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The Temple of Time (時の神殿 Toki no Shinden?) is a recurring location in the Legend of Zelda series. Home of the Master Sword, it serves as the gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. The Temple of Time was constructed in ancient times by the Ancient Sages to protect the Sacred Realm from evil. Unlike the Master Sword or its pedestal, the Temple of Time does not seem to have an immunity to wear or damage from the elements. 

Appearances[]

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time[]

As Link approaches Hyrule Castle Town with all three Spiritual Stones, he sees the town in flames and Princess Zelda escaping with Impa on horseback. Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time into the city's moat, meaning for Link to find it. Ganondorf appears shortly thereafter and confronts Link about the location of Princess Zelda and Impa, which Link refuses to reveal. After Ganondorf knocks the young hero down using his dark magic, he pursues Princess Zelda and Impa into Hyrule Field. Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the moat and telepathically learns the "Song of Time" from Princess Zelda. He then travels to the Temple of Time beyond Hyrule Castle Town's main square and enters the sacred structure the Ancient Sages built long ago. Here, he places the three Spiritual Stones on the altar and plays the "Song of Time" on the Ocarina of Time. The Door of Time opens, yielding access to the Master Sword, which serves as the final key to the Sacred Realm. Link approaches the Pedestal of Time and pulls the Master Sword from it. With this, a rush of magical energy issues forth around the Pedestal of Time as the portal to the Sacred Realm is opened. However, Link is too young to wield the Master Sword, so he and Navi are sealed away within the Temple of Light for seven years until he is old enough to properly handle the Blade of Evil's Bane. Meanwhile, Ganondorf surmises that Link possesses the keys to the Door of Time and follows him into the Temple of Time, accessing the Sacred Realm through the portal Link opens. He then touches the Triforce, causing it to split apart, leaving him with only the Triforce of Power in an event known as the Great Cataclysm. Ganondorf returns to Hyrule with the Triforce of Power and uses it to subjugate the land to his will, ruling it with an iron fist for seven dark years, always on the lookout for the two other special people that now hold the other two Triforce pieces.

Link awakens seven years later in the Temple of Light, and the Sage of Light, Rauru, sends him to awaken the rest of the Seven Sages. Link successfully cleanses Hyrule's temples of evil and awakens the five other Sages, and upon his success, returns to the Temple of Time to learn that Princess Zelda, disguised as Sheik, is the final sage and the leader of them all. After Zelda reveals the truth of their possession of the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage and gives Link the Light Arrows needed to battle Ganondorf, the King of Evil finally finds her and imprisons her in a rose-colored crystal. As she rises into the air, Ganondorf telepathically challenges the Hero of Time to come to his home, Ganon's Castle, for a final showdown, using Zelda as the bait. Link accepts the offer and travels to the castle where he ultimately defeats Ganondorf and saves Princess Zelda. Shortly afterward, Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood to regain his lost seven years. He then returns to Hyrule Castle in Hyrule's still-tranquil past and reveals the truth of what is about to happen to Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]

During Zant's invasion of Hyrule, the Temple of Time is seen once again; however, it lies in ruins and is surrounded by the debris of what appears to have once been a city. It also appears that at some point, the Door of Time was moved from its original place guarding the Chamber of the Master Sword and installed as the main door to the Temple of Time before the Temple of Time fell out of mainstream knowledge. This would later enable a new Link to go back through time's flow to visit the Temple of Time as it had stood in the days of past. Whatever the reason, the Temple of Time fell into deep ruin and became a largely forgotten place to many. It would, however, remain the home of the Master Sword and the Pedestal of Time, despite the Sacred Grove's growing over the area surrounding it, and serves as the location of one of the lost fragments of the Mirror of Twilight.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword[]

The Temple of Time is located in Lanayru Desert. Link must travel through the Lanayru Mining Facility to gain access to it. Here, he is reunited with Zelda, but their time together is cut short when Ghirahim shows up. Zelda entrusts Link with the Goddess's Harp and, with Impa, runs through the Gate of Time (which Impa destroys upon their entrance into it in order to prevent Ghirahim from following), transporting herself to another time period in the past. Link must then find a way to activate the Gate of Time. It is implied the Sealed Temple in the Sealed Grounds becomes a second Temple of Time, given the Sealed Temple's incredibly similar layout to the Temple of Time from Ocarina of Time, the fact the Master Sword is placed in a pedestal behind a large pair of doors, and that the temple houses the only remaining Gate of Time.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[]

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Temple of Time

The Temple of Time's dilapidated version as seen in Breath of the Wild

The Temple of Time is an abandoned temple surrounded by ruins located near the Great Plateau. The Temple's exterior design resembles to the Temple of Time seen in Ocarina of Time, albeit in a ruined state and contains several smaller cathedral-like structures nearby. However the interior of the Temple (or what is left of it) is unique to Breath of the Wild and features a Statue of Hylia (with the same design as the Statue of the Goddess, though somewhat smaller than the one in Skyloft, though still big enough to tower over Link) surrounded by a circle of smaller statues.

If Link visits before collecting the Spirit Orbs, he can pray in front of the statue which will cause him to receive a message that the Goddess smiles upon him. After collecting four Spirit Orbs, Link can visit the statue to trade them for either a Heart Container or Stamina Vessel (which increases his Stamina Gauge). Additionally, it is where the Old Man reveals his true identity to Link after he collects all four Spirit Orbs in the Great Plateau region.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

Other appearances[]

Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

Link's Crossbow Training[]

The Temple of Time serves as the location for Temple of Time: Ranger and Darknut Battle.

Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.

Non-canonical appearances[]

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

Mario Kart 8[]

The Temple of Time is one section of the track Hyrule Circuit. After the racers glide over the moat, they go into a sharp left turn going into anti-gravity. They are then descending a set of stairs, coming into a split path with a shortcut in the middle. The shortcut can be made with a ramp that randomly spawns with the Master Sword being risen from the Pedestal of Time to gain an anti-gravity boost.

Super Mario Odyssey[]

When Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach for their wedding and heads to the Moon Kingdom, Mario and Cappy follow them. They see a white Temple in the distance which looks very identical to the Temple Of Time. The interior has the same red carpet in the same position as the one from Ocarina Of Time.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

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