History TearJerker / TheLegendOfZelda

** It becomes worse [[FridgeHorror when you realise]] that somewhere in the timeline, there had to be at least one version of Ganondorf [[ScrewDestiny who knew what would inevitably happen to him and tried to escape or fight it]], only to succumb anyway BecauseDestinySaysSo.

* The Game Over screens in any of the 3D games. Seeing Link fall down while depressing music plays in the background and the words "Game Over" fade into the screen. Spirit Tracks' game over screen is the worst because the overworld theme is suddenly being slowed down and symbolizing your failure, rather than your adventure throughout the land.
** Also from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', getting a Game Over while on the train needs special mention. Think about it: The train is blowing up, Link is (probably) laying unconscious, and Spirit-Zelda is is shrieking "AAAAAAAHH! LINK!" at the top of her distraught, grief-filled voice. Even though the game has no real voice acting, Zelda's shriek can still echo on the mind. Things get even worse when you have Teacher with you, who is so frantically worrying over Zelda and searching for her endlessly when you could assure him that he's fretting too much, but won't. And things get even worse than that if you crash while he's on the train. During the resulting explosion, he'll state a final line in which he can actually see Princess Zelda. Who happens to be a ghost. '''''Christ.'''''

* [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda1989 The cartoon]] has "[[Recap/TheLegendOfZelda1989S1E12TheMissingLink The Missing Link]]", where Ganon captures Link when he was aiming for Zelda, leaving the princess distraught. Worse is that only Link's body was captured, leaving his spirit to wander as a ghost until Zelda can reunite them. Zelda, who's unaware at first that he's still alive, can actually be seen ''[[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther mourning his loss]]'' after the battle is over.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda1989 The cartoon]] has "[[Recap/TheLegendOfZeldaS1E12TheMissingLink The Missing Link]]", where Ganon captures Link when he was aiming for Zelda, leaving the princess distraught. Worse is that only Link's body was captured, leaving his spirit to wander as a ghost until Zelda can reunite them. Zelda, who's unaware at first that he's still alive, can actually be seen ''[[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther mourning his loss]]'' after the battle is over.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda The cartoon]] has "[[Recap/TheLegendOfZeldaS1E12TheMissingLink The Missing Link]]", where Ganon captures Link when he was aiming for Zelda, leaving the princess distraught. Worse is that only Link's body was captured, leaving his spirit to wander as a ghost until Zelda can reunite them. Zelda, who's unaware at first that he's still alive, can actually be seen ''[[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther mourning his loss]]'' after the battle is over.

** And what of Hyrule itself? Even if the hero of a respective era manages to clean up the messes left behind, each of the three timelines involves the fall of the kingdom in some way. In the Decline timeline, the Hero of Time is defeated and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast the sages are forced to seal Ganon away, resulting in the Sacred Realm's century-long corruption]]. In the Adult timeline, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Ganon returns and the gods themselves see no choice but to flood the entire kingdom, creating the Great Sea in the process]]. And the Child timeline, though it went the longest without a true fall, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild still has the potential to end with the Guardians and Sacred Beasts being corrupted by Calamity Ganon, leaving its Hero, its king, its champions, and several innocent lives dead]]. And that last one applies to to ''[[FromBadToWorse all three timelines, anyway]]''. No matter what timeline you're in, Hyrule is bound to suffer its decline, sometimes twice.

** And what of Hyrule itself? Even if the hero of a respective era manages to clean up the messes left behind, each of the three timelines involves the fall of the kingdom in some way. In the Decline timeline, the Hero of Time is defeated and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast the sages are forced to seal Ganon away, resulting in the Sacred Realm's century-long corruption]]. In the Adult timeline, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Ganon returns and the gods themselves see no choice but to flood the entire kingdom, creating the Great Sea in the process]]. And the Child timeline, though it went the longest without a true fall, [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild still has the potential to end with the Guardians and Sacred Beasts being corrupted by Calamity Ganon, leaving its Hero, its king, its champions, and several innocent lives dead]]. And the latter can apply to ''any of the three timelines, anyway.'' No matter what timeline you're in, Hyrule is bound to suffer its decline.

* The cartoon has an episode where Ganon captures Link when he was aiming for Zelda, leaving the princess distraught. Worse is that only Link's body was captured, leaving his spirit to wander as a ghost until Zelda can reunite them. Zelda can actually be seen ''[[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther mourning his loss]]'' after the battle is over.