TotK and BotW Timeline Separate from Other Games in Series

Nintendo officially confirmed at the Nintendo Live 2024 event in Sydney, Australia, that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom exist outside the established series timeline.

Zelda Timeline Gets Even More Complex

TotK and BotW Events Unrelated to Previous Titles

Nintendo's announcement at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney clarifies that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) and Breath of the Wild (BotW) occupy a separate timeline, unconnected to previous entries. This revelation, reported by Vooks, significantly alters the understanding of the series' chronology.

Since its 1987 debut, the Legend of Zelda series has captivated players with its intricate timelines and Link's battles against evil. The timeline, previously understood to branch after Ocarina of Time, now features a distinct separation. Skyward Sword leads to Ocarina of Time, which then splits into the "Hero is Defeated" timeline (including A Link to the Past) and the "Hero is Triumphant" timeline (further branching into "Child" and "Adult" timelines encompassing titles like Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Four Swords Adventures, The Wind Waker, and Phantom Hourglass).

However, BotW and TotK stand apart, forming their own independent timeline branch, detached from the established series narrative.

The Zelda timeline has long been a source of fan debate. The complexities are further highlighted in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion, which suggests Hyrule's cyclical history blurs the lines between fact and legend, making precise timeline placement challenging. As 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."