Link to the Past Life Experiences [ COMIC ]
Let me post two links real quick, so they don’t get lost in the depths of this news post. As far as the comic, I can’t think of “I am Error!” without thinking of this comic from Digital Unrest… shear brilliance. And make sure to head over to Bored and Evil to check out this guest strip I did for it on Monday.
The chronology for the Legend of Zelda series is confusing at best… saying that there really is a true chronology, as that is open for discussion as well. I’m going to attempt to put the console games in order. Check out wikipedia is you want a more detailed chronology.
The Zelda series’ order of release is not the order chronology… bare with me. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the first in this series and contains the first Link and Ganondorf’s first appearance (not yet Ganon). Well, at the end of the game Ganondorf uses the Triforce of Power he becomes Ganon. Though vanquished by Link he is banished to the Sacred Realm by the Sages and Link is sent back it time. Thus, creating two separate timelines… now it gets complicated.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask takes place after Ocarina of Time, but since the events of Ocarina did not occur in this timeline there is no Ganon(dorf) present in this game. The end of this game is also the last appearance of this Link.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the future of the Ocarina of Time timeline. Ganon breaks free from the Sacred realm and is ultimately defeated by another Link. As far as the consoles go, this is where this Link’s story ends.
The Legend of Zelda takes place after A Link to the Past and stars a new Link and his ultimate showdown with Ganon to rescue Zelda (different Zeldas for the different Links in these games, too, just to let you know) and where Ganon is finally destroyed. In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (same Link) Ganon only returns if you perish.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess take place roughly about the same time. Huh? Both take place at least a hundred years after Ocarina of Time, but are the results of different events. The Wind Waker is what Hyrule would have become had Ganondorf conquered it in Ocarina of Time (I guess this makes a third timeline). Twilight Princess is what Hyrule would have become had Ganon been executed rather than sealed in the Sacred Realm (does this make a fourth timeline?). My suggestion when they “write” the chronology, The Wind Waker is what happens had Ganon returned after Zelda II (this returns us to three timelines) and Twilight Princess is the future of the Majora’s Mask‘s timeline (back to two). Its still a little complicated, but not so complicated.
Personally, whether or not the Zelda games are truly connected or not is irrelevant. Its still one of the best video game series ever! Most of the Final Fantasy games have nothing to do with each other and that doesn’t make them bad (except for Final Fantasy VIII and X-2, they’re just horrible).
