Sacred Realm

A depiction of the Sacred Realm in A Link to the Past.
Sacred Realm
Type	Mystical location
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Sacred Realm (also known as the Golden Land in A Link to the Past) is a holy land that appears throughout various Zelda games. It is a mirror of Hyrule and acts as the primary resting place for the Triforce. There are also games in which it is corrupted and becomes the Dark World (or "evil realm"), and Lorule has been shown to have its own Sacred Realm.

Information

The Sacred Realm is known in Hyrulean mythology as the area where the Golden Goddesses left the world after creating it, and it is where they left the Triforce behind. It appeared to be located on another plane of reality and was known to reflect the heart of whoever entered it. One with an evil heart would turn it into a type of Evil Realm, while a pure-hearted person would make it into a paradise. The Sacred Realm was also connected to the sages in that it sent out messages which awakened new sages through their respective temples. During times when it was an Evil Realm, darkness would instead emanate from the temples and spread monsters. The entrance to the Sacred Realm was hidden, which is said to have inspired much war and bloodshed among the people of Hyrule.

Appearances

Ocarina of Time

The ancient sages protected the entrance to the Sacred Realm by building the Temple of Time around it. There were several failsafes which required the Ocarina of Time and three Spiritual Stones as well as the ability to draw the Master Sword before the Sacred Realm could be reached. The Temple of Light was located at the center of the Sacred Realm, and it contained the Chamber of Sages, where all of the six sages gathered together.

Link was able to open the gate to the Sacred Realm in Ocarina of Time (specifically, in two of the three canonical timelines: the Adult Timeline and the Defeated Timeline), but he was then trapped within the Sacred Realm in a seven-year slumber due to being too young to be the Hero of Time. Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm instead and conquered the Sacred Realm. His dark heart changed the Sacred Realm into a world of evil known as the Evil Realm, or the Dark World. The Temple of Light was the last stronghold which held out against Ganon's darkness, and that is where Link was kept safe under the watchful eye of Rauru until he awakened from his slumber. In the end, the sages were able to seal Ganondorf in the Evil Realm within the Adult Timeline.

Defeated Timeline

A Link to the Past

In one of the series' alternate timelines, the Defeated Timeline, the events of Ocarina of Time unfolded up to a certain point. Link perished in his final battle with Ganon, and Ganon was able to collect the entire Triforce. However, the seven sages were still able to seal Ganon away within the Dark World. Afterwards, more bloodshed ensued in the form of a conflict known as the Imprisoning War, as Ganon's monsters came from the Dark World. Ultimately, the seven sages placed a seal on the entrance to the Dark World itself. The Dark World ended up being corrupted by Ganon's presence for centuries and came to resemble a twisted version of Hyrule's landscape.

It was also shown that anyone who entered the realm was transformed to resemble a creature or object that reflected their personality. It was left unclear whether this normally came into effect within the Sacred Realm, or if the effect was exclusive to the Dark Pearl. One with a Moon Pearl could retain their original shape, and a Magic Mirror could be used to escape back to the life world.

In the events of A Link to the Past, Aganhim sacrificed the seven maiden descendants of the sages into the Dark World in order to undo the seal on the Dark World. A new incarnation of Link arose to challenge him and ended up being sent into the Dark World as well. With the aid of the Moon Pearl, Link went on a new quest within the Dark World. He freed the seven maidens and ultimately defeated Ganon. After Ganon's defeat, Link claimed the Triforce, and with its power the Sacred Realm was restored to its original pristine state. Many who had been trapped within the Dark World were also able to return to the Sacred Realm.

A Link Between Worlds

In A Link Between Worlds, it was shown that the alternate world of Lorule (which bore a strong resemblance to the Dark World) had its own Sacred Realm, due to the world previously having its own Triforce. One day, a crack appeared in a large tablet in their Sacred Realm. Yuga was able to travel through the crack by using the magical ability to merge with walls, and it was discovered that the crack connected to Hyrule's Sacred Realm. From this, Yuga and Hilda hatched their plan to steal Hyrule's Trifoce to Lorule.

At the end of the game, Hilda sent Link and Zelda back to their own Sacred Realm with their Triforce, through the crack between the Sacred Realms, which was then closed permanently. The Triforce thus resumed its place in Hyrule's Sacred Realm, and they made a wish upon it which restored the Triforce of Lorule.

Trivia

• Another similar realm is the Twilight Realm. Additionally, other games have mentioned an evil or dark realm, and it is uncertain whether or not this is the same as the corrupted Sacred Realm from Ocarina and A Link to the Past.
• A Link Between Worlds marks the first time that the Sacred Realm is explicitly seen in the games, when not in the form of the Dark World.