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 came 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 of the series' traditional timeline. This was announced at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, where slides detailing "The Legend of Zelda History" were presented. According to a report by the news site Vooks, the events in both BotW and TotK are not connected to those of the other Zelda titles.

Since its debut in 1987, The Legend of Zelda series has followed the adventures of Link as he combats evil across various timelines. These timelines, as shown in the recent presentation, diverge after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The timeline splits into two major paths: the "Hero is Defeated" timeline, which includes games like A Link to the Past, and the "Hero is Triumphant" timeline, which further divides into the "Child" timeline featuring 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 on the timeline chart, separate from the main series' events.

The Zelda franchise's timeline has long been a subject of fascination and debate among fans due to its complex 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. The book notes, "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."