Thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players' understanding of the Zelda canon is being significantly reshaped. This presents an opportunity for Nintendo to capitalize on the growing multiverse trend and establish a connection between different universes. Despite sharing familiar characters and story elements, the Zelda games have varied greatly in terms of art styles and gameplay mechanics. Nintendo's solution of creating branching timelines to canonize everything has become complex and controversial. However, with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom bringing an end to these timelines, Nintendo could potentially initiate a soft reboot. By embracing the current multiverse trend, Zelda can transform its once branching timelines into entirely new universes, expanding the franchise to become The Legends of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda Benefits More From A Multiverse Than Timelines
While the speculation surrounding the placement of each new Zelda game within the timelines has been a beloved tradition among fans, it is starting to lose its effectiveness as a narrative structure. Despite the official confirmation of a chronology in 2011 with Ocarina of Time as the central event, subsequent games have been added and revised, resulting in a complex legacy that may be enjoyed by dedicated fans but hinders Nintendo's creative possibilities and alienates new players.
Furthermore, even when placed within the current Zelda timelines, many games still exhibit significant differences from one another. While direct sequels like Tears of the Kingdom and Majora's Mask are easily accepted, games like the original The Legend of Zelda, which was released earlier but is set after the events of Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time, require a suspension of disbelief due to technological and gameplay advancements. Instead of forcing each game into a rigid chronology, it would be more fitting to consider placing some of them in alternate universes, allowing for greater creative freedom for Nintendo.
The Legends of Zelda's Meta Has Big Creative Potential
Nintendo could take advantage of the "soft reboot" approach to overhaul Zelda's chronology. They have the option to either revise the existing timelines or establish Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom as a new focal point. As both games have been positioned as the conclusion of all timelines, and Tears of the Kingdom potentially wrapping up Skyward Sword's cycle, there is a need for something to carry the series forward. Building on Zelda's exploration of alternate worlds, a game following Tears of the Kingdom could uncover new universes.
This approach would not only tie up loose ends within the Zelda series, such as the inclusion of Hyrule Warriors, its sequels, Cadence of Hyrule, and characters like Linkle, but also open up new possibilities for experimentation. For instance, Princess Zelda could become a playable character, while the infamous Zelda Philips CD-i games could be confined to their own separate universe. Furthermore, given that Super Smash Bros. recognizes three versions of Link, a meta Zelda game could pay homage to the series by pitting these different incarnations of Link against iconic adversaries like Ganondorf, Agahnim, Vaati, and others in a grand multiversal conflict.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.
