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On their way to the Tower of Spirits, they concluded that Cole, the chancellor of Hyrule Kingdom, was a creature of evil. Cole was attempting to resurrect Malladus the Demon King, who had been sealed in the Tower of Spirits. He planned to use the body of Princess Zelda as a vessel for Malladus. Princess Zelda was kidnapped by Cole's ally, Byrne, and her spirit separated from her body. Link and the spirit of Princess Zelda received orders from Anjean the sage at the Tower of Spirits.

Following an intense battle with Malladus, Princess Zelda regained her physical form. The mysterious power of Princess Zelda, along with Link's courage, brought about the end of Chancellor Cole and Malladus. Once the kingdom had been freed from the menace of the Demon King, Anjean and the Lokomo tribe determined that the people no longer required their protection, and returned to the heavens. The land's care was entrusted to Princess Zelda, Link, and their friends, and Hyrule made great strides in its development.

Hundreds of years passed, and Ganondorf, who should have been sealed at the bottom of the ocean along with Hyrule, was resurrected once again. He gave an order to his minions to attack the Wind and Earth temples, killing the two sages whose prayers gave the Master Sword the ability to destroy evil. Upon emerging from the sea, he turned the Forsaken Fortress into his base of operations and began his search for Princess Zelda, a descendent of the royal family who possessed the Triforce of Wisdom.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, ordered by the gods to put an end to Ganondorf's ambitions, awoke from his slumber. His spirit took up residence in a small red boat known as the King of Red Lions, and he began searching for the new Hero and the descendent of the royal family. The descendent he sought had grown up as the leader of a group of pirates. Known as Tetra, she had spent her life sailing the seas.

The King of Red Lions decided to gamble the future of Hyrule on the courage of Link, the boy who was trying to rescue his sister. He bestowed the Wind Waker upon Link, which had been passed down by the royal family, and the two set offon their adventure. Upon receiving a pearl from each god that watched over the land, Link raised the Tower of the Gods and found himself proving his courage in a great trial.

Link's courage was recognized as he underwent the trials in the Tower of the Gods. He obtained the legendary blade known as the Master Sword in Hyrule, the kingdom sealed deep under the ocean. He challenged the Forsaken Fortress once again in an attempt to subjugate Ganondorf. However, the Master Sword had lost its ability to repel evil. He was not able to wound Ganondorf even slightly, and the Demon King realized that Tetra was Princess Zelda. Link and Tetra barely managed to escape from the Forsaken Fortress with their lives.

The King of Red Lions, aware of the situation, invited Link and Tetra to the chamber of the Master Sword. There, he revealed his true form as the king of Hyrule. The fragment of the Triforce possessed by the king and the fragment possessed by Tetra united to form the Triforce of Wisdom, and Tetra awakened as Princess Zelda, the true heir to Hyrule's royal family. Princess Zelda remained hidden within Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf's hand could not reach her.

Gathering the eight fragments from the seabed, Link completed the Triforce of Courage. A crest appeared on his left hand, and his courage was recognized to be genuine. However, once Link and the King of Red Lions returned to Hyrule Castle, they witnessed Ganondorf carrying off Princess Zelda right before their eyes.

Was it really worthwhile to ask the Triforce to destroy Hyrule in order to build a better future? Link and the princess, to whom the future had been entrusted, launched an attack on Ganondorf. What unfolded next was Hyrule's final battle. Ganondorf fell to the power of Princess Zelda's Light Arrows and the ability of Link's blade to repel evil, and turned into stone. As Hyrule began to fade away, the king helped Link and Princess Zelda escape to the surface. In spite of Princess Zelda's entreaty to search for a new land together and Link's outstretched hand, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule chose to vanish along with his kingdom.

Several months after their departure, Tetra and the pirates found themselves in waters where the Ghost Ship was rumored to appear. The area fell under the jurisdiction of a great spirit known as the Ocean King, but recently, ships had begun disappearing. In order to ascertain the truth behind the rumors, Tetra boarded the Ghost Ship when it appeared before them, only to be kidnapped. Link rushed to her aid but was hurled into the depths of the ocean. The Hero found himself washed ashore on the beach of Mercay Island. On the advice of an old man named Oshus, he departed in search of clues to the Ghost Ship's whereabouts.

Borrowing the power of the spirits, Link successfully boarded the Ghost Ship. Inside, he discovered that Tetra had turned to stone after Bellum drained her Life Force. Then, Oshus appeared and revealed his true identity as the Ocean King. The Ocean King recognized Link's courage, and asked him to eradicate Bellum.

Link obtained the only weapon capable of defeating Bellum: the Phantom Sword. He then headed for the depths of the Temple of the Ocean King. Once he crushed Bellum, Tetra would return to normal. Link pressed his attack against Bellum once again and barely managed to escape with his life, thanks to the courageous actions of Captain Linebeck. Once the dust had cleared on the final battle, Link and his friends stood victorious.

Oshus regained his true form, and peace returned to the waters of the Ocean King. Link and Tetra bid a fond farewell to Oshus and the spirits, and found themselves back in their own world. However, despite the many days they had wandered during their adventure in the waters of the Ocean King, they returned to find only ten minutes had passed. The turmoil surrounding the Ghost Ship had come to a close, and Tetra, Link, and the pirates resumed their voyage in search of a new world.

The Sacred Realm is a mirror that reflects the hearts of those who set foot in it. An evil heart will turn the realm into a living hell. A pure heart will transform it into paradise. Using the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf became the Demon King. The Sacred Realm was distorted into a nightmarish world where demons ran amuck. Hyrule Castle and Castle Town fell under Ganondorf's control, and the survivors fled to Kakariko Village.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Link was worthy of drawing the Master Sword, his youthful body made him unfit to serve as the Hero of Time. Accordingly, the Master Sword sealed Link within the Sacred Realm. Within the Temple of Light, the cornerstone of the Sacred Realm, the ancient sage Rauru watched over Link in a small area called the Chamber of Sages. Link, guarded by Rauru, slept for seven long years. Princess Zelda had no choice but to wait for the seal on Link to be broken. In order to escape the Demon King's pursuit, she went into hiding by disguising herself as a boy of the Sheikah tribe and adopting the name Sheik.

With the help of the sages and the Hero of Time, Princess Zelda sealed away Ganon and returned Link to his original era. To ensure that the Sacred Realm could not be reopened, she put the Master Sword back in its pedestal and closed the Door of Time. The passage between eras was sealed, and the Triforce of Courage continued its slumber somewhere in the land.

The gods chose which of the kingdom's subjects would ascend to the new land, telling them to escape to the tallest mountains. They then flooded the world, sinking Ganondorf and Hyrule to the bottom of the ocean and sealing them away. Though the king was sealed along with his kingdom, the princess took a piece of the Triforce that had been broken in two by the king and managed to escape to the ocean's surface with several of her retainers.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Link was worthy of drawing the Master Sword, his youthful body made him unfit to serve as the Hero of Time. Accordingly, the Master Sword sealed Link within the Sacred Realm. Within the Temple of Light, the cornerstone of the Sacred Realm, the ancient sage Rauru watched over Link in a small area called the Chamber of Sages. Link, guarded by Rauru, slept for seven long years. Princess Zelda had no choice but to wait for the seal on Link to be broken. In order to escape the Demon King's pursuit, she went into hiding by disguising herself as a boy of the Sheikah tribe and adopting the name Sheik.

With the help of the sages and the Hero of Time, Princess Zelda sealed away Ganon and returned Link to his original era. To ensure that the Sacred Realm could not be reopened, she put the Master Sword back in its pedestal and closed the Door of Time. The passage between eras was sealed, and the Triforce of Courage continued its slumber somewhere in the land.

Link first found himself in a place called Clock Town. Three days before the local carnival, the town was thrown into chaos when the moon began to fall. The shadow of the lunar body grew bigger with each passing day. Using the Ocarina of Time, Link was able to rewind the passage of time to three days before the moon fell. He collected a number of mysterious masks and righted the unusual changes that had taken place in the world, reviving the legendary giants that slept in the four regions of the land.

The day of destiny had arrived. The Four Giants stretched out their arms and held up the moon, stopping it from plunging into the town. However, the mastermind behind these events was none other than Majora's Mask. Link pursued the mask to the center of the moon. There, a strange battle unfolded. Link transformed into the Fierce Deity and eradicated the threat. Majora's Mask was then returned to the Happy Mask Salesman, and the terror caused by the falling moon no longer held the world in its grip. As night fell on the third day, Clock Town was safe. Link watched the happy citizens enjoying the Carnival of Time. The Hero took his leave of Termina, and his whereabouts after that are unknown.

The Ancient Sages attempted to execute Ganondorf at the Arbiter's Grounds. However, because he was chosen by the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf survived and even managed to kill one of the sages. In a state of panic, the remaining sages used the Mirror of Twilight to banish Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm. The gods then instructed the sages to protect the mirror.

Several hundred years after Ganondorf's defeat, relations between Gerudo Village and Hyrule had become friendly once more, and peace had been restored to the land. However, one day a new Ganondorf was born into the world. He violated the laws of the town, trespassing into an ancient pyramid and taking possession of the Trident. He also stole the Dark Mirror from the Temple of Darkness in the forest in order to turn Hyrule into a place of darkness.

In order to enshroud Hyrule in darkness, Ganondorfbegan to usurp people's power. The first goal on which he set his sights was the resurrection of the evil wind sorcerer Vaati, who had been sealed away during the Force Era. Ganondorf used the power of the Dark Mirror to bring Shadow Link into the world, throwing Hyrule into chaos.

The four Links rescued the Maidens from each corner of the land, liberating the Knights of Hyrule and the Royal Jewels that had fallen into darkness. Upon receiving the four Royal Jewels from the knights, the Links ascended the Tower of Winds from the Elemental Sanctuary using the power of the Maidens. The Heroes saved Princess Zelda from the top of the tower and continued on to the Realm of the Heavens, where the Dark Mirror that had been incessantly spawning Shadow Links lay. The four Links then recovered the mirror and defeated Vaati in the Palace of Winds.

The four Links and Princess Zelda made for the surface world as the Palace of Winds crumbled beneath them. There, Ganon appeared. The facets of Link cooperated with Princess Zelda to crush him, successfully sealing Ganon with the Four Sword. "I am the King of Darkness! I cannot be destroyed by insects like you!" he cried as he was sealed away. Light shone out all around them, and the darkness began to part. Link placed the Four Sword he had used to seal Ganon back into its pedestal in the Elemental Sanctuary, and his facets were once again united. Returning to Hyrule Castle, the Hero received a grand welcome. Princess Zelda looked down on the proceedings from the hall in the chamber of the Triforce within the castle.

After being banished to the Twilight Realm, Ganondorf granted the ambitious Zant magical powers and began plotting to merge the Light World and the Twilight Realm into a single realm known as the Dark World. Under Zant's growing influence, darkness spread across the Twilight Realm, causing the Twili to transform into demons. Midna, the Twilight Princess, tried to resist him but was cursed and forced to flee to the Light World.

The long-standing peace in the Light World was shattered by Zant's army of Shadow Beasts. Zant, now known as the King of Twilight, launched an invasion of Hyrule, forcing Princess Zelda to make a difficult choice. She had to decide whether to let the kingdom be ravaged by war or to surrender and allow Hyrule to fall under the rule of the Twilight. The princess chose to surrender. As a result, the Light Spirits across the land lost their light to the Twili. The Light World slowly transformed into Twilight, leaving the people, unaware of what was happening, consumed by a shadowy fear.

ink and Midna at last arrived before the Mirror of Twilight, the entrance to the Twilight Realm. Midna became furious when she learned that Zant had broken the mirror, and that everything that had happened was the result of Ganondorf's banishment to the Twilight Realm. The two set out to collect the shards of the Mirror of Twilight. Their journey saw them travel not only across the great span of Hyrule, but also to the illusory City in the Sky. They succeeded in repairing the mirror, and then traveled to the Twilight Realm to defeat Zant.

The light freed from the Twilight Realm infused Link's sword, pushing back Zant's dark powers. Even the guardian deity of the Twilight Realm acknowledged Link as a hero. Link then confronted Zant in the Palace of Twilight. Midna reclaimed the Fused Shadow from Zant and used the ancient powers of the Twilight to destroy him.

Ganondorf, the King of Darkness, resurrected in the Light World, took his place on the throne of Hyrule Castle. He began his assault by possessing Princess Zelda and transforming into a demonic beast. Later, he engaged in a battle with Link on horseback. After Princess Zelda's spirit, which had been residing within Midna, was restored to her body, she aided Link by using the Light Arrows to defend him.

After the curse was lifted, Midna regained her true form as a bewitching princess. She then returned to the Twilight Realm, shattering the Mirror of Twilight to ensure that her world would never again intersect with the Light World. Her final request was for the inhabitants of the Light World to remember that there was another world within its shadows. Link returned the Master Sword to the forest and went back to Ordon Village. Once again, the world received the blessings of the gods, and the land was bathed in light.

After the king's death, the new king—the prince—did not receive the crest on his hand, leaving the power of the Triforce he inherited incomplete.

The king's closest advisor, a wizard, suggested that Princess Zelda might know the cause of these events. Despite being questioned by both the wizard and her brother, the king, Zelda remained silent. The wizard, losing his temper, threatened to use magic to cast a spell that would make the princess sleep for eternity, but she steadfastly refused to reveal anything. After the wizard completed his spell, Princess Zelda collapsed where she stood.

Overcome with grief and regret for his actions, the young king placed his sleeping sister, Princess Zelda, on an altar in the North Castle, hoping she would one day be revived. To ensure that this tragedy would never be forgotten, a custom was established requiring every girl born into Hyrule's royal family to be named "Zelda." This story became the legend of the first Princess Zelda. The king changed his ways and ruled the land as best he could, but the kingdom continued to decline.

The Demon King has been defeated by heroes countless times in the past, but it is believed that he has been resurrected after many years. Leading a demon army, he invades Lesser Hyrule in search of the Triforce. No longer showing any sign of the man once known as the Great Thief, Ganondorf, he now confronts Link as a mindless demonic beast.

There came a day when the demon army led by the Demon King Ganon invaded Hyrule and stole away the Triforce of Power. The reigning Princess Zelda divided the Triforce of Wisdom, which was in her possession, into eight pieces, hiding them in different corners of the kingdom. She secretly ordered her nursemaid, Impa, to seek out the one with the courage to defeat the Demon King. Ganon, angered by her actions, captured the princess and sent his followers after Impa.

Inserting the six crystals he had received from Impa into the stone statues located deep within the palaces dotting Hyrule, Link dispelled the barrier in the Valley of Death and opened the path to the Great Palace. After achieving victory against the guardian deity that lay in wait for him within the Great Palace, the Hero continued deeper within.

Although the power of the Triforce and the bloodline of the Hylians continued to diminish, Hyrule enjoyed peace. That is, until the arrival of a man determined to break the seal on the Sacred Realm, now the Dark World. This man, a priest named Agahnim, wielded formidable magic. He caused the king's untimely death, placed the kingdom's soldiers under his control, and abducted the maidens descended from the Seven Sages. One by one, he sacrificed these maidens, sending them to the Dark World, and was on the verge of doing the same to Princess Zelda.

If the passage to the Dark World were to widen, the Demon King Ganon would emerge into the Light World once again. The only way to prevent this was to defeat Ganon and take back the Triforce. Link traveled back and forth between the worlds. His first task was rescuing the maidens that had been sacrificed to the Dark World.

Ganon, taking the form of a massive demonic beast, launched a fierce attack, wielding dark magic and a three-pronged trident. Despite the overwhelming power of darkness, Link managed to defeat him. The Hero then claimed the Triforce and wished for peace to return to the world. Those who had been sacrificed, including Link's uncle and the king of Hyrule, were also restored to life and health. The Triforce was once again entrusted to Hyrule's royal family. With Ganon's defeat, the Dark World, which had been created by his malevolent heart, gradually disappeared.

The twin witches known as Twinrova were plotting ways to perform the ceremony that would resurrect the Demon King. For the resurrection ceremony to occur, it was necessary to light the Flame of Destruction, the Flame of Sorrow, and the Flame of Despair, derived from the chaos, sorrow, and hopelessness ofhumanity. They would also need to offer up a sacred sacrifice. In order to obtain the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow, Twinrova sent Onox, the General of Darkness, to the land of Holodrum, and Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, to the land of Labrynna.

Twinrova, who had lurked behind the scenes in Holodrum and Labrynna, pulling the strings, managed to light the Flame of Destruction and the Flame of Sorrow. All that remained was to kidnap Princess Zelda and light the Flame of Despair. Using the princess as a sacred sacrifice, they attempted to resurrect Ganon. Link borrowed the power of the Oracle of Seasons and the Oracle of Ages and threw himself upon the ceremonial altar. He cornered and defeated Twinrova, but the twin witches sacrificed themselves to resurrect Ganon. Because the ceremony had not been completed, however, Ganon returned as a witless, demonic beast.

The world Link found himself in was a part of the Wind Fish's dream, and waking the Wind Fish would cause the island to vanish in a stream of bubbles. The demons attacked Link in an effort to preserve their existence and the island they called home. Despite this, Link successfully gathered the Instruments of the Sirens. As he stood before the egg where the Wind Fish slept, the Hero faced a difficult decision. Now, the only remnants of Koholint Island existed in Link's memories, and the awakened Wind Fish flew into the sky. Though Link had once saved Hyrule, he ultimately became responsible for the destruction of the dream world. He set sail on another journey, and his fate after that remains unknown.

The world Link found himself in was a part of the Wind Fish's dream, and waking the Wind Fish would cause the island to vanish in a stream of bubbles. The demons attacked Link in an effort to preserve their existence and the island they called home. Despite this, Link successfully gathered the Instruments of the Sirens. As he stood before the egg where the Wind Fish slept, the Hero faced a difficult decision. Now, the only remnants of Koholint Island existed in Link's memories, and the awakened Wind Fish flew into the sky. Though Link had once saved Hyrule, he ultimately became responsible for the destruction of the dream world. He set sail on another journey, and his fate after that remains unknown.

The Sacred Realm is a mirror that reflects the hearts of those who set foot in it. An evil heart will turn the realm into a living hell. A pure heart will transform it into paradise. Using the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf became the Demon King. The Sacred Realm was distorted into a nightmarish world where demons ran amuck. Hyrule Castle and Castle Town fell under Ganondorf's control, and the survivors fled to Kakariko Village.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Link was worthy of drawing the Master Sword, his youthful body made him unfit to serve as the Hero of Time. Accordingly, the Master Sword sealed Link within the Sacred Realm. Within the Temple of Light, the cornerstone of the Sacred Realm, the ancient sage Rauru watched over Link in a small area called the Chamber of Sages. Link, guarded by Rauru, slept for seven long years. Princess Zelda had no choice but to wait for the seal on Link to be broken. In order to escape the Demon King's pursuit, she went into hiding by disguising herself as a boy of the Sheikah tribe and adopting the name Sheik.

Since the overwhelming defeat of the Demon King Ganon, each generation of Hylian kings used the Triforce of Power, Wisdom, and Courage—passed down through the royal family—to maintain order in the land. Those who wielded the Triforce needed to possess a heart free of wickedness. The rulers harnessed the power of the Triforce to help the kingdom grow and prosper.

At last, Ganondorf found himself in the possession of the Triforce of Wisdom that dwelt within Princess Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage that dwelt in Link. His true power achieved, he transformed into the Demon King. The Seven Sages of Hyrule, led by Princess Zelda, sealed Ganon and the Triforce in the Sacred Realm as a final resort.

For a brief time, it seemed as though peace had returned to the kingdom. However, there were many who knew of the existence of the Triforce and the entrance to the Sacred Realm because of the events set in motion by Ganondorf. Their lust aroused, they rushed to gain access to the holy land in their quest to obtain the power of the gods. Little did they realize that the Sacred Realm had been transformed into the Dark World by Ganondorf's evil heart. None returned from their adventures. Instead, only the power of darkness flowed forth. Rivals embroiled in the conflict surrounding the Sacred Realm

For a short while, it appeared that peace had come back to the kingdom. However, many were aware of the Triforce and the entrance to the Sacred Realm due to Ganondorf's actions. Driven by their desire, they hastened to reach the sacred land in hopes of acquiring divine power. Unbeknownst to them, Ganondorf's malevolent heart had turned the Sacred Realm into the Dark World. None of them returned from their journey, and instead, only darkness spread from the realm.

Before the creation of the heaven and earth, there was only the Still World. The Goddesses made several attempts at creation, but each time, it was consumed by the Null, the entity that dwelt there. Null hungered indiscriminately for life and wanted the world for itself. The Goddesses, unable to abide its greed, planned to create the heaven and earth as a prison for Null. The three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos and began the creation of the world, each of them creating a different facet of the realm. Din created the material realm, Nayru gave the realm law and order, and Farore created all life forms that would follow the said order. Null constantly attempted to consume the creation and so the Goddesses created the Tris to mend the rifts created by Null in order to help maintain the world's balance.

With their labors completed, the Goddesses departed for the heavens, but not before leaving behind the Triforce, three sacred golden triangles representing a small portion of the essence of the goddesses. Because the power of the Triforce was so great, they trusted the sacred relic to the careful hands of the goddess Hylia so that she could protect it from those who would misuse its almighty power. Hylia was also entrusted with the care of the Secret Stones. Since Hylia herself was a goddess, the Triforce was in safe hands, as only mortals would be able to use its power. The Goddesses entrusted the protection of the land they created to Hylia. In addition to the Triforce, each goddess left behind a crest. The crests have proliferated throughout time with different groups and species adopting individual crests as their own.

The legend of a supreme power spread throughout the land, whetting the appetites of those who would possess the Triforce and inciting vicious battles between them. Rauru, the Sage of Light, constructed the Temple of Time, which contained the only existing entrance to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce was located. With power stronger than both time and the Master Sword, Rauru sealed the Sacred Realm. The pedestal holding the Master Sword was closed behind the Door of Time, and the keys to opening the door (the Spiritual Stones of forest, fire, and water) were protected by their respective people

The land was saved, but the seal that kept the Demon King imprisoned was weak. In an attempt to destroy Demise, the goddess Hylia tried to use the power of the Triforce. However, a goddess cannot wield its power. Thus, the goddess Hylia decided to renounce her divinity and be reborn as a human. With Hylia's passing, Impa of the Sheikah tribe was entrusted with watching over the sealed prison of the Demon King until she returned.

One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... They burnt forests to ash, choked the land’s sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation. They did all this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess. The power she guarded was without equal.

Handed down by gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess. To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands. The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth. She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds. With the Hylians safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away. At last, peace was restored to the surface.

Towards the end of the Hyrulean Civil War, a lone woman sought refuge from the fires of war. Baby in arms, she escaped to the Forbidden Forest. She entrusted her baby to the Deku Tree, the spirit of the Kokiri Forest. The Deku Tree sensed that the child was intertwined with the fate of Hyrule and took the child in. Once the child's mother died, they were raised as a Kokiri. This child would later because the Hero of Time.

The conflict known as the Hyrulean Civil War is stated to have lasted for countless eras. Eventually, the fighting stopped and all of Hyrule was united. The exact beginning and ending of the war is unknown. The war ended at some point between the birth of the Hero of Time and the events of Ocarina of Time.

Ganondorf, leader of the Gerudo, the people of the desert, once again swore fealty to the king of Hyrule. However, Ganondorf's true aim was the Triforce, said to lie somewhere within the kingdom. Seeking the three Spiritual Stones necessary to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm, he carried out his plots in secret, in every corner of the land.