Editorial: Where does Breath of the Wild fall in the Zelda timeline?

Where does Breath of the Wild fall in the Zelda timeline?

          For years, the Zelda timeline was something fans only speculated on. Most thought that there was no way these games could stick together in a single continuity. And, as it turns out, they were right.

          Revealed by Nintendo in 2011, the Zelda Timeline is divided up into 4 parts. There’s everything that comes before Ocarina of Time (Skyward Sword, Minish Cap), a timeline where Link fails to defeat Ganondorf at the climax of Ocarina (Link to the Past, Legend of Zelda), the Child timeline Zelda sends Link to if he’s victorious (Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess), and the Adult timeline he leaves behind (Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass).

          With the long-awaited next installment in the Zelda pantheon on the horizon, Breath of the Wild, fans are rabidly speculating exactly where this new game will fall with the rest.

          The only problem? Right off the bat, it isn’t exactly obvious. Breath of the Wild seems to be doing everything it can to stand out from the rest of the series, removing series staples in the name of innovation. Judging by the 1% we’ve seen, Hyrule seems to be in a state of ruin, something we’ve never really seen before. The iconic Temple of Time is no less than a crumbling cathedral as seen in the E3 Demo.

          According to series producer Eiji Aonuma, the Sheikah symbol as seen on Link’s new blue tunic is our first hint as to where this game lies. The Sheikah have always been a bit of an enigmatic part of the Zelda lore, with very few explicitly stated appearances of the tribe. Impa, a character with several appearances in the franchise, has consistently been described as the leader of the tribe whenever the game involves both her and the Sheikah. The symbol itself appears primarily in Ocarina of Time, with scattered appearances throughout Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.

          In Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah are described as an ancient, technologically advanced race that has saved Hyrule several times in the past, but have since vanished. This leads me to believe that we are past Ocarina of Time, since a Sheikah was crucial to the defeat of Ganon in that game and games set previously, such as Skyward Sword.

          The other reason we can rule out a pre-Ocarina placement is the state of Hyrule. From what we’ve seen, the kingdom is in shambles. At no point in the early timeline does it say that Hyrule was ever in this state. There’s even a theory that matches up the starting area of Breath of the Wild with Hyrule Castle Town of Ocarina of Time, only now, that famous town has been lost over several centuries of neglect.

          Now the difficult part: deciding which of the three timelines Breath of the Wild falls in. Right now, it’s honestly hard to tell. All three have several arguments for and against themselves. For all we know, Breath of the Wild is so far off in the future of the timeline that Hyrule’s fallen to pieces since the last games.

          While we have no evidence for or against it yet, I feel we can rule out the Child Timeline, which leads to Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess. The only evidence we have that resembles something from these games is a bridge in some artwork that resembles the Bridge of Eldin from Twilight Princess, but even then, that’s just grasping at straws. Right now, it’s hard to say.

          Which leads me to the two other timelines: the Fallen Hero timeline and the Adult timeline. Each have several arguments, and we’ll start with the Fallen Hero timeline.

          I’ve always called the Fallen Hero timeline the “square shape that fits in the round hole” timeline. Basically, if the game doesn’t fit anywhere else, they dump it here. This is where lots of outliers like the original two games and Tri-Force Heroes are set.

          There’s lots pushing for this to be where Breath of the Wild is set. For one, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto has often said how this game is Zelda going back to the basics, using the original Legend of Zelda as an example. Some promotional art from the original game was referenced a lot during the E3 Demo as well, featuring Link on a rock, looking out on a mountainous horizon. This resembles one of the introductory shots of Breath of the Wild, with Link overlooking the Great Plateau.

          However, I personally, believe that this game is set in the Adult Timeline, though exactly when isn’t clear. My two cents say that it’s after Wind Waker, and I’ll explain why.

          Firstly, it’s hard to have the game set before Wind Waker. As the opening narration to Wind Waker describes, Ganondorf returned sometime after being sealed away by Link and Zelda at the conclusion of Ocarina of Time. The people of Hyrule looked to the Hero to save them from the evil once again, but no hero ever showed up. This led the Goddesses to decide the only way to save Hyrule and its people was to wash it away under the Great Sea.

          Although it’s clear Ganon is in this game (called the Calamity Ganon for some reason), we also have another incarnation of Link. It would be kind of weird for Link to defeat Ganon if this game were to be set before Wind Waker.

          As for being set after, the first point I’d like to make is the fact that the race known as the Koroks are present. In Zelda lore, the Koroks were formerly the childlike race known as the Kokiri, before they transformed to stay alive during the flooding of Hyrule. They are only present in Wind Waker, where they fly around the Great Sea, planting trees so that one day the sea will go away, and everyone will live together on one island. Given the fact that Koroks are seemingly everywhere in the Great Plateau, it seems their mission was a successful one.

          Secondly, the state Hyrule is in. Everything is in shambles, and notice that aside from the mysterious Old Man, we haven’t seen any other humans around. This might be because the Great Sea has finally receded, and the Hylians are slowly but surely coming back to their old kingdom. The Temple of Time especially looks to be little more than an old ruin, abandoned after years of neglect at the bottom of the sea. This could also explain the presence of the Master Sword, despite it being left in the skull of Ganondorf at the bottom of the sea at the conclusion of Wind Waker. Since the sea is gone, the sword has been returned to its rightful pedestal. Plus, it looks like it’s covered in some kind of algae or moss, like it hasn’t been touched in ages.

          Thirdly, look at the Shrines that dot the landscape of the Great Plateau. They’re all cast in glowing blue light. Where have we seen this before? At the end of the Tower of the Gods in Wind Waker, during the boss fight against Gohdan! The entire battle is cast in the same strands of blue light that permeate the shrines.

          This is to say nothing of the similar art style, with enemies like Chuchus looking extremely similar to their Wind Waker counterparts. For me, all signs are pointing at this being a sequel to one of the most beloved entries in the series.

          But then there’s also the argument that Skyward Sword created a new timeline altogether, but that’s a story for another day.

Song of the Week

          With all the bad news that’s been going around recently, I felt it’d be fun to just relax once a week and choose a good song from a game to listen to. Who knows, you might even find a new game or soundtrack you like through this!

          With all the talk about Wind Waker this week, I’ve chosen the song Forest Haven from that same game. This plays when visiting the home of the Koroks, who seem to be playing a big role in Breath of the Wild. This is one of my favourite songs from the game, and one of the most relaxing Zelda songs overall.