Skyward Sword and the Zelda timeline.

[Yggdrasil]

from Kotaku:

New Zelda Is An Ocarina Of Time Prequel (Of Sorts):

You may think that the concept of a coherent timeline for the Legend of Zelda games is either a sick joke or a... joke, but Nintendo maintains there is one. And that the upcoming Skyward Sword fits neatly into it.

In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, series overseer Eiji Aonuma says, "Yes there is a master timeline but its confidential document! The only people to have access to that document are myself, Mr. Miyamoto and the director of the title. We cant share it with anyone else!".

Oh go on. Share just a little. "I have already talked to Mr. Miyamoto about this so I am comfortable in releasing this information – this title [Skyward Sword] takes place before Ocarina of Time. If I said that a certain title was ‘the first Zelda game', then that means that we cant ever make a title that takes place before that! So for us to add titles to the series, we have to have a way of putting the titles before or after each other."

What this means, exactly, we won't know until the game's out, but it'd be nice if the timeline was referenced as directly as it was in, say, Wind Waker, which is almost a post-apocalyptic Zelda following the events of Ocarina of Time.

To date, this theory is the one that make most sense. Until then, I'm waiting to see this "master document" in the official site of the franchise or... all over the internet.

[FlamingR1ft]

It doesn't bother me they don't release a timeline. I like the speculation! Haha.

I've played them all and that timeline seems to make sense to me.

Although I'm pretty sure there is no evidence to support Twilight Princess occurring after Ocarina of Time rather than before it. Though after it does still seem more likely. And why can't Wind Waker follow Majora's Mask? Having the timeline split doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I could easily see it being...

Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Twilight Princess
Wind Waker
Phantom Hourglass
Spirit Tracks
Oracle Seasons/Ages

...without a timeline split. And how exactly do you place the Oracles in a timeline? They don't even occur in Hyrule. I can't see how anyone could give any evidence to support where it fits into. Correct me if I'm wrong but, the Goddesses, Impa (and Link, of course + Zelda if you used the special passwords in both games so you can fight Ganon) are the only familiar characters in it. If anything, with Din, Nayru and Farore being physical beings in it leads me to believe it could be a very early one. Or, a very late one.

I still support the idea of The Wind Fish in Link's Awakening being a descendant/forefather of Jabu Jabu in OoT. Which one though? Who knows? :P

[Eusis]

Although I'm pretty sure there is no evidence to support Twilight Princess occurring after Ocarina of Time rather than before it.

There is actually: the woman who runs the fishing game has a picture of her ancestor there, the guy who ran the fishing game in OoT.

[FlamingR1ft]

Although I'm pretty sure there is no evidence to support Twilight Princess occurring after Ocarina of Time rather than before it.

There is actually: the woman who runs the fishing game has a picture of her ancestor there, the guy who ran the fishing game in OoT.

Ah! I did not know that! Good to know! :)

Edit: Actually, placing Wind Waker would be tricky too, wouldn't it? I mean, there's no game so far yet that covers the seas receding. Obviously PH and ST after directly after it, but how does that explain Hyrule being back to normal for ALttP and further on? Is there anything to suggest Wind Waker isn't right near the end?

[Gen Eric Gui]

Haven't the officials at Nintendo been insisting for years and years that htere is no Zelda timeline?  Where are they getting this bull that Nintnedo is suddenly saying there is one?

[badsanta]

Haven't the officials at Nintendo been insisting for years and years that htere is no Zelda timeline?  Where are they getting this bull that Nintnedo is suddenly saying there is one?

I'm pretty sure they always insisted for years and year that there is a Zelda timeline. Besides, if you think about it enough, the games do fit together.

[Sagacious-T]

It's all bullshit guys.

[Prime Mover]

Gotta agree with Thoren. It's a waste of time. Most of the games rehash the same plots from each other. Not that we don't LIKE it that way, and it's part of the series' charm, but it makes it really silly to try to fit the games into a timeline. Highrule always changes drastically, yet the same events always reoccur. This just doesn't sit well for continuity. It's like fitting a square peg into a round hole.

[Lard]

Zelda isn't an RPG

[Kevadu]

If I lived in the Zelda universe and I had a daughter, I would not name her Zelda.  That just seems like a bad omen.

[Eusis]

Zelda isn't an RPG

Best not to sweat it, though that goes for both sides of the argument.

Edit: Actually, placing Wind Waker would be tricky too, wouldn't it? I mean, there's no game so far yet that covers the seas receding. Obviously PH and ST after directly after it, but how does that explain Hyrule being back to normal for ALttP and further on? Is there anything to suggest Wind Waker isn't right near the end?

They've said there's a split timeline, so that makes it easy enough to deal with WW onward.

Honestly... yeah, I wouldn't really sweat the timeline stuff too much. At most ignore the NES games and look mainly at the 3D installments since they seem to have a more easily defined order.

[Lard]

Did Eusis get a promotion?

[insertnamehere]

this timeline thing is one reason I don't really play any games in this series.

[FlamingR1ft]

this timeline thing is one reason I don't really play any games in this series.

I don't understand why that would stop you playing? It's not even remotely important to the enjoyment of playing. They don't even talk about it in the games.

[insertnamehere]

this timeline thing is one reason I don't really play any games in this series.

I don't understand why that would stop you playing? It's not even remotely important to the enjoyment of playing.

I prefer not to get involved D:
I may end up wanting to play each one and come up with my own explanation for it and hunting several of these game down sounds like a nightmare