Continuity in the Legend of Zelda
By: the collector of data : bra1n1ac    

I think that the Legend of Zelda does hold up, both in legend and in continuity. Here's how I see the Hyrule timeline...

Hyrule is created, the major powers and races are formed, there is a big war over the triforce, which is eventually sealed away by a collaboration of all the major peoples. (that's why they all have keys to the sacred realm.)

Later, Ganondorf is born, he starts out pretty nice, but is forced into experiences with unholy power by Koume and Kotake. Ganondorf is a strong warrior and a brilliant scientist. He builds his battle armor, buys his horse, and accepts the throne of the Gerudo. An army from another land invades Hyrule and attacks the Hylians. Link's father sends his wife and child to Kokiri forest, where they'll be safe from the invaders. (something to do with the barrier that surrounds the forest. The same field that prevents Kokiri from getting out also keeps most invaders from getting in.)

While journeying to the forest, Link's mother is injured by a wraith, and Saria directs her to the Deku tree and delivers her baby. Ganondorf steps into the war at the last minute and drives away the evil ones with his Gerudo warriors. Later, in secret, he kills link's father, who was an advisor to the crown, and not on friendly terms with Ganondorf.

Not long after that, Ganondorf rises to become an advisor to the crown himself. It is later revealed that he craved the triforce, so he set out to find the keys to the sacred realm. Link is summoned by the Deku Tree one morning, and the Ocarina of Time begins.

At the end of the Ocarina of Time, Zelda sends link back in time, and although things seem okay, they are not. Seven years still need to pass before peace will come to Hyrule, but now, Link has a chance to live those years for himself. In the meantime, all he has to do is stay out of his future self's way to avoid interfering in history.

Six years before the return of peace, however, Link purchases Epona and uses her to ride to Hyrule castle. It is there that he finds out that something terrible has happened. One of Hyrule's most necessary shipments to another land (I.E.: Food in exchange for weapons.) was stolen from under the noses of the merchants who carried it. Something had caused them to fall asleep, and the shipment was stolen while they slept. The same thing was tried with more guards, but the guards also slept, and their spears were taken. Link goes to investigate to get his mind off the troubles of Hyrule. Thus, as Link journeys into the woods of a foreign land, Majora's mask begins.

At the end of Majora's Mask, Link returns to Hyrule, having stopped the shipment stealer, and saved the day again. He lives out his life in peace, marries Saria, and they have a child, who is a hybrid. Because Kokiri hang out with fairies, the hybrid is particularly attractive to fairies. That's why link seems to keep running into fairies on his quests.

Generations pass, and legends continue. A stampede kills the parents of a small boy, who is then presented to his only living relative, his uncle. (his uncle is a retired soldier, a guts and glory type, who runs his house like a drill instructor.) The boy, Link the second, learns discipline and sword skills. One night, both he and his uncle hear a message from Zelda, and so begins a Link to the Past.

Now, here's where things start to get tricky. Ganon possesses all three parts of the triforce, but for some reason, Link is able to beat him. My theory lies in Ganon's second in command, Agahnim. I believe that Agahnim was a real powerful wizard from Hyrule, who Ganon took control of in order to facilitate his escape from the sacred realm. When Agahnim was near death, however, Ganon abandoned his body, leaving Agahnim free to cast one final spell before dying. Ganon, of course, fled to the pyramid of power, to try to wish Link out of existence with the Triforce, only to discover that a spell had sealed the door to the triforce's inner sanctum (guess who got his revenge?) Ganon, being a powerful sorcerer in his own right, tried to defend himself against Link, but although he tried, without the triforce at his command, he was doomed to failure. When Ganon eventually died, burnt up by the silver arrows, Agahnim's spell wore off, and Link grasped the Triforce, becoming, in essence, a God.

-whew- Anyway, after that, Link got ticked off by the fact that people were constantly begging him to use his powers on there behalf (try to picture how people mob a rock star, only a hundred times more so.) So, Link relinquished the triforce, entrusting it to Zelda, and decided to go train by himself on a recently discovered island. Before he can reach it, however, a dark energy creature causes a storm which wrecks Link's ship, and strands him on the aforementioned island. Now, Link's Awakening begins.

At the end of Link's awakening, the Wind Fish uses it's powers to send Link home on the remains of his ship. When Link arrives back in Hyrule, however, the entire land is enshrouded in darkness. Monsters roam freely, and Impa is a fugitive. Link meets up with Impa and finds out that Ganon had somehow been resurrected, rising from the ashes to claim the triforce, which Zelda had foolishly left in the throne room for a few minutes. However, Zelda hurled the triforce of courage to a far-off land, and using her powers, she broke up the triforce of wisdom, and scattered the pieces, ensuring that Ganon would not find them. Without the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganon could never find Link or Impa except by the old fashioned way, looking. So, he used his triforce of power to create the evil jar, in which he reincarnates his armies of monsters. Then, Link, after hearing all this, decides that he must find the triforce of wisdom in order to be protected from Ganon's powers. My theory on this is simple. Anyone with the triforce of power possesses the power to change whatever part of reality they please. They do not become omniscient, just all-powerful. Most of the time, the triforce of power can be used to cause entire armies to simply vanish off the face of the planet, but the triforce cannot be used to kill (for some reason) someone with another triforce at their command. Also, the triforce of power makes it's bearer invincible to all but the most divine magic.

(think about it. Ganon was only killed twice, and both times, Link used the silver arrows, which are the product of fairy magic, which is divine enough for me, thank you very much.) So begins the original Legend of Zelda.

Shortly after that, however, Zelda falls into a Coma, and even with the triforce of power, Link cannot seem to revive her. It is later revealed that a wizard in a far-away land has taken hold of the triforce of courage, and using it's magic, he has fooled the other triforces into not being able to work against HIM. So it is that Link must fight once again on mortal terms. Thus began Link's Adventure, I.E. Zelda two. After obtaining the Triforce of courage, Link returns to Hyrule, cures Zelda, and graciously spares the wizard's life. From that day forward, the triforce is kept in a magnificent temple which only the royal family and link's descendants have access to. Every day, it is the job of Link's descendant to go to the temple for half an hour to use the triforce to benefit the people, but one day, Link the third journeys to the temple to find that something is wrong with the triforce, and so the Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons begin.

As for the rest, Hyrule's hope for the future lies forever in the unknown, and I'm signing off. This is my first would-be article, so if something is wrong, please let me know.