The "Totally Not Complicated" Zelda Timeline EXPLAINED



Timelines for most games are easy to understand, but “The Legend of Zelda” is a different story. For this essay, we’ll be laying out the complex chronology of the “Zelda” series. We’ll take you through the beginning with “Skyward Sword,” the three-way split caused by “Ocarina of Time,” where Hyrule currently stands with “Breath of the Wild,” and everything in between. Which “Zelda” game is your personal favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Watch more great “Zelda” videos here:
The Legend of Zelda Mythology Explained: https://youtu.be/kAJ10tpjo7U
The Legend of Zelda: Every Version of Link Ranked: https://youtu.be/LTlCX3jAjUg
The 10 BEST Zelda Breath of the Wild Side Quests: https://youtu.be/BSCZLJOAusM

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38 thoughts on “The "Totally Not Complicated" Zelda Timeline EXPLAINED”

  1. Great video!

    This is just me going on a tangent, but I have a feeling that the release of Skyward Sword HD as the franchises' 35th anniversary flagship title (while cool, but ultimately lackluster), may have deeper implications for ToTK as a whole. My reasoning is the re-emergence of the sky islands, perhaps remnants of Skyloft buried underneath Hyrule for countless centuries. As to how this is important to the Zonai people of even Ganondorf as a whole (if anything), remains to be seen within the game. Also, taking Hyrule Hystoria into consideration, most of the diverging (confusing) timelines have more or less wrapped up their narrative. It's my guess that Nintendo wrote themselves into a corner with so many timelines; so seeing as to how BoTW wasn't officially introduced and ANY of the timelines' ultimate finale, it could be that they took the opportunity to re-write the Legend of Zelda, with a singular starting point of Skyward Sword.

    Can't wait for the official release!

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  2. So you said "we want an answer!" They said "grumble grumble…fn the end" you said "but the end of what! Of which timeline are you speaking!" They said: "shut up, nerd". Does that sound about right?

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  3. every channel doing this kinda videos gearing up for totk release. i wanna see theory crafting on the new dungeons, bosses tho. like how certain shrines were near or on top of classic zelda dungeons (i can only think of the lake hylia shrine that might lead into water temple rn), and potentially new bosses like lynelkings, moblinkings in the vein of boss bokoblins

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  4. The oracle games feature a separate Link from A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. That is the reason for the swap. Nobody in Hyrule knows of this Link and he meets a new Princess Zelda for the first time. Realizing this, Nintendo placed them further down the line.

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  5. What I wanna know is where some of the spin offs fall on the timeline. I am referring to the three hyrule warriors games. It is obvious that age of calamity happens before botw but what about hyrule warriors and hyrule warriors legends. What about the unholy tri force the Cdi games and the cartoon series? Where do those fall in the timeline? Then again adding all that would complicate the time line even more.

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  6. It was good that you brought up Hyrule Historia where it said that Oracle of Seasons and Ages comes after A Link to the Past.
    The reason why it was in Hyrule History was because the Oracle of the games according to the story in play takes place before Link's Awakening. They also made the ending of the game (if you use the password that you get in the games) show Link sailing away in his boat, the boat that he comes with at the beginning of Link's Awakening.

    What the new timeline that came after Hyrule Historia says is that it's up to the players how they want to play their Zelda games. As a wise person once said: Link is just a link between the player and the game.

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  7. A lot of people ask why does Ocarina of Time have an alternate ending where Ganon is victorious, but no other game. I have a theory about that. Before Ocarina of Time the Triforce was wholly intact. When Ganondorf obtains the Triforce in Ocarina of Time it splits up because his heart is unbalanced. I believe the three branches are a manifestation of the Triforce no longer being whole. Each branch represents a particular piece. The fallen hero timeline represents power (Ganon is victorious), the adult timeline represents courage (Link's courage defeats Ganondorf) and the child timeline represents wisdom (Zelda's wisdom prevents Ganondorf from taking over before it happens).

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  8. One theory that I have about the Legend of Zelda games timelines, was that Hyrule Warriors connected the other timelines creating a whole entire combined timeline that started off the events that led up to Breath of the Wild and then they created another timeline through Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity

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  9. Yes. Link's Awakening happening BEFORE the Oracles IS important. Why? Because Zelda wouldn't recognize Link. Which means that Link is ANOTHER Link, not the one from ALTTP

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