According to the Zelda loremasters: Echoes of wisdom exists on the alternate timeline created by Link’s potential failure in 1998 Ocarina of time. It’s somewhere in between Triforce heroes (the 2015 multiplayer-focused Nintendo 3DS game) and the demise of the Hyrule Kingdom, an event that precedes the series’ NES debut in 1986. As you can see, the official timeline ping-ponges through our own reality without us always to follow. the order in which the games were released.
Believe it or not, this is the second major adjustment to the Zelda timeline this year. A large mural “The Legend of Zelda History”. displayed Nintendo Live 2024 in Sydney saw huge Switch entries Breath of the wild And Tears of the kingdom completely separate from the known timeline – a change that is now also reflected on the official website. Some thought this meant Nintendo was taking steps to reboot the confusing chronology – which would be hilarious if you kept it a secret for that long – but today’s development likely puts an end to that theory.
But does this really matter? Polygon guides producer Jeffrey Parkin tackled this question last year (go read it!), but my own opinion is the noncommittal “yes and no.” The big appeal of an official history is that it gives Zelda fans something to think about between games, while also not really having much impact on the games themselves. From Princess Zelda emotional breakdown in Breath of the wild. for example, was a powerful story on its own, but in the context of the franchise’s cyclical timeline you might appreciate its deeper portrayal of the cumulative weight each Zelda has felt throughout the ages.
As long as there are video games, there will be Zelda, and like the eponymous legend itself, we are destined to repeat these conversations forever.