Updated Zelda Timeline Has Strange Spots for Breath of the Wild and TotK

by

Updated Zelda Timeline Has Strange Spots for Breath of the Wild and TotK

Key Takeaways

  • Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are placed outside existing Zelda timelines.
  • This was reaffirmed by a new timeline image shared by Nintendo at Nintendo Live 2024.
  • Fans speculate Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom may eventually fit into the Hero is Defeated timeline.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of Zelda adventures under my belt, I must say that Nintendo’s latest timeline update for The Legend of Zelda series has me scratching my head more than Link does when he’s lost in Hyrule Woods. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, two games that have given me countless hours of joy and wonder, now find themselves outside the familiar confines of the established timelines.

In the latest version of the “The Legend of Zelda” series, the games “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom” have been positioned independently from all other games in the franchise. The “Legend of Zelda” game series boasts a rich and complex past, particularly concerning its timeline. Although there were direct sequels and connections between seemingly unrelated Zelda games, for many years, the series lacked an official timeline. However, this changed in 2011 with the launch of “Hyrule Historia.”

The “Hyrule Historia” unveiled the authentic sequence of events in the “Zelda” series, placing “Skyward Sword” at the beginning, followed by “Minish Cap”, “Four Swords”, and “Ocarina of Time”. After this, “Ocarina of Time” divides the “Zelda” universe into three distinct timelines. If Link fails in his quest, the story progresses from “A Link to the Past” and includes “Link’s Awakening”, the “Oracle” duology, “A Link Between Worlds”, “Triforce Heroes”, the original “Legend of Zelda”, and “Zelda 2”. However, if Link succeeds in “Ocarina of Time”, the timelines branch into the Child Era and the Adult Era. The Child Era encompasses “Majora’s Mask”, “Twilight Princess”, and “Four Swords Adventures”, while the Adult Era comprises “The Wind Waker”, “Phantom Hourglass”, and “Spirit Tracks”.

In essence, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and its upcoming sequel, “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” are no longer connected to the main “Zelda” timeline. This separation was confirmed by an updated graphic at a recent Nintendo event in Australia. Both games are presented separately from the existing three “Zelda” timelines. At this event, Nintendo showed the “Zelda” timeline, which was later shared on social media by Vooks. Interestingly, the new timeline image does not show a connecting line between “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom,” unlike the one available on Nintendo’s official website.

Image Shows Where Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Sit on the Zelda Timeline

Updated Zelda Timeline Has Strange Spots for Breath of the Wild and TotK

The game titled “Tears of the Kingdom” follows directly after “Breath of the Wild“, but there’s no straight line linking the two in the story, so don’t read too much into it. Some fans might be taken aback because “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom” don’t seem to fit into the three existing timelines of the “Zelda” series.

As a dedicated Zelda gamer, I’ve got to say that the current placement of games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom isn’t set in stone. Nintendo always keeps the story of the Zelda series flexible, and they might choose to rearrange things in the timeline at some point in the future. A popular fan theory suggests that these two games could eventually be placed after Zelda 2, which would put them in the Hero is Defeated timeline. But remember, this is just speculation for now, as Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything officially.

For now, curious fans might ponder the placement of the forthcoming “Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” within the series timeline. Many believe it may fall under the “Hero is Defeated” timeline, around the vicinity of “Link’s Awakening” and “A Link to the Past”. While some suggest that “Echoes of Wisdom” could be a direct sequel due to its similar art style with the remake of “Link’s Awakening”, this seems more speculative than factual. The definitive location of “Echoes of Wisdom” within the timeline may become clearer once players experience it personally. Additionally, there’s a possibility that Nintendo could revise the timeline again to incorporate “Echoes of Wisdom”.

Read More

2024-08-31 20:03