The Legend of Zelda Timeline, Explained (With Tears of the Kingdom)

Link standing on a cliff overlooking Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom

Are you wondering about the placement of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the Zelda timeline? As the twenty-seventh game in the mainline series and the sequel to Breath of the Wild, the game’s position in the convoluted timeline of the Legend of Zelda franchise can be perplexing.

However, we’ve gathered what we can about where Tears of the Kingdom falls in the timeline!

Where Is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the Zelda Timeline?

Tears of the Kingdom is a follow-up to the critically acclaimed game Breath of the Wild. It is widely believed that the game takes place sometime after the first game’s events, although it is still being determined exactly how long after.

Nintendo has confirmed that it is a sequel, which rules out the possibility of being a prequel. While the events of Tears of the Kingdom could occur just days, weeks, or months after Breath of the Wild, fans hope that Link and Zelda will have some time to rest after their victory over Calamity Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda timeline can be challenging to follow, with games taking place at random and unspecified times. However, in this case, we can expect a direct continuation of the story from the previous game. Fans are excited to see where the story takes them and what challenges they will face in Tears of the Kingdom.

More N4G Unlocked: Is Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Open World?

The Legend of Zelda timeline explained

The Legend of Zelda games has been notorious for lacking continuity for a long time. However, Nintendo has attempted to make sense of the dozens of games in the franchise and how they relate to each other. The Hyrule Historia, which details the history and timelines of the games, was made public.

It’s important to note that the term “timelines” is used deliberately, as there are multiple timelines across the franchise, with numerous versions of Link, Zelda, and Ganon. The main branches include the Adult timeline, the Child timeline, and the Fallen Hero timeline.

The Adult and Child timelines split after the events of Ocarina of Time. One timeline continues from when Link returns to the past and prevents the rise of Ganondorf, while the other is the continuation of the timeline of Adult Link from that game.

For instance, in the Child timeline, Link experiences the events of Majora’s Mask, while Wind Waker takes place in the distant future of the Adult timeline. The Fallen Hero timeline is where Link is defeated by Ganondorf, leading to the events of Link to the Past, Link Between Worlds, and the original Legend of Zelda.

Breath of the Wild takes place long after all of the previous games, to the point where the events of those games have become a myth. Whether or not it falls in the same timeline as any previous events are irrelevant to Nintendo.

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