The Era of the Great Flood

Lore & Background

After the Hero of Time failed to return and Ganon returned to power, the gods foresaw that humanity's greed would inevitably invite another catastrophe. To prevent this, they flooded all of Hyrule, drowning the entire kingdom and sealing the Demon King beneath the ruins of Hyrule Castle. The goddesses instructed the King of Hyrule to flee to a mountaintop, while the common people survived as scattered island communities, their memories of the sunken continent fading into myth.

Centuries later, the seal begins to weaken, and Ganon's influence seeps back into the world. The spirit of the former King of Hyrule, having transformed himself into a sentient boat known as the King of Red Lions, guides a new hero. This era is unique in its focus on exploration and discovery, as the vast ocean replaces the familiar dungeons of the past with a dynamic network of islands. Unlike previous eras where sages were required to re-seal evil, this hero must navigate the treacherous seas to confront Ganondorf directly, ultimately relying on the King of Hyrule's wish upon the Triforce to banish him forever.

Reader's Guide

The narrative begins when Link, a young boy living on Outset Island, witnesses his sister being kidnapped by a giant bird. He sets out in search of her, meeting the King of Red Lions, who reveals himself as the spirit of a legendary hero and explains the history of the Great Flood. Link travels across the Great Sea, collecting fragments of the Triforce of Courage from various islands while helping the people of the sea solve their problems. He eventually discovers that his sister is actually Princess Zelda in disguise, fleeing from Ganondorf who has broken free from his seal.

The two are separated when Ganon captures Zelda to use her royal bloodline for his ritual. Link must then gather the three sages to open the path to the Tower of the Gods and confront Ganon. After a series of trials involving wind, light, and water, Link defeats Ganondorf. In the climax, the gods allow the waters to recede, restoring Hyrule to its former glory, though only those with pure hearts remember the adventure that transpired beneath the waves.

Did You Know?

• This era is the only one in the timeline where the entire kingdom of Hyrule remains completely underwater for the majority of the story.
• Princess Zelda spends a significant portion of the game disguised as a pirate captain named Tetra before revealing her true identity.