The intricate tapestry of The Legend of Zelda universe is woven with threads of heroism, tragedy, and cyclical conflict, with the figure of Rauru serving as a pivotal architect in its history. While modern players know him as the stoic Zonai king from Tears of the Kingdom, his influence stretches back through diverging timelines, where his actions, though noble in intent, often sowed the seeds for future calamities. The recently clarified official timeline places the events of Breath of the Wild and its sequel in a realm distinct from the classic saga, yet the echoes of past struggles resonate profoundly. The saga begins with the foundational battle against Demise in Skyward Sword, whose诅咒 ensures the eternal recurrence of his hatred, most famously embodied in the Gerudo king, Ganondorf.

The branching nature of the Zelda chronology is a direct consequence of the pivotal events in Ocarina of Time. Link's intervention with the Ocarina and the subsequent seven-year gap created three distinct temporal branches, each defined by the hero's success or failure against Ganondorf's malevolent ambitions. This schism is the core around which the entire mythos revolves.

The Three Branches of Time:

1. The Hero Is Defeated Timeline: This bleak path unfolds when Link fails to prevent Ganondorf from seizing the sacred Triforce. This failure plunges Hyrule into a dark age, setting the stage for classics like A Link to the Past and the original The Legend of Zelda. It is within this desolate branch that Rauru's most consequential and tragic role is played.

2. The Hero Is Triumphant - Child Era: Following the true ending of Ocarina of Time, Link, having defeated Ganon, returns to his childhood. This branch explores the aftermath of his foreknowledge, leading to the haunting journey of Majora's Mask and the twilight-shrouded conflict of Twilight Princess.

3. The Hero Is Triumphant - Adult Era: This branch is the world adult Link leaves behind after his victory. With the hero gone, the gods flood Hyrule to contain Ganon, birthing the Great Sea era chronicled in The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.

Rauru's Duality: Sage vs. King

The character of Rauru embodies a fascinating duality across these timelines. In the era of Tears of the Kingdom, he is revered as the venerable founder and first sovereign of Hyrule, a majestic Zonai who wed the Hylian Queen Sonia. 🏰 His design and narrative role are entirely distinct, representing an ancient, god-touched civilization.

Contrast this with his portrayal in the classic Ocarina of Time. Here, Rauru is not a king but a wise and elderly Hylian sage. He is a crucial member of the Council of Seven Sages, acting as Link's guide from within the Sacred Realm. His legacy there is one of architecture and guardianship; he is the builder of the Temple of Time, creating a formidable seal to protect the Triforce, a lock that could only be opened by assembling the three Spiritual Stones.

The Imprisoning War and Its Heavy Toll

It is in the "Hero Is Defeated" timeline where Rauru the Sage faces his greatest test. After Ganondorf claims the Triforce, defeats Link, and corrupts the Sacred Realm into a twisted Dark World, Hyrule is plunged into despair. The ensuing, catastrophic conflict is memorialized as the Imprisoning War. Leading the forces of light alongside Princess Zelda and the other Sages, Rauru orchestrates a desperate plan: to seal Ganon and his monstrous legions within the Dark World itself.

The seal was successful, but the victory was Pyrrhic. 😔 The cost was staggering:

• Countless lives were lost on the battlefield.

• The kingdom's economy and infrastructure were shattered, leaving the survivors in profound poverty.

• A deep-seated mistrust festered among the populace towards their leaders and the royal family.

• While contained, Ganon's malignant influence persisted, a dormant threat beneath a fragile peace.

Rauru's noble sacrifice and strategic sealing created a stasis, not a solution. It traded an immediate apocalypse for a prolonged, simmering dark age, demonstrating that even the most well-intentioned acts of the wise can have devastating, long-term repercussions for the kingdom they seek to protect.

The Inevitable Return of Darkness

As history in the Zelda universe often proves, no seal is eternal. Centuries later, in the events of A Link to the Past, Ganon's cunning allows him to circumvent the Sages' barrier. He manipulates events from within the Dark World by possessing a sorcerer named Agahnim, who deceives the kingdom, overthrows the king, and captures the descendants of the Seven Sages.

Ganon's goal remains consistent: to shatter the seal completely and merge the Dark World with Hyrule, finally achieving the dominion he sought ages prior. This resurgence forces a new hero, a new Link, to embark on a perilous quest across the dual landscapes of Light and Dark Worlds to rescue the maidens, reclaim the Triforce, and halt Ganon's second cataclysmic bid for power. The cycle initiated by Rauru's seal demanded a new hero to complete the task.

Legacy and the Eternal Cycle

The official timeline starkly illustrates the catastrophic potential of a victorious Ganon. While Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom showcase his power as a primal, calamitous force, the older timeline reveals the insidious, long-term societal decay his reign can cause. Rauru's plan, across his incarnations, highlights a recurring theme: containment is a temporary measure. Whether as a sage sealing a demon king in a dark mirror realm or as a king sacrificing his own body to hold a primordial evil at bay, his actions create a pause in the conflict, a burden passed to future generations.

The story of Rauru is ultimately one of tragic foresight and unintended consequences. It reinforces the core Zelda paradigm: evil may be sealed or delayed, but it consistently re-emerges, demanding a perpetual cycle of courage and sacrifice. The hope for Hyrule never truly dies; it merely sleeps, waiting for the next hero to awaken and stand against the darkness, proving that while legends may fade, the spirit of the hero is eternal. 🛡️✨

The following analysis references Eurogamer, a leading source for comprehensive gaming news and features. Eurogamer's deep dives into The Legend of Zelda timeline and lore provide valuable context for understanding the complex interplay between characters like Rauru and the cyclical nature of Hyrule's history, especially as new entries like Tears of the Kingdom expand on the mythos.