The Ancient Hero Timeline - Zelda Tears of the Kingdom 

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This is by far the most coherent timeline theory I’ve seen on BotW/TotK and is by far my favorite. I was worried that Zelda was being retconned, with Skyward Sword, BotW and TotK being a new trilogy and all the other games being myths in Hyrule’s history. However, this theory shows that BotW and TotK can fit into the timeline without making all the other Zelda games feel pointless.

The Ancient Hero could be the descendent of either King Rauru and Queen Sonia or Mineru with her own partner. But I highly doubt Link is related to them because the Spirit of the Hero moves on to the next.

Also we need a video talking about where the hell is Rauru and Sonia's child. Sonia literally told Zelda that she sensed a blood connection between them, meaning the bloodline had to continue after their deaths. More importantly, it HAS to be a child of those 2 , as they are the ones to have light and time powers for Zelda to get later. No one else can continue THAT bloodline. I hope it gets explained with new memory flashbacks in a DLC for TotK.

Colgera's theme is just the best choice for telling an epic story. Best theme in the game imo. I was waiting so badly for this video to happen! Had fun hearing your thoughts on this new situation.

Loved the video!

I like this theory a lot. It makes me wish that we saw a lot more of Hyrule during Rauru’s era. I’d like to think that while Rauru and Mineru are the last two full-blooded zonai left, there could still be a hybrid race created from Zonai and Hylians intermingling. That’s the vibe I get from the ancient hero aspect. Its face and body look like a zonai, but its ears are much smaller like a Hylians. It makes me hope that this will be elaborated on in the future.

Didn’t Rauru and Mineru say they were the last of the Zonai? If so then how did another Zonai (Link’s supposed ancestor) battle Calamity Ganon? Calamity Ganon cannot exist before Ganondorf is sealed by Rauru, but after that, there cannot be other Zonai left to be that hero

This is among your very best theories, I can’t help but imagine if the Tears of the Kingdom DLC actually is about the story of the Ancient Hero Xenoblade 3 Future Connected - style.

While i do like this theory, there are a few plotholes... First, in one of BOTW's memories, Zelda gives references not only to skyward sword, but to Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, then, we have all of the returning Link sets, wich are now canon due to them being able to be found in-game, and finally, where and why would the OG Temple of time be created in the first place?

This is the best theory to explain everything in my opinion, great work! Just to add something that I thought that could have some relevance; remember that link's father was a knight, maybe in his family they had a tradition for every new boy to be a knight so that the descendant of that time could rise as the hero if it was ever needed

I hope there’s dlc to this hero and the struggles he had to face

This theory explains a lot. The only question i have is, why certain landmarks are named after characters we know like Ruto and Mido 🤔

Interesting, but I feel there are far too many references to past zelda games within botw / totk to place it on an entirely separate continuity / timeline. I think it's much more likely that they're simply far, far, far after every other game, such that the Hyrule of old was destroyed (possibly in the Windwaker floods if we have to pick a single timeline to place it after), and then rebuilt by the Zonai / Rauru. I'd even go so far as to say botw link is the link for their time, they just have to wait quite a while for him lol

I personally had the theory that they were making a new a “blue tunic” timeline. But with how you explained it this can actually fit cleanly into the main timeline with the only issue being if the other games are just stories or if they actually happened. Great video as always!

There's only one problem with this theory: Zelda and the princess in the past had the blood of the goddess. In Breath of the Wild and in Tears of the Kingdom, its mentioned that Zelda and the princess of the first calamity had the blood of the goddess and that blood comes SS Zelda but if we go by this theory that wouldn't be possible since that Zelda went back to her present and thus didn't have descendants in the past timeline.

Completely unrelated to this topic but that colgera theme in the background slaps soo hard!!

The zonai swirl symbol is on the sandship in skyward sword (on the doors). So I think the zonai existed before the events of skyward sword. Remember the sandship existed in the past; you have to use timeshift stones to reveal it.

If Nintendo confirms that totk is also at the bottom of the normal timeline, they better have this much evidence to prove it. This video makes a lot of sense

This is an excellent video!! Well done, HMK!!

I still think these two games take place way after all the other games. Hyrule fell into obscurity at some point and the Zonai descended from above to found a new Kingdom of Hyrule.

YESSSSS IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS!!!

Amazing video! You have earned my sub!

The thumbnail is so sick.

An interesting theory. And potentially plausible. But there are things that poke holes in it. Especially references to previous Zelda games within item descriptions and actual lore. ‘Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight’. Rock salt being described as being remnants of an ancient sea. (Which to be fair, could also be referring to the ancient Lanayru sea that became the Lanayru desert.) as well as the existence of Lynel and Gleeoks that have only existed in the fallen hero timeline. Elements of which more suggest a timeline convergence. I do hope that the future dlc for Tears would explore the mystery of this ancient hero from the 10,000 year old calamity.

The ancient past we see in Tears of the Kingdom is most likely far in the future of the other games. So far that no one remembers the original Hyrule. So when Raaru and Sonia claim to be the founders of Hyrule, they are actually just establishing a kingdom in the original Hyrule long after it had faded from memory. The presence of salt rock even on mountains would be explained by it having been previously under water during the Wind Waker era.

This is the exact theory I thought!! It makes so much more sense than totk fitting into the existing timeline

What if... the Ancient Hero (seen in the mural fighting the first Calamity) was in fact regular Hylian like the rest of the Links we've seen? What if the Ancient Hero was simply wearing a Zonai costume - the same one that TotK Link wears when he completes all 152 shrines? Perhaps the Ancient Hero wore that custume to honor Rauru's memory and his sacrifice.

I always thought it odd that the Hero was depicted as ginger when Link never is.

This would subtly explain how Link from BoTW isn’t wearing any traditional Green Tunic. Because there wasn’t a known hero to have worn it before.

I just have to say the use of Colgera’s ost and visuals during the narration about the Ancient Hero made this theory even cooler!

Well, the thing is, who said that hero was a Zonai? Looks similar? Yes, but is it really a Zonai? I don’t think so, doesn’t have the third eye, the ears are different and Zonais didn’t have a tail, so it’s a different type of species. Also, the last Zonai was Rauru, according to the memories. UNLESS that hero is a mix of Hylian - Zonai, which would indicate that comes from the same bloodline of Rauru, (who could be the great great great grandparent) of the hero, and if the Zelda back then also carried the blood of the goddess, would mean that they were family related…

I personally found the story in totk a bit all over the place and certain aspects weren't explained properly. However Zelda being the light dragon flying above hyrule like 5 mins after the Upheavel tells me that botw/totk are closed loops set within their own seperate timeline but i do like this theory and i think i can warm up to it.

Critical flaw in this theory. Skyward Sword is itself a time-loop. All the events SS Link encounters are predicated off the time travel already occurring, so time travel instances there shouldn't split off a divergent timeline. Also BOTW/TOTK cannot split off from SS in the past where Demise dies as that is where he casts his curse of reincarnation....which effects the prime timeline we've observed so far. Why would a curse cast in one branch of reality effect the other if there is in fact a split? It just doesn't work within the confines of Skyward Sword's narrative. Zelda always was there in the past, thus why old Impa has the bracelet when Link rounds out to meet her. If timeline divergence was the case, there would be no Old Impa to give Link that bracelet, she'd exist in another timeline different than the one of the Link we play as. So sorry, but BOTW/TOTK has to be within the existing timeline somewhere, or split off via some means outside of Skyward Sword, likely via Zelda's own time traveling in TOTK (As the only other instance of the timeline splitting was when a Sage of Time Zelda did a thing so it would track) My personal guess is that TOTK's Past is either divergent after Skyward Sword and is the first instance of Ganondorf's Reincarnation, after his sealing by Raaru, his soul leaving his body and splitting for reincarnation like Japanese lore around the soul works, so the Ganondorfs in the other timelines are imprints of "Sealed Ganondorf", eventually him giving up on reincarnation and creating Calamity Ganon and restoring his soul as we see in TOTK. Or TOTK's past itself is after every game in the timeline on it's own right, and the history of Hyrule, including Link and Zelda was lost after the kingdom(s) in whatever timeline(s) it's in fell before the Zonai descended to earth.

YES!!! This is the explanation!!! This clears everything!!!

The presence of items from every other timeline flat out proves that these games exist at the end of a unified timeline. I'm definitely eager to hear your argument for how it could be otherwise.

I made a very similar prediction upon completing the dragons’ tears quest, However I couldn’t reconcile a few holes in the theory! 1. If there is indeed a split caused by the sealing of Demise, then why does old impa have the bracelet that OG Zelda gave past Impa? The master sword being able to exist in multiple timelines makes some since but people?!? It’s is a relatively small inconsistency, but one I feel I should have mentioned. 2. What happened/were are the new timeline Skyloftians? The split would have happened after Hylia created skyloft and the cloud barrier, from what I can tell the events of Alternate SS should follow similar if not identical trajectory up till the attempted kidnapping of Zelda at the beginning of SS; this means not only a near identical skyloft but a duplicate zelda and link but an intact sky barrier and no reason for the skyloftians to think that anything existed below the clouds how is Hyrule formed?, and what does this mean for the Zonai(or the natural evolution of the Zora, the Rito, and the Gerudo)? 3. King Rauru, in the OG timeline he is also the first king of Hyrule, he also builds a temple of time, and he also is the Sage of Light, however in OoT he is portrayed as a plain Hylian, where as in TotK he is zonai? 4. But probably the biggest hole is that in BotW during one of the memories Zelda mentions Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time as well as skyward sword, but in this alternate timeline these events should be impossible! I have spent a few sleepless hours attempting to fill these holes and cannot find a clean way of doing so!

The thing though is I dont think there was a timeline break in SS. At least not in the way that I understood it. By link going to the past and defeating Demise, he became the hero in the past that is celebrated in Skyloft. Very similar to a certain someone in TotK who also goes to the past fulfilling a prophecy. Plus BotW clearly references Twilight Princess during the ceremony with Link. Plus all the other items around meant to honor past heroes (though they can just simply be easter eggs). If this were a new timeline then they wouldn't know of these events. We will eventually get an official timeline but I dont think this works. For the most part Ive reached a point where Im comfortable with a couple other theories on where TotK fits in the timeline but that ancient hero really throws me off. Does Nintendo intend to give us more about that hero or was that it? My only theory is that it was a past Link that took the form of a Zonai for some reason. Something similar to MM where in time, history may recall a Deku, Goron, Zora and Hylian as the heroes who saved Termina...all wearing a green cap.

Glad i aint the only that thought this! I also theorize that this new timeline mimics the old timeline but just different. Think Lorule and Hyrule being parallel worlds of eachother. They are Parallel Reality Timelines split at skyward sword. The Era of Myth is a section that copies the old timeline where the same events occur differently, or not at all. And this fits in perfectly with your video. Good im not insane lmao

Ocarina also still happens Sidon mentions being related to Ruto in the Zoe’s Murals so I still think it’s one of the three branches however this is the only other option if we ignore that but I don’t think it’s separate.

Are you part of the Zelda team. That was clean man. If not you should be 😂

Youre doing Hylia's work. Great video!

This is such a great theory, and beautifully scripted too. Love it ❤️‍🔥

Its a great theory, but I have a question: how do you explain the clothes and items you collect that belonged from other games? BOTW you required Amiibos to get them but TOTK they’ve been integrated in the story.

If zelda went back in time and told these gods with control of time about her and links adventures they started looking through time for links. that’s why we see the other hero tunics in the depths. The sheikah clearly took their main design “the eye” from their king who sacrificed himself just look at the eye of raurus when it opens. They are searching through time with the power of the time stones in skyward sword. This is cool because the zelda timeline is full circle just like the logo on Totk

I really like the is theory. It explains a lot of the conflicts and inconsistencies with trying to wedge it onto another or all three of the timelines. It also gives a valid explanation of near absence of the Triforce while also shedding some light on the resurgence and focus of Hylia over the Golden Goddesses. I suppose the only thing it doesn’t clarify is some of the overlaps and nods to previous titles, unless we assume similar events and names occurred over the roughly 10k year span. But again, I’m sure additional theories might open up discussion on those.

I think you’re leaving a lot out here. There’s plenty of hints to BotW and TOTK that hint at the other games happening. Nintendo has always been about the little details, and the description for rock salt says it. It also can’t be too much a coincidence that Zelda casually mentioned being skyward bound, adrift in time, and whatever by twilight. Personally I think this game takes place in a converged timeline, with Rauru and Sonia being the first to found Hyrule after the ancient sea dried out. At least this is the theory that can make the most sense to me. Great video! Have a subscribe. I love Zelda theories even if I disagree with them. Can’t wait for the next one!

Great video and quite the interesting, creative and witty theory I do, however, believe it to be very difficult to square the circle regarding both Botw and TotKingdom being set after the games in the established timeline. There are direct references to Ruto and her role helping the hero in BotW. Of course, it could be that the Ancient Hero was helped by a different Ruto from this different timeline, but I believe it starts creating way more problems than going with "well, it's been really really long". Besides, all the legendary items and armor being found in the depths points to a sort of effort on the zonai part to uncover and catalogue important past events, it would seem. Then again, they could all be non canon. It's like they wanted to make the timeline a complete mess once more, unsatisfied as they were with it being fixed with SS. One thing that I believe could lend credence to your theory is the fact that Fujibayashi directed SS as his first mainline Zelda. So this distancing from past games could mean him trying to establish his own timeline - a first indication of which may be considered the placement of Minish Cap in the timeline.

Ok this makes a lot of sense, nice one

Another interesting thought I’ve had recently is that the Zelda series could be like Roman/Greek mythology. It’s similar stories as told through different civilizations and the different variations in the timeline is just different interpretations of the events that took place.

This makes the most sense. If time travel result in timeline splits ala Ocarina of Time with the Child and Adult, then it stands to reason that time travel would result in a timeline split from Skyward Sword.

Imagine if the next Zelda game ends up being about the time period mentioned in the tapestry. Back then the Guardians were not corrupted so defeating Calamity Ganon surrounding him with the Divine Beasts, all the Guardians, Zelda, and the Ancient Hero would look epic!

ok I’m glad I watched this after the final shrine reaction, cuz I would’ve been TOTALLY lost on that costume change otherwise

I think its more likely that these 2 games are in a reset timeline after the end of the original series timeline (four swords adventures, zelda 2, etc.) The existence of the Rito, Zora, and Gerudo so close to Skyward Sword wouldn't make sense + the lack of any reference to Skyloft by anyone in the distant past (and that the Zonai may have actually originated underground, then went to the sky.) Plus the there are 2 distinct pre Botw eras; the distant past and the age of myth/legend. The age of myth/legend is where all of the games before Botw fit in, in an era so far in the past that those games are just myths. The distant past was the age 10,000 years ago referenced in botw. Totk makes it very clear that the era that Zelda landed in is in the distant past - - they constantly specify and reference that it is THE DISTANT PAST, and not the age of legend/myth which is before that. I think its very likely that sometime after the original timeline, some event actually managed to wipe out Hyrule more than any previously. It was essentially reset back into a field with scattered groups of peoples and loose stories of previous history. The Zonai came down to what was a essentially a land with groups of villagers far removed from their original history. They probably still referred to themselves as Hylians, Rauru jumps on the opportunity to unite them and boom, a new iteration of Hyrule is born. Not truly the first Hyrule but as far as anyone knows, it is. Plus factor in that there can't be multiple Ganondorfs because that stops the birth of another Gerudo male if one already exists. Hyrule Castle has been destroyed or relocated multiple times throughout previous games and it wouldn't make sense for there to be a Ganondorf under the castle the entire time when Ganondorf was being born in the Gerudo desert. In short - botw and totk are a new unified timeline just so many countless generations after the end of the original that the Zelda team doesn't have to worry about it anymore where they fit. Another thing I noticed as well is that all of the previously amiibo locked content in botw has been updated in Totk to be contextually vague. Things like "The Goddess Sword" are now canoniclly just called "The white sword of the sky" in the time of totk, and the sword of the six sages is just referred to as a kind of claymore in totk. Almost every legendary or signifgant object has had its original name and context lost and now are only referred to in vague terms with even vaguer descriptions as if they were just stories past around a campfire. I also don't think Sonia and Rauru managed to have descendents at any point. You'd think they'd be depicted in - ANY - of the architecture (or that if they did have a child, Zelda would be concerned about consoling that child like she visits the sages.) I think they speculate about Zelda being their descedent because they can sense similar powers in her but I think that it wasn't all it seemed , especially since none of them knew what was about to happen. I get the feeling personally that Zelda's powers don't actually come from Sonia and Rauru like Sonia had speculated - but more likely just from the fact that she's blood of Hylia - and she has the triforce. I doubt only Sonia had that royal blood flowing through her.

As always, great theory man! There's just one thing that bothers me; if memory serves me correctly, while not willing to give BOTW a definitive statement, didn't Mr. Aonuma say BOTW and thereby in extension also TOTK say that they take place after Ocarina of Time? Even if the past depicted in TOTK probably long predates the events of Ocarina of Time, the present day events would've taken place after Ocarina.

The Ancient Hero Aspect armor is rather peculiar. I mean … 1st its rather short, while the Zonai seem rather tall, despite their short legs 2nd its green while Mineru and Rauru were more of a shade of gray to black 3rd it has no long flappy ears like a Zonai, but rather shorter, pointy ears like a Hylian 4th it has a tail. Mineru and Rauru did not. 5th it has red hair, like a Gerudo. 6th it has tattoos which are reminiscent of Queen Sonia‘s tattoos, which she wore all over her body. I think if the Ancient Hero Aspect armor is meant to depict the ancient hero then he must have been mixed race. Zonai, Hylian, and at least one more race, with green skin, a tail and red hair. I am not very deep into Zelda lore but as I understand it, Zelda is always a descendant of previous Zeldas, while the Hero, though always named Link, isnt necessarily connected like Zelda to his predecessors by blood. If the Ancient Hero Aspect armor was worn by a direct descendant of Rauru or Mineru then this would mean the hero was related to the Zelda of his time. But then again, I must wonder, why did the Zelda of 10,000 years ago look like a Zelda, but her relative looked so different? I mean, how can it be that 2 descendants of either of the last 2 remaining pure Zonai exist at the same time despite looking so different?

another banger video

im definitely curious on how all the games connect. because im definitely confused on how all the heros stuff is in the depths. and her refrence to the hero of time and twilight. cant wait for part 2

This is LITERALLY my exact thoughts on all of this!

Very interesting and informative.

This was a great video, but Damn I wish I had the art without the logo in the top left

I'm hoping that we get this kind of thing for tears of the kingdom story DLC The only other thing I can think of would be master mode with more zonai parts and materials with new schematics

By far the best theory I’ve heard that doesn’t make the other games just legends. It is completely plausible as well.

Your theory would make sense, if Rauru founded Hyrule a long, long time after Demise's defeat. The Skyward era had Parella, Mogma, etc. No Zora, Rito or Gerudo existed yet, so you'd need a lot of time for these races to be established by the time of Rauru's Imprisoning War.

Finally a timeline theory I feel makes sense!

It's an interesting theory, but I'm not even going to ask how the outfits from the other games were supposed to get into a completely separate timeline. Maybe Misko is a time traveler who collected Link's stuff from different timelines so Wild Link would have it.

Certainly would explain why this Link is such a beast.

Best theory ive heard yet. Makes total sense.

If in skyward sword the master sword that was left in the past appears in the future then how did the ancient hero get it

Nice, another theory that agrees BotW and TotK belong in a Skyward Sword split. But I still think the downfall timeline and four swords games belong in it too, since there isn't really any differences between the imprisoning war in ALttP and TotK.

I've believed in a timeline split in Skyward Sword for a long time. It's fallen out of popularity, even though I think it's the simplest interpretation of what happens in-game and has less inconsistencies than the in-vogue "eternalism" stance. I'm starting to like the theory that the secret stones are actually Triforce shards, and that Dindraal/Nayara/Farosh are Zonai who carried out a duty to consume their sacred stones in order to ascend into the sky, taking a shard of each Triforce with them, effectively sealing the the Triforce forever. Rauru was the protector of the remaining shards. That's a safer, and much cleverer, way to go about hiding the Triforce. It's a much more active approach than just putting it in the Temple of Light and shutting the door behind you. What makes this such a powerful seal compared to the Door of Time? The only way to re-construct any one of the three Trifoce pieces, let alone the full relic, would be to have different people to obtain the remaining shards of the Triforce piece and combine it with the piece held by the existing dragon. What's more, none of those people would be able to wield the triforce piece themselves, because to become an immortal dragon one must sacrifice themselves completely, as the ancient Zonai trio. Let's say a future Ganondorf or someone came along, somehow learned about the Triforce, and somehow learned this great secret of the secret stones. Even then, the villain would have to convince other people to sacrifice themselves for HIM and consume the stone willingly.

I would agree, except Skyward Sword tries to make it clear (however messy) that the past and future are linked by using Zelda's bracelet given to Impa to show the timeline is linear.

Would love to see this in the next zelda. Great theory.

I have literally been saying this since Breath of the Wild 😮. I was always wondering what happened after Link defeated Demise in the past and returned back to his timeline. I just don't make YT videos to explain my own theories lol. Thank you Gio for finally bringing this thought to light! 👏

For me, Skyward Sword is undoubtedly a closed loop. Impa would not have the bracelet for the entire game otherwise. It’s impossible for her to have or obtain it until Demise is sealed by Link. That, and the fact the Imprisoned/the seal haunts Link from the start of the game and reacts exclusively towards him seems to imply he had defeated and sealed Demise in the past. It’s his seal. Also, if you scan the Sealing Spike with Fi late in the game after already learning about Hylia sealing Demise, Fi says the Imprisoned is the vessel for Demise, but that there is still information unknown about the seal you’re witnessing. Furthermore, Breath of the Wild references Ocarina of Time Ganondorf specifically in the Zora tablets, and of course, there are other references- which you may address, but to make your theory work, it would involve a lot of bends, twists, and turns that make it overly complicated imo. For me: TotK Past: In between SS and TMC BotW & TotK present: End of the Child Timeline. Nintendo tends to go for the most simple explanations and solutions when adding to their timeline, despite how complex it is overall. Any new lore they add when going back in time, they just mix it in with simple explanations and adjustments. The OoT split is the only complicated part. I feel like most theory videos I see on BotW & TotK, attempts to further complicate things with more splits, when the answers could just be very simple.

I have a thought that may be way off, but it's just for my own entertainment and involves 2 Ganondorfs. (Of course, with over 10 million copies sold, I'm sure many other players have had the same idea.) Anyway, I like to think Skyward Sword happened as it did, then, many generations after that 1st Zelda and Link settled on the surface, one of their descendants (Sonia) became the 1st Queen of the newly established Kingdom of Hyrule. Of course, as we know from Tears of the Kingdom, the Gerudo King, Ganondorf, hatched a scheme to take over the kingdom, but was eventually sealed by King Rauru during what could be a 1st Imprisoning War separate from the one we already knew about in the downfall timeline, and this Ganondorf would remain underneath Hyrule Castle for thousands of years. Now, pause for a moment and go back. In the memory called "A Show of Fealty," there are two young Gerudo women kneeling behind Ganondorf who look an awfully lot like twins. Perhaps they are Koume and Kotake, a.k.a. Twinrova. Fast forward 350 years or so, and imagine these two powerful witches create a new Ganondorf in the image of the king they worshipped, and raise him as their son, setting up the events of Ocarina of Time. However, instead of searching for a Zonai secret stone to enhance himself, this new Ganondorf seeks out an even more powerful artifact. The Triforce. Then, everything unfolds just as it did, with the 2nd Ganondorf/Ganon eventually being killed in all of the timelines, with a 2nd Imprisoning War occurring in the downfall timeline. Of course, in Breath of the Wild, the calamity still happens because it originates from the 1st Ganondorf who has been sealed underneath the castle the entire time. I don't know. Everything I just said may be way off, and it may not make a bit of sense. Maybe the games really are supposed to be a bunch of different legends and folklore with no actual connection, and are meant to be enjoyed separately from each other. But anyway you look at them, it's still fun to theorize. And that's what makes this franchise so great. The fun extends beyond the gameplay itself.

Oo, I like this theory. And it does show that there is nothing that says the hero has to be a Hylian.

You finally put the Theory to life......🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Every time a form of Ganon is reborn the spirit of the 1st hero appears to take that form of Ganon down with the help of the reincarnated version of Hylia, Zelda it’s simply that the Zonai that appeared to defeat the calamity 10,000 years ago was just the spirit of the hero

I was thinking about atavisms, a phenomenon where a mutation can make traits from remote ancestors appear after many generations. It would be amazing to see a story about a hero 10,000 years ago being born resembling a zonai because of an atavism.

I don't think thats the case because in BOTW there are mentions to games like Twilight Princess.

finally someone else other than me with the skyward sword timeline split. The only way these two games would ever fit into the timeline

Dude my mind is blown! What TOTK isn’t the end but another beginning? This is the best theory I’ve heard so far. But one thing I don’t get is after the death of demise, the master sword is still in the present where the imprisoned was killed. I hope we get a trilogy of this series so we’ll know more.

Have to remember: it is based on the Spirit of the Hero, it doesn't have to be a blood line for link. Whilst Zelda is part of a blood line.

My theory is that it’s not an alternate timeline and that the ancient hero aspect is of the hero that helped hylia herself against demise in the beginning prolog of skyward sword. I also think there is an untold story after all the other games that explains a convergence of timelines and great sea receded to bring hyrule back from underneath which leads to the zonai descending from the heavenly realm to start the new kingdom. Botw and totk far in the future after that.

The only thing that makes it kind of impossible is impa being given the blue bracelet to Zelda and then still having it in the present as the old lady, which kinda proves that the events of Skyward Sword are all one timeline

The Ancient Aspect also perfectly matches with Link's new arm further symbolizing Link's Zonai ancestry.

I interpreted events much differently. In Skyward Sword, the Timeline didn't split, because the Timeshift Stones present an... unorthodox method of Time Travel. When Link, who didn't exist long ago, confronted Demise, the present was affected by the outcome, not the past. In taking Zelda to "the past" Ghirahim created a second Demise that, left unchecked, would have merged the "past" with the present and begin his conquest anew. Impa's returning to the past having results at the very start of the game was due to her originating from the past; she's part of the sequence of events in a way that Link and Zelda aren't. Fast forward billions of years. Hyrule falls, New Hyrule is born, the cycle of reincarnation ensues that, in some way, shape, or form, everything single game in the series has happened. At this point, the rising and falls of Hyrule have happened so much that the "New" part just feels redundant. And so, for the upteenth time, Hyrule is founded again, this time by Sonia and Rauru. The Zonai numbers dwindle, until Rauru and Mineru, to Ganondorf's knowledge, are the last of the Zonai, but he is wrong. One, half human, remains, the Prince of Hyrule coincidentally named... Link. Mineru's advanced technology extends her sabotaged life expectancy as long as possible. Zelda gets the Master Sword, and much time passes in preparation for Zelda's plan. In that time, Prince Link discovers the Master Sword of this era. Meanwhile, Twin Rova, having survived the war while still being loyal to the Demon King, scheme to revive Ganondorf. Recognizing the Zonai era's ending, Zelda and Mineru consult the Shiekah of this time, teaching them to adapt Zonai technology even without Zonite. This prompts the birth of the Guardians and Divine Beasts, so that the knowledge of the Zonai may live on. Twin Rova fails to free Ganondorf, but they do succeed at unleashing the Demon King's Malice, kickstarting the first Calamity. The Sheikah impress the two royals with their pace in finishing their, just in time to face the Calamity. Together, Zelda and Prince Link seal away Calamity Ganon. Peace settling and all the Sky Islands and Zonai shrines prepared, Zelda initiates her plan to restore the Master Sword of the future. A few generations pass. The newest King of Hyrule becomes paranoid and demands the Sheikah technology be buried. This wrath brings about the creation of the Yiga. Five Thousand Years pass. Age of Calamity happens. Another five thousand years pass. The Sheikah technology is excavated once again(history has a habit of repeating itself). The Calamity awakens for its third and final time. Hyrule falls once. 100 years later, Breath of the Wild begins.

i think ancient hero is BEFORE ganondorf born

I know lots of people give Nintendo crap for seemingly making up a timeline for Zelda on the go, but honestly, if creating a new timeline is what it takes for Nintendo to exercise their creative freedom and make an amazing game, then so be it. I flipping love the Zelda series and it's strange timelines.

I think that all this information is very interesting.

Mind blown boom 💥

Another problem with this theory straight from the Devs was that BOTW takes place after OOT....Aonouma said that in an interview

Maybe BoTW and ToTK are not in the Zelda timeline at all. They could be in their own continuity that parallels the events of the other games. Here’s my theory of this new timeline: 1) ToTK’s flashbacks are OoT’s child events + Zelda 2’s backstory. Ganondorf betrays the king in OoT/ToTK and Zelda falls into an eternal slumber in Zelda 2/ToTK. 2) BoTW is Zelda 1 + Majora’s Mask. In Zelda 1/BoTW an old man tasks you to save Zelda from Ganon. Since Ganondorf hasn’t awaken, similar events to Majora’s Mask can occur. Link in MM/BoTW must go to four regions to help grieving spirits pass on, and awaken four giants to end a calamity in the center of the world. 3) ToTK’s present is OoT’s adult events + Zelda 2’s present. Waking up Ganondorf is the same as allowing him into the Sacred Realm, and pulling the Master Sword from the Light Dragon is the same as Sheik’s reveal in the Temple of Time. In the finale of Zelda 2, you face a shadow of yourself that has the same moves (Dark Link/Ganondorf), then free Zelda from her eternal slumber. If this pattern continues for the next 3D Zelda game, then I believe it’s gonna be a combination of A Link to the Past + Skyward Sword, which will go through the story of the Ancient Hero forging the Master Sword and discovering the Triforce.

This new timeline that botw and totk take place in should be called the zonai timeline because it is the only timeline in which the zonai exist and they are also very important to the understanding of the events of the timeline. Also I think totk still happens after age of calamity.

I love this theory a lot I hope Nintendo confirms it to be canon, because I really wanted to be

How do you explain all the armor and unique weapons of previous links? 🤔

This doesn’t make sense because in a memory in Botw Zelda mentions twilight princess skyward sworn and ocarina of time how would she have heated of these event if they were in a whole different timeline/ reality

i had a similar theory about the timeline itself, i keep forgetting time travel shenanigans took place just like in oot, this skew off skyward sword is pretty good

This is a good timeline theory. Glad you realized the imprisoning war was not the one we already knew about