The Legend of Zelda Timeline: Explained-In 6,513 Characters!

My Sources-IGN Skyward Sword Wiki and The Entire Zelda Timeline-In 7 Minutes!

Skyward Sword

Before Skyward Sword, the gods created heaven and earth and left behind the Triforce.

Then, the goddess Hylia sent everyone to live on Skyloft, and she was reincarnated as Zelda so she could use the Triforce, and Link and Zelda destroy Demise.

Then between Skyward Sword and Minish Cap, the Sacred Realm is sealed and Hyrule is established. Also, the Temple of Time is built and there is a connection between the Sacred Realm and Hyrule.

Minish Cap and Four Swords

THESE CAN BE INTERCHANGED

In Minish Cap, Vaati is born and Link destroys him.

Then in Four Swords, Vaati is resurrected, but Link destroys him again.

Ocarina of Time

Before Ocarina of Time, Hyrule is unified.

Demise is reincarnated as Ganondorf, and Link seals himself in the Temple of Time for seven years. Ganondorf tries to get the Triforce, but it splits in three. Power goes to Ganondorf, Wisdom to Zelda, and Courage to Link.

At the end of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is defeated and the timeline splits into three parts, Hero is Defeated, Child Timeline, and Adult Timeline. We'll start with child.

In this timeline, it assumes that Link and Zelda failed in the final battle of Ocarina of Time, Ganon obtained the full Triforce, but the sages sealed him the Sacred Realm.

Majora's Mask

During Majora's Mask, Young Link goes to another world named Termina and supposedly connects it to Hyrule with the Song of Healing and Saria's Song.

Twilight Princess

During his trial, Ganondorf is banished to the Twilight Realm and there gifts some of his power to Zant. Zant turns the Princess, Midna, into an imp and, with the help of Link, Zant and Ganondorf are defeated. Young Link is dead.

Four Swords Adventures

In Four Swords Adventures, the four Links are back, and so are Ganon, Vaati, and a Shadow Link, but are still defeated and Ganon is locked in the Four Sword. The next timeline we'll cover is adult.

The Wind Waker

In Wind Waker, Link's little sister, Aryll, is kidnapped, and Link sails the Great Sea to go find her. With the help of Tetra, (Zelda as a pirate, but Link doesn't know that), Link rescues Aryll, assembles the Triforce of Courage, and defeats Ganondorf once and for all(at least, in this timeline).

Phantom Hourglass

In Phantom Hourglass, we follow Link and Tetra's adventures, but, as Chase Kip(the author of The Entire Zelda Timeline Explained (in seven minutes)) said Phantom Hourglass is only chronologically 10 minutes long.

Between Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, Tetra discovers a new continent and establishes New Hyrule.

Spirit Tracks takes place 100 years after Phantom Hourglass, so we have a new Link and a dead Zelda. The evil king Malladus is revived and disguised as Chancellor Cole, but Link and Zelda eventually defeat him.

This timeline also assumes that Link and Zelda failed in the final battle of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf obtained the full Triforce and the sages sealed him the Sacred Realm. But then Ganon turned the Sacred Realm into the Dark World

A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, Ganon tries to take over Hyrule by deceiving the king by disguising himself as Agahnim, but a new Link came to defeat him.

Link's Awakening takes place right after A Link to the Past, but it is just a dream by the Wind Fish, so it doesn't really affect the timeline.

Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages

The same Link from A Link to the Past comes to defeat the same Ganon after Kotake and Koume brought him back from the dead.

A Link Between Worlds

A Link Between Worlds takes place in the same Hyrule as A Link to the Past. In the kingdom of Lorule (get it), their Triforce is destroyed. Lorule's princess, Hilda, asks an evil painter named Yuga to help her steal Hyrule's Trifoce. A man named Ravio flees Lorule and comes to Hyrule and turns Link's house into his store. Yuga then turns the seven sages into paintings and Link goes throughout Lorule visisting dungeons to save them. Once saved, they give link the Triforce of Courage and he goes to Lorule castle, defeats Yuga, who is fused with Ganon, and saves Hyrule and Lorule.

TriForce Heroes

TriForce Heroes doesn't really affect the timeline and, as Chase Kip put it, it is a filler episode between A Link Between Worlds and The Legend of Zelda.

Between TriForce Heroes and The Legend of Zelda, Hyrule was in and moment of peace, until on one king didn't pass down the Triforce to his son, and hid the Triforce of Courage somewhere in Hyrule, only telling Zelda where it was. But then the son got mad, and hired a wizard to put Zelda to sleep. With no one able to find the Triforce of Courage, Ganon quickly to over Hyrule after being ressurected AGAIN. Then the new princess Zelda divided the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and spread them across Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda

In The Legend of Zelda, a new Link collects the shards of the Triforce of Wisdom, destroys Ganon, and saves the new princess Zelda, not the one that is asleep.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

In Zelda II, Link hears from Impa about the Zelda who is asleep and goes on an adventure to obtain it. Now Link has the full Triforce and is able to awaken the first Zelda, preventing Ganon's revival.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Age of Calamity takes place 100 years before Breath of the Wild. The people of Hyrule have created Guardians and Divine Beast to protect themselves from evil. They picked four champions to pilot the Divine Beasts (Urbosa, Mipha, Daruk, & Revali). But then Ganon, in his calamity form, arises and posses the Guardians and Divine Beasts, killing the champions in the process

Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild takes place 10,000 years in the future from Adventure of Link, Four Swords Adventure, and Spirit Tracks (100 years after Age of Calamity). A new Link wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection, where a new Zelda says he must come defeat Calamity Ganon, and that she is holding Ganon back with all her power. Then Link comes and defeats Ganon and Hyrule is saved (until Botw2)

So here we are! The Zelda timeline is, in my opinion, a little overcomplicated. But there is nothing we can do about it. I hope you enjoyed reading!