It is well known to many fans that the timeline of The Legend of Zelda is pretty convoluted. There are currently 17 Zelda games that contribute to the series' story, and contradictory events mean there are three official, branching timelines, with Ocarina of Time as the instigating title for the splits. Regardless of the timeline, the majority of the series revolves around the eternal and recurring struggle between the King of Evil Ganondorf and the various heroes of Hyrule, who often wield the Master Sword in battle.

Also known as the Blade of Evil's Bane and a few other titles, the Master Sword's creation and subsequent placement in the pedestal are delineated in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is chronologically the first Zelda game. Skyward Sword takes place in a world before the founding of the kingdom of Hyrule. The three goddesses – Din, Nayru, and Farore – created the world and entrusted it and the powerful artifact known as the Triforce to the Goddess Hylia. When Demon King Demise (a precursor to Ganondorf) sought the Triforce, Hylia created Skyloft and the world above the clouds in order to protect the humans from Demise's beasts.

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For those looking to play Skyward Sword for the first time on Switch and are worried about spoilers, overarching plot points for the game will follow. When Hylia's chosen hero, Link, descends from Skyloft to confront Demise, he is led by Fi, a spirit created by Hylia, to the Goddess Sword. Throughout the events of Skyward Sword, Link uses three Sacred Flames to transform the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword, retrieve the Triforce, and defeat Demise. Link seals Demise away inside the Master Sword, incurring the wrath of the Demon King, who vows to create the endless cycle in which Ganon, the incarnation of Demise's wrath, will forever antagonize the descendants of Hylia and those chosen as her hero.

Who Places The Master Sword In Its Pedestal In Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword Link Putting the Master Sword in its Pedestal

In Skyward Sword, Link is the one who puts the Master Sword in its pedestal. Demise is forever sealed away within the blade, and humans are able to descend to the surface and establish the kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda, the reincarnation of Hylia, rules over the people of Hyrule, and her lineage is forever blessed as the Goddess' bloodline. In subsequent ages, the Temple of Time will be built around the Master Sword, where it is sealed behind the Door of Time. The Temple of Time will later act as the entrance to the Sacred Realm in Ocarina of Time, where the Triforce is hidden in an attempt to keep it from Ganondorf, the personification of Demon King Demise's eternal hatred.

It is the possible events following Ocarina of Time – whether or not Link prevails against Ganondorf, and what happens to him once he is sent back to his own time after being victorious – that create the branching timelines in The Legend of Zelda. Regardless, the Master Sword remains the Blade of Evil's Bane, is always found in its pedestal, and is often the only tool capable of defeating Ganon when he is unleashed upon Hyrule.

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