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[Durock]

From the Vice interview:



So it would seem they had a definite idea of where this is in the timeline, and it has a bit to do with the whole "history of Hyrule is also the history of the Calamity Ganon" bit. Which would suggest this isn't right after OoT... right?

Gah! Just when you think you have it all figured out....

Unless the Calamity Ganon is repeatedly attacking Hyrule within that alleged 100 years between OoT and BoTW before going all in... then it doesn't seem it would fit there.

It would still have to be in the Downfall Timeline though, as that's the timeline where Ganon is most prominent. He has been fought in OoT, ALttP, OoS/OoA, ALBW, LoZ, and his resurrection prevented in AoL.

AoL does end with Hyrule being in a time of peace, so anything in any number of years could have happened following that game. Couple that with how many times Nintendo has went out of their way to showcase the similarities in geography to the original LoZ and perhaps we have an answer?

EDIT: Look at this on the official Zelda website http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/hyrule-then-now They certainly make it a point to show how similar it is to LoZ... Made their own dedicated page just for that!

 

[Kyolux]

AoL does end with Hyrule being in a time of peace, so anything in any number of years could have happened following that game. Couple that with how many times Nintendo has went out of their way to showcase the similarities in geography to the original LoZ and perhaps we have an answer?

Yes, and putting it far off down the line after AoL puts some place to add a whole bunch of lore (and possibly other future games) too.

That would explain the very different look of the different races too.

 

[Skittzo0413]

Gah! Just when you think you have it all figured out....

Unless the Calamity Ganon is repeatedly attacking Hyrule within that alleged 100 years between OoT and BoTW before going all in... then it doesn't seem it would fit there.

It would still have to be in the Downfall Timeline though, as that's the timeline where Ganon is most prominent. He has been fought in OoT, ALttP, OoS/OoA, ALBW, LoZ, and his resurrection prevented in AoL.

AoL does end with Hyrule being in a time of peace, so anything in any number of years could have happened following that game. Couple that with how many times Nintendo has went out of their way to showcase the similarities in geography to the original LoZ and perhaps we have an answer?

EDIT: Look at this on the official Zelda website http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/hyrule-then-now They certainly make it a point to show how similar it is to LoZ... Made their own dedicated page just for that!

Post AoL makes the most sense to me. Look at this map of Hyrule from AoL:

EDIT: And for reference:

Obviously there are major differences, namely the size of the rivers/bays and the location of Death Mountain, but:

A) it's interesting to note that the official map for BotW calls the Death Mountain region "Eldin", so perhaps Eldin Volcano and Death Mountain aren't the same mountain?

B) It's likely Death Mountain anyway, and they just retconned its location.

But AoL has the most developed Hyrule complete with all of these rivers, towns, and distinct locations, which BotW seems to mirror a lot of. Ganon is defeated in Zelda 1, and in AoL his resurrection is prevented, but this doesn't mean he's completely gone. I think a lot of that fits with the backstory we know of for BotW.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

I think the most obvious answer is that this takes place after OoT, in the Fallen Hero timeline. The counterpart to WW and TP. It just fits best with what we've seen. "I think you're finally ready to hear what happened 100 years ago" = Link lost the battle against Ganon at the end of OoT, was nearly (or perhaps truly) killed, and was put in stasis in the rejuvenation chamber to heal for 100 years (losing all his memories of the events in OoT in the process). Meanwhile, Ganon was able to wreak havoc on Hyrule, causing the destruction we see. Now, he does seem to be contained in the castle, so the question is if that happened right after the battle (and he has somehow still managed to influence things happening outside) or if he was able to go berserk for a while before Zelda and the sages managed to imprison him again.

This "merging the timelines" idea some people have is so contrived I can't even think about it. There's just no way to make something like that make any sense whatsoever. Timelines can split, that's just fine, but merge after having diverged greatly? Ugh.

Regarding the merging of timeliness, it can happen. I'm not saying it will. But, if one believes in fate or destiny, then in the end, no matter what course is taken, the end is the same. Just different ways lead the timelines to the same place/time.

But that's only possible if there's a higher power that wills it with divine intervention.

 

[Caelus]

Having this be an Adventure of Link sequel would be a fantastic and convenient way of referencing and tying in with Ocarina of Time as well, as Zelda II had towns named Ruto, Saria, Darunia, Nabooru, Mido etc.

I would crave a more fleshed out, organic version of that world, where Calamity Ganon is a botched resurrection of Ganon due to his minions being incapable of getting the Hero's blood.

 

[Kyolux]

Having this be an Adventure of Link sequel would be a fantastic and convenient way of referencing and tying in with Ocarina of Time as well, as Zelda II had towns named Ruto, Saria, Darunia, Nabooru, Mido etc.

I would crave a more fleshed out, organic version of that world, where Calamity Ganon is a botched resurrection of Ganon due to his minions being incapable of getting the Hero's blood.

Who knows. Maybe they got this Link's blood just before he was brought to the resurrection chamber.

 

[Jedi2016]

Who knows. Maybe they got this Link's blood just before he was brought to the resurrection chamber.

Timing doesn't work out. From what we've seen of the flashbacks, Link was alive and well when Ganon appeared.

 

[Enduin]

Timing doesn't work out. From what we've seen of the flashbacks, Link was alive and well when Ganon appeared.

Nothing says he needs to be dead and drained, they just need his blood. Could be a few drops worth or could be a gallons worth.

I don't think they'll go into detail over it if used, maybe they but it is kind of weird, but the game could very easily work with a post AoL setting regardless. Be it a direct sequel, which I doubt, or a few generations later.

They've done so much to connect this with the original LoZ and a lot of what we know and speculate definitely fits well with that period. Trying to make the game a bridge between other games just seems to messy. I want them to stop trying to explain the series and just go forward. SS had some great things about it but the main plot was really pointless and unnecessary. It wasn't bad per se, just pointless.

 

[Baleoce]

I'm guessing so but, has this video done the rounds yet? (contains a translation of the back of the tapestry on the collectors edition that reggie showed off the other day, along with the possible implications. https://youtu.be/q-GjWof7Kx4

 

[Enduin]

I'm guessing so but, has this video done the rounds yet? (contains a translation of the back of the tapestry on the collectors edition that reggie showed off the other day, along with the possible implications. https://youtu.be/q-GjWof7Kx4

Yeah RagnarokX also translated it earlier in the general thread and says that Zeltik's translation embellishes things a bit too much. He posted on the previous page in this thread what was wrong with it.

 

[Baleoce]

Yeah RagnarokX also translated it earlier in the general thread and says that Zeltik's translation embellishes things a bit too much. He posted on the previous page in this thread what was wrong with it.

Ah many thanks! I've just read the post in question now. And yeah that makes much more sense especially with regards to the Sheikah.

 

[RetroMG]

I don't understand what you mean with Wind Waker. Every Zelda story is a "legend" that may be partly wrong, interpreted differently, the stories could be all referring to the same events, etc. The Hyrule Historia makes this very clear. But each Zelda story also does have a place in the timeline, Wind Waker included.

Wind Waker starts with the line "This is but one of the legends of which the people speak." I always thought that was a clever line. As you pointed out, in each game, we are being told one of the "Legends" of Zelda, which is really the ongoing legend of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and the Kingdom of Hyrule.

This was before the timeline was released, but at the time, I always thought that line was Nintendo's way of saying, "these are all just stories that happen to share similar elements. Don't think too much about how or when they relate." I just think that's an easier answer that trying to create an actual timeline.

Having this be an Adventure of Link sequel would be a fantastic and convenient way of referencing and tying in with Ocarina of Time as well, as Zelda II had towns named Ruto, Saria, Darunia, Nabooru, Mido etc.

I would crave a more fleshed out, organic version of that world, where Calamity Ganon is a botched resurrection of Ganon due to his minions being incapable of getting the Hero's blood.

I love this idea.

 

[zeldablue]

Not sure if you guys saw this...but it's on the back of the box.

Spoiler

Well would you look at that...you can spoiler tag images!

Having this be an Adventure of Link sequel would be a fantastic and convenient way of referencing and tying in with Ocarina of Time as well, as Zelda II had towns named Ruto, Saria, Darunia, Nabooru, Mido etc.

I would crave a more fleshed out, organic version of that world, where Calamity Ganon is a botched resurrection of Ganon due to his minions being incapable of getting the Hero's blood.

That would be really cool, actually.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I think those two images just further emphasize Zelda and link scenes are in the past

 

[zeldablue]

I think those two images just further emphasize Zelda and link scenes are in the past

I also feel like it confirms that there is gameplay in the past too.

Pleaaaaase!

 

[Caelus]

I also feel like it confirms that there is gameplay in the past too.

Pleaaaaase!

Ugggh there needs to be Link/Zelda co-op, they did in Spirit Tracks for crying out loud. I don't care that it was Zelda in Alphonse Elric's armor, she has a tablet now, I want her to control all the runes.

Also, unrelated but I think I remember your username from ZU Forums.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I also feel like it confirms that there is gameplay in the past too.

Pleaaaaase!

I don't know if it confirms gameplay, but at the very least I hope there are playable gameplay sections and not just cutscenes you watch.

It's be a much more playable message if you yourself have to control an underpowered link fighting a bunch of baddies and when your hearts reach zero you watch the cutscene of a battered link trying to stand up and Zelda holding him up.

 

[zeldablue]

I don't know if it confirms gameplay, but at the very least I hope there are playable gameplay sections and not just cutscenes you watch.

It's be a much more playable message if you yourself have to control an underpowered link fighting a bunch of baddies and when your hearts reach zero you watch the cutscene of a battered link trying to stand up and Zelda holding him up.

Yeah. I think they can do very strict, linear, cinematic pieces of gameplay for these flashback sections. Like Zelda has to help an incapacitated Link through an area without being seen by the guardians or maybe sections that feel like a power trip with Link being able to easily fight the guardians with the Master Sword...until it breaks.

The best part is, I think these flashbacks will be optional. Meaning people who hate storytelling, linearity or even...playable female characters, could just skip this stuff while people who enjoy cinematics could really dive in. I think that'd be a brilliant move from Nintendo. I'd be let down if there was nothing but a cutscene to show the past. It feels like something Miyamoto wouldn't have allowed...but then again SS was notoriously bad with "Show don't tell" narrative.

Also...if this game is before or after LoZ1, they could actually break the Master Sword permanently without interfering with the timeline since the Master Sword isn't in LoZ or AoL.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I wouldn't mind what you say, short linear story focused optional side quests could be a nice change of pace from the open world drag. And hell, being able to control Zelda in these bits similar to how The Witcher 3 let us control Ciri in hers.

I don't expect it though. If they seriously couldn't come up with a better role for Zelda than once again trapped by Ganon and you have to come to rescue her and ultimately fight alongside her, then that's a massive step back.

I expect the flashbacks to be simple and link focused, I would hope they add variety

 

[RagnarokX]

Here's my latest theory about BotW.

In Ocarina of Time the Hero of Time falls in battle with Ganon. Ganon obtains the complete Triforce and becomes Calamity Ganon as A Link to the Past states. Zelda and the sages manage to seal Ganon.

Hundreds of years pass. During this time the Sheikah take over Hero duties as protectors of the land. They share their knowledge of ancient technology and civilization advances. Their technology aids in the seal on Calamity Ganon. The ruins of Castle Town and the Temple of Time are moved to a safer location using Skyloft, which has been underground since Skyward Sword. A new Castle and Town are built in their place.

100 years before BotW Calamity Ganon breaks free and turns the Sheikah tech against Hyrule. Link and Zelda flee and are pursued by guardians. Link sacrifices himself to protect Zelda and he is placed in stasis. Zelda takes the Master Sword to the woods and entrusts it to the Great Deku tree. Zelda travels to the springs from Skyward Sword to prepare the spell Zelda used in Skyward Sword to seal Demise for hundreds of years. Zelda returns to Hyrule Castle and seals Calamity Ganon. The King takes up his post on the Great Plateau to watch over the sleeping Link. 100 years pass. BotW begins.

 

[Enduin]

Here's my latest theory about BotW.

In Ocarina of Time the Hero of Time falls in battle with Ganon. Ganon obtains the complete Triforce and becomes Calamity Ganon as A Link to the Past states. Zelda and the sages manage to seal Ganon.

Hundreds of years pass. During this time the Sheikah take over Hero duties as protectors of the land. They share their knowledge of ancient technology and civilization advances. Their technology aids in the seal on Calamity Ganon. The ruins of Castle Town and the Temple of Time are moved to a safer location using Skyloft, which has been underground since Skyward Sword. A new Castle and Town are built in their place.

100 years before BotW Calamity Ganon breaks free and turns the Sheikah tech against Hyrule. Link and Zelda flee and are pursued by guardians. Link sacrifices himself to protect Zelda and he is placed in stasis. Zelda takes the Master Sword to the woods and entrusts it to the Great Deku tree. Zelda travels to the springs from Skyward Sword to prepare the spell Zelda used in Skyward Sword to seal Demise for hundreds of years. Zelda returns to Hyrule Castle and seals Calamity Ganon. The King takes up his post on the Great Plateau to watch over the sleeping Link. 100 years pass. BotW begins.

I think this is certainly plausible in broad terms, but a few things I'm not convinced of:

First, I don't get the whole Skyloft thing you have going on. From what we've seen of the Great Plateau it is the entirety of old Hyrule Caste/Town. Great big walls encircle nearly the entire plateau and look quite ancient and match up to a degree with those walls seen in OoT. There is even is a giant gate and stone road leading up to the entrance that you can see explored here. It would simply just make more sense to say that after Ganon is sealed away in OoT they founded a new Castle and Town elsewhere because he destroyed the old one. I also think that the old Hyrule was used as a kind of holy site. The state of the Temple of Time and fact that there was an "Eastern Abbey" on the former location of Hyrule Castle makes me think it wasn't just abandoned ruins ever since OoT.

Second, I'm not sure the Sheikah and their tech are recent or not. From your translation of the map the Divine Four Beast and Guardians and statements by Zelda kind of sound like they are foreign/ancient entities that Princess Zelda called upon to save Hyrule, but it backfired. The fact that the Sheikah Towers and Shrines were buried underground and massive rocks makes me think they are very very old. So I'm not sure it's clear whether some Sheikah tech is new and building off far more ancient tech, or if all of it is ancient, or if all of it is recent. I would consider the first two more likely than the third.

Going off of that, some of the images we see of Zelda makes me think part of those flashbacks will be our journey with her across Hyrule in order to active those Guardians and their masters. Thus why she is in possession of the Sheikah Slate in those scenes and not Link. That would mean scenes with her in the Champion like clothes take place prior to those scenes we see of her in the White Dress.

With then those White Dress scenes taking place after Ganon returns and takes over the Guardians and she seeks to reawaken her connection to Hylia and then Link gets injured, but more importantly the Master Sword gets damaged. I think that fact is the more important one. I'm not convinced Link is injured or dead and needs 100 years to revive, but more so that the Master Sword is greatly damaged and it needs 100 years in the Lost Forest under the care of the Great Deku Tree in order to be repaired. Thus Link is required to sleep for that time so a hero will be around once the Master Sword is ready once again.

 

[Bruno_Arrais85]

well... at least we know 99% for sure that this happens in the downfall timeline

 

[Fandangox]

I think those two images just further emphasize Zelda and link scenes are in the past

Didn't someone here speculated that Zelda in Blue and Zelda in White where in two different time periods? On that image Zelda in white has a rusted Master Sword.

 

[Enduin]

Didn't someone here speculated that Zelda in Blue and Zelda in White where in two different time periods? On that image Zelda in white has a rusted Master Sword.

I did, but as I posted just now it's possibly equally, or more likely, that the Zelda in Blue scenes take place prior to the Zelda in White ones. That we will see a journey to awaken the Guardians and Four Great Beasts and then see the downfall of that and flight of Zelda in White with Link leading to his eventual 100 year slumber.

 

[Kyolux]

I don't think there's that much time in between Zelda in blue and white.. I think that it goes something like this.

Zelda (and Link) in blue > some shit goes down > Zelda's blue clothes gets ripped or something and all that's left is her white clothes. (Notice how a lot of the elements in both dresses matches as if she wears the white clothes underneath the blue ones.)

To me, Zelda in white in the back cover is her rushing to hide the Master Sword in the lost woods.

 

[Enduin]

I don't think there's that much time in between Zelda in blue and white.. I think that it goes something like this.

Zelda (and Link) in blue > some shit goes down > Zelda's blue clothes gets ripped or something and all that's left is her white clothes. (Notice how a lot of the elements in both dresses matches as if she wears the white clothes underneath the blue ones.)

To me, Zelda in white in the back cover is her rushing to hide the Master Sword in the lost woods.

I agree with your overall idea, but the exact details don't match. How would a dress fit under a shirt and slacks? Plus the top is completely different. Blue outfit has a white blouse underneath it with long billowy sleeves and cuffs, dress is a strapless top, no sleeves or anything. It's very clearly a dress as you can see in this clip. It's most likely a ceremonial garb.

 

[Kyolux]

I agree with your overall idea, but the exact details don't match. How would a dress fit under a shirt and slacks? Plus the top is completely different. Blue outfit has a white blouse underneath it with long billowy sleeves and cuffs, dress is a strapless top, no sleeves or anything. It's very clearly a dress as you can see in this clip. It's most likely a ceremonial garb.

Yeah, guess I missed those details.

 

[Chained Prometheus]

Aonuma said this about BotW's placement in the timeline in a very recent interview.

And where does this Zelda fit on the series' timeline, in its chronology, split as that is into three separate yet connected branches?

I wouldn't say that it obviously fits into any one part of the timeline, but if you play the game, you'll be able to work out where it fits. As you probably saw in the trailer, the most recent trailer, there's a woman's voice, and she says: "The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of the Calamity Ganon." And as you know, the Zelda series, up until now, is a history of repeated attacks by Ganon. So, there's food for thought there. I don't want to say anything more as I'd like players to work it out for themselves, to play the game and see what they think.

The fact that he specifically brings up the Old Lady's dialogue from the latest trailer and then re-emphasizes that this is "a history of repeated attacks from Ganon" indicates to me that we're most likely looking at a placement located at the end of the Downfall Timeline or (less likely) at the end of the Child Timeline.

Here's my latest theory about BotW.

In Ocarina of Time the Hero of Time falls in battle with Ganon. Ganon obtains the complete Triforce and becomes Calamity Ganon as A Link to the Past states. Zelda and the sages manage to seal Ganon.

Hundreds of years pass. During this time the Sheikah take over Hero duties as protectors of the land. They share their knowledge of ancient technology and civilization advances. Their technology aids in the seal on Calamity Ganon. The ruins of Castle Town and the Temple of Time are moved to a safer location using Skyloft, which has been underground since Skyward Sword. A new Castle and Town are built in their place.

100 years before BotW Calamity Ganon breaks free and turns the Sheikah tech against Hyrule. Link and Zelda flee and are pursued by guardians. Link sacrifices himself to protect Zelda and he is placed in stasis. Zelda takes the Master Sword to the woods and entrusts it to the Great Deku tree. Zelda travels to the springs from Skyward Sword to prepare the spell Zelda used in Skyward Sword to seal Demise for hundreds of years. Zelda returns to Hyrule Castle and seals Calamity Ganon. The King takes up his post on the Great Plateau to watch over the sleeping Link. 100 years pass. BotW begins.

I think the bolded is on the money for BotW's immediate backstory for this incarnation of Link, Zelda and the rest of the cast.

However I really doubt that we'll get some sort of backstory about how Skyloft was used to move a huge chunk of land containing the ruins of Old Castle Town and the Temple of Time up to a higher geography. Especially since the Great Plateau is still covered with enemies anyway. I'd sooner chalk this all up to Nintendo having random inconsistencies with the Hyrule map from game-to-game again.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Yeah I used to think that Zelda in white= past and blue=present.

The issue is that we've seen Link with the Master Sword with both of them, which I feel it's one part of the proof it's in the past since they wouldn't show you a scene so near end game of Link with master sword already, but if not that then the fact Link doesn't have the sheikah slate or the arrows/shield just further shows this was before he was in the present timeline.

The theory above seems fairly spot on. We know Zelda and Link run away, then Link gets fucked up and placed in the time chamber, and Zelda entrusts the master sword with the great deku tree and goes to seal Ganon.

At least in this way Zelda isn't the old lady in the trailer, that could be any old woman. We'll communicate with Zelda via our heads/the slate throughout the game as even though she is sealed and in a state of hibernation/no aging she can still communicate with you through your bond or the slate.

I feel disappointed they opted to have her once again tossed to the side outside of the flashback scenes we'll see. Having her and Link working together wouldn't break the freaking game.

 

[Chained Prometheus]

Yeah I used to think that Zelda in white= past and blue=present.

The issue is that we've seen Link with the Master Sword with both of them, which I feel it's one part of the proof it's in the past since they wouldn't show you a scene so near end game of Link with master sword already, but if not that then the fact Link doesn't have the sheikah slate or the arrows/shield just further shows this was before he was in the present timeline.

The theory above seems fairly spot on. We know Zelda and Link run away, then Link gets fucked up and placed in the time chamber, and Zelda entrusts the master sword with the great deku tree and goes to seal Ganon.

At least in this way Zelda isn't the old lady in the trailer, that could be any old woman. We'll communicate with Zelda via our heads/the slate throughout the game as even though she is sealed and in a state of hibernation/no aging she can still communicate with you through your bond or the slate.

I feel disappointed they opted to have her once again tossed to the side outside of the flashback scenes we'll see. Having her and Link working together wouldn't break the freaking game.

I mean, I think Zelda is probably going to team up with Link during the final boss battle to help take down Ganon. And it looks like her story in the past is probably going to be interesting, so I'm game for that.

However, I do agree that it'd be a fresh change of pace if she were actively working together with Link throughout the game for a change. That dynamic was one of the best parts of Spirit Tracks, after all.

 

[Caelus]

If Zelda has a Shiekah Slate of her own along with the one she gave Link, I'm hoping they go the full tech route.

The Slates should have wireless connectivity with one another, so that the runes can be used simultaneously by two people. Imagine both Link and Zelda cooperating, using magnesis and cryonis in an area.

 

[III-V]

The Slates should have wireless connectivity with one another, so that the runes can be used simultaneously by two people. Imagine both Link and Zelda cooperating, using magnesis and cryonis in an area.

The slates do have wireless connectivity but require a paid sub app and phone

 

[Admiral Woofington]

The slates do have wireless connectivity but require a paid sub app and phone

Hell to the naw naw did I laugh that much at this joke hahaha

 

[Tookay]

Wind Waker starts with the line "This is but one of the legends of which the people speak." I always thought that was a clever line. As you pointed out, in each game, we are being told one of the "Legends" of Zelda, which is really the ongoing legend of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and the Kingdom of Hyrule.

This was before the timeline was released, but at the time, I always thought that line was Nintendo's way of saying, "these are all just stories that happen to share similar elements. Don't think too much about how or when they relate." I just think that's an easier answer that trying to create an actual timeline.

Except they used that line in one of the clearest sequels of the entire series. TWW referenced OoT to an absurd degree.

 

[Durock]

Post AoL makes the most sense to me. Look at this map of Hyrule from AoL:



EDIT: And for reference:



Obviously there are major differences, namely the size of the rivers/bays and the location of Death Mountain, but:

A) it's interesting to note that the official map for BotW calls the Death Mountain region "Eldin", so perhaps Eldin Volcano and Death Mountain aren't the same mountain?

B) It's likely Death Mountain anyway, and they just retconned its location.

But AoL has the most developed Hyrule complete with all of these rivers, towns, and distinct locations, which BotW seems to mirror a lot of. Ganon is defeated in Zelda 1, and in AoL his resurrection is prevented, but this doesn't mean he's completely gone. I think a lot of that fits with the backstory we know of for BotW.

I have to agree. There's literally nothing preventing this story from happening after AoL. It ends with Hyrule entering a time of peace with anything possible between that and the time of BoTW. I think Aunoma's comments on Ganon and again, Nintendo being very clear on pointing out the geography similarities pretty much cements it to happen after that game. In fact, they don't just say similar, they actually say it's the same...

"In the original, there was a spot with two big stone formations, called Spectacle Rock because it looked a bit like a pair of eyeglasses.

You can find this location in the new game too, although these boulders now seem to have grown into a pair of towering mountains!"

In their wording, they're implying it to be literally the exact same location. It just sounds like it has expanded, likely a cause of many centuries having past. There's also a brief tease....

"Rumor has it there are even more connections between the original The Legend of Zelda and the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It'll be fun trying to find them all when the game is finally released in 2017!"

Notice the term "connections". It seems to me that they are all but saying it's the exact same location we traversed in LoZ without actually telling us it's the same, as that would give away the "surprise.

And nice observation with the map! Hyrule back then was pretty big when combining the two parts of Hyrule together!

EDIT: That info is here btw, with other stuff connecting the two as well... http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/hyrule-then-now/

EDIT 2: Updated the OP with everything we know so far.

 

[Tyeforce]

I think, given what we know at the moment, there's really only one timeline placement that seems to fit right now. Let's go through all the possibilities:

|—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

First, let's consider pre-OoT. This can easily be ruled out because Ganon didn't exist prior to OoT, and the Temple of Time was fully intact.

|—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Next, the Adult Timeline. Post-TWW is pretty much out of the question due to the Great Sea and all. The Hyrule we see in BotW is clearly Old Hyrule, so it can't be New Hyrule from ST, and I highly doubt this is a return to Old Hyrule post-ST with the Great Sea having been dried up. As for pre-TWW, well, the backstory doesn't give much room for BotW.

|—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Now to the Child Timeline. Ganondorf is sealed in the Twilight Realm for the entirety of time leading up to TP, so Calamity Ganon's presence in BotW would seem to conflict with a pre-TP placement. And in TP, the Temple of Time is more in ruins than it is in BotW, so it wouldn't make sense for BotW to take place after TP.

|—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

And now we're at the time between OoT and ALttP on the Downfall Timeline, with Imprisoning War, Great Cataclysm, etc. ALttP's backstory does pose some issues, but it's also vague enough that BotW could very well work around it in some way. Plus, considering things like the state of the Master Sword, Temple of Time, Ganon, and races of Hyrule, this placement seems to fit best from what we know, and this is what I'm betting on.

|—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Finally, the end of time Downfall Timeline. There's not room between ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA and ALBW/TFH for another Link, so it would have to be either before or after TLoZ/TAoL if anywhere here. Given all the nods to TLoZ in BotW, a placement here does seem rather appealing, but there are some things that make it seem really out of place. Most notably, the appearance of various races in BotW like Sea Zoras, Gorons, Koroks, Gerudo, etc. These races are largely absent from ALttP on in Downfall Timeline, and it's somewhat hinted that these races may have either died out or become diluted into the Hylian race, with Rosso's Goron-like appearance in ALBW, for example. BotW's diverse Hyrulean population simply clashes too much for a placement this far down the timeline to make sense to me.


So yeah, post-OoT, pre-ALttP in the Downfall Timeline really looks like the most promising placement right now. Any other placement has too many other issues.

 

[Durock]

I think, given what we know at the moment, there's really only one timeline placement that seems to fit right now. Let's go through all the possibilities:

/—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

First, let's consider pre-OoT. This can easily be ruled out because Ganon didn't exist prior to OoT, and the Temple of Time was fully intact.

/—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Next, the Adult Timeline. Post-TWW is pretty much out of the question due to the Great Sea and all. The Hyrule we see in BotW is clearly Old Hyrule, so it can't be New Hyrule from ST, and I highly doubt this is a return to Old Hyrule post-ST with the Great Sea having been dried up. As for pre-TWW, well, the backstory doesn't give much room for BotW.

/—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Now to the Child Timeline. Ganondorf is sealed in the Twilight Realm for the entirety of time leading up to TP, so Calamity Ganon's presence in BotW would seem to conflict with a pre-TP placement. And in TP, the Temple of Time is more in ruins than it is in BotW, so it wouldn't make sense for BotW to take place after TP.

/—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

And now we're at the time between OoT and ALttP on the Downfall Timeline, with Imprisoning War, Great Cataclysm, etc. ALttP's backstory does pose some issues, but it's also vague enough that BotW could very well work around it in some way. Plus, considering things like the state of the Master Sword, Temple of Time, Ganon, and races of Hyrule, this placement seems to fit best from what we know, and this is what I'm betting on.

/—TWW/PH—ST​

SS—TMC—FS—OoT/MM—TP—FSA

|—ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA—ALBW/TFH—TLoZ/TAoL​

Finally, the end of time Downfall Timeline. There's not room between ALttP/OoS/OoA/LA and ALBW/TFH for another Link, so it would have to be either before or after TLoZ/TAoL if anywhere here. Given all the nods to TLoZ in BotW, a placement here does seem rather appealing, but there are some things that make it seem really out of place. Most notably, the appearance of various races in BotW like Sea Zoras, Gorons, Koroks, Gerudo, etc. These races are largely absent from ALttP on in Downfall Timeline, and it's somewhat hinted that these races may have either died out or become diluted into the Hylian race, with Rosso's Goron-like appearance in ALBW, for example. BotW's diverse Hyrulean population simply clashes too much for a placement this far down the timeline to make sense to me.


So yeah, post-OoT, pre-ALttP in the Downfall Timeline really looks like the most promising placement right now. Any other placement has too many other issues.

For the most part, I agree. The story pre-luding the Imprisoning War matches what is happening with what know from BoTW damn near perfectly. BUT, it completely contradicts Aunoma's statement on Ganon regarding BoTW's timeline placement. He clearly states that this is a Ganon that has been fought and defeated many, many times. Ganon between OoT and ALttP doesn't fit that criteria. However, that statement fits perfectly post-AoL has he actually HAS been fought and defeated on several different occasions through the ages.

Post AoL, again, is completely open giving Nintendo the freedom to explore nearly anything they want, leaving BoTW's story easily available to be told.

And I get where you're coming from with the races, but just because they don't have a presence in any of the games during and post-ALttP doesn't mean they don't have a presence in Hyrule. It just means Nintendo didn't see any reason to either a) write them into the story and/or b) it's just a race that didn't exist at the time from a visionary perspective i.e. the Kokiri for example.

IMO, when you couple all of that with all of the not-so-subtle hints to it being the same Hyrulean geography as seen in LoZ and AoL, it all just lines up.

 

[watershed]

For the most part, I agree. The story pre-luding the Imprisoning War matches what is happening with what know from BoTW damn near perfectly. BUT, it completely contradicts Aunoma's statement on Ganon regarding BoTW's timeline placement. He clearly states that this is a Ganon that has been fought and defeated many, many times. Ganon between OoT and ALttP doesn't fit that criteria. However, that statement fits perfectly post-AoL has he actually HAS been fought and defeated on several different occasions through the ages.

Post AoL, again, is completely open giving Nintendo the freedom to explore nearly anything they want, leaving BoTW's story easily available to be told.

And I get where you're coming from with the races, but just because they don't have a presence in any of the games during and post-ALttP doesn't mean they don't have a presence in Hyrule. It just means Nintendo didn't see any reason to either a) write them into the story and/or b) it's just a race that didn't exist at the time from a visionary perspective i.e. the Kokiri for example.

IMO, when you couple all of that with all of the not-so-subtle hints to it being the same Hyrulean geography as seen in LoZ and AoL, it all just lines up.

I think you're misunderstanding Aonuma's comment about Ganon a bit. This is what he says:

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of the Calamity Ganon." And as you know, the Zelda series, up until now, is a history of repeated attacks by Ganon.

To me he's not talking about this specific Ganon in BOTW attacking again and again, he's just saying that the history of Zelda games is Ganon being the bad guy. He doesn't say "history of repeated attacks by THIS Ganon. Or am I misunderstanding something?

 

[Chained Prometheus]

I think you're misunderstanding Aonuma's comment about Ganon a bit. This is what he says:


To me he's not talking about this specific Ganon in BOTW attacking again and again, he's just saying that the history of Zelda games is Ganon being the bad guy. He doesn't say "history of repeated attacks by THIS Ganon. Or am I misunderstanding something?

It's that Aonuma quotes the Old Lady's line from the trailer and then re-emphasizes her point when being asked about BOTW's placement in the Zelda timeline. "The history of the Royal Family of Hyrule is also the history of the Calamity Ganon." That's in-game dialogue.

So while Aonuma does word his comment in such a way that it also sounds like Ganon's role as the villain in the series in general, it's also supposed to be a hint of some sort as to where the game is located in the timeline and that Ganon does in fact have a long history with the Royal Family of Hyrule in BOTW.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

^ yeah that's what i got from the interview. He's specifically talking about the placement and says that he doesn't want to give too much away but to think about that line.

 

[Jedi2016]

Anouma's quote aside, the old lady clearly refers to Ganon as "a primal evil that has endured over the ages". The implication is pretty strong that this is NOT Ganon's first appearance. Even if you wanted to say she's talking about Demise, I doubt there's many people in Hyrule, if any, that are aware of the connection between Demise and Ganon.

 

[Skittzo0413]

I think you're misunderstanding Aonuma's comment about Ganon a bit. This is what he says:


To me he's not talking about this specific Ganon in BOTW attacking again and again, he's just saying that the history of Zelda games is Ganon being the bad guy. He doesn't say "history of repeated attacks by THIS Ganon. Or am I misunderstanding something?

The thing is, there's only one Ganon. He's the same dude in every single appearance (barring FSA potentially- never played that). It's not like Link or Zelda where there are different incarnations, Ganon is Ganon, one of the successors to Demise's spirit. Vaati may be another.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I feel the woman talking is an old sheikah

 

[Busaiku]

Still think it's present day Zelda.

 

[Astral Dog]

Gah! Just when you think you have it all figured out....

Unless the Calamity Ganon is repeatedly attacking Hyrule within that alleged 100 years between OoT and BoTW before going all in... then it doesn't seem it would fit there.

It would still have to be in the Downfall Timeline though, as that's the timeline where Ganon is most prominent. He has been fought in OoT, ALttP, OoS/OoA, ALBW, LoZ, and his resurrection prevented in AoL.

AoL does end with Hyrule being in a time of peace, so anything in any number of years could have happened following that game. Couple that with how many times Nintendo has went out of their way to showcase the similarities in geography to the original LoZ and perhaps we have an answer?

EDIT: Look at this on the official Zelda website http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/hyrule-then-now They certainly make it a point to show how similar it is to LoZ... Made their own dedicated page just for that!

Its not like there is a difference between the Hyrule in OoT and Zelda 1 .
Its supposed to be the same place people,just a bit more fleshed .
out. It seems Aonuma desconfirmed the WW timeline however

 

[Skittzo0413]

Its not like there is a difference between the Hyrule in OoT and Zelda 1 .
Its supposed to be the same place people,just a bit more fleshed .
out. It seems Aonuma desconfirmed the WW timeline however

Isn't Zelda 1 supposed to just be the area around Death Mountain? Zelda 2 shows all of Hyrule, where the Zelda 1 portion is a very small fraction of Hyrule.

Not that this is important anyway

 

[Tyeforce]

For the most part, I agree. The story pre-luding the Imprisoning War matches what is happening with what know from BoTW damn near perfectly. BUT, it completely contradicts Aunoma's statement on Ganon regarding BoTW's timeline placement. He clearly states that this is a Ganon that has been fought and defeated many, many times. Ganon between OoT and ALttP doesn't fit that criteria. However, that statement fits perfectly post-AoL has he actually HAS been fought and defeated on several different occasions through the ages.

Post AoL, again, is completely open giving Nintendo the freedom to explore nearly anything they want, leaving BoTW's story easily available to be told.

And I get where you're coming from with the races, but just because they don't have a presence in any of the games during and post-ALttP doesn't mean they don't have a presence in Hyrule. It just means Nintendo didn't see any reason to either a) write them into the story and/or b) it's just a race that didn't exist at the time from a visionary perspective i.e. the Kokiri for example.

IMO, when you couple all of that with all of the not-so-subtle hints to it being the same Hyrulean geography as seen in LoZ and AoL, it all just lines up.

Aonuma talking about Ganon's repeated attacks on Hyrule and emphasizing the old lady (presumably Impa)'s statement about the Royal Family and Calamity Ganon sharing their history is puzzling, but it's also quite vague. The old lady's comment could very well just be referring to the many years that Calamity Ganon has been sealed within Hyrule Castle prior to the start of BotW, not necessarily talking about most of the Royal Family's entire history, and Aonuma's comment about Ganon's repeated attacks could mean any number of things. It's all far too cryptic at this point to really draw any good conclusions.

The race thing may seem insignificant, but think of it this way; Aonuma has been quite serious about the timeline for awhile now, and ever since Twilight Princess (or you could even say since The Wind Waker, with the exception of the Four Sword series before the Hyrule History since those games were vague about their connections to other games) every Zelda game's placement in the timeline has been made very clear. If Aonuma intended for all these races to still be present in Hyrule later on in the Downfall Timeline, then they had a perfect opportunity to show them in ALBW and TFH, but instead they did the exact opposite; they reinforced the largely Hylian-only Hyrule that we've seen in the classic games, and rather than show races like Sea Zoras or Gorons, they specifically feature River Zoras and a Hylian with obvious Goron decent in their place, reinforcing the idea that these races have largely disappeared for one reason or another by this time, be it because they left Hyrule, died out, or just interbred with Hylians.

BotW would go completely against all that, and that would be quite odd, don't you think? The Ganon situation could very well be explained in a number of ways by the game, but I would think the races of Hyrule being so vastly different from what has been shown in the Downfall Timeline would take quite a bit more explaining, and whatever the explanation I can't see it being a very good one. And geography-wise, even ALttP shares a lot in common with TLoZ, so I wouldn't say that really means much. It's still the same Hyrule with the same major landmarks, and that holds true throughout the entire timeline.

Of course, Aonuma also said he wouldn't say that BotW "obviously fits into any one part of the timeline," which is also pretty cryptic. What could that mean? Could this game potentially take place in different parts of the timeline? Like, part of it takes place between OoT and ALttP, while another part takes place before or after TLoZ/TAoL?! It sounds farfetched, I know, and I wouldn't say it's very likely to be the case, but Aonuma's comments regarding the timeline have been very mysterious.

 

[Lord_Byron28]

Here are my 3 guesses for where BotW could be placed in the timeline:

1. Post-AoL- I noted in 2016 when we saw a glimpse of the world map how it had a striking resemblance to the artwork of AoL's Hyrule. The game from the start drove home the point about being inspired by the original Zelda and some of the classic Zelda artwork from the first 3 games. There is also an item that mentioned an ancient sea that had drained which would work given AoL's Hyrule to BotW's Hyrule. Also the fact that there is an old man and more than likely Impa as an old woman which are both staples in the classic Zeldas. Not too mention Aonuma's comments which suggest Ganon has died and came back numerous times. Given how big they are going with this game having it be the sequel to the originals would be special. It'd also be nice to start a new direction instead of working in between titles.

2. Post-OoT Downfall timeline- At E3 it was quite noticeable that the great plateau resembled a ruined OoT castle town. Also the Downfall Link timeline confusion could be cleared up with this game and perhaps they already had an idea in mind when they wrote that into the Hyrule Historia but I doubt that. With some liberties it could likely for in between OoT and ALttP. My best theory is that this Link and Zelda are the ones after OoT; given Links appearance and presumed age I don't think he's OoT Link. If you recall the timeline splits into two after she sends Link back to the child timeline. What if the timeline splits a third time if OoT Link decided to stay in the Adult Link timeline? Ganon is still defeated and sealed in the sacred realm. However, after OoT Link and Zelda's era Ganon escapes. Which takes us to the events of BotW Link and Zelda with them failing to prevent Ganon. The Downfall Link timeline gets it's label from BotW Link not OOT Link like we thought.

3. Post-TP- Ganon has been killed and revived multiple times. There are some building and architecture resemblances to TP but it could just be a product of TP Zelda having the most detailed structures of a 3D Hyrule. It's also interesting that they remade OoT, MM and TP. The Happy Mask Salesman hinted at his return in BotW when MM3D released.

For the next Zelda game these are my top 3 picks:

1. Post-PH/Pre-ST- Discovery of new Hyrule- I'd love an advanced BotW engine that takes place with Link and Tetra as they discover the new Hyrule. I feel they could make it large and introduce us to a new exciting world to discover new lore, background and structure. It really only needs to keep a vague resemblance to ST's map. They could even feature playable Tetra, in addition to Link of course.

2. Post-SS/Pre-OoT- Unification of Hyrule Kingdom and sealing of the sacred realm- Again uses the BotW engine. Takes place a few generations after Hylians began to inhabit the lower world and Skyloft descended. Hyrule is divided into many different regions ruled by different races/cultures. There is a rise of a new threat making an attempt to take the triforce in the Sacred Realm including the Twili. This causes the different regions to suffer and they possibly have some reservations about the fact that Hylians have full control over the triforce and the Sacred Realm. This also delves into the background of the Twili that Midna spoke of. Have Midna hold a significant role in the game. The game takes places in a world that closest resembles SS's Hyrule which allows for some major creative room to form Hyrule how they wish.

3. Post-TP- war of three worlds- Conflict of Dark world, Twilight realm and the Light world/realm. Midna returns in addition to Ganon. He plays to the chaos of all three areas fighting for control of the region. Zelda and Midna play major roles in the game. Dark Link is also a recurring antagonist. Playable Zelda and Midna as well as a third character from the dark world. They can be played only in their native dimension. The goal is to push back the other two worlds and regain the light world.

 

[KingBroly]

I think this is between OOT and TWW

Assuming there are 2 endings, the good ending merges the timeline into the TP one and a bad ending leads into the TWW timeline where Hyrule gets flooded. I always look at the opening of TWW and BotW's "CALAMITY GANON" as a major point of reference for where this game is in the timeline.

Going forward I expect them to collapse back in on themselves somehow. But they can't exactly do it in 1 game.

 

[Cerium]

I think this is between OOT and TWW

Assuming there are 2 endings, the good ending merges the timeline into the TP one and a bad ending leads into the TWW timeline where Hyrule gets flooded. I always look at the opening of TWW and BotW's "CALAMITY GANON" as a major point of reference for where this game is in the timeline.

Going forward I expect them to collapse back in on themselves somehow. But they can't exactly do it in 1 game.

Doesn't make any sense. The flood was a result of there being no hero at all. There shouldn't be a Link in that time period.

Secondly, there shouldn't be a Ganon either. He was sealed away as Ganondorf and as far as we know never took on anything but human form again. That's why he's still human as the final boss in Wind Waker.

And there certainly isn't a "history" of Ganon attacks in that time period like the narrator mentions.