Major Nintendo Games Separate from Series in Latest Reveal

Nintendo confirms that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom exist outside the established Zelda timeline. This announcement was made at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

A Separate Timeline

The presentation revealed that the events of Breath of the Wild (BotW) and Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) are independent from previous Zelda games. This significantly alters the previously understood franchise timeline.

The established timeline, starting with Skyward Sword and branching after Ocarina of Time, divides into the "Hero is Defeated" and "Hero is Triumphant" timelines, further splitting into "Child" and "Adult" branches. However, BotW and TotK are depicted as separate entities, unconnected to these established branches.

This revelation adds another layer of complexity to the already intricate Zelda timeline, a subject of much fan speculation. 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 legend and fact, further complicating the placement of these titles within the broader narrative. The book notes that Hyrule's recurring cycles of prosperity and decline make it difficult to distinguish historical fact from myth.