daily reminder that the Hero of Time had the shitest life out of all the Links > Mother dies trying to save his life, father is nowhere to be seen (presumably died in the Hyrulean civil war) > Spends the first 9/10 years of his life raised by a tree, bullied by other residents of the forest with only a single friend > actually gets a fairy and makes a new friend > Is summoned by tree to dump hero's destiny crap on his head and asks Link to save his life > Despite his best efforts, the Great Deku Tree, the closest thing Link has to a father figure, dies. > Is told to leave his childhood home and his only friend behind to explore and save a world he barely knows > Meets up with the princess and they both devise a plan to screw over that shifty looking Gerudo King. > Whoops, turns out that plan to screw over that ginger-haired dickhole had the opposite effect and Link just doomed the world to Ganondorf and his horrible future mullet. >also Zelda is now missing > Not only that, but Link is forced into a coma for seven years, so when he does wake up, Link is essentially a child in the body of a young man > Goes through The fucking WATER TEMPLE > The less mentioned about whatever the fuck Deadhand is the better. > FINALLY meets up with a friendly face in Zelda, only for pointy-nosed douche-canoe to kidnap her 2 seconds later > Storms Ganon's Tower gives the Pig-faced asshat a new face piercing and restores peace to Hyrule > Is basically told by Zelda "Thanks for the help, but we can take it from here. enjoy all this basically being undone because I'm sending you back in time". > So yes, Zelda basically reversed all of Links heroics (i.e. fixing her mistakes) by making him "re-live his childhood" > After he returns his fairy, his closest friend, leaves him. > Link then goes to Zelda and warns her to watch that shifty ginger twat because he's planning treason > Decides that he can't stay in Hyrule anymore and leave in hopes of finding his fairy friend >Majora's Mask happens > After that emotionally damaging time-loop clusterfuck, Link presumably returns to Hyrule and starts a family (Twilight Princess Link had to come from somewhere) maybe gets some peace for a few years > The Hyrulean-Gerudo war starts (which is basically his fault) > Is either drafted or volunteers for war, given his skills, becoming a knight >Given that The Hero's Shade is in Damaged armour with an eye missing, it can be presumed that the Hero of Time's end came in battle > Also, since the Hero's Shade has the appearance of the stalfos, He could have been (ironically) killed in the Forest, the place where he was raised > The Hero of Time then becomes forgotten, all of his heroics, Saving two kingdoms, Fighting in the war. The only solace he gets is that one day he gets to teach his descendant some cool (and slightly game-breaking) sword techniques

"Before he passes into the next realm, the Hero's Shade stays behind a while longer to watch over his descendant one last time. His chest, now released of any lingering regret, swells with pride as he observes what his young hero has become. Sheding one last tear for his flesh and blood, he departs, his battle-worn... armoured clut image fading to resemble the one of the hero he used to be: The Hero of Time." Time Link truly has the most tragic of destinies of all the Links within the Zelda universe. His actions influence pretty much every timeline, regardless whether they are intentional or not. But at the end of it all, he rightfully carries the title of Hero of Time, because while he does cause disaster indirectly, he also sacrifices everything to ensure those disasters do not repeat themselves, thus making him a Hero. And the fact that those sacrifices transcent time itself, it makes him the Hero of Time; the Hero whose sacrifice and actions transcent the flow of time and guarantee a bright future to the land he so loves. The most tragic hero... but also the most noble one.

It... must be raining... on my face... in my office building

i like the idea of Link and Malon ending up together and creating the Ordon. Which would also explain the children being named Talo and Malo.

This puts Game Theory to shame.

i'd love a Twilight Princess HD remake

I don't buy the fact that Link was absent from Hyrule during his journey in Termina for THAT long. When Link left Termina, he was still just a kid. Implying that he came back to Hyrule directly after he saved Termina, he'd either be back before this whole Gerudo/Hylian War started, or the conflict would last many years, continuing towards Link's adulthood. Judging by his missing right eye and the kind of armor he's wearing, I'm assuming that those aren't just things he's picked up while traveling through different lands, but by direct involvement in this cataclysmic war.

Imagine if they made a Zelda game featuring the Hero of Time's life after he returned from Termina, and you had to go through all he did as a mercenary and to prepare the Hero of Twilight

To me the painting in the mansion doesn't resemble Impa but rather Rauru, the face looks as if it has a large mustache that goes of to the sides much like Rauru's did, the clothes and color even resembles his too

I have to strongly disagree about the person in that portrait. That individual strongly resembles a bearded man to me, and unless my memory is wrong, Impa didn't have a beard.

my parents didnt sign permission for that feels trip at the end

That feels trip at the end tho

And people say that the story in Zelda games are lacking... But no, the story is just hidden for us to uncover, just like you just did in this video, great job!

This was an awesome theory...

Who can imagine 6 movies of The Legend of Zelda split into 2 trilogies The movies would have an even bigger scale than the Lord of the Rings. The music would be an epic Lord of the Rings-like rendition of original Zelda music. The first trilogy would be the THE HERO OF TIME TRILOGY and the second would be THE HERO OF TWILIGHT TRILOGY. 1. The Legend of Zelda: The Three Stones 2. The Legend of Zelda: The Master Sword 3. The Legend of Zelda: The Hero of Time 4. The Legend of Zelda: The Fused Shadows 5. The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Evil 6. The Legend of Zelda: The Hero of Twilight Everything would have a Medieval feel to it and the Characters would speak different languages similar to Tolkien Elvish languages Quenya or Sindarin. The violence would be raw and without shaky-camera.

It would be awesome if Nintendo makes a game that takes place after MM and before TP with the Hero of Time Link being an adult. I would like if the game has a bitter sweet ending :D

I must say, I think I can agree with this theory, even though that image of Impa can be questionable.

Just a little "Hmm..." to pass out. Impa has a tattoo over her left eye. The Hero's Shade lost his right eye. Assuming the bit about the Gossip Stones being re-purposed into the Howling Stones is true, they have physically had their "eyes" punched out through the center.

Maybe the music that you sing in that order tells on the passing of the OoT's spirit. I mean the first song you sing is the song of healing that could be him coping with the fact that he died and accepting it. Then we get to to Requiem of Spirits. Since a Requiem means passing of a spirit he can finally get the rest he needs and alot like the first one but the fact he can move on. Next the Prelude of Light. This could signify that he is moving on and is starting to see the light that this Twilight Hero can succeed and beat Ganondorf also it may mean that he is finally passing into Heaven or something of that matter. Then Goron and Zelda's lullaby can both kinda mean the same thing that his spirit is sent to rest after seeing that he was able to pass on his ways to this new hero after so long. Then the Ballad of Gales this might mean that his legacy as the Hero Of Time might be passed on to generation to generation or as "passed by the wind" and he might never be forgotten by the Hero Of Twilight. And lastly the Twilight Princess theme. This might mean that he has accepted that its time for the Twilight Hero to take the mantel and take his turn on defeating ganon and letting him become the new hero after finally passing everything that he had to. Thanks for reading and like and comment if you have any opinions on my theory :)

that painting looks absolutely nothing like impa

I am blown away by the phenomenal quality of this theory and by its implications. Literally the ONLY complaint I have is with regard to the portrait in Snowpeak Mansion. It's too blurry for me to make out anything more than a vaguely humanoid shape holding a rectangular object. That isn't to say that it definitely ISN'T Impa, as is suggested; rather, it is to say that we can't be certain either way. Otherwise, this whole theory strikes me as entirely plausible. The thing that gets me the most about it, though, is that it adds a whole new dimension to the title "Hero of Time." Not only do we have a hero who literally traveled through time to save Hyrule from Ganondorf's clutches, but we have a hero who, through careful forethought and planning, saw to it that his successor - the Hero of Twilight - would have the necessary tools and skills to thwart Ganondorf once more. Thus it can be argued that the Hero of Time saved the kingdom not once, but twice... In different time periods. The Hero of Time is thus a hero for ALL time. Another especially cool thing about this theory is that it portrays the Hero of Time as somebody who, despite his considerable skills and knowledge, isn't completely infallible. I doubt he could have predicted that the Royal Family and the Gerudo would be on the warpath after he warned Zelda about Ganondorf's plot; rather, I think he would have felt that greatly bolstering security around the Temple of Time would have been sufficient. Had he known that his warning would lead to a brutal war and the slaughter of almost an entire race, I think the Hero of Time would have dealt with it differently. Once more, superb work! This was an exceptionally well thought out theory, taking into account as much evidence as possible.

the portrait mentioned at 5:51 looks more like Rauru from OoT rather than impa. you can see in the picture he has the same moustache and colored robes from Ocarina.

Is link really the hero we believe him to be? Yes, yes he is! I mean he's not perfect. But who is? =D And you know, it's kind of strange that people use dark as if darkness is scary, evil, grim, or unnatural. But there's no need to be afraid of the dark, and it is not a negative or unnatural thing. I never could understand why. =/ This is just a philosophical thought, but if darkness has been around ever since the beginning of everything before anything else, is all around us, and there is even inside of us (I imagine it gets pretty dark inside of our bodies. I don't think we have light bulbs inside of us), isn't darkness one of the most natural and non-evil things out there? =o And night time is actually one of the most peaceful times for most people. It's when we rewind, recharge, and heal. Can't people just say what they mean? Could have easily said "grim" there, you know. l=/

Maybe in Zelda Wii U the Link you play as is the Hero of Time and your whole quest in the game is Link preparing for the arrival of his successor.

Well, the reading at the end just made me cry-

The person in the picture looks more like the sage of light

You used the opening theme song from Naussica. You get a thumbs up just for that.

According to Wind Waker, Ganon seems to want to help his people, stating that his land brings death with the sandstorms, heat, and freezing nights while the land of Hyrule is different That's probably in the Ganon is good theory which I'll check out later

This is one heck of an awesome theory. While blaming link necessarily for a war isn't exactly fair, it does go to show how messed up the whole situation was. While Ganondorf didn't become a god, at least that is the way I see it, he still more or less leveled Hyrule until a united army was formed. What's more, when the hero of time finally returned, he discovered that all he had ever went through had all been for nothing. That in of itself would be a crushing thought. Lovely theory. Instant fave.

Great video, doubt Nintendo put this much thought into the story but they can certainly use videos like this to advance the story

The one thing that I never quit understood(maybe I just missed it), is how the hero of time knew that the hero of twilight would be turned into a wolf. The rest makes sense; leaving his bow behind, his tunic, the path to the sword, and everything. But the howling stones are designed specifically for wolves and the hero of time takes the form of a wolf himself. How did he know? Did he see though time and witnessed it?... and was he the one who left behind the prophesy that Midna heard so she would go with him? How would he get the prophesy into the twilight? Or did he just magically engineer the wolf so the howling stones could only be activated by a super intelligent wolf.

Um, I'm pretty sure the Hero of Time only went to Termina for 3/4 days, he just time travelled over and over.

That monotone voice though XD

I never understood this and no one ever seems to talk about it, but in twilight princess, there are cliffs into the abyss EVERYWHERE... like, why? just cliffs that go down into perpetual infinity.

ok, calling Link the driving force behind the gerudo-hylian war is kind of bullshit. If he hadn't, literally everything would be fucked, as we get to see first hand in OoT. if they are right, its kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.

It makes me so happy to think that Skull Kid in the ruins of Castle Town finally got to play with his best friend for the last time. Skull Kid's story is my favorite of any Zelda character ever. I love it.

I cannot believe how amazing this was I really did love it. Great job!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE FEEDBACK! Zelda Theory Update! facebook.com/MacintyreProductions/photos/a.931408996885824.1073741828.913326675360723/1170322216327833/?type=1&theater

What if..... Midna's prophecy comes true, and we get another game, where we get to play as The Link from OOT one last time?

I like how well you detailed the theory, and made it easy to understand. Good job.

I loved this video! The only question I have, is the painting that you say is Impa. I can only see a mustached man with a orange nose? Can anyone explain how this painting is Impa?

Really good video, you made a great job. This video mades me like the idea of a Zelda game retracing the adventures of "Mercenary Link" (especially the moment he loses his eye)... Nintendo, I hope you're reading that ^^ PS: Choosing between the Sheikahs and Ganondorf? Hard... Why not make both? ;)

That is an amazingly thought out theory, thank you for such an amazing theory and thoughts~!

This is incredible! I am impressed of how few subscribers this channel have for its awesomeness! Thanks you for the excellent material guys, keep it up!

I feel like the hero of time just lived out his life but lost an eye in battle for the royal family

Personal question: Why do you Shatner your lines?

This video is so classic to me, I get chills when I hear that opening

This theory makes so much sense, I was actually putting two and two together, and you guys helped me connect it.

Why would Nintendo do this? Everything Link did in that game; all his adventures, saving the world. Becomming the Hero of Time... all this and they gave him THIS end? THIS is what he became? This isn't fair. I have great memories with this Link; how dare they give him such a terrible fate in the end.

This is fascinating! I think the stuff about Skullkid might be the most interesting part!

whoa this is amazing! I never would have thought of this! and that bit at the end made me cry a little );

This video was a real eye-opener for me in terms as to what the Hero's Shade is like as a character and just how tragic the Hero of Time was. Despite his best efforts, Hyrule is unguarded against Ganon in one timeline and ravaged by civil war in another. He went away for a short time only to come back to a home he barely recognized. He wanted to finish what he started, but wouldn't live long enough to do so. He likely loved one woman, but was forced to walk away because their relationship could never be the same. The Hero is not just a common ghost--he's a tormented soul haunted both by his actions and inability to act at the same time. He is helpless to do anything himself, and yet sees hope in his descendant.

My mind has been officially blown!

Best part of this video is when he said Link made it back from Termina. 10/10 theory

i just LOVE that last scene with the hero's shade finally resting in peace....

That was really amazing! Thank you so much. Wow. That story made so much sense and it actually made me shed a few tears for the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight.

Great work!

The Hylian Knights existed before Skyward Sword.

one of the best theory's ive ever seen man keep it up :)

EVERYTHING MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE NOW, THANK YOU.

BEST ONE YET!

Also... this was so good, I want this to become some sort of animated story. or even a comic

Thank you for sharing links to all of the artwork! Some of it looks fantastic, and I'd like to give credit where it is due. :)

Enough! I so want this story made into a Zelda game. You are really good at this! Thank you so much!

i thought this was link's DANKEST secret at first! BWAAHAHA

This was incredible. You got yourselves a subscriber.

This is one of my favorite theories from you guys!

bloody hell!! and Jebbles ate crisps! this is mindblowingly brilliant, thanks for putting in the hours guys. i have loved these games my whole life. this has just turned mini series material .:]

Finally Andy, I rembember discussing this theory with you back in February! Just kidding, this blows anything you have made to this point! :)

A great video guys. Nintendo can be pretty dark at times. It's never mentioned, but it's very implicit that the Gerudo tribe must have been all but killed off. The story of Ocarina of Time is quite tragic too. None of the branching timelines are exactly happy. This video and theory is even more relevant now, since it's speculated that Zelda U will take place between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess! I hope these events will be elaborated on.

This theory just makes me love and respect the hero of time more. He will always be my favorite Link.

I have already been fuzzy on how the Zelda series all connected, thanks a lot for clearing it for me, even though they are only theories, they are Damn good ones nice work!

I loved it great video, Twilight may not be my favorite LOZ game, but it is my favorite Link and story, it's contrast in dark and light and having Link be more vicious protective. I have to admit though, through most of this all I'm hearing is Hyrule family effs up again! Like really they seem to do nothing right except when they directly help Link.

6:13 it looks like Rauru to me? Cant justify why it would be him but looks that way to me

Wow, some of the most epic analyzation I've ever heard. As I a die-hard Zelda fan, I really appreciated that.

Love this theory! I feel as though Link would have had a more active role in the Hyrulean civil war though considering he was only in Termina for three days and presumably only searching for Navi prior to finding Termina. Since Termina allowed Link to confront his own grief, I feel as though he would not have continued to search for Navi afterward, returning instead to Zelda. Sure, time might flow differently in Termina, but still. The civil war probably would have taken years to play out, so I doubt Link managed to stay away long enough for the ENTIRE thing to pass him by. Maybe just the beginning. But regardless of whether he was involved with the war or not, I think the theory still holds up. It looks like Raru is holding the book in that painting though, so maybe he passed it onto Impa to guard? It would make sense, they would know each other well as two of the most important guardians in Hyrule.

That painting is DEFINITELY an old man with a mustache...Kind of like Raru...

Am I the only one who stayed until the end of the vid to hear that speech? Yeah...Just me...But I must say it was beautiful.

That was so awesome! thank you for making this video.

did anyone else cry at the end? This is an amazing theory well done!

Nice video.But to be honest i have too say that this painting of Impa doesn't really look to me like a painting of Impa. It was still a nice video. Now I want a video about Ganondorf^^

notice the heros shade is a stalfos, and the fact the kikori in the lost woods that tells you those who get lost in the lost woods turn into stalfos.

this needs to be a movie!

Good job on this video, a lot of this info I didn't know about it was very mind blowing

Yo, great vid M. Productions

5:54 how could that be impa? it haves a beard and fat looks like that one guy in temple of time (forgot his name)

I want to hug you, guy. These theories make SO much sense and make me want to play the games over and over, lol

your videos are great! I played all the main Zelda games except majoras mask.. it's obvious I should have.. I am young and as I worked my way through the zelda series growing up, I never thought about all these things and you make very valid points and it really changes my whole view on all of these games... it's also astonishing how Nintendo incorporated such a story, but its so hidden and difficult to figure out, its truly amazing, it should become a book series. Love your videos, you're very good at figuring these things out 😊

Brilliant Video..... My gawed, why coudln't History in School be this Interesting!!?

hey Macintyre? i just have a quick question. why does every link you posted not work. also what was the name of the starting song

I cried during this theroy for Hero of Time Link his Noble Sacrifice will live on.

First off, that was an incredible video. The effort you put into this has not gone unnoticed. Second, you should make a video about the ancient hylian war, the one mentioned in OCOT. I believe that the well, the shadow temple, the shiekah, and the twilight realm are all connected. 3rd, make a video about what happened in the 7 years Link spent asleep in the sacred realm. Such as what Zelda and Impa did while ganondorf took over. Once again this video was incredible. I really enjoyed it and hope to see more from you.

you are the best guy's for creating so good video ! RIP Satoru Iwata. Like this comment if you agree.

Glad to see that BS theory about Link being dead during or after MM debunked.

That ending picture almost had me in tears. Very accurate. But bittersweet, and just plain sad. Only in death, was link able to find peace

fairly convincing stuff, with the exception of the one painting being Impa. You can only barely tell it is a person, to the point where I actually wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to not be a person at all.

Is Ganon the same person or does he have descendants?

Deepest lore.

Just wow guys, Great work, had my heart in pain the entire time though geez

This video is still really deep to me. I've seen this before years ago and it's still deep. Everytime I see this vid it keeps pulling at my strings