Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is the second installment in the The Legend of Zelda series, released in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is preceded by The Legend of Zelda and succeeded by A Link to the Past. The Hero of Hyrule is the main protagonist and Ganon is the main antagonist. Ganon's minions serve as the villainous faction.

It is the second game in the series, but it is the final game set in the Downfall Timeline. The events of The Adventure of Link take place a few years after Zelda I, but refer back to the Princess Zelda that was put under a sleeping spell at the beginning of the Era of Decline.

Official Description
After the events of the first game, Zelda's attendant Impa shows Link that there was a first princess named Zelda who was cursed to slumber forever. She also tells him that Link is in possession of the Triforce of Courage. As Link learns all of this, the minions of Ganon begin to attack once again. Believing that they could revive their master by pouring the blood of Link over his ashes, they begin to spread across the land, seeking for him. Eventually, Link is able to gain the Triforce of Courage. Uniting the three Triforces, Link returns to the Northern Palace to wake the slumbering Zelda.

Summary
A few years after the defeat of Ganon and the rescue of Princess Zelda, Link, now at the age of sixteen, is disturbed by the appearance of a mark on the back of his hand. Upon seeing this mark, Impa, the nurse of Princess Zelda, tells him the story of how, ages ago, the King of Hyrule had hidden a third part of the Triforce, the Triforce of Courage, in the Great Palace to safeguard it from evil.

Upon the death of the king, his son had searched for the missing Triforce, but its location had been imparted only to the king's daughter, Princess Zelda. Angered upon learning this, the Prince tried to use the power of a Magician to force the truth from his sister. After she refused, the wizard cast a spell upon her to put her into a deep sleep, which caused the wizard to die soon after. Only by uniting the Triforce of Courage with its counterparts, Link would be able to awake the sleeping Princess Zelda. Upon hearing this tale, Link receives from Impa six crystals that serve as keys to open the seal on the Great Palace.

Link waking up Princess Zelda

As Link learns all of this, the minions of Ganon begin to attack once again. Believing that they could revive their master by pouring the blood of Link over his ashes, they begin to spread across the land, seeking for him. Eventually, Link is able to gain the Triforce of Courage. Uniting the three Triforces, Link returns to the Northern Palace to wake the slumbering Zelda.