While The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises, its timeline remains one of the series' most infamous aspects. The multiple timeline branches and confusing placements of certain titles have arguably resulted in more questions than answers. While it is certainly confusing, Nintendo's desire for each Zelda game to deliver its own distinct experience means that the accuracy of the series timeline is rarely a priority for the developers.

Although the Zelda timeline falters in of accuracy, it has the huge benefit of providing valuable insight into the shared attributes between multiple beloved titles. Branches of the Zelda timeline tend to be defined by certain characteristics that can be found within the games occupying said branch, ranging across aspects like tone, setting, or narrative. With this in mind, a closer look into the Zelda timeline shows one period that Nintendo favors the most, which may be preventing the franchise from offering a greater variety of creative experiences for the player.

Many Zelda Games Take Place During The Hero Is Defeated Timeline

Games Set During This Period Share Many Similarities

As shown on the official Legend of Zelda website, many Zelda games take place in the Hero is Defeated timeline, including the likes of Link's Awakening and A Link Between Worlds. As one of three branches created following the events of Ocarina of Time, the Hero is Defeated timeline follows a scenario in which the Hero of Time is defeated by Ganondorf. It is the most populated branch within the Zelda timeline, with a current total of eight games, which far exceeds the six games shared between both of the other branches.

Many Zelda titles are set before the events of Ocarina of Time, including Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap. These titles are under one united timeline, and depict the origins of Hyrule and the Triforce.

As these games are set within the same time period, they tend to share a lot of the same characteristics. For example, many of the Zelda titles within this branch feature similar designs for many characters and enemies, from the Bokoblins to Ganon himself, while the games set within Hyrule favor a similar layout of the kingdom, with certain locations remaining in the same place. Furthermore, the games in the Hero is Defeated timeline often share the same uplifting, inspiring tone that encourages the player to head out and explore.

It makes sense that so many Zelda titles are placed within the Hero is Defeated timeline. This particular time period is home to some of the most iconic and beloved aspects of the series, whether that be its character designs or grand atmosphere. Even if a Zelda entry in the Hero is Defeated timeline doesn't take place in Hyrule, its adoption of the period's most well-known characteristics gives the game this instant recognizability, helping to broaden the title's overall appeal.

Each Zelda Timeline Branch Offers Something Unique

The Alternate Timelines Differ In Atmosphere And Narrative

While the Hero is Defeated timeline is a beloved aspect of the Zelda series' overall history, Nintendo's over-reliance on this period has resulted in the series missing out on the potential offered by the alternate timelines. Each branch created following Ocarina of Time is wildly different from the others in of tone and design, with the two Hero is Triumphant timelines diverting much further from certain iconic staples. While games set within these alternate periods may lose that recognizability, they give players a lot of variety in the kind of adventures they can experience.

These alternate timeline branches are often home to some of the Zelda series' most unique titles. For example, the timeline that follows Child Link after his victory against Ganondorf includes titles such as Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, both of which adopt a darker and more somber tone than what is typically seen within the Zelda series. Both games' use of a more mature narrative and unsettling atmosphere create a sense of despair and foreboding that's unlike any other experience offered by a Zelda title before or since.

The titles set within the period can't offer the same kind of experience as a game like Majora's Mask.

The Zelda games that take place in these alternate timelines are proof of the levels of creativity that the series has to offer. However, Nintendo's tendency to stick with the Hero is Defeated timeline has resulted in a myriad of Zelda games that, while often setting themselves apart with distinct gameplay mechanics, have this sense of familiarity in their presentation that prevents them from standing out. As iconic as the Hero is Defeated timeline may be, the titles set within the period can't offer the same kind of experience as a game like Majora's Mask.

Future Zelda Games Should Take Place During Different Time Periods

Giving The Series A Greater Sense Of Variety

It's clear that future Zelda games will benefit from being placed during different periods within the series timeline. Whether that lies in one of the Hero is Triumphant branches or in the united timeline prior to the events of Ocarina of Time, these different periods have their own distinct tone and atmosphere that perfectly demonstrates the malleability of the Zelda series overall. Sharing future Zelda games across these periods would allow these titles to take a different direction, creating a multitude of original entries for players to experience.

Future Zelda games may benefit from establishing entirely new time periods to give them a unique identity. This is most evident with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, whose separation from the rest of the Zelda timeline allowed the titles to create their own context from the ground up while providing a slower, more tranquil adventure than what the series had previously offered. By having that blank slate, future Zelda titles would be able to craft a completely unfamiliar experience for the player, breaking out of the confines of a specific time period.

Due to multiple contradictory reports and statements, it's currently unclear how either Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom fit into the Zelda timeline, if at all. A display at a Nintendo Live event in 2024 depicted both BOTW and TOTK as being completely separate from the rest of the series, while both games are missing from the Zelda website's timeline.

Only time will tell how future Zelda titles will fit into the series timeline. That being said, it's clear that the timeline's multiple branches aren't simply a case of attempting to connect Zelda games coherently but serve as a showcase of the many different kinds of adventures that the series has to offer. Nintendo should take advantage of the potential that these other timeline branches offer to give a greater sense of variety to The Legend of Zelda overall, maintaining that sense of creativity that makes the franchise so beloved.

Source: Nintendo