The Legend of Zelda timeline is advanced. It’s an try to attach almost forty years of video games collectively, a lot of which have been designed as standalone titles. This leads to branching timelines, unsure placements and even an acknowledgement from Nintendo that a lot of it’s open to fan interpretation.
However with Tears of the Kingdom simply across the nook, now is a superb time to look again on the Legend of Zelda timeline up to now. The place does the whole lot match throughout the timeline? How important is it to know the entire thing?
It’s acquired a simple begin. Skyward Sword kicks issues off, with its story performing as an origin story for Hyrule itself. The Minish Cap follows this, with 4 Swords as its direct follow-up as they each function the identical villain, Vaati. Then Ocarina of Time occurs.
Right here’s how this timeline appears:
- Skyward Sword
- The Minish Cap
- 4 Swords
- Ocarina of Time
Baby Timeline
Ocarina of Time complicates the whole lot. Due to the time journey shenanigans central to its story, this recreation splits the timeline in three.
The primary department of the Legend of Zelda timeline is the Baby Timeline, after Hyperlink defeats Ganon and is shipped again to his childhood. Majora’s Masks is ready up as the plain sequel to this. Twilight Princess follows years later, made express in Ganondorf’s backstory in that recreation.
In keeping with Nintendo, 4 Swords Adventures follows this, though it’s not completely clear why. It’s a largely standalone recreation.
Right here is that this timeline:
- Majora’s Masks
- Twilight Princess
- 4 Swords Adventures
Grownup Timeline
Hyperlink returning to childhood created a separate Grownup Timeline. On this department, the Hero disappeared, Ganon returned, and Hyrule was flooded. That is essentially the most easy department as a result of The Wind Waker spells these occasions out in its intro. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are its apparent sequels. And that’s your complete department.
Right here’s this timeline:
- The Wind Waker
- Phantom Hourglass
- Spirit Tracks
Fallen Hero Timeline
Lastly, when you ever acquired a Recreation Over in Ocarina of Time, you canonically kicked off the Fallen Hero Timeline. Nicely executed.
This one’s a messier one as Nintendo appear to make use of this as a spot to place video games created earlier than the timeline idea. It begins with A Hyperlink to the Previous, which is adopted by is direct sequel Hyperlink’s Awakening. After that is the duo of Oracle video games, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. Nevertheless, whereas Nintendo formally place them this manner spherical now, the Hyrule Historia artwork e-book initially had them flipped.
A Hyperlink Between Worlds is a direct sequel to A Hyperlink to the Previous, set years later in the identical world. Tri Power Heroes is confirmed to be a direct follow-up to that, so these two video games logically come subsequent. This department then ends with the primary Legend of Zelda and its direct sequel.
That is how that timeline appears:
- A Hyperlink to the Previous
- Hyperlink’s Awakening
- Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages
- A Hyperlink Between Worlds
- Tri Power Heroes
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Journey of Hyperlink
Breath of the Wild
The final time Nintendo printed the official Legend of Zelda timeline was the yr earlier than Breath of the Wild launched. Nevertheless, collection producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed its placement. It’s set centuries in any case the opposite video games, with all these tales fading into fantasy.
It’s doubtless this was executed to present the collection a contemporary begin, shifting away from the sophisticated cut up timeline. It’s been left as much as participant interpretation which of the timelines it follows. Some followers theorize it might by some means be a convergence level for all three.
This brings us updated. This leaves us with Tears of the Kingdom, which is quickly to be launched. Nevertheless, its placement on the timeline is simple. It’s a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, so it logically sits simply after it.
Nevertheless, it isn’t important to know the complete Legend of Zelda timeline to benefit from the collection. You’ll be able to bounce into any entry without having to know what occurred in some other recreation. A lot of the video games don’t immediately reference the timeline, particularly with earlier entries made with out a timeline in thoughts. It’s only a enjoyable and fascinating method of linking all of the video games collectively.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases for the Nintendo Swap on Might 12, 2023.
