When I was playing through the game I thought that the Knight/wolf was actually the Link from Wind Waker.  The Temple of Time is very similair to the temple seen in Wind Waker.  He did know the Ballard of wind, and some of the moves he teaches Link were performed by Link in the Wind Waker (like rolling around the enemy and slashing his back-- I don't recall the OoT Link being able to do that).

I assumed that their was an untold part of the story where Wind Waker Link (or some other Link we don't know about) managed to 'rise' Old Hyrule (I personally think that there will a second sequel to Wind Waker eventually-- or at least I hope so, I really liked the art style).

Khuutra is actually right here, for the most part. Zelda director Eiji Aonuma confirmed a while ago that Twilight Princess takes place in the child timeline, where Link and Zelda managed to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule. Hence, the events of adult OoT (by some taken to be the IW) never occured, and that's why so many events from TP play out in parallel with the adult story.

On the other hand, most people I'm familiar with do not consider OoT to be the IW at all - the historical battle, as seen in ALttP, is generally believed to be an event that takes place between TP and ALttP.

But as for the Hero's Spirit (official name), I dunno. He is definitely a Link, but if he's OoT Link or not, we can't know. His clothes are actually quite similar to the Ikanians' from MM, if you care about that sort of thing. I think it is quite symbolic that he is the one who gives Link the ability with which he ultimately defeats Ganondorf, but that doesn't mean he ever fought the man himself - though if he is OoT Link, I'd say that would be likely.

Oh yeah, and the origin of the Hero's tunic is probably magical - it was granted to him by the ToC anyway - so that's not really a problem, since the goddesses would be aware of adult OoT even if it didn't happen in that timeline.

I believe that he is OoT Link.

why doesn't anyone think of the option of link going to termina..and getting back to hyrule afterwards?

it's even implied: in MM he actuall learns the song of storms..as a child
so then he can teach it to the windmill dude in the same timeline...

after wich he can learn it as an adult

I don't see why so many ppl believe young link was stuck in termina forever..
he was just stuck for 3 days..made friends..and came back (the end implies that, as they're back in the forest)

so...I'm not pro timeline split..but TP sure makes it kinda interesting

also..Legend of Zelda is heavily story based..just like metroid prime

but NOT in the RPG way..you have to scan/look around for the tiny details that would give away the time in the story

Alttp comes after TP for sure..since there Link gets his sword in the forest..wich apparently used to be the temple of time

also..to clear things up

TP Hyrule= OoT Hyrule= slightly rotated AlttP Hyrule

the maps are identical..and assuming these events happens once every 100 years or more.. it's logical that people forget legends over time

and that people draw maps differently...to me it all fits..always has
(Wii TP mad is mirrored..remember)

I'm not a supporter of the "timeline split". The multiple timeline theory was something I subscribed to when Wind Waker came out. Twilight Princess more or less shot all of that to Hell and gone.

Not really, no. TP just means ALttP can't follow directly from OoT anymore, which, let's face it, it never really could. I suppose it's not much point to argue about that here, though - although I personally feel it is rather poinless to talk with authority about the truth of a subject if one chooses to ignore the intent of the creators.

If you can cite a source for me on that one, I'll drop it, but even the intent of the creator can't override the fact that the backstory in Twilight Princess contradicts what happened in Ocarina of Time, and wouldn't fit in the childhood timeline either for other reasons.

Well, if it's one thing, Twilight Princess sure created a lot more questions rather than answering old ones. Ah well, it makes it a lot more fun anyways, as seen in this thread.

Well, the interview is in Japanese, but the translation reads as follows:

–When does Twilight Princess take place?

Aonuma: In the world of Ocarina of Time, a hundred and something years later.

–And the Wind Waker?

Aonuma: The Wind Waker is parallel. In Ocarina of Time, Link flew seven years in time, he beat Ganon and went back to being a kid, remember? Twilight Princess takes place in the world of Ocarina of Time, a hundred and something years after the peace returned to kid Link’s time. In the last scene of Ocarina of Time, kids Link and Zelda have a little talk, and as a consequence of that talk, their relationship with Ganon takes a whole new direction. In the middle of this game [Twilight Princess], there’s a scene showing Ganon’s execution. Link and Zelda left him be and he then did something outrageous, so it was decided that he should be executed. That scene takes place several years after Ocarina of Time. Ganon was sent to another world and now he wants to obtain the power...

It appears Aonuma himself considers this to rectify any problems with child OoT's continuity, though I don't blame you if you wonder about stuff like the Zora's tunic. I don't think it's anything too bad, though.

But several parts of that don't make sense. He didn't just "do something outrageous", he went to war with Hyrule. They didn't merely leave him alone - and more than that, he didn't use the Gerudo as troops. All the Sages are of an indeterminate race.

He didn't want to "obtain the power" - he already had it in the first place. If the scene of Ganondorf's execution takes place "several" years after Ocarina of Time, then the Skeleton Knight would have to be Ocarina of Time Link.

It doesn't solve the problem of Ganondorf dying with no clear way to be resurrected, either, unless he doesn't actually die in the ending of Twilight Princess.

I can accept that it is supposed to take place in that timeline, but it is still a retelling of that story - it's not the same tale, not exactly. Too many facts change between the two of them.