The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, but together, neither of them quite fit on the series' official timeline. After the release of BOTW, players speculated about where on the timeline it could be set. However, having TOTK as a direct sequel has made it nearly impossible to place either game in a position that fits with the rest of the series.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.]
Around the release of Skyward Sword, Nintendo created an official timeline for the Zelda series and included it in Hyrule Historia. Then, Breath of the Wild came out, and it led to a lot of speculation as to where in time it takes place, and some theories even suggested that all other Zelda games happen between BOTW's two Calamities. But now, with TOTK available, it seems more like Nintendo doesn’t intend to adhere to the timeline it created.
Nintendo's Official Legend Of Zelda Timeline Is Meaningless
The official Zelda timeline that Nintendo released is convoluted and includes multiple splits. It took years of players requesting a timeline for Nintendo to provide one, but it seems like the timeline is more of a suggestion instead of an element that all games in the series need to follow. Even events that are featured in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom that share names with events from previous games are clearly different, and this makes it even more difficult to create a comprehensive history that includes the placement of every Zelda game.
The Imprisoning War In A Link To The Past & Ocarina Of Time
Early in Tears of the Kingdom, players find stone engravings that detail the Imprisoning War, of which Zelda helpfully provides an overview. However, it's clear that this version of the Imprisoning War isn't the same as the war of the same name mentioned in A Link to the Past. If both of these events occurred on the same timeline, then the Imprisoning War in TOTK would happen long before the war of the same name in ALttP as it involves the first king of Hyrule.
The Imprisoning War in ALttP takes place after the events of Ocarina of Time in the version of the timeline where Link is defeated by Ganondorf. Ganondorf completes the Triforce and enters the Sacred Realm, turning into Ganon after he makes his wish. As a last resort after being unable to find a hero able to wield the Master Sword, the Sages imprison Ganon in the Sacred Realm to put an end to the Imprisoning War. Ganon's presence then corrupts the Sacred Realm into the Dark World seen in A Link to the Past.
Tears Of The Kingdom's Imprisoning War
The Imprisoning War in Tears of the Kingdom shares very few similarities with the war of the same name that's explained in ALttP. Primarily, both wars involve sealing Ganondorf. TOTK's version doesn't involve Link or the Master Sword at all. Instead, Rauru, who's the first king of Hyrule, sealed Ganondorf beneath what would become Hyrule Castle using the Right Arm that Link would later acquire after the seal was broken.
Skyward Sword Clashes With Tears Of The Kingdom
The Imprisoning War isn't the only piece of content from Tears of the Kingdom that changes up the timeline as the inclusion of the Sky means that the in-game history clashes with Skyward Sword. Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword had timeline issues as well, so this isn't the first time that there have been inconsistencies. In Skyward Sword, Hylians occupy Skyloft, and these Hylians are said to be descendants of those who once lived among the Goddess Hylia. This of the origin of Hylians is similar to that of TOTK, but it also has some key differences that make them incompatible with each other.
Since the Zonai weren't created until Breath of the Wild's development, they understandably aren't part of Skyward Sword. However, this alone is enough to make the game clash with Tears of the Kingdom since the Zonai were the inhabitants of the Sky, and evidence of this is found across the islands, especially with the constructs they made continuing to function. The existence of the Zonai also leads to a different origin for Hylians and the creation of Hyrule compared to Skyward Sword.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda gives information about the origin of Hylians when she explains what the stone carvings beneath Hyrule Castle depict. Zonai are said to be descended from gods and created Hyrule through marriage with a Hylian, but in Skyward Sword it was the Hylians who were descended from gods. As a result, it's hard to form a timeline that can fit both games on it without adding another split, complicating an already convoluted timeline even further.
Zelda's Timeline Going Forward After Tears Of The Kingdom
Overall, the impact of Tears of the Kingdom on the official timeline is not as significant as players might feel, and the reason is that this isn't the first time that the games on the timeline haven't perfectly aligned. It seems like Nintendo is fine with creating Zelda games without regard to having a clean timeline that connects them to create the game's universe. The series can function without connections between the games, and it seems likely that Nintendo simply released an official timeline to placate the players who wanted one for so long.
At this point, the timeline is better used as an estimation of where each Zelda game could be placed in the universe instead of an accurate guide for the series' in-game history. If Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are an indication of future games, then Nintendo doesn't seem concerned about games connecting beyond those that are direct sequels. In a way, this can make it easier to keep expanding the series without worrying about the restrictions of a concrete timeline.
Tears of the Kingdom shakes up the official Zelda timeline, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. While the timeline can be a nice tool to create a coherent universe with all the games connected, Zelda games can be enjoyed independent of each other. Breath of the Wild led to plenty of speculation, but the timeline was proven to be overall meaningless with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
