The timeline of The Legend of Zelda has always been complicated, and Nintendo has now made another major change to the series’ history. With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time returning on Nintendo Switch 2, there’s been renewed interest in how the different games connect, particularly since the original adventure plays such an important role in the franchise’s chronology. For example, some think slight visual changes in Ocarina of Time hint at connections to the open-world Zelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
For years, The Legend of Zelda fans understood that the kingdom of Hyrule was established sometime after Skyward Sword, with the events of later games building on that history. However, Tears of the Kingdom complicated matters by introducing King Rauru and Queen Sonia as the founders of Hyrule, despite their story seemingly taking place much later than other Zelda games. This led to plenty of debate about whether Nintendo had rewritten the timeline or whether Hyrule had actually been founded more than once.
The Legend of Zelda Timeline Now Has 2 Foundings for Hyrule
Nintendo has now updated the official Legend of Zelda timeline to include two separate foundings of the Kingdom of Hyrule: one between Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap, another immediately before the ancient events of Tears of the Kingdom. This includes Ganondorf becoming the Demon King and the Imprisoning War that plays such an important role in the game’s story, with many now believing that Rauru and Sonia essentially founded a “new’ Hyrule.
Fans have long suggested that Rauru and Sonia didn’t establish the original Hyrule, but instead founded a new kingdom after the previous one disappeared. Nintendo’s updated timeline appears to support that explanation, but most of it remains as ambiguous as other parts of the Zelda franchise timeline. For example, where exactly BotW and TotK sit still remains unanswered.
Obviously, Zelda: Ocarina of Time has just returned with its highly rated Nintendo Switch 2 remake. Ocarina of Time is responsible for splitting the Zelda timeline into multiple branches, depending on how Link’s confrontation with Ganondorf unfolds. Meanwhile, some fans have also noticed potential connections between the remake and Tears of the Kingdom, like Kokiri markings resembling Queen Sonia’s tattoos. Whether there’s actually a connection remains unclear, and the similarities could simply be visual references to newer games.
The original Zelda: Ocarina of Time essentially splits the timeline into three different branches based on the outcome of Link’s battle with Ganondorf. One follows a world where Link is defeated, another follows the future he leaves behind after defeating Ganondorf, and the third follows Link’s return to his childhood. These branches eventually lead to games like A Link to the Past, The Wind Waker, and Majora’s Mask, respectively. In other words, Ocarina of Time is responsible for three different versions of Hyrule’s history, making it especially important whenever Nintendo changes or expands the official timeline.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
