At the time that Link drew the Master Sword, he was too young to wield the powerful blade and become the Hero of Time. However, the Master Sword had chosen Link to be the hero, and that decision could not be reversed. Link's spirit was sealed in the Chamber of Sages in the Temple of Light, to be awakened when he was old enough. This left the gates to Sacred Realm swinging wide open, waiting for anyone to enter.

Meanwhile, Ganondorf had given up his pursuit of the Princess, because he suspected that it was the young boy who held the keys to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf led his band of thieves all over Hyrule, looking for the portal to the Sacred Realm that he knew had been opened. At last they found it, and used the portal opened by Link in the name of peace to enter the Sacred Realm in the name of evil.

The Sacred Realm was a place like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone gold from its resting place in the Temple of Light. In a long running battle, Ganondorf and his followers fought each other to obtain the Triforce. Ganondorf vanquished every last one of his own followers, and seized the Triforce with blood-stained hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou has a strong desire or dream, wish for it..." In reply, Ganondorf's roaring laughter echoed across time and space, and even reached far-off Hyrule. As Link slept in the Chamber of Sages, he was horrified to see Ganondorf appear before him, and thank him for leading him to the gates of the Sacred Realm.

However, all the parts of Ganondorf's heart - power, wisdom, and courage - were not in balance. The Triforce split into three, leaving Ganondorf with the portion of the Triforce representing the force he most desired - the Triforce of Power. The other pieces of the Triforce were hidden within two others chosen by destiny, Wisdom in Zelda's heart and Courage inside Link's.

But even one part of the Triforce was enough to carry out Ganondorf's evil wishes, and he became a dark, evil king. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm, and because Ganondorf's wish was to conquer the world, the Sacred Realm was tainted, filled with darkness and evil creatures. Ganondorf soon took on another name: Ganon, King of Evil.