My apologies for my voice being even more raspy than usual in this video. I've been dealing with a nasty cold this week! No Covid, thank god ^^ Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!

Personally, I just like the concept of Link disappearing one night into the forest, and all the other soldiers and his father freaking out and preparing to search for him, only for Link to return into the camp with the almighty Master Sword on his back, excited as ever. then his dad and all the other soldiers just go INSANE

Something I always liked to imagine was that after the the calamity was foretold, the king was skeptical and considered it as nothing more than fairy tails. Only to be alerted that a boy was prancing around town showing off the blade of legend he held and the king having an "oh shit" moment.

I've seen an hilarious fanart about little Link finding the sword and bringing it home to show it to his father, and then they go home to his mother to tell her "well apparently he is the new hero" and she replies "him? But... He was eating rocks the other day" 💀💀

"Hey Dad, I found this sword in the woods next to the boot camp. Pretty cool huh?" "Link that sword is really nice... wait a minute!"

For the concept of Link wandering into the forest, my first thought was that Link can see Koroks, so maybe it’s possible that Link spotted a wandering Korok and talked to it, and eventually it invited him to the forest and showed him how to get there.

Just a little theory of my own: Perhaps Link didn't feel drawn towards the forest but the military recruits had to do this like a final test, venture into the woods and try to find the hidden sword. It would also fit like a trial of courage to enter the lost woods , since the triforce piece of the chosen hero/knight is the piece of courage.

To be honest They just wanted a action scene with link getting the Master sword, kicking Astor's ass

15:15 ''Entertainment is more important than lore consistency'' This is rather bold statement in Zelda community

The Koroks and Deku Tree recognize Link, and don’t remark on how big he has grown since he first claimed the Sword.

I seriously love this. Especially how you connected the training camp and link becoming silent and closed off.

11:11 Link is cutting raindrops! I never noticed that before! Sorry...distracted by shiny object. I think Link got hungry and wandered into the Lost Woods looking for food. Or he followed a dog in trying to pet it. Jeepers doesn't everybody want to pet the dogs? Why can't I pet the dogs!?!?

Imagine a 4 year old Link wanting a sword but his father doesn't allow it because he is to young. But he overhead a conversation of The Mightiest Sword Of Them All hidden in a forest that no one can enter. One night he finds the forest and the sword, the Deku Tree tells him everything (but Link doesn't understand) and takes of with the Sword, at home he has to hide it from everyone. The Age of Calamity scene would have amounted to: "All of the heroes arriving at the empty pedestal, Link suddenly remembering that he took it years ago, him sprinting of without saying anything, everyone going after him, Link arriving home and asking his sister where his old stuff is (of screen) while the others try to keep up with him and than Link gets it out of their shack from behind their house out of a blanket, that he had wrapped it up in so it didn't get any more scratches from his training." THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HILARIOUS (TO ME). 😂🤣😂🤣

botw link: pulls master sword at 12/13 years old half the other links: pathetic

Where the heck does the Master Sword's Sheath come from? It has a unique design and tends to looks similar in games. Does it just magically appear?

To add my thoughts on this: I always speculate that Terako is not doing a time-jump but rather a time-space jump. Zeldas last wish was "to protect everyone" I believe. Terako, guided by Zeldas wish, opened a portal - not before the calamity (maybe bc Ganon always wins in his first battle) - to a dimension in which Link has not yet pulled the sword. Edit: om to on

If Age of Calamity followed the book, imagine the Korrok forest mission, except that at the end of it the sword is missing. Realizing what they were supposed to find, Link suddenly looks around shiftily and has to tell them the master sword is just chilling in his closet. That’s be a funny cutscene I imagine.

Perhaps Fi made contact with Link the same way she did back in Skyward Sword when they first met, which may have caused him to follow her into the woods. That would explain him not getting lost along the way

Man, imagine becoming the carrier of a sacred blade and defender of the world at 12 years old. I was still trying to memorize words for a spelling bee when I was 12

What I always thought was similar to Wind Waker where Outset Island gives kids the same garments as the Hero of Time, and maybe once a Hylian boy turns 12 he is taken to the Master Sword to try and pull it, or is sent there on his own to try to pull the sword. But I think your idea makes more sense that the Sword (or I guess Fi) called to him.

Personally, in terms of explaining Age of Calamity's later sword pull, I like to consider that Calamity Ganon's malice exited Terrako's time gate at an earlier point in time, say 10-15 years before Age of Calamity occurs. This would explain why Astor has been able to rise to as much prominence as he has, as well as gaining the trust of the Yiga through his possession of Harbinger Ganon. As for how this affects Link not pulling the sword at the same time he would have in Breath of the World's timeline, Calamity Ganon's presence could allow for him to infest Hyrule Forest with monsters, like how we see it has been in the game, preventing Link from stumbling upon the Master Sword.

I agree that there are too many inconsistencies with AoC to even consider that Link obtained the master sword the same way in Botw. Like you said, the champions ballad DLC straight up confirms that Link had the sword long before the champions were even chosen. I really like the idea of a younger Link being at the training camp and going to the forest from there to obtain the sword. It makes a lot of sense and never really crossed my mind. Great video Don!

Personally, I feel like link might've done it on his own. There's an NPC at the stable that says something about wandering into the forest and being terrified, and saying something about something dangerous in the woods. If we assume he wandered there while link was at the training camp, and link heard this story, weather directly or by rumor, I think he'd go to make sure that nobody is in immediate danger, considering that it's so close to the training camp and a stable.

The master sword spoke to Zelda when Link fell after the battle.....the sword probably told her how to get through the Lost Woods to Korok Forest.

I like to think that after somehow Link enters the forest, it’s the koroks that guide him through it, since apparently he’s the only one that can see them. I really like to imagine little Link following some magical creatures in that scary place. It would also make a cool connection with the past heroes

The real mystery in the Zelda community is not the general lore of the Zelda series and how it officially links together. No no, the really mystery is how monster maze doesn’t have 15 times the amount of subscribers and views on his videos. Like, seriously monster maze, you make some of the most well researched and well put together videos and explanations for this game series. Good job and have a good day :)

Links lineage in my opinion is the Protector(s) of Hyrule. With the technological advances of the Sheika I wouldn't be surprised if they already knew who each of the reincarnations are going to be.

I had the idea before, that I was planning on using in my fanfic, which would also explain how Zelda knew about the Great Deku Tree and where the Master Sword was supposed to lie: that King Rhoan brought a contingent of his best knights to the edge of the forest, hoping the GDT would let them in so one of them could pull the sword. Zelda was with him, obviously, and Link accompanied his father. As a cadet, he was not one of the knights supposed to draw it. Sensing the presence of the Spirit of the Hero, the Tree let them in, even parted the mists around the Woods so the company could pass. One by one, the knights tried to draw the sword. Some fainted from the effort, some (the more arrogant ones) were shocked by the sword, Link's father was unharmed, but couldn't get it to budge. Rhoan, frustrated, ordered his knights to leave. That's when they hear a "clang", look behind them, and see one clumsy cadet frantically trying to put the sword he knocked over back in its pedestal. I think I like your idea better though, even if it doesn't explain how Zelda knew where it was supposed to go.

My head canon was that Link's father was some kind of knights errant who traveled all around Hyrule with Link serving as his squire(that also explains how he knows Mipha) when one day traveling near the Korok forest the koroks appeared and guided Link through the forest and too the sword and the rest is history.

"Sooga is Life" Yes! Monster Maze gets how amazing Sooga is. I feel greatly appreciated

I looove this theory it makes a lot of sense. I just imagine a scene where he gets back to the training camp with his newly acquired master sword and the other squires or whatever clamor around him...a botw manga done right would be fire

I have had a thought that the spirit of Mekar (interred at Mekar island) may have guided Link through the Lost Woods via the subtle breeze that blows the torches

as he was so gifted since such a young age, he could have been guided by Fi

I absolutely adore that story and I could see the whole story in my mind like a movie 🍿🎥 I would like to add that the reason why Link was able to defeat adults when he was just a 4 year old boy is because he can slow time. He does it with his bow or furry attacking with his sword. So that's probably why he was so good at such a young age.

My own headcanon: It’s not made explicitly clear when Terrako arrived to Hyrule. We can make an assumption that malice traveled with Terrako to infect the old Terrako, or Terrakold, creating the Harbinger, but we don’t see this in that opening scene of AoC. I think Terrako was whisked away to the exact place in space that he left from (outside Zeldas study) but at a different time and that is where the malice infected Terrakold. Terrako could have been blindsided by an attack and that’s why we see him deactivated so far away from the Castle in the beginning of AoC. When did this occur? Unknown but to preserve canon it would have to be a few years prior to the events of AoC. This gives the game devs freedom to rewrite any part of the story as they see fit. Terrako didn’t change much until AoC started but Terrakold did. It was because of him that all these monster attacks spiked up so we know he was active before the game started. He could’ve been the one to activate and corrupt Astor, or Astor could’ve been working to revive CG all along in the BotW timeline.

Lets remember that in SS link actually listens to Fi when he first gets the Godess' sword. Might've been the same here

I love this discussion! I love age of calamity and it told the exact story it needed to but there is a very compelling story of a young squire with a heavy weight on his shoulders that you laid out. I love how you edited the scenario too. Your work is always measured and easy to consume. Great job!!!

When Zelda goes to meet Daruk she talks about Link as "the most talented knight in Hyrule". He probably didn't have the Sword at that part since she would've called him "the knight with the sword that seals the darkness" instead. Obviously, that's just speculation but let's be real here, nobody wouldn't elude to the Master Sword when talking about Link to someone who barely knows him.

The best part abut Age of Calamity is Monster Maze having "Pre-Calamity" footage for his videos. Great work! Every video you do blows me away!

I think the fact that Link didn't get the master sword in Age of calamity before meeting the champions can be explained by the fact that Terrak accelerates the process of meeting the champions, making it happen before and not after getting the master sword

I wanted Age of Calamity to be canon, as like a timeline split again, but because of this it isn't canon. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

10:35 "...Small hint's from Nintendo employees" Nintendo employee: *outright states that Link is from Hateno* Hmmm... well I don't know. This might be a bit too abstract to count as a hint. But jokes aside: I've once heard the headcanon that every year the king, looking for the hero, would send all boys of a certain age (12-13 Years) into the forest to try and pull out the sword. Maybe even with high ranking soldiers or officials accompanying them in a sort of (drafting) ceremony. But of course they all would have failed (until Link showed up).

I really enjoy your theory about how he got to the sword. But with Koroks being only able to be seen by children (and Link himself even later since he was pure) could the Deku tree have sent the Koroks to lead Link there, even from the military training camp? Just a thought I had as well :)

They enlisted the Champions first in Age of Calamity because Korok Forest was overrun with monsters-Harbinger Ganon’s forces prevented Link from getting the sword by himself, so they needed a Divine Beast to clear the way. In Breath of the Wild’s backstory, it was peacetime, so Link had no trouble finding the sword other than making it through the Lost Woods.

I have a theory on the AoC timeline that would fit rather well with your version of how Link obtained the Master Sword in the original timeline. It's that Terrako actually traveled back much further and lay dormant for years. Meanwhile, the shard of Calamity Ganon that followed roamed around for a while gathering information before eventually possessing that timeline's Terrako and recruiting Astor. Astor and the Yiga clan then begin gathering monsters to form an army to help further their cause. They then begin to relentlessly attack the Great Forest to get to the Master Sword. Although they are repelled each time, the increased monster activity around that area means that it is considered too dangerous to station recruits anywhere near the forest. This would mean that Link wouldn't get a chance to pull out the Master Sword until years later, when they had the Divine Beasts to clear out the monsters in the area.

Hey my favorite Zelda channel is back

It could be that terako managed to go back far further than a short while before the calamity's reawakening. Of course, how no one would have stumbled upon the little bugger is beyond me, but it is certainly possible that his simple presence that far back would have been enough to cause events to change drastically.

Age of Calamity doesn't contradict Breath of the Wild here I think. You can't rely on Creating a Champion for the lore, it simply isn't canon. Just like the other books it was written by a third party and most of the lore exposed (when it doesn't come from the games themsleves) come from the autor's own head canon and interpretations. It's the case for the Master Sword and for most of what's in the book. Not everything is to be ignored obviously. The developer's notes, the concept arts and the interviews are the only things we can consider canon (of course the concept arts are still just concept arts). Another important thing is that Age of Calamity's story started earlier than you think. Hyrule was able to prepare for Ganon's revival earlier thanks to Terrako's warning, that's a big part of the plot. That's why Link didn't have the Master Sword while recruting the Champions. In Breath of the Wild they were recruited fairly late. When you look closely at Breath of the Wild's story there's nothing that contradicts this, and nothing that proves he had it for a long time either. Similar events happen in Age of Calamity and Breath of the Wild, but they don't happen at the same time at all. And the entire story and context are very different in the two games. Now is Age of Calamity canon? That's a whole other topic, but it isn't important here so I won't go into that. And I couldn't say for sure myself.

The only way to explain this is it's not canon or that Terrako going back changed the timeline before his arrival as well like Flashpoint Paradox, but that's not mentioned in the game.

"These can be chalked up to mistakes and nitpicks" *shows King Dorephan* THANK GOD I'm not the only one who saw that scar and got super annoyed because plot holeee 🤣

9:04 Not that hard to believe when you realize he can INSTANTLY stop a Lynel charging full speed just with a shield, without even flinching or experiencing any recoil from it. XD

I wonder if I’m botw 2 link will lose the master sword at the beginning or he’ll keep it the entire game because that’s never happened

I see MM I click

It’s kinda funny how before link gets the master sword originally he has armor, but when everyone realizes he is the legendary hero “here have this blue shirt. It has no protection, but you can see numbers above monsters heads”

Link when he gets the Master Sword: You have acquired: - Master Sword +1 - a shit ton of responsibility +1 - depression +1

you should do a video on the zelda manga

Im happy to see you uploading :)

Idk why but i picture Link somehow brings that up as a joke in training, it gets to King Rhoam getting mad declares the prankster go find the sword. Link goes out where he either follows the koroks or feels a tug to it and pulls it out. After showing it the real deal, the king goes through a book going over the collected tales of the calamities.

I feel like I heard a story about Link parrying a laser from a rogue Guardian with a Pot Lid. I don't know where from, but I have a feeling it was from BotW somewhere. The story went, that after that incident, he was recognised as a talented knight and in the King's desperation to fight the Calamity, he was sent to pull the Sword from the Korok Forest. Again, I don't remember where I heard this, but it may be correct, if I'm remembering correctly.

Thank you. Everyone just takes it as a given that Age of Calamity is canon just because Nintendo worked with them on it (giving the team the art assets and voice actors), but there's never been any solid indication that that's the case. It's just another spinoff, like the last Hyrule Warriors was

Can we all admit that if age of calamity actually sticked to the book's and botw's lore and ended on sad ending it would be better in my book

I had always wondered why a military training camp was right there. I never thought of the role it had played in the story.

Ever since I played Age of Calamity, this has bugged me and I have thought about this so dang much. For the first part of the video, I was like, "YES!" the whole time 😂. Well done and great vid!

I loved Age of Calamity's story, but I just consider it a separate thing for the reasons you listed. Didn't stop it from being a cool story in its own right

I don't think they are going to retcon their recent, successful mainline game incl DLCs with a 3rd party arcade hack 'n slay game (I know it's not technically a Hack 'n Slay genre game). Also, could you please list the used tracks in your description? There are good tracks in there which I'd like to listen to.

I bet dollars to donuts that the Hyrule bootcamp was constructed intentionally close to the resting place of the master sword. They probably thought that the hero would likely be in the military, as someone with extraordinary skills would likely become a soldier. So they built the camp on the edge of the forest, hoping that the chosen hero would be called to the forest by the sword and pull it. And that's exactly what happened when Link went to the bootcamp after joining the military. The sword called out to him, and he wandered into the forest and pulled the blade, exactly as the military had predicted.

Man I just love your theory videos, the way you're brain works and the knowledge you have of zelda is just awesome man!

Great video MM as usual! I have a follow up for your theory and some ideas that could match both timelines. Link went for the MS when he was 12 as you said, and from that moment the Sword chose him as the hero, but he didn't took the sword with him, because it was not necessary yet. He only commented this fact to his family and close friends like Mipha, he then returned as a young adult to finally retrieved the Sword just before the memories of BOTW, he might have another dream telling him the calamity was close. In Age of Calamity this was not possible because the malice that followed Terrak made the monsters attacked the castle, event that didn't happened in the OG timeline, this made Link getting to know Impa and Zelda sooner, thus preventing him to retrieve the MS as a young adult as I suggested happened in OG timeline. It's just a thought.

I believe that age of calamity is canon, because sure it takes place in an alternate timeline to what actually happened (breath of the wild) with the new time travel rules (thanks Endgame) we got to see what happened 100 years before the destruction of Hyrule and also see the timeline split into a different reality (i.e the master sword cutscene, the four champions still alive, and the king still alive) and frankly I love all the master sword cutscene and theme they give you a sense of empowerment while wielding the legendary blade (Age of Calamity has to be my new favorite Master sword theme)

Strictly speaking, I think it’s possible for Botw’s events to be compatible with AoC’s. My impression was that Terreko’s appearance accelerated the sequence of events prior to the Calamity. Link, through Terrako, meets Zelda earlier and, by saving her from a corrupted Guardian (which couldnt exist in Botw’s timeline) is appointed as her knight earlier. Aoc makes it clear that the malice from Botw’s timeline accelerated the arrival of the Calamity. Additionally, the Champions could have been appointed earlier because of Terreko’s arrival and the pictures it brought with them. In fact, Mipha’s diary supports this. In AoC, Mipha’s dialogue when meeting Link directly mirrors her diary entry, except in her description of Link’s demeanor. If Link visited Zora’s domain for the same reason in Botw (accompanying Zelda as she appoints the champions) then Link doesnt have the master sword because he visits Mipha before he drew the blade. As for the circumstances in which Link drew the blade in Botw, we’ll never know for certain. But strictly speaking, AoC’s lore regarding the Master Sword is possible because not all events need to line up with Botw. If time-traveling Terreko and malice accelerated the timeline, then Link drawing the Master Sword before or after the Champions are appointed in AoC doesn’t really tell us when Link drew the sword in Botw.

I like to think that the reason Link gets the Master Sword differently in Age of Calamity is because that timeline existed _before_ Terrako got there. I know it says in the loading screen tip that Terrako created a split path, but its easier to explain if its not literal (because if Terrako hadn't traveled to that timeline, the Calamity still would have struck the same as the main timeline). This could also possibly be explained by Totk. Perhaps the timeline split was caused by Zelda traveling to the past to become the Light Dragon, with the Botw timeline being the timeline where Zelda was in the past, but Age of Calamity is the timeline where Zelda never went to the past.

I like this theory, especially location-wise. If this were to be actualized as some kind of exposition or even a flashback in BotW 2, I would shit my pants.

I alaways explain it to myself by saying that perhaps Terrako arrived several years before the calamity, went out of commotion (maybe because the time travel used up most of his energy) and went unnoticed until the first battle in AoC (that's just speculation on my part though), meaning that the malice from BotW's Ganon would have infected the Terrako of this new time who would then have slipped out of the castle and went on to start corrupting monsters and probably setting up Astor as well. That way Korok Forest would be overtaken by monsters before Link had a chance to go there and obtain the Master Sword. And maybe the Hylian Army was too preoccupied in other parts of the kingdom to go and take of this. That is just my personal theory for this and it heavily relies on speculation and adding details, so take it with a grain of salt.

"Oh hey, dad, I found a shiny sword in the big forest near the training grounds. It’s quite sharp too, and glows."

This is an excellent theory and provides a lore-related purpose for the military training camp being near the Lost Woods.

I never understood how Link can even get the Master Sword back when he was 12 or 13, wouldn't he have been put in the Sacred Realm until he was 16 like in OOT, Windwaker I can kinda get since the sword was depowered when Link got it in that game so you could use that as an explanation but I still don't get how it works in BOTW

I actually have a theory regarding AoC’s possible setting in a completely different world than BotW’s, and not just since Terrako arrived. There’s some solid evidence to prove that the time Terrako left for AoC’s world wasn’t actually the future of BotW.

BotW / AoC's version of time travel is like DC's Animated Universe's time travel works. It creates a Butterfly Effect, and makes changes that effect events even before the arrival of the traveler *like in Flashpoint*

I see this video was made before the DLCs for Age of Calamity released, which is a shame because the Guardian of Remembrance DLC actually allows us to reconcile AOC's timeline of events with BOTW's : Firstly, Terrako didn't arrive a few weeks before the Calamity. In the first DLC mission of Age of Calamity, we can see Terrako being crushed by the rubbles of the coliseum, which at the time were in pristine condition, then there is a cut, and these rubbles are now covered in moss, Terrako is all dirty and the whole atmosphere makes it clear that a lot of time has passed, it could be months, it could be years. The game never states how long before the Calamity Terrako arrived in the past, this cutscene is all we have. Secondly, it is also never stated in Breath of the Wild that Link has had the Master Sword for years. This information comes from Creating a Champion, but as you point out in other videos, Creating a Champion (1) wasn't written by Nintendo, and (2) contains several errors and inconcistencies. As you point out, it _is_ stated in the game that Link had the Master Sword before Mipha was recruited to become Ruta's pilot but as far as I'm aware that's really it. There is to my knowledge nothing in the game that would suggest Link has had the Master Sword since he was "twelve or thirteen", based on in-game information alone, he could very well have picked it up much later. I also don't see how Revali's journal implies that Link was chosen as the knight "long before" the Champions were chosen. I mean sure, he was chosen before they were selected, as I've already pointed out before, but nothing in his or anyone else's journal implies that he has had it for years, it could very well be weeks or months. In fact, I would argue it makes more sense for Link _not_ to have had the sword for that long. Why wait for such a long time to recruit the other Champions if the Hero has already been chosen for like 4 years? With all that considered, I don't think the two games are incompatible. Considering (1) the fact that Terrako, followed by Harbinger Ganon, arrived much earlier than the base game implies, and (2) the fact that, as stated in the DLC, Astor arranged for monsters to invade Korok Forest soon after in an attempt to delay the picking of the Master Sword (an invasion which to our knowledge didn't occur in the original timeline), the problem is solved : a younger Link wouldn't have been able (or allowed*) to travel to the forest due to the crazy amount of monsters which, in AOC, had to be taken down using a Divine Beast, and thus, wouldn't have been able to acquire the Master Sword at the same point in time as he did in the original timeline. Of course, it means that the picking of the Master Sword in AOC is not in any way representative of the events that transpired in the original timeline, but it doesn't mean these two sequences of events are inherently incompatible. *My headcanon for how Link got the Master Sword is that in the original timeline, knowing that the Calamity was upon Hyrule, some selected soldiers would be handpicked based on their character and abilities and would be sent on a "pilgrimage" of sorts to Korok Forest and would attempt to retrieve the Master Sword (after all, the Sword's location isn't a secret, it's just hard to find because of the Lost Woods). Link, being exceptionnally gifted, would eventually become one of those handpicked soldiers and would bring back the Master Sword. In the Age of Calamity timeline, this "pilgrimage" would be halted because of the monster invasion, the king likely deeming that his soldiers' lives were more important than a sword. Perhaps its immense significance had been lost to time, or the king thought Zelda's sealing power and the Divine Beasts would do the trick, or, as he ends up doing in the game, he was waiting for the Divine Beasts to be ready to rid the Forest of monsters and start sending soldiers to the forest again.

He probably just found it in the lost and found

The one piece of evidence, the most evident in my eyes that points towards Aoc being an entirely different reality separate from botw. The one defining difference between the two realities... *why is Link taller than Zelda in botw? But shorter than her in Aoc?* (this is a joke, but if you look at the picture cutscene in botw, you can clearly see Link is taller, and in Aoc, you can see multiple times that Zelda's a lot taller)

I love the scenario you did at the end, I can actually really see that as a possibility. I can imagine it very well too, you did a great job on this video!

Fi in OoT: The chosen hero is too young to weild the great sword of evils bane, I must lock him in time until he is old enough to use this weapon. Also Fi in BotW: oh this dude is only 13 and found the sword? Dope

My own personal idea as to AoC's timeline is that Link went into the forest just as he does in the video's theory, but when he goes to pull the Master Sword, for some unknown reason it decides that he is not yet ready, and rather than pull an OoT and seal him away for years, he's sent back to the forest entrance, with all memories of the incident either erased or replaced(i.e. instead of remembering finding the Master Sword, he would remember seeing nothing there, and leaving).

Terrako’s arrival in the past isn’t clearly stated. Also Creating a Champion is plagued by similar issues as Hyrule Historia and Encyclopedia.

I was thinking about the MS retcon the other day. It can be worked around, I think. Like, maybe Link started feeling pressured because he was simply the best knight, and everyone looked up to him during the coming Calamity, Master Sword or not.

I think it would be really cool if there were a spin-off Zelda game, where multiple Hylian kids are competing to be chosen by the master sword

When are we just gonna accept that nothing in Hyrule Warriors is canon? It's a spin-off at the end of the day.

Creating a champion does say Link pulling the Master sword when he is 12/13 is speculation, not confirmed. Since Link doesn't have the Master Sword during the Battle of Hyrule Field, and he has it when he meets Mipha later on in Botw's timeline, the only logical time when he would obtain it is after the battle of Hyrule Field. Link would also meet Daruk after the battle of Hyrule Field, just like he did in AoC. Since Terrako intervenes, Link wouldn't go to the korok forest as he is escorting Zelda, Impa and Terrako. Harbinger Ganon also had overrun Korok Forest with monsters in AoC. He knew the events of the future, so its likely he sent an overwhelming amount of monsters to kill Link and prevent him from obtaining the Master Sword.

your take is awesome, I can see all of this happening, great job!

Honestly, this felt really well thought out. Like a lota puzzles were placed just right with the theory of Links Master Sword Mystery. I'd guess maybe link was actually 5 or 6 when he was besting grown men in combat, but because he is naturally shorter then most hylian Knights, maybe the statement of him being 4 was from a few point of an outsider perspective. Either by that, this feels just right, like we seen some feats link is capable of before he was taken down by guardians in the cut scene. He slayed about 3 Lyanols, 3 waves of Brogobilans, and 2 waves of Lisalfos in a single afternoon. This also begins all at once, no shield, and guarding the princess all by himself. Not to mention the huge amounts of destroyed guardians around Zelda and Link too, he was in an open field, lost his shield, heavily damaged, had a damaged weapon, and had the burden of protecting Zelda, and he still got up. He probably would of at least token down the guardian that almost ended him before he fell in combat, only reason he did, was because he seen Zelda was able to protect herself, and he was able to finally rest knowing his job was done. This all begins what link had in skills before he had to be placed in the shrine of resurrection, so him being 5 or 6 and being confused for being 4 for his size, and still being able to fight men 3 to 4 times his size easily, does fit the mold for why Link was able to get the master sword at a super young age

First and great theory dude! Edit: Yes Sooga is life and we need a Yiga spinoff game made by the DK team

Fun fact, everybody is first until you refresh

Interesting theory, I like it. Though for some reason I always thought that he returned the sword, pulled it back sometime during the middle (since a 12-year-old knight squire might not have a use for a legendary blade) and pulled it again shortly before the recruitment. Still, your theory holds a lot of ground and got me thinking how the sequence of events would really work out. Awesome theory as always, bravo!

It would have been possible to make AoC canon. All they would have to do is give Link the Master Sword at the start, for one or two battles and more quickly introduce the villain Aster. Have Aster use some kind of powerful dark magic to steal the Master Sword. He can't wield it himself, but he can re-seal it in the Yiga clan base. The first major plot arc would involve infiltrating the Yiga clan base to get the Master Sword back.

A new video! :D

Holy shit I'm the first to see such a cool video

Personally, I subscribe to the Flashpoint Paradox explains alterations like that to the timeline: time travel isn't like swimming up a river, it's like shooting yourself from one point in the river to another with a cannon, it sets out ripples both up and downstream(I'm paraphrasing), so Terrako's use of time travel changed some things that happened before his destination time.

Zelda is literally the quintessential example of a timeless storyline and/or game. I first fired up Ocarina of Time at 7 years old when it came out, and I've been in love ever since. I've played through BotW multiple times and I own every historia book. Still, I find great enjoyment listening to these videos depicting many different types of ideas about the story and where it may be going. Thank you Monster Maze

What if it's similar to how time travel is described by the Flash in the Flashpoint storyline, in that traveling back in time the traveler sends out a sort of shockwave that possibly affects events that took place before their arrival? Terrako going to the past might have made the timeline ripple just enough to change when Link obtains the Master Sword.