How do the Zelda games fit together?
The Zelda games fit together through a complex and intricate timeline that spans multiple alternate timelines, with each game building upon the lore and story of the previous ones, and Nintendo claiming that all 22 games are part of the same canon. The games are connected by various storylines, characters, and locations, including Hyrule, Termina, and other realms, which are woven together to create a rich and immersive gaming universe.
Understanding the Zelda Timeline
The Zelda series has a vast and intricate timeline that has been debated by fans and scholars for years, with the creative team behind the series having an eyes-only, confidential version of the timeline that rearranges the games into a cohesive-ish timeline that branches into three possible outcomes. The timeline is divided into three main branches: the Child Timeline, the Adult Timeline, and the Fallen Timeline, each with its own unique storyline and characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do all the Zelda games take place in the same universe?
All Zelda games take place in the same universe, with most games set in Hyrule, while others, like Majora’s Mask, take place in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule.
2. Are Zelda games on a timeline?
Yes, the Zelda games are on a timeline, with the creative team having a confidential version of the timeline that connects all the games.
3. Are all the Zeldas linked?
Officially, all Zelda games are connected, with some games having stronger connections than others, such as Wind Waker, which takes place long after Ocarina of Time.
4. What is the connection between Ocarina of Time and Tears of the Kingdom?
Tears of the Kingdom continues where Breath of the Wild left off, with Link and Zelda on a mission to save a missing Princess, and introduces a character named King Rauru, who shares a name with a prominent character from Ocarina of Time.
5. How does Tears of the Kingdom fit into the Zelda timeline?
Tears of the Kingdom fits into the Zelda timeline as a sequel to Breath of the Wild, with Zelda being sent to the past to witness the events that led to Ganondorf’s first sealing.
6. What is the connection between Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask?
Majora’s Mask is set in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule, and follows the same Link as Ocarina of Time, with familiar landmarks and side characters presented with individual stories of misfortune.
7. How is Zelda alive in Tears of the Kingdom?
Zelda is alive in Tears of the Kingdom because she was sent to the past, to the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule, where she will witness the events that led to Ganondorf’s first sealing.
8. Is Zelda Link’s half-sister?
No, there are no known incarnations of Link and Zelda that are related to each other as brother and sister.
9. What Zelda games are connected to each other?
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link is a sequel to the first The Legend of Zelda, while Majora’s Mask is a sequel to Ocarina of Time, following the same Link.
10. Are Zelda and Link canonically a couple?
No, Link and Zelda are not canonically a couple, with most games depicting them as having a strictly platonic relationship.
11. What Zelda games are in the same universe?
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link and Majora’s Mask are in the same universe, with Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages launching together and featuring the same Link.
12. What is the longest gap between Zelda games?
The longest gap between Zelda games was five years, five months, and 15 days, while the gap between Breath of the Wild and the next game, Breath of the Wild 2, is now five years, five months, 16 days, and counting.
13. Is the Triforce mentioned in Breath of the Wild?
Despite its prominence in the Zelda series, the Triforce plays no part in the storyline of Breath of the Wild, although it appears in various places within the game.
14. Is Zelda based on Christianity?
The original Legend of Zelda made it clear that the religion of the game was intended to be Christianity, although this likely changed later for political reasons.
15. Can you play Zelda in any order?
Yes, each Zelda game offers a unique, stand-alone story, and you can play the games in any order, with each game being pretty different for various reasons.