Warning: Wall of Text!
Link has been on many adventures- most of which took place within the land of Hyrule. A few others, however, did not. When these adventures took place is up for debate, as are many other mysteries surrounding the hero. What is here is not a timeline, however. Unless otherwise noticed, the games are assumed to be within their own alternate universes. With that cleared up, let's begin...
The story of Link's very first adventure came from this very old NES game aptly named The Legend of Zelda. It was here for the first time that we see Link doing something that he still continues to do today- save Hyrule/Princess Zelda, destroy Ganon(dorf), and win back the Triforce. It took him exploring around 8 or 9 dungeons to complete this task, but if it wasn't for Impa, Zelda's most trusted nursemaid, he wouldn't have done it in this game.
Soon after his first adventure, his second one began around his 16th birthday, with the appearance of a Triforce mark on his hand. Charged with the task of breaking the binding force on the palace that hid the Triforce of Courage, he united the sacred relic and awakened the sleeping Princess Zelda. This second adventure of his through the land of Hyrule was otherwise known as The Adventure of Link.
His adventures didn't stop there. After being awakened by a telepathic message from Princess Zelda, Link awakens to find his uncle going out with the family sword and shield, saying that 'he'll be back by morning'. His uncle also told him to stay in the house, but Link didn't really listen to that. So after receiving the family sword and shield from his uncle, and rescuing Zelda, his adventure in A Link to the Past begins- with a new look, a new Hyrule, and a new adventure which involved traveling between the Light World (Hyrule), and the Dark World (formerly the Golden Land).
While sailing on the Great Hyrulian Sea, he got himself shipwrecked on Koholint Island. He awoke to the voice of who he thought was Zelda, but was actually Marin, one of the residents of Mabe Village. With only his shield (which he had received from Tarin, Marin's father), he set off to the wreckage of his raft to retrieve his sword. But a mysterious owl then appeared, and told him that the only way to leave Koholint Island is to wake the Wind Fish. This was what started his adventure in Link's Awakening.
The adventure that came afterwards was nothing like anything we had ever heard of before. Being the only boy in Kokiri Forest who didn't have a fairy, one came to him after a time, just in time to wake him up from a nightmare that he had been having for many weeks. The fairy's name as Navi, and it turned out that she come to take Link to the Great Deku Tree, the deity of the forest who had summoned the boy to come to him. Thus began his adventure in Ocarina of Time, one of his most treasured and well-known adventures up to date (well, to us Link fans anyway).
After his adventure in Ocarina of Time, Navi, his fairy and most trusted companion, leaves him. And so the valiant young hero goes off to search for his friend. But a run in with a Skull Kid wearing a freaky mask and his two fairy companions began a new adventure, one which at first involved removing a curse that the Skull Kid had placed on him using the power of a stolen mask. This new adventure, which we all know as Majora's Mask, took us to a parallel world to Hyrule, Termina.
In another adventure, while riding out on the plains of Hyrule, he finds a castle. What waited for him within the castle was none other than the Triforce. And with its power, it sent Link on two different quests- one to the Land of Labrynna, home to the Oracle of Ages, and the other to the land of Holodrum, home to the Oracle of Seasons. And after freeing Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and stopping Veran, the Sorceress of Shadow, he brought peace back to Labyrnna. But the flames of Sorrow from what Veran had caused was already lit.
Though he also saved Din, the Oracle of Seasons, from the clutches of Onox, the General of Darkness, the flames of Destruction was lit from the chaos he had wrought to the land. Twinrova lit the last flame, Despair, when they captured Princess Zelda. He battles Twinrova before they sacrifice Zelda, but upon their defeat, Ganon rises out. The battle between them was easy, however- for Twinrova wasn't a suitable sacrifice to return the King of Evil to the world.
A new adventure was on the horizon for Link, however. Here, we find him living with his grandfather, called The Smith. The Smith is a good friend of the Royal Family. Zelda invites him to come to the Picori Fair in the town market. But before long, Vaati comes and wreaks havoc within town. He turns Zelda to stone, and breaks the legendary Picori Sword. With the aid of Elzo, the talking hat (also known as The Minish Cap), he is able to shrink down to the size of the Minish.
This wasn't enough for our hero. Zelda had been sensing a force of evil approaching Hyrule. So, along with Link, she went to investigate where it was coming from- the Shrine to the Four Sword. But upon their arrival, tragedy occurred. The Wind Sorcerer, Vaati, had managed to break the seal on the Four Sword, and with the power of the spirit of the Wind Sorcerer, Vaati, he restored himself, and kidnapped Zelda. Concerned for his friend's safety, he pulled the Four Sword out of its pedestal, and like the warrior that had wielded it ages ago, his body split into four. This new adventure was referred to as the Four Swords.
Due to the Shadow Mirror held by Ganondorf, Shadow Link appeared, and caused havoc at Hyrule Castle. Zelda summoned Link once again, and once she and the six maidens opened the way to the Shrine of the Four Sword, Shadow Link appeared and caused trouble. He imprisoned Zelda and the Maidens in crystals of darkness. Once more, Link was forced to draw the Four Sword, but in turn he released Vaati from his imprisonment. There, the four Links traveled around Hyrule, rescuing the maidens once more, beginning the chronicle of the Four Swords Adventures.
His next recorded adventure thus far does not actually take place on land, but actually on the seas. On his twelfth birthday, he and his sister spot a large pirate ship attacking a gigantic bird. The object of the pirate's attack soon became obvious; a giant bird, holding someone captive. An unexpected hit causes the bird to drop its captive into the forest below. After slaying the Bokoblins within, he finally rescues the captain of the pirate ship, Tetra. Shortly after her rescue, the bird that had captured Tetra kidnaps his sister, Aryll. With some persuasion, Tetra reluctantly agrees to allow Link onto their ship. This was the outset of the adventure known as The Wind Waker.
Once more, we find Link adventuring on the high seas. After Tetra mysteriously vanishes on board an enigmatic Ghost Ship, Link finds himself washed ashore on an unknown island. With the assistance of Oshus, the fairy Ciela, and the ship captain Linebeck, he finds himself once more fighting against an ancient evil. Using the power of the Phantom Hourglass, Link was able to overcome the life draining curse that had afflicted the temple of the once-powerful protector of the sea, the Ocean King.
As a lone wrangler in the distant village of Ordon, Link is given the task of giving a gift to Hyrule Castle in preparation for a festival. Before his journey could even begin, a series of devastating events unfolded, putting him as well as those close to him in danger. Upon attempting to rescue his friends, he is pulled into the Twilight Realm, and is transformed into a wolf as a result. Awakening in Hyrule Castle's dungeon, he encounters Midna, the Twilight Princess. After learning of the state of the kingdom, the two of them set out to drive away the Twilight consuming Hyrule.
