The Untold Legend of Zelda: Venturing Back in Time for an Epic Prequel Journey

Highlights

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor take place at the convergence of all three Zelda timelines, presenting a distinctive chance for an instrumental prequel.

The next Zelda game has two potential paths: it can either follow Tears of the Kingdom as a soft reboot or serve as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, showcasing the moment when the three timelines converged.

Opting for a prequel to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would hold great importance in bringing together the divergent timelines at a specific moment and offer crucial insights into the reunion of all three timelines.

Unlike the other games in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor have the distinction of being set at the culmination of all three Zelda timelines. This presents Nintendo with a perfect opportunity for an instrumental prequel. Ocarina of Time, a favorite among fans, is renowned for initiating Zelda's three branching timelines that have become crucial to its canonical history. However, Breath of the Wild also played a crucial role by confirming that both it and Tears of the Kingdom take place after the reunion of all three timelines.

Now, following the events of Breath of the Wild, the Zelda series finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to the placement of its next game within the broader timeline. While the next game could be set after Tears of the Kingdom, serving as a soft reboot for Zelda's increasingly complex timelines, there is an equal chance that it could be a prequel to Breath of the Wild. Specifically, a prequel could take advantage of the unique timeline and allow players to experience the moment when all three timelines converged.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Time Travel Primes BotW For A Prequel

Zelda's long history with time travel, as seen in Ocarina of Time, resulted in the creation of the series' split timelines. Tears of the Kingdom focused heavily on the use of time between Princess Zelda and the Master Sword, while Breath of the Wild introduced the concept of Link's century-long coma. Both games take place in a time when all three timelines reunite, bringing Zelda's use of time travel back to the forefront. It appears that Nintendo carefully considered the direction of the series, with Tears of the Kingdom completing what Ocarina of Time started.

However, this creates a gap in the timeline that neither Tears of the Kingdom nor its predecessor address. Breath of the Wild and its sequel are set in Hyrule's future, when the timelines have already converged. This implies that there must have been a moment prior to these games when this convergence occurred. Just as Ocarina of Time was crucial in splitting the timelines, a prequel to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would be equally important in unifying these split timelines at that specific point in time.

Zelda's Era of the Wild Needs A Prequel

While Breath of the Wild had a non-canon prequel called Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and the possibility of Tears of the Kingdom receiving a similar treatment with The Imprisoning War, it is not necessary for a prequel set during the timeline unification to be directly connected to these games. However, a prequel for the Era of the Wilds holds the same importance in the Zelda timeline as Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time. This particular prequel could offer players a crucial explanation on how all three timelines were rejoined, which Nintendo may need to provide eventually.

In addition to the reintroduction of time travel in Tears of the Kingdom, the prequel presents an opportunity for Nintendo to create a soft reboot of the Zelda timeline while honoring the series' history. By incorporating games like A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, and Wind Waker, which are set in separate timelines, the Era of the Wilds' prequel could establish the foundation that leads to Breath of the Wild and its sequel. Furthermore, this prequel could expand beyond time travel and embrace the idea of a multiverse, potentially rebooting Zelda as one universe among many.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.