TotK and BotW Timeline Separate from Other Games in Series

Nintendo confirms Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom exist outside the established Zelda timeline. This announcement, made at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney, Australia, significantly alters the established canon.

A Separate Timeline for BotW and TotK

The presentation clarified that Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) and Breath of the Wild (BotW) events are unconnected to previous Zelda titles. This revelation, reported by Vooks, complicates the already intricate Zelda timeline.

The traditional Zelda timeline, originating with Skyward Sword and branching after Ocarina of Time, divides into the "Hero is Defeated" and "Hero is Triumphant" timelines. The latter further splits into "Child" and "Adult" timelines, encompassing various titles.

However, BotW and TotK occupy a distinct, independent branch, separate from the established narrative.

This ambiguity aligns with the book The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion. The book suggests Hyrule's cyclical history blurs the lines between fact and legend, making precise timeline placement challenging. As the book notes, Hyrule's recurring cycles of prosperity and decline obscure the distinction between historical fact and myth. This inherent ambiguity within Hyrule's history further supports the placement of BotW and TotK in their own unique timeline.