Top 5 Worst Zelda Theories Ever and Why they're Wrong! ►𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧 - www.patreon.com/GameOverJesse ► 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝- discord.gg/acRqRBx ► 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 - twitter.com/Chewbleema 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚 - twitter.com/CaptBurgerson 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 - twitter.com/GameOverJesse ► 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 - instagram.com/TheGeekApprentice 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 - instagram.com/GameOverJesse 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚 - instagram.com/Chewbleema 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 - instagram.com/CaptBurgerson ► 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rZuHlNGgrtaunmw.html 𝐆𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aLtjab1itr-8d58.html ► 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐧 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 / 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐤? 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 "𝐆𝐎𝐉" 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓% 𝐨𝐟𝐟 ► 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡 & 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄. - teespring.com/GameOverJesseNew Buy a shirt, send us a picture or video of you wearing it and we will feature you in a video & share it on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and tag you. ► Zelda Theories Breath of the Wild Timeline Explained - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oZaoo72TldG5dYU.html& History of Dark Link - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fdyJdpaWrMitqZ8.html Demise, Lorule & Stone Tower Temple Origins - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mrh-ecV0yt2Yen0.html

Damn it I was hoping Aonuma actually called someone stupid

Link is most definitely not dead in Majora, but I've always interpreted the 'stages of grief' as Link's personal journey to deal with the loss of Navi, a parallel to Skull Kid dealing with his perceived loss of the giants. A story about two kids lost in the woods, coming to terms with the loss of their friends. I also assume the Skull Kid in Twilight Princess is the one from Majora and is there to guide Link to the master sword

I knew someone in High School who religiously believed Link was dead in Majora's Mask, to the point of saying Hyrule Hystoria was non-canon

Don’t lump the grief theory into Link is dead theory. They are separate. At least the first time I heard the grief theory, it had nothing to do with Link dying, but grieving over Navi.

The Timeline is only confusing for someone who doesn't know anything about Creating Parallel Universes by Timetraveling.

Plot twist: Breath of the Wild takes place in the CD-i timeline. =P

As frickin' stupid as the "Link is Dead" theory is, I can see the symbolism that lead to it. A setting can symbolize something without everyone prancing around trying to be a pokemon master, yeah?

Lmao, I know this may sound stupid but I feel like matpat debunks his own theories purposefully sometimes which I guess would make sense for theorists :/

I'm glad you included the "Link is dead in MM" theory; I remember hearing it mentioned on KZfaq and I was completely confused. After all, it's confirmed in MM that Link's alive. In Ikana Canyon, if you go to the Spring where Sharp's ghost is, he'll say, "This is no place for one as full of life as you". But it was interesting hearing about those other theories

I've always hated the 'It's all just retellings of the same legend' theory.

Little precision for the MM theory, there are 5 stages, not 4. My own little theory: Nintendo used them for inspiration for all regions.

The thing with the koroks replacing the kokiri is kind of disappointing

Butterfly anime guy: "Is this a tetraforce rant?"

One of my favourite theories is that the rito in botw is evovoled versions of the loftwings

you gotta wonder though, how many citizens of hyrule name their child "link" hoping he'll become the hero? It's probably a pretty common name right?

I like to think that most Links are the same person reincarnated. Obviously Wind Waker Link isn't a reincarnation of a guy who went to another timeline, but the child and defeat timeline protagonists could all be reincarnations of the same guy from skyward sword.

Quality of x theory aside, I like how there are so many theories. To me it shows just how invested the fans are in the world of Hyrule and the fictional characters that inhabit it! Theories have undoubtedly brought people together too due to having a common interest!....for better or worse.

16:28 I would like to see a game take place after Majoras Mask. I was always disappointed we never got an explanation for what happened to the hero after he returned to Hyrule, from Termina.

14:15 that's why people confuse the hero of winds with the hero of time.

My personal head canon is that Spirit Tracks Link is a descendant of Aryll while ST Zelda is descended from Link and Tetra. Mostly because I just ship those two so freaking much and I refuse to believe anyone else could have caught the attention of Tetra besides the kid that forced the Gods to recognize him as the Hero of Wind.

I never knew that the "Literal Legends" theory was a thing... but I've been saying for a long time that the Zelda series should be viewed as a collection of Legends. Like an anthology of myths passed down by the royal family. Hence the naming "The Legend of Zelda". That said I DO NOT AGREE with the idea that even if you view the Zelda series as a collection of Legends, that it means that there isn't supposed to be a timeline, or that it's an excuse to say that every Zelda is in fact the same story being retold. That there was never any connections between the games in the series (or weren't supposed to be.. and I agree the developers have always connected their games to each other). What I've always felt about my version of the theory that The Legend of Zelda series is a collection of Legends... is that as players, when we play a new Zelda game, it's like being told a new story or part of the anthology. It is a form to explain why we don't hear the legends in a particular order. It also explains descrepencies between each individual Legend (game in the series). For example why in some Legends the goddess Hylia is present while in others she isn't. Or why in some games the Spiritual Stones are gems, in others they are pearls, and in others they are referred to as pendents. I know someone will say "well if it is a series of Legends, then how can some sort of book or anthology have knowledge of split timelines". To that I say that there is in fact ways that the differing timelines do have connections. For example the Child Timeline knows about the events of Ocarina Of Time's Adult Timeline activities (for example Link literally travelling back and forth through time, awakening sages in order to defeat and seal Ganondorf in the future). Even though these events never took place in the Child Timeline. It's also why even in the Hero Defeated Timeline, they still know things like the names of the sages. But this also gets nitty gritty. Still I support the idea that the Zelda series should be viewed as a collection of Legends... but that also isn't an excuse to dismiss connections between each one. It just might explain minor discrepancies.

i also hate the "termina is an ilusion" theory, the hyrule historia tells you it was a world created by majora, but a real world/universe with everything on it being real, the fact is that as link leaves termina, this places ceases to exist, that's why skull kid is back to hyrule

Idk why everyone has to be so dismissive when they bring GT. Doesn’t make your argument any better. Isn’t it enough to just say, “I disagree with MatPat’s theories.” Why does it always have to be a d*** measuring contest? Like, bruh.

I only feel that the 5 stages of grief in Majora's Mask applies because Link is grieving Navi. Despite how most people feel about her, Link did love her.

I enjoy all LoZ theories, even weak ones. I don’t find any of them “laughable” or “stupid”. I admire the dedication fans have for the series. They’re theories and they’re meant to be fun to discuss. If a particular theory is proven wrong by the creators, that’s acceptable. But it doesn’t make theories like the “Link is Dead” theory any less fun and chilling to imagine. Honestly, crazy theories like that breathe so much life into the over-logical LoZ community

BOTW can't take place before Skyward sword since that showed us how the Master Sword was made, along with Link gathering the pieces of the Triforce to make it whole.

Honestly, the only way I can see the "Link is dead in Majora's Mask" theory work is if he did grow up and only took on the form of his child self after death before coming to terms with his death, but it still doesn't really make sense to me. I mean, why exactly would that happen? By the time he's died he either has found Navi, who he was seeking at the beginning of MM, or he's come to terms with the fact he'll never find her. And the Hero's Shade, confirmed to be this specific Link, has a different regret. He's not roaming the world trying to find a long lost friend, he was waiting for someone worthy to teach his lost techniques to (which he must have learned only after the events of Majora's Mask since they weren't part of his moveset in either OoT or MM). This someone ended up being his very own descendant, in bith blood and Spirit.

I actually really like the literal legend theory. I understand it's not true, but for me, it's what I like to consider when connecting each game. I like the idea that each game is an iteration on the same story, and as for the direct sequels, well, they could still just be that since they mostly feature the same Link. They're just extensions of those respective legends.

Finally! Someone else acknowledging how stupid of a notion "tHe ZeLdA gAmEs WeRe NeVeR mEaNt tO gO tOgeAtHeR" is! That's always annoyed me! It's such an arbitrary assumption! THAAANK YOU!

I like the thought that Botw is an inevitable outcome of all timelines Now I just hope they pull an Oot and make it so that in each 3 timelines has its own outcome

Fantastic video! You always go so in depth and provide several facts in support of your point! 👍 The idea of TP and WW Link being the same person is cool!

I do kinda see the Downfall Timeline as kind of a "what if" scenario, but if Breath of the Wild is supposed to be all the timelines converging into one, then it would make sense that there was an actual scenario in which the Hero of Time failed, leading to the Imprisoning War taking place, with Zelda and the Six Sages left to seal Ganon within the Evil Realm, as the Knights of Hyrule defended them, until the day that a new hero could rise, in the form of one of the Knights of Hyrule's descendants.

"Zelda games shouldn't be connected because they're each set too far apart from each other" Me: * Laughs in Wild Arms*

Nintendo's official stance is that Breath of the Wild belongs wherever you, the player, think it does. If I believe it is the Child Timeline, someone else believes the Downfall Timeline, and you believe in a convergence, then all three of us are "correct". I forget who it was, but someone likened the Leviathan Hunters to the timeline theorists. As you recall, each had a different theory as to how the leviathans died out, and each was provided with evidence to support their theory.

We're not playing the game corectly? Since when was there a way not to play games corectly

Great video and I agree with you on everything here except for your view on the 4 stages of grief in Majora's Mask. It's actually 5 stages of grief though (the 4 areas around Termina and Clock Town). I agree that Link being dead is pretty ridiculous and doesn't make sense but while I believe all 5 areas aren't focused solely on 1 emotion, I do strongly believe they are each very focused on and reflective of the 5 stages of grief... whether on purpose or not

To be fair Nintendo has moved games around in the time line which hasn't help with the confusion. Looking at you Oracle games. I know I go with the legend theory but more in the way with games referencing older games or changes in the maps.

For me, Majora's Mask is not meant to be an allegory of death or cynicism, but an allegory of hope. Instead of the regions representing a form of grief, they may represent a form of love that is needed. There's a book by C.S. Lewis called The Four Loves, which explains the different ways mankind expresses love: Phillia (friendship), Agape (family bond), Eros (romance) and Storge (unconditional love; also interpreted as spiritual bond). Phillia: In Clock Town, the majority of characters are only minding their business, both those who "deny" that the moon will fall, and those who know it will; at the start of the game, it's difficult for Deku Link to find information about the Skull Kid because almost everybody is acting with prejudice towards him ("No Scrubs! No Entry!", say the Bombers; "this isn't a place for kids!", say the shopkeepers and the sword trainer; and so on). But he magaes to help the Great Fairy, for which she grants him a new ability, and gets to earn the trust of the Bombers after he beats them in their own game, and from there things get better in his quest to find and confront the Skull Kid. Agape: In Woodfall, the man who runs the tourist center laments that his son (Tingle) is still acting like a child, but loves him regardless. Koume is worried abouthis sister Kotake because she hasn't returned from the Mystery Woods yet. The Deku King is angry because his daughter is missing, and the Butler badly misses his son. Link is rewarded by the tourist center's man by giving a picture of his son, Koume gives you a free botle with a potion so you can help Kotake, who in turn gives you a free tourism ride after you help her. You manage to rescue the King's daughter and reunite her with her father. And the Butler rewards you after completing his racing challenge, while also commending you for your skills and also telling you that you reminded him of his son. Storge: Darmani only wanted one thing: To save his people. He braved into the harsh blizzards of Snowhead to find a way to restore the place's weather and make spring come at last. But the blizzard ends up killing him and, without anyone else determined to improve the situation, he asks Link to take his persona and complete the job. After Goron Link succeeds, he's commended by an entire population of Gorons who thank him for the deeds. Compared to the other forms of love, Storge is unique in that it can be born out of the other three, hence why Lewis considered it the most important. And it's likely that Darmani was motivated to feel determined in his mission after seeing the Goron chief's son crying disconsolately after his father went missing for too long (and mind you, he didn't know that the chief was literally frozen and trapped inside a snowball...) Eros: The Indigo-Go's was in a predicament. Lulu lost her voice because her eggs were stolen. Mikau, who only had eyes for her, was determined to rescue them no matter what it took. He perished, but lived for long enough to entrust Link the favor to complete the job. Later, while looking for the eggs, Link gets to reunite a couple of seahorses who were separated by the murky waters of the sea, and it's made clear that the seahorses were lovers once they're reunited. When the eggs are reunited and Great Bay Temple is conquered, Lulu and Mikau (well, Zora Link, but she doesn't know) finally have their rehearsal as planned. One cool thing about this part of the game is that, as Lewis warned when talking about the sinful side of sexual desire, we also get to see certain characters who lust over others. The fisherman wants a picture of a female Gerudo for.... a physics homework, I guess. And one of the male Zoras is peeking around Lulu's room. Yet another Zora will pay you money if you give her a picture of her face. ???: So.... what would Ikana represent? Well, think about it: What's the only way for a living being to become unable to love, or even hate? That's right, once the person dies. Ikana is devoid of ALL forms of love because there's almost no one with heartbeats or vital signs around: Just a humble, lonely man who is perpetually scared of skeletal monsters (Dampé), two ghost siblings who hate each other, and one of them imprisoned the other (Flat and Sharp), and a daughter whose only thing she can do is to hide her father away from the Gibdos (Pamela). Also, if you're doing the Kafei/Anju sidequest, eventually Kafei will be here to retrieve the Sun's Mask, but he's unable to do it alone. Among the dead, Captain Keeta feels like defending his people and followers, without realizing that the war between them and the royalty of Ikana has come and gone; relatedly, Igos du Ikana is only interested in potruding any unwelcome visitor with "true darkness". Only with Link's intervention, can all of these charactersfind a much-needed peace. After all, for one to love or be loved, they have to face and defeat their inner demons, for Ikana has since long ago lost the memory of how those feelings are like ("those feelings have vanished from our hearts from long ago", says the King after you defeat him). I know my theory may be as crackpot as almost any other, but I prefer to view the game that way instead of the boring "lol no, Link is dead" crap some people want to believe just to pretend the game is cooler that way. I never felt Majora's Mask was about showing gratuitous cynicism, but instead about relying on faith, love and friendship to overcome the biggest dangers and misfortunes.

Matpat trying to pass Hyrule warriors as Canon was funny.

The dead link theory just wont die! Irony lol

Jesse: MatPat's theories contradict eachother and that's bad! Also Jesse: I like it when my theories get debunked 'cause that's good!

I think what we need to remember in all this is that these are theories. MatPat and others don't generally claim that the conclusions they come to are facts. Even knowing the MM theory is wrong doesn't make it any less intriguing of an idea. There is enjoyment to be had in thought exercises. I absolutely love the theory that Link and Doom Guy are the same even though I know it can't be true. It's still fun to think about. It's Link in the far future still fighting evil, but somehow without Zelda. In a quest to be right, let's not forget to have fun and don't be too harsh on other Zelda fans.

I want to say that the reason why every link is related to one another is because of what Demise said in Skyward sword.

Where is the music at the begining on the video from?

The 4 stages of grief has nothing to do with someone being dead or not for your information. Just saying 🙂 Try seeing the stages of grief as a whole not individually from each other, throughout the game in each region. There are so many characters in the game and every single one has his/her own sad story. By the end of the game everyone accepts their situation, and they all act individually of affects of their surroundings or other persons. You also got the stages of grief during depression for example. By acceptance being the step between from staying depressed and the step of looking forward and begin to live life again. Also don't forget that Link is a silent protagonist and we all know that silent protagonists have disorders. And the loss of his friend Navi caused him to go through his own stages of grief and at the end seeing him looking forward to the future. At the end of the day it's just a theory but a theory that shouldn't be looked at with laughter because it's a serious topic.

Great video, Jebbe! Damn, I haven't even heard about that Dark Link Demise theory. Oof, that's a bad one. :D

It's funny, I think the only reason anyone thinks that there is no timeline for Zelda is because I, at least, remember a time when Nintendo was reluctant to give the series a timeline. That was before Hyrule Historia came out, I remember a lot of people crying for a timeline and a lot of, what seemed official statements that said there was none just a lot of somewhat interconnected stories set in the same "world", with similar people, that may have all been "the same" ie Zelda was always Zelda but just a different incarnation of her, same with Link, and Ganon was the same Ganon physically as the OOT Ganon. And then when the Historia came out there being a lot of complaining about how the timeline sucked.. So. I at least remember a time when Nintendo was adamant that there was no timeline, though don't remember anything about the Zelda stories all being the same but not. Though this not giving a timeline might have been because of spoilers not because they did not have one in mind. But because Nintendo did not want to spoil the timeline and/or future games they "encouraged" people to believe there was none. That is just what I remember, I could be wrong and was just hearing hersey but *shrugs*

The amount of different Zelda theorists out there feels like we're all in different sects of Christianity.

14:25 yeah, I like the changes in the timeline that lead to windwaker. No hero existed, the world flooded, everything became toon...

just this one tiny piece doesn't work: "Like, it's literally in the name: Zelda 2" ...? you can't use the number system to say the game stories are linked. Look at the Final Fantasy games, they are named with sequential numbers, but no way are they all taking place in the same world at different times. (personally, I think the timeline is unnecessary)

Wait theres only 100 years between OoT and TWW? Doesn't Aonuma know how short of a timespan that is?

thank god someone said how cringey the "link is dead" theory is. I had no idea Game Theory even made a video about it but when I first caught wind of that "theory" all I could think was: "this sounds like it was made up by some 12 year old trying to be edgy".

Even though I know the five areas in majoria’s mask don’t represents the five stages of grief I still use it to remember them

WW being 100 years after OoT is weird to me. I always thought it was 500-1000 years after. The worlds flooded, Hyrule’s forgotten, an entire species has evolved, and Ganon’s been forgotten. The Zora evolving into the Rito is the main thing that makes the 100 years seem weird. Ik that Aonuma and Miyamoto said that it’s 100 years, and I must respect that, but I still have my head canon that it’s 500-1000 years later.

Matt has always stated at the end of his videos "It's just a theory", he's always said that, since he knows he isn't perfect and can't make a perfect theory, nor can he claim anything is "fact". Only Nintendo can say what is or isn't fact, and even then they could just retcon some details. I know you said you love theories, but it seems like you dislike his particularly? You're ok with other peoples wild and crazy theories, but Matt's you seem to dislike above everything else. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I mean It seems obvious to me that timeline was never meant to exist as it is now I think it was supposed to little chunks, somethink like: oh these 5 games are connected and these 3 are connected But bot an overall timeline that connects them all

One thing with the "no timeline" theory is that, while Nintendo was always making Zelda games with a chronology in mind, it wasn't their intention all along to have a split timeline. There was an old, official linear timeline that lasted more or less until Wind Waker but they realized they had to replace it because Ocarina of Time fucked everything up with time travel and the old, linear timeline stopped making good sense

Oof, did you just insult my boi matpat? You're brave. I respect that. My allegiances for theories are now yours.

1:08 He says that the videos are saying stuff about the ss/botw theory but 3/4 of those videos are just explaining how to get armor, Easter eggs, or how botw has things from ss such as the stamina wheel.

Kind of off topic, but instead of the Kokiri or the Koroks, I kind of wish we got the deku scrubs in Breath of the Wild. I really think the Deku scrubs are some of the most unique and well designed races in all of Zelda. And if I'm not mistaken, the last time they appeared in a 3d title was all the way back in Majoras Mask. The Deku scrubs really need more love. Here's to hoping they make an appearance in Breath or the Wild 2. Though, I'm not holding my breath.

I think the theory i dislike the most is a misconception with the downfall timeline. Everyone says that Link is dead in order for the timeline to occur, but Hyrule Historia only ever says he's defeated and fails at what he's supposed to do. Personal theory is that the child timeline you go back to constantly isn't the same timeline you end up in during the end. The real child timeline is the downfall timeline, since your one time facing off with Ganondorf ends with you being defeated (after Impa and Zelda escapes and you face Ganondorf), you fail to protect the realm (brought Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm), and you never return to it. The timing of it makes sense as well. If Zelda brought you back into your own time, you'd go back into a world where Impa and Zelda fled the castle, the guards are dead, and Ganondorf is chasing after them. Instead you end up in a peaceful world before you even get the Zora's Sapphire or Goron's Ruby, already in the Temple of Time. This feels like a different timeline Zelda herself created, which let's be honest in that she obviously has the power to split the timeline like this anyway. That being said, I haven't read all of the interviews, nor have I played Breath of the Wild, to know if any of this can be debunked. And before anyone says, "How did Ganondorf take the Triforce of Courage then without Link being there?" I'm going to point out that Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom was taken from her even though she's still alive, meaning the Triforces can separate themselves from those that hold them at any point. I'd imagine Ganondorf has his ways, although that is admittedly a soft response.

8:10 in the Zelda timeline, "after Ocarina of time", there are 3 split timelines, in the hero is defeated timeline: the hero of time is defeated by Ganondorf, then he took away Link's triforce of courage, and Zelda's triforce of wisdom, then Ganondorf became overpowered with the whole triforce, then Zelda and the six sages sealed Ganon to the sacred realm which became the dark world. In the hero is triumphant timeline, Link defeated Ganondorf, then Zelda and the six sages sealed Ganondorf to the sacred realm, then Zelda sent Link back to the child timeline, but in the adult timeline Ganondorf broke the seal and invaded Hyrule, but the hero of time never exists, because Zelda accidentally sent him to the child timeline.

I like to think that BotW takes place in a Timeline where the Loftwings evolved into the Rito instead of the Zora

I absolutely loved this video. Thank you for proving why the 5 stages of grief theory is so horrible.

Alright, alright... I got one. Now hear me out... Hexaforce! Creating a golden hourglass that symbolizes the goddess of time by slotting the Hyrulean and Lorulean Triforces together with the upper and lower points both being slotted into the middle voids!

Matpat you mean the guy trying to put science in world of magic and gods?

In regards to the "every Link is related to the previous one," I think more along the lines of every Link being related to the Link in Skyward Sword, but not within the same bloodline as each other. Just how removed each Link is from each other, with the obvious exception of the Hero of Twilight being the direct descendant of the Hero of Time, would remain to be seen. And of course, there would be so many removals from the bloodline of the Hero of the Sky (who is undoubtedly the male progenitor of the Royal bloodline), that just simply being descended from the Hero of the Sky wouldn't even matter outside of Zelda's own family.

The main area people take issues with the timeline is with the downfall branch. There isnt actually an ending on Ocarina that shows this happening and just about no other game has a branching storyline when you get a "game over" like in Zelda. I personally dont have an issue with the split but I see why others do.

I think you give Aonuma too much credit.

The link is dead in mm was one of the first theories in gaming which got me intrested in theories in the first place. By now its been debunked so much. But i definitely dont hate it. It opened my eyes to theories as a whole and made me want to replay the game again. But i understand the hate and well why its wrong. It an old theory and i was definitly not as focused on what the games tell me as i am today. Still i felt like i needed to express my feelings towards this theory cus it opened such a door for me !

skyward sword was the beginning of the time line it was a origin

Podcast how to find it ?

I think a recent theory that’s really dumb is people saying BOTW 2 will be a prequel. Like even now a year after the teaser there are still recent theories about how it’s a prequel when really just common sense will disprove it. The main point being Zelda’s shorter hair. Link was assigned to be her guard around the same time as he was chosen as the Hylian champion and Zelda’s hair was long. As many have pointed out cutting hair in Japanese culture signifies a big change, and there isn’t one in the events prior to the calamity that would cause Zelda to cut her hair. However, losing the person you love for 100 years, losing your father and friends forever, having your kingdom destroyed and unlocking the power you needed only at the last minute when 95% of those things were already gone and having to hold off the calamity yourself for 100 years are definitely things that could prompt a symbolic haircut. Also if Ganondorf is defeated at the end of the second game and if it is a prequel there would be no purpose for fighting the calamity in the first game. So I really don’t see how anyone can stand on the theory that BOTW 2 is a prequel.

Honestly, as big of a fan of these games (and the channel) as I am, I LOVED this video. You did one thing I've wanted to do for so long and called some of the biggest bs theories out. Also, if you see this comment, I have a very interesting theory and I would like to discuss it with you if you have the time. Keep the amazing work up GOJ!

You could also make the argument, ignoring timeline and what Nintendo has said. That Majoras Mask does take place when Link dies. In the Fallen Timeline. Nothing as far as I know indicates that the Heroes Shade did the Majoras Mask adventure too. So Ocarina of Time happens. Then the next games in the timeline are Wind Waker for adult, Twilight Princess for Child, and Majoras Mask for child. I don’t think it’s interesting that way. But an argument can definitely be made.

14:35 Link in TP cant be the same guy as in WW in a different timeline because they have different ancestry as you just said. WW link isnt related to OoT link like TP link is

I like how the split timeline implies that if some kid walks up to the princess and says, "this dude's gonna do something bad!", that person would be executed, no questions asked.

I really liked the literal legend theory, I wish it could be real. I never really believed it because of Wind Waker’s reference to Ocarina Of Time.

Is there a theory that explains why the hero shade is so tall? If he's the hero of time after going back, did going back effect his extra growth?

Majora's Mask is such a good game.. Reducing it to 4 stages of grief is a disservice to say the least.

Okay hold up, if some versions of dark link are created from ganandorf spirit(like a lesser phantom ganon) doesn’t that mean yes those specific version are technically demise? I though ganadorf was the embodiment of demises will. Idk I’m no expert but now I’m confused lol

There is still no way you are going to convince me that in 1986 there was a grand, Star Wars-y pre-planned roadmap to have every possible future game in the series linked. When they were making Link to the Past, they had no idea that Ocarina of Time was even going to be a thing, much less that it was going to be the centerpiece of an entire cohesive Zelda universe "timeline". The overall "timeline" (a construct that strings together ALL the individual titles in a chronological lore order) wasn't even a discussion topic until Wind Waker started raising questions in the fandom and the team was in development for Twilight Princess. (Which both posed very different conceptual ideas, and created lore discrepancies that prove they were in no way conceived with the intention of linking their stories together.) Minish Cap and Skyward Sword, both being origin stories that also conflict, are in the same boat. The "timeline" was not a pre-planned roadmap for the Zelda developers from the beginning. Some of the games were created as sequels or with direct ties, but a large number of the games were created as standalone titles. The overarching "timeline" was retroactively constructed from the fandom demand for a cohesive Zelda "universe". The directors never intended for every game to be connected. That's WHY Breath of the Wild was intentionally created to be so far removed from the others. It's a soft reboot. Literally the creators saying "forget about the damn timeline, this is just a cool new Zelda game."

Oh my. Gameover Jesse's voice is so relaxing. I find myself falling asleep while watching his vids. (In a good way though :)

Ok, what? You went from 5, to 4, to 3, to a long ass tangent about advertising, and then straight to number 1? Please explain how this is top 5 and not "top 4 with heavy advertising of our own successes".

Note: Just because the *Hyrulean* Royal Family wasn't present before Skyward Sword doesn't mean there wasn't one. Right?

Would love all the links be the same but different dimension

I have a question for the theorists that theory that breath of the wild was set before skyward sword on when the master sword is in the breath of the wild

Skyward sword obviously is the start because the timeline is shown to be at the beginning

6:45 "the legend of Zelda" was originally called "the Hyrule fantasy", in the American version they changed the name to avoid reference to "the final fantasy".

Theory I hate the most.....🤔🤔🤔..... Zelda and link pulling a Leia and Luke story yet making out at the end of LOZ 2 adventures of link.

I really wish we had a kokiri champion. Would have been adorable and interesting with the whole 'how did they leave lost woods'

The last theory I payed attention to was the one back when BotW first came out. This was the end and Ganon finally would end his cycle of reincarnation and finally decided to stay dead. I hadn't gotten the game yet then but that really just sounded like it would never happen since the franchise is still profitable.

While Breath of the Wild obviously doesn't take place before Skyward Sword, I think it would be interesting to see one that did. It would be during Hylia's reign before Demise attacked, and thus before Skyloft. It would also be before the master sword, and the reincarnation of Link and Zelda, so it could essentially be whatever it wanted.

Does anyone else look at the Zelda timeline and think of a Dargon break from the elder scrolls? In which all possible event's and series of event's are all simultaneous true and then meld back together into a main time line. Like how the story of the Hero of time is the start of the "Dragon break" and then all the other games in the three timelines take place together and then meld back into one in Breath of the wild...

I just thought about something... Link always has this yellow stripe on his hat in the Downfall Timeline. Kinda reminds me on a halo. He has one because he died. (Obviously he doesn't have it because of that, but it's a nice thought)

I would think that it would make more sense for the missing Hero of the Flood who either died or never manifested, to have been concurrent to the Hero of Twilight rather the the Hero of Winds.

Not a real theory but something i and many other zelda fans believe is that every link is kind of reborn. So when a Link dies there is no hero in hyrule. But whenever hyrule needs a hero a new Link gets born. And this Link is a reincarnation of the previous Link. Like the spirit is transformed into a new body but he has a completely different personality and of course no memories of his previous life. Same with Zelda. And Ganon is just always the same but in other forms. All of this is neither confirmed or deconfirmed as far as i remember...

My personal headcanon is that BotW is a timeline unifier. In essence, some event happened well before any events mentioned in BotW that merged the 3 timelines back into one. The only power that could do this is a wish on the Triforce, what events would have lead up to such a wish, I don’t know. But that’s my personal belief. As for Nintendo not wanting a timeline, well as you pointed out, that’s obviously not true. However, I don’t think Nintendo actually intended _every_ Zelda game to be part of the timeline (the four swords games, for example). I think some games were meant to be completely separate, but Nintendo was forced to include all Zelda games due to fan pressure. This would make sense, since it would allow them greater creative freedom every once in a while not being tied down to specific events.

1:03 or a literal npc in botw who references skyward sword a LOT