TotK and BotW Timeline Separate from Other Games in Series

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, Australia, significantly alters the understanding of the series' chronology.

A Separate Branch in Zelda History

The presentation revealed that Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) and Breath of the Wild (BotW) events are unrelated to previous Zelda titles. This contrasts sharply with the established timeline, which branches from Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time, diverging into "Hero is Defeated" and "Hero is Triumphant" paths. The latter further splits into "Child" and "Adult" timelines, each encompassing numerous games.

The official timeline chart clearly positions BotW and TotK as a separate entity, detached from the previously established branches. This revelation adds a new layer of complexity to the already intricate Zelda timeline.

Blurring the Lines of Hyrule's History

The cyclical nature of Hyrule's history, as hinted at in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion, further complicates matters. The book suggests that the frequent cycles of prosperity and decline make distinguishing historical fact from legend incredibly challenging. This ambiguity contributes to the difficulty in precisely placing BotW and TotK within the overall narrative. The quote, "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," perfectly encapsulates this uncertainty. The placement of these two titles outside the established timeline reinforces this notion of a separate, potentially cyclical, Hyrule history.