Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I had a theory of where BOTW fits on the timeline. I would use the thread made for timeline discussion, but it's a dead thread, so I'm going to just put it here I guess.

My theory is that the game itself doesn't even fit on the timeline, but instead the games that came before BOTW, except for Skyward Sword (due to it obviously being canon), are myths. Some aspects from those games happened within BOTW's reality, but as they got passed down from generation to generation, they started to lose more and more of the truth in which they once had. The reasons why I think this is the case is listed down below:

First off, you have the fact that Nintendo themselves placed the game into it's own thing on the official website, as if it's the start of it's own timeline in a way.

Secondly, the game itself refers to all the timelines in one way or another, based on locations on the map and Zelda's dialogue in the cutscene where Link gets knighted.

It'd also explain why the Rito exist alongside Zora, as well as locations from other games existing together in the same map, like how the great plateau is Ocarina of Time's map.

I probably did a terrible job at explaining this, but I really do think that the other games being myths or actual legends is a cool explanation, and even if it's not entirely canon, it's a good headcanon.

All i know is it takes place after Ocarina of time. Like 100's of years cause there's a part of the map where you can see what's left of Lon lon ranch and it ain't pretty. I try not to get so wrapped up in the Canon/non Canon thing and just have fun. How come nobody talks about Canon in the mario series? I mean yeah every game almost has the same plot. Dragon monster bad! He kidnap princess. Go get her.

Can you imagine a zelda game where it's set way in the future and Link is an old man? Heck I'd play it!

@VoidofLight So basically a 4th timeline then? ;p

@jump Effectively, but not even connected to anything but skyward sword, with the other games being mere myths.

So far as I can remember the only canon canon in the Zelda series is the one in Twilight Princess. Unless you count whatever is firing the canonballs in the first dungeon of Alttp as a canon (but we're never actually shown that it's actually a canon so I don't think we can count it).

Mario has far more canon that goes right back to the first SMB on the NES with those canons that fired bullet bills at you and the Mario canon only got more and more extensive as the series moved into 3D. Probably the biggest canon addition was in Bob Omb Battlefield in Mario 64 but there were a few canon additions in Mario Galaxy too.

What I like best about canon in Nintendo games is that they're really obvious about it. You don't need to wonder if something is "canon" or not - it either looks like a giant medieval siege weapon complete with large fuse on the back or it's not canon.

Lol there's a new speedrun where you have to mount every creature in the game this includes sidon, sand seals, lord of the mountain, bears, lynels, etc. Gosh I love the botw community

@VoidofLight

Nintendo clearly don't give a damn about the timeline. They largely invented it just to sell the book.

They only care when it's one of the games that's supposed to be a direct sequel (Ocarina->Majora or Wind Waker->Phantom Hourglass)

@Dezzy That's true, but they actually started to get a bit more into the timeline stuff with Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword literally being the first piece of the timeline, and Twilight Princess connecting to Ocarina with the Hero's shade, despite not being a direct sequel.

@VoidofLight

Skyward Sword released the exact same year as Hyrule Historia. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason they gave it a clear position in the timeline, to make people want to buy the book!

I really wouldn't be surprised if they never mention the timeline again!

@Dezzy I mean, they mentioned the timeline With BOTW, and even put the game on it's own timeline on their website, so I doubt it's actually going away. Breath of the Wild seems like a reboot, so it would make it easier to build on it with a clear timeline in mind for them, without having to link games that barely had any connection to one another.

@VoidofLight

Where's the place where they put it on its own timeline?

@Dezzy https://www.nintendo.co.jp/character/zelda/history/index.html

@VoidofLight

Cool, I hadn't seen that. Is there an english version?

@Dezzy Sadly not, but I wish there was, since it's a pretty cool site, and they updated it with development blog posts for some of the games, like Link's Awakening.

@DarthNocturnal The encyclopedia being canon is questionable, since unlike Historia, Nintendo themselves didn't get people to directly watch over the production of the book, with Dark Horse just doing it on their own I believe. However, seeing how the official timeline in the encyclopedia matches what's on this site, then I'd say that's probably at least canon.

@DarthNocturnal Ah alright. I just know people are questioning both Hyrule Historia and The Encyclopedia in terms of them being canon, despite Hyrule Historia having people from the Zelda team actually working on it.

Everyone knows Legend of Zelda Monopoly is the reason why Breath of the Wild makes sense.

Have I gone insane, or does Zelda have the full triforce in the scene where she's sealing ganon in hyrule castle?

@VoidofLight I instantly remembered the scene and yes she does. Wonder why the Triforce mythos was left out for Breath of the Wild. Shame, because it could have been really well executed. Zelda already has the power of a goddess so giving her the Triforce is overpowered.

@TheJGG I feel it was intentional. It makes me wonder though how she got all three pieces. It could also be another connection to Skyward Sword, since isn't Hylia's purpose to guard the Triforce itself?