Summary
- Tears of the Kingdom may pave the way for new Zelda timelines.
- Another split timeline could offer fresh narrative possibilities if Nintendo looks to the endings of the latest games for inspiration.
- Games exploring what would happen if Ganondorf was defeated by Princess Zelda and Rauru in the past, or if Link is defeated by Calamity Ganon and can't be resurrected, could be intriguing.
While The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may have supposedly ended the franchise's branching timelines, it could be Nintendo's chance to refresh a well-known and long-standing tradition by introducing new potential futures based on the Era of the Wilds' endings. Since it had already been confirmed that Breath of the Wild was set at the furthest and ultimate endpoint of the series' timeline, there was no speculation about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's position as its direct sequel. But knowing that Tears of the Kingdom upholds this new single timeline raises new questions about the canonical future of the series.
Though there isn't anything to stop the next Zelda game from being set back in the series' history, Nintendo could find it difficult to leave behind the era of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom given the positive reception they received. Fans have even argued that these may be among Zelda's best games of all time, alongside others like A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time. Yet the parallels drawn between the likes of Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time could help Nintendo make the best of both worlds by establishing a new branching timeline post-Tears of the Kingdom.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom Puts the Next Game's Timeline in Jeopardy
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom played with The Legend of Zelda's timeline in novel ways, but didn't leave much room for their successor.
Exploring the Perfect Setup for Zelda's Second Split Timeline
Why Zelda's Split Timelines are so Important
Despite a second split in the Zelda timeline potentially causing controversy among players since it could be seen as unoriginal or unimaginative, it would be a logical step by Nintendo for both the Zelda franchise's narrative and its future games. While the initial split in Zelda's timeline had been confirmed retroactively, it played a key role in explaining away the vast, seemingly random yet connected diversity of games within the series. Since this has enabled Nintendo to explore new ideas and directions for the series, the potential end of these branching timelines could jeopardize the creative freedom for Zelda games set after Tears of the Kingdom.
Why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is Perfect for a New Split Timeline
While a second timeline split could give Nintendo the breathing room it needs for future Zelda game development, it may need to justify why Tears of the Kingdom will start these new branches and not one of the many other games in the series. Fortunately, Tears of the Kingdom is the perfect candidate for this, since it has both critical acclaim and a strong story to carry Zelda forward alongside its convenient position at the end of the original timeline. With the legacies of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo shouldn't waste its best opportunity to split the timelines once again.
How Zelda's Era of the Wilds Could Split the TImeline
Similar to Ocarina of Time, Zelda's Era of the Wilds already has obvious starting points for a second timeline split based on the games' canonical and speculative endings. For instance, Zelda's Dark Timeline created a series of games that were all shaped by Ganondorf's victory over Link, so both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom could subvert the narrative once more with Link's defeat against the likes of Calamity Ganon. More interestingly, though, a split timeline could take advantage of the Era of the Wilds' two games and explore directions that the lone Ocarina of Time couldn't, such as:
- Link is defeated by Calamity Ganon and can't be resurrected.
- Link beats Calamity Ganon but is then defeated by Ganondorf.
- Link beats both Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf but fails to save Princess Zelda.
- Ganondorf is defeated by Princess Zelda and Rauru in the past.
Ultimately, there seem to be countless potential avenues that a second timeline split could explore, meaning the only limitation is how far Nintendo is prepared to go with Zelda's convoluted history. While the original split introduced three branching timelines, a second one could take a bolder approach if Nintendo feels confident in managing four ongoing canons. But even by focusing on just the potential endings to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Zelda series may never have a better chance to revamp its timelines.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
- Cross Save
- N/A
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- How Long To Beat
- 59 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
