According to Zelda lore masters, Echoes of Wisdom exists in an alternate timeline created by Link’s potential defeat in the 1998s Ocarina of Time. It’s somewhere in between Tri Force heroes (a 2015 Nintendo 3DS multiplayer game) and the demise of Hyrule Kingdom, an event leading up to the series’ NES debut in 1986. As you can see, the official timeline ping-pongs through our own reality, not always following the order of game releases.
Believe it or not, this is the second major change to the Zelda timeline this year. Large mural “The Legend of Zelda History”. displayed There were a lot of Switch-related entries at Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney Breath of the Wild AND Tears of the Kingdom completely separate from the known timeline – a change now also reflected on the official website. Some people thought this meant Nintendo was taking steps to reboot the confusing chronology – which would be hilarious if it was kept a secret for so long – but today’s development probably disproves that theory.
But does it really matter? Polygon guide producer Jeffrey Parkin tackled this question last year (read it!), but my own opinion is a noncommittal yes and no. The biggest advantage of the official story is that it gives Zelda fans something to think about in between games, while not affecting the games themselves as much. Princess Zelda emotional breakdown IN Breath of the Wildfor example, was a powerful storytelling element in its own right, but in the context of the series’ cyclical timeline, a deeper representation of the cumulative burden each Zelda has felt over the centuries can be appreciated.
As long as there are video games, there will be Zelda, and like the titular legend himself, we are destined to repeat these conversations endlessly.
