While The Legend of Zelda is highly regarded as one of Nintendo's greatest franchises, not all aspects of the series are universally beloved by fans. It's an unfortunate truth that you're likely to find in any beloved game or franchise: certain aspects, like a gameplay mechanic or piece of lore, create controversy within the community. The Zelda franchise is certainly guilty of this, but no aspect of the series causes quite as much debate among fans as the official series timeline.

Personally, I can't say that I've ever been the biggest fan of the Zelda timeline. While it's certainly irable to attempt to connect all the games into a single continuity, its multiple branches and confusing placements have left me feeling agitated by the many inconsistencies that arise. It was only once I learned about the Zelda director's true feelings towards the timeline, and how the development team approaches continuity in general, that my feelings about its inclusion began to change.

The Zelda Timeline Always Irritated Me

The Timeline Is Full Of Inconsistencies

What has always frustrated me about the Zelda timeline is its many inconsistencies that make it difficult to follow the series' continuity. For example, according to the official Zelda website, Four Swords Adventures is set directly after Twilight Princess in the timeline, despite sharing many similarities of its own version of Hyrule with A Link to the Past, which is in a different branch. The Zelda timeline is often full of baffling contradictions like this, made worse by the little justification or explanations provided by the games themselves.

Another frustrating aspect of the Zelda timeline is how the developers themselves take a more relaxed approach to continuity in general. For example, the placement of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom remains a mystery, with a new Zelda timeline branch seemingly established, making it unclear whether the games are even a part of the main timeline. This unusual approach that the development team have taken towards the Zelda series' continuity has only made the timeline more confusing, as it can seem like no game's placement is ever certain.

The Zelda development team have also been outspoken about allowing the players to use their imagination and interpret the timeline in their own way, as stated by TOTK director Hidemaro Fujibayashi during an interview with Famitsu in 2018.

What makes the lack of consistency so infuriating to me is how it seemingly contradicts the Zelda timeline's mere existence. The presence of a timeline for the series implies that all games in the Zelda franchise are interconnected under a single continuity and should be treated as such. Yet, when taking this approach, I'm often baffled and frustrated with how the titles themselves fail to meet that level of consistency or accuracy that's required. Treating the Zelda series as one over-arching story can often be a disappointing and unrewarding experience, making the timeline an infuriating aspect of the overall series.

The Zelda Devs Don't Place Much Importance On The Timeline

Focusing On The Timeline Can Limit Creativity

This frustration I had been experiencing for such a long time made me question the purpose that the Zelda timeline serves for the series. If the Zelda development team wasn't committed to maintaining a certain level of accuracy or to telling a cohesive overarching narrative across the series' many titles, why create a timeline to begin with? This question continued to play in my mind as I struggled to come to with the Zelda timeline and its purpose. That was until recently, when I discovered why the development team continues to take such a cautious approach.

As reported by Nintendo Life in 2023, TOTK director Hidemaro Fujibayashi was asked during an interview about how much consideration goes into a game's placement in the series timeline during development. During his response, Fujibayashi went into great detail about the more reserved approach that the development team takes to the Zelda timeline, and how it can affect the level of creativity in each entry. His full response can be read below:

[We] realized that fans have a great time theorizing and enjoy thinking about where things fit on the timeline. That's something that the development team recognizes and it considers, but to an extent. And I say, "to an extent" because if we get too into the weeds or too detailed in that placement, it results in kind of creating restraints for our creativity; the process of creating new ideas becomes restricted because we're so tied up and trying to make this fit into a very specific spot in the timeline. We do consider it, but not to an extent where we feel that our development process feels restricted or constrained.

While this may seem odd at first, there are many examples in which the Zelda developers have used this approach to great effect. For example, there's no doubt Majora's Mask serves its role well as a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, adopting its predecessor's revolutionary mechanics and greater emphasis on narrative. However, what makes the game so memorable is its diversions from the Zelda series in general, creating a darker and more somber tone, while placing a larger focus on side quests to create an entirely original experience.

It was upon reading this interview, and looking back at multiple Zelda games that I had played before, that my perspective on the series changed completely. I began to realize that my view of the Zelda timeline as a strict chronology of events to abide by was not the reason for its existence. Rather, the timeline serves a different purpose as a creative tool for the Zelda series as a whole.

Zelda Has Always Been About Offering Unique Experiences

Zelda Games Are Best Known For Mixing Old And New Elements Together

A huge reason why the Zelda series is so beloved is how each subsequent entry often features a fantastic mix of the familiar and unknown. There's a wide array of gameplay mechanics, collectibles, and characters that you can expect to see going into any Zelda game. However, what makes the experience so special is seeing how those signature elements are blended together with new ideas to create an adventure that, while familiar, is also wholly unique.

The reserved approach that the developers take to the timeline is vital in maintaining that balance. Each branch of the Zelda timeline contains its own themes, atmosphere and mechanics that are shared across the titles occupying said branch. It's a perfect starting point for the development of a new game, while providing the freedom the developers need to bring new ideas into the mix. The more reserved manner in which the Zelda timeline is used as a creative tool allows each entry to push the series forward in a way that a bigger commitment to continuity would not allow for.

Viewing the Zelda timeline in this context has allowed me to enjoy each game in the series as their own individual experiences. It has encouraged me to appreciate each game for what it is, and the connections it does have with other titles, rather than picking them apart for failing to commit to a larger continuity. I no longer feel the same frustration with the The Legend of Zelda timeline that I did for so many years, and that's all thanks to learning the purpose it plays in the larger franchise as a whole.

Sources: Nintendo, Famitsu, Nintendo Life