The Legend of Zelda series is known for having a split, diverging timeline that used to feature all the games in the series. This meant that, despite all the differences between the games, namely artstyle and system used for them, every single game shared a universe, and the split happened depending on the Hero of Time during the events of Ocarina of Time. It was confusing enough as is, and the new version of the Zelda timeline doesn't help things either with its changes and strange additions of TOTK and BOTW.

Initially, the Zelda timeline diverged after Ocarina of Time into three separate sections: Fallen Hero, Child, and Adult era. The Fallen Hero timeline happens if Link fails in his quest at any point in OOT, thus leading to Ganondorf taking over the world. The Child timeline occurs when Link is sent back to his childhood and warns the world about Ganondorf, avoiding his rise to power. The Adult timeline happens when Link vanishes after returning to his childhood, leading to the gods flooding Ganon and Hyrule under a great ocean. However, the inclusion of TOTK and BOTW complicates matters.

The New Zelda Timeline Is More Nuanced Than Reported

A Separate Section Does Not Mean A Different Universe

In the newest version of the Zelda timeline, the three diverging paths still exist. In fact, the timeline still diverges because of Ocarina of Time, and the games before Skyward Sword still all have the same places. The confusion comes when Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, were added recently since neither of these games have a place in this timeline. Neither sit in any of the three diverging sections nor is there a place for them before the events of Ocarina of Time.

These two Nintendo Switch titles sit in an entirely separate section, disconnected from every other game. This is a little confusing, considering how contrived the rest of the timeline seems to fit all the Zelda games in and that BOTW and TOTK are one of the few duologies in the series. In theory, they should fit right in somewhere together, but instead, they sit on their own as if they are in their own universe separate to the entire franchise, but this is not actually the case.

Majora's Mask is technically a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, with the game featuring the Hero of Time once again, although it only takes place in the Child era.

While it is true that the BOTW and TOTK are separate and their placement in the timeline is difficult to find, it doesn't mean that these two titles exist separate from the rest of the Zelda universe. In fact, the deliberate vagueness around their placement is due to Hidemaro Fujibayashi (Zelda's director) wanting players to have the freedom to create their own lore and story for these two games. This means that BOTW and TOTK do exist in Zelda canon. Players just don't know exactly where.

Where Could BOTW and TOTK Sit In The Zelda Timeline?

It Is At Least After Ocarina Of Time

Fujibayashi revealed in an interview with Game Rant back in 2017 that BOTW "takes place in an age long, long after any of the titles released to date." This does make sense, since Princess Zelda talks about previous incarnations of Link in a memory, including the Hero of Time, Twilight, and the Sky. The game is meant to be so far in the future that every other game that came before BOTW is put in the Era of Myth and is so far behind that no one is entirely clear about the events.

Elements of prior games can be seen in BOTW's open world, such as the ruins of Ocarina of Time's Castle Town on the Great Plateau.

Since BOTW and TOTK likely take place long after the rest of the titles, the question then becomes which of the three timelines the game is a part of. There was a timeline theory when BOTW came out that the game actually unified the three eras somehow, but it is tough to justify. With the mention of the Hero of Twilight during one of the unlocked memories, BOTW and TOTK could feasibly take place in the Child era, meaning that Four Swords Adventures could be the most recent title to take place before BOTW.

This does get a bit confusing with the introduction of TOTK and time travel. This isn't the trivial time travel seen in Ocarina of Time, since Princess Zelda is sent to the era of Hyrule's founding by the Zonai. In theory, this takes place after Skyward Sword but before The Minish Cap, since this is when Hyrule's Founding is meant to take place in the timeline, but this is before the diverging of the timeline, and it isn't clear how soon after Skyward Sword this takes place.

It Is Up To The Player To Decide Where BOTW & TOTK Are On The Timeline

There Is Evidence For Several Theories

If BOTW did unify the timeline and the events of other eras are canon, then the Hyrule seen in TOTK could be the new Hyrule seen in the Adult era. This Hyrule has trains, as seen in Spirit Tracks, and could have led to the Ancient Technology seen with the Guardians in BOTW. Again, this would require the timelines to be unified, since the Hero of Twilight is directly mentioned in BOTW, but if players decide that they want this to be the case, then it is.

Link in Spirit Tracks has the funny title of Hero of Trains.

Confusingly, it isn't known if the Ganondorf in TOTK is the same one seen in multiple Zelda games. Even though he appears in a multitude of eras, artstyles, and platforms, and dies several times, the Ganondorf seen throughout other Zelda titles is the same person. The shriveled prune of a man seen in TOTK could be the one killed in Twilight Princess who is revived, or could just be another reincarnation of Ganondorf that got sealed away. Ganon does reincarnate constantly, and there is a chance that he comes back as Ganondorf again before BOTW, where he gets sealed away.

Ultimately, the deliberate vagueness of where BOTW and TOTK fit in The Legend of Zelda timeline makes it impossible to definitely find the right era for them, even though it is known that they occur long after any other game. The time traveling in TOTK and the questions around Ganondorf don't help matters either, but that is where some of the fun comes from. Those who are more casual Zelda fans won't care anyway, and those who are in the know about the lore can spend time debating the placement of these two titles.

Source: Game Rant