The Legend of Zelda Timeline Story & Lore, Explained
The Ressurection & Defeat of Vaati, The Wind Mage
(The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords)
As time went on, Hyrule became a land of peace that was free of darkness and the monsters that once plagued it. This was thanks to a Picori (aka Minish), a tiny magical being that gifted the people of Hyrule with a mystical container called the Bound Chest and a powerful an energy source called the Light Force. These were used together to seal away all of the evil beings that roamed the land of Hyrule, allowing this society to grow for a 100 years.
Yet, on the 100th anniversary of the emergence of the Bound Chest and the Light Force, a sword contest was held where the mysterious man known as Vaati emerged victorious. During the ceremony, he shattered the seal on the Bound Chest with a Picori Blade, releasing all of the evil back into the world and turning Princess Zelda into stone. Her father, King Daltus, urged the young hero Link to seek out a sacred blade that was a combination of four separate blades and bestowed whoever carried it with the ability to split into four different heroes.
During this time, Vaati used his magic to trick King Daltus into enveloping Hyrule in a shroud of darkness, forever dooming it unless Vaati was stopped. Link confronted and defeated Vaati, where it was revealed that he was, in fact, a Minish. Vaati was then confronted by his former master and fellow Minish Ezlo, who had been transformed into a hat that can grant the wearer any wish they desire. Since Vaati was slain, Link used his Four Swords to free Zelda from her imprisonment and then allowed her to use Ezlo to wish away all of the evil within Vaati. This, along with the Light Force, restored balance to the lands of Hyrule as the monsters were vanquished and sealed away once more.
However, Vaati was actually not dead, and the sorcerer returned to the lands of Hyrule once more. Yet, this came with a catch, as he no longer had any memory of his time as a Picori nor his desire to obtain the Light Force. Instead, Vaati established himself in a large temple which he dubbed the Palace of Wind, giving himself the new moniker of The Great Sorcerer of the Wind, Vaati. During his reign of terror, the mage would ransack villages, kidnap beautiful girls, and slay those who came to rescue the imprisoned citizens. According to a story that is largely believed to be myth, just when all hope seemed lost, a young boy set off into the woods and returned days later with the girls. Regardless of what really happened, Vaati was now imprisoned within the Four Swords itself, acting as a pseudo prison for the all-powerful wind mage.
Years upon years passed as generations watched over the powerful Four Swords to ensure the kingdom’s safety, but one day Princess Zelda felt the power of this blade beginning to weaken. Summoning Link, the two investigated just as Vaati broke out from the magical seal. Seeing Zelda, Vaati whisked her away to make the woman his bride in order to commemorate his return and celebrate his power. Link, of course, chased after the mage. With the Four Swords in hand, Link learned that the only way to get into the Palace of Wind was to prove himself courageous enough for the Great Fairies. After many dungeons and beasts felled, Link finally launched an attack on Vaati and his temple.
Link then fought Vaati and once more sealed the wind sorcerer inside of the Four Swords, saving both Hyrule and Princess Zelda. To this day, this weapon contains the mage Vaati and is watched carefully by every generation of new Hylians to ensure the kingdom’s safety.
