History (The Legend of Zelda Supplement)

Brief History

• Creation of Majora's Mask
• Primordial Era
• interloper War
• Silver Age
• Hyrulean Civil War
  • Ocarina of Time
  • Majora's Mask
• Golden Age
• The Great Flood
• Pearl Age
  • Wind Waker
• Age of New Hyrule
  • Twilight Princess

Primordial Era

Hyrule was ounce a realm of chaos. in this realm, there lived an evil creature which fed on the desires of the countless numbers of humans who had come before it to try and claim its armor and be granted their wishes. A traveler came forward to the place where the monster lived. The traveler started talking with the man-eating creature, where he found that the monster itself wanted to die, being so miserable. The man proceeded to pull out his bongo and started playing. The monster went into a trance and started dancing. The traveler played for three days straight. On the third day, the beast dropped dead from dancing his heart out. The hero took its magical armor, but instead of wishing upon it, he carved it into a mask in an attempt to seal the beast's power inside the mask forever. The mask was named Majora after the beast. The mask had a spirit because Majora's evil power lingered on inside the mask seeking a host, not resting until its wish was granted.

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. thus, she was responsible for the establishment of all the laws of science and wizardry. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru. The chaos was removed from the now lawful land and placed in what is currently called the Vile Realm.

* Majora's Mask Survived the split the once Chaotic Hyrule and went on to start a cult based around worshiping the masks power

When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. It was in the Sacred Realm that 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.

The whole Triforce could only be claimed by one pure of heart, and this would cause the Sacred Realm to become a paradise. But if that one's heart is unbalanced, the Triforce would split into its three separate pieces, leaving only the piece representing the force in which that one most believes in hand and transforming the Sacred Realm into a world of evil. If that one who shattered the Triforce were to seek the true force to govern all, they would have to acquire the two lost pieces. The other two pieces would dwell within two people chosen by destiny, who would bear the symbol of the Triforce on the backs of their hands.The ancient Sages, fearing that the Triforce's magic could be abused, crafted a sword infused with magic resistant even to the Triforce itself. then had the Three Goddesses Bless the weapon so that it became known as the Blade of Evil's Bane better known as the Master Sword. which was capable of banishing evil and was reserved for use only by a hero in times of great need.

The Hylian people were also aided in the development of their kingdom by the Oocca, a race said to be even closer to the gods. The Oocca also assisted the ancient Sages in the construction of the Temple of Time to protect the portal to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce stored within. Once the land of Hyrule had been established, the Oocca left for the City in the Sky, but maintained contact with the Royal Family of Hyrule for a time.

• the origins or the Master Sword are subject to debate.

Terminian History

after failing to be purified by the creator goddesses, Majora's Mask came into the possession of the Ancient tribe in Termina. Termina is a place far to the east of Hyrule, and although Din, Farore, and Nayru gave precious gifts of law and order to Hyrule, they were not so kind to Termina. however there were four Giants who had slumbered since the dawn of Hyrule. Long ago, the people of Termina had not yet migrated to the four cardinal directions, and were watched over by the Giants who had created the world. One day, the Giants announced to the people that they would go to the north, south, east, and west and guard the people as they slept. If the people were in dire need, the Giants would awaken and answer their cries for help. However, the Skull Kid, a little imp who was a friend of the Giants, was saddened by this news, and caused mischief in his anger. The Giants rebuked the Skull Kid and he left the world of Termina for the heavens.

• it is theorized that the skull kid, at one point, went in search of his friends and created the portion of the Kokiri Forest known as the Lost woods. this is why the Term "Skull Kid" is used when Kokiri children get lost for so long in the woods they begin to change

The Ancient Tribe

An ancient tribe was known to use Majora's Mask in its hexing rituals, but they sealed away the evil inside of the mask to prevent its misuse. It was this mask that the Skull Kid later found as he waylaid the Happy Mask Salesman in the woods. When the demon Majora possessed the Skull Kid, it brought down the Moon from the sky and threatened to destroy Termina. He trapped the Giants in the temples in the North, South, East and West of Termina. It took the intervention of Link to free the Giants once more and prevent the moon from crashing.

The ruined kingdom of Ikana, located in the eastern canyons of Termina, was noted to have a particularly bloodstained and violent history. The Ikana Canyon is haunted by spirits of soldiers who died in its many wars, such as the Garo, who once spied on the Ikana kingdom and Captain Keeta, who was once the commander of the armies of Ikana The last king, Igos du Ikana, explained to Link that his people had forgotten the value of friendship and forgiveness after someone entered the Stone Tower, and this was the cause of the kingdom's demise.

• It is theorized that the Kingdom of Ikana may have had a hand in the Hyrulean Civil War and/or the Interloper War

SIlver Age Hyrule

The land of Hyrule's more recent history has been a long tale that has woven through many ages and many periods of both light and darkness. Hyrule's beings lived at peace, for much of the early history of the realm. Stories of the Sacred Realm began to spread across the land, speaking of a "Golden Power" more commonly known as the Triforce that would grant the wishes of its holder. These stories of unlimited power eventually stirred such emotions in the hearts and minds of Hyrule's beings that soon there was nothing left in them but pure greed and lust for power. Eventually former friends became bitter enemies and even sparked wars over the Triforce. These stories also reached the ears of Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo thieves that hail from the Gerudo Desert in the far western region of Hyrule.

Ganondorf originally hoped to attain the Triforce in order to lift his fellow Gerudo, out of their miserable existence in the barren Gerudo Desert. Soon however, these tales of limitless power twisted and warped Ganondorf's mind into being solely interested in using the Triforce for his own desires, even causing him to seek total domination over Hyrule. The Gerudo King soon concocted a plan to enter the Sacred Realm and lay claim to the Triforce, and through much cunning and deceit, he succeeded in entering the Sacred Realm with the unwitting assistance of a young boy from the forest named Link and Hyrule's young princess, Zelda. When he laid his tainted hands on the Triforce however, the legend came true, causing it to shatter and leave only the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's hand, as that was the force he most believed in and desired most. The other two pieces were eventually joined within what would become Ganondorf's two archenemies: the Triforce of Wisdom was bestowed upon Princess Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage upon Link.

Hyrulean CIvil War

he Hyrulean Civil War, or Unifying War, are fanon names to refer to the war that occurred prior to the events of Ocarina of Time. Little is known about this conflict, such as who began the fighting or how long it lasted.

he war was first referenced by the Great Deku Tree Sprout to explain Link's origins after he lifted the curse on the Forest Temple. The presumed results of this war were the alliance of the Zora tribe and the Hylian Royal family, as well as the unification of Hyrule. To escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy went to the Kokiri Forest. Before passing away, the mother left her child under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree. The child was raised a Kokiri and seventeen years later became the Hero of Time. Finally the war ended and resulted in the unification of Hyrule under one banner. The peace was short lived however, as some years after an evil power began to issue forth from the dark portal to the Sacred Realm. Shortly afterward, Ganondorf's theft of the Triforce and conquest of Hyrule began

• it is possible that Ganondorf aided the King of Hyrule during the Hyrulean Civil War. This could be concluded from the King's trust in him at the beginning of Ocarina of Time, who chose to not even believe his own daughter when she told him she didn't trust Ganondorf.
• In Twilight Princess, it is stated that the ancestors of the Twili tried to invade the Sacred Realm, and as such, their actions might have been what triggered the civil war. This would mean that the Interloper War was the same conflict as the Civil War.
• it is possible that the Sheikah where on the front lines of the war which explains why they are so few in number.
• it is rumored that the king betrayed the Shiekah during the war, but the details are not known

the Events of "The Ocarina of Time"

In the Kokiri Forest, all the forest children have their own guardian fairies, bestowed upon them by the Great Deku Tree, except for one boy. This boy, plagued by nightmares of a girl fleeing from an evil man clad in black, is named Link. For as long as he could remember, the lonely boy had been ostracized by the other children, never quite fitting in. One day the Great Deku Tree, nearing death, sends Navi the fairy to deliver the lad a summons. In order to test young Link’s courage, the Great Deku Tree bids Link to venture inside his hollow and break the death curse cast upon him by a wicked man in black.

Link complies, but his efforts are for naught; the Great Deku Tree’s death was sealed in the pages of fate before his attempt had even begun. With his last breath, the Great Deku Tree bestows upon Link the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, and entreats him to travel to Hyrule Castle and seek an audience with Princess Zelda.

After traveling across Hyrule Field and passing through the Castle Town, Link quickly realizes that speaking to the princess of Hyrule would not be a simple matter; many guards stand watch, alert and ready to catch any trespassers. However, he manages to infiltrate the castle, bypassing the front gate and evading all the guards in his path. When he reaches the castle itself, the raised drawbridge seems an insurmountable obstacle. However, Link discovers an unguarded water drain by the castle moat and manages to squeeze through the hole, emerging within the castle garden. Many more guards are on patrol here, but Link is able to evade them all and sneak into the castle courtyard. In this courtyard his fate converges with that of the young princess of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda tells Link of her prophetic dreams, explaining that she had seen him come from the forest and break through a veil of darkness, accompanied by a fairy guide and bearing a green and shining stone. She also warns him about Ganondorf, the desert man clad in black whom Zelda believes is symbolized by the dark clouds of her dreams, and his evil intention to steal the Triforce of Legend from the Sacred Realm. With the power of the goddesses, his desire to subjugate the world would be realized. In order to do this, Ganondorf would require not only the three Spiritual Stones of Hyrule, but also the mystical Ocarina of Time.

Zelda insists that Link track down the other two Spiritual Stones, so that they might beat Ganondorf to the Triforce and put an end to his plot.

Link sets out for Death Mountain and Zora's Domain, where he succeeds in assisting both the Gorons and the Zoras in quelling the calamities that Ganondorf had wrought in his pursuit of the Triforce and is awarded with the other two Spiritual Stones, the Goron's Ruby and Zora's Sapphire for his efforts.

He returns to Hyrule Castle to inform Zelda of his success, only to witness his nightmare come to pass. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle in an attempt to steal the Ocarina of Time, and Princess Zelda was forced to flee with her loyal attendant Impa in order to keep the sacred relic from Ganondorf’s hands. As she passes Link on the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle Town, she throws the ocarina into the moat to give him the chance to enter the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce. In hot pursuit, Ganondorf charges across the drawbridge, blasting Link with dark magic when he tries to stand in his way. Dismissing Link as no credible threat to his power, he speeds off in his pursuit of the princess.

when Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the moat, he receives a telepathic message from Zelda, bidding him to play the Song of Time in front of the Temple of Time's altar. Link makes his way to the Temple of Time, and proceeds to use the four keys to open the Door of Time. Beyond it lies the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, resting in the Pedestal of Time. Link draws the blade, unlocking the gateway to the Sacred Realm. But then the Master Sword, though accepting Link as its wielder, seals him away in the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf, who had suspected that Link might have already held the keys to the Sacred Realm, mocks him for practically giving him the Triforce. Link watches helplessly as Ganondorf passes him by and crosses over into the Sacred Realm.

When Ganondorf laid his hands upon the Triforce, the prophecy came to pass. The Triforce split into its three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands.

Ganondorf proceeded to conquer the Sacred Realm, and became the self-proclaimed King of Evil, but his lust for power was not yet satisfied. In order to gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started hunting for those chosen by destiny to hold the other two Triforce parts that had escaped his grasp. However, there also existed a prophecy of deliverance from evil. It spoke of six Sages, who dwelt in six temples. Together with a hero chosen by the goddesses, the awakened ones would bind the evil power and return the light of peace to the world. Because of the evil power that now flowed from the sacred temples, however, the Sages could not hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm, and so over seven brutal years Ganondorf’s powers of darkness, enhanced by the Triforce of Power, ran unchecked across all of Hyrule.

However, his hunt for the other two pieces was in vain, for their bearers had all but disappeared from the world. His search for Princess Zelda was futile, for she had gone into hiding, and Link was sealed within the Sacred Realm. Still, Ganondorf’s power went virtually unopposed and in seven short years he transformed the once pristine land into a world of monsters and darkness.

When it seemes that all hope has died, Link appears as if from nowhere. A mysterious man named Sheik, one of the survivors of the ancient Sheikah tribe, tells him of Ganondorf’s conquest over the last seven years, and of the legend of the Sages. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, Link sets out to break the curse on all of the sacred temples.

After freeing the six Sages, Link returns to the Temple of Time and discovers that there is in fact a seventh Sage: Sheik, who is in fact Princess Zelda herself in disguise as a Sheikah to avoid Ganondorf’s pursuits, and was awaiting Link’s return all along.

Princess Zelda had been the one chosen to receive the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link in turn had received the third piece, the Triforce of Courage.Link had been completely unaware of this. In revealing herself to him, however, Zelda also exposes herself to Ganondorf, who has been waiting for just such a moment and promptly kidnaps her, bringing her to his tower fortress, constructed where Hyrule Castle had stood before its destruction.

Link breaks the barrier around the fortress with the help of the six awakened Sages. Storming the keep, he confronts Ganondorf, and a climactic battle unfolds over the fate of Hyrule and the Triforce.

Without a strong and righteous mind, Ganondorf could not control the power of the gods, and so he was felled by Link’s hand. The Sages, their power now restored, cast the evil incarnation of darkness into the void of the Evil Realm that had been the Sacred Realm before becoming stained by Ganondorf's evil. Princess Zelda herself then seals the gateway, and thus, Ganondorf the dark lord vanishes from Hyrule.

Zelda instructs Link to lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time, closing the road between times, and she sends him to his original time. After Link went back to his original time, and he still acknowledged about Hyrule's fate, he went towards Princess Zelda in order to prevent such fate for Hyrule. Link, who traveled through time to save the land, would be forever known in legend as the Hero of Time.

The Events of " Majora's Mask"

Majora's Mask opens with a scene of Link traveling from Hyrule on a personal quest. The opening to the game states that he is searching for a long-lost friend, Navi. His trip is interrupted by the Skull Kid, possessed by evil contained in Majora's Mask, which he wears having stolen it (with the help of his two fairies, Tatl and Tael) from another traveler. The Skull Kid, with the help of the fairies, knocks Link unconscious off his horse and steals the Ocarina of Time. When Link awakens, the Skull Kid takes off and leads Link on a chase.

When Link eventually catches up with the Skull Kid, he tells Link that he "got rid of" Epona, and uses the dark magic of Majora's Mask to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. He then leaves Link, while Tatl continues to beat the helpless Deku back. Her delay, though, causes her to be separated from her brother and the Skull kid. She then insists that Link take her with him, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and Tael. With limited abilities, Link enters Clock Town where he meets the Happy Mask Salesman. The mask salesman reveals that the Skull Kid stole Majora’s Mask from him and that he can return Link to his human form if he finds the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. He warns Link also, though, that he must leave in three days, and Link must retrieve the Mask and the Ocarina by then. Link then sets off in his Deku form, finding himself in the parallel world of Termina.

Link is able to do little around Clock Town, but, with the help of Tatl and the Great Fairy, he manages to find the Skull Kid, hanging around the top of the enormous clock tower from which Clock Town's name is derived. Also in his search, Link hears rumors and whispers of the Moon, which bears a grimacing and ominous face, steadily growing closer to the Town. At midnight on the Final Day before the Mask Salesman's departure, Link is able to reach the top of the clock tower for a face off with the Skull Kid. Upon arriving, Tatl demands that the Skull Kid give back Link's Ocarina. Seemingly not hearing, Tael delivers an enigmatic warning to Tatl.

Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. The four who are there, bring them here! — Tael

The Skull Kid, in response to Tael's outburst, hits the fairy aside. He then laughs about how even if "they" were to come, they couldn't stop him. He then points Link and Tatl's attention to the hideous moon and challenges them to stop it from falling. With an unearthly shriek, he begins to bring it down completely to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fires a magic bubble, a skill learned earlier, into the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. On picking it up, memories of his departure from Hyrule flood back to Link. In them, Princess Zelda bids him a sad farewell, and tells him that the Goddess of Time is watching over him. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, Link plays the Song of Time, and is immediately thrown back to the morning that he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.

Link heads back to the Happy Mask Salesman, who teaches him the Song of Healing. Playing this song with the Ocarina of Time returns Link to his regular self, with the only remnants of his time as a Deku being a mask, which he can don to become Deku Link once again. After aiding Link, the Mask Salesman asks that Link uphold his part of the bargain and return the Mask which the Skull Kid stole to the Salesman. Upon learning that Link could not recover the Mask, the Salesman grows furious, berating Link and wildly informing him that the Mask, known as Majora's Mask, is an ancient artifact that possesses an apocalyptic power. He again requests that Link recover the Mask, stating that he believes that Link can do it.

The Four Giants

To stop the Skull Kid, Link and Tatl work on the only clue they have; the four places stated by Tael. Upon venturing into the Southern Swamp, Link finds the area poisoned, apparently due to the disappearance of the Swamp's guardian god. After venturing through the Deku Kingdom and Woodfall Temple, Link faces down the dark being Odolwa. Upon defeating his foe, Link frees an "innocent spirit" from the mask upon the monster. Link and Tatl find themselves facing a sorrowful and powerful giant. Tatl then surmises that the giant was one of the "four" that Tael spoke of.

The two head to Snowhead Mountain, a place that has experienced a longer-than-usual period of winter, to save the next giant. While there, Link heals and takes on the soul of a Goron warrior (who tried to find a way to save his people, but died in the attempt), which enables him to free the Giant from the evil spirit of Snowhead. Link next requires a horse to get to the ocean, and finds that Epona has been found and taken in by the sisters Romani and Cremia at Romani Ranch. However, to recover Epona, Link must arrive on the first day, so that he can find the little girl Romani in a well-enough state to give him back his horse. Link then heads to the cursed Great Bay, where the ocean is in disorder due to calamity at the Temple. Link also finds the near-dead body of a Zora guitarist, and manages to adopt his soul too. By finding the stolen Zora Eggs (belonging to the vocalist of The Indigo-Go's) in a fortress of pirates and a nest of sea snakes, the young hero manages to find the whereabouts of the third Giant and frees him.

Link finally ventures to Ikana Canyon, where he faces down the restless spirits of the dead, so that he might climb Stone Tower and save the last Giant. He then ventures to the clock tower at the end of the Final Day, summoning the Four Giants to stop the Moon. Even though the Giants hold back the Moon, Majora's Mask leaves the Skull Kid, who passed out at the Giants' coming, and rises into the Moon. There, the Mask possesses the Moon and attempts to consume all of Termina. Link follows the Mask inside, finding a surreal field, in which there is a tree and five children. After talking to the child who wears Majora's Mask, Link then proceeds to face the demon down. After a harsh battle, Link destroys the spirit, and the Moon is destroyed.

When Link comes to the "Dawn of a New Day", he learns that the Skull Kid and the Four Giants had once been friends. The Skull Kid also remarks how Link smells like a kid who taught him a song in the forest, clearly implying that this is the same Skull Kid to whom Link taught Saria's Song in Ocarina of Time. The Happy Mask Salesman states that the evil has left Majora's Mask, and then, mysteriously, disappears, bidding Link a fond farewell. Tatl then tells Link that he should get back to his original quest, and the two part ways. The story ends with Link riding off into the forest once more, and Saria's Song echoes about a carving of Link, the Skull Kid, the fairy siblings, and the Four Giants.

Where is Majora's mask?

it is speculated that the Happy Mask Salesman may have been part of the Ancient Tribe, or at least a practitioner of its Hex rituals. which would explain why he wanted the mask so badly. after the Great Flood, the Salesmen may have died. if this is the case, the mask remains at the bottom of the sea until the Age of New Hyrule when it is speculated to have been buried. it is more likely that the Salesman somehow survived because Majora's Mask may be seen in the cursed artifact "the Fused Shadow" seen in Twilight Princess. below is a picture of the completed "Fused Shadow" with "Majora's Mask" in comparison:

the Golden Age

Since that time, Ganondorf has sought many times to reunite the Triforce pieces and claim the united relic to completely conquer Hyrule. Descendants of Zelda and Link usually rising each time to stop him and act as a check on his vast magical powers. When Hyrule is not being threatened by Ganondorf, it has also faced threats from other foes such as the evil Gerudo witch Twinrova, her associates, the Wind Sorcerer Vaati, and the forces of twilight led by Zant. Each time, Hyrule has had a savior in the form of Link, who has reappeared throughout the ages of Hyrule's history as has Zelda when evil threatens Hyrule. The most recent chapters of Hyrule's history have had very lasting and yet diverging implications for each incarnation of the kingdom depicted, thought by many to be the result of a split in Hyrule's history caused around the time Ganondorf was first defeated by Link and Zelda and the hero was sent back to his own age, causing a split timeline and two Hyrules.

even though war is still an inevitable threat, the Kingdom of Hyrule tries hard to open a trade route between Hyrule and Termina, the setting on majora's mask. even though most of the inhabitants of Termina are more then willing to help build such a path, all of them have their doubts. some, particularly the Kingdom of Ikana, and the Deku Palace {to an extent} think it to be a waste of time, or would rather not be disturbed.

The Great Flood, and setting for the Pearl Age

Ganondorf, the great evil that all still thought to be sealed away in the Sacred Realm of Hyrule, crept forth, eager to resume his dark designs. Since the Master Sword had been the key to his defeat during his last attempt to conquer Hyrule, he proceeded in secret to hunt down and murder the Sages who prayed in the temples of Hyrule that the gods might continue to bless the sacred sword with the power to repel evil.

Now that the sacred blade was out-of-commission, Ganondorf proceeded to transform Hyrule into a world of shadows. The people hoped that the hero would once again appear to save them, but after defeating Ganon he had left on another journey {AKA Majora's Mask}, and did not appear. Ganon’s next step was to make another aggressive move for the Triforce. The king, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, attempted to stop the fiend, but was not strong enough.

As doom drew nigh, the king and his people prayed to the gods, leaving their kingdom in the hands of fate. Even if, in response to their pleas, a hero did actually appear, he could not have challenged Ganon as things stood—when he claimed the blade of evil’s bane, it would be all but useless to him. In any case, the gods seemed to find a use for it in stemming the calamity. The Master Sword would serve as a key once more, this time not on the Sacred Realm, but on Hyrule itself, and Ganondorf and his power with it.

And so, the fair kingdom was soon buried beneath rains that poured from the heavens and left forgotten at the bottom of the sea. The gods knew that to seal the people away with the kingdom would be to grant Ganon's wish for the destruction of the land. So, before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops.

Over the centuries, the memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind’s breath. On a certain island at the south of the Great Sea, it was customary to garb young boys in green when they came of age. The youths aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil, but the elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend.

The Events of "the Wind Waker"

On that island, a young boy named Link finally came of age to wear the green of the hero. Unfortunately, his birthday plans were about to be dashed. A giant bird flew over his island, carrying a young girl in its talons. Hot on its tail was a pirate ship, sending a catapult barrage after it in an attempt to force it to touch down. One of the projectiles caused the bird to drop the girl, who landed in a tree in the forest atop the island. Link grabbed a sword and rushed off to find the girl. Her name was Tetra, and Link learned that she was captain of that band of pirates.

As Link led her back to her ship, the bird swooped down and kidnapped Link’s younger sister, Aryll, mistaking her for Tetra. A Rito postman informed the stunned Link and the unsympathetic Tetra of stories of a large bird who kidnapped young girls with long ears and took them back to the cursed Forsaken Fortress. He charged Tetra with helping young Link rescue his sister from that wicked place. Tetra reluctantly accepted, and with her help, Link was able to infiltrate the fortress and reach the cell where his sister was being kept. But the great bird discovered him, and, at the command of a sinister shadowy figure, it hurled him into the sea.

He was recovered by a talking boat, who introduced itself as the King of Red Lions. The King told him of the story behind that shadowy figure, and the threat that that wrongdoer posed. The shadow was Ganon. Somehow, someway, the seal of the gods had failed. Ganon had returned, and the world was once again in danger. The key to defeating Ganon was locked away in a great power that could only be wielded after much toil and hardship. Only one who was able to overcome the trials that awaited in the Tower of the Gods would be permitted to wield the power to destroy the great evil. That power was none other than that of the Master Sword, the blade of evil’s bane, and it could banish Ganon from the world above. Or, at least, so the King of Red Lions believed.

Before entering the Tower of the Gods, Link had to gather the three pearls, which he accomplished with the help of an ancient conductor’s baton called the Wind Waker. Though he did, indeed, succeed in the trials of the gods and claim the Master Sword from Hyrule below, when he returned to the Forsaken Fortress, destroyed that monstrous bird, and proceeded to challenge Ganondorf, he learned of the unfortunate fate that had befallen the Master Sword, that it no longer sparkled with the power to repel evil. He also gathered that by withdrawing the blade from its place in Hyrule Castle, he had broken the final seal placed by the gods on Hyrule and on Ganondorf’s magic, stirring all the monsters frozen in time in the kingdom below from their centuries-long slumber.

Tetra rushed to his rescue, and yet another revelation transpired. When Tetra approached Ganondorf, his Triforce of Power resonated. This could only mean one thing—Tetra possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, none other than the sacred power of the gods that the royal family had kept from Ganon’s clutches for so many long years. Her mother had instructed her to keep it close, and to safeguard it always. The Triforce of Wisdom was proof of her birthright—Tetra was the true heir to the royal family of Hyrule, the last link in the bloodline. Tetra was Princess Zelda. Of course, Ganondorf caught wind of this immediately, and so he tried to seize the Triforce of Wisdom then and there. Luckily, a pair of Rito managed to swoop down and rescued the children from Ganondorf’s grip.

Zelda was brought to Hyrule Castle below the waves, and the King of Red Lions imparted news of her identity and her role in these events before giving her the missing shard of the Triforce of Wisdom. He then instructed her to remain in Hyrule and sent Link back to the sea above to reawaken the Master Sword’s power and reunite the Triforce of Courage—split when the Hero of Time left the land after completing his mission—until then, the portal to the world below the waves would be sealed, and he would be unable to return again to Hyrule.

To complete his task, those who carried on the blood of the sages had to be found to take the stead of the old in the temples and ask the gods for their assistance. With their power and prayers, he was able to restore the blade of evil’s bane. He then hunted down the scattered shards of the Triforce of Courage and brought the completed piece back to the Tower of the Gods to present it to the gods. The Triforce piece then dwelled within him, proving that he was the true hero, the Hero of Time, reborn. Because Link had used the power of the Wind Waker to travel the Great Sea, the King of Red Lions declared him the Hero of Winds.

When Link descended beneath the waves, he discovered that Ganon had kidnapped Zelda and taken her to his headquarters, Ganon’s Tower, a daunting fortress that even the legendary Knights of Hyrule had been unable to assail in ages past. Link made haste for the tower, and, when he scaled it, Ganon was waiting for him. Ganondorf caught Link off guard and, since he had once again gathered the three crests, he managed to summon the full Triforce. His wish was that the rays of the sun might expose Hyrule anew so that the kingdom and the world, might be his.

But the King of Red Lions touched the Triforce first. The King’s wish was that Hyrule might be buried beneath the waves and that he, Ganondorf, and the ancient land might drown under the torrents. But he was not about to make all of Link’s efforts to help restore the world end in vain—he also wished for hope for his descendants, that they might be able to create a better world. The Triforce then vanished, floating away to the sacred lands to await a new owner.

In a fit of madness, Ganondorf attacked Link. With the Master Sword at its full power, Link dealt the final death blow to Ganondorf. Link and Zelda were spirited away to the surface of the sea, and the floodwaters came crashing down, burying Hyrule beneath the sea. Link and Zelda sail away in search of a new land — with the wind as their guide.

the Age of New Hyrule

countless eons pass and history has a plank spot in its pages. nothing is certain about what happened after the Link and Zelda set sail, but what is known is that the great sea eventually recedes and Hyrule is restored back continent. the Great flood wiped away most historical aspects of Hyrule before the great flood. it is theorized that Link and Zelda tell the stories of their adventures to their children and all who would listen. although, after countless years of lost history, nothing is certain.

The Events of "Twilight Princess"

Link, a young adult, is a ranch worker (but has also been called a wrangler) in his home town of Ordon Village in the Ordona Province of Hyrule.

Strange beasts begin to appear in the forest outside of the village just before Link is supposed to make a trip to Hyrule Castle to present a gift to the royal family, a sword and wooden shield crafted by the townsfolk of Ordon. Talo, who in the beginning of the game served as one of Link's main motivations for fighting, was captured by Bokoblins while playing with a forest monkey, and taken to the entrance of the Forest Temple. With wooden sword in hand, Link goes to save Talo. He is able to free the monkey and his friend Talo who were caged by the Bokoblins, but this is only the beginning of his trouble.

The next day, Link is attacked by Bulblins and their leader King Bulblin and falls unconscious in the spirit spring near Ordon Village. When he awakens, he follows the pathway into the forest, whereupon he sees a large black wall draped over the ground. Approaching the wall, symbols begin to appear upon it, and as he nears closer a large and menacing black hand reaches out and pulls him through the wall into the darkness within.

Link, is now in an entirely different looking world. A sharp pain runs through him and he doubles over. The Triforce symbol on his hand glows, and his entire body transforms into a wolf. As Wolf Link, he is captured and held prisoner within the boundaries of Hyrule Castle, which has been covered by the twilight realm that spread over Hyrule. In his prison cell he encounters Midna, a rogue shadow Imp with mysterious powers, who aids his escape and helps him explore the castle in his wolf form.

In the tallest tower, he and Midna find a cloaked young woman. Immediately she explains to Link how Hyrule came to be shrouded in twilight,and reveals her true identity: Princess Zelda. Although in another world, Zelda is still the princess of Hyrule.

It is now Link's quest to save Hyrule from the Twilight as the hero chosen by the gods. He must restore the light to all the lands in Hyrule and collect mysterious dark artifacts known as Fused Shadows in order to gain enough strength to defeat the one who rules the Twilight.

After Link and Midna collect the Fused Shadow they are confronted by Zant, who heavily injures Midna and causes Link to be stuck in his wolf form. After meeting up with Zelda, Midna is brought back from the brink of death, but at the cost of Zelda's welfare, causing her to disappear. With a newly restored Midna, Link travels to the Sacred Grove to retrieve the Master Sword, breaking his curse as a wolf, and allowing him to transform between human and wolf form at his own will

With his newly enhanced ability Link and Midna go in search of the Twilight Mirror, an item required to travel to the Twilight Realm, the domain of Zant. After going through great trouble in Arbiter's Grounds, a location in Gerudo Desert, when Link and Midna went to retrieve the mirror, they realize that Zant had broken it into four shards, with only one shard on the Grounds. In addition to this tremendous knowledge, the Sages reveal that they had sentenced Ganondorf to death, and had gone as far to impale him through the chest with the Sword of the Sages. However, through some "divine" fluke, he had previously received the Triforce of Power, which allowed him to survive the execution. He then used the power of the Triforce to kill the Sage of Water, break free from his chains, and pull the Sword of the Sages from his chest, leaving behind a glowing wound that stays with him forever.

With the last of the sages' power, they activated the Mirror of Twilight and banished Ganondorf into the Twilight Realm, and so he waited for a way out. He soon found his chance of escape in Zant, acting as a "god", and influencing him to become an assistant for his evil desires. Using a misguided Zant, Ganondorf found a way to seek his revenge on Hyrule. The Sages task Link and Midna with the duty of repairing the Twilight Mirror and defeating Ganondorf. The duo then travels across unexplored zones of Hyrule in search of the missing fragments. Link and Midna restore the mirror and use it to enter the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant. With him defeated, they return to Hyrule and, with the regained Fused Shadows, Midna breaks the seal surrounding the castle. It is in the castle where Link battles and defeats Ganondorf. This releases the curse on Midna, turning her from an imp to her true form. She then returns to the Twilight Realm and also shatters the Mirror of Twilight breaking the only known gateway between the two worlds.

Link returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time, and the children of Ordon Village also return home to their families. Much later, Fado attempts to seek help from Link for his ranch by calling through his house, but the house remained empty. Link does not stay, he rides away with Epona from there, equipped with just his shield, while his friend Ilia was witnessing his leaving from his hometown. At the very end, the Throne Room of the Hyrule Castle is seen, revealing that the Castle was rebuilt.

The Interloper War

The legend of the Triforce and the Sacred Realm spread across Hyrule, causing a great war over the location of the Sacred Realm. During this war, the tribe skilled in dark magic known only as the Dark Interlopers attempted to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm and establish their power using the Fused Shadow. This prompted the intervention of the Light Spirits which sealed the Interlopers in the Twilight Realm. They also sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered, and splintered it, so it became the fragments of the Fused Shadow hidden in the temples of Hyrule.

The descendants of the Interlopers became the Twili, doomed to live as mere shadows in the Twilight.

It is unknown whether this is the same war as the Hyrulean Civil War mentioned as the backstory for Ocarina of Time.

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