Zelda timeline may finally be revealed in upcoming book

Japanese Zelda art book sheds light on the darkness

Words: Hollander Cooper on December 19, 2011

Zelda's timeline has been debated for years, with theories arising every time a new game comes out as fans frantically to figure out the series' order. Some think that the first game is actually the last, some believe Ocarina of Time splits the timeline in half (due to all of the time traveling), while others argue there's absolutely no continuity whatsoever, believing that the story of Link and Zelda is simply a "legend" being told throughout the years by different societies, each putting their own spin on it.

But with the release of Hyrule Historia, it looks like that will all be changing. NewNintendo.net is reporting that this Wednesday's release of the Zelda art book in Japan will clear things up, with a scan of the table of contents including a "History of Hyrule" section, which is translated below:

History of Hyrule
~Finally Revealed, The Genealogy of the [Legend]~
The Timeline of Hyrule, Kingdom of the Gods………………………………..68
The Legend of Gods and the Hero of Time…………………………………….70
The Downfall of Hyrule and the last Hero………………………………………..92
The Twilight Realm and the Hero’s Descendant…………………………… 110
The Hero of Wind and the new World……………………………………………..122

We don't know about you, but that sure sounds like a timeline to us. That, or it's counting the games releases as their place in the timeline: Hero of Time could be Ocarina, Downfall of Hyrule could be Wind Waker (since the plot involves Hyrule being destroyed), The Twilight Realm could be Twilight Princess, and the Hero of the Wind could be Skyward Sword, what with the game taking place in the sky and all. Or it could be Wind Waker. Or it could be the Wand of Gamelon, who knows?

Odds are we'll know more when the book releases, but we're also expecting Nintendo to quickly deny any official timeline, considering how much the publisher likes watching us guess.

Platforms:

3DS, Wii, DS, Game Boy, GameCube, GBA, SNES, NES, N64

Topics:

Legend of Zelda

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Joco84 - December 21, 2011 6:35 a.m.

Ever since I read a few months ago the there wasn't a timeline as such, merely each game tells a different version of the legend, I have felt that is the best way to describe the games. It's kind of like a chinese whisper, told through generations and being altered as it gets told between people. Some people add a train (spirit tracks), some a boat (wind waker / phantom hourglass), some a time travel element (ocarina of time / link to the past) and some even add a.... windfish?! (link's awakening). I like the theory that they are all just differing versions of the same "LEGEND" of Zelda and I have actually started enjoying all the games more because of it. Currently playing my way through: - Ocarina of Time (Master Quest) - Skyward Sword - Link to the Past - Minish Cap - Zelda I - Zelda II
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Mamudo - December 20, 2011 3:59 p.m.

"...others argue there's absolutely no continuity whatsoever, believing that the story of Link and Zelda is simply a "legend" being told throughout the years by different societies..." I always just assumed it was something like this. I never thought that one zelda game was before or after another in terms of continuity.
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Pruman - December 20, 2011 8:17 a.m.

I always thought of Wind Waker as chronologically last in the series, and also as taking place in an alternate reality where Link never showed up to get rid of Ganon. Twilight Princess logically follows from Ocarina, which I believe to be first. The real question is where the older games (Zelda 1, 2, LTTP, and Link's Awakening) fit in there. Those four obviously form a chronological sequence, but are they after TP/Wind Waker or before Ocarina? Disclaimer: I haven't played Skyward Sword yet.
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AuthorityFigure - December 20, 2011 12:03 a.m.

There is no timelime that can be understood with any practical value. That's why it hasn't, and won't be shown in any definitive sense that I can see. They gain nothing from withholding an understandable timeline, but they gain something from withholding a nonsensical one.
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shawksta - December 19, 2011 5:56 p.m.

Interesting, its IS debatable on what it what, but i dont even think the book will tell the truth. Its honestly hard to tell which came first between Minish and Skyward, considering what their main backstory is, But Skyward basically tells the Legend of the Master Sword and apparently how its Link and Zelda, but the timeline is still foggy. We'll just have to wait and see.
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El Dango - December 19, 2011 12:51 p.m.

Shhh... it's a secret to everybody!
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RabidTurtl - December 19, 2011 12:31 p.m.

Another option for Hero of Wind is the Link from Minish Cap. All the spots that you can use your ocarina to fly to keep calling him that. Currently playing through it on the 3DS, so that is the only reason why I know. Really hope this gets a NA release, or at least English translation. I would gladly ship this over from Great Britain.
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The_Tingler - December 19, 2011 1:15 p.m.

Minish Cap is one of the earliest in the timeline, so it's not that.
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playswithsquirrels - December 19, 2011 2:51 p.m.

I would say Hero of the Wind definitely refers to Wind Waker. The game refers to Link as the Hero of the Wind and the King of Red Lions commissions Link and Zelda to go find a new Hyrule at the end. My question is where does the Fall of Hyrule and the Last Hero play in (since it's not Wind Waker)? It could be the first one, I've never finished it because I'm a wimp and terrible at 2D Zelda. For those who have asked, my understanding of Skyward Sword's placement in the timeline is that it's before Ocarina, which would make it before The Legend of Gods and the Hero of Time, or the first in the timeline. The side stories are always the ones that have confused me in a timeline. Sure, the two DS games are easy. And I've always viewed Majora as a sequel to Ocarina, with Link leaving Hyrule in the aftermath of the story. But Link's Awakening, the Oracle games, and Minish are more perplexing. Oh well. Just thinking out loud.
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Zeos - December 19, 2011 12:21 p.m.

Awesome though I thought Skyward Sword was supposedly the first one?
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ThatGuyFromTV - December 22, 2011 9:43 a.m.

No, actually, it's the first one in the timeline.
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egregious - December 19, 2011 12:13 p.m.

"Or it could be the Wand of Gamelon, who knows?" Good lord, Cooper, why would you even joke about something like that? ;)
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510BrotherPanda - December 19, 2011 1:14 p.m.

I'm Thankful that at least Zelda's Adventure and Faces of Evil weren't brought up...*SHUDDER*
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Ilyere - December 19, 2011 12:12 p.m.

http://www.halolz.com/2011/11/28/the-missing-link/ Felt relevant. XD But my gosh, hopefully it'll clear things up... XD
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MetroidPrimeRib - December 19, 2011 12:07 p.m.

But the one who was to crack the code of the timeline was to become the Hero of Time... Miyamoto you lied
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FlyinHawaiian13 - December 19, 2011 12:07 p.m.

I was told Skyward Sword came first
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egregious - December 19, 2011 12:04 p.m.

I saw pictures of it. NoA will never bring this over here*. lol :( *unless as a GameStop exclusive or 200,000 Club Nintendo coins... :'(
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smashpro1 - December 19, 2011 12:04 p.m.

You know that there's a spot in Wind Waker where Link is specifically referred to as "The Hero of Wind", right?
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The_Tingler - December 19, 2011 1:17 p.m.

Yes, Wind Waker and its two DS sequels are clearly the last in the series - and Link there is the Hero of Winds. And the New World is the one from Spirit Tracks, which they discover between that and Phantom Hourglass.
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DecoyOctorok - December 19, 2011 2:57 p.m.

That's how I like to look at it. The end of Wind Waker just felt so final to me. Ganondorf, the King and the Master Sword were buried beneath the waves forever.
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