Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom today, and you know what that means: timeline speculation. X/Twitter and Reddit are abuzz with speculation about where exactly Echoes of Wisdom falls in Zelda’s complicated history.
In addition, u/scdsco He points out that many of the things we saw are simply not in A Link to the Past: “There were many areas in the trailer and official art that don’t exist in alttp, like the rainforest area, the volcano, the gerudo town, and the ice mountain. “
One of the most interesting tidbits, however, is that Echoes of Wisdom features both Zora designs from the series, marking the first time both have appeared in one game. The decision to include both types of Zoras (ahem) reflects the combination of several elements that were previously exclusive to one branch of the timeline, something we also saw in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which take place long, long after any other game currently on the timeline.
At this point, signs seem to point to Echoes of Wisdom taking place somewhere in the Fallen Hero/Fall timeline. Some fans like u/ZeldaExpert74I theorize that this is actually the beginning of the Fallen Hero/Fall timeline, taking place between Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past. Other theories place Echoes of Wisdom between A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening or after A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes. These connections make sense: Echoes of Wisdom’s art style is essentially the same as the Switch remake of Link’s Awakening. If nothing else, everyone seems to agree on one thing: it’s not part of the Wind Waker timeline.
While it’s fun to speculate, it’s also worth noting that Nintendo seems rather… disinterested in the Zelda timeline lately. The publisher hasn’t officially put a new game on its timeline in almost a decade, although series producer Eiji Anouma has confirmed that the link from A Link Between Worlds is the same one that appears in Tri Force Heroes. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have elements from each timeline, so perhaps it will all come together in the future. Perhaps Echoes of Wisdom takes place closer to them than any previous game? Nintendo isn’t saying anything yet. Maybe they don’t even think about the timeline anymore. Who knows?
While it can be fun to speculate about the timeline, it’s important to remember that Zelda is a myth, or perhaps more accurately, a legend told over and over and passed down from generation to generation. While continuity can certainly be found, the timeline is not as important as the mindset and enduring spirit of the series in an anthology format. You don’t need to have played the previous Zelda to understand the new one, nor do you need to understand where Echoes of Wisdom is in the series’ history to enjoy playing Zelda for the first time. So by all means speculate, but don’t be surprised if Nintendo never gives us an official answer as to where this takes place in the timeline.
Will Borger is a freelancer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @bywillborger.
