The Legend of Zeldaloves to make itself convoluted. Link and Zelda are both legendary figures of Hyrule who are constantly reincarnated to banish evil and restore peace. There is a rhyme and reason to the repeating events and evolution of the world that began with the events ofSkyward Swordand concludes withTears of the Kingdom. Theofficial websiteand books like Hyrule Historia do an excellent job of breaking it all down, but for the most part, it’s just a load of nonsense I can’t be bothered with.
Not that I don’t find it compelling, it just feels like so many of the timings and circumstances were conjured up after the fact instead of folding into a cohesive narrative. Slotting events in convenient places or acting like everything needs to line up so you can feel invested is a little silly, especially when the end result is a relatively lukewarm sense of satisfaction. It’s similar to how franchises likeStar Warshave developed into an endless stream of media eager to explain every single facet of his universe, now more interested in filling in the gaps than telling engaging stories. If tying into a popular property has consumers handing over money, then what reason is there to stop?
Tears of the Kingdom doubled down on this idea, and I’d be lying if I wasn’t digging deep into fan theories to analyse each trailer, trying to figure out exactly what was going on with hardly anything to go by. Many assumed that the sequel would reset the timeline entirely, returning to the status quo before the beginning of Skyward Sword, given the narrative touches on not only time travel, but the founding fathers of Hyrule that cemented so many of its traditions.
It was amazing to unearth decades worth of lore and understand not only where it came from, but where it could go moving forward. But this trailer gossip could easily be enjoyed even when removed from wider timeline shenanigans, and the bigger picture never crossed my mind leading up to release until a friend mentioned it. Should I be paying attention to where everything sits if I want to be considered a true fan? No, that’s a load of rubbish, I love Zelda an unhealthy amount already.
I admire those who find a lot to love in the official timeline and how it continues to bring all the games and characters together, but being told that failing to adhere to it means you can’t enjoy something is ridiculous. I bet the majority of people who enjoyed Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were entirely apathetic to the wider canon. They’re two games that tell an excellent story without the need for prior context, which is what cements them as such wonderful experiences. Not to mention that Breath and Tears are deliberately removed from the established canon, released years after the Hyrule Hystoria and, to this day, have no official place. At least not one that has been written and cemented.
Breath of the Wild relies heavily on flashbacks, while Tears loves to throw you back into the past to see what Zelda is up to, but the world around you is also pronounced with meaningful narrative touchstones and characters who have called this land home for a long, long time. You only need to see the names of certain locations pop up on screen to be reminded of classics likeOcarina of Time, while beautiful musical motifs are constantly dipping into the likes ofWind WakerandTwilight Princess. Whether you grasp its overarching timeline or not, those with a love of Zelda can pick apart its influence and events with just as much expertise, we just aren’t fussing over unnecessary particulars all the time.
Nier: Automatatackled this divide expertly. Nier and its sequel are not new experiences, but technically sequels to a secret ending found in Drakengard, a classicPS2game from the same director, Yoko Taro. In said ending, a dragon can be seen teleporting to modern day Tokyo as it does battle with the final boss before being skewered on a giant tower, thus spreading the disease that would eradicate mankind and ring in the post-apocalypse we explore in both Nier games. It’s nonsense, but it’s a fun Easter Egg for hardcore lore experts, while not taking anything away from the Nier experience if you haven’t seen it.
The same should go for Zelda, and how, despite their connections to a deeper mythos, it’s okay for modern games to be treated as a new entity. Sequels aside, and even those I think are still fairly approachable for newcomers, there is more than enough meat on each game’s bones to fall in love with the characters and appreciate the narrative without knowledge of the generations on either side of them. Just enjoy video games and don’t put lots of pressure on yourself about the particulars. Life is better that way.
