Summary
WhileThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdommay 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 thatBreath of the Wildwas set at the furthest and ultimate endpoint of the series' timeline, there was no speculation aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s position as its direct sequel. But knowing thatTears of the Kingdomupholds this new single timeline raises new questions about the canonical future of the series.
Though there isn’t anything to stop the nextZeldagame from being set back in the series' history, Nintendo could find it difficult to leave behind the era ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomgiven the positive reception they received. Fans have even argued that these may be amongZelda’s best games of all time, alongside others likeA Link to the PastorOcarina of Time. Yet the parallels drawn between the likes ofBreath of the WildandOcarina of Timecould help Nintendo make the best of both worlds by establishing anew branching timeline post-Tears of the Kingdom.
Exploring the Perfect Setup for Zelda’s Second Split Timeline
Why Zelda’s Split Timelines are so Important
Despite a second split in theZeldatimeline potentially causing controversy among players since it could be seen as unoriginal or unimaginative, it would be a logical step by Nintendo for both theZeldafranchise’s narrative and its future games. While the initial split inZelda’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 forZeldagames set afterTears 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 forfutureZeldagame development, it may need to justify whyTears of the Kingdomwill start these new branches and not one of the many other games in the series. Fortunately,Tears of the Kingdomis the perfect candidate for this, since it has both critical acclaim and a strong story to carryZeldaforward alongside its convenient position at the end of the original timeline. With the legacies ofBreath of the WildandTears 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 toOcarina 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 Timelinecreated a series of games that were all shaped by Ganondorf’s victory over Link, so bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomcould 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 loneOcarina of Timecouldn’t, such as:
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 withZelda’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 toBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, theZeldaseries may never have a better chance to revamp its timelines.
