Since the first few years of the Zelda franchise, fans have attempted to piece together its confusing and convoluted timeline. How do all of these games, which, at the very least, appear to all be in the same universe, fit together in a chronological set? Certain things have led fans to place some games in order, but other answers had long confused those who studied such things.
Then in 2011, Nintendo released Hyrule Historia, an encyclopedic book explaining exactly how the Zelda series ties together into a timeline. Since then, a few more games have been released, including the insanely-successful With the prequel to BOTW, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the debate continues to rage.
Hyrule Historia
For years, the exact answer as to how all of the games tied together eluded timeline theorists. Many were fairly sure that there was a diversion into parallel universes as a result of Ocarina of Time's ending in which Princess Zelda sends Link back in time.
Many believed that this split the timeline in two, with one branch following Link as a child after being sent back, and the other following Link in the "adult" universe. Hyrule Historia eventually came along and put all of this in stone, though many still debate the veracity of this canonical book.
Debate Still Exists
Many fans and those who study the timeline theories believe that Nintendo tried to force the games into a narrative that fit for the sake of Hyrule Historia. There still exists much debate over some of the choices, with many refuting some of them strongly.
Nintendo probably didn't make the Zelda games with the intention of them fitting neatly into a consistent timeline, and, as a result, it's hard to force that to happen. Thus, some don't accept the answers given in Hyrule Historia. Furthermore, 2018's The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, also produced by Nintendo, made some revisions to the timeline listed in Historia, leading fans to further doubt the veracity of the originally stated timeline.
Timeline Split
The biggest revelation in Hyrule Historia is that there are actually three simultaneous timelines, not two. As a result of Zelda sending Link back in time, the timeline splits into three branches coming out of Ocarina.
First is the timeline that follows Child Link in the past, leading to Majora's Mask, and so on. Second, a timeline that follows Adult Link after defeating Ganon, leading to Wind Waker and the games that follow therein. Finally, Nintendo revealed the third timeline, the "Fallen Hero Timeline." This follows from Ocarina in a universe where Link is defeated by Ganon, leading to an era without a hero, including A Link to the Past and other games.
Breath of the Wild Doesn't Fit
After attempting to set the finalized timeline in stone via Hyrule Historia, Nintendo then released a game that seems to defy everything about the official canon: Breath of the Wild. This game seems to take bits from each of the parallel timelines—which should be impossible—and has elements and features that prevent it from fitting neatly into any of them.
However, it also contains much that makes it impossible to fit it into the timeline before the events of Ocarina. It's believed that the events of BOTW take place a long, long time after the initial timeline, so the events of any of them could have been possible but are lost to history.
Time Travel in Age of Calamity
To the chagrin of theorists who attempt to categorize the games into a neat timeline, the opening scene of the new Age of Calamity shows that it might be even more complicated than anyone would hope. This cutscene shows the Diminutive Guardian traveling back in time, implying that there is the possibility for even more timeline complications.
This Guardian is attempting to showcase the events of the Great Calamity before it happens to help the heroes prevent it. Who knows where this will lead or if it will split the timeline of BOTW in two, three, or more, or even connect it to the existing timeline somehow.
Skyward Sword Goes First
Something to note about the official Zelda Timeline is that the games do not take place in-universe in the same order that they were released in real life. In fact, many of the first games are actually toward the end of their respective timeline branches.
The same is true in reverse, with the events of Skyward Sword—which, at the time of Hyrule Historia's release, was the newest Zelda game—taking place chronologically at the beginning of the entire timeline. The events of Skyward Sword lead to the creation of the evil entity that will become Ganon, the Hylian race, The Master Sword, and much more.
Ocarina Only Leads to Disaster
Something that is somewhat comical to note is that the Ocarina of Time iterations of Zelda and Link kind of messed everything up in a few ways. Each of the timelines that branch from Ocarina is kind of a mess, and it all stems back to Zelda's transport of Link back in time.
In the Fallen Hero timeline, Link dies—that's pretty self-explanatory. In the Child Timeline, Link disappears to another land where the literal moon is about to crash down and kill everyone. And, in the Adult Link Timeline, everything ends up terrible, and the world is flooded. Great job, you two.
Time-Splitter 2: Electric Boogaloo
The opening cutscene of Age of Calamity has led to an explosion of speculation and fan debate over how the game will end. Anyone who has played Breath of the Wild knows that the Champions all die, Calamity Ganon takes over Hyrule Castle, and monsters ravage the land.
However, many have started to believe that Age of Calamity might have two endings: one that leads to the events at the beginning of BOTW, and one that leads to the heroes being successful and vanquishing Calamity Ganon.
This would mean that this game and BOTW would serve as a second instance of timeline splitting, much like Ocarina. Perhaps Nintendo is looking to establish a new, separate timeline for future installments and moving on from the old timeline?
It Was Left Open on Purpose
Whatever Nintendo's intentions, the existing timeline is a fascinating and confusing, yet lovable, mess. It's pretty clear, though, that the official intention by the developers was to leave it somewhat open, allowing them to place future installments in the series somewhere into the timeline.
The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia shows that this was done on purpose, although it's unclear how BOTW and its story would fit into the timeline, leading again to speculation that it intentionally doesn't fit in the official chronology.
Iterations of Zelda and Link
It's important to note that each iteration of Zelda, Link, and other recurring characters are not the same person, per se. Some of them definitely appear in multiple games, but some of them are relegated to a single entry. For example, the Link and Zelda in Wind Waker are the same people as are the iterations of Link in Ocarina and Majora's Mask.
However, it's believed that each incarnation of Ganon is the same person, stemming back to Demise's curse in Skyward Sword. Ganon, unlike Link and Zelda, is reincarnated in each appearance.
