Story & Lore

Quick Answer

A boy from the forest becomes the Hero of Time: he draws the Master Sword, loses seven years to a Ganondorf-ruled future, and awakens seven Sages to seal the Gerudo king away. Spoilers below.

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Plot Summary

The story is built around one mechanic: Link moves between his childhood and an adult future. Read the beats in order.

  1. 1

    The forest boy without a fairy

    Link, a Kokiri raised in the forest, finally receives the fairy Navi and is summoned by the dying Great Deku Tree, cursed by a man from the desert.

  2. 2

    Three Spiritual Stones

    To enter the Temple of Time, child Link gathers the Stones from the Forest, Goron, and Zora — meeting Princess Zelda, who warns him of Ganondorf.

  3. 3

    The Master Sword

    Link opens the Door of Time and draws the Master Sword — but he is too young to wield it, and is sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years.

  4. 4

    A ruined future

    Link wakes as an adult to find Ganondorf has seized the Triforce of Power and conquered Hyrule. Rauru names him the Hero of Time.

    💡 This is the child/adult hinge — most dungeons and songs branch from here.

  5. 5

    Awakening the Sages

    Guided by the mysterious Sheik, adult Link clears the Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, and Spirit Temples to awaken the six Sages.

  6. 6

    The final battle

    The Sages and Princess Zelda turn on Ganondorf; Link defeats Ganon and the Sages seal him in the Sacred Realm. Zelda sends Link back to his childhood.

The Triforce

The Master Sword resting in its pedestal in the Temple of Time
Drawing the Master Sword opens the Sacred Realm — and lets Ganondorf seize the Triforce.

The Triforce is the relic of the goddesses. Touched by an unbalanced heart, it splits into three, leaving the toucher with the piece matching their dominant trait:

Power — Ganondorf Seizes it; conquers Hyrule as the King of Evil.
Courage — Link Marks the Hero of Time; revealed on his hand.
Wisdom — Zelda Guides the resistance as Sheik, then as the Seventh Sage.

The Seven Sages

Adult Link awakens one Sage per temple; together they hold the seal on Ganondorf.

Forest — Saria Sage of the Forest Temple
Fire — Darunia Goron, Fire Temple
Water — Ruto Zora princess, Water Temple
Shadow — Impa Zelda's guardian, Shadow Temple
Spirit — Nabooru Gerudo, Spirit Temple
Light — Rauru Eldest Sage, Temple of Time
Seventh Sage — Zelda Leader of the Sages

📝 Why the temples matter

Each adult-era temple exists to awaken its Sage — the dungeon order is the order you restore the seal. Browse the dungeons →

Key Characters

Princess Zelda

Heir of Hyrule and the Seventh Sage.

Ganondorf

Gerudo king who claims the Triforce of Power.

Navi

Link's fairy companion and guide.

Saria

Kokiri friend and Sage of the Forest.
🔒 Sheik's identity — click to reveal

Sheik, the Sheikah who teaches Link the warp songs, is Princess Zelda in disguise the entire time — revealed just before the final confrontation, when she is captured by Ganondorf.

Timeline Placement

Ocarina of Time sits at the root of the official Zelda chronology, where it famously splits into three branches depending on the ending.

Child Era Zelda sends Link back; he warns of Ganondorf. Leads to Majora's Mask & Twilight Princess.
Adult Era The Hero vanishes from the future; Hyrule floods. Leads to Wind Waker.
Fallen Hero A branch where Link falls to Ganon. Leads to the original Legend of Zelda line.
🔒 The ending — click to reveal

After the seal, Zelda uses the Ocarina to return Link to his childhood so he can reclaim his lost seven years — creating the child timeline and the bittersweet reunion with Zelda as kids.

Story & Lore — FAQ

Where does Ocarina of Time fall in the Zelda timeline?
It sits at the top of the official timeline and splits it into three branches — the Child Era, the Adult Era, and the Fallen Hero timeline — based on the game's ending.
Who is Sheik in Ocarina of Time?
Sheik is Princess Zelda disguised as a Sheikah, hiding from Ganondorf while guiding Link with the warp songs. It is a major mid-to-late-game reveal.
Who are the Seven Sages?
Saria (Forest), Darunia (Fire), Ruto (Water), Impa (Shadow), Nabooru (Spirit), Rauru (Light), and Princess Zelda as the seventh and leader.

Where to go next

Key Characters

Full character database.

Versions & Remake

Where to play the story.

Songs

The music that drives the plot.