So here’s a bit of a mind-bender: at the end of Ocarina of Time, Link gets sent back to his childhood, which raises the question—why do we still call it the ‘Adult Timeline’ instead of something like ‘Child Timeline 2’? It just seems a bit off, right? I’m curious about how this all fits together in the game’s storyline.
3 Answers
The ‘Adult Timeline’ refers to the events that happen after Link’s adventures as an adult in Ocarina of Time. After defeating Ganon and sealing him away, Hyrule slowly starts to rebuild. Years later, Ganon returns, but Link isn’t around anymore because Zelda sent him back to his child form at the end of the game. That’s what creates a separate timeline, allowing for both the ‘Adult’ and ‘Child’ timelines to exist at the same time.
I think it has to do with the themes present in that timeline. The adult storyline covers more mature themes and events than the child timeline does. That’s probably why they stick with calling it the ‘Adult Timeline’—it’s like it carries the weight of Link’s adult experiences.
It’s actually called the ‘Adult Timeline’ because it picks up after the part in Ocarina of Time where Link has grown up and saved Hyrule. So even though he gets sent back to his childhood, the timeline that follows his adult adventures remains intact. It’s a little confusing, but that’s how it’s split up.
