Is Link About to Die?

An anonymous reader writes "Sometimes we know more than we think we know. An about.com article asks if we might already know what happens in The Twilight Princess. If we do, it's not going to be a happy ending. Based primarily on the introduction to The Wind Waker, and the fact that we now know Twilight Princess takes place between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, it makes some pretty interesting claims about Link's future. Is Link about to die?" Miyamoto may have been hinting about this earlier this year.

Huh?

[doctor_nation]

It's not like there's any real continuity of character here. I mean, there's no specific Link character who is in all of the games. I always interpreted Link to be a sort of genetic/time-less hero born again and again. It's basically implied that each one dies at some point after his game ends. So explicitly having him die in game wouldn't really matter that much, since we know there will be another one at some point. And honestly, I wouldn't be that upset if he died anyway. It's not like there's any personality there.

FAIL not DIE!!?!?!?!?

[cttforsale]

TFA asks if "Link is about to FAIL". As in FAIL his mission.

Re:Um...

[Toloran]

Actually in most of the zelda games it is the same link.

(note: this is copied from http://db.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbadvance/file/zel da_minish_cap_g.txt [gamefaqs.com] and no i didn't ask)

Note: Reading this might spoil the endings for a few of the Zelda games. Read only if you know what happens in each, because I need to draw from important game events to make the timeline. Read at your own risk.

The Legend of Zelda is a series of twelve separate games at the present time. Since these games were not released in an order that made sense, many peopleargue with one another about just how it should be organized. That's what this timeline is here for - to express my views on the subject. I think that the series in bad need of better organizing. Many timelines are awful and don't make sense. The timeline must abide by certain rules. But before that, here's a list of every Zelda game that either was new when it was released or had
something new on it.

The Legend of Zelda
1987 for the NES
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
1988 for the NES
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
1991 for the SNES
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
1993 for the GB
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1998 for the N64
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2000 for the N64
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Ages
2001 for the GBC
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Seasons
2001 for the GBC
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords
2002 for the GBA
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest
2003 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
2003 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
2004 for the GCN
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
2005 for the GBA

Note that these release years are all North American. First, notice that A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time are listed twice. This is because those games had a new game on them when they were re-released. Ocarina of Time had Master Quest, which was a harder version. Master Quest has the same events in it as Ocarina of Time, so it will not be counted. A Link to the Past was re-released with a multi-player game called Four Swords. It is an actual game, and it shall be counted.

As I said, there are a few rules one must follow when making their timeline. Here are common errors people make. First, what Link or anyone else looks like has nothing to do with the chronological scheme of things. Wind Waker Link was a very popular look so Nintendo showed him that way in a few extra games. This doesn't make Link different. Secondly, items (unless they are extremely important, like the Master Sword) do not determine anything. That is, whether Ganon used his trident in one battle or not does not give us a good timeline. Third, there is only one timeline.

Many people think that there are two (the Alternate Timeline Theory) because Link time-traveled in Ocarina of Time. If you think about it, this is a really stupid theory. After all, at the end of Ocarina of Time, Zelda sends Link back to relive the seven years of his childhood that he lost (to quote Zelda exactly, "Link, give the Ocarina to me... As a sage, I can return you to your original time with it."). It is as if the latter part of Ocarina of Time never happened. Fourth, there will be no dates.

Many people try to use dates in their timeline and that is completely false. Fifth, comic books have no bearing on the timeline. Sixth and foremost, if it's not in the game or the manual, then it is speculation and it doesn't count. For instance, one could add tons of different events that weren't in the games or manuals and connect things together (like Ganon revivals, descendants, and other "events").

Now we can truly start. This is quite anticipated because everyone wants to know how Minish Cap is placed on the timeline. Remember that the timeline tries to string the games to