Why Didn't The Hero Of Time Come To Save Hyrule? 

The idea that the hero of winds is just a kid who has nothing to do with the whole reincarnation cycle but just REALLY cares about his family to the point he gets an endorsement from the triforce of courage while he's on a quest to beat up Ganondorf for stealing his sister is hilarious to me. Your theory makes sense, but I love the idea of Ganondorf managing to piss off the only person in Hyrule who can beat him without having the heros spirit.

one game you forgot to mention was majora's mask which if the hyrule historian timeline is accurate takes place between OoT and TP. though it doesnt change your theory much its important to take note that the events in termina could have also played a major influence in the hero not being present in the AT OoT or was a deeply traumatic event for the kid and that played a part in him lingering as a shade. the trauma of termina and majora's mask staying with him to his dying breath in a second sort of curse keeping him bound to the mortal realm as a shade. but that is based on the real world beliefs of how spirits can remain trapped here on earth so take it with salt.

I love the Hero's spirit in twilight princess, this shade really got me in Zelda theories! And I think you put a nice spin on the wind waker.

I love this theory. It' makes a little TOO much sense. Though -- while certainly possible -- I think that having the Hero's Shade be warped back to his original timeline cheapens the story of Wind Waker. Yes, it makes sense for the goddess of time to pull something like that, but why didn't she just send him back to prevent the flood? I don't know. I'm not the biggest fan of Wind Waker, but I still want the Hero of Winds to be some random kid.

something me and my roommate talked about a while back was how wind waker Link didn't just feel different in art style, but in that other links tend to basically just get the triforce of courage, they are destined heroes, they fight Ganon because it's what they're supposed to do, but he was going after his sister, he had to piece together and earn a shattered triforce, and he was running around taking pictures and collecting figurines when other links were basically just all about the adventure. Fate didn't choose him, he was just some nerd who stumbled into being the person who gets the job done this time. Thus, we concluded that he wasn't even really a Link, and was just in fact some kid wearing green in the right place at the right time. Ever since we've been calling him "Clyde" and decided that going through the game in your pajamas was the true game. Of course now botw Link is out there wearing costumes, eating frogs, and taking selfies, so toon Link being a geek isn't exactly as unique anymore, but at the time I did think it was funny how different of a character he really seemed to be from usual Link personality

Playing through Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time made me question certain things. Only Zelda and the sages knew of Link's deeds, and he made the choice to revert things back to normal and for him to live out his childhood, but he couldn't go back to his childhood home and no one would accept him in Kokori Forest aside from Saria. He never found Navi during the events of Majora's Mask, which could explain one of the regrets of the Hero Shade. A promise unfulfilled. He grew up into an adult with lingering regrets and became the Hero Shade in the end, and if you believe in spirits, his spirit was tied to the realm and would only depart once he felt he passed on his knowledge to the right successor. I love theories on the games, and I hope that they make a game that can tie everything in nicely or at least explain things better. We all know the timeline isn't completely linear as there are a lot of branching off that they do.

Hi. I would like to announce The thumbnail has a typo (dond't)

14:00 I really like this part of your theory explains a lot. And makes the most sense from what I have heard so far.

It's funny that YT recommended this to me because I had come to essentially the exact same conclusion. The fact that the cycle continues in WW and ST would be weird if it were with the spirit of some random kid, and I always wondered what would have happened to the Spirit of the Hero "native" to the Child Timeline considering that the Hero of Time was indeed native to the Adult Timeline and was sent away from it. Then in my head, it clicked that we *do* see two Links in the child timeline, and we are pretty confident that WW is further from OOT than TP, so it makes a whole lot of sense that the Hero of Time stayed in the Child Timeline until moving on to the afterlife, where he'd essentially reincarnate back into the Adult Timeline.

Well Link may have slept his way into the future the first time but after the Forest Temple he actually became the Hero of Time since he had to go back for several things like beating the Shadow and Spirit temples...

13:31 I'm happy I was able to help the Hero of the Wind's in kicking Ganon's butt.

I like your theory and also would agrees that it makes sense. But I like the idea more that the respective hero is not chosen beforehand (most of the time) by the goddess but has to achieve being worthy to hold the triforce of courage. That highlights also the effort the player is putting into the game/Link. You are not only playing a "hero-elect", but you are helping a random kid to grow and become courageous enough to hold one part of the most powerful entities in their universe. TP is somewhat different because Link already houses the triforce of courage. This is maybe due to the reason that the the parts of the triforce are divided but whole and so look for someone who has the best abilities matching their characteristics. But a great video! If you like theories about the triforce, I would be eager of your opinion what happened to the triforce in BotW? It was a central part in almost all Zelda games (or something like the "force" in MC), but it doesn't play a role in BotW.

Very concise. Great presentation.

I love this theory makes sence and fits really well

I'm more personally of the opinion that the Spirit of the Hero reincarnated, but also that the actual trials - the acquisition of the orbs, the trial of the tower, and so on - were more significant than we might have realized. I feel that those didn't just "prove" the heroism, but they *created* him - that is, it literally (as well as metaphorically, as it appeared) imbued him with the spirit of the hero. Whether it plucked the spirit from the Adult timeline back into this one (possible, considering Phantom Ganon is also seems to have literally been plucked from another timeline) or forged anew through the trials and blessings of the spirits WWLink runs into and engages with is less clear to me - but that's my current working theory. My current working GAME THEOR-

Holy shit. This is extremely valuable. Never thought about it like this.

awesome video. gotta say though, i liked the thumbnail better when it said Dind't

Link does time travel with the pedastool in the temple of time. He has to do the Bottom of the Well and Young Link’s version of the Spirit Temple. This is probably the same method Zelda uses to send Link back. Presumably sending his consciousness into his past self before he even drew the sword rather than sending the whole body. As a 2nd Link would have left Kokiri Forest too if the Link we see at the end of the game is the him right before meeting Zelda.

Man! This theory of yours didn’t occur to me until I watched this video and might be on to something. Maybe this may be the case in Tears of the Kingdom.

You might be right, the hero cannot be reborn if he never died or if his spirit hasn't moved on. So what happened in TP which let Link's spirit to be moved on might've helped to enable the rebirth of the hero in WW. If Ganondorf showed up again in the adult timeline within 100 years there was no hero/Link because his spirit was still roaming in the child timeline. It is also interesting how with the lack of the hero the gods have a failsafe by either flooding or raising the land. So they have a plan B. Which means they are watching and monitoring the situation on Hyrule. The sheikah have a big eye as their symbol and advanced tech, so perhaps they are the "watchers" that report directly to the gods or Hylia and protect and raise Zelda when Hylia's spirit reincarnates into her. They also test the hero if he is ready for the task with shrines and towers/trials of the gods etc. I think some of the lands in ToTK will be raised again by the Sheikah to protect critical parts to defeat Ganon, including Link. I think he will recover from his wounds in a sheikah temple in the sky while in the meanwhile Ganondorf's minions wipe out Hyrule beneath. Notice that all the islands do not float magically as in SS, there seems to be a crystal beneath. Perhaps the "sky tech" also has a solution against the malice or Ganondorf, like an ancient machine powered by these 7 "tears" you see on the mural in the trailer. One of the main symbols in ToTk and found on the collector items is the big "sheikah" eye as well above the hand. I also think the timeshift stones from the ancient Lanayru mine in SS will play a role again. In SS they power the robots and can very locally reverse time. Link can reverse objects in time as well in the ToTK trailers (like the spikey ball or the rock that fell of a sky island) and we see Ganondorf's minions mine for something in ancient ruins (with Lanayru like symbols). These might also be the crystals the sheikah used to raise the islands and power the sky robotic things.

Link was in Termina, got lost in the Lost Woods, and turned into a stalfos to return in Twilight Princess as the Hero’s Shade. This hasn’t been a mystery.

Or possibly when the shade felt he completed his mission, he finally moved on freeing him to reincarnate in the parallel adult time line

Perfect way to get hyped to play Wind Waker

“Why didn’t the Hero of Time come?” -every lady associated with the Hero.

Wind Waker's Timeline comes from the closed off Adult Timeline where the Hero was successful in defeating Ganon hence why there was no hero to call upon when he made his return, since that hero was returned to his own original timeline again to live out his life as a child properly. This doesn't mean however placing two spirits of the hero into the one timeline like you suggested. The Hero of Time travelled after the events of Ocarina of Time, by the time of Twilight Princess, that hero became a soldier/knight, who eventually died becoming the Hero's Shade, and this is when he's well into his adulthood and returned from his long adventuring as a child.

I Theorize: that the reason for no hero is that since Link was teleported back their was no hero to die so their was no Soul of the Hero to reincarnate. So they had to start from scratch with a new soul or choose a new hero Wind waker link just happen to be the best choice somehow

I think the reason why the hero of time never returned was because the reincarnation of Hylia AND the Hero need to happen at roughly thr same time. From my understanding, the legend from Windwaker happens shortly after OoT. Thus, that zelda should still be alive and blocking link from reincarnation. Even after her passing it took awhile for the two to reincarnate because after the flooding Ganon was trapped in Hyrule. It wasn't until Windwaker he found a way out. Thus the two had to be reincarnated to stop his evil that until then was contained.

Short version. He believes the Goddess Of Time & Hero's Spirit worked together. Based on your theory, the goddess of time would have to send the hero's spirit to three different timelines. Did you forget the "What If Link dies In Ocarina Of Time" timeline branch as well? Since those timelines all continue forward, every time Ganon returns, the godess of time has to hope no other Link is alive, because she'll have to keep transferring his spirit across all the timelines.

*Heroes shade spirit finally passes on and is reincarnated in correct timeline* Hero: well shit

Because at least once when The Hero didn't appear, someone else had to take the reigns that at least had as close to the qualities of The Hero as could be managed by an ordinary Hylian. These were desperate circumstances to allow someone who wasn't the Soul of the Hero to take up the reigns for the generation.

OK I’ll just put it in short. No hero came to save Hyrule before the wind Waker because Zelda’s an idiot, and she sends link back in time.

I like this theory, it makes alot of sense to me where other theories are confusing

tl;dr Wind Waker Link is a huge badass with massive balls. There's a reason he's always really good in every Smash game he's in.

great theory! and great content

Aargh! You had it right up until the end! Hylia didn’t leave anything up to chance in WW because she has no connection to that time. The only thing that she planned out was the events of Skyward Sword and her plan included willingly giving up her divinity. When the original Zelda died Hylia did not regain her divine form. Hylia thought that her plan would rid the world of Demise forever. She never conceived of Demise cursing them all into a reincarnation cycle. Ganondorf would have no idea if the Hero of Winds was actually the Hero of Time reborn with the Spirit of the Hero. He just sees him as someone who has thwarted him just like the Hero of Time did and gives him the respect he believes this new Hero deserves.

3:33 in the morning. Thank you for the video!-)

It was my head canon for a while that at some point the Hero's Shade's spirit got sent back to his original timeline either by finally passing on after TP or by reincarnating in a not-yet-made game with two Links where he gets sent back at the end, but since he got sent back late Hyrule was flooded in the adult timeline. Edit: Hey that looks like you had the same thoughts, neat 😁

This is my top 10 all time: 🛡️⚔️ #10 A Link To The Past #9 Link’s Awakening #8 Twilight Princess #7 Minish Cap #6 A Link Between Worlds #5 TOTK #4 BOTW #3 Majora’s Mask #2 Wind Waker #1 Ocarina of Time Honorable Mention: Spirit Tracks OoT, WW, and MM are still considered the Holy Trinity of Zelda and always will be. As far as OoT goes if you look past the gameplay mechanics and controls(although for it’s time was amazing) you’ll understand that even today it still holds up as a timeless classic. It still by far has the best music and it’s not even close. It still has the most memorable characters, great dungeons, good story, excellent writing, excellent character development, deep lore, and also at times a sense of loneliness and mystery(like the graveyard, traveling through Hyrule field at night, bottom of the well, leaving friends behind, etc…) It is the ultimate story of courage, wisdom, power. A boy learning how to become a man. Epona is absolutely amazing and Lon Lon Ranch is a top 10 Zelda song of all time easily. Also, let’s not forget one of the greatest characters of all… Sheik. I never understand why people have Wind Waker so low on their all time lists. Wind Waker soundtrack is the only one EVER to come even remotely close to Ocarina of Time. It’s heavily known for its cheerful bright vibes but it actually has one of the deepest and darkest stories of the whole Zelda franchise. The story, lore, music, characters, side quests, companion, open world, traveling, and most of all the symbolism behind everything. It also has arguably the greatest version of Ganondorf. The Ganondorf in Wind Waker was the same Ganondorf that the Hero of Time sealed away in the Sacred Realm. It’s absolutely beautiful and I find it to be one of the most memorable Zelda experiences of all time. As a kid I didn’t necessarily enjoy Majora’s Mask because when I was younger I did not always understand what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go. However, as time passed on and as I started to get older, I started realizing just how special this game really is. The deepest, saddest, strangest, creepiest, and the most unique Zelda experience of all time and it’s absolutely amazing.

The simple answer to this question is that by sending Link back to the Past she created a timeline in the present where the Hero of Time no longer existed. She should have just married adult Link in the present and tied him to the land so he and his descendants would be there in case Ganondorf revived or another threat appeared... I believe Zelda did it out of greed to save her father and prevent the devastation of her homeland in another timeline even if she herself wouldn't be able to enjoy it and dooming her own timeline...

Good luck with your new channel

Link: I’d like 1 master sword pls Rauru: yeahhh ima need to see some ID

While this video is common knowledge, I feel like this was a good video and a good one for new fans as well. Sub earned and I shared your video

Good quality video subbed.

It a fun theory but I’m pretty sure its just way simpler than that. First off while I do think Link is a reincarnation I don’t think theres only 1 spirit of the hero. We don’t even know what that really even means. It just means the courage to defeat evil most of the time. Link is referred to as a hero in games where he isnt even fighting Ganondorf. Also when the Heros Shade said link earns the spirit of the hero, he doesn’t mean literally. This isn’t even a necessary thing you have to do to complete the game. Link is already given the heros tunic by a spirit when turns back into human form in TP so he was already prophesized to be the hero. Rather than something so convoluted, I think when Link was sent back it just made 2 timelines. One where he went back and lived a normal life, until MM I guess. In this timeline, Ganondorf is stopped before he can do anything. In the adult timeline, Ganondorf rules for 7 years and is stopped by the hero. But since he was sent back he was therefore absent after this. My personal theory is that Link just skipped a reincarnation phase. The hero wasn’t born because he mysteriously disappeared. But Ganondorf was defeated so peace returned for some time until he came back. This still works with your WW theory as it means that since Link just disappeared in the adult timeline, the spirit of the hero couldn’t reincarnate. Meaning that WW Link still earns the spirit of the hero. Hes just some kid until he gets the triforce. He’s still a badass. And then obviously we have the fallen hero timeline, which is just the adult timeline BUT Ganondorf wins and messes everything up. And now for my actual theory that I think is wayyy more likely. They didn’t know for Wind Waker. Wind Waker came out right after Ocarina of time, its likely that there was no history before this. Actually, its very likely just looking at the lore and stuff that happens in previous games that they never anticipated making deeper lore until TP. Thats probably when they decided to split the timeline, which is its the first game to even mention previous events of other games with separate incarnations of Link. Its 100 years after Oot, which isn’t long at all. And it mentions the hero of time. With this link being a direct descendant of him. So thats probably what happened

Hey man! Great video. And quite insightful thought about time travel mechanics. Enjoyed it very much bro! Thankz

While I like this theory, I’m a proponent of the idea that Link in Wind Waker earns the spirit of the hero over time through his actions and isn’t born special or a prophesied hero. Twilight Princess takes pretty much the opposite stance where that Link is a hero from the word go.

So your theory is pretty good.👍 I believe the other spirit you said that got trapped in the spirit realm has a bit of a different path; one that brings in Soul Calibur 2; mainly because I like that game and also it'll connect some dots to other Zelda games. Ok so the second Link; the one that returns to being a child goes through Majora's Mask. After those events he naturally grows up and becomes Adult Link again. Instead of reliving the events of Ocarina of Time he visits the Soul Calibur 2 universe and goes on a quest there; completely taking him away from Hyrule. Upon returning to Hyrule a great Calamity happens and Link does all of that. Afterwards he returns to the Sage chamber and sleeps, but is awakened by mysterious events. Events that become Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Than Wind Waker happens after all of this twice in 2 separate timelines. BOTW Link IS the Hero of Time (and also fierce Diety Link) from another timeline. And THAT is the 3 Links that battle Tabuu and fight Master Hands in the World of Light or something; and one of them really digs go karts and joined Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for some reason. Ta-da!

Thats a really cool theory

what if he did show up? but because the hero of time in the child line avoided the ganon trials for that time period not leaving anyone to remember how to stop ganon with the sages and temples? or because adult link went back in time there was no hero in that line after that point (child time line) meaning he was sent back then went to termina and died elsewhere leading to twighlight princess.

Wow this was a very thoughtful video. It makes perfect sense. Great job 👍 and thank you.

Commenting before I watch the video, just based on the title and description… I am really, really confused. He didn’t come because Zelda sent him back in time, permanently removing him from that fork of the timeline… what’s there to explain? Guess I have to actually watch the video, though…

I don't know if it's just me but I remember reading in Nintendo power or game informer about ideas of a zelda game that has a hero trying to stop Ganon before the great flood but failing to do so and a zelda game where Link gets teleported to the future. Like cyber punk

Best intro I've seen, I'm subscribing

Me if I was link when Demise is dying starting his curse: **cuts off his head** sorry, I’m not a fan of killing… but, something told me if you continue, it’d lead to something agonizing.

Could you do one about the realness/dream theory of Majora’s Mask? It remains my most favorite Zelda to this day and i like theories on it.

I'm confused. There's three times lines but only one hero spirit reborn at a time??

I love this theory. Makes a lot of sense. Subbed!!! Small RU-vidrs are the best RU-vidrs. ❤

Maaaan, both TP and WW are such great sequels to OoT

Holy...sh!t...... this blew my mind. This has been one of the biggest holes in my mind for the Zelda timeline and I feel like you just single handedly solved it! Now do one on why the downfall timeline is a timeline split! That is probably my last huge question for the series (though there are tons of tiny ones...)

While just my headcanon, I don't think that WW Ganon was right about The Hero of Winds being The Hero of Time reborn. If you take a look at The Hero of Time and The Hero of Twilight, they're basically carbon copies of each other in regards to personality. The Hero of Twilight is basically just his timeline's version of The Hero of Time, but grew up naturally while living a peaceful life until adulthood as opposed to The Hero of Time growing up as an adult in a child's body. The Hero of Winds on the other hand has a very different personality. He's quite distinct compared to The Hero of Time, and therefore seems to be a completely new spirit of the hero. Perhaps he started out as just some random kid, but became the new spirit of the hero due to his pure, intense courage and the assembling of the shattered Triforce of Courage? Then, because he had become the hero in every way that mattered, Ganon was no longer able to tell the difference. What this would effectively mean is that the Child timeline has two identical spirits of the hero, while the Adult timeline was without one for a time until a new one could be formed during Wind Waker. If Breath of the Wild truly takes place in a somehow merged timeline as it seems to, this could mean that all of the pre-existing spirits of the hero now exist simultaneously in one timeline, totaling up to at least three if not four if you also count the Fallen timeline. Breath of the Wild's hero seems to be a reincarnation of either The Hero of Time or The Hero of Twilight, but he could also be reincarnated from the Fallen timeline. It's hard to tell given how similar the three all are. A side note, I've always thought it was kind of interesting how Wind Waker, the Adult Timeline sequel to Ocarina of Time, only features a child as the playable hero, meanwhile Twilight Princess, the Child Timeline sequel to Ocarina of Time only features an adult as the playable hero. The two games seem to represent a sort of yin and yang thing with each other as well.

Because Link disappeared after Majora's Mask and never came back. He got older and became a stalfos so he could pass on his knowledge to Twilight Princess Link.

I really don't understand how you could possibly say that he is not the hero of time, he's just some guy who went to sleep for a long time. Did you not play the game? Do you not remember the fact that you can put the master store back and go back and forth between time at will? Pretty sure that means he is traveling through time, not just sleeping.

I thought it was very clear that WW's Link BECAME the hero of legend when he completed the tower of the gods, proving to said gods, that he is worthy of the title of hero of legend. WW's Link has become the hero, his spirit has become that of the hero's when he cleared the tower of the gods; WW's Link, by proving to the gods he's the hero , has restarted the cycle of rebirth of the hero. In regards to two spirits of the hero existing in the child timeline, I don't believe that's the case. I believe that when OoT Link was brought back to before he pulled the master sword, he LITERALLY returned to the moment before he pulled the sword; there aren't two Links. When OoT returned from Termina and died, to become the hero's shade, his physical body, housing the hero's spirit, released the hero's spirit and his body(with his memories and skills) became the hero's shade. So even thought OoT became the hero's shade, the spirit of the hero reincarnates to become TP Link.

@7:12 Yes, but, "The Hero of Naps" doesn't quite sound right...

Ocarina Of Time serves as my introduction to The Legend Of Zelda franchise as well.

Great video. I love Zelda theories and I loved your take on this. Subscribed for more ;).

Good job. Video and audio is good enough for a sub. Keep it up especially with new game coming soon

Great theory

I don't think it makes any sense to assume that the timeline split creates a duplicate SoTH in the Child Timeline. When Link was sent back, he was still the Link in possession of the timeline's spirit of the hero. Just because he later dies and exists as a Stal creature of some kind doesn't mean there has to be two souls. This removes the idea of Hylia having to pluck the Hero's Shade and place him in the Adult timeline to be born as the Hero of Winds, and preserves the theme of him being a random kid who through his own courage proved himself as the new Spirit of the Hero for that world.

Love it u got my sub

Great video also 👌 loved it

this was a really good theory

Thank you algorithm

I Feel exactly how you do about zelda o.o.t was magic. Zelda hooked me on the snes

I love your choice

Thanks to Zelda's idiocy Hyrule got destroyed in the adult timeline in the end But I find your theory reasonable and I like it.

I for weeks now been working on a very similar theory the only true difference is that I don't believe the Hero of Time Spirit would return to the Adult time line. I feel Wind Waker was the Goddess choosing a new Hero that's why even after their awakening his and Zelda's chemistry is so different from every other time. I think that the child time line has 2 hero spirit running in them, and I use this for a easy example not to say fact but Link and Linkle co existing in the ongoing child time line maybe even in BotW.

Holy crap your intro got me off guard xD I thought there was a jumpscare gonna happen

Random thought: Zelda game, but it’s first person POV like Portal is

Even if the shade from Twilight Princess could move on after passing his teachings to Twilight Link I don't think his soul could go to the Wind Waker timeline. The King of Hyrule and the Deku tree saw that Wind Waker Link had no connection to the Hero of Time. It was only Ganondorf's delusion and arrogance that only the Hero of Time could step up and become a true hero! Wind Waker Link isn't the Hero of Time reborn he is the Hero of Wind who overcome many hardships on his own merit! And that shows that the future can become anything and it was wrong for Ganondorf and the King of Hyrule to try to revive ancient Hyrule and continue their own cycles. The King of Hyrule came to understand this and left the future to Link and Zelda not wanting to even contaminate the future with his old thinking by remaining with them... A truly beautiful story the more I think about it!!! 😢 😢 😢

i really like your little monkey model its cool

I love Zelda lord and theory’s so freaking much

See, on one hand I think all Link's are the same spirit reincarnating, but then we see the spirit of Ocarina Link at the same time as Twilight Link. So Twilight Link isn't a reincarnation... Maybe it's a mix of both reincarnation and literal blood descendants?

Tried keeping it short. Typed an essay. I like your theory. But then it becomes, in my mind, I little more inconsistent because then wouldn't different pieces be able to moved from one time line to another or happen to overlap in their respective places, almost like 2 points meeting on a graph? I hope this makes sense. It does to me. Lol. I do enjoy this theory though. It is interesting, it would have never crossed my mind for sure

It can't be a reincarnation because in Twilight Princess the Hero of Twilight meets the Hero of Time who appears as both a Stalfos and a Golden Wolf meaning the esence of the original hero would need to exist in two bodies. The line about having the spirit of the true hero referes to being like the hero in heart and mind. A figuritive spirit. Consequently the Hero is simply chosen according to some unknown force that tries to maintain balance in Hyrule. There has never been a direct 1:1 ratio of a hero appearing at the same time as Ganondorf or an incarnation of Demise's hatred since quite often evil gains the upperhand but is then defeated at a critcal point. What is consistent however is that a hero does appear whenever a reincarnation of Hylia is endangered so in Wind Waker she was not in jeopardy until Ganondorf started seeking her out.

woah this is its. hehe this is why WW Link is my all time fav ver of link , he work his way to be that guy he is the true definition of courage.

You misspelled didn't in the thumbnail

Windwaker Link is a descendant of a Hero. He's Minish Link's descendant. The special shield he gets at the beginning from grandma comes from a hero... and that shield is special because a previous Zelda gave it to Minish Link and remained in the family until Windwaker when it is used again. 😊 Thats what I like to think

I always thought the reason why Hyrule got flooded because link went on a different journey in majora’s mask.

Isn't the simple answer that link went back in time so there was no hero?

the reason why link never came back is because after the events in oot link left hyrule and went to termina

Almost as if when the spirt of the hero is not present. When hyrule needs it the Gods can birth a person who will become a hero. happens to be Link in every way… it is Link. Because sure WW link is some kid. But common some how he looks exactly like Link ? Holds master sword, no way hes just a complete random kid. That’s Link. It’s like Link is always bound to come and he’s the same every time spirit or not if he can weild the master sword. It just takes longer and more trails without the original spirt but it will be Link if he completes the trail no different than one born of spirit. Same appearance and everything. This guy is just written into destiny. If there’s an error somehow eventually he still comes. Insane..

Long term short - Zelda is an idiot and sending Link back in time brought her kingdom to ruin.

Makes perfect sense.

I love your take

I honestly much prefer the idea that the spirit of the hero refers to a certain sort of character/person rather then straight reincarnation. As for why there was 'no hero' when ganon first came back in that timeline it would simply be a matter of the royal family not recognizing this person as the hero, subsequently not letting this random sword wielding dude do the things he needs to, and never registering that he was supposed to/capable of defeat/ing the 'demon king' seriously there is no reason to think reincarnation is actually at play with this curse at all [i am not sure how canon the prequel manga could be to skyward sword but it honestly feels pretty iffy and i'm not sure where else you could have gotten the idea for Hylia to bind her soul to her chosen hero's in a potentially endless cycle of reincarnation?]; 'spirit of the hero' would mean a certain kind of character while 'blood of the goddess' is literally just a bloodline [sorry about the rant, slightly opinionated about the curse and i was expecting some actual theorizing about why there wasn't a hero in that moment not more of the 'link is reincarnating' stuff that i've grown to be annoyed by. No offense intended, fairly good video even if i disagree with the theory on a fundamental level]

This is a more positive take than mine. I always thought the gods judged the people of Hyrule unworthy of better assistance. Good soup.

Simple. The hero of time is basically erased from this timeline. And the destroyed triforce prevented a hero being born. Itscwhat was so goof about wind waker. Link in that game wasn't chosen. He forces the universe to acknowledge his courage

Because Zelda sent him back in time. This doesn't need a theory, it's blatantly obvious.

I don't Link gets reincarnated. The Twilight Princess wouldn't be able to talk to the past Link. The soul gets reborn they would be the same soul in a different body unknowing that that past last existed. To links even a past Link wouldn't be able to exist at the same time. So it seems more like a different soul but a descendant