Category:The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most famous series, and one of the longest running series. A Zelda game has appeared on every Nintendo console, an accomplishment shared only with . The games are adventure games that focus primarily on puzzle soving and exploration. The only game to radically break from the normal style was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which was a sidescrolling game with experience points typical of most Role-Playing Games. Actually, all titles in the series feature every (Japanese) role-playing element except for experience points.

The games generally revolve around a young adventurer, Link, and his quest to save the land from an evil force (usually Ganon). Traditionally Link would fight his nemesis Ganon at the end, and have to save Princess Zelda at some point. In modern games, Zelda has become less of a damsel in distress and has taken a more active role in fighting evil.

Original timeline

 * Official name: Hyrule's decline and the last hero

The first four legends of Zelda belong to the same timeline, without any doubt:
 * 1. The Legend of Zelda: Ganon is defeated and killed.
 * 2. The Adventure of Link: attempt to resurrect Ganon.
 * 3. A Link to the Past: a prequel, telling the rise of Ganon in the land of Hyrule.
 * 4. Link's Awakening: Ganon appears in a nightmare, i.e. in memories of the past.

After that, the 5th Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) openly contradicted the story of Link's childhood as told in the 3rd one. It created a continuity problem, thus setting the base for a different timeline.

Years later, more games belonging to this first timeline were released:
 * 7. Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons: another attempt ot resurrect Ganon.
 * 16. A Link between Worlds (original title: "Triforce of the Gods 2"): a direct sequel to the 3rd Legend of Zelda ("Triforce of the Gods").
 * 17. Tri Force Heroes: a further sequel to the 3rd Legend of Zelda.

Central timeline

 * Official names:
 *  Legend of the gods and the hero of time (up to the events of Ocarina of Time)
 *  The dark world and the hero's descendants (after the events of Ocarina of Time)
 *  Child era (after the events of Ocarina of Time)

In 1998, the 5th Legend of Zelda created a chronology problem that received an official answer only thirteen years later, in 2011. With Ocarina of Time, the chronology of the various legends of Zelda splits in three: the #Last hero timeline above, this "central" timeline, and the #New world timeline below.

The following legends belong to this central timeline, before and after the "three-fork":
 * Legends featuring the magical Ocarina:
 * 5. Ocarina of Time: it tells how the desert raider Ganondorf turned into the monstruous Ganon.
 * 6. Majora's Mask: a direct sequel to the 5th Legend of Zelda.
 * Legends featuring the Four Sword and Vaati:
 * 8. Four Swords: set before Ocarina of Time.
 * 10. Four Swords Adventures: set after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
 * 11. The Minish Cap: a prequel to the other two, telling how Vaati of the Minish people turned into a demon.
 * 12. Twilight Princess: set after Majora's Mask.
 * 15. Skyward Sword: set before Ocarina of Time and The Minish Cap.

New world timeline
In 2003, the 9th Legend of Zelda ("The Wind Waker") openly contradicted both the 3rd and 5th legends of Zelda about the childhood of Link and the origins of Ganondorf. It was the start of a new timeline.
 * Official names:
 * The hero of wind and a new world
 * Adult era
 * 9. The Wind Waker: Ganondorf if a sea pirate, instead of a desert raider.
 * 13. Phantom Hourglass: a direct sequel to the above.
 * 14. Spirit Tracks: a direct sequel to the two above.

Future timeline
The 18th Legend of Zelda (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) is officially set long, long after all known legends. In fact, it includes references to all the three timelines above.