First of all if the only thing that is to be taken as canon is the developers then what is the point of their being any sort of storyline in the Zelda series? If that is the case then why don't they just make it like the Final Fantasy games in how they don't have any connection with one another. Besides saying the developers are canon doesn't make sense any way. When you make a series and each installment of that series has a story that relates in some way to the other installments then the stories have to be considered canon.
What is so wrong with the events of OoT being the Imprisoning War and why do you feel it didn't turn out that way. It really irritates me when people try to make an argument without giving any reason other than saying they agree or disagree with something.
If you read the ALttP manual you will find many similarities between the events of the Imprisoning War and OoT. I'm going to try and go through them step by step here.
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One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land was like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from its resting place high above the world. In a long running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way past his followers in a lust for the Golden Power. After vanquishing his own followers, the leader stood triumphant over the Triforce and grasped it with his blood- stained hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou has a strong desire or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far-off land of Hyrule. The name of this king of thieves is Ganondorf Dragmire, but he is known by his alias, Mandrag Ganon, which means Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves.
First of all the very fact that what leads up to the Imprisoning War is Ganondorf entering the Golden Land and stealing the Triforce should tell you that OoT is all about the Imprisoning. If your still not convinced I'll go on. Notice that it says that Ganondorf gained entrance to the Golden Land by accident. Well in OoT Ganondorf got into the Golden Land (Sacred Realm) because of Link's and Zelda's stupidity. Due to Zelda giving Link the Ocarina and then Link using it to gain access to and pull the Master Sword Ganondorf was accidentally allowed access to the Golden Land.
So what about Ganondorf fighting his way past his followers and killing them? Well, that can be explained by this part in the manual, "But in its passing, the lore was often distorted or lost altogether." ALttP is supposed to happen thousands of years after OoT so it's understandable that the story of the Imprisoning War would become distorted in certain areas. Moving on.
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I do not know what Ganon wished for from the Triforce. However, in time evil power began to flow from the Golden Land and greedy men were drawn there to become members of Ganon's army. Black clouds permanently darkened the sky, and many disasters beset Hyrule. The lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights Of Hyrule, and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land.
Although none of this is shown in Ocarina that can be explained because the game is focused on Link and is taken from his perspective. After all he would be trapped in the Chamber of Sages for the next seven years while all of this would be happening.
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The Triforce, being an inanimate object, cannot judge between good and evil. Therefore, it could not know that Ganon's wishes were evil; it merely granted them. Suspecting that Ganon's power was based on the Triforce's magic, the people of Hyrule forged a sword resistant to magic which could repulse even powers granted by the Triforce. This mighty weapon became known as the blade of evil's bane, or the Master Sword. It was so powerful that only one who was pure of heart and strong of body could wield it. As the Seven Wise Men searched for a valiant person to take up the Master Sword, Ganon's evil army swarmed from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle.
This whole thing about the Master Sword is what gets people. First of all it says that the Seven Wise Men searched for someone to use it. Keeping in mind the whole thing about legends getting distorted this is still technically true because Link was trapped in the Chambers of Sages in sleep for seven years. During those seven years Rauru (one of the Seven Wise Men) would be waiting for Link to age so that he could wield the Master Sword. Technically he was searching for a valiant person because young Link could not wield the sword.
So why does it say that the Master Sword was made after Ganon took the Triforce while in OoT it had apparently been made ages before? Well if you think about it no one would have seen the Master Sword due to it being locked up in that room (forgot what it was called). The majority of people probably didn't even know about it till the events of OoT so it's understandable that some people would think the sword wasn't made till that time.
Finally Ganondorf obviously attacks Hyrule Castle once he leaves the Sacred Realm in OoT.
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The wise men and the Knights Of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde.
The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously many a brave soul was lost that day, However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal ganon in the Golden land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later centuries.
So why does it say Knights when it was Link that helped the Sages? Well throughout many of the Zelda games Link is referred to as being the descendant of Knights and being a Knight himself. I think what happened here is that as the story was passed down over the ages people found it less and less believable that a single Knight could hold off Ganon so that the Sages could seal him so they turned Knight into Knights. Other wise this is pretty much exactly what happens at the end of OoT. Link battles Ganon until he weakens him enough so that the Sages can trap him in the Sacred Realm or Golden Land.
Any questions?