Legend Of Zelda’s Wild Multiverse, Explained

As a huge Zelda fan, I’ve always loved how the series presents different versions of Hyrule. It’s kind of like a multiverse, which was a really cool idea from the very beginning! Sometimes Hyrule is a kingdom falling apart, other times it’s a lost place, and sometimes it’s thriving. It always felt a little confusing, but then Hyrule Historia came out and everything clicked. It explained that what happened at the end of Ocarina of Time actually split the timeline into three different versions, which is why we see such different Hyrules in each game!

The world of The Legend of Zelda now includes connections between more than twenty games officially considered part of the series’ story. Recent games have brought these worlds back together, and also created possibilities for even more dimensions and timelines to emerge. This explains how the Legend of Zelda multiverse was created, how it was rebuilt, and what it might mean for the future of the series.

The Age Of The Goddess

Okay, so as a Zelda fan, here’s how I understand the backstory. Everything in the Zelda universe basically stems from what happened in Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword. Those games set up the whole world’s creation story – the goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore literally made Hyrule. They also introduced Hylia, this powerful goddess who protected the land from a seriously evil Demon King called Demise. That first big battle with Demise is what kicked off the whole cycle of conflict, and ultimately led to Hylia being reborn as Zelda. It’s pretty epic when you think about it!

Zelda and one of the first Links successfully defeated Demise, but as he was dying, the Demon King cursed them, starting a never-ending cycle of rebirth. This meant Demise would return again and again to torment future generations of Link and Zelda. As the kingdom of Hyrule flourished, later versions of Link and Zelda faced a new threat: the evil god Vaati, in the adventures known as The Minish Cap and Four Swords.

The events of Ocarina of Time, where Ganondorf, a reincarnation of the evil Demise, attempted to seize the powerful Triforce, ultimately fractured a single timeline into a multiverse. The climactic battle against Ganondorf, fought in a desolate future he had created, turned him into the monstrous Ganon. The outcome of this fight didn’t just defeat Ganon, it split reality into three separate paths, each determined by the fate of Link, Zelda, or Ganon themselves.

Hyrule’s Decline

In one version of Hyrule’s history, Ganon defeated Link in their final battle. Zelda, with the help of the Sages, managed to seal Ganon away in the Sacred Realm, an event that became known as the Imprisoning War. While Hyrule was eventually rebuilt, it lost much of its magical energy and natural wildlife. Centuries later, Ganon tried to escape, leading to the events of A Link to the Past, where he was ultimately defeated by new versions of Link and Zelda. Link also thwarted attempts to revive Ganon in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.

This version of Link went on to have more adventures, as seen in games like Link’s Awakening. Years later, a new Link explored the world and starred in A Link Between Worlds and Tri-Force Heroes. Over time, Hyrule began to fall into decline, particularly after Zelda fell into a magical coma and Ganon returned. This led to the events of the first The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, where Ganon was defeated once again.

The Hero’s Legacy

In one possible outcome of the battle against Ganon in Ocarina of Time, Link was sent back in time to stop Ganondorf from gaining power. Although Ganondorf’s execution was thwarted by the Triforce – resulting in his banishment to the Twilight Realm – and a period of peace followed, Link still faced difficulties. After saving the world of Termina in Majora’s Mask, Link returned home and eventually passed away, his brave deeds largely unrecognized.

A later descendant of the hero would eventually learn to fight from him and help him find peace. This Link, from Twilight Princess, teamed up with Zelda and Midna to defeat the revived Ganondorf. In Four Swords Adventures, another Link from this timeline had to battle both Ganondorf and Vaati, ultimately defeating them and imprisoning Ganondorf to ensure continued peace.

An Era Of Invention And Exploration

After the events of Ocarina of Time, Zelda sent Link back in time and began to rebuild Hyrule herself. This meant that when Ganondorf returned, there was no new Link to be reborn. With no other options, the king of Hyrule asked the Goddesses to sink the entire kingdom beneath the waves. Many years later, the descendants of those who escaped to the mountains—now islands in a massive ocean—found themselves facing a revived Ganondorf.

The story of The Wind Waker centers on Link’s quest to rescue his sister, which ultimately leads him to Zelda and a showdown with the Gerudo King. Following this, Link and Zelda embark on a journey in Phantom Hourglass to establish a new kingdom and create a new Hyrule. Spirit Tracks then takes place in this new land, focusing on the adventures of Link and Zelda’s descendants as they face their own unique challenges.

The Age Of Calamity

Over time, the three separate timelines blended together, becoming the world we see in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Ten thousand years after the events of Ocarina of Time, this new reality subtly connected to everything that had happened in the earlier games. The growing power of Ganon’s evil eventually created Calamity Ganon, a powerful, almost otherworldly force that twisted the Sheikah technology and nearly destroyed the world.

Following a failed attempt by Link and Zelda to defeat a great evil, Link fell into a deep, magical sleep to heal, while Zelda gave up her freedom to imprison the dangerous force. One hundred years later, Link wakes up and works to reactivate ancient machines called Divine Beasts to help him defeat Calamity Ganon. They succeed, but Ganondorf returns soon after, leading to the events of Tears of the Kingdom and another battle with the Gerudo King. However, a different outcome occurs in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. There, time travel allows heroes from different eras to team up and defeat the Calamity, ushering in a new age of peace.

Other Realms And Dimensions In Legend Of Zelda’s Multiverse

The Legend of Zelda series features not only different timelines created by time travel, but also alternate versions of Hyrule itself. Games like Majora’s Mask and A Link Between Worlds introduce parallel worlds – Termina and Lorule – with their own unique takes on familiar characters. Beyond these parallel realities, there are entirely different dimensions, such as the Twilight Realm, which is inhabited by the Twilight people, a group punished for defying the goddesses.

Games like Phantom Hourglass, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Kingdom feature smaller, self-contained areas – the World of the Ocean King, the Silent Realm, and the Illusory Realm, respectively – that feel like separate dimensions within the game world. Because the world of The Legend of Zelda is so magical, future games could easily add more of these alternate realms. Now that the story of Tears of the Kingdom has ended, the series has a lot of freedom, and we might even see completely new versions of Hyrule in upcoming titles.

2025-12-28 22:12