon hordes on the land in an attempt to find the goddess and resurrect the Demon King Demise. He eventually found Zelda in the sky, and produced a tornado that broke through the clouds and caused her to fall to the Surface. Following the path of his destiny, Link was guided to the Goddess Sword enshrined in the Statue of the Goddess. He was escorted by Fi, the spirit of the sword, down to the Surface. Meanwhile, Zelda is captured by Ghirahim’s henchmen, but is saved by Impa, of the Shiekah tribe.
The Gate of Time
Following her rescue, Zelda regains her memories as the goddess Hylia. In order to strengthen the seal of Demise, Impa and Zelda attempt to return to the past, using the Temple of Time in the desert. However, Ghirahim catches up to them and interferes. Luckily, Link shows up just in time to cover Impa and Zelda’s entry in the Gate of Time. Upon entering, Impa destroyed the gate, as to keep Ghirahim from following them into the past.
Zelda's Slumber
After passing through the Gate of Time, Link finally met up with Zelda and Impa. Unfortunately, Zelda had come to the realization that, in order to strengthen the seal of Demise, she must slumber in the Sealed Temple. Zelda then encased herself in a magic crystal and fell into a deep sleep. The Surface became stable once again, and Skyloft flourished. Link returned to his own era, and became worthy of the omnipotent Triforce. He was granted his wish: The Statue of the Goddess returned to the Sealed Grounds, where it destroyed the Demon King. After thousands of years of sleep, Zelda finally awoke.
Tempering of the Sword
In order to reactivate the other Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple, Link traveled across the land to find the Sacred Flames. Using these essences of the Golden Godesses, he forged the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword. This blade was imbued with the power of the Force and was able to reactivate the broken Gate of Time.
Resurrection of Demise
The enraged Ghirahim kidnapped Zelda, and took her through the Gate of Time. After arriving in the past, he performed the ritual to resurrect Demise. Link followed Ghirahim through the Gate into the past. There, Ghirahim revealed himself to be the spirit of Demise’s Sword. Link defeats Ghirahim, but he was too late, as Demise had already awakened. After an intense battle with the demon, Link proved victorious. Upon his termination, the Demon King’s hatred was absorbed into the Master Sword, where it was sealed away. The demons on the Surface no longer terrorized its inhabitants.
The Beginning of the Cycle
Link and the others returned to the present time. Everything was peaceful, and Zelda resolved to live on the surface in order to protect the Triforce. The Master Sword and its spirit Fi are returned to their resting place inside the Statue of the Goddess. However, the destruction of Demise was not the end. It was the beginning of an eternal curse: a never-ending cycle of the reincarnation of the Demon King, whose hatred for all those with the blood of the Goddess Hylia and the spirit of the Hero everlasting.
Dancing Goron Tax
The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest-running game franchises out there. Until recently, it has been difficult for fans to stitch together the multiple installations of the series, mainly because of the huge time jumps that occur between games (and mostly out of order). I’ll be referencing the Hyrule Historia, Nintendo’s official Zelda Encyclopedia, and trying to present the multiple timelines and events in a way that makes sense. To start, I’ll be covering the creation myth and the general happenings of Skyward Sword (most recent installation, but the first to happen in the timeline). It’s a lot of information, but it will lay the foundation for a lot of what will follow.
The Creation of the World
Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land, created the red earth, and was thus responsible for the creation of the geography of Hyrule. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru.
The Goddess Hylia
When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. The three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder. trusted the ultimate power in the hands of Her Grace, the Goddess Hylia, to protect it. The Demon King Demise, wanting to make the world his own, gathered an army of monsters and together launched an attack against the people of the surface, murdering them and causing misfortunes in an attempt to get their hands on the power guarded by Hylia. Hylia gathered the surviving humans on a piece of land and sent it to the heavens, beyond the clouds and out of reach from the evil plaguing the land. In order to keep it from falling into the hands of Demise, Hylia also sent the Triforce to The Sky and hid the portals to three pieces of the Triforce within Sky Keep, and enshrined the Goddess Sword inside the Statue of the Goddess, to be found by a chosen hero when the time was right.
The Triforce
The most sacred relic in the LoZ universe, as it can fulfill the wish of anyone who possesses it. However, it does not distinguish between good or evil, and allows both good and bad wishes. A strong heart, innate ability, and balance of the three virtues (power, wisdom, and courage) are required to be granted a wish. If one who does not possess these requirements touches the relic, it splits into three pieces. The finder is left with the piece most signifying their strongest quality, and the other two are placed in the hands of two individuals chosen by the goddesses. All three pieces must be reunited in order to achieve true power.
Skyloft
As mentioned before, the goddess Hylia had sent the supposed last remnants of humanity into The Sky in order to keep them safe from Demise. The plot of land that they were sent up on became known as the Isle of the Goddess. The islands that the surviving humans inhabited were known as Skyloft. It is here that the stage for first struggle of between the Hero of Time and Demise would be set. It is unknown were the humans on the Surface originated from, but it’s likely that they descended from above the clouds and never found a way to return. As such, very few individuals on the Surface knew of Skyloft, and vice-versa. After thousands of years, both civilizations became completely unaware of one another. Over time, as the seal that contained Demise began to weaken, a human girl was born. She was given the name Zelda, and she was the goddess Hylia reincarnated. She grew up alongside a young boy named Link, a Knight in training.
The Demon Lord and The Goddess Sword
Around the same time, Demise sent his follower Ghirahim to the Surface, where Ghirahim gave himself the title of lord. Through secret plotting and scheming, he unleashed demon hordes on the land in an attempt to find the goddess and resurrect the Demon King Demise. He eventually found Zelda in the sky, and produced a tornado that broke through the clouds and caused her to fall to the Surface. Following the path of his destiny, Link was guided to the Goddess Sword enshrined in the Statue of the Goddess. He was escorted by Fi, the spirit of the sword, down to the Surface. Meanwhile, Zelda is captured by Ghirahim’s henchmen, but is saved by Impa, of the Shiekah tribe.
The Gate of Time
Following her rescue, Zelda regains her memories as the goddess Hylia. In order to strengthen the seal of Demise, Impa and Zelda attempt to return to the past, using the Temple of Time in the desert. However, Ghirahim catches up to them and interferes. Luckily, Link shows up just in time to cover Impa and Zelda’s entry in the Gate of Time. Upon entering, Impa destroyed the gate, as to keep Ghirahim from following them into the past.
Zelda's Slumber
After passing through the Gate of Time, Link finally met up with Zelda and Impa. Unfortunately, Zelda had come to the realization that, in order to strengthen the seal of Demise, she must slumber in the Sealed Temple. Zelda then encased herself in a magic crystal and fell into a deep sleep. The Surface became stable once again, and Skyloft flourished. Link returned to his own era, and became worthy of the omnipotent Triforce. He was granted his wish: The Statue of the Goddess returned to the Sealed Grounds, where it destroyed the Demon King. After thousands of years of sleep, Zelda finally awoke.
Tempering of the Sword
In order to reactivate the other Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple, Link traveled across the land to find the Sacred Flames. Using these essences of the Golden Godesses, he forged the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword. This blade was imbued with the power of the Force and was able to reactivate the broken Gate of Time.
Resurrection of Demise
The enraged Ghirahim kidnapped Zelda, and took her through the Gate of Time. After arriving in the past, he performed the ritual to resurrect Demise. Link followed Ghirahim through the Gate into the past. There, Ghirahim revealed himself to be the spirit of Demise’s Sword. Link defeats Ghirahim, but he was too late, as Demise had already awakened. After an intense battle with the demon, Link proved victorious. Upon his termination, the Demon King’s hatred was absorbed into the Master Sword, where it was sealed away. The demons on the Surface no longer terrorized its inhabitants.
The Beginning of the Cycle
Link and the others returned to the present time. Everything was peaceful, and Zelda resolved to live on the surface in order to protect the Triforce. The Master Sword and its spirit Fi are returned to their resting place inside the Statue of the Goddess. However, the destruction of Demise was not the end. It was the beginning of an eternal curse: a never-ending cycle of the reincarnation of the Demon King, whose hatred for all those with the blood of the Goddess Hylia and the spirit of the Hero everlasting.
Dancing Goron Tax
