TotK and BotW: A Distinct Timeline in the Series

Nintendo has officially confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take place outside of the series' established timeline. This revelation was made during a presentation at the Nintendo Live 2024 event in Sydney, Australia.

Zelda Timeline Gets Even Crazier

TotK and BotW Events Said to be Unrelated to Previous Titles

Nintendo has clarified that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) and Breath of the Wild (BotW) exist outside the traditional timeline of the series. This was showcased during Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, where the company presented slides detailing "The Legend of Zelda History."

Since its debut in 1987, The Legend of Zelda series has followed the adventures of the hero Link as he battles evil across various timelines. However, according to a report by the news site Vooks, the events in both BotW and TotK are not connected to the narratives of the previous games.

The timeline begins with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and progresses to Ocarina of Time, after which it splits into multiple paths. The "Hero is Defeated" timeline leads to games like A Link to the Past, while the "Hero is Triumphant" timeline further divides into the "Child" timeline, encompassing titles such as Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventure, and the "Adult" timeline, which includes The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass.

Interestingly, BotW and TotK are depicted as standing alone, separate from the main timeline branches that define the rest of the series.

The Zelda franchise’s timeline has long been a subject of fascination and debate among fans due to its intricate and branching nature. The book The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion hints at the cyclical nature of Hyrule’s history, suggesting that the lines between historical fact and legend can become blurred. As noted in the book, "Hyrule’s recurring periods of prosperity and decline have made it impossible to tell which legends are historical fact and which are mere fairy tale."