Nintendo confirms Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom exist outside the established Zelda timeline. This announcement, made at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, significantly alters the established canon.
A Separate Branch in Zelda History
The presentation revealed that Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) and Breath of the Wild (BotW) events are independent of previous Zelda titles. This revelation, reported by Vooks, complicates the already intricate Zelda timeline.
The traditional Zelda timeline, beginning with Skyward Sword and branching after Ocarina of Time, divides into the "Hero is Defeated" and "Hero is Triumphant" timelines. The latter further splits into "Child" and "Adult" timelines, encompassing various games.
However, BotW and TotK stand apart, forming their own distinct timeline branch, unconnected to the established narrative.
This development adds another layer of complexity to the series' lore. The book, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion, hints at the cyclical nature of Hyrule's history, blurring the lines between fact and legend, making definitive timeline placement challenging. The book states: "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." This ambiguity now extends to the placement of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom within the overarching Zelda saga.
