It’s now confirmed: *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom* do not align with any existing timeline of the Legend of Zelda series. Nintendo revealed this over the weekend, stating that these two open-world titles, which frame the lifespan of the Switch, exist in their own unique reality. This means all those hours spent trying to fit them into the established lore were in vain.
The notion that the Legend of Zelda games follow a coherent timeline has always seemed like a journey toward chaos. Delve too deeply into it, and you might find yourself sketching spirals on your walls. Yet, Nintendo seems intent on fostering this tangled web, with 19 Zelda games woven into an increasingly complex narrative.
The Australian Nintendo site Vooks highlighted this update during Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, sharing a slide from the Japanese publisher that outlines the timeline. There are two recognized timelines in the official Zelda canon: “Hero is Defeated” and “Hero is Triumphant,” which diverge after *Ocarina of Time*. The latter then splits into the “Child Era” and “Adult Era,” while *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom* awkwardly sit apart, unable to fit into either.
According to the slide, the timeline begins with *Skyward Sword*, followed by *The Minish Cap* and *Four Swords*, before branching off after *Ocarina of Time*. This places the two most recent games—*The Legend of Zelda* and *Zelda II: The Adventure of Link*—at the beginning, both set in the “Era of Decline.” However, the Switch’s adventures remain isolated, not even linked to each other chronologically.
Interestingly, this official timeline does not include *The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom* at all.
Perhaps it’s simpler to disregard this entirely and view Zelda as a vast collection of toys, with Nintendo taking them out to play in various ways each time. Sure, there’s Link, Zelda, and Ganon, all sharing the same world map, but there’s no real need for their stories to intersect. At least, that’s how I maintain my sanity.
